Latest Montana news, sports, business and entertainment: EPA-COAL ASH-WEST

Power plants, residents weigh in on coal ash plan

DENVER (AP) - A public hearing on whether the Environmental Protection Agency should regulate coal ash disposal under rules for hazardous waste has drawn more than 100 speakers.

Some power producers at the hearing Thursday in Denver said they fear regulating coal ash as hazardous would discourage companies from using it in roads or roofs, even though the EPA has said it doesn't want to block those uses.

Meanwhile ranchers from New Mexico and Montana who live near coal ash waste ponds say they're worried about their health. They say it's time for federal regulation.

Concerns over disposal of coal ash gained urgency after a huge spill at a Tennessee Valley Authority plant in 2008.

The EPA plans more hearings before making a decision.

MARIJUANA CAREGIVER-SENTENCED

Marijuana caregiver sentenced for drug sales

HAMILTON, Mont. (AP) - A licensed caregiver in Hamilton has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for a string of crimes that began with her selling marijuana to police informants who did not have medical marijuana cards.

The Ravalli Republic reports Mayson L. Simmons was arrested last year after the marijuana sale and soon thereafter arrested again for selling marijuana and other drugs. Her bail was revoked twice for threatening witnesses in the case.

The 46-year-old retired Department of Transportation Employee also was charged with felony insurance fraud for submitting billing statements for massage therapy treatments she never performed.

District Judge Jeffrey Langton sentenced Simmons on Wednesday to 20 years in prison with 10 suspended.

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Information from: Ravalli Republic, http://www.ravallirepublic.com

DEPUTY-DUI

Flathead County deputy charged with DUI

KALISPELL, Mont. (AP) - A longtime Flathead County sheriff's deputy has been cited for drunken driving after a report that a transient was struck near a Kalispell bar.

Kalispell police ticketed Cpl. Bruce Parish around 10 p.m. Saturday. He pleaded not guilty Tuesday. Court records say his blood-alcohol level was 0.165, twice the legal limit.

Parish declined comment to KCFW-TV in Kalispell.

Police Chief Roger Nasset says his department is still investigating the case and has not determined if Parish struck the transient or how the man was injured.

Sheriff Mike Meehan told the Daily Inter Lake that he will wait until the case is resolved to determine the any department disciplinary measures.

Parish's next court appearance is set for October.

HAVRE JUDGE NOMINATIONS

Commission seeks applications for Havre judgeship

HELENA, Mont. (AP) - The Judicial Nomination Commission is seeking applications from attorneys seeking to fill the post of District Court judge in Havre.

David Rice is retiring as 12th Judicial District judge on Nov. 30. Gov. Brian Schweitzer will appoint a judge to serve the remainder of Rice's term, which expires on Dec. 31, 2012.

The commission is accepting applications through Oct. 4. The commission will announce the names of the applicants and accept public comment through Nov. 4.

The commission will review the applications and public comments and interview several candidates before forwarding the names of three to five nominees to Schweitzer.

UNCLAIMED JACKPOTS

Lottery prizes totaling $450K unclaimed

HELENA, Mont. (AP) - The Montana Lottery says three large prizes won in March Powerball drawings remain unclaimed and the clock is ticking on the six-month time frame in which they can be claimed.

A ticket sold at M & H Gas in Miles City for the March 13 drawing won $200,000. The winner has until Sept. 13 to claim the prize or the money will be turned over to the state's general fund.

A ticket sold at Town Pump in Shelby for the March 31 drawing won $200,000 and a ticket sold at Mountain View Co-op in Fairfield won $50,000 in the same drawing. The deadline to claim those prizes is Sept. 30.

WESTERN ART AUCTIONS

Russell museum secures art auction name, logo

GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) - The C.M. Russell Museum has secured the name and logo for the C.M. Russell Art Auction from the Great Falls Ad Club.

The Ad Club held the auction for 42 years and for 41 years gave some of the proceeds to the museum. A smaller donation from the 2009 auction prompted the museum to hold its own auction this spring, which raised $600,000.

The Ad Club lost money on the Russell auction in March and decided it would no longer hold an art auction.

Ad Club executive director Sara Becker says the museum sued the club earlier this year for the naming rights. Becker says the Ad Club sold the rights to the museum to avoid a legal battle.

Museum Executive Director Darrell Beauchamp declined to say if the museum paid for the name and logo.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AP-NY-09-02-10 1630EDT

Latest Montana news, sports, business and entertainment: MARIJUANA CAREGIVER-SENTENCED

Marijuana caregiver sentenced for drug sales

HAMILTON, Mont. (AP) - A licensed caregiver in Hamilton has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for a string of crimes that began with her selling marijuana to police informants who did not have medical marijuana cards.

