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July Obituaries

Fort Peck man dies in crash (Posted Mon, 7-29-02)

Northeast Montana Fair Underway (Posted Mon, 7-29-02)

Draft environmental impact statement on four-lane expected (Posted Wed, 7-24-02)

Commissioners Set Elected Offical's Salaries (Posted Wed, 7-24-02)

Subcommittee Approves Burns’ Projects, Clears First Hurdle (Posted Tue, 7-23-02)

County FSA Offices Closed Wednesday And Thursday (Posted Tue, 7-23-02)

Baucus Applauds Subcommittee Passage Of Bill That Includes Hatchery Funding (Posted Tue, 7-23-02)

Minister wants to make railroad tracks safer in Wolf Point (Posted, Thu 7-18-02)

Glasgow Social Security Office Now Open Full Time (Posted Thu, 7-18-02)

Railroad plans to end price system criticized in Montana (Posted Wed, 7-17-02)

Commissioners Vote To Put Economic Development Levy On Ballot Again (Posted Wed, 7-17-02)

Burning restrictions imposed in eastern Montana (Posted Wed, 7-17-02)

Commissioners Work On New Fiscal Year Budgets (Posted Wed, 7-17-02)

Red Buffalo Society Dance Will Precede August 2nd Performance Of South Pacific (Posted Wed, 7-17-02)

Former Frazer School Teacher Sentenced Monday (Posted Tue, 7-16-02)

Glasgow Man Pleads Not Guilty To Sexual Intercourse Without Consent (Posted, Tue, 7-16-02)

Commissioners To Discuss Economic Development Levy Wednesday (Posted Tue, 7-16-02)

More Storm Damage Info Online (Posted Tue, 7/16/02)

Highway Improvements Coming To Valley County (Posted Tue, 7/16/02)

Long Run Called To Oil Pumping Station Fire (Posted Tue, 7/16/02)

Two Die When Struck By Train (Posted Fri, 7/12/02)

Severe Weather Pictures Online; Tornadoes Verified In 2 Locations (Posted Thr, 7/11/02)

Police Chase Down Speeding Motorcyclist (Posted Thr, 7/11/02)

Former Lands Council President Dies (Posted Thr, 7/11/02)

Amtrak Reportedly Ignores Report (Posted Thr, 7/11/02)

Two Rivers Requests Putting Economic Development Levy On November Ballot (Posted Thr, 7/11/02)

Janklow invites Missouri River governors to Brandon home (Wed, 7/10/02)

Both Sides Of Missouri River Fight Look Toward Hearing (Wed, 7/10/02)

Guidelines Released On Reporting Acreages For 2002 Crops (Tue, 7/9/02)

Tornadoes Reported On Monday (Tue, 7/9/02)

Glasgow Man Continues Anti-Government Stance In Trial (Tue, 7/9/02)

South Pacific Is Next Fort Peck Summer Theatre Play (Mon, 7/8/02)

Baucus Announces Funds For Nashua Volunteer Fire Department (Mon, 7/8/02)

Spots Open Up In Walleye Tournament (Mon, 7/8/02)

Traffic Fatalities Near Havre & Hinsdale (Sun, 7/7/02)

Hatchery Construction Awarded To Johnson & Wilson Construction Of Helena (Sun, 7/7/02)

Hundreds Turn Out For Hatchery Groundbreaking (Sat, 7/6/02)

Severe Thunderstorm Report (7/5/02)

Long Run Called Out During Storm (Fri, 7/5/02)

DUI Charges Filed In 3-Vehicle Collision (Fri, 7/5/02)

Poplar Man Stabbed To Death (Thu, 7/4/02)

Court records on Lewis and Clark available online (Wed, 7/3/02)

Hatchery Ground Breaking To Take Place Saturday (Wed, 7/3/02)

Peter Jacob & Gertrude Schwartz Breigenzer Added To Heritage Wall (Wed, 7/3/02)

Extra Patrols Set For Long Weekend (Wed, 7/3/02)

Chamber Independence Day Activities Set (Wed, 7/3/02)

Poplar Man Drowns (Wed, 7/3/02)

City Council Votes To Raise 2 Special Assessments (Tue, 7/2/02)

Longest Montana commute time is in .... Saco? So says Census (Tue, 7/2/02)

Valley County Man Pleads Guilty To Supplying Alcohol To Minors (Mon, 7/1/02)

Kitzenberg Says Special Session Was Inevitable (Mon, 7/1/02)

Glasgow couple facing federal conspiracy charges (Mon, 7/1/02)


Fort Peck man dies in crash (Posted Mon, 7-29-02)

(Brockton-AP) -- Montana's traffic toll for the year has risen to 126 with the death of a Fort Peck man in a one-vehicle crash near Brockton. He was 53-year-old William Molder.

The Highway Patrol says his pickup truck ran off U-S two just west of Brockton about 4:30 in the morning, veered back across the highway and overturned. Molder was thrown out and killed.

A woman passenger, who was wearing a seat belt, received only minor injuries.

At this time last year the state highway toll stood at 121. (Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Northeast Montana Fair Underway (Posted Mon, 7-29-02)

The Northeast Montana Fair is underway in Glasgow. Highlights include the Sunday and Monday night rodeo, the Tuesday night talent show and the Demo Derby on Wednesday night.

Also, the KLTZ/Mix-93 and Glasgow Courier pie-eating contest is back. We'll broadcast it live on KLTZ, starting at 2 p.m. Monday. If you want to see it in person, we invite you out to the grandstands Monday afternoon.

For a full fair agenda, visit our Northeast Montana Fair page.

Draft environmental impact statement on four-lane expected (Posted Wed, 7-24-02)

(Minot, North Dakota-AP) -- North Dakota's Transportation Department is developing a draft environmental impact statement for a plan to make U-S Highway-two four lanes from Minot to Williston.

Spokesman Grant Levi says the department hopes to have the document out in August.

A similar study is planned in Montana. Congress has earmarked two million dollars for an environmental impact study and design work.

U-S-two is four lanes from Grand Forks to near Berthold, west of Minot. The rest of the road to the west - about 100 miles in North Dakota and on across Montana - is two lanes. Residents of northwestern North Dakota and along the Montana Hi-Line have lobbied for years to get four lanes. The cost of the widening project has been estimated at 1-point-2 billion dollars.
(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Commissioners Set Elected Offical's Salaries (Posted Wed, 7-24-02)

The Valley County Commissioners have passed a resolution setting salaries for all elected officials in Valley County for the 2002-2003 fiscal year.

The resolution implements a 3.25% cost-of-living increment for all elected officials with the exception of the County Attorney, who received a 2.2% increase in accordance with the State of Montana, Department of Justice salary compensation schedule. The state pays half of the County Attorney's salary while the county picks up the remaining salary.

Here are the salaries for elected officials for Valley County.
County Treasurer $26,652.61
County Clerk and Recorder $26,652.61
Clerk of District Court $26,652,61
Sheriff $28,652.61
Attorney $64,843
County Commissioners $28,652.61
Justice of the Peace $16,654,64
County Coroner $2,820.35
These salaries went into effect on July 1, 2002.

Subcommittee Approves Burns’ Projects, Clears First Hurdle (Posted Tue, 7-23-02)

Washington, D.C. – Montana Senator Conrad Burns today announced the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water, of which he is a senior member, approved over $40,545,000 in projects on his request. Included in the funding is operational money for the Corps of Engineers to maintain dams in Montana, as well as a new installment in the Fort Peck Fish Hatchery.

“We just broke ground on that warm water hatchery a couple weeks ago and now we’ve got another $8 million in the pipeline for them,” said Burns. “I’m committed to sticking with the process and making sure this makes it through conference, and is signed by the President. There’s a lot of good infrastructure money in here for Montana.”
Burns announced the funding for the following projects:

Fort Peck Warm Water Fish Hatchery $8,000,000
Continuing funds for the new warm water fish hatchery that broke ground recently at Fort Peck.

Dry Prairie Fort Peck Water Project $7,000,000
A rural drinking water project in Northeastern Montana covering portions of the Fort Peck Reservation and surrounding communities.

Small Communities Drought Relief $1,000,000
Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) initiative to provide assistance to small communities suffering from drought problems. This funding will be used to maintain water sources for such communities by deepening wells, and drilling new ones as needed.

MSE – Western Environmental Technology Office $6,000,000
Department of Energy (DoE) contract for environmental science research from the Butte-based facilities of MSE Technologies.

Corps of Engineers Water Planning Assistance $3,500,000
Corps of Engineers assistance to four communities for water projects planning assistance. The communities involved are Missoula, Conrad, Belgrade, and Helena.

Milk River Irrigation Project $1,146,000
Operation and maintenance funding for the irrigation project.

Rocky Boys Water Settlement $4,600,000
Installment payment on the continuing Rocky Boys Water Settlement.

