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Monday, February 1 - Friday, February 5, 2010
Following are the week's top stories. This digest is updated once a week, by early Friday evening.
Officer injured subduing suspect A Livingston police officer and the suspect he was arresting ended up in Livingston Memorial Hospital Thursday evening after the young man allegedly assaulted the patrolman. Both the officer and the suspect were treated and released. Patrol Officer John Leonard sustained injuries to his arm and hand, Chief of Police Darren Raney said Friday. Raney declined to discuss injuries sustained by the suspect, Ryan Douglas Johnson of Bozeman, for medical privacy reasons. The Park County 911 Dispatch Center received two calls from citizens around 7:45 p.m. Thursday reporting that a man was trying to break into and smash the windows of vehicles parked in the Montana Auto Traders lot near the corner of B and Park streets. Sgt. Corey Lussier initially responded to the scene. He confronted Johnson, 24, “who engaged the officer in an aggressive manner” before fleeing on foot, according to an LPD press release. Lussier and Leonard caught up with Johnson and arrested him after a “physical confrontation,” according to the department press release. The confrontation resulted in both Leonard and Johnson going to the hospital. Officers had tried a Taser to control Johnson, Raney said. “They attempted to use Tasers to subdue him and (the Tasers) were ineffective,” he said. Officers are in the process of determining how much, if any, damage, was done to the vehicles in the lot, Raney said. Johnson is in the Park County Detention Center and had not made a court appearance by Friday morning. His bond has not yet been set. He is charged with two felony counts of assault on a peace officer and misdemeanor counts of resisting arrest, obstructing a peace officer, criminal trespass to vehicles, criminal trespass to property and second-offense criminal mischief, according to Justice Court records. Published 2.5.2010 Man wanted in head butting on way back to Park County An alleged incident of head butting has an Acton, Mont., man en route to the Park County Detention Center with his bond set at $75,000. The Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday arrested Clifford Jon Degen in Yellowstone County on a warrant out of Park County for a felony burglary charge and misdemeanor counts of assault and disorderly conduct. Court documents allege that on Jan. 25, Degen entered the home of a man in Park County and head butted the man in the mouth, causing bleeding and some pain. Degen allegedly was confronting the man over a business dealing, according to legal papers. At some point, he became belligerent and refused to leave despite being told to do so, court papers state. A burglary charge such as Degen’s refers to situations in which a person is accused of unlawfully occupying a structure. Such a charge can include occasions in which the person was permitted to enter a building but allegedly refused to leave when told by the property owner to do so. Degen had not been transported to the Park County jail as of Friday morning but will eventually be brought to the Detention Center, jail and Justice Court court staff members said. His bond is set at $75,000, a worker with Justice Court said. The court did not have Degen’s age on record. The town of Acton is north of Billings. Published 2.5.2010 Prosecutors: Man used car as weapon A 32-year-old Livingston man made an initial appearance in Justice Court Friday for allegedly using his vehicle as a weapon. Prosecutors say that on Wednesday, Tim Birkeland “purposely or knowingly caused reasonable apprehension of serious bodily injury” to a woman “with what appeared to be a weapon” when he repeatedly rammed his vehicle into the woman’s vehicle, according to court papers. Birkeland is charged with one felony count of assault with a weapon; and misdemeanor charges of driving while his license was suspended and driving under the influence or with a blood alcohol content of .08 or greater, second offense. Published 2.2.2010 Collector leaves behind apartment filled with books
Readers and bargain hunters, get ready: Community Closet Thrift Store is about to have a serious influx of books. Community Closet workers and volunteers on Monday began cleaning out a Livingston apartment that apparently was abandoned a few weeks ago by its tenant, a book collector who left behind hundreds and perhaps thousands of novels, how-to manuals, memoirs and nonfiction works. Workers with the nonprofit thrift store — which is looking for volunteers to help remove boxes of books from the apartment on Wednesday afternoon — learned about the apartment from other community members, Community Closet Executive Director Caron Cooper said Monday. The apartment manager gave Community Closet permission to clean out the apartment after the tenant had been gone for a few weeks and had stopped paying rent, Cooper said. As workers bustled around the apartment Monday afternoon, a book by renowned writer John Irving sat near a work by comedian/author/senator