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Articles from the November 4, 2013 edition


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  • Updated Nov 5, 2013

  • Blackfeet leader wants federal charges dismissed

    MATT VOLZ Associated Press|Updated Nov 4, 2013

    HELENA — Federal prosecutors no longer have jurisdiction to try a state senator and Blackfeet tribal leader on drunken driving, reckless driving and obstruction charges after he pleaded guilty to the same crimes in tribal court, his attorney said in a new court filing. Joe McKay, the attorney representing Browning Democrat and Blackfeet Tribal Business Council member Shannon Augare, asked a federal magistrate judge to dismiss the charges against Augare on Friday, just days before his federal trial is to begin Thursday. A f...

  • There's also good news at Rocky Boy

    John Kelleher|Updated Nov 4, 2013
    5

    There have been some hard times on Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation recently. There is an exceptionally bitter battle, over who should lead the tribal government, that has gone into tribal court and will probably end up in civil court. Federal prosecutors have charged nearly a dozen people — on and off the reservation — for corruption. The sad goings-on in Washington, D.C., have had their effect on Rocky Boy, too. People have been furloughed and laid off by the tribal government and the school districts. This means even more...

  • Blue Cross notifies customers of premium increase

    Updated Nov 4, 2013

    HELENA (AP) — Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana has notified thousands of customers it is raising premiums 3.5 percent in January because of taxes and fees included in the new federal health care law. Notices dated Thursday were mailed to 3,000 holders of group policies that insure tens of thousands of Montanans, Lee Newspapers of Montana reported. Some of the policyholders signed contracts earlier this year and are getting a mid-contract premium increase. State law generally forbids that, but makes exceptions for c...

  • Texas man arrested for trying to hit pedestrians

    Updated Nov 4, 2013

    BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) — A 28-year-old Texas man is jailed in southwestern Montana after prosecutors say he was trying to hit pedestrians with his sport utility vehicle near a Bozeman bar. Bryan Curtis Paluk of Lewisville, Texas, made an initial appearance in Gallatin County Justice Court Monday on a charge of felony criminal endangerment. Justice of the Peace Bryan Adams set Paluk's bail at $50,000. Court records say Paluk was arrested Friday night after people reported someone driving an Isuzu SUV was trying to hit p...

  • Missing Wisconsin couple found in Wyoming

    Updated Nov 4, 2013

    CODY, Wyo. (AP) — A Wisconsin couple reported missing after a visit to Yellowstone National Park was found safe on a closed highway in Wyoming, where their car had been stuck for nearly a week, officials said Monday. The owner of a guest ranch heard about the missing couple and went looking for them on his snowmobile. He found them Monday and took them back to the guest ranch, Park County sheriff's spokesman Lance Mathess said. Mark and Kristine Wathke of Cornell, Wis., were cold and hungry but otherwise OK, Mathess said. "...

  • Braaten is right on trapping issues

    Terry C. Blosser|Updated Nov 4, 2013

    Renelle Braaten of the Hill County Parks Board is quite right that lethal traps should not be used in parks where families and pets recreate. Such cruelty in the taking of public resources and the risks lying in wait for innocents deserve a full public discussion. Initiative 167 provides a reasonable and humane pathway for the best management of our Beaver Creek Park. Terry C. Blosser Havre...

  • Coal restrictions hurt Montana's economy

    Shawn Regan and Fred Thomas|Updated Nov 4, 2013

    When it comes to developing our energy resources, Montanans have grown accustomed to the federal government getting in the way. But as coal development projects in the state move forward, the latest roadblock is coming from right here in Montana. On a recent visit to the Crow Indian Nation, we learned how local opposition to coal exports is impacting one of the poorest communities in the state. Some cities along rail routes in Montana are trying to limit coal-train traffic, citing concerns about quality of life, traffic conge...

  • Our View: Three cheers for mail-in voting

    Updated Nov 4, 2013
    1

    Tuesday is election day, and Havre residents will be making some important decisions on the future of the city. Mayor Tim Solomon and former Mayor Bob Rice are vying for the mayor’s position, and newcomer Matt Boucher and Karen Datko are running for a City Council seat from the fourth ward. Voters will also decide whether they want to dump the traditional party elections for nonpartisan voting for city offices. Most people who are interested, we suspect, have already cast ballots under Montana’s mail-in ballot system for mun...