Corps of Engineers and BOR Dam Operations in Montana $9,299,000

The legislation now goes on to the full Senate Appropriations Committee for approval, followed by the Senate as a whole. After passage, the bill will go to a joint House-Senate conference committee to hammer out the differences in legislation, and Senator Burns is expected to be a member of that committee. Once the conferenced bills pass congress, they go to the President for signing.

County FSA Offices Closed Wednesday And Thursday (Posted Tue, 7-23-02)

All Valley County Farm Service Agency staff will be out of the office Wednesday and Thursday, July 24-25 for a multi-district meeting.

Baucus Applauds Subcommittee Passage Of Bill That Includes Hatchery Funding (Posted Tue, 7-23-02)

Montana's Senator Max Baucus today applauded the subcommittee passage of a fiscal year 2003 funding bill that will provide the Fort Peck Fish Hatchery with $8 million in an appropriation that Baucus has pushed hard because it will help create more jobs and boost the economy in the northeast Montana.

The Senate Energy and Water Development appropriations bill is expected to pass the full Appropriations committee on Thursday, Baucus said.

"I'm working together with my colleagues to ensure that the Fort Peck Fish Hatchery receives the funding it needs to help boost our state's economy and bring more good-paying jobs to northeastern Montana," Baucus said. "I've been involved in getting the hatchery up and running for many years now and was proud to attend the ground breaking ceremony earlier this month. Last year, I worked together to provide the hatchery with $1.5 million in federal funding, and we're keeping the progress going with another $8 million this year."

The Fort Peck Fish Hatchery will support native fish recovery and warm-water fish such as walleye and small-mouth bass, as well as other species that have been hit by heavy fishing pressure and low water levels in recent years. The hatchery will be located on 100 acres of federal land south of the Dredge Cuts area in Fort Peck and will be staffed by two to three employees, Baucus said. The hatchery proposal will be a partnership between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

"The hatchery will have important ecological, recreational, and economic impacts on the region and I'll continue to push for additional funding to get the hatchery going at full speed," Baucus said. "Boosting Montana's economy is my number on priority and today's federal funding of $8 million for the hatchery will help us achieve that goal."

Minister wants to make railroad tracks safer in Wolf Point (Posted, Thu 7-18-02)
(Wolf Point-AP) -- A man whose stepson was killed by a freight train passing through Wolf Point, four years ago, wants to head off future tragedies.

The Reverend Jerry Swanson was moved by the deaths of two men who were hit and killed in the same area July 11th.

Swanson is a 72-year-old Presbyterian minister in Brockton. He has formed "People Against Railroad Killing," and he says the city of Wolf Point and the Burlington-Northern Santa Fe railroad must find a way to minimize the danger.

In January 1990, B-N-S-F proposed building a security fence along the tracks through town, to keep people from walking across the tracks. But the city said it couldn't maintain it, so the fence never was built. Building such a fence is one of the steps proposed by Swanson's group.
(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Glasgow Social Security Office Now Open Full Time (Posted Thu, 7-18-02)

Montana Senator Max Baucus reports that the Glasgow Social Security Office will now be open from 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. five days a week.

In response to a June letter from Senator Baucus, the Social Security Administration agreed that it is necessary to assign an additional full-time staff member in the Havre field office and keep that office and the Glasgow office open full time.

Baucus said he plans to continue the push to get another full-time employee for the Glasgow office.

Baucus's letter was in response to a SSA proposal to reduce the hours at the offices are open to the public. Baucus rejected that idea and asked for additional personnel to allow the offices to catch up on backlogged cases.

Railroad plans to end price system criticized in Montana (Posted Wed, 7-17-02)

(AP) -- Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway says it will change its pricing structure for grain shipments at the end of the month.

Railroad officials say the decision was a response to criticism raised by Democratic Senator Max Baucus and Republican Governor Judy Martz. Baucus, Martz and others say the system was unfair to Montana farmers, because it reduced rates for shipments from eastern North Dakota.

The rates were changed to fill market demand in the Pacific Northwest, when there was a shortage of wheat from Montana.

Railroad chairman Matthew Rose says the change may be temporary, because B-N-S-F must keep its export market share for wheat in the Pacific Northwest. He says the price structure could be reviewed if market conditions become difficult for the railway. (Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Commissioners Vote To Put Economic Development Levy On Ballot Again (Posted Wed, 7-17-02)

The Valley County Commissioners voted 3-0 Wednesday to give an economic development levy another chance in the November General Election.

After a short discussion the vote was 3-0 to try the levy one more time. Commissioners Dave Reinhardt and Marlene

Erickson voiced concern about running a levy election so soon after it was defeated. The economic development levy was defeated in the June Primary election by a vote 1231-1175. Reinhardt said most of the phone calls he has received on the subject have been negative regarding putting the levy on the ballot again. Erickson and Reinhardt stated that Valley County will probably be running more levy elections in the future and they don't want the voters to get tired of the levies and start voting against all of them.

Commissioner Ron Gilbertson said it's up to the voters to decide whether they want to pass the economic development levy, not the commissioners.

The levy is a 2-mill levy that would fund a paid economic development office for Valley County.

Burning restrictions imposed in eastern Montana (Posted Wed, 7-17-02)

(Miles City-AP) -- Because of the dry conditions, land managers have imposed burning restrictions in eastern Montana.

The U-S Forest Service, and Bureau of Land Management, have jointly announced a ban on open fires or campfires in any area, except within a developed recreation site -- unless the site is posted against open fires, such as Medicine Rocks State Park.

The restrictions cover all public and private lands in Carter, Custer, Fallon, Garfield, Mccone, Powder River, and Rosebud counties. (Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Commissioners Work On New Fiscal Year Budgets (Posted Wed, 7-17-02)
The Valley County Commissioners are currently working on budgets for the new fiscal year. Department heads are meeting with the commissioners regarding their budget requests for the new fiscal year.

The commissioners told Kltz/Klan that the mill valuation for Valley County is down to $25,598 from $26,195 last year.

This means that more mills will be assessed to Valley County taxpayers for the new budget year. The budget for Valley County must be finalized by August 12th.

The Commissioners have agreed to give all elected officials a raise of 3.25 percent for the year and all non-union employees will receive a raise of .40 cents an hour.

The counties share of health insurance for county employees has also been capped at $335. The cost of health insurance for county employees has increased to $385 per month so employees must now pay $50 for the insurance plan.

Wage increases for Road Department and Law Enforcement employees is still being negotiated.

Red Buffalo Society Dance Will Precede August 2nd Performance Of South Pacific (Posted Wed, 7-17-02)

A dance performance by the Red Buffalo Society will precede South Pacific at the Fort Peck Theatre on Friday, Aug. 2, Council President Kari Lee Knierim announced this week. Their performance begins at 7 p.m. "We are honored to host so many talented dancers," she said.

The Native American song and dance troupe consists of 25 Poplar School students in grade kindergarten through twelve. They perform five dance categories with a brief historical explanation and demonstration of each style of dance, along with sign language interpretations of The Lord's Prayer and Go My Son.

Tickets will be available at the door, with one admission for both events. Adult tickets are priced at $10, students $6, and seniors $9. Reserved seating is available for $5 additional. Call the Theatre at 406-526-9943 for more information. Season, patron, and sponsor tickets may be used at the door as well.

In addition to an enjoyable evening, there is an added bonus, Knierim said. Anyone purchasing tickets that evening will receive $1 of the price of each ticket.

Former Frazer School Teacher Sentenced Monday (Posted Tue, 7-16-02)

Former Frazer School teacher Shane Kennedy was sentenced in District Court on Monday.

Kennedy had entered into a plea agreement with Valley County Attorney Ken Oster earlier this year. Judge John McKeon sentenced Kennedy to a 5 year deferred sentence and ordered him to pay full restitution of $10,203. He was credited with $1,884.59 that he has paid back to the Frazer School District.

Kennedy pleaded guilty to the charge of felony theft for his role in taking over $12,000 from the Frazer School extracurricular fund. He was in charge of the fund from October of 2000 to January of 2002 when the thefts occurred.

As part of the conditions of his sentencing Kennedy was ordered to abstain from gambling and must attend gambling counseling sessions.

Glasgow Man Pleads Not Guilty To Sexual Intercourse Without Consent (Posted, Tue, 7-16-02)

Glasgow resident Trent Kinzell appeared in District Court in Monday facing five counts of felony sexual intercourse without consent and one count of misdemeanor unlawful restraint.

According to court documents the charges stem incidents that allegedly occurred with a female Glasgow resident who was under the age of 16 at the time of the alleged encounters. The incidents allegedly occurred between September 7th of 2001 and March 4th of 2002.

Kinzell has pleaded not guilty to all the charges and a hearing has been set for September 18th on a defense motion to suppress evidence. No trial date has been set and presiding judge is Judge David Cylbuski of Plentywood.

Kinzell is also facing 2 charges of felony criminal distribution of dangerous drugs in a separate incident.