The Ravalli Republic reports Mayson L. Simmons was arrested last year after the marijuana sale and soon thereafter arrested again for selling marijuana and other drugs. Her bail was revoked twice for threatening witnesses in the case.

The 46-year-old retired Department of Transportation Employee also was charged with felony insurance fraud for submitting billing statements for massage therapy treatments she never performed.

District Judge Jeffrey Langton sentenced Simmons on Wednesday to 20 years in prison with 10 suspended.

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Information from: Ravalli Republic, http://www.ravallirepublic.com

DEPUTY-DUI

Flathead County deputy charged with DUI

KALISPELL, Mont. (AP) - A longtime Flathead County sheriff's deputy has been cited for drunken driving after a report that a transient was struck near a Kalispell bar.

Kalispell police ticketed Cpl. Bruce Parish around 10 p.m. Saturday. He pleaded not guilty Tuesday. Court records say his blood-alcohol level was 0.165, twice the legal limit.

Parish declined comment to KCFW-TV in Kalispell.

Police Chief Roger Nasset says his department is still investigating the case and has not determined if Parish struck the transient or how the man was injured.

Sheriff Mike Meehan told the Daily Inter Lake that he will wait until the case is resolved to determine the any department disciplinary measures.

Parish's next court appearance is set for October.

SEXTING-PRISON

Man sentenced to prison for sexting young girl

BUTTE, Mont. (AP) - A 29-year-old Missoula man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for sending an 11-year-old girl text messages trying to entice her to have sex with him.

Allen D. Clairmont pleaded guilty in February to felony attempted sexual assault. The Montana Standard reports District Judge Kurt Krueger sentenced Clairmont Wednesday to 30 years in prison with 15 suspended. He will not be eligible for parole until he completes sexual offender counseling in prison.

The girl's mother found the sexually explicit text messages on her daughter's phone in January 2009 and called police. Officers began responding to Clairmont's texts using the child's cell phone and arrested him when he arrived at a Butte grocery store believing he was going to meet the girl.

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Information from: The Montana Standard, http://www.mtstandard.com

YELLOWSTONE CLUB-BEAR KILLED

Security guard pays $1,735 for killing black bear

BUTTE, Mont. (AP) - A security guard at the ultra-exclusive Yellowstone Club has paid $1,735 in restitution and fines for illegally killing a black bear while trying to haze the animal away from a paintball course.

The Montana Standard reports Shane Barstad paid $1,000 in restitution and a $735 fine in Justice Court in Madison County this week.

Justice of the Peace Mary Ann O'Malley says Barstad paid the penalties for the misdemeanor citation for killing a large animal out of season.

Barstad told state Fish, Wildlife and Parks officers that he killed the bear on Aug. 11 when he accidentally used a live round instead of a rubber bullet while trying to haze the bear.

The bear had two cubs with it. FWP officials say one was captured and the other likely died.

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Information from: The Montana Standard, http://www.mtstandard.com

DOGS REMOVED

More than 90 dogs removed from Wibaux-area home

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) - Officials from Wibaux (WEE'-boh) County and the Humane Society of the United States removed more than 90 dogs from an east-central Montana home after neighbors complained the dogs were being poorly cared for.

The United Animal Nations says the dogs, mostly shepherd mixes, were living in filthy, crowded outdoor pens near Wibaux and that many of them had skin infections and parasites.

Humane Society spokeswoman Jordan Crump says the owner relinquished the dogs. Officials did not release his name and Humane Society officials say they did not expect charges to be filed.

Human Society director of animal cruelty Adam Parascandola says the owner of the dogs became overwhelmed.

The dogs were being taken to a temporary shelter at the Fallon County fairgrounds in Baker.

GOAT RESCUE

Goats rescued after 2 days on 6-inch-wide ledge

HELENA, Mont. (AP) - Two young goats were rescued after spending two days stranded on a 6-inch wide ledge of a railroad bridge 60 feet above a road in southern Montana.

Rimrock Humane Society president Sandy Church says it's not clear how the animals ended up on the rural bridge between Billings and Roundup on Tuesday. She says the nimble-footed goats may have wandered onto the ledge at night and then froze once the sun rose and they saw where they were.

She and her friend Cory Freeman of Animal Edventures Sanctuary enlisted the help nearby Signal Peak Energy mine after learning of the goat's plight on Wednesday. The mine volunteered use of a piece of equipment with an arm long enough to reach the animals.

