There is FAR more to this story than is related in this article for sure. First off no one is charged with Desertion untill they have not reported for duty for 30 days. Missing a plane due to weather is not gunna do it. Second all the soldier had to do was get a hold of her immediate supervisor and inform him/her of her situation. If that didnt work the platoon sgt, 1st Sgt, Platoon Leader, CO, ect. Travel orders are changed without difficulty on a daily basis in the military due to unforseen delays.

It happened to me twice in the military. The first time my plane was canceled due to mechancial problems the day I was supposed to ship out for basic training. No problem; I called up the sgt that gave me the tickets at the Military Entrance Processing Station and was resheduled the for the next day. The second time this happend to me I was enroute to Saudi Arabia the Travel Management Office put me on the right plane but gave the the wrong departure time. Called my boss and the unit I was deploying to and let them know...rescheduled the next availabe flight myself and made it there without further problem... I was not so much as hinted at that I was being charged with a crime...because I GOT MY A$$ THERE!

For this soldier to have been charged with desertion MUCH more must have happend to get her to this point. Missing a flight AT WORST results in a "failure to go" or "missing movement" charge. And thats as a result of neglect or design of the soldier NOT WEATHER. After that AWOL charges can result if its not corrected, THEN Desertion. For this charge to have been filed this soldier displayed the intent to NEVER go/return to her assigned place of duty and likely after repeated warning and orders to return.

Sorry the my mommy called you guys defense aint gunna cut it. Reply...

I salute!! Reply...

Hey, the peos in North Dakota are already in the bag and their noses are open.

Why bother, theres big money back east.

Conrad, Dorgan and Pomeroy are already multi-millionaires, nobody in the state dares run against them.

The only way for them not to be re-elected is if they totally screw the pooch.

For you aged 30 years folks I hope your grandchildren enjoy voting for these guys.

They will still be in DC, sending home the pork. Reply...

Gotta love the way some folks use the "It will not hurt NAWS" approach to make their case. Listen people this is just another way for our NAWS tax money to get rerouted and EXTEND the tax! Tell the powers that be to KEEP THEIR HANDS OFF THE NAWS TAXES! If this project has merrit, let it come before us and stand on its own, peroid.

Its crazy to believe that if we approve this, that in 3 years or less there will be another attempt to tag a new project to NAWS.

I for one will be saying NO. I need more information on who can use it.

Will I be allow to go play football in the winter with my kids?
Will the public be allowed to use it? Will there be a user fee?
Who is going to take care of the upkeep?
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Its interesting to read the comments by Just the Facts. If you had some, it might help your cause. How do you propose that there will be a state track tournament inside the bubble when the bubble only covers the football field. There will be no baseball or softball in there either with a field that size. Maybe we could start a new league of 8 man baseball with no left field. And to correct your comments about the Ward County Farm Bureau not sharing your tax burden, do you think they are exempt from Minot City sales tax? I think the shortsightedness label belongs to people like you who don't realize that the entire bubble, track, and field will need to be replaced within 15 years. Even the Community Bowl Committee admits that. And why don't you do a little checking into how many events at our football fields in Minot have ever required 6000 seats. It has never happened. Perhaps you should sit in on a NAWS committee meeting and find out how precarious the situation is with the Corps of Engineers regarding "the water is going to come". There are other pipeline projects in the works, and if we don't get NAWS done now, we may lose our water rights forever. So, if you would please get "Just the facts" for yourself, I wouldn't have to waste my time on this blog giving them to you Reply...

Maybe the pro-bowlers should present a full case. The pictures I have seen show a bubble over the playing surface of the standard football field only. I personally do not think there is room next to the dome. Think of the big picture, if you want to expand it down the road, where are you going to go? Go ahead, build it and ***** and whine 10 years from now that it was not big enough. By the way, don't you think some of these other communities that have invested in NAWS have a say about where the money is going? Just my $.02 Reply...

Minot is not known for it's aggresiveness towards progress. The Minot voters won't even vote for reparing the schools or anything that may put a crimp in there style. Minot is and probably always will be out of touch with the other communities in ND. There are to many old people in this village that will not support anything. By the way I'm retired and I still support growth. I would like to see a facility like the larger cities in ND. To get anything going in this village a person has to promote half a__ed, low budget projects otherwise we would be going backwards. Reply...

The community bowl will have 6000 seats for an outdoor venue. The "bubble" itself will be used for indoor practice and recreation during the winter months for everyone, even the members of the Ward County Farm Bureau. With a state of the art "bowl" Minot will be able to host a state track tournament, a state soccer tournament and various other outdoor events that will help to showcase the facility and our community. The shortsightedness of some many is unfortunate because they do not take the time to find out the facts. Most just listen to a mouthpiece for the Ward County Farm Bureau, individuals who do NOT share my tax burden, and just assume they are presenting "facts" when in fact, the don't have the right information, but that doesn't matter to them as long as the can create the illusion that the citizens of Minot are being wronged. The water is still going to come people, bring a community bowl with it. Reply...

You people are pitiful and have no clue or read editorials what this bowl will mean for people even Canadians. Yes, it could have been grander. But, we need Progress in Minot now, and it seems that the only money readily available was NAWS, which makes sense, so we're not raising other taxes like a restaurant tax when cost of food is already rising. Also, Ward county commssioners should be ashamed of themselves as they voted hands down on the community bowl and didn't lift a finger for money to enhance the quality of life for the people like those commissioners did in Dickinson. The water will come also in time just like everything else. Reply...

i would realy wont to be a weather kid i never bean the weather kid be for i am realy intreasted in the weather please let me be the weather kid thanks if do!!!!!!!!!! Reply...

i would realy wont to be a weather kid please let be i realy like the weather Reply...

