[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6658242,"mediaKeyId","5024517-57f4fa8d8db3f773fadf93ab9074942f","parentId",5024517,"title","Cass County coroner reports rise in deaths, 29 confirmed drug overdoses and planned investigation of 1970 John Doe","audioSeconds",770,"startMs",2204000,"endMs",2974000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5024517-57f4fa8d8db3f773fadf93ab9074942f&start=2204&end=2974","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5024517-57f4fa8d8db3f773fadf93ab9074942f/thumbnail_2204000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6658242/Cass-County/North-Dakota/Cass-County-coroner-reports-rise-in-deaths-29-confirmed-drug-overdoses-and-planned-investigation-of-1970-John-Doe","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6658242-219d9f0769e6d881f10653f167f8a9e8/orig.mp4?Expires=1770439153&Signature=lWnSwlrLnKygePctPOSUQtRdXA5s5MzA97ItvRIJTFSoPGCCvI-LmDl6h4NutbFUMN0xwUSTX3LADVJLPvoatLdPXqb-gCdcVJG96iMJLuSps5GKM16-jhmYfTewq-vcom8K21lHSI9MPhjh6wWLIk5SIUa0FUEXy5PVyN~oTmbD4z-LoNDGKije5tiBmmZH6FLYYgak2W501edjluxklvvW~qP0qDA4fHBsUNk6LkbfXtjEWSd1WZOyMiqDUY4kzOTwnme78bQSJn2ViJ4YYdvwi4NpOoCaV5Few3RY2MVtZnB0peLqEZyus3oVum4amI8nmsmqxTgM5gLvBykrIw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Cass County, KS","date","2025-06-17T08:05:05Z","article","The Cass County Coroner reported that total deaths to date exceed the prior year by 66 cases, detailed drug‑related death patterns and autopsy counts, and described a planned anthropology project to attempt identification of an unidentified homicide victim from 1970.

The coroner (Cass County Coroner) said the office has four full‑time medicolegal death investigators and that all are nationally certified. The office is up 66 cases compared with the same point last year; the coroner said typical case work ranges from two to four hours for simple cases to several days for complex cases requiring autopsy.

On drug deaths, the coroner said most recent cases involve fentanyl, often combined with methamphetamine, and that cocaine‑related deaths have reappeared after a pause. “For the most part, it's fentanyl either by itself or in combination with cocaine and methamphetamine,” the coroner said. The office had confirmed 29 drug overdoses at the time of the briefing and expected that number to increase as more autopsy reports are completed; the coroner said 87 autopsies have been done this year in Grand Forks and 214 bodies have been transported to date.

The coroner also explained administrative work with out‑of‑state cremation forms (Minnesota requests require coroner sign‑offs) and that the office invoices funeral homes $30 per Minnesota cremation form the office signs. The coroner said the office maintains roughly 1,000 boxes of historical files offsite and two on‑site file rooms, and that paper purging and scanning are ongoing.

Separately, the coroner described an outreach from Southeast Missouri State University to exhume and analyze a John Doe buried in 1970. A funded team of anthropology students will attempt DNA and isotope analysis to identify the remains; the coroner said the work will be done at the cemetery under a canopy and remains will be reinterred after analysis.