Church says the rescued animals were a little dehydrated and hungry but otherwise fine.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AP-NY-09-02-10 1301EDT

Latest Montana news, sports, business and entertainment: MONTANA WILDFIRES

2,000-acre fire near Helena completely contained

HELENA, Mont. (AP) - Officials say a wildfire that burned 2,000 acres or more than 3.1 square miles northwest of Helena is completely contained.

Firefighters were helped by rain Wednesday as they mopped up hot spots within 120 feet of the fire's perimeter.

The cost of fighting the blaze is estimated at $1.3 million.

The Davis Fire started as a prescribed burn that grew out of control last Thursday. It appears to have burned eight structures, though none were homes.

Some of the structures might have been piles of logs, but officials must review ownership records to be certain.

WILDFIRES-CLIMATE STUDY

Researchers study link between climate, wildfires

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) - Scientists in Montana, Colorado and Idaho are conducting a $3.85 million research project into how a changing climate will influence wildfires.

Work started Wednesday on the project, which is being pursued in partnership with scientists in Australia and New Zealand.

Montana State University professor Cathy Whitlock says the goal is to identify how wildfires are driven by human activities and climate change.

Whitlock says the frequency and severity of wildfires have increased around the world in recent years.

Warmer temperatures can dry out forests and encourage the proliferation of beetles and other pests that kill trees, creating fuel for more intense fires.

IDAHO HELICOPTER CRASH

Montana man 1 of 3 killed in Idaho helicopter crash

BOISE, Idaho (AP) - A Belgrade, Mont., helicopter pilot was one of three people killed in a crash in the small Idaho town of Kamiah.

Officials suspect mechanical failure caused the aircraft to flip over before it crashed into a travel trailer on a downtown street Tuesday.

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game had chartered the aircraft from Clarkston, Wash.-based Leading Edge Aviation to count salmon spawning nests on the Selway River.

Officials identified the victims as 43-year-old Perry J. Krinitt of Belgrade, along with Fish and Game Biologists Larry Barrett and Danielle Schiff.

Florence Krinitt says her son got his pilot's license more than 20 years ago and began flying for Leading Edge last November.

She says he was also a trained aircraft mechanic.

MOLT KILLING-TRIAL

Molt man convicted in neighbor's shooting death

COLUMBUS, Mont. (AP) - A man has been convicted of deliberate homicide after authorities say he shot his neighbor to death in Molt during a dispute over $35.

A District Court jury in Stillwater County deliberated for about two hours Wednesday before finding 49-year-old Jeffrey Hardman guilty in the Oct. 15 death of 33-year-old Michael Blattie. Hardman also was convicted of tampering with evidence for burying the pistol used in the killing.

Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 18.

Hardman testified Wednesday he went over to Blattie's house to collect the debt and brought the gun with him for protection. He said the two got into a struggle and he accidentally shot Blattie in the abdomen as the two struggled for control.

Hardman allegedly confessed to a Billings pastor, saying Blattie punched him in the face twice before the shooting.

But several witnesses, including Hardman's daughter-in-law and an emergency room doctor, told the jury Hardman did not have any injuries on his face in the hours and days after the shooting.

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Information from: Billings Gazette, http://www.billingsgazette.com

FAKE BILLING SCHEME

ND man charged in fake billing scheme acquitted

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) - A 39-year-old man has been acquitted of taking part in a fake billing scheme to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from a Texas-based energy company.

A federal jury on Wednesday found Stuart Kringen, of Williston, N.D., not guilty of wire fraud. The former manager for Basic Energy Services was one of six people indicted in a scheme prosecutors say defrauded the company of more than a half-million dollars. He was the first to go to trial.

Three co-defendants testified against Kringen after pleading guilty to wire fraud. Two who are accused of knowing about the scheme and doing nothing are awaiting trial.

Prosecutors say between August 2005 through 2008, Kringen and three of his co-workers made deals with local businesses in Sidney, Mont., and Williston -- where the company has offices -- to create false invoices for goods and services that were never provided to Basic Energy.

Kringen's attorney argued his client "didn't know he was falsifying anything" and there was no intent to defraud.

Kringen acknowledged his signature on a false invoice but said he signed stacks of invoices at a time.

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Information from: Billings Gazette, http://www.billingsgazette.com

GRIZZLY RELOCATED

Problem grizzly moved to Kootenai National Forest

KALISPELL, Mont. (AP) - Wildlife officials say a 2 1/2-year-old male grizzly bear has been relocated after it frequented homes and got into garbage in northwestern Montana's West Kootenai area.

The Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks department caught the 215-pound bear Monday and relocated it to the Spread Creek drainage area of the Kootenai National Forest on Tuesday.

