2/15/2006 – News
Volume 123, Number 2
Commissioners reorganize
Benson County commissioners reorganized at their annual meeting in January. Ed Ripplinger of Leeds, seated left, was elected chairman.
Curtis Hvinden of Maddock, seated right, assumed the position of vice chairman. Left to right, standing, are commissioners Barry Cox of Warwick, Jason Lee of Maddock and Dwain Brown of Sheyenne. Standing on the right is county auditor-treasurer Bonnie Erickson, who serves as secretary for the commission.
Leeds Ambulance Service observes 40 years of serving area
The Leeds Ambulance Service is celebrating more than 40 years of service to Leeds and the surrounding communities with an appreciation soup and sandwich lunch at the Leeds Community Center on Sunday, Feb. 19 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Lunch and blood pressure checks are free to everyone who attends. Other booths will be set up to offer information on a variety of topics and tasks that the Leeds Ambulance Service covers.
The Leeds Ambulance Service is comprised of 21 members, three non-EMT board members, three nurses and 17 EMT’s (two of the nurses are EMT-b certified also). The service operates out of the Leeds Fire Hall. Of the 17 EMT’s, 3 are EMT-intermediates, one is an EMT-paramedic, three are instructor/coordinators and three are CPR instructors. The area serviced by the Leeds Ambulance Service is approximately 780 square miles and includes several communities around Leeds. The Leeds Ambulance Service is one of the best trained and equipped in the state for its size. It is a privately funded service organization relying on $30 yearly memberships from area residents.
Housed in the fire hall are two fully equipped and stocked ambulances, one of which is a new state-of-the-art 1999 model. All EMT’s are equipped with pagers and fully stocked jump kits for faster response time. Many of the EMT’s are also certified in extrication as are members of the fire department, which prepares them for most any situation.
The members meet on the second Wednesday of every month at 7 p.m. in the fire hall for classes and training sessions. The service, together with the Leeds School, has implemented a high school EMT class that upon completing gives students the knowledge to fulfill the requirements for state EMT testing and certification. The ambulance service also provides the opportunity for students to take the required testing in Bismarck.
The Leeds Ambulance Service also provided a defibrillator for the school with plans to eventually place defibrillators in the Leeds Community Center and churches.
Some volunteers with the Leeds Ambulance Service are pictured. Left to right, back row, are Jody Gullickson, Jana Darling, Lori Nelsen, Paul Peterson, Bryce Zietz and Rio Himle. In the front row are Tami Nelsen, Laurie Wangler, DeShawn Tofsrud, Tammy Urness and Whitney Streyle. Bryce and Whitney are students at Leeds High School who are taking EMT classes.
The training team for the Leeds Ambulance Service is pictured. Left to right are Tony Kitzman of the Golden Heart Paramedics of Rugby, Tammy Urness, Tami Nelsen and Lori Nelsen.
Tourney champs
The Maddock Bobcats competed in a B squad girls basketball tournament in their gymnasium Feb. 4 and defeated Harvey 64-32 and Minnewaukan-Leeds 67-45 to capture first place. Left to right, front row, are Alisha Knutson, Jessie Schwanke, Kimberly Randle and Michelle Olson. Back row: Courtney Foss, Kaidi Kenner, Stephanie Rieger and Coach JoLynn Jacobson. Not pictured is Jillian Maddock.
The girls had a good season. They finished the year with a 14-4 record. They defeated opponents with an average margin of victory of
26 points and scored 50 or more points in 13 of their contests. Three of the blemishes on the Bobcats’ record are single-digit losses.
Maddock Bobcats fans celebrate their team’s 49-44 victory over Minnewaukan-Leeds Feb. 11 to earn a spot in the Region 4 Tournament in Devils Lake Feb. 20, 21 and 23. The Bobcats, seeded eighth entering the tournament, won the play-in game against Midkota and upset number one seeded Wells County in overtime in quarter-final action. (Photo by Erik Gjovik of The Transcript)