Al Franken. In another stack of books, “Gardening for Dummies” perched near “Elements of Cartography.” The tenant collected a wide range of types of books and stories, Cooper said. In exchange for emptying the residence, Community Closet gets to keep the books for resale at the store. “They’ll be right on sale when we unload them,” Cooper said of the books the tenant abandoned in the apartment. Community Closet sells hardcovers for 50 cents and paperback for 25 cents. “It works out good for everybody,” Cooper said of the work involved with cleaning out the residence in exchange for reading material. “We’re going to get inventory, and our book buyers are some of our most frequent shoppers.” Plus, the sooner the apartment is empty, the faster it’s available for someone else in need of housing, Cooper said. Community Closet is organizing another volunteer crew to move books Wednesday at noon. For information on volunteering, call the store at 222-6200. Published 2.3.2010 Emigrant pair facing felony child endangerment charges Two Emigrant residents are in jail after being arrested Tuesday at an Emigrant residence for allegedly abusing their infant daughter. Amanda Goodson, 22, and Randy Howell Jr., 23, are being held in the Park County Detention Center on bonds of $50,000 each. Howell and Goodson made initial appearances in Justice Court this morning for one count each of felony criminal endangerment. Medical and social work professionals suspected abuse or neglect when the couple brought the child, then about 5 months old, to the hospital in December 2008 for an injury. “Since the discovery of the injuries, the baby was not left in the care of the parents,” Park County Attorney Brett Linneweber said Wednesday morning. In the past roughly 14 months, the case has been in confidential proceedings in Park County’s District Court, Linneweber said. Typically, abuse and neglect matters handled by the Department of Health and Human Services and prosecutors are kept confidential. However, in certain cases, such as those that include pursuing felony prosecution, information about the cases may be disclosed, according to court records. In the past 14 months, prosecutors have continued to gather evidence, including asking experts to review the child’s medical records, before pursuing criminal charges, he said. “The state took extreme measures to check with medical experts to rule out any biological explanations,” Linneweber said. Experts told prosecutors that the child’s injuries were not a result of a medical issue, such as degenerative bone disorder, court documents state. In December 2008, the couple brought their daughter to a hospital, where the infant was determined to have a fractured femur, according to court records. Medical workers later determined that the baby also had older injuries, including a fractured clavicle and two broken posterior ribs. Experts consulted by prosecutors said the child’s femur injury and other injuries were likely 10 days to a few weeks old before the parents brought her to the hospital, according to court records. “This ties for the worst treatment of a child that I’ve seen in 10 years,” Linneweber said, mentioning a previous case in which a father violently abused his young children. Since being placed in the custody of the state, the child has doing well and “has progressed remarkably,” he said. Goodson and Howell are scheduled to enter pleas in District Court Monday. Published 2.5.2010 Kids need two doses of H1N1 vaccine Don’t forget that second dose of H1N1 vaccine for children. The Park County Health Department and the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services this week reminded parents and guardians that, unlike adults who require only one vaccination against the H1N1 virus, children who are 6 months to 9 years old each need an additional dose. The second dose should be administered 28 days or later from the initial vaccination, according to a DPHHS press release. Children younger than 5 years old have higher hospitalization rates related to H1N1 than do other age groups, the release states. School-age children also have the highest rates of infection. For information on receiving H1N1 boosters, contact your health care provider, local pharmacies or the Park County Health Department at 222-4140, or call the Park County vaccine hotline 823-6666. Published 2.3.2010 Nerves frayed during St. Mary’s ‘B’