The grizzly was fitted with a GPS radio collar and ear tags so biologists can track its movement.

GUN RIGHTS-STATES

Magistrate recommends dismissing states' gun suit

HELENA, Mont. (AP) - A federal magistrate is recommending the dismissal of a lawsuit that eight states had filed -- seeking freedom from federal gun laws.

The recommendation now goes to the federal judge hearing the case.

The states argue they should decide which rules would control the sale and purchase of guns and paraphernalia made inside their borders.

The federal magistrate on Wednesday sided with the U.S. Department of Justice and gun control advocates who say the courts have already decided Congress can set standards on such items as guns through its power to regulate interstate commerce.

The states in the lawsuit are Montana, Utah, Alabama, Idaho, South Carolina, South Dakota, Wyoming and West Virginia.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AP-NY-09-02-10 0331EDT

Latest Montana news, sports, business and entertainment: MOLT KILLING-TRIAL

Defendant to testify in Molt murder trial

COLUMBUS, Mont. (AP) - A 48-year-old Molt man charged with deliberate homicide is expected to give his account of the shooting death of a neighbor who owed him $35.

Jeffrey Hardman will testify in his trial Wednesday just what happened in the October death of 33-year-old Michael Blattie.

Prosecutors rested their case against Hardman on Tuesday after hearing testimony from about 20 witnesses.

Among them was Billings pastor Robert Griggs, who said Hardman came to his church on Oct. 30 and confessed to killing Blattie.

According to Griggs, Hardman told the pastor that the two men got into a fight, Hardman reached for his gun and Blattie was shot in the abdomen during a struggle for control.

Hardman's public defenders have said they would call only one witness, Hardman.

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Information from: The Billings Gazette, http://www.billingsgazette.com

DAM-BOULDER

Ennis Lake dropping after boulder damages dam

BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) - Ennis Lake's water level is dropping after a boulder the size of a school bus crushed a 30-foot wide section of the Madison Dam.

Officials say the boulder fell from a cliff early Monday onto three spill gates, though the damage appears to be relatively minor.

PPL Montana says water has been slowly draining for the lake since, but the boulder is actually blocking even more water from flowing through the damaged spill gates.

PPL Montana engineers have begun releasing more water to ease pressure on the boulder and to allow engineers to gauge the damage.

PPL Montana says the lake's level is expected to drop by about 5 feet by late Wednesday. The lake may eventually be drawn down 9 feet, which would allow a full inspection.

The lake is outside of Ennis, which is about 50 miles southwest of Bozeman.

LITTLE BELT RUNWAY

New runway gives pilots access to Little Belt

GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) - A new public runway has been completed 15 miles southwest of Utica, giving recreational pilots access to the Little Belt Mountains.

Work on the 4,000-foot-long, 50-foot-wide grass runway had been going on since 2009.

Ranger Ron Wiseman of the Lewis and Clark National Forest says the runway was completed last month.

He says 15 to 18 planes landed on the new runway on the Aug. 21 and 22 weekend, but he doesn't expect regular heavy use.

Recreational Aviation Foundation spokeswoman Carmine Mowbray says the runway provides access to the forest by air. She says when the engine shuts off, the pilot becomes a hiker.

The Recreational Aviation Foundation contributed $40,000 to the project, and the Montana Pilots Association contributed volunteers.

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Information from: The Great Falls Tribune, http://www.greatfallstribune.com

GRIZZLIES-YELLOWSTONE

Researchers will trap grizzlies in Yellowstone

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (AP) - Researchers will be trapping grizzly bears in some remote parts of Yellowstone National Park over the next two months.

The park says that none of the trap sites are near established hiking trails or backcountry campsites and warning signs will be posted.

The trapping is part of a monitoring and research project on Yellowstone area bears that's been underway for 36 years.

Two people have been fatally mauled by grizzlies so far this year in Wyoming and Montana. In the first attack, a botanist from Cody was killed by a bear shortly after the animal woke up from being tranquilized by researchers. Researchers had removed warning signs but investigators say the victim knew researchers were studying bears in the area.

MONTANA PLANE CRASH

Probe into small plane crash could take months

BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) - Investigators say they have completed their examination of the site where a small airplane piloted by a Utah aircraft mechanic crashed, but it may take months to find the cause of the fatal accident.

Jarrod Dearden died in the crash Monday just 10 miles from Bozeman's airport. The 34-year-old mechanic from Ogden had borrowed the single-engine Cessna to fly to Bozeman and work on a friend's aircraft.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the Gallatin County Sheriff's Office says investigators are looking for witnesses who saw or heard the Cessna about the time of the crash.