Commissioners To Discuss Economic Development Levy Wednesday (Posted Tue, 7-16-02)

The Valley County Commissioners will discuss the possibility of putting an economic development levy back on the ballot at a meeting on Wednesday at 3pm.

Valley County voters defeated an economic development levy by a margin of 1231-1175 in the June Primary Election.

The Two Rivers Economic Group has requested that the commissioners put the question to the voters again during the November General Election.

The two-mill levy if passed by the voters would fund a paid economic development office for Valley County.

The commissioners will discuss the question at 3pm and shortly thereafter vote on the question.

More Storm Damage Info Online (Posted Tue, 7/16/02)

Andrew Pohl, webmaster of the Glasgow National Weather Service, has informed us the weather service has added more information on the damage suffered in northeast Montana when severe thunderstorms and tornadoes came through on July 8th. The information is available here: NWS Severe Weather Picture pages.

Also, the NWS has added a summary and pictures of the Garfield County stock dam break from June. You may link to that story here:
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/Glasgow/flood/june23rd_dam_break.shtml

Highway Improvements Coming To Valley County (Posted Tue, 7/16/02)

The Montana Department of Transportation is planning over $14 million dollars in highway improvements in Valley County over the next two years.

The state is planning to spend over $7 million in a widening and resurfacing project east and west of Nashua on Highway #2 in 2004. This project will be 10.2 miiles in length.

Another project is a widening and resurfacing project east and west of Oswego. The project is set for 2004 and is 8 miles in length with an estimated cost of over $7 million dollars.

In 2003 the department will work on the Tampico road with a resurfacing project of 4.21 miles. The estimated cost is set at over $1 million dollars.

Long Run Called To Oil Pumping Station Fire (Posted Tue, 7/16/02)

The Valley County Long Run Fire Department was called to an Continental Oil pumping station early Monday morning according to Long Run Chief Dan Carney.

Carney told Kltz/Klan that an explosion blew the top off a oil holding tank at a pumping station 3 miles west of the Lustre/Glentana road.

No injuries were reported and the Nashua and Wolf Point Fire Departments were called along with the Long Run.

As of early Monday afternoon the tank was still burning and the firefighters were standing by in case the blaze spread.

Carney said the fire call came shortly after 1:00 am.

Two Die When Struck By Train (Posted Fri, 7/12/02)

Two men died early Thursday morning in Wolf Point when they were struck by an east-bound Burlington Northern Santa Fe freight train.

Gary Jackson, 41, of Frazer, and Curtis Schindler, 34, of Wolf Point, were pronounced dead at the scene shortly after 2 a.m., said Terry Boyd, chief criminal investigator for the Fort Peck Tribe.

According to BNSF spokesman Gus Melonas the train was traveling about 60 mph through Wolf Point when the crew spotted the men by the tracks. One engineer stated that one man was on the tracks waving his arms when the other went and tried to pull him off. Both men fell. The engineers tried to stop the train but couldn’t do so in time.

"We can't stop -- we can't swerve," Melonas said. "As much as we'd like to stop instantly, it's impossible."

Train traffic was delayed about 7 hours while the accident was being investigated.

Severe Weather Pictures Online; 2 Tornadoes Verified (Posted Thr, 7/11/02)

The National Weather Service has posted severe weather damage pictures from Monday's storm system.

The Glasgow office of the NWS has verified that 2 F0 tornadoes occurred; one west of Hinsdale and one in Park Grove.

For the full story, visit our weather section, or head straight to the NWS Severe Weather Picture pages.

Police Chase Down Speeding Motorcyclist (Posted Thr, 7/11/02)

The Glasgow Police Department was involved in a high speed motorcycle chase Wednesday morning that resulted in the arrest of a 23 year old Glasgow resident.

According to Police Chief Lynn Erickson, a Glasgow police officer witnessed a Harley Davidson motorcycle speed through a flashing red light Wednesday morning at 1:44 a.m. The officer pursued the motorcycle through 2nd Avenue South and onto the Tampico Road where the motorcycle turned onto a gravel road. The officer continued the pursuit on the gravel road until coming upon the motorcycle laying on the ground with the two occupants lying next to it.

The officer arrested 23 year old Scott Gunderman and transported him to the Valley County Law Enforcement Center where he was charged with 2nd offense DUI and misdemeanor reckless driving.

Gunderman posted bond and was released. The passenger on the motorcycle was a 29 year old female who was injured slightly in the crash but refused medical treatment.

Former Lands Council President Dies (Posted Thr, 7/11/02)

(Glasgow-AP) -- Funeral services will be held Friday in Glasgow for rancher Walter Collins, a former president of the Montana Public Lands Council and former board member of the Montana Stockgrowers.

Collins died of cancer last Sunday in a Billings hospital. He was 71.

Collins was president of the Montana Public Lands Council for ten years. He served on the Montana Stockgrowers Board for four years. Collins was also president of the Montana State District-Five Fiddlers, and was a sought-after rhythm guitar player at fiddle contests around the region.

His funeral is at 10:30 tomorrow morning at the Glasgow Civic Center, with burial the following day at Mount View Cemetery in Billings. Visit our Obits page for a full obituary.

Amtrak Reportedly Ignores Report (Posted Thr, 7/11/02)

(Washington-AP) -- An Arizona senator says Amtrak spent eleven million dollars to have an outside consultant review the way the railroad does business. Amtrak then shelved the report after it recommended major changes.

Republican John McCain says McKinsey and Company recommended that Amtrak operate more like a private company. It said Amtrak should focus on profitable service in highly populated corridors and keep money-losing long-distance routes only under contract with the states that want them.

McCain is an Amtrak critic and a proponent of franchising train routes to other operators. He made his comments yesterday at a hearing of the Senate Commerce subcommittee on surface transportation.

Amtrak President David Gunn says he hasn't seen McKinsey's final set of conclusions. (Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Two Rivers Requests Putting Economic Development Levy On November Ballot (Posted Thr, 7/11/02)

The Two Rivers Economic group is requesting the Valley County Commissioners put another 2-mill levy for economic development on the ballot.

In June, voters in Valley County rejected an effort to fund an economic development office for Valley County by a vote of 1231-1175.

The Two Rivers group continues to see a need for a paid economic development professional in Valley County and with the close vote in the June Primary Election the group believes that voters will approve the mill levy if given a second chance.

Two Rivers recently met with Dave Gibson who is the head of the Governors Economic Development team and he told them that Valley County is the only county of it's size without a professional economic development specialist. Gibson also said if the levy was on the ballot again he would come to Valley County and meet with various groups to explain the benefits of having a economic development specialist working for the county.

Valley County Commissioners Dave Reinhardt and Ron Gilbertson met with Two Rivers on Wednesday but made no decision on whether to have the levy put on the November ballot. Commission Chairman Marlene Erickson was absent from the meeting.

Kltz/Klan spoke with Commissioner Dave Reinhardt Wednesday after the meeting and he said they probably will make a decision early next week. He also said the commissioners are looking for public input on how the public feels about giving the economic development levy a second chance. If you have any feelings you are urged to contact the commissioners to let them know your position on the issue.

The commissioners will make a decision early next week.

Janklow invites Missouri River governors to Brandon home (Wed, 7/10/02)

(AP) South Dakota Governor Bill Janklow has invited the governors of several other states to his home in Brandon, South Dakota, to talk about the Missouri River system.

The written invitations went out yesterday to the governors of Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri. The gathering is planned for Sunday, August 4th, at Janklow's home east of Sioux Falls.

In his letter, the Republican says Congress can't seem to fix problems with management of the river, so it's up to the governors. (Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Both Sides Of Missouri River Fight Look Toward Hearing (Wed, 7/10/02)

(Washington-AP) The debate over whether to return the Missouri River to a more seasonal flow is out of lawmakers' hands.

But U-S Senators from states along the river will hold a congressional hearing to prod the Corps of Engineers to act. The hearing is set for today in Washington.

A recent U-S Fish and Wildlife Service decision effectively blocks the corps from releasing more water to drought-stricken communities. The service says a more natural flow, with heavier releases in the spring and less water in the summer, is the only way to protect rare wildlife. That view is shared by Montana and other up-river states, where the plan would help the lake recreation industry.

The plan is opposed by down-river states, where stable river depth is needed for barge traffic and farming. (Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Guidelines Released On Reporting Acreages For 2002 Crops (Tue, 7/9/02)

The Valley County Farm Service Agency will be accepting acreage reports from producers who wish to file reports for the 2002 crop year. This may include commodity crops, pasturelands and grasslands. The acreage reporting deadline for Valley County has been extended to July 31st, 2002.

Acreage reports are required by the final reporting date for the following purposes:
-AMTA program when FAV (Fruits and Vegetables) are planted on the farm
-Price support loans and loan deficiency programs
-Producers with NAP (Noninsured Assistance Program) applications
-CRP acreages.

