RANGGLENDIVEER REVIEW Thursday June 24, 2021 • Vol. 59, No. 50 • Glendive, Montana $1.00 DAWSON COMMUNITY COLLEGE Several Board gives nod to staff layoffs file for needed to balance DCC budget By Jamie Ausk Crisafulli we are having to take action that bers the opportunity to get a bet- Ranger-Review Staff Writer no one would take, and would ter understanding of the layoff council want to take, other than the fact proposals and how they would The Dawson Community Col- financial emergency requires it. affect the day-to-day operations lege Board instructed college We were very clear that we are of the college, the board decided NO FIREWORKS: leaders to move forward with not eliminating positions based on to direct Cherry not to eliminate The City of Glendive will seat employee layoffs as quickly as personality or even performance. any faculty teaching positions at possible, a move needed to cut This is position-based on what we this point. also enforce a By Hunter Herbaugh college expenditures in order to hope will be the least damaging Cherry’s original estimates fireworks ban as dry Ranger-Review Staff Writer close the budget deficit for the to the college,” Board Chairman shared with the board concerning upcoming fiscal year. The imme- Chad Knudson said Monday. the FY2022 budget indicated the conditions continue to The deadline for filing in city diate layoffs will not include any Vice President of Business and college would face a budget deficit worsen, elections came and went on Mon- teaching faculty. Finance Doug Cherry’s initial of $955,000. Since then, Cherry, day, but before it closed, a slew of The approval was made during proposal before the board Mon- who has only been with the college Page 2 candidates filed for positions in a special meeting of the board day included layoffs of up to two a few months, has been working to both the City of Glendive and the Monday night. faculty and up to 10 “other posi- create a budget that will close the Town of Richey. “I want to make clear that the tions” at the college. deficit gap and put the college back The most notable number of last- board agrees that we are in a However, following an execu- minute filings happened following state of financial emergency and tive session to allow board mem- See LAYOFFS, page 5 Ward II Glendive City Council- woman Avis Anderson’s announce- ment last week that she will not seek re-election. The council seat DCC Board of Trustees accepts has four contestants vying for the spot, the most of any race this year. They include Ryan Albright, college president’s resignation Jason Stuart, Jason Sasse and Luke Gambee. In Richey, there are two candi- By Jamie Ausk Crisafulli any formal communication from Mickelsen concerning dates for the Ward I Town Council Ranger-Review Staff Writer the issue. seat: Chuck Lenz and Debra Ann Meanwhile, correspondence shared with board Gibson. The Dawson Community College Board of Trustees members indicated The position for mayor in both accepted the resignation of DCC President Dr. Scott that Mickelsen said communities are being contest- Mickelsen at a special meeting of the board Monday he will no longer be MT NEWSPAPER ed, with the incumbents filing to night. employed by DCC. He retain their positions while new Mickelsen was not present at the meeting nor did also removed personal ASSOCIATION: candidates are also seeking the he submit a letter of resignation or indicate verbally effects from the build- Ranger-Review office. to board members that he was departing the college. ing and left his keys In Glendive, Mayor Jerry Instead, it was the lack of communication from Mick- to the facility behind, publisher Chad Knudson Jimison is being challenged by elsen and his recent actions that indicated to the board according to discus- was honored with a two individuals, Teresea Olson that his intention was to resign. sion during Monday’s and John Stonehocker. In Richey, “We believe that by his actions Dr. Mickelsen has sig- meeting. Master Publisher award Mayor Harley Olson has only one naled that he is taking us up on our suggestion and that Knudson said the at the MNA convention challenger, Nadean Brown. he has, in effect, resigned,” Knudson said. board wished to Largely, incumbents who filed Following the airing of “pretty profound allegations” extend the profession- over the weekend and for re-election are not being chal- as part of a board investigation into the college’s finan- al courtesy to allow was elected president lenged for their positions. In Glen- cial situation during the public board meeting held June Mickelsen to handle dive, Kerry Burman has filed to 10, the board leadership felt the lack of response from the process the best of the association, the college president