The NTSB expects to release a preliminary report next week, but lead investigator Wayne Pollack expects it will take several months to determine a cause of the crash.

MOTORCYCLE FATAL

Motorcyclist dies in fatal crash in Billings

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) - Police say a 37-year-old Billings man is dead after he lost control of a motorcycle near a construction zone in the city.

The Billings Police Department says the single-vehicle crash happened just before 1 a.m. Wednesday.

Police say speed appears to be a factor in the crash, but the investigation is continuing.

The motorcyclist's name was not released.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AP-NY-09-01-10 1259EDT

Latest Montana news, sports, business and entertainment: MONTANA WILDFIRES

Davis wildfire burns 8 structures, none homes

HELENA, Mont. (AP) - Officials say a wildfire northwest of Helena that's charred 2,000 acres or more than 3.1 square miles appears to have burned eight structures, though none were homes.

Helena National Forest agency administrator Nancy Peak says some structures may have been piles of logs, but officials must review ownership records to be certain.

An interagency team on Wednesday will begin a review of the wildfire, which started as a prescribed burn that grew out of control on Thursday. Peak says the team will look at all factors that led up to the ignition.

Fire officials said Tuesday night that the Davis fire was 78 percent contained.

The cost of fighting the blaze is estimated at $1.3 million.

Meanwhile, the 315-acre Downing fire in the Bitterroot National Forest was 55 percent contained on Tuesday morning.

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Information from: Independent Record, http://www.helenair.com

INFANT ASSAULT

Billings man, 22, denies infant assault charge

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) - A 22-year-old Billings man accused of severely injuring his 3-month-old son has pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of assault on a minor.

Gary R. Goins entered his plea Tuesday in District Court. A judge set bail at $50,000.

Employees at the infant's daycare say the child arrived at the center June 21 with suspicious bruises on his face and head, as well as an injury to his lips and gums.

Court records say doctors determined the infant had a skull fracture, a fractured left ankle bone, a fractured tibia in his left leg and torn tissue in his mouth.

Goins was arrested last week.

A Child and Family Services worker reported that Goins denied causing any injuries, but told her he dropped the baby on his head.

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Information from: Billings Gazette, http://www.billingsgazette.com

BILLINGS FATAL-CHARGES

2nd of 2 drivers charged in fatal Billings crash

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) - The second of two drivers involved in a downtown Billings crash that killed a 22-year-old man has been charged.

Francisco Flores-Jorge of North Las Vegas, Nev., appeared in Justice Court on Tuesday by video from the county jail on a felony charge of vehicular homicide while under the influence.

He also faces an alternative charge of negligent homicide and two felony counts of negligent vehicular assault.

Charging documents say the 25-year-old was drinking before Saturday's early morning crash and was skidding his truck down the road when he ran a stop sign and slammed into an SUV driven by 23-year-old Michael R. Roseberry of Billings.

Twenty-two-year-old Deciderio Ibarra of Texas was riding in Flores-Jorge's truck and died in the crash. Flores-Jorge and his other two passengers were hospitalized.

Roseberry is accused of speeding down the wrong side of the street at the time of the crash.

He was charged Monday with vehicular homicide while under the influence and two counts of negligent vehicular assault.

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Information from: Billings Gazette, http://www.billingsgazette.com

SHERIFF DISCRIMINATION

Yellowstone County won't appeal discrimination case

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) - Yellowstone County commissioners will not to appeal a recent discrimination case in which a jury awarded nearly $1 million to three sheriff's officers.

Deputies Chris Romero and Roger Bodine, and civil transport officer Dave Valdez, were awarded a total of $945,000 in damages last month. The officers said commanders treated them differently because they are Hispanic and retaliated against them when they complained.

Jurors determined the men were retaliated against and experienced discrimination, but not because of their race -- a conclusion that elicited different responses from attorneys on both sides.

Deputy County Attorney Kevin Gillen says there was no discrimination. Attorney Tim Kelly, who represented the officers, says "illegal retaliation is a form of unlawful discrimination," and that the verdict speaks for itself.

Regardless, commissioners voted 3-0 Tuesday to pay the damages and now must figure out what to do about the officers' legal bills, which total more than a half-million dollars.

Gillen says about $181,000 in attorney fees will be appealed.

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Information from: Billings Gazette, http://www.billingsgazette.com

TESTER-TOWN HALL

Economy top billing at Sen. Tester's town hall

HELENA, Mont. (AP) - The economy took center stage at a town hall meeting hosted by Montana Democratic Sen. Jon Tester in Helena.