When young elementary students faced off at St. Mary’s Catholic School spelling bee Tuesday afternoon, the words were along the lines of “against” and “money.” Not exactly the longest or most troublesome entries that a dictionary has to offer. But the facial expressions and hand gestures were priceless. Lips pursed. Eyes rolled and darted about the room. Fists clenched and unclenched. As fourth-grader Thad Hampson pondered how to spell “while,” he dug his hands deep in the pockets of his sweatpants. “I always do that when I get nervous,” Thad said after the bee concluded. “I always get stage fright.” Jyll Becker, a fourth-grader, stared intently at her hand as she spelled out “point” on to her palm. When she correctly spelled “without” in a later round, Jyll smiled widely, pressing her hand to her chest as she sighed, “Oh, thank gosh!” Fourth-grader Jodee Findley Fleming tapped her forehead contemplatively during one round. Third-grader Alan Ziems glanced skyward. When fourth-grader Taylor Walker won the competition for the third and fourth grades, her face said it all: one big smile. While students spelled, their peers were almost silent, waiting patiently. But during breaks, children instantly started chatting with one another and the noise level rose considerably. But once the bee resumed, already-eliminated students quieted down and waited to see what words would be announced. Misspelled words and consequent elimination were greeted with frowns, shrugged shoulders and shaking heads. But consolation prizes of suckers and later, bowls of ice cream with all the toppings, apparently made up for any disappointment. Many children, when asked while their ice cream was in hand, had soon forgotten which words prompted their eliminations. “Oh, I don’t know, I forget,” one girl replied, sprinkles on her chin. The spelling bee was part of national Catholic Schools Week, said Principal Judy Jagodzinski. Marisa Mathias, winner of the bee category for fifth through eighth grades, goes on to the Park County-wide spelling bee later this month. Second-place speller Sierra Brown will serve as the alternate. Published 2.2.2010 Ninth Street bridge comments sought Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks officials are seeking public comment on the construction of a proposed replacement bridge between Livingston and Ninth Street Island. Plans for the new bridge as well as for a temporary crossing and a work platform were recently completed and a draft environmental assessment was developed by Oasis Environmental, which has a work center on the island. The former bridge over the Yellowstone River failed during high water in June 2008 and a temporary Bailey bridge was installed soon after to give residents and emergency crews access to the island. The new bridge will be funded with $172,000 in federal stimulus money along with $625,000 from various other government agencies, according to FWP. The new bridge will be 200 feet long and 20 feet wide, replacing the 180-foot-long, 19-foot-wide damaged bridge. According to the assessment, one pylon will be used in the river to support the bridge, replacing the five pylons used with the bridge being replaced. It is planned that construction will begin on about Feb. 15, with the project completed by June 15. The temporary bridge will be constructed about 50 feet upstream from the current bridge and proposed new structure, according to the assessment document. The temporary bridge will be removed when the permanent bridge is completed. Damage done to the river bed by the temporary bridge and construction of the new bridge and work platform will be temporary, and the impact will be “naturally reclaimed as the stream bottom is reworked during spring runoff,” the assessment states. NorthWest Energy intends to relocate a power line before construction while Qwest will transfer an existing communications line to the temporary bridge. This communications line will be incorporated into the construction of the new bridge. The draft environmental assessment is available at the site www.fwp.mt.gov/news/publicnotices/ or at the FWP office at 1400 S. 19th Ave. in Bozeman. Public comment will be accepted until 5 p.m. on Feb. 11. Send comments to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Attn: Scott Opitz, 1354 Highway 10 West, Livingston, MT 59047; or e-mail sopitz@mt.gov. For more information, call Opitz at 222-5105 or e-mail him. Published 2.1.2010 County Commission ready to move forward on hooking up fairgrounds with city sewer Park County officials say they’re ready to take the first step toward moving the Park County Fairgrounds from septic to sewer. The Park County Commission last week said it will contract for a preliminary engineering report. Officials say such a report would lay the groundwork for the project by examining various options for it. The septic systems at the fairgrounds are outdated and in poor shape, often requiring frequent pumping during events when the fairgrounds have lots of visitors, officials say. And two of the buildings on the grounds have restrooms but haven’t been permitted for connection to a septic system. The restrooms are not in use. A better alternative to repairing or updating the septic infrastructure at the fairgrounds is connecting the property with city sewer services, officials say. A preliminary engineering report also is an early step toward funding the project, county officials said on Monday. “Typically, before you apply for any money, grants or loans,” said Park County Sanitarian Barbara Woodbury on Monday, “you have to have that report.” The report itself would outline funding possibilities, such as grants or loans available through the state, she said. The county has $20,000 available for the report in its capital improvement fund, County Commission Officer Marty Malone said. “Twenty thousand