The Bismarck Tribune from Bismarck, North Dakota • 13

Friday, December 30, 2005 New lottery game coming to N.D. soon Page2B State ranks high on survey for competitiveness Page5B WWW.BISMARCKTRIBUNE.COM Section LM Mmt mi cmmib! mil ram) Morton County OKs motion to adopt Mandan's policy on exotic dancing By GORDON WELXEL Bismarck Tribune Morton County's hearing on adopting Mandan's ordinance regarding exotic dancing little resembled past city hearings, with no audience testimony provided either for or against the prohibition. The county planning and zoning commission unanimously approved a motion recommending adoption of the city's ordinance. County commissioners will get their chance to approve the ordinance next week when they meet Tuesday. Ordinance 961, according to Trauger, fol- lows word-for-word Mandan's ordinance.

It regulated through zoning, the Planning and Zoning Commission was required to hold the hearing and come up with a recommendation for the county commission. No one in the audience at the hearing was there to address the issue. "The reason we've had this kind of turnout, I figure, is because there is no interest in doing this out in the county," said Planning Commissioner Mark Bitz, who is also a county commissioner. "My question is, if the county adopts it, does it apply to the other cities in the county?" Trauger said it did not apply to organized towns such as New Salem, Almont, Flasher, prohibits exotic, semi-nude dancing in all zoning areas except industrial and totally bans such dancing in establishments that sell and serve alcohol. Dancing cannot be held in an area within 500 feet of a place serving or selling alcohol either.

Planning Commissioner Sandra Tibke, also a member of the Mandan City Commission, provided the example of a juice bar with exotic dancing as allowable in an industrially zoned area. Tibke said that city attorney Sharon Gallagher put a lot of research into the issue and came up with a good ordinance, which the city commission adopted. Since the exotic dancing issue is being Hebron and Glen Ullin. But it does cover such unorganized communities as St. Anthony, Fort Rice, Huff and Breien.

Trauger further said that anyone attempting to operate a business with exotic dancing have to come before the planning commission requesting a special use permit. A hearing would have to be held and a recommendation made to the county commission, which would make the final decision. "In other words, any attempt to have dancing will have to come through us first for screening," Planning Commission Chairman John Schafer said. (Reach reporter Gordon Weixel at 250-8255 or gordon. weixelbismarcktribune.com.) SAYING HIS GOODBYES Five more burbot for hatchery By RICHARD HINTON Bismarck Tribune HPIPI 'y in 1 1 ij.

3 Vdi 1 if -i r. j- 4" Five more burbot joined the Garrison Dam National Fish Hatchery's collection of brood stock, bringing its total of the eellike fish to 11. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service fisheries biologists used rods, reels, hooks and bait again Wednesday to haul in two burbot, which are also called ling. On Tuesday, retired USFWS biologist Al Sapa caught three that he turned over to the hatchery.

The hatchery is collecting burbot in hopes of spawning them and sending the progeny to Wyoming, which has requested young burbot for a restocking program. As bait, the fishermen on Wednesday tried smelt, herring and minnows, "kind of like a typical angler," Steve Krentz, of the USFWS fisheries office in Bismarck, said Thursday. "I don't know what's going on, or if they are even there. We have a lot to learn about burbot." So do biologists at the hatchery. They are still trying to figure out how to distinguish the females from the males.

See Burbot, Page 6B v- v. i liimiit-MMiiinni-Miiiiiimmntiiii 1,13 m'-r msk I I I MIKE McCLEARYTribune RETIRING: Above, Dean Hildebrand, retiring director of the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, says goodbye to Gail Mosset and other staff members in the Licensing Department on Thursday on his next-to-last day of work. Hildebrand was at the helm of the department for almost 10 years before announcing his retirement earlier this year. Terry Steinwand, a 22-year veteran with the department, was appointed by Gov. John Hoeven as Hildebrand's replacement last month.

"I turned in my keys, cell phone and credit card," Hildebrand said. "It's been a magnificent experience. I'm ready to blast and cast." Left, Hildebrand walks down a hall at the department headquarters. His last official day is Sunday. Conference on NPCC is rescheduled By GORDON WEKEL Bismarck Tribune A conference featuring the Northern Plains Commerce Centre and what it can offer shippers is set for March 7 at the Bismarck Civic Center.

Originally, the Northern Plains Shippers Conference had been scheduled for February, but due to conflicts with other conferences, the decision was made to push it back, according to Kadr-mas, Lee Jackson Inc's Cathy Spencer, logistics consultant to theNPCC. "We wanted to make sure we could attract the shippers that will use the facility," Spencer said. "We're hoping to have a couple of hundred people, but with this being the first one and the NPCC not up and running yet, it's going to be interesting what kind of turnout we'll get. Plans are to introduce the NPCC's transload operator and warehouse operator at the conference. The city is accepting pro-posals for operating the transload facility and warehouse until Jan.

6, with expectations of having the operators on board by mid- to late February. Construction of the city-owned warehouse is set for this spring, along with the rail spur serving the NPCC and its first tenant, Bobcat. The rail spur bid opening for the Bobcat sequencing center is due the first week of See NPCC, Page 6B Mandan man found dead at rifle range "He was the sweetest, gentlest, most concerned man I've ever known. He had this absolute sense of caring for his patients." Brad King, on dental partner Mark Persson By TONY SPILDE Bismarck Tribune An off-duty Bismarck police officer discovered the body of a Mandan man Wednesday afternoon at the McLean Bottoms rifle range. Mark Persson, a dentist in Bismarck, died of a gunshot wound, said Maj.

Nick Sevart of the Burleigh County Sheriff's Department. Sevart said an autopsy by the state medical examiner confirmed the gunshot was self-inflicted. Final autopsy results, which aren't expected before next week, could determine if the shooting was accidental, Sevart said. "We know this wasn't somebody morning, when Persson asked King to perform a free root canal for a patient who needed it but couldn't afford it. Persson offered to pay for the procedure himself, King said.

"He was the sweetest, gentlest, most concerned man I've ever known," King said. "He had this absolute sense of caring for his patients." Persson was originally from Edgeley but had been a denust in town for more than 20 years. He was married to Claire and had two children a sophomore and a seventh-grader at Shiloh Christian School. Persson had been a member of Shiloh's board of directors for See Persson, Page 6B Sevart said other people arrived at the range shortly after the police officer discovered Persson's body. The officer notified authorities shortly before 4 p.m.

Wednesday. Chris Grondahl, outreach supervisor for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, which operates the rifle range, said there have been no other fatalities in the facility's 30 years. King said the last contact he had with Persson was Wednesday else shooting him," Sevart said. "We don't suspect any foul play." Persson, 49, had been shooting a muzzleloading rifle. Brad King, a dentist and partner of Persson's at Prairie Rose Family Dentists, said the shooting appeared accidental.

"Just looking at the circumstances, he was at the rifle range, he put out a target and actually took a shot at it before this happened," King said..