was “a pretty significant signal,” way he thought pos- retain her position as city court The DCC Board of Trustees accept- judge, Betsey Hedrick has filed Board Chairman Chad Knudson said during Monday’s sible, but his lack of Page 5 to remain on the city council for meeting. ed the resignation of DCC Presi- communication put the Ward I, Doug Baker has filed to As a result, Knudson and Board Vice Chairwoman dent Dr. Scott Mickelsen on Mon- board in the position retain his seat for Ward III and Cindy Larsen met with Mickelsen on Thursday of last day. He has served as the college of accepting the resig- Rhett Coon has filed to retain his week to express those concerns and during that meeting leader since 2016. nation of the president GOOD NEWS: seat for Ward IV. suggested Mickelsen consider offering his resignation without an actual resig- The Big Sky In Richey, one seat is uncontest- to which, according to Knudson, Mickelsen replied that nation tendered. ed, that for Ward II, which Tammy he would “think about it.” The board leaders asked Mick- “We find ourselves uniquely in the dark,” Knudson Passenger Rail Authority Clinton has filed to fill. elsen if he would be able to provide an answer before said. Monday night’s meeting, to which he answered “yes.” is applauding a Senate However, the board as of Monday had not received See MICKELSEN, page 2 amendment they hope See ELECTION, page 2 will pave the way for a passenger rail route through southern Local car dealers see the effects of vehicle shortage Montana, By Hunter Herbaugh form for the short term,” Johnson Page 12 Ranger-Review Staff Writer said. “It definitely puts a little strain on the market, it has driven the A shortage of computer chips has price of pre-owned up in the market been causing a domino effect of and of course, the inventory on the shortages in various electronics pre-owned starts to shrink as this ranging from kitchen appliances to goes on.” video game consoles, though the However, it’s not completely automotive industry is one of the impossible to get a new vehicle, as worst affected and the Glendive long as you’re willing to wait for market is feeling the pinch as the one or compromise. New vehicles summer sales season kicks off. are still coming in at a slow pace There have been various events and custom vehicles can still be over the last year that have been ordered, though what options are attributed to causing the global chip available may be limited as manu- SCHOOLS: shortage, from a surge in demand facturers seek to conserve semicon- for electronics as people tran- ductors. Glendive Public Schools sitioned to working and going to “It’s possible (to order) as long had 10 teaching staff school online, to a fire at the world’s as it falls within the manufactur- largest semiconductor manufactur- er’s constraints. There are so many openings for the ing plant in China to former-Presi- Local car dealerships are feeling the effects of a computer chip shortage that has options that are on constraint that upcoming school year; dent Donald Trump’s trade war with resulted in a fewer new vehicles available to sell. it does make it a little difficult, you China. These various factors have just can’t come in and say I want there are four left compounded on each other to create they are able to have four to six new age,” Johnson said. this, this, this and this, because to be filled, a situation that nobody really knows vehicles at any given time. Delivery With the summer sales season chances are it’s not all available,” when it will end. of new vehicles has also fallen from in swing, this means there aren’t McPherson said. Page 11 The effects on the auto industry around 10 or 12 per month to two or enough new vehicles to meet When the shortage will be allevi- specifically have been particularly three, he noted. demand, so this shortage has also ated is unknown, as high demand noticeable in the past six to eight The situation is much the same been affecting pre-owned vehicles continues, keeping the supply low. months, with local dealers of new at American Ford, with Operations as well. According to both Johnson When the situation does improve, vehicles saying their usual stock Manager Kyle Johnson saying they and McPherson, the demand for Ford and other manufacturers are has dwindled significantly. used to have around 35 new vehicles pre-owns has increased and busi- considering making changes to help “I’ve been here for 20 years and on display at any given time, but as ness has remained steady, but that avoid inventory crunches in the I’ve never seen it this bad,” said of Monday, June 21, they were down is then putting a strain on that sup- future, according to the Associated Scott McPherson, general manager to only two.