FSA would also like to remind producers to report their 2001production history for NAP crops reported in 2001.

If you would like to file an acreage report or you have any questions, please contact the Valley County Farm Service Agency at (406) 228-4321 prior to July 31st, 2002.

Tornadoes Reported On Monday (Tue, 7/9/02)

Tornadoes and severe thunderstorms ripped across central and eastern Montana on Monday. Tornadoes were reported in Petroleum, Garfield and Valley County.

At 5:27 p.m. the Petroleum County Sheriff reported a tornado 18 miles north of Winnett. By 6:40 p.m. 90 mph thunderstorm wind gusts were reported south of Sawmill Creek, about 33 miles northwest of Jordan in Garfield County.

At 6:45 p.m. the storm system reached Hinsdale. One mile west of Hinsdale, wind lifted a pick-up 2 feet off the ground; also, the roof was blown off the local telephone building and numerous power lines were reportedly down. Within a few minutes wind damage also occurred on several sheds and outbuildings, some of which were reportedly blown apart by the wind. Several roofs were later blown off homes with numerous trees down in Hinsdale.

Meanwhile, in Jordan, 71 mph winds were reported, while 15 miles north of Jordan .75 inch hail was reported. Southwest of Glasgow 34 miles, 95 mph thunderstorm gusts were reported at King Coulee in Valley County.

By 7:30 p.m. the line of thunderstorms reached Park Grove, and a tornado reportedly ripped the roof off a house there. A 70 mph wind gust moved a shed from 100 to 150 feet and downed several trees, took the roof off a house and picked up a trailer, dropping it on a car.

Glasgow escaped relatively unscathed, with peak winds at the airport only 59 mph. We received a call from a Bonnie Street residence stating that a metal shed was lifted up in the air and dropped onto a couple vehicles. Glasgow received .62 hundredths of an inch of rain, which beat the previous rainfall record for the date of .42 hundredths in 1951.

The National Weather Service has verified that tornado winds caused damage west of Hinsdale and in Park Grove Monday night.

The National Weather Service took several photos of storm damage throughout the area. Visit their severe weather photo pages for all the pictures.

Also, for the full storm reports, visit our weather page.

Glasgow Man Continues Anti-Government Stance In Trial (Tue, 7/9/02)

A Glasgow man continued his anti-government stance in court on Monday, insisting on defending himself in his own conspiracy and obstruction trial.

Wallis E. Pederson refused the right to an attorney and pleaded guilty to 3 felony counts of conspiring to hide and destroy evidence from the government. However, due to the seriousness of the charges, U.S. Magistrate Richard Anderson rejected the guilty pleas and entered innocent please for Pederson.

Pederson again talked about needing a bond to operate in the court, but was more respectful in the courtroom on Monday. The arraignment was a continuation of a June 28th hearing when Pederson and his wife, Joan, appeared on an indictment charging them with conspiracy to prevent the government from seizing property or evidence, obstruction of justice and destroying or removing evidence to prevent seizure.

The charges come from an incident in June 2001 when Pederson pleaded guilty to intimidating federal officials and creation of false financial documents. He agreed to turn over documents during that trial, but then he and his wife, Joan, reportedly discussed locations of documents and items they didn’t want siezed and tried to hide check blanks, computer software and papers related to the creation of the false documents.

South Pacific Is Next Fort Peck Summer Theatre Play (Mon, 7/8/02)

Some enchanted evenings are in store for audiences at the Fort Peck Theatre when South Pacific opens this weekend. Katie Truscott and Bobby Gutierrez star in this memorable Rogers and Hammerstein musical, playing weekend evenings through Aug. 4 in Fort Peck.

For the production, the stage will be transformed into a World War II era South Seas island, complete with an American naval base full of a raucous bunch of Seabees. South Pacific tells two love stories. The first of the Navy nurse, Nellie, who falls in love with Emile, a much older French plantation owner. The second is the story of a young Marine lieutenant’s attachment to a native girl. Both romances are touched with the tension of two worlds meeting, of people thrown together in a remote part of the world doing their best to cope with the war. Christopher Kristant steps into the role of Marine Lt. Joseph Cable, and Alexa Etchart of Glasgow plays Liat, the Tonkinese girl.

Others in principal roles are Carly Booth as Bloody Mary, Ryan Grigg as Luther Billis, Steve Hodgson as Capt. Brackett, Brittiny Hollow as Lt. Marshall, and Dana Donovan as Rita Adams. They will bring to life some of Richard Rodgers’ most beautiful songs and Oscar Hammerstein’s most memorable lyrics. Celebrated melodies like Bali Ha’i, There is Nothing Like A Dame, Some Enchanted Evening and Younger Than Springtime have lost none of their freshness and charm over the years.

As with all other summer stock productions at Fort Peck, the South Pacific cast includes professional and volunteer performers. In fact, this summer marks a transition from volunteer to professional for Truscott when she became member of the paid cast. The 2002 Glasgow High School graduate has appeared in many productions at Fort Peck, including The Wizard of Oz, Fiddler on the Roof and Annie. This summer, Gutierrez celebrates his ninth season at the theatre, signing on in 1994 to portray Capt. Von Trapp in The Sound of Music. For the past four years he has lead the company as artistic director, a position he holds this season as well.

Gutierrez has recruited a host of talented people from the area to round out the troupe. Many have devoted every evening since the end of May for rehearsals and performances of Oliver! before their appearance in South Pacific.

They are: Janielle Derden of Wolf Point; Fort Peck residents Kim Bryson and Taylor Calamar; and St. Marie residents Isabelle Garrison, Brandon London, Taegan London, Lindsy Nix, Elias Nix, Andrew Nix, Ben Smithers, Alex Smithers and Sarah Wilshire. Performers from Glasgow are: Mike Boyer, Kyle Boyer, Jonathon Braaten, Coral Campbell, Emily Etchart, Jayson Evenson, Marie Fahlgren, Marcie Fahlgren, Keefe Far, Josh Feller, Kyra Flatow, Kelly Hagfeldt, Luke Hystad, Tom Klotz, Ethan Lee, David Odegard, Becky Rogeness, Sarah Szczepaniak, Holly Taylor, Mike Turner, Patti Turner, Kristen Waarvik and Jordan Zorn.

Performances of South Pacific are scheduled Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings through Aug. 4. Curtain time is 8 p.m. Tickets purchased at the door are priced at $10 for adults, $9 for seniors and $6 students. Seats may be reserved for an additional $5 by calling the box office at 406-526-9943.

Baucus Announces Funds For Nashua Volunteer Fire Department (Mon, 7/8/02)

ˆMontana's Senator Max Baucus today announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded a grant totaling $3,921 to the Nashua Volunteer Fire Department for fire operations and firefighter safety.

The grant is part of FEMA's Assistance to Firefighters Program and includes funding for personal protective equipment, fire prevention programs, vehicles, and fire fighting equipment.

"Our firefighters place their lives on the line every day to protect their fellow citizens," Baucus said. "On September 11th, we saw firefighters give their lives so that others might live. We must provide our firefighters with the resources to protect themselves while in the line of duty. I'm pleased that FEMA is working together with the congressional delegation and fire departments to make this funding available."

The purpose of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program is to award one-year grants directly to fire departments to enhance their abilities with respect to fire and fire-related hazards. The program identifies departments that need the basic tools and resources necessary to protect the health and safety of the public and their fire fighting personnel and provides assistance to meet these needs.

"Montana's rural volunteer firefighters perform a vital service to many residents," Baucus said. "This grant will help the Nashua Volunteer Fire Department be more fully prepared to rescue and assist neighbors and residents in times of disaster. I want to make sure we do everything we can at the local, state, and federal levels to provide our firefighters with the resources they need."

Spots Open Up In Walleye Tournament (Mon, 7/8/02)

The Montana Governors Cup Walleye Tournament is set to begin Friday and continue through Saturday on Fort Peck Lake.

This is the 15th year of the tournament which is one of the biggest walleye tournaments in the state and offers a $10,000 first place prize to the lucky team that catches the most walleye over the two day period.

The tournament is sponsored by the Glasgow Area Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture and is limited to 200 two-man teams.

According to Jill Hamilton, Executive Director of the Glasgow Chamber, the tournament filled up last month but on Monday 6 teams dropped out of the competition. Hamilton said she usually has a waiting list of at least 10 teams wanting to fish in the tourney but this year there is no list.

Anglers interested in fishing in the tourney are urged to contact the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture at
406-228-2222.

Traffic Fatalities Near Havre & Hinsdale (Sun, 7/7/02)

(AP) Two people died in separate motorcycle crashes in northern Montana over the weekend.

The Montana Highway Patrol says a 90-year-old Michigan woman died Friday night, when the motorcycle she was riding on hit a deer on U-S Highway Two near Hinsdale.

And a 47-year-old Havre man died early yesterday, when he lost control of his motorcycle on a curve on Beaver Creek Road near Havre. The victims' names were being withheld while their families are notified.