  • Thanks for help with Halloween dance

    Lois Gilge|Updated Nov 4, 2013

    A huge thank-you to Montana State University-Northern Student Senate, Northern Diesel Racing and Sweetgrass Society for helping with our Halloween dance at the Atrium Mall Oct. 26. I want to especially thank Andrew Potter, Annie and Rob Kling, A.J. Little, Eric Neal, Joe Vernon, Mavre Murdock and Jennifer Polensky for their hard work and great ideas. What a great group to work with! We look forward to other cooperative ventures. Lois Gilge Atrium Merchants' Association Manager...

  • Swift action during power outage

    Carolaine Peticca Schafer|Updated Nov 4, 2013

    On Sunday evening, around 6:30 p.m., in Highland Park, as well as a lot of Havre, lost power. Because of the time change, it was mighty dark outside. As many residents scurried for flashlights and candles, all of the emergency responders were immediately on the scene and ready to work. We were concerned how the response would be, being the weekend, we needn't have worried. Thank you to our police department, and fire department for "protecting and serving," and NorthWestern Energy for getting to the root of the problem and...

  • For the Record, November 4, 2013

    Updated Nov 4, 2013

    Havre Police Department Officers investigated an 8:33 a.m. Friday call from 1st Street about a hit and run. ——— Officers arrested two people after they investigated a 12:06 p.m. Friday call from a 1st Street business about a woman and a man trespassing and getting verbal with management when asked to leave. ——— Officers investigated a two-vehicle crash after receiving a call from a 1st Street West business at 3:15 p.m. Friday. ——— A 50-year-old Havre man was issued a summons for possession of dangerous drugs and possess...

  • A four-part harmony treat

    John Kelleher|Updated Nov 4, 2013

    Kay Blatter remembers that almost 70 years ago he and his brother would sing two-part harmony songs when they were doing their chores on their family's ranch outside of Chinook. It was the beginning of a lifelong interest in music. Today, he's in his 23rd year of being a member of the Bullhook Bottoms Barbershop Chorus, and he and fellow members are practicing four-part harmony for the "A Cappella Highway" concert that will be 7 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 23, at Havre's Fifth Avenue...

  • 1,100 lose power because of down line

    John Kelleher|Updated Nov 4, 2013

    A downed utility line behind Wilson Avenue in Havre's Highland Park section put about 1,100 NorthWestern Energy users out of power Sunday night. Havre police, Hill County Sheriff's deputies and Havre firefighters were on hand on 11th Street, directing traffic around the scene. NorthWestern spokesman Butch Larcombe said power was restored to most of the customers within an hour and 10 minutes. Others got electricity back within two hours. "We're not sure why the power line went down," he said. Some people called the Havre...

  • Taking the plunge to raise funds

    John Kelleher|Updated Nov 4, 2013
    1

    Havre police face adversity daily and handle it in stride, but they looked a little intimidated by the daunting task they faced at Blue Pony Stadium Saturday afternoon. Four of Havre's finest stood on a ledge overlooking a large container of ice water. Their job: To jump in the water, entertain the onlookers and raise money for the Special Olympics. Without hesitation, they met the challenge. The crowd gave the officers a resounding cheer. "It takes your breath away, that's fo...

  • Tuesday night deadline for ballots

    John Paul Schmidt|Updated Nov 4, 2013

    The mayoral and city councilperson election will close Tuesday, which is also the last day to get ballots in. Voters have until 8 p.m. Tuesday to hand their ballots into the County Clerk and Recorder’s Office at the Hill County Courthouse. As of 9 a.m. Monday, there were 2,249 ballots turned in. This is around 50.43 percent of the 4,450 total ballots sent out by mail. In the 2009 mayoral and City Council race, when the voting was done, 67 percent of the ballots sent out were returned filled out. Susan Armstrong, the deputy e...

  • Powerful Eagles sweep Pony spikers

    Daniel Horton|Updated Nov 4, 2013

    In the final match of the regular season, the Havre High volleyball team played well. But playing a top team like the Lewistown Golden Eagles on the road, the Blue Ponies were not able to end their season with another Central A conference win. The Ponies were in Lewistown on Friday, where the Eagles completed the sweep over HHS. The Eagles defeated the Ponies in three games by scores of 25-15, 25-12, and 25-12. With the loss the Ponies remain near the bottom of the conference standings with a record of 2-6 in league play,...