Tester says small businesses are the key to job growth in the state and that Congress should do what it can to help such companies. He says the goal is to make sure that the economic recovery continues.

Tester says people everywhere in the state are most concerned about both their jobs and their neighbors' jobs.

Business groups told Tester at the Tuesday forum that Helena's housing market has been doing OK, after losing about five percent of its value over the last two years. They say consumer confidence remains a big issue.

Tester says he continues to push his forest jobs bill that would mandate more logging, while also creating more wilderness area.

UM PRESIDENT SEARCH

Provost only finalist to replace UM president

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) - University of Montana officials say Provost Royce Engstrom is the only finalist to replace outgoing president George Dennison, who announced his retirement in January after 20 years.

The UM presidential search committee intended to name three finalists, but two withdrew their names from consideration. One took another job and the other recently withdrew, saying the job wasn't in his best interest.

Being the only finalist, however, doesn't mean Engstrom automatically becomes the UM's next president.

The university plans to host an on-campus interview -- just as it would have done for any finalist -- in which students, faculty and staff will get to ask Engstrom questions.

He'll also travel to UM's affiliated campuses in Dillon, Butte and Helena.

The search committee will then make a recommendation to Commissioner of Higher Education Sheila Stearns based on the comments.

Stearns will then make a recommendation to the Montana Board of Regents.

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Information from: Missoulian, http://www.missoulian.com

YELLOWSTONE TRAVEL

Gibbon Canyon night closures end Wednesday

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (AP) - The road between Norris and Madison through Gibbon Canyon in Yellowstone National Park will no longer be closed overnight, starting Wednesday morning.

However, the National Park Service says travelers can still expect up to 30 minutes delays through Oct. 23, including this weekend.

Workers have been realigning the road and installing a new bridge over the Gibbon River.

The redesigned Gibbon Falls Overlook and parking area, two new picnic areas and the long-closed Gibbon Falls picnic area are all set to open to visitors on Oct. 23, weather permitting.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AP-NY-09-01-10 0330EDT

Latest Montana news, sports, business and entertainment: SURGEON-COCAINE CHARGES

Billings oral surgeon faces cocaine charges

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) - A 42-year-old oral surgeon from Billings has pleaded not guilty to federal charges accusing him of distributing cocaine from his office and home over the past eight years.

Jerome D. "Jerry" Mancuso was arraigned Monday on a five-count indictment alleging he distributed over 500 grams of cocaine with an estimated value of between $50,000 and $100,000 from January 2002 until July 2010.

Mancuso is the owner of Rocky Mountain Center for Oral and Facial Surgery in Billings.

Prosecutors are seeking the forfeiture of his home.

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Information from: KTVQ-TV, http://www.ktvq.com

MONTANA-STUBERG DUI

UM football player pleads not guilty to DUI

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) - A 21-year-old University of Montana football player has pleaded not guilty to driving under the influence.

Josh Stuberg of Helena was arrested by the Montana Highway Patrol early Sunday and charged with a first offense DUI and failing to report an accident. Prosecutors say he struck a fence, causing at least $500 in damage. The patrol says he refused a breathalyzer test.

Stuberg posted bond and has been ordered to submit daily alcohol breath tests. He is also prohibited from entering bars. His next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 20.

Stuberg played in 13 games as a redshirt freshman last year and was listed as a backup linebacker on a depth chart released Friday.

DRUNK DRIVING-MONTANA

Montana drinking and driving culture at crossroads

HELENA, Mont. (AP) - Montana has long had a reputation as a place where you could crack open a beer while driving down the interstate just about as fast as you pleased.

Until 2005, when the state came under duress from the federal government, it was legal to drink and drive in many places. And a few years before, there wasn't a speed limit on major highways.

But spurred by the high-profile death last year of a highway patrolman at the hands of an intoxicated driver, Montana's Old West drinking and driving culture is retreating.

Judges are rejecting lenient plea deals. Law enforcement is trying different ways of keeping track of repeat offenders. Even the Legislature is beginning to promise tough new laws.

MONTANA WILDFIRES

Davis wildfire burns 8 structures, none homes

HELENA, Mont. (AP) - Officials say a 2,000-acre wildfire northwest of Helena appears to have burned eight structures, though none were homes.

Helena National Forest agency administrator Nancy Peak says some structures may have been piles of logs, but officials must review ownership records to be certain.

An interagency team on Wednesday will begin a review of the wildfire, which started as a prescribed burn that grew out of control on Thursday. Peak says the team will look at all factors that led up to the ignition.

Fire officials said Tuesday that the Davis fire is 50 percent contained. The cost of fighting the blaze is estimated to be $1.3 million.

