Press Pass, Thursday, August 18, 2016

Here’s some of our top stories from Thursday’s edition. It’s your Press Pass to some of the best stories we bring you every day.

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4 Bears hosts country star for event center grand opening

The 4 Bears Casino & Lodge will debut its $47 million concert venue on Friday with a Toby Keith concert, the first national act to perform in the newly renovated facility.

“It’s a lot more luxurious,” said general manager Patrick Packineau. “We want people to come out and experience a first-class venue close to home.”

Tribal chairman calls for peaceful pipeline protest

The chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe called for peace Wednesday as protests of the Dakota Access Pipeline continue north of the reservation.

Chairman Dave Archambault II said he’s spreading the word among tribal members and hundreds who have come from out of state that violence diminishes the power of their message.

“There’s no place for threats, violence or criminal activity,” Archambault said in a call with reporters Wednesday. “That is simply not our way. The tribe will do all that it can to see that participants comply with the law and maintain peace.”

Pipeline construction has been halted in the area of the protest as law enforcement officers have encountered weapons, threats of pipe bombs and assaults on private security, Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier said in a news conference Wednesday. It’s unclear when it will be determined safe for work to continue.

Unapologetic Toby Keith heads to 4 Bears with brash new single

Toby Keith said despite the recent trend to mix more hip-hop flavor into country music, he’s staying true to the roots that have earned him 20 No. 1 singles during a 25-year career.

One the most decorated country musicians this century said he’s concerned about the direction his genre is heading, especially when it comes to music that’s being played on the radio.

Impact of North Dakota’s budget cuts on state jobs still unclear

How many state employee positions will remain unfilled and how many staff reductions may occur after a second round of budget cuts was unclear this week after agencies submitted plans to reduce costs.

More than a dozen agencies had included cuts to salaries and wages in their 2.5 percent cuts ordered by Gov. Jack Dalrymple. Office of Management and Budget Director Pam Sharp didn’t have a breakdown on how many staff positions in each agency might be left unfilled or may be eliminated.