No formal action by the commission was proposed during the briefing.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Group B Rotational Meeting 6/16","oneSentenceSummary","The coroner said deaths are up by 66 cases year‑to‑date, described drug‑related deaths dominated by fentanyl mixed with methamphetamine and cocaine, and announced a university‑led effort to examine and attempt identification of a John Doe buried in 1970.","taxTitle","Cass County, North Dakota","taxId",2734,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6658247,"Veterans affairs reports $500,000 SAFE funds, warns of federal VA uncertainty",187,1469000,1656000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5024517-57f4fa8d8db3f773fadf93ab9074942f&start=1469&end=1656","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5024517-57f4fa8d8db3f773fadf93ab9074942f/thumbnail_1469000.jpg","/articles/6658247/Cass-County/North-Dakota/Veterans-affairs-reports-500000-SAFE-funds-warns-of-federal-VA-uncertainty","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6658247-b654a56a4e0d2f226f11b6ba2a04c83f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770439153&Signature=UEGJ1YpzXC~YR1WjLQ4DvDyWmaC9XS9hfPqf3Pm-uYnVUWjGPkrgXwxv-FCd0klvhjZ2~guA8AINJ5fBTEE10DqbTpMjBNUSuEE18YEXbjG~d54N95MVsWi9PXvs8b88WYoZ9vOQzqYsqZXmPrOENHzgTSFu1VxuT3NUeKTfHMQhxczccEFCkHWE4hsFuwMG1ljYhRfoxQPFhiGQsPMbIoVd3yN2ii7uGp2GBYbsRgspv06WNKRBJFq2mJ2OPmpxgfLL3iNm8Mj3RHJr2kfwHrQ81F191E7Gv5P7~NZN6C3FV281j43L0ECyfqflugu8YGQXDWRnZ2bpbGyxp9UVEg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A Veterans Affairs representative told the commission the office received $500,000 in state SAFE funds and outlined local plans for distributing assistance to veterans, but also warned of continuing uncertainty at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs that could affect benefits and access to care.

The presenter said the $500,000 was part of statewide funds allocated across North Dakota counties and that other state programs and trust funds will also provide assistance to veterans. The speaker said the county’s plan could include working with community partners to pay first month’s rent or deposits for veterans and that the office is coordinating a second annual stand‑down event to connect veterans with services.

The presenter said the local office maintains a by‑name list of roughly 40 veterans experiencing homelessness and that the county’s records include about 17,600 veterans or dependents for benefit tracking purposes. The speaker said the county’s veterans program is the only department that brings revenue into county coffers via benefits administration.

On the federal VA, the presenter described low morale and staff changes at the Fargo VA and said claims and appeals are taking longer. “Some people are scared right now losing their benefits,” the presenter said, and noted that proposed changes to priority groups and federal reconciliation efforts were creating uncertainty for veterans and staff.

The presenter asked for patience from claimants and described ongoing outreach and partner coordination including donated goods and meal support for a stand‑down event. No commission votes or directives were reported during the update.","Cass County Veterans Affairs staff reported receipt of $500,000 in state SAFE funds and described ongoing uncertainty at the Fargo VA and among veterans over potential benefit changes tied to federal actions.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6658253,"Cass County emergency management details preparedness priorities and exercises",322,1117000,1439000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5024517-57f4fa8d8db3f773fadf93ab9074942f&start=1117&end=1439","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5024517-57f4fa8d8db3f773fadf93ab9074942f/thumbnail_1117000.jpg","/articles/6658253/Cass-County/North-Dakota/Cass-County-emergency-management-details-preparedness-priorities-and-exercises","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6658253-dc6a903fc4a0fa6f5af390c16d791d82/orig.mp4?Expires=1770439153&Signature=NC4D8Hnshy~-nVX3nb0OQ14t3-qbXPHfZeTsVp4JD4qg4RPvsciC4bEvRXuG~P~GbbWiA9ktWY~rM2d1EegflIu1ve8IwxFI5zMzkaOMZYA7~NXXn9r1cpeHKCnp8Z~iUfbqUYiNkWQVdd5CQY513IMtW2sH-y4QQG2SiTseBB95OfHf3Pr9F~OiYZCMlxeaTKrnbsrSZYZ~UVY8wZRPn5du1FYPoBbrEkEeVPo8a66sB1oilMcYMSZ~KeOkTuJXT7fZtGtDyZ093wpHSREY5vXjSg6A11byiFU0yu5k-u5p1O0JwrFq64iav5tJwZZgVGBNLVAihRGuR~q~qo76rQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Amanda, emergency management staff for Cass County, presented a multi‑part update on planning, training, exercises and outreach tied to the county’s 2025 preparedness cycle.

