Around Town -- March 1, 2013 - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

  A bank, pet store and fitness center -- in this week's "Around Town."

Bismarck is getting a new bank.  Plains Commerce Bank of Sioux Falls is opening a branch at Bowen and Third in the former America's Mattress location.  The company says their banking roots go back over 80 years, when, in 1931, they first opened in South Dakota.  Construction is anticipated to be completed by April 1st.

Just South of the Civic Center and behind Gold's Gym construction is underway.  KX has learned work is being done on behalf of Petco.  Petco lists ten stores slated to open in March, but the Bismarck store is not counted among them at this time.  So pet lovers will apparently have to wait until later this Spring for the new store to open.

Bismarck Combat Sports Alternative Fitness Center is being reborn with a new name -- and new location.  They've moved to the former Optimum Fitness location near Bowen and Third, and will be called Vanguard Fitness.  Vanguard will specialize in boot camps, circuit training and mixed martial arts.  They'll focus on helping people with significant weight-loss, as well as self defense.

"If we could focus on getting people healthy overall and extending life, you know.  Changing lives.  We want to get people addicted to fitness, you know.  It's not the same old routine. You can do something different everyday, 30 days out of the month," says David Patch, Manager & Head Trainer at Vanguard Fitness.  Vanguard Fitness is planning an Open House on March 3rd.  They're currently looking for personal trainers.

Vanguard Fitness is being dedicated to North Dakota National Guardsman, Specialist Tyler Orgaard, a Bismarck resident who was killed in action in Afghanistan on December 3rd.  Head Trainer David Patch, a close personal friend, says Orgaard was his martial arts mentor.