Improving Traffic Flow
Peter Bruce Reporting

A trip across town can be the fast lane to a migraine. Red lights are a problem for drivers everywhere. Many cities are utilizing technology to improve life for their citizens.

To most drivers, this looks like a normal intersection. However, a new arrival in Grand Forks, North Dakota has many citizens wondering if Big Brother is watching over them.

Rick Hanson, an electrician supervisor says, "We get asked that. I always just tell 'em yeah we are watching you, so you should behavin'."

Those cameras are part of a traffic light synchronization project being undertaken by the city of Grand Forks. The project is upgrading the computers that control each intersection. The new computers can perform more advanced functions to keep traffic flowing.

Jane Williams, a Grand Forks traffic engineer says, "All of the traffic is on a model…and any time anything changes, then the model changes and we can run the model again and see what happens."

Until now, those computers received a signal from a sensor embedded in the pavement. Now, these cameras recognize when vehicles are at the intersection and send the signal to the computer.

Hanson says, "Cameras are way easier to program. You don't have to physically saw a slot in the ground. You can make changes if the camera shifts without going up on a pole. But, the downfall is, very expensive."

The project will cost $800,000 when finished. However, residents will see many positive effects from the synchronization.

Melanie Parvey, an environmental manager says, "Not only is it a saving for…the gallons of gas they buy; it's a saving with the environment, with the less emissions that we emit, as well as the time we spend en-route."

It's estimated Grand Forks drivers will save over 200,000 gallons of gas every year thanks to the project. As a result, drivers should see more green in their wallets and on the roads. On average, cities that undertake similar projects save about 25% of their resident's commute times. They also reduce fuel usage by 10%.

Flying Safely
Lacey Erickson Reporting

A USA Today investigation found in the past six years at least 65,000 U-S Flights shouldn't have taken off due to improper maintenance. This is leaving some questioning their safety in the sky.

Every day, over 3 million people trust airlines to get them safely to their destinations. Recently, an investigation on airlines found fines and penalty letters for maintenance violations. This downfall in the FAA's procedures has them stepping up their oversight.

Rick Audette, manager airport authority says, "The FAA is very stringent on safety no matter what angle we're looking at and even from the airport perspective everything we do is safety driven."

Many of the repairs are exported to other countries. There cover-ups done by ill trained and ill equipped workers put fliers in jeopardy.

Duane Kangas, aircraft maintenance says, "Labor is the most expensive cost for an airline and keeping the aircraft flying- it costs a lot of money- if they can move the jobs oversees they can save a lot of money."

Sean Varian, Chief Pilot Grand Forks Airport says, "When an airplane is broken its broken. Where its broken needs to be fixed. So when they have large shop services oversees it's just a function of convenience."

Even with opposing sides to the export of labor the FAA is assuring they are setting a high bar for the required level of safety. Whether the airport maintenance follows the guidelines for repairs or not will determine the level of safety airlines represent.

Varian says, "The aviation safety record is only been improving throughout the years and it's only getting safer year after year."

Kangas agrees, "We do what were suppose to do. If it's broke we fix it, If its that broke and we need more, we just ground the airplane to try to find the correct parts."

Maintainance workers say it is hard to know every time something is wrong with an aircraft. But with safety as the common goal for pilots, maintenance, and the FAA, passengers may be able to breathe easier and fly higher.

Besides maintenance issues, aircraft can also meet their retirement by just getting old. Some planes reach up to 80,000 round-trip flights before an operator cuts them off.

Monster Trucks
David Folske Reporting

Many think Monster Truck rallies are a great attraction for the whole family. The priority of those who put on the show is to make sure those families stay safe.

For one night only, this arena in Grand Forks, North Dakota was transformed to a crushing, chaotic spectacle.

For many, driving one of these beasts is a lifelong goal.

Tim Missentzis, a monster truck driver says, "It's a childhood dream to drive a monster truck"

For those driving monster trucks today, there are a lot of safety devices in and around the trucks. Ensuring the safety and keep those drivers driving until old age.

Missentzis says, "There is all sorts of safety precautions, we got a full roll cage. We got a five-point harness, helmet, everything like that, neck restraints, you name it, it's in there. Pretty much impossible to get hurt in there."

Monster truck crashes are all too popular, though. Injuries to the audience are rare. But after a six year old boy was killed last January, Some wonder what drivers are doing to protect those in the audience.

Ryan Rice, fellow monster truck driver says, "Most of the parts on the truck that are rotating are shielded or shrouded. Like on the tires, we have wheel tethers that if the tire would break off, it would actually stay with the truck. That's for crowd safety."

In the past 30 years, there have been less than 5 deaths attributed to monster trucks. As far as the drivers seem to be concerned, safety still takes priority.

Rice says, "I wear a neck restraint that actually holds your helmet upright and straight. Yeah, this suit is fire resistant. You're good to a couple thousand degrees for a couple seconds or so."

With safety being the first thing on these drivers mind, fans are free to watch the monster trucks do what they do best.

Monster truck fan Heather Dennington agrees, "They can crush things."

Buffalo Rancher
Sara Porter Reporting

Buffalo are animals with a lot of history, especially in North Dakota. They can also be a handful to raise. Today we spend a day in the life of a Buffalo Rancher.

Buffalo Ranches are a rare sight for most. For Doug Earl there isn't a more familiar view in the world.

Earl says, a buffalo rancher says, "Yea you either love em or you hate em. And you get intrigued by the animal and its presence and its behavior and it's very unique."

Siouxland Ranch has been in the Earl family four generations.

Derek Earl, also a buffalo rancher says, "I've just kind of followed, followed his ways and took in what I could and learning every day."

Doug's familiarity with the intimidating animals comes with obstacles that other livestock farmers don't need to worry about.

He says, "You never want to take the animal for, for granted because they have a tendency to move, roam. And it's just a natural instinct of the animal."

And you can imagine that when a buffalo wants to move there is little you can do about it.

Earl says, "We always call ourselves the tennis shoe ranchers. Because that's what you need when you handle buffalo, a pair of tennis shoes."

Doug needs to be fast in both mind and body. Buffalo handling can prove to be risky business.

Earl agrees, "I've been run over a few times, that hurts. And everybody always worries about the horns, the horns will knock you down but it's the feet that kill you."

Even though the Agricultural Market is often shifting one thing that won't change is the Earl family's dedication to keeping the spirit of these majestic plains animals alive.

Rime Frost
Emily Danielson Reporting

On a cold winter morning people somtimes wake up to a winter wonderland.
Everything has been draped in white but it's not from snow, it's from frost; and more specifically rime frost.

Al Borho, an atmospheric science professor at the University of North Dakota says, "For that to occur you need to have fog. And the little tiny droplets within the fog bank are water but they are at temperatures below freezing so we call them supercooled droplets."

But most people get rime frost confused with the more common hoar frost.

Borho says, ""It's tough to tell the difference between the two. In fact a couple weeks ago here in North Dakota we had a good episode of rime frost, but a few local media papers they all called it hoar frost. So they to get it mixed up."

Because the two frosts can look similar telling them apart is difficult. But one way to tell them apart is the process of how they form.

Borho explains, "The main difference would be the way they form one is due to the process of supercooled liquid water changing to ice once it touches something. The other one the hoar frost there's not liquid water involved just the water vapor depositing as ice so the process is called deposition."

Below freezing temperatures and fog at night will make for a postcard picture morning.