Amanda said an integrated preparedness planning workshop held with Fargo and West Fargo gathered input from more than 50 stakeholders representing 40 agencies and produced priorities for the 2025 cycle: mass gatherings, active assailant response, severe weather and cybersecurity. She said the county’s Integrated Preparedness Plan (IPP) was updated to reflect local risk assessments and after‑action insights and had progressed to the next review phase with state and FEMA partners.

On training and exercises, Amanda described work supporting a three‑day active shooter/hostile event response training planned for this summer at Fargo North High School, integrated multi‑agency exercises including a tornado tabletop for NDSU, the annual airport emergency plan review, a sheriff’s office cybersecurity tabletop, and a tabletop exercise for a downtown street fair that included CISA and city partners. Amanda said exercise feedback rated the street‑fair tabletop 4.7 out of 5.

Amanda also described community engagement such as collaboration with First Link for 988 coordination, credentialing for amateur radio volunteers for backup communications, and staffing an event operations center for the Fargo Marathon to support multi‑agency coordination. She noted the office lost space at the Fargo Public Safety Building and moved temporarily to the annex building.

Amanda requested no formal action; the update was informational and focused on aligning training and exercise work with identified capability gaps.","Emergency management reported an updated integrated preparedness plan focused on mass gatherings, active assailant events, severe weather and cybersecurity, and listed multiple recent exercises and training events in partnership with local and federal agencies.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6658258,"Cass County attorney outlines staffing changes, courtroom scheduling and digital records grant",393,554000,947000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5024517-57f4fa8d8db3f773fadf93ab9074942f&start=554&end=947","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5024517-57f4fa8d8db3f773fadf93ab9074942f/thumbnail_554000.jpg","/articles/6658258/Cass-County/North-Dakota/Cass-County-attorney-outlines-staffing-changes-courtroom-scheduling-and-digital-records-grant","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6658258-86f9555e19b9190727e07f7e9cb74795/orig.mp4?Expires=1770439153&Signature=mKHNQUQDcmb0tqJrS~kxsRP5z0WCwk6aHqdJ4tLCGqMxpcHKbBDmldvezC~NLt6YQO-HHoxCv8RoZNL~yNnh33tg5SBGLFZgbB5p~vZLJ4QMyyKQ613uHsEnhKJ5Jo1z2mkK7XTwLPi2dyn2xsItX3tjixhANf2-OenTRKkzHBzRB1q3EVolzwZaCPNRL58-UoOL59FO67n8dlTQFDn3xISXQD1qnTr0OV~eYGRG5vJZ69ld303-aYwvXs61H81xKmpS8czENx9oanigbKXn-ERLBg0ibjVyA0N3Vf-AwoCQVDV102ytcdufpVhN5oS74lxAyNhwxxWnar9KmOFDHQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Kim, the County Attorney, told the commission the office recovered staffing capacity after a bumpy period and has added new attorneys and administrative resources.

Kim said an attorney position was accelerated midyear with commission funding, allowing an early hire; another attorney will start Aug. 13. The office is tracking an anticipated courtroom opening in November. Kim said judges are reviewing two proposed rotation plans; first readings of the plans were scheduled in June with a final decision expected in July and new scheduling orders to begin in August to enable the November rotation start.

Kim described work on alternatives to incarceration and specialized dockets. She said the state passed a bill on criminal diversion programming that will select three pilot sites; Kim said she hoped the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation would select Cass County as a pilot site. The County Attorney’s office also engaged with the University of North Dakota law school on recruiting law students to remain in state and to attend a fall recruiting event.

On technology, Kim said staff secured a grant to cover a large portion of the first two years of an Axon Justice digital evidence management platform, which Kim said is part of a longer plan to reach digital file management and “take us from our 10,000 paper files per year down to, hopefully, none.” She credited IT staff for reapplying after a lost grant and said the next phase would be digital file management.

