Updated at 07:12am 02/07/12
BUTTE, Mont. (AP) — Two Montana Tech students face felony charges after Butte police say someone discharged handguns, rifles and a shotgun in the direction of the school's dorms over the weekend.
Felony criminal endangerment charges were filed Monday against 23-year-old Joshua Clark and 22-year-old Clayton Giesick.
Prosecutors say the motive for the shootings is unknown. Sheriff John Walsh says investigators found no evidence of any injuries or property damage.
The shots were reported at about 1:30 a.m. Sunday. The men refused to open the door for police. The SWAT team eventually got a warrant and entered the house through the unlocked front door at about 6 a.m. Clark and Giesick were found asleep and highly intoxicated.
Officers found several firearms and evidence that the guns had been fired.
BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) — The Gallatin County sheriff's office says a 36-year-old Big Sky man died of hypothermia over the weekend.
Ashley Blake was reported missing from his home on Sunday. The sheriff's search and rescue teams looked for him for about two hours before finding his body at the bottom of a drainage.
The investigation by the sheriff/coroner determined Blake died from exposure.
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — A suspect in a Montana negligent homicide case has waived his right to challenge extradition from North Dakota to face charges.
Forty-six-year-old Charles Bowen of Tavares, Fla. is being held in Williston, N.D. after his arrest last month in the killing of a man who had been working in the region's booming oil patch.
Authorities say 49-year-old Brian Doyle, also of Florida, was killed when he was run over by a motor vehicle along U.S. Highway 2. Doyle's body was found outside of Bainville, a small community in Roosevelt County near the North Dakota border.
Further details have not been released.
Roosevelt County Sheriff Freedom Crawford says his office has not yet made plans to bring Bowen back to Montana.
MISSING MONTANA TEACHER
MT gov seeks return of teacher kidnapping suspects
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Montana's governor is requesting the extradition of two suspects being held in North Dakota to face charges in the kidnapping of Sidney teacher Sherry Arnold.
Monday's request from Gov. Brian Schweitzer comes as federal and state authorities continue their search for Arnold. She went missing during a morning run on Jan. 7 and is presumed dead.
Forty-seven-year-old Lester Waters Jr. and 22-year-old Michael Spell were arrested a week later and are detained on bonds of $2.5 million each. They face charges of aggravated kidnapping — a crime that can carry the death sentence in Montana.
An extradition hearing is scheduled for Feb. 14 in Williston, N.D.
Authorities have not revealed any motive in the case.
The suspects came to the region from Colorado, although Waters is originally from Florida.
SCHWEITZER VETOES
Judge shoots down Schweitzer's line-item vetoes
HELENA, Mont. (AP) — A Helena judge says Gov. Brian Schweitzer's vetoes of some local infrastructure spending were unconstitutional.
Six local governments sued Schweitzer last year to undo the governor's vetoes of funding for their bridge and water projects.
The local governments argue that Schweitzer exceeded his line-item veto authority when he struck down their projects, allowing the money to flow to other projects.
District Judge Jeffrey Sherlock said in a Monday order that the move did not reduce state spending since it was just allocated to other projects on a waiting list. He says the vetoes went beyond the constitutional line-item veto power give the governor.
Schweitzer says he vetoed the particular projects because Republican legislators representing each of the areas voted against the overall bill authorizing the spending.
POLITICAL PRACTICES
Governor picks former labor leader as ethics chief
HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Gov. Brian Schweitzer has appointed a former labor leader to be the next commissioner over political ethics and campaign complaints.
The Democratic governor announced Monday that he had selected Jim Murry over three others recommended by legislative leaders to be commissioner of political practices.
Murry was executive secretary of the Montana State AFL-CIO from 1968 to 1991. He was recommended by Democratic legislative leaders, as was Susan Witte, a Democrat active in political campaigns.
Republicans nominated Colleen Urquhart-Fillner, a former staffer to Republican Gov. Marc Racicot, and Johnny Walker, a former federal law enforcement officer.
Schweitzer only interviewed Murry and Urquhart-Fillner. He announced his decision within two hours of the interviews Monday afternoon.
The governor's office says Murry has a wealth of knowledge and experience for the position.
HELENA-PROPANE JOBS LOST
Heritage Propane cutting 90 jobs after sale
(Information in the following story is from: Independent Record, http://www.helenair.com)
HELENA, Mont. (AP) — About 90 jobs are being cut at Heritage Propane's office in Helena after the company's sale to AmeriGas Propane in a $2.9 billion deal.
AmeriGas Vice President Bill Katz said the two companies were using different financial programs and AmeriGas decided to move all of the financial functions to its headquarters in Pennsylvania, probably in June.
Katz tells the Independent Record (http://bit.ly/A6yUIh) about 30 people will remain employed by Heritage Propane in Helena, mainly in payroll, insurance and other office-related functions.
Those who lose their jobs and are willing to relocate, are being encouraged to apply for similar jobs at the AmeriGas offices in Valley Forge, near Philadelphia.
AmeriGas will provide severance packages and will hold seminars for writing resumes and job retraining for those losing their jobs.
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — The Montana Highway Patrol says a truck carrying a load of beehives from Minnesota to California crashed in south-central Montana, spilling the hives and wrecking the truck. The driver was not injured.
Trooper Jerry Perman tells The Billings Gazette (http://bit.ly/zq7gsO) the crash happened at about 10 p.m. Monday on Interstate 94 just east of Pompeys Pillar.