The deaths raise the state highway fatality toll to 113, compared with 97 at this time last year. (Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Hatchery Construction Awarded To Johnson & Wilson Construction Of Helena (Sun, 7/7/02)

On a sun drenched Saturday afternoon an estimated 500 people turned out for the ground breaking ceremony of the Fort Peck Warm Water Fish Hatchery.

Montana's entire congressional delegation was on hand for the occasion and each applauded the grass-roots efforts and determination of Montanans in pushing the hatchery issue to a reality.

The congressional delegation will be important players in securing the federal funding to construct the hatchery. Congress has authorized $20 million to construct the hatchery and they have appropriated $1.5 million but the remaining $18.5 million has to be appropriated. Supporters are seeking $12 million for this fiscal year and the congressional delegation has pledged to do everything that they can do to secure that funding.

The Army Corps of Engineers announced on Saturday that they have awarded the contract for constructing the water intake structure to Johnson & Wilson Construction of Helena, Montana. Work on the intake structure will start this summer and should be completed in 2003.

When completed, the hatchery is expected to raise walleyes, sauger, chinook salmon and endangered pallid sturgeon, among other fish species.

If the federal money is appropriated at the current pace, the hatchery should be on line in 2005.

Hundreds Turn Out For Hatchery Groundbreaking (Sat, 7/6/02)

Boomer interviews Chuck Lawson Over 400 people showed up for the event. Ground is broken!

Over 400 people showed up at the Dredge Cuts on Saturday, for the official groundbreaking for the Fort Peck Fish Hatchery. Representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Walleyes Unlimited and many others attended the ceremony. Senators Max Baucus and Conrad Burns and Representative Denny Rehberg spoke as did State Senator Sam Kitzenberg.

Many people also attended a celebration picnic on Saturday night at Kiwanis Park. We'll have more news on the groundbreaking and hatchery construction contracts coming up on Monday. Please visit our Hatchery page for more pictures of the event.

Severe Thunderstorm Report (7/5/02)
A line of thunderstorms brought rain, wind, lightning and some hail to northeast Montana on Thursday night. The system rolled through Glasgow around 10 p.m. and dumped 1.28 inches of rain, a record for the date, breaking the old record of .83 hundredths in 1975. In one 10-minute period, Glasgow received over half an inch of rain.

Lightning reportedly sparked one fire near Fort Peck and winds of 85 miles per hour were recorded south of Brockton. The peak gust in Glasgow, however, was only 45 miles per hour.

Hail was reported in 2 locations in Petroleum County and 2 miles east of Mosby in Garfield county, ranging from .75 to 1 inch in diameter.

Power was out in Glasgow for about an hour. No injuries were reported.

The fireworks planned for Glasgow and Hinsdale were postponed until dark tonight (7/5).

Long Run Called Out During Storm (Fri, 7/5/02)

The Long Run Fire Department was called out to Frazer during the fierce storm on Thursday night.

According to Fireman Mike Boyer, Long Run was called at approximately 10 p.m. to Frazer Lake for a fire that started from the Frazer fireworks display. Four trucks responded, but had difficulty reaching the blaze. Several trucks got stuck when the heavy downpour hit the area. The rain did put out the fire, though.

According to the National Weather Service in Glasgow, more than half an inch fell in about ten minutes, with a total of 1.28 inches of rainfall with the storm on Thursday night.

Lightning from the thunderstorm did cause another fire, however. The Fort Peck Fire Department was called to the pole yard of Western Area Power as a blaze started with a lightning strike.

No injuries or major property damage was reported with either fire. Long Run trucks finally got back to the firehouse at 4 a.m.


DUI Charges Filed In 3-Vehicle Collision (Fri, 7/5/02)

DUI charges were filed against a 22 year old male after a 3-vehicle accident early Thursday morning.

According to Montana Highway Patrol the 22 year old male was driving west-bound at 2:37 a.m. when the vehicle crossed the center line. An east-bound vehicle was forced to swerved to avoid a collision. A third vehicle, that was also east-bound, collided with the west-bound vehicle and also rear-ended the first east-bound vehicle while trying to avoid the collision.

The accident occured between Glasgow and Hinsdale on U.S. Highway 2. Besides the DUI charges on the 22 year old male, no other charges are pending.

Poplar Man Stabbed To Death (Thu, 7/4/02)

(AP) The body of a teenager was found early Wednesday in the driveway of a Poplar residence, and officials said it appeared he had been stabbed to death.

The victim has been identified as John R. Little, age 19.

Terry Boyd, chief criminal investigator on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, said Little appeared to have suffered multiple stab wounds, but the body was sent to Billings for an autopsy to determine cause of death.

He said officers were called to the residence about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday because of a fight. The officers were called to the same house, in a tribal area south U.S. Highwy 2, a short time later on a second call. On responding to the second call, they found Little, who was then transported to a Poplar hospital. He died a short time later.

No arrests were made immediately, but Boyd said, they were following up some "pretty good leads." The FBI is also assisting in the case. (Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Court records on Lewis and Clark available online (Wed, 7/3/02)

(St. Louis-AP) History buffs can now go to the Internet to see records from more than 80 court cases related to the Lewis and Clark expedition.

The state of Missouri archives and Washington University are working with the St. Louis Circuit Court to put the court's significant collection of records in digital form. The records date back to the court's inception in 1804, when Meriwether Lewis and William Clark set out on their journey to the Pacific Ocean and back.

Much of their journey took place in Montana. You can find the records online at: http://www.sos.state.mo.us/archives/projects/stlcircuitcourt.asp
(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Hatchery Ground Breaking To Take Place On Saturday (Wed, 7/3/02)

(Some portions from AP) Ground will be broken this Saturday for the long awaited, warm water fish hatchery at Fort Peck.

Chuck Lawson is chairman of the Citizens For Fort Peck Fish Hatchery Committee. He says the groundbreaking will be at 2 p-m Saturday, followed by a picnic at 5 o'clock. Lawson says all three members of Montana's congressional delegation will be on hand, along with representatives of the state Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Senator Max Baucus sent out a congratulatory message on Wednesday.

Lawson's group is credited with helping the project from its start in the Montana Legislature to its approval by Congress last year. It was championed in the state Legislature by Representative Sam Kitzenberg of Glasgow.

The 12 million dollar project will be operated by the state, on land donated by the U-S Army Corps Of Engineers.

KLTZ will provide extra coverage of the event. Mark Ward of the Montana Outdoors Radio Show will broadcast from 6a-8a from the site, and continue an additional 2 hours live from the event after his regular show ends.

Our local coverage will begin Saturday afternoon and run through the start of the picnic at 5 p.m. For more on the events of the day, visit our Hatchery page. (Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Peter Jacob & Gertrude Schwartz Breigenzer Added To Heritage Wall (Wed, 7/3/02)

Peter Jacob & Gertrude Schwartz Breigenzer were recently added to the Heritage Wall in the Pioneer Museum.

Peter Breigenzer was born February 7, 1885 in Sleepyeye, Minnesota, one of twelve children. Dad's folks came from Luxembourg. Gertrude Schwartz was born December 25, 1881 in Sank Centre, Minnesota, one of eight children. My mother's folks came from Koh Germany which is on the Rhine. Both of their parents were less than one hundred miles from each other in Europe.

Dad passed away in February of 1970 and my mother in December of 1964.

They both graduated from the eighth grade knowing only German. In my growing up years they spoke only English with no brogue or accent. They took pride along with their Norwegian neighbors in speaking only English.
Everett Breigenzer of Glasgow and Gertrude Breigenzer Brown of St. Paul, MN

After the eighth grade my Dad followed the threshing machines pitching bundles. He ended up in Kenmare, North Dakota where my mother's folks had moved. They both worked in the laundry there. They were married in Bainesville, Minnesota in April of 1910 where my mother's folks had moved to.

My Dad had homesteaded on the North Bench, ten miles northeast of Glasgow in 1909 and they moved to Montana into the homestead shack Dad had built. The first winter a terrible storm developed and my mother insisted they bring the team of horses in the "shack." There was no shelter.

A year later they built the first home in the area. Because of that, the first dances in the community were held there. My mother told of one of the dances, the men went home at 6:00 A.M. and milked the cows and came back and danced some more. The days were long, the work hard and pleasures not too frequent so when relaxation developed they didn't want to stop.

Whist was a favorite pastime. In fact if a neighbor or two would come over to help butcher they could work extra fast so they could get a game in before going home.

They had their share of trouble. Six horses were killed by lightning in the barn. Early in the thirties the barn, the well-house and wash house burned. My Dad tore down the old abandoned homestead and rebuilt.

They had three children; my sister Gertrude Brown of St. Paul, Minnesota, myself and a three month old brother who died at three months.

