Stories of the Year 2014

It was a year of crime, political intrigue, educational politics and the Hi-Line on the big screen.

There were lots of big stories to consider, but the Havre Daily News staff has chosen its top 10 stories for the year. They are based on long-term importance and reader interest.

Many of the news stories will have effects on our community for years and decades to come.

Tell us what you think of our selections.

#1. Standoff in Havre

Late on Sunday, March 6, Robert Jay Thomas was stopped by Havre police for a routine traffic check. What took place thereafter was anything but routine for quiet Havre.

He pulled out a gun, ran to the US Bank building and held the gun to his head.

Police rushed to the scene to block traffic and see what they could do to save Thomas' life while making sure that the obviously disturbed man didn't use his gun on himself or others.

Soon, all of downtown Havre was blocked off. Traffic was diverted from 1st Street to 2nd Street. Downtown businesses were closed and those near the perimeter were advised to close. Havre ground to a halt as officers tried to save the man's life while protecting the rest of the community.

Dozens of police officers from Hill County Sheriff's Department, FBI, U.S. Border Patrol and others rushed to the scene.

The standoff continued for the next 21 hours. The community held its breath. People anxious to find out what was going on, flocked to various news sources

At 7:42 p.m., Thomas pulled the trigger. He was soon pronounced dead.

Before long, the streets were reopened and things returned to normal - though Havre will never quite be the same.

#2. Northern tumult

On Aug. 27, shortly after 10 a.m., Montana State University-Northern Chancellor Jim Limbaugh in a mass text to university employees announced he was resigning.

The resignation ended two years of tumult under Limbaugh. Some said the tension was created because Limbaugh was making some long-overdue changes. Others said his autocratic management style was to blame.

The football coach had been fired at the start of the season, a dean had filed sexual harassment charges against the provost, there had been internal disputes in the nursing program and several top officials had been fired or pushed out.

Limbaugh had been named to the post two years earlier after the tumultuous administration of Chancellor Frank Trocki.

Apparently sensing the need to calm things down, Montana State University President Waded Cruzado appointed respected Dean Greg Kegel to be acting chancellor and indicated it would be a while before a permanent Limbaugh replacement would be named.

#3. Rocky Boy corruption

When U.S. Attorney for Montana Michael Cotter initiated the Guardians Project, no one quite knew what to expect. There were always rumors of corruption on Montana's Native reservations, but the depth of the thievery was way underestimated.

It soon became clear that Cotter would target Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation.

By some accounts, Hill County became the most corrupt county in the nation based on the number of arrests.

The corruption went far beyond the borders of the reservation. Community leaders in Havre, Billings and Laurel were charged for their involvement in the massive plundering.

Some of the bigger names caught in the net include former State Rep. Tony Belcourt, D-Box Elder, tribal council member John "Chance" Houle, and former Havre school board chair Shad Huston, all of whom are in or headed for federal prison.

Cotter promises to continue the probe at Rocky Boy and other reservations.

#4. GOP sweep the Hi-Line

On the red-and-blue maps, Blaine and Hill counties were always blue in a sea of red covering northern and eastern Montana. No more.

Election night was a sweep in this area for the Republicans. The GOP elected state lawmakers from the most Democratic districts along the Hi-Line.

In a Senate race watched around the state, State Rep. Kris Hansen, R-Havre, easily ousted long-time Democratic Sen. Greg Jergesen.

Republican Stephanie Hess won a close House race in Havre, long a Democratic bastion.

And in the House district that includes Rocky Boy and Fort Belknap, where Republicans are considered an endangered species, Republican G. Bruce Meyers topped popular incumbent Democrat Clarena Brockie.

#5. The Templeton dispute

Montana State University-Northern Provost Rosalyn Templeton was accused by Dean Randy Bachmeier of inappropriately touching him in several occasions over a year.

Bachmeier said he was afraid to take his case to higher authorities within Northern, so he filed a sexual harassment complaint with the Montana Human Relations office.

The complaint added another facet to the cloudy situation at the badly divided administration offices at Northern.

While the Montana University System worked to keep the documents about the case and the proceedings closed, the Havre Daily News and its attorney prevailed.

Two widely differing sets of testimony were heard, and hearing officer Terry Spear is expected to rule soon on Bachmeier request for damages.

#6. Shane Johnson trial

Early morning on Nov. 11, Havre police were summoned to the 700 Block of 2nd Street.

Soon they determined that Shane Johnson, 45, had fired a gun that killed his brother, Travis Johnson, 43. Exactly what preceded the shooting took some time to figure out.

Police charged him with deliberate homicide, but the jury was divided on whether he was guilty. Instead, jurors convicted him of negligent homicide.

#7. Garrett Lafromboise gets 13 years

The already divided Rocky Boy community faced further problems when Garrett LaFromboise was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison for his role in the death of his child, Kaidynce Small, just short of the child's first birthday.

It was a very emotional sentencing hearing, More than 50 people were in the courtroom as Judge Brian Morris imposed the sentence.

LaFromboise' family urged a minimum sentence be imposed. His mother suggested he just be put on probation.

The Small family, of Kaidynce's maternal side, asked that LaFromboise be put away for life.

Federal marshals were on hand to separate the two families outside of the courtroom.

In April, LaFromboise's girlfriend also was sentenced to 13 years for her role in Kaidynce's death.

#8. Softball-sized hole knocks out Chinook water

It's easy to forget how much water means to our daily lives. But Chinook got a lesson.

In May Chinook lost its water supply. For nearly 24 hours a softball-sized hole in a pipe just outside the water plant stopped the flow to all of Chinook's residents.

It was difficult, but Chinookers persevered. they lived on bottled water for 24 hours until the water could be turned back on, but there was still a boiled water alert for a while.

Mayor Keith Hanson and the city staff continued working around the clock until the situation was back to normal.

#9. Carlson murder case

Jordan Carlson, who had a history of mental problems, was charged with murder when he allegedly killed his girlfriend March 23 in his 1st Avenue residence.

He told police officers that he and his girlfriend, Dawn Beeman, were listening to country music and it made him depressed.

Carlson told officers he was "not a well person."

He had once attempted suicide and had spent seven years in the custody of the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services after he used lighter fluid to set a sofa on fire in an occupied apartment.

The case is slowly moving through the court system.

#10. 'Winter in the Blood' debuts

"Winter in the Blood," a movie based on James Welch's novel of the same name, opened in Havre this year.

The haunting tale of a troubled young man and his life and redemption in Fort Belknap and Havre was directed by Missoula brothers Alex and Andrew Smith.

The film drew rave reviews by Havreites both for its deeper meanings and because people enjoyed seeing local landmarks on the big screen.