Burlington Resident Battles Over Yard Decorations

BURLINGTON, N.D. (AP) — A Burlington resident is battling with city officials over what she says are yard decorations and what the city contends is a public nuisance.

Forty-year-old Marie Currier says decorated pallets are artwork painted by her daughter. But the city cited her under an ordinance prohibiting the accumulation or storage of "trash, rubbish, junk" and other materials.

The Minot Daily News reports the case has been moved from municipal court to state court, where Currier has pleaded not guilty to an infraction that carries a possible punishment of 30 days in jail and a $1,500 fine.

City Attorney Ashleigh Ensrud says the citation is related to the pallets and the condition of Currier's yard.

Currier says she doesn't think the city can legally tell her how to decorate her yard.