Meanwhile, the 315-acre Downing fire in the Bitterroot National Forest was 55 percent contained on Tuesday morning.

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Information from: Independent Record, http://www.helenair.com

ENDANGERED WOLF-HUNT

ID, MT want to hunt endangered wolves

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) - Montana and Idaho officials are seeking legal grounds to revive gray wolf hunts in the Northern Rockies, and planned to meet Tuesday with environmentalists whose lawsuit restored the animal's endangered status.

The states hosted their first managed wolf hunts last year after the species rebounded from near-extermination last century.

This year's hunts are likely blocked by an Aug. 6 U.S. District Court ruling. But state officials say they will ask the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for permission to hold future hunts to curb wolf attacks on livestock.

They point to the legal harvest of other protected species such as salmon and bull trout as a precedent.

Environmental groups have vowed to stop attempts to circumvent the federal court ruling.

CYCLIST STRUCK-CHARGES

Missoula woman charged with hitting bicyclist

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) - A 26-year-old Missoula woman has been charged with crashing her SUV into a bicyclist while driving drunk early Sunday.

Dominique D. Hypolite appeared in Justice Court Monday on a felony count of criminal endangerment and misdemeanor counts of drunken driving and failure to carry proof of insurance.

Police responded to a report of a man lying face down beside a "mangled bicycle" shortly before 12:30 a.m. Sunday. The cyclist was not critically injured.

Police say witnesses identified Hypolite and her vehicle as being involved in the collision, and pieces of broken vehicle at the scene matched damage to her SUV. A breath test showed Hypolite had a blood-alcohol level of 0.139 percent.

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Information from: Missoulian, http://www.missoulian.com

WEDDING RECEPTION FIGHT

Man charged with hitting sister at wedding party

BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) - A 31-year-old Three Forks man faces criminal charges after his sister reported he showed up drunk to her wedding reception and hit her in the mouth with a large wrench.

David J. Sicotte was arrested Friday night in Three Forks and charged with felony assault with a weapon and disorderly conduct. He is jailed in Bozeman on $15,000 bond.

Prosecutors say Sicotte arrived at the reception uninvited, pushed his sister's new mother-in-law to the ground and started fighting with the groom. Witnesses say Sicotte later came at his pregnant sister with the wrench.

The bride told police she slapped her brother and he responded by hitting her in the mouth with the wrench.

The police report says officers found Sicotte leaving the residence, carrying a large wrench.

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Information from: Bozeman Daily Chronicle, http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com

EGG RECALL

Montana among states affected by shell egg recall

HELENA, Mont. (AP) - Montana has joined the list of states affected by the ongoing shell egg recall over concerns of possible salmonella contamination.

The Food and Drug Administration says Sparboe Farms, a packaging company based in Litchfield, Minn., is voluntarily recalling eggs from Wright County Egg and Hillandale Farms in Iowa that might be contaminated. Those eggs were bound for several states, including Montana.

Jon Ebelt, a spokesman for the state Department of Public Health and Human Services, says the FDA identified Wal-Mart stores in Billings, Miles City and Laurel as having received the potentially tainted eggs.

Melissa Tuemmler with the agency's food and consumer safety division says that as of Monday afternoon there have not been any reported cases of salmonella poisoning in Montana that could be traced to the Iowa eggs.

Consumers with questions should visit www.eggsafety.org or call the Egg Safety Media Hotline at 404-367-2761.

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Information from: Independent Record, http://www.helenair.com

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AP-NY-08-31-10 1301EDT

Latest Montana news, sports, business and entertainment: MONTANA WILDFIRES

Rain, cool temperatures aid Montana firefighters

CANYON CREEK, Mont. (AP) - Rain and cooler temperatures continue to aid firefighters battling two wildfires in Montana.

Fire officials say the Davis fire northwest of Helena was 50 percent contained Monday afternoon and crews were mopping up on the western flank of the blaze that's burned more than 3.1 square miles, or 2,000 acres.

Crews were working on improving fire lines and extinguishing spot fires outside the perimeter with the help of helicopters.

Officials say the 315-acre Downing Fire near Hamilton in the Bitterroot National Forest was 55 percent contained on Monday. Crews have completed fire lines along the northern and southern flanks of the fire.

Monday's weather was favorable for the firefighters, with rain and temperatures in the 50s.

MONTANA PLANE CRASH

Utah pilot killed in small plane crash identified

BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) - A pilot killed when a single-engine airplane crashed in a field near Bozeman has been identified as a 34-year-old man from Ogden, Utah.