Kim also described internal restructuring work, including a PAQ submitted to create a paralegal position to handle tasks between legal assistant and attorney levels. The office sponsored free ethics training for prosecutors statewide and hosted administrative professionals events.

No commission action was taken during the briefing; the report was informational.","The County Attorney reported recent hires and departures, plans for courtroom scheduling tied to an anticipated November opening, and a new grant to fund early phases of a digital evidence and file management system.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6658263,"Cass County Extension warns of state, federal cuts; readies record fair",416,88000,504000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5024517-57f4fa8d8db3f773fadf93ab9074942f&start=88&end=504","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5024517-57f4fa8d8db3f773fadf93ab9074942f/thumbnail_88000.jpg","/articles/6658263/Cass-County/North-Dakota/Cass-County-Extension-warns-of-state-federal-cuts-readies-record-fair","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6658263-e29864b9de88cf725f8034f93f75927e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770439153&Signature=gbyAd89dJG6WmEtm1AN6PUQRSJKkAg-mtJ-JNnKJ211SnmJ61leAbj6447wal7AkGpWoDD5GkCnJqOMeP31kMr3TNCGl8N2ZidJmDV2NNQrG2VJKDBpzCrUGYyaFyzWEL1hvTwNWxpZbGhjaSrhjaye-5NpcWfv7ipzCsjek7B1AqjjAE5rsu7m9mcXFGwSjybzWBMumro568I4~VC4xRJJJlqZmZEWp7IjqhueIbGpu-RITIXgUz5syLwIxCnalReEZIMDPA-Mg0j~3beSWI6~UHJfRO7K3jzfnTt1NlG7uxAU~wKKuttKJpjvSSLT1n1qeCvji2qD~3E37GeGOng__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Rita, Extension office staff for Cass County, told commissioners the office is facing both state and federal funding reductions while preparing for a record county fair.

Rita said the state reduced the office operations budget by 2.1% and offered voluntary separation incentives. “At the federal level, we have a 35% budget reduction in the NIFA funds, and that's our formula funding, and our grant funding,” Rita said. She added that the county’s Family Nutrition Program was listed as an elimination line in federal budget materials and that the office could lose two to three positions depending on final appropriations.

Those potential cuts, Rita said, would not affect the county general fund for two specifically mentioned positions because they are fully state funded. “The family nutrition program, there's no funding from you guys in that program. That's a 100% state funded benefits and everything,” she said.

At the same time, the Extension office is preparing for the annual county fair, which Rita said opens for set up on June 30, with exhibit judging beginning July 1 and the fair running July 4–13. She reported a record 2,200 exhibits and a roughly 100‑member increase in 4‑H participation over recent years. Rita said the office faces staffing shortages—one 4‑H agent recently left and two support staff are new—and difficulty recruiting volunteers for fair duties.

Rita told the commission one position’s last day was the previous week and that hiring timelines were affected by fair schedules: candidate interviews cannot be scheduled until after the fair. She said the office has already had five open positions this year and that one employee had been advised to look for other employment because a cut seemed likely.

Commissioners asked where the cuts originated; Rita said the federal reductions were tied to recent federal budget actions affecting NIFA funding. She encouraged attendance at the fair and noted the competitive pressures of volunteer recruitment around the July 4 weekend.

The Extension update was presented as a budget and operational briefing; no formal county action was proposed at the meeting.

For context, Rita framed the potential staffing impact as contingent on state and federal final appropriations and on voluntary separation choices offered by state authorities. The commission did not take a vote during the update.","Cass County Extension staff said state and federal budget reductions could eliminate positions and programs even as the office manages a record 4‑H fair with 2,200 exhibits beginning in early July.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Cass County coroner reports rise in deaths, 29 confirmed drug overdoses and planned investigation of 1970 John Doe

Veterans affairs reports $500,000 SAFE funds, warns of federal VA uncertainty

Cass County emergency management details preparedness priorities and exercises

Cass County attorney outlines staffing changes, courtroom scheduling and digital records grant

Cass County Extension warns of state, federal cuts; readies record fair