I agree that the community bowl is a bad idea. I will be voting NO for many of the reasons stated here. No seating! Poor parking! Bad location! So many things come to mind. Minot can do SO much better than this. Let's not waste the taxpayers money on something so trivial and pointless. We need a facility like the ones that Fargo, Grand Forks, and Bismarck have. The community bowl is an embarrassment to Minot. Can someone that is in favor of this half thought out idea tell me what actual events this thing will bring to Minot. I know it will not have the ability to host any State tournaments since there is no seating, so what can it host? Reply...

who cares if the Y is too crowded in the winter!! there's several private health clubs that can accommodate your wide arse!! the msu dome hardly gets used anymore too. folks, please don't let them take $9million+ out of the coffers because the stinkin' Y gets crowded!! give me a break!! concerned, if you don't like treadmills then start walking at T&C center...... nothing is ''too crowded'' in this town/state!! if you don't believe me, move to Mpls or Chicago and find out what crowded is. Reply...

Jackie for prez. Naw, never mind that wouldn't work. Jackie has tooo much common sense. Reply...

I didn't say use the YMCA I said look to the west, across the road from the YMCA in that big open field. Put it there where you could actually build a big structure that held more than a football field. Tons of parking and access to get in and out of the facility when events are held. Can you argue that traffic is horrible when leaving the college after an event at the dome? I think not. Expanding broadway may help that problem but very little. I say if you really want to build something great for Minot, really progress, don't go down in the middle of cram-ville and build a community bowl when there are much better options. Concerned what do you think about seating in the new proposed community bowl? Will it hold enough people? Don't think so. Sorry state of progress if you ask me. Reply...

The reason why MSU is the chosen site is parking, plain parking. Okay get over it people...Plus, MSU will be paying for the maintenance of it...Get over it...People, Minot State is here to stay and again get over it... The reality is that every other community that has this bowl, their county pitched in about half a million dollars and none from Ward County. So no support for people who could also use the field all year round and shop til they drop in Minot and go back home. What are your thoughts on this...The YMCA is too crowded and we need other places to go to during the winter....

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I agree with hyattjlbb. I am not from Minot, only an out
Ward county person that does all my shoping in Minot but I guess I don't have a say in how this thing gets paid for. I am however not against a community bowl of some sort but I don't support that balloon idea or the fact that they want to put it at MSU. The balloon is just dumb for obvious reasons, like no seating. But what really gets me is the fact that they want to cram this thing on the little football field at MSU. NO PARKING comes to mind. Parking has been an issue for the Dome forever. I don't see that changing. Traffic congestion after an event is over at the dome is horrible. How about considering putting the New Community Bowl in that huge field across from the New YMCA. Make it big, give it a huge pool, feild and track. Now we can attract something other than football and basketball. Swimming and Hockey are huge in Minot, why not try to attract some big swim events here. You could have lots of room for fans, lots of parking and leaving an event from that area would be easy. Quick access to highway 52 and 83. If Minot wants to be progressive and I have nothing against progress, then think future and think big. The propossed plan is half-baked and just like other projects in Minot that have been done in the name of progress...not progressive. On how to pay for this project. If they go forward with the balloon and putting it at MSU, let MSU pay for it. I agree with hyattijlbb I would rather spend 15 dollars for something great than 5 dollars for something half-a**ed. Reply...

This is another Minot Half-A$$ed project. Why would I spend $5 now and get something that isn't what I want when I could wait a couple of years and spend $15 on something really nice? I agree that Minot NEEDS something but a big balloon is not the answer. Why not study it a while longer spend more money and build something that REALLY can compete for state events? IT'S A BALLOON!! Personally, I am tired of jumping on Minot State's train, why do we have to build it on a field that only had for or five home games last season? What is Minot State going to contibute since it will be on thier property, etc? I would rather spend 20 or 30 million on something that is really a community assset! Reply...

From all of the plans that I have seen, it only encloses the football field, not the bleachers or the track, so exactly what are they trying to attract? Class B boys football tourneys with no spectators? WHAT A WASTE!! Stop charging the other half cent to the Minot tax payers, and we will all go home winners. This 12 million that they want to spend is only a guesstimate... I dont think the Minot tax payers should vote on a guesstimated price. If the full 1 cent tax was earmarked for the NAWS, let them have it for the time being until they come to the table with a full PLAN, and then let us decide. There are a lot of unanswered questions out there that they(by they, I mean the promoters for the Community Bowl) need to really think through. Reply...

There is a great deal wrong with ANY company using Eminent Domain for purposes that don't directly benefit the people of North Dakota!

Our initiative would keep future Keystone pipelines away from the watersheds of North Dakota lakes and aquifers that provide water to our cities. A leak on one of these pipelines could put water-soluble toxins such as arsenic and mercury into the city water, and the Keystone pipeline parallels the Sheyenne River - source of water for Fargo - for about 80 miles.

We are getting signatures on our petition and need over 13,000 signatures by August 8. Please contact us through www.saveoursoil.net, and order petitions through the "Petition" page of our website. Thanks! Reply...