"If we had some issue here... he came down and was really helpful," O'Meara said. He gave the 2005 ice storm that devastated the area as an example, which caused hundreds to lose power for several days. Hoeven called O'Meara personally to ask what he could do to help.
"That means a lot for a small community for a governor to be there when you need him," he said.
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"That's where we're short... and that's the kind of person we need there to get the jobs back," O'Meara said.
Wahpeton has experienced similar incidents where Hoeven has been directly helpful. Sturdevant cited Imation Corporation closing and the Industrial Plating fire, both in 2008, as prime examples.
"Within two weeks he was here," Sturdevant said about Imation closing. "He lined up a meeting with the Imation people in Minneapolis and he's given strong support in filling those buildings." In particular, Hoeven helped set up a Governor's Task Force to fill buildings on Imation's Wahpeton campus.
When Industrial Plating burned in February 2008, Hoeven responded to the disaster immediately, flying into Wahpeton the day after. Even though the temperature was well below zero, he stopped at the site to visit with firefighters who had been on scene for hours.
"He called me personally on both incidents," Sturdevant said.
If Hoeven is elected to the U.S. Senate, Sturdevant thinks he will continue to support the city in it's flood control plans and continue to be approachable for those living in North Dakota.
“We’re deeply appreciative of the support from mayors of communities both large and small from across the state,” said Hoeven in a Feb. 2 press release. “Together, we’ve forged good working relationships, and we value their input and commitment to building the future of our state.”
CM wrote on Feb 6, 2010 9:05 PM:
Billy Start wrote on Feb 6, 2010 9:53 AM: