The latest North Dakota coronavirus news: Grand Theatres reopens, Mandan parks announce further openings, officials warn of unemployment fraud and more.
Grand Theatres reopens Friday
Grand Theatres in Bismarck will reopen Friday. The movie theater will show classic films for $5 until new films are released. Seven films will be shown.
Theaters will be at 20% seating capacity. Social distancing will be enforced throughout the facility. Patrons’ temperatures will be taken at the door. Staff will wear masks and gloves. Patrons are encouraged to wear masks.
The lobby will be an entrance only. Side doors will be for exiting patrons. Movie times will be staggered to allow for cleaning between shows.
Staff have been performing a deep cleaning of the facility in recent weeks.
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Mandan parks announce openings
The Mandan Park District has announced further openings and plans for summer programs.
Raging Rivers Waterpark will open May 29, from noon to 7 p.m., weather permitting. The waterpark will operate at 50% capacity and implement additional cleaning procedures. Patrons are encouraged to bring wipes for personal use.
The park district’s administration office will open May 26. The Starion Sports Complex will open June 15. The Aquatic Center will open on July 6.
Visit mandanparks.com for program information and registration for summer programs, which begin activities May 26 with evening baseball. Some programs such as swimming lessons and art sessions have been canceled due to limited space in indoor facilities.
Parking enforcement resumes
Enforcement of restrictions in timed parking zones in Bismarck will resume on May 26, according to the Bismarck Police Department.
Timed zone restrictions had been relaxed as a way to give consumers easier access to downtown businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The department is asking downtown business and property owners to inform employees and tenants that enforcement will resume.
Unemployment fraud
Job Service North Dakota is warning employers to be vigilant of fraudulent unemployment insurance claims by reviewing claim notices of former employees and alerting authorities if a claim is unexpected or suspicious.
Job Service has found “multiple instances” of fraudulent claims filed using personal information gleaned from stolen Social Security numbers and publicly available demographic and employment data online.
State Superintendent Kirsten Baesler has informed North Dakota K-12 administrators and school boards of a large number of fraudulent claims filed under school employees’ names. Attackers have used publicly available information from the state’s Education Standards and Practices Board website and some educators’ social security information stolen from elsewhere.
There’s no evidence of a breach or of sensitive information being taken, Baesler said.
Call 701-328-2866 to report suspicions of fraud.
Suchy concert to benefit food bank
Mandan-area folk musician, songwriter and poet Chuch Suchy will host a virtual concert Thursday to benefit the Great Plains Food Bank.
The event at 7 p.m. will be streamed on Suchy’s Facebook page and the Facebook page of the Great Plains Food Bank at www.facebook.com/GreatPlainsFoodBank.
The concert is the latest in a series during the coronavirus pandemic. Since the pandemic began, the food bank has seen a 44% increase in the need for food assistance through its partner food pantries, shelters and soup kitchens, and ever greater demand for its mobile food pantry service.
Survey seeks aid input
State Superintendent Baesler is asking for public input on how to use $3.1 million in discretionary federal aid to North Dakota’s Department of Public Instruction for state and local education needs.
A four-question survey is available at surveymonkey.com/r/NDDPICOVIDsurvey.
The department also is distributing about $30 million in federal grants to school districts.
Human Services unveils behavioral health toolkit
North Dakota’s Department of Human Services has created a behavioral health toolkit to support behavioral health in the workplace.
The 31-page toolkit is available at behavioralhealth.nd.gov/sites/www/files/documents/EmployeeToolkit.pdf. It has information for employers to support teleworking employees, provide one-on-one support and improve communications.
Other behavioral health resources are available at behavioralhealth.nd.gov/covid-19.
North Dakota virus numbers
North Dakota has 1,994 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 117 in Burleigh County and 40 in Morton County. There have been 1,269 recoveries and 45 coronavirus-related deaths. A total of 135 people have been hospitalized; 32 remain so. State and private labs have conducted tests on 57,731 people, and conducted 69,902 total tests.