LAUREN DONOVAN

Bismarck Tribune

Belfield Police Commissioner Sharon Dorval hung a poster at the local post office with pictures of a dozen dead cats, alleging they were removed from Belfield and killed, possibly shot.

She and others are looking for more information. The cats were in various stages of decomposition, which might mean they were killed over time.

Stark County Sheriff Clarence Tuhy confirmed that one of his officers found several killed cats dumped at an oil field site northwest of town.

Tuhy said it wasn't clear how long the animals had been there. Some were found in pieces.

"Where do you start investigating?" he asked.

One possibility is that all the cats belonged to the same person, who decided to dispose of them.

Authorities say if the cats were killed in city limits, someone could be in trouble for illegally discharging a weapon in town. Animal cruelty charges also could apply.

- Billings County Pioneer

Infection alert

A confirmed staph infection had Beulah school officials moving quickly to protect students and staff.

When a staff member-coach was diagnosed with the kind of staph bacteria that's resistant to antibiotics on Jan. 18, it didn't take school officials long to have students remove all their belongings from gym and weight room lockers, and disinfect the lockers and showers with a chemical spray.

The gym, locker rooms and weight rooms were temporarily quarantined from public use.

A week later, the infection was confirmed as MRSA staph, which can lead to skin infections, pneumonia and bloodstream infections, all dangerous conditions because of their resistance to common antiobiotic remedies.

It also was learned that the only means of contagion was through open wounds, and the teacher-coach was allowed to return to school so long as the affected area was covered.

In the meantime, students have been asked to follow basic safety hygiene and not share shower towels and remove gym clothing from lockers for regular washing.

In addition, the school weight room now has spray bottles of disinfectant on hand, and student athletes are asked to use them after they are done with their workouts.

- Beulah Beacon

Home mending

Josh Meissner, 24, of Hazen, is on the mend after being stabbed when he stopped to check a flat tire Jan. 24.

Meissner's mother, Pam, said her son, a former high school wrestler, is home and recovering.

"He's pretty sore, but he'll recover," she said. "The main thing is that he's still here with us."

Morton County Sheriff Dave Shipman said Meissner had pulled off Highway 25 about six miles north of Mandan at about 6:45 a.m., after working a night shift at his job and en route to visit a friend.

Meissner told police a light-colored SUV pulled up and two men, one white and one black, approached him. He said he was punched, kicked and stabbed in the right rib cage with a pocketknife. He sustained the stab wound and other bruises, and was treated and released at a Mandan medical facility.

Shipman wants the public to note the license plate number if the SUV and individuals matching that description are spotted.

He said Morton County authorities should be notified.

"Don't approach them on your own," he said. The sheriff said the situation is unusual for North Dakota, but it can happen anywhere.

- Hazen Star