Extra Patrols Set For Long Weekend (Wed, 7/3/02)

Glasgow Police Chief Lynn Erickson is reminding city residents that it is against the law to use fireworks withing the city limits. Erickson told Kltz/Klan that if a person is caught setting off fireworks within the city it is a misdemeanor and comes with a $75 fine.

He said that extra patrols would be on duty for the long weekend and would be very strict in enforcing the fireworks law.

Erickson also noted that his department has received complaints about drivers not yielding to pedestrians at Glasgow crosswalks. Erickson says there was a near miss in Glasgow last week. He stated that it is law for drivers to yield to pedestrians at the crosswalks, and urged area drivers to be aware of pedestrians when approaching intersections.

Chamber Independence Day Activities Set (Wed, 7/3/02)

The Glasgow Area Chamber of Commerce & Agriculture has lined up a fun night of activities to celebrate Independence Day.

Everyone is invited to come early at 6 p.m. Thursday to see the Classic Car & Bike Show, have dinner and enjoy a cool drink from the beer garden while listening to music from Dave Pippin. Kids are invited to bring their basketballs to play some games during the evening too.

The fireworks display will be set off at dark, also from the Valley County Fairgrounds.

Poplar Man Drowns (Wed, 7/3/02)

(AP) The body of a Poplar man who drowned Thursday evening in the Missouri River was found on Monday after a four-day search south of Poplar.

The victim has been identified as David Vondall.

Officials say he and a companion were swimming across the Missouri when Vondall tired and went under. (Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

City Council Votes To Raise 2 Special Assessments (Tue, 7/2/02)

The Glasgow City Council voted Monday to raise two special assessments on city taxpayers. Citing the rising cost of garbage collection and utility costs the council voted to raise the city garbage assessment by $10 per year and increased the lighting assessment by 10 percent.

These increases will be reflected on taxpayers November tax bill according to Glasgow Mayor Willy Zeller. The council voted unanimously to increase the special assessments.

In other action the council approved the re-appointment of Dr. Charles Wilson to the City-County Library board. His term will run through July of 2007.

Glasgow police officer Rod Dees has completed his first year with the department and the council has officially hired him as a permanent employee of the police department.

Longest Montana commute time is in .... Saco? So says Census (Tue, 7/2/02)

(AP) Where in Montana would you think it takes the longest for people to drive to work?

According to the Census Bureau, it is the Hi-Line town of Saco , where the average commute takes 38 minutes each way. It's not likely they're running into traffic jams -- but they might be driving 28 miles west to Malta, or 42 miles east to Glasgow.

Workers in West Yellowstone enjoy the shortest average commute -- only six-and-a-half minutes. That's based on information submitted on the census long-form questionnaire, from Montana towns with at least 100 workers.

Other average commutes include Bozeman at 14 minutes, 16 minutes for Billings, 17-point-seven minutes in Missoula, and in Helena it takes an average 17-point-nine minutes to drive to work. The census report says the average Montana commuting time is 18 minutes. It's about 25 minutes nationwide. (Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Valley County Man Pleads Guilty To Supplying Alcohol To Minors (Mon, 7/1/02)

Valley County resident Dennis Young pleaded guilty last week to the charge of supplying alcohol to individuals under the age of 21.

Young appeared in Justice Court and changed his plea to guilty. Judge Linda Hartsock fined Young $500 and gave him a 6 month jail term. She then suspended all six months of the jail term and also suspended $200 of the fine. As a condition of his suspended sentence Young must obey all state, local and federal laws and have good behavior.

He was charged with the offense on May 27th when the Valley County Sheriffs Department responded to a complaint about a party at Young's residence at 62 Poverty Ridge in Fort Peck.

Kitzenberg Says Special Session Was Inevitable (Mon, 7/1/02)

State Senator Sam Kitzenberg told Kltz/Klan that a special session of the Montana Legislature was inevitable and he's surprised that Governor Judy Martz waited as long as she did in calling for one.

Last week Governor Martz said she was calling the Legislature in for a special session in August to deal with a looming $45 million dollar budget deficit.

Kitzenberg said it will take a combination of cutting the budget and possibly some minor tax increases to eliminate the $45 million dollar budget shortfall.

The Senator suggested the possibility of an increase of 1 cent in the Workman's Compensation tax to provide increased revenue for the state. Kitzenberg estimates this could raise an additional $70 or $80 million. He told Kltz/Klan this tax increase would solve alot of problems and wouldn't prevent any state programs from being eliminated or cut.

Governor Judy Martz has said that she will oppose any new taxes and Senator Kitzenberg said the Governor will have to be flexible and reasonable when it comes to taxes. He also said she is boxing herself in a corner with a no-new tax pledge.

Glasgow couple facing federal conspiracy charges (Mon, 7/1/02)

An anti-government activist and his wife who allegedly hid evidence from federal agents appeared in U.S. District Court Friday on conspiracy and other charges.

Joan Pederson, 58, of Glasgow, pleaded innocent to charges in an indictment. But her husband, Wallis E.
Pederson, 63, who represented himself, did not enter a plea.

Instead, he asked for a personal bond, which was denied by U.S. Magistrate Richard Anderson who continued his arraignment to July 8.

The Pedersons are charged with conspiring to prevent the government from seizing property or evidence, obstruction of justice and destroying or removing evidence to prevent seizure. The couple pleaded guilty of 3 counts of intimidating an IRS agent and prosecutors as well as creation of false financial documents.

He was sentenced to one year in prison and five years of supervised release.

Pederson was in the final hours of his trial when he decided to plead guilty. Up until then, he had shunned his defense attorney and refused to acknowledge that the court had any jurisdiction over him.

When Pederson pleaded guilty, he also agreed to stop sending fictitious and harassing documents to officials and to cooperate and turn over evidence to law enforcement. He met with IRS and Secret Service agents, described his crimes and said the evidence could be found at his home in Glasgow.

The indictment said Pederson then called and wrote his wife and refused to cooperate further with law enforcement. He refused to allow agents to search is home or to seize items earlier identified as being evidence of federal crimes.

Meanwhile, Joan Pederson allegedly took check blanks, computer software and other documents from their home and placed them in a van, which she then covered with a tarp.

Wallis Pederson told Anderson that he wasn't going to contest the facts in the case and didn't want a defense attorney. Anderson said he'd give Wallis Pederson time to think about how he wanted to proceed and continued his arraignment. The judge also advised Wallis Pederson of his rights.

The maximum penalty for the conspiracy and obstruction charges is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for destruction of evidence is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. (For more on this story, visit the Billings Gazette)

July Obituaries

Violet V. Marshall

Violet V. Marshall of Saco died on Monday, July 29th of natural causes at Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital. She was 88 Services will be at the Saco Lutheran Church on Friday, August 2nd at 2 p.m. with Reverend Chris Flohr officiating. Interment will be in the Grandview Cemetery in Saco. Bell Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

Agnes Mae Fassett

Agnes Mae Fassett died on Friday, July 26th of natural causes at Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital. She was 85. A vigil service will be held Monday night, July 29, at 7p.m. at St. Raphael’s Catholic Church in Glasgow with funeral services set for Tuesday, July 30th at 11 a.m. at St. Raphael’s Catholic Church and with burial in Highland Cemetery. Reverend Thad Kozikowski will officiate. Bell Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

She was born in 1917 in Rolla, North Dakota, to Edward McCloud and Virginia Olson McCloud. Mae was raised there and attended school in Rolla, Chemawa, Oregon, and Fort Totten, North Dakota. She married Raymond Fassett in 1936 in Rolla, and they made their home there. Raymond passed away in 1954. She moved to Glasgow in 1958.

Mae worked at various cafes for many years and operated a laundry service in Rolla and in Glasgow. She also worked in the WPA sewing room. Mae was very active in the St. Raphael’s Catholic Church, loved to visit and have coffee with her friends, and play cards.

Survivors include 4 sons: Edward Fassett and his wife Mae, Rolla, North Dakota; Alan Fassett and his wife Linda of Cut Bank; Clifford "Skip" Fassett and his wife Roxy of Glasgow; Michael Fassett of Bismarck, North Dakota; 3 daughters: Betty Vegge and her husband Mel of Glasgow; Phyllis Mason of Lewiston, Idaho; Penny Erickson of Williamstown, Kentucky; 25 grandchildren, 48 great grandchildren, 2 sisters: Lucille Monbeck of Reno, Nevada; Nonnie Albert and her husband Fayes of Rolla.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, a son Irvin, her grandson Douglas Stevens, her special companion Gene Lawrence, a sister Ella and 2 brothers.

Gene Bushman

Gene Bushman, 64, died of heart failure at his home in Nashua, MT, on July 22, 2002. Funeral services will be held at the Bell Chapel in Glasgow on Saturday, July 27th at 10:00 a.m. A private burial will follow. Bell Mortuary in Glasgow is in charge of arrangements.

