BISMARCK, ND (KXNET) — Here are the top stories that dominated the news during the past week, curated by the KX News digital staff:

1: 15-month-old found dead at unlicensed Minot daycare. A 15-month-old child was found dead at a daycare in Minot last week, September 20, after police responded to the daycare on a report of an unresponsive child. According to the Ward County Sheriff’s Department, the daycare was discovered to be unlicensed with the State of North Dakota revoking the owner’s license after an incident in 2020.

2: Six adults, two juveniles injured in Ward County crash. Eight individuals — including two juveniles — have been injured as the result of a collision occurring north of Makoti. According to the North Dakota Highway Patrol, at approximately 5:49 p.m. on Saturday, September 23, a Lincoln Navigator was traveling south on 338th Street Northwest (County Road 9) when it failed to stop at an intersection marked with a stop sign. This caused it to strike a second vehicle — a Toyota Rav4 — before rolling and coming to rest on its top.

3: Two killed in Elbow Room parking lot shooting in Bismarck. Two men were killed September 23 after an exchange of gunfire occurred in the Elbow Room parking lot around 12:30 a.m. in Bismarck. Police officials tells KX News there’s an indication that the two killed had some sort of disagreement at the bar, that it was not a random act.

4: Pre-trial conference finally held for Nichole Rice. After a fourth try at holding a pretrial conference for Nichole Rice, a felony trial for the murder of Anita Knutson is finally expected to begin in either March or April of 2024. Also, Nichole Rice’s defense team led by Philip Becher of Sand Law, PLLC is motioning for the court to dismiss the case due to lack of probable cause. The defense is requesting a hearing regarding this motion.

5: Dangerous weapons found in Minot murder suspect’s jail cell. A man awaiting trial for the murder of his roommate is now being charged with having dangerous weapons in his jail cell. Shawnee Krall of Minot faced a judge Tuesday for his initial hearing on the weapons charges, and his bond was set at $150,000. A probable cause affidavit states investigators found several self-made weapons in Krall’s jail cell, like shanks, and a ‘slug shot’ — which is a sock filled with bars of soap, bolts, and other debris.

6: Mandan man arrested for stealing car and guns; planning to sell meth. Police in Mandan arrested a man after they say he was acting strange at a gas station. It happened last Wednesday evening when an officer saw a man who was trying to hide his face while stopped at M & H Gas Station along Main Street. A K-9 dog alerted police to possible drugs inside the car. A search turned up 84.9 grams of methamphetamine and 4.7 grams of marijuana in a backpack. A safe was also located by officers in the trunk of the vehicle, which when opened, had two small firearms, three magazines, and several rounds of ammunition.

7: Watford City man to serve five years after killing six-year-old on bike. Julian Montoya has pled guilty to Negligent Homicide of a Child Victim and Duty in an accident involving death or injury after he struck and killed a 6-year-old boy who was riding his bike back in April of this year. According to North Dakota Courts, Montoya was sentenced to ten years in prison with five of those years being suspended, followed by three years of supervised probation.

8: Where is North Dakota’s favorite place to view fall foliage? Autumn is a perfect time for photographers and sightseers alike to head to their favorite views in the hopes of spotting some phenomenal fall foliage. But which of North Dakota’s many scenic spots is considered to be the best for doing so?