  • Cats, Griz survive scares

    Updated Nov 4, 2013

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - Jordan Johnson connected with Ellis Henderson for a 25-yard touchdown in overtime to lead Montana over Sacramento State 51-48. Johnson passed for 381 yards and two touchdowns to pace No. 12 Montana (7-2, 4-2 Big Sky Conference), while Jordan Canada rushed for four touchdowns and 78 yards on 17 carries. Canada's 1-yard plunge with 3:38 left in the game seemed to set the Grizzlies up for the win. But Sacramento State (4-5, 3-2) tied it up with a 77...

  • Happiness: Blue Ponies Moving On

    Daniel Horton|Updated Nov 4, 2013

    There was a lot of hype leading up to the rematch between the Havre Blue Ponies and Miles City Cowboys, just like there always is when the two teams meet on the gridiron. And in the first round of the Class A football playoffs, the rematch that was nearly two months in the making did not disappoint. After a 6-6 tie in week two of the regular season, neither the Central A Ponies nor Eastern A Cowboys had earned bragging rights on who was the better team in 2013. The Cowboys...

  • Heartache: Silent Night: Orediggers 32, Lights 31

    George Ferguson|Updated Nov 4, 2013

    It was supposed to be the perfect ending to a magical day of football in Havre. It was supposed to be the night the Montana State University-Northern Lights put an end to a three-game losing streak against a tough, Frontier Conference rival. Instead, Saturday night's game ended in a nightmarish way for the Lights, who watched Montana Tech score on a 36-yard, hail mary touchdown as time expired. Herman Tapley's pass to Zack Kinney lifted the Orediggers to a 32-31 victory...

  • Lights take the sting out of an old rival

    George Ferguson|Updated Nov 4, 2013

    As expected, if only for a moment, Friday night felt like 1980's Frontier Conference basketball inside the Armory Gymnasium. But the Montana State University-Northern Lights turned a nostalgic battle with Montana State-Billings into an old-fashioned, modern-day Northern blowout. The No. 24 Lights used an 18-0 run midway through the second half to pull away from former Frontier rival MSU-B (Formerly Eastern Montana College) Friday night in front of a large crowd inside the...

  • Pony defense sparks a playoff win

    Daniel Horton|Updated Nov 4, 2013

    Defensively, the Havre High football team has been striving for statement game all season long. The Blue Ponies have been inconsistent from week to week, but they finally put their stamp on a win that the defense could be proud of. After a rocky first two quarters, the Pony defense carried the team to a narrow 21-20 playoff win over Miles City on Saturday. The win over the Eastern A Cowboys came at Blue Pony Stadium in the first round of the Class A state football playoffs,...

  • Game Day Notebook: Younger Lights starting to come of age

    George Ferguson|Updated Nov 4, 2013
    1

    There is no way to quantify just how much Saturday night's 32-21, last-second loss to the Montana Tech Orediggers at Blue Pony Stadium hurts, but, lost in the bitter defeat was a bunch of young Northern stars shining brightly in the chilly night air. There's no question, Northern has a strong group of senior talent, but three youngsters and a quarterback showed Saturday night that the Lights will be just fine offensively moving forward. Red-shirt freshmen wide receivers Jake M...

  • George Ferguson Column: Highs and lows through a day, and a night

    George Ferguson|Updated Nov 4, 2013

    There’s always highs and lows throughout the course of a football game. Ebbs and flows are to be expected. But football fans, myself included, were treated to both ends of the extreme during about seven hours of emotionally charged, and emotionally draining football action Saturday at Blue Pony Stadium. The roller coaster ride started at roughly 12 p.m. when the Havre Blue Ponies and Miles City Cowboys took the field for a Class A playoff confrontation, and it didn’t end unt...

  • Griffins end Skylight win streak

    George Ferguson|Updated Nov 4, 2013

    The Montana State University-Northern volleyball team is no stranger to five-set matches of late. But on Saturday afternoon, the Skylights came out on the wrong end of the decisive fifth set. Northern dropped its first match in Frontier Conference play and suffered its first defeat since the last Saturday in August Saturday afternoon in Salt Lake City as the host Griffins defeated the No. 24 Skylights by scores of 18-25, 25-22, 25-28, 17-25 and 15-11. The loss dropped MSU-N...