Gene was born December 9, 1937, in Poplar, MT, to parents Francis J. and Rose Lambert Bushman. He attended grade school in Bainville, MT, middle school at the Wolf Point Parochial School, and graduated from Wolf Point High School. He served four years in the US Air Force from 1953 to 1957 as a mechanic and a crew chief. After the war he attended technical school in San Francisco, CA. He returned to work in Hardin, Shelby, Malta, and most recently lived in Nashua, MT. He married Sherri Stewart on December 10, 1970. They were later divorced. Gene liked bowling, fishing and camping. He was a member of the Volunteer Search and Rescue and DES (Disaster Emergency Services). He also enjoyed working several years at the Governor's Cup in Fort Peck.

Survivors include: four daughters, Deborah Jean Bushman of San Antonio, TX, Diane Bushman of Nebraska, Brigit Bushman of Shelby, MT, and Dione Bushman of Billings, MT; three sons, Ronnie and Greg Bushman, both of Poplar, MT, and Duane Bushman of Great Falls, MT; several grandchildren; his father, Francis J. Bushman of Billings, MT; a sister, Denise Willit, of Billings, MT; and a brother, Donald Bushman of California.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Rose.


Annie O'Neil

Funeral services for Annie O'Neil, 92, of Terry (formerly of the Tampico area) will be held at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Terry on Saturday, July 27th at 10:00 a.m. Vigil services will be held on Friday at 7:00 p.m. at the Chapel of Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home in Terry.

Norman Conrad DeSonia

Norman Conrad DeSonia, 65, passed away on July 12, 2002, of a massive heart attack. Memorial services will be held Tuesday, July 23 at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Nashua at 2:00 p.m. with Pastor Chris Flohr officiating.

He was born on January 25, 1937 in Whitetail, MT, to Fred and Dora DeSonia. He graduated from Nashua High School in 1955 where he was active in basketball and football. Norman entered the U.S. Navy shortly after graduation and served in the Sea Bees branch of the navy for four years. He then served in the military reserves for 16 years. He worked as a carpenter and a general construction worker from the time he was a teenager until he retired. Norman enjoyed hunting and fishing with his friends. Norman was well known in his community for his wonderful chokecherry syrup and jelly.

He is survived by: two daughters, LaDora (Kevin) Baisch of Glendive and Shelley (Mark) Lammers and three grandchildren all of Canyon Lake, TX; a brother, Gilbert (Marilyn) DeSonia of Nashua; two sisters, Kay (Ron) Opp of Nashua, and Anna Lou (Leo) Bergtoll of Saco; numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

Memorials may be sent to any American Legion or V.F.W. Post.

Calvin V. Clark, Sr.

Calvin V. Clark, Sr., 77, died of natural causes July 14, 2002, at Trinity Hospital in Wolf Point, MT. A wake will be held on Wednesday, July 17, at 7:00 p.m. at Oswego Community Hall. Funeral services will be Thursday, July 18 at 10:00 a.m. at Oswego Community Hall with burial in Oswego Catholic Cemetery in Oswego, MT, with Bell Mortuary in charge of arrangements.

Calvin was born September 3, 1924, in Frazer, MT, to parents Walter and Nellie Clark. He lived in the Wolf Point and Frazer area except for 17 years in Gary, IN. He was a truck driver in Indiana, and a cowboy in Montana. He was a game warden, served on the Tribal Council, and drove cement truck for Wolf Point Ready Mix. He married Gertrude on September 3, 1956 at Glasgow. He was a partial owner in Ost-Clark water hauling business until he retired. He enjoyed playing pool, attending rodeos and dancing. He once rode saddle bronc at Madison Square Garden in 1947. He attended his last Wolf Point Stampede and rode in the parade Friday, and died with his boots on. Calvin is on the Wall of Fame in the Frazer Gym, inducted in 1984. He played on the Frazer Mighty Midget Basketball team that beat the Harlem Globetrotters.

Survivors include: his wife Tootie Clark of Wolf Point, MT; four sons, Mitchell (Darlene) Clark, Calvin Clark, Jr,, and Ronald (Ruth) Jackson all of Wolf Point, and Gerald (Shirley) Jackson of Poplar; four daughters, Judy (Cayin) Rodriguez of Gary, IN, Coleen Clark, Linda Clark, and Ethel "Pie" Jackson all of Wolf Point; two sisters, Bernadine Wallace of Frazer, and Rita Track of Wolf Point; two brothers, Walter and Donald Clark of Frazer; special uncle Joe Clark of Wolf Point; 34 grandchildren; 52 great grandchildren; and 1 great-great grandchild.

He was preceded in death by his parents and three sons, Kermit, Rusty and Roland.

Pallbearers are: Little Bud Campbell, Joe "Beezer" Low Dog, Bill Whitehead, Russell Kirn, Rodney Adams and Dale Wilson. Honorary Pallbearers are: Don Blankenship, Luke Bushman, Mike "Mackey" Campbell, Judy Hohman, "Tater" McDonald, Leonard Smith, Dean Beauchman and Donald Wetsit.

Myrtice E. Schultz

Myrtice E. Schultz, 71, died of cancer at the Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital in Glasgow on Friday, July 12, 2002. Funeral services will be Tuesday, July 16 at 10:00 a.m. at Hinsdale Legion Hall in Hinsdale, MT, with Floyd Born officiating. Burial will be in Hillview Cemetery in Hinsdale with Bell Mortuary in charge of arrangements.

Myrtice was born January 7, 1931 in Glasgow, MT, to parents Jacob and Tabea Born. She spent most of her childhood in Lustre, MT, with a few years in northern Minnesota. She married Roy W. Schultz on July 11, 1952. Myrtice and Roy were both very proud of their fifty years of marriage.

She was a devoted and loving wife and mother, and worked a few years as a nurse's aid and as a waitress. Her biggest joy in life was spending time with friends and family. Myrtice devoted time to the Hinsdale Legion Auxialiary, the Lutheran Church, and the Hinsdale Senior Citizens. She was preceded in death by an infant son, Baby John G. Schultz, and her father Jacob Born.

Survivors include her husband, Roy Schultz of Hinsdale; sons David and wife Kerri Schultz of Kalispell, MT, and Lloyd and wife Barbara of Miles City, MT; a daughter, Karen Schultz; seven grandchildren including grandson Kurtis Schultz of Williston, ND (and his fiance Leola Sleeper) that she and Roy helped raise; three great-grandchildren; her mother Tabea Born of Kansas; brothers Floyd and his wife Bertha of Kansas, and Bill and his wife Helena of California; a sister Norma and her husband Leroy Gentzel of Denver, CO; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Neal Jay Gundermann

Neal Jay Gundermann, 30, passed away on July 10, 2002, in Opheim, MT. Services were held Monday, July 15, at 10:00 a.m. at Opheim Lutheran Church in Opheim with Reverend Mark Koonz officiating. Burial was in Lawndale Cemetery in Opheim with Bell Mortuary in charge of arrangements.

Neal was born on June 30, 1972, in Glasgow, MT, the son of Dennis Gundermann and Wanda Fuhrman Gundermann. He was raised on a farm south of Glentana and lived in Valley County his entire life. Neal worked as a mechanic and especially enjoyed gardening, hunting, fishing, and anything that was outdoors. He loved woodworking, leather working and electronics. Neal worked on Dahl's Apartments and enjoyed helping out area farmers and ranchers.

Survivors include: his mother Wanda Gundermann of Opheim; his father Dennis Gundermann of Opheim; grandmothers Roxanna Fuhrmann of Opheim and Lorraine Gundermann of Glasgow; sisters Arliss Appleton of Kent, WA, and Mara Gundermann of Kirkland, WA; and a brother, Joshua Gundermann of Great Falls, MT; and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.

LaVern J. "L.J." Baker

LaVern "L.J." Baker, 91, passed away July 10, 2002, at Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital in Glasgow due to cancer. Funeral services will be held Saturday, July 13, at 11:00 a.m. at the First Lutheran Church in Glasgow with Pastor Martin Mock officiating. Burial will be Highland Cemetery in Glasgow with Bell Mortuary in charge of arrangements.

L.J. (LeVern John) was born in Loma, N.D. on October 23, 1910 and moved to the Lustre community in 1916 where his family homesteaded. Life on the homestead included all of the early day farm experiences including working with teams of horses, herding sheep while living in the sheep wagon, and sitting around the crystal radio listening to the first programming.

He moved to Glasgow in 1927 to attend high school, where he was active in sports, music and community affairs. Following high school he went to Northern Montana College in Havre taking Pre-Med, following in the footsteps of his mother, the "country doctor and mid-wife" to 800 northeast Montana mothers.

His early work experiences included the Resettlement Administration, Clerk for R. L. Irle in the Glasgow schools, Paymaster for the Corps of Engineers on the Ft. Peck Dam Project and brakeman for the Great Northern Railroad. It was while working on the railroad that he began building his agate cutting and polishing equipment. Spare time was spent in his home workshop creating unique and beautiful jewelry from Montana moss agate found only along the Yellowstone River near Glendive.