Gallatin County sheriff's officials say Jarrod Dearden died Monday morning at the crash site 10 miles from Gallatin Field Airport.

The sheriff's office says Dearden was an aircraft mechanic who was traveling from Ogden to Bozeman on Monday morning.

Sean Reid is the Salt Lake City-based owner of the plane. He says he loaned Dearden the Cessna 182 to fly to Bozeman and fix a friend's aircraft.

Officials from the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration were headed to Bozeman to investigate the cause of the crash.

TRIPLE SHOOTING

Victims of apparent murder-suicide in Great Falls identified

GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) - Authorities have identified a man and a woman involved in an apparent murder-suicide in Great Falls over the weekend.

The Cascade County Coroner's Office identified those involved as 45-year-old John Lesh and 59-year-old Connie Popham, both of Great Falls.

An autopsy revealed Popham died from multiple stab wounds to the back and Lesh died from a single self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

Police say Lesh apparently fired at least two shots at another nearby house after stabbing Popham and before shooting himself in the head in the front yard of the pair's home Saturday evening.

No other injuries were reported.

Authorities have not determined a motive.

BILLINGS FATAL-ARRESTS

2 arrested after fatal Billings crash

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) - Police have arrested two men after a fatal two-vehicle crash in Billings.

Michael R. Roseberry of Billings and Francisco Flores-Jorge of North Las Vegas remained jailed Monday after a crash Saturday that killed 22-year-old Deciderio Ibarra of Texas.

Police say the 23-year-old Roseberry was speeding the wrong way down 3rd Avenue North at 2:30 a.m. when the 25-year-old Flores-Jorge ran a stop sign, slamming into Roseberry's SUV.

Flores-Jorge and all three of his passengers were taken to the hospital, where Ibarra was pronounced dead.

Roseberry appeared in Justice Court on Monday on charges of vehicular homicide while under the influence, negligent homicide and three counts of negligent vehicular assault.

Flores-Jorge is accused of drinking before the crash and skidding his truck down the street.

He faces the same charges and is expected to make his initial court appearance this week.

DAMAGED DAM

Falling boulder damages Madison Dam near Ennis

BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) - Crews will have to fix part of the Madison Dam near Ennis after a boulder the size of a school bus broke loose from a cliff and crashed into the structure.

PPL Montana spokesman David Hoffman says the boulder fell just before 3:30 a.m. Monday. It did not injure anyone and the hydroelectric plant is operating at full capacity.

The boulder left a 30-foot-wide crater in the western crest of the dam and severed a hydraulic line, causing 12 to 15 gallons of oil to spill into the Madison River.

Hoffman says crews used booms to capture the oil, and there's no indication that any fish have died.

Water leaking around the edges of the boulder caused the river to flow at about 2,000 cubic feet per second, which is about 500 cfs more than usual. Hoffman says Ennis Lake will have to be drawn down 9 feet to relieve pressure and assess the damage to the dam, which PPL operates.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks spokeswoman Andrea Jones says it's too early to comment on possible effects of the lake drawdown or the oil spill.

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Information from: Bozeman Daily Chronicle, http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com

BILLIONAIRE'S CLUB

Creditors want posh resort's founder to pay up

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) - Yellowstone Club creditors want a federal bankruptcy judge to reconsider a ruling that let the resort's founder off the hook for about $230 million.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Ralph Kirscher on Monday scheduled a Sept. 20 hearing on the matter in Billings.

Kirscher ruled two weeks ago that club founder Tim Blixseth must pay back only some of what he took from the club through a scheme to line his pockets.

That ruling could cost Blixseth an estimated $40 million. But he escaped judgment on $230 million in outstanding loans arranged through Credit Suisse. Kirscher says the financial firm was complicit in Blixseth's scheme.

Attorneys for club creditors who want Blixseth to pay in full asked Kirscher on Friday to reconsider his ruling.

TAX COLLECTIONS

Governor sends revenue agents after more out-of-state firms

HELENA, Mont. (AP) - Gov. Brian Schweitzer says he's sending state revenue agents after online travel booking sites and out-of-state oil lease traders he suspects may be shirking their Montana taxes.

It is the latest in a string of moves by Schweitzer to crack down on tax cheats, mostly from out of state. His Department of Revenue was recently credited with a big increase in audit collections.

Schweitzer says he now wants the agency to look at the Internet sites that book hotel rooms. He suspects they are not paying Montana's full lodging tax.

The governor says he also suspects nonresidents who package and trade Montana oil leases have not been paying income tax on profits they make on those transactions.

The agency will be looking at ways to track the deals.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AP-NY-08-31-10 0331EDT