Enrollment for McKenzie County Public School District #1 is projected to increase 1,000 students within the next decade. That is according to a recently-released study presented to the school board this month. The largest class this school year is kindergarten at 176 students, the smallest class is the seniors at 92. The study recommends the school district start considering plans for a third elementary school as well as ways to ensure adequate space in the middle school as the district enrollment continues to grow.

Progress continues in getting Highway 85 4 laned from the Watford City bypass to the Long X Bridge near Theodore Roosevelt National Park. According to the Theodore Roosevelt Expressway Association, right of way is currently being acquired, which is anticipated to be completed by this summer. Utility movement should be completed by this fall, as well as project bidding. One could see construction commence by 2023. As the graphic shows, US Highway 85 consistently sees very high volumes of oversize/overweight vehicles that is similar to, or greater than, 4-lane roads in North Dakota.

While stalled for a bit during the pandemic, ONEOK’s Demicks Lake III natural gas processing facility’s construction is back on. With a $140 million budget, the plans include the project to be completed by the first quarter of 2023 and will have capacity for 200 million cubic feet of natural gas per day. See more in this ONEOK press release.