L.J. and Jean Pattison, the girl down the street, were married on June 15, 1940 at First Lutheran Church in Glasgow. They were the proud parents of three children, Don, Jerry and LaVaun.

After a time traveling to sell his agate jewelry, he opened Baker's Jewelry in 1948, which he operated with Jean until their retirement on October 31, 1984.

L.J. was active in Boy Scouts, a 48-year member of Kiwanis, a Charter member of Elks, a lifelong member of Sunnyside Golf Club and First Lutheran Church of Glasgow. He always enjoyed visits from friends, the young people he mentored, and "his" Boy Scouts who honored him when many of them established an endowment in his name at the 2000 GHS All-Class Reunion. He was an avid gardener (along with the assistance of Jean) and a passionate piano player.

He was extremely proud of his family and many friends. He is survived by his wife, Jean, children Don of Lake Elmo, MN, Jerry (Claudia) and LaWaun (Jim) Black of Billings, MT, and four grandchildren including Brian Baker of Denver, CO; Jeannie Baker of Missoula, MT; Laura (Black) Fikes of Tupelo, MS; and Michelle Black of Billings, MT. He was preceded in death by his parents, sisters and brothers Lillian, Lydia, Louis and Lloyd, and his grandson Brad Black.

L.J. would enjoy seeing your memorials made to any worthy cause including the Pioneer Museum in Glasgow, the Glasgow High School Foundation, and the Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital Foundation, the Lutheran Church Foundation, and the Fort Peck Theater.

Mabel Jarrell

Mabel Jarrell, 86, died of natural causes on July 9, 2002, at Valley View Home in Glasgow. Services will be held Friday, July 12, at 2:00 p.m. in Bell Chapel in Glasgow, with Rev. Chris Flohr officiating. Burial will be in Highland Cemetery in Glasgow with Bell Mortuary in charge of arrangements.

Mabel was born October 13, 1915 in Woodbury County, Iowa, to parents Jens and Caroline (Hansen) Jensen. She was raised near Butte Creek, Iowa and attended a country school there and high school in Battle Creek, IA. She worked as a shipping clerk in Civil Service for the US Air Force. She lived in Pasco, WA, and married Donald Edward Cooper on October 3, 1936 in Omaha. They came to Glasgow in 1961. He died February 28, 1965 in a car accident.

On April 15, 1966 she married Ray Jarrell in Nashua. They owned and operated the Wagon Wheel Bar in Nashua for a number of years. Ray died January 14, 1981. She moved to Nemont Manor after Ray died. She enjoyed hunting, fishing, crocheting, reading and listening to talking books---she liked westerns.

She is survived by many nieces and nephews including Mary Jensen and Bill and Pat Jensen of Battle Creek, IA.

Delwyn Sibley Firemoon

Delwyn Sibley Firemoon, 71, passed away on July 9, 2002, at the Northeast Montana Health Service Facility in Wolf Point. A wake will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 11 at the Frazer Community Hall. Funeral services will be held Friday, July 12, at the Frazer Community Hall with Steve Gray Hawk, Sr. officiating. Interment will be in the St. Joseph's Cemetery. Clayton Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

Del was born on February 7, 1931, in Poplar, MT, the son of Kenneth and Mabel (Cox) Firemoon. He lived with his grandparents in Frazer, MT, and attended grade school there. He moved to Philadelphia and graduated from high school. Del joined the U.S. Air Force and served for three years during the Korean Conflict. He then traveled to various places across the United States. In the summer of 1976 he returned to Frazer, but also lived in Helena for some time. He has lived in Frazer for the last eight or nine years.

Del was founder of the Native American Missions Corporation on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. He was also a member of the VFW. Del was a very humorous person and loved to tell jokes.

He was preceded in death by his parents; two sisters, Martha Betrone and Pearl Firemoon Bird; and one brother Maynard Firemoon Jackson.

Survivors include one brother Ernie Manning of China; and a sister, Beatrice Potter of Glasgow; and fourteen nieces and nephews.

Walter Collins

Walter Collins, 71, died of cancer at St. Vincent's Hospital in Billings, MT, on July 7, 2002. Services will be held at the Glasgow Civic Center on Friday, July 12 at 10:30 a.m. with Reverend Tom Anderson officiating. Interment will be in the Mountain View Cemetery in Billings, Saturday, July 13 at 11:00 a.m. Bell Mortuary in Glasgow is in charge of arrangements.

Walter was born January 11, 1931 in Pine View, MT to parents Albert and Lillian (Bailey) Collins. He attended grade school at Pine View and attended high school in Custer, MT. He enlisted in the Air Force in 1951. He served in Japan and was discharged on May 16, 1955. On February 7, 1953, Walter married Betty Vergote at Mt. Clemens, MI. In 1955 they moved to Joliet where he ranched and they stayed there until October of 1967 when they moved to the ranch south of Fort Peck.

He was president of the Montana Public Lands Council for 10 years, and served on the Montana Stockgrowers Board for four years. Walt served as president of the Montana State District 5 Fiddlers, and was a sought after rhythm guitar player at fiddle contests around the region. He was very active politically. He taught his grandkids how to play the fiddle. He had an extra great love for his family (children and grandchildren) and his day was complete when surrounded by his kids.

He is survived by: his wife, Betty Collins, of the ranch south of Fort Peck, MT; a daughter, Jeanne Buckley and her husband Fred of Roundup, MT; three grandchildren: Taylor, Reid and Katelyn Buckley, all of Roundup, MT; a sister, Edith Potts of Huntley, MT; and two brothers: Art Collins of Billings, MT, and Bill Collins of Bridger, MT. He was preceded in death by his parents; his son Mike in 1972; sisters Helen Bench, Ruth O'Brien, Thora Neal, Alice Robinson; and brothers Ben and Earl Collins.

Pallbearers are: Lynn Cornwell, Cody Cornwell, Robert Ferguson, Bob Delp, Rob Delp and Bill Brown. Special Honorary Pallbearers are: Lyle Nelson, Allyn Skyberg, Jeff Skyberg, Bruce Ferguson, Wilmer Pawloski and Randy Rees.

Memorials are suggested to: Northern Rockies Cancer Center in Billings, PEAKS (People Everywhere Are Kind and Sharing) in Billings, or the memorial of your choice.

 

Anna Bauer

Anna Bauer, 89, died of natural causes on Friday, July 5th at Valley View Nursing Home in Glasgow. A vigil service will be held Monday, July 8, at 7 p.m. at St. Raphael’s Catholic Church. Funeral services will be Tuesday, July 9th at St. Raphael’s Catholic Church in Glasgow with Reverend Thad Kozikowski officiating and with burial in Highland Cemetery. Bell Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

Anna was born in Nashua in 1913 to Bertha and Tony Polaski on the family homestead in the Nashua area. The farm is now owned by the Sam Sauer family. The family moved to Minneapolis when Anna was 11. She returned at the age of 14 and worked as a waitress at the Johnnie Cafe until she married George T. Bauer in 1930. He preceded her in death in 1970.

Anna was always a hard worker and enjoyed cleaning, especially windows. Her basement was cleaner than most people's houses. She loved to play cards and was very competitive.

Survivors include 2 sons: Donald and his wife Jan of Glasgow; Tom and his wife Louise of Seattle; 1 daughter: Marlene
Jackson and her husband Melvin of Glasgow; 5 grandsons: Tim, Paul and David Bauer; Wade and Todd Jackson; 1 granddaughter: Jaime Bauer; 2 great granddaughters: Claire and Megan Bauer; 2 great grandchildren: Kevin and Kaitlynn Abrams; 1 great grandson: Todd M. Jackson; 1 brother: Henry Polaski and his wife Helen of Minneapolis; 1 sister: Margaret Chovon and her husband Frank of Minneapolis.

She was preceded in death by her husband George, her parents, 4 brothers and 2 sisters.

Paul Edward Timm

Paul Edward Timm of Glasgow died of natural causes on June 25th in Seattle, Washington. He was 83. Services will be at Bell Chapel in Glasgow on Monday, July 8th at 10 a.m. with Sr. Peggy Chambers officiating and with burial in Highland Cemetery. Bell Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

Paul was born in LaMoure, North Dakota, in 1919 to Adolph and Gertrude Connolly Timm. He worked on the Fort Peck Dam Project. He joined the Montana National Guard in 1940 and went to the South Pacific in 1942. He served with Company G of the 163rd Infantry. In 1946 Paul married Dorothy Kirwan. In 1959 he moved to Seattle and operated a painting business until he retired. Paul retired from the Army Reserves as a Major.

Survivors include 2 daughters: Cathy Ham of Seattle; Margaret Egeness of Seattle; 1 son: Larry "Skip" Timm of Seattle; 7 grandchildren, 4 great grandchildren; 1 sister: LaVerne Beede of Glasgow; several nieces and nephews and a special friend, Lola.

 

 

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