Perman says the trucker told him he reached down to get a bag of chips off the floor and when he looked up there was a deer in the road. He swerved and went into the median. Perman said Monday he hadn't decided if he would cite the driver.
The wrecking company asked that a beekeeper be called to the scene. Perman said he didn't think stinging bees would be a problem, given the freezing weather.
Billings to consider medical marijuana ordinance
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — The Billings City Council has voted 10-0 to consider a six-month emergency ordinance that could prevent new medical marijuana shops from opening in the city.
Billings has issued 70 business licenses for medical marijuana providers.
The ordinance discussed Monday could ban new medical marijuana businesses throughout the city or push them into certain areas. Existing marijuana businesses would not be affected by the proposed moratorium, which will be considered May 10.
Several cities across the state have placed a moratorium on medical marijuana businesses while leaders decide zoning issues.
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Information from: Billings Gazette, http://www.billingsgazette.com
HATCHERY CLEANUP
Monsanto to pay $5M for PCB cleanup
GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) — Biotech company Monsanto has agreed to pay $5 million toward the cost of cleaning up PCB contamination in Big Spring Creek near Lewistown.
The state Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks was seeking $10.5 million to clean up paint chips containing PCBs that washed out of the raceways at the Big Spring Creek fish hatchery.
A trial seeking damages started last week in District Court in Fergus County. Torger Oaas, attorney for the state and landowners, says the $5 million settlement was reached Monday morning.
Monsanto Co. was once a leading U.S. manufacturer of PCBs, which were banned in 1979 due to their toxicity.
In 2008, Monsanto reached a nearly $5 million settlement in a lawsuit filed by landowners over loss of property value due to the contamination.
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Information from: Great Falls Tribune, http://www.greatfallstribune.com
BORDER CROSSING
$5.8M awarded to rebuild Del Bonita border post
HELENA, Mont. (AP) — A Montana construction company has a $5.8 million contract to rebuild the Port of Del Bonita checkpoint at the Canadian border.
Sen. Jon Tester's office announced the contract with Browning-based Willow Creek Construction on Monday, saying the project would create between 40 and 50 jobs.
The border crossing is north of Browning on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. Details of the rebuilding project were not immediately available.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials did not immediately return a call Monday.
The federal government announced in August it was handing out some $720 million for border upgrades, including $77 million to rebuild or repair five Montana ports of entry.
SHERIFF-NO CONFIDENCE
Flathead deputies vote "no confidence" in sheriff
KALISPELL, Mont. (AP) — The Flathead County Sheriff's Deputies Union has passed a "no confidence" vote in Sheriff Mike Meehan.
Union president Dave Kauffman said Friday that 74 percent of the union's members said they had "no confidence" in Meehan's leadership.
Kauffman says the union wants its decision to send a message to Flathead County voters as the primary election approaches.
The union says its most serious concerns about Meehan focus on the use of money for overtime and training, discipline issues and what the union says is a lack of leadership.
Meehan says leadership means making decisions that are not always popular, but he says he will continue to run his office taxpayers being his main consideration.
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Information from: KCFW-TV, http://www.kcfw.com
BOZEMAN SHOOTING
Manhattan man accused of shooting at woman
BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) — A 57-year-old Manhattan man is being held on $100,000 bail for allegedly shooting at a woman outside his home with a six-shot .22-caliber revolver, missing her by only inches.
David E. Rasmussen was arrested Sunday evening after a neighbor called 911.
Court records say Rasmussen and the woman were arguing on the front porch when, after he jabbed her in the chin with his index and middle fingers, the woman went and sat on a log about 35 feet away.
Rasmussen is accused of shooting at the woman at least twice and telling her that if she called police, "she would be the first to die." Authorities say they found one bullet about 8 inches away from where the woman was sitting.
She says in court documents that she knew Rasmussen "was a good shot and felt that if he truly intended to shoot her, he would not have missed."
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Information from: Bozeman Daily Chronicle, http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com
SEELEY LAKE FATAL-CHARGES
Man charged in bicycle fatality near Seeley Lake
MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) — A 23-year-old Seeley Lake man faces charges for a hit-and-run crash that killed a bicyclist last summer on Highway 83 near Seeley Lake.
Cody Bartlett faces felony charges of failing to stop at the scene where a person was killed or seriously injured and tampering with physical evidence, along with misdemeanor charges of careless driving, failure to quickly notify law enforcement of an accident and obstructing a peace officer.
Bartlett is charged in the June 25, 2009 death of 18-year-old Rodney "Jake" Loudon of Seeley Lake.
Court records say Bartlett had consumed two beers and two rum and Cokes and was driving near the center line trying to adjust his radio when he struck what he says he thought was a deer.
Loudon's body was found on the side of the road the next day.
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Information from: Missoulian, http://www.missoulian.com
DUI COURSES
Montana alters DUI courses
HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Training has begun on a new program meant to reduce drunken driving in Montana by reducing offenders' risky behaviors.
The curriculum called PRIME for Life will change the courses offenders go through and will lengthen the duration of their court-appointed treatment.
Those convicted of DUI currently must attend eight hours of courses. The new program will increase that time to at least 12 hours and possibly up 20 hours for repeat offenders.
It also is meant to be a therapeutic program that helps offenders understand what has led them to drug and alcohol abuse and works on understanding the risks that come with that misuse. The classes in place now try to reinforce an understanding of the consequences of a DUI conviction and to interrupt offenders' cycles of driving while impaired.
The state Department of Public Health and Human Services wants to implement the change by September.