is what we could do,” he said. “We don’t know how much it’s going to cost.” The county is required to put out to bid any project costing more than $50,000, so the report falls below that threshold, Malone said. The commission hasn’t yet decided if it will put the engineering report up for bids or if it simply will contract with either local group CTA Architects & Engineers or Helena-based Robert Peccia & Associates for the preliminary work, he said. The county does not yet have a firm idea of a total project cost to install sewer infrastructure but estimates it might be less than $500,000, Malone said. Woodbury said she hopes the preliminary engineering report will be finished in the next few months in time to begin applying for funding in May. County officials also are meeting with Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., this afternoon via electronic conferencing technology to request federal appropriations. Woodbury said she’ll ask the senator to help find funding for the project. “Worst case, nothing happens,” she said. “But you gotta ask.” Published 2.2.2010 County, city make pitch to Sen. Tester for funding local projects Park County and City of Livingston officials hope Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., will bring home more than $7 million in federal funds for local projects. On Monday, area officials traveled to Tester’s Bozeman office to make funding requests via individual videoconferences with Montana’s junior senator. With several projects in mind, Park County officials had a lengthier wish list than Livingston officials, who asked the senator for help with just one item. Park County asked Tester to find federal dollars for connecting the Park County Fairgrounds to city sewer services in light of the property’s outdated and troublesome septic systems, Park County Commission Officer Marty Malone said Monday. The county doesn’t yet have a firm idea of what connecting to sewer services would cost because it is just beginning to look at options for taking the fairgrounds off septic, Malone said. But the county estimates the project would cost less than $500,000. Also on the request list is installation of a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system at the Yellowstone Gateway Museum of Park County. The system could cost about $360,000, given that the building has no existing heating or venting equipment or other set-up to build on, Malone said. “There’s nothing there right now,” he said. The building currently uses electric heaters and fans rather than a central heating and cooling system, Malone said. Plus, the museum needs a system that would be suitable for protecting and preserving its collections, said Museum Interim Director Paul Shea, who attended the videoconference with Malone. “It’s beyond what you would just put in a regular house,” Shea said. A heating and cooling system also would enable the museum to be open all year rather than just a few months out of the year, Shea said. Shea also put in a pitch for $150,000 to install an elevator and make other adjustments to the building so it is accessible to people with disabilities. The county also wants $250,000 worth of federal money with which to build an emergency center in Cooke City that would house law enforcement agents and emergency responders from various government agencies or departments, Malone said. Also on the county’s list of funding requests were several projects for which Malone on Monday did not give cost estimates. Those projects include construction of a wastewater treatment plant to serve Cooke City and Silver Gate. In addition, commissioners seek federal funds to build a new jail somewhere in the county, Malone said. City Manager Ed Meece and Livingston City Commissioner Rick VanAken presented the city’s single request to Tester. The city’s wish list was shorter than the county’s, but carried a much higher price tag. Livingston wants legislators to allocate $5.9 million to build the city’s planned railroad underpass, Meece said Tuesday. The city hopes to construct an underpass on the west side of Livingston beginning in 2012. Livingston already has begun preliminary planning for the project. City officials already have lined up $2.8 million in local, state and federal funds for the underpass, Meece said. But Livingston needs an additional $5.9 million to cover the project’s estimated total cost of $8.7 million, he said. Livingston requested money for only the underpass rather than for multiple projects because city leaders want to make clear to Tester and other legislators that the project is the city’s priority when it comes to federal dollars, Meece said. Published 2.3.2010 Fed grant pays for new hose The Livingston Fire Department will soon have more than $20,000 worth of new hose, thanks to a federal grant. The department last week received a call from Congressman Denny Rehberg’s office, informing city staff that Livingston was awarded an Assistance to Firefighters grant, LFD Chief Alan Davis said Wednesday. The grant, awarded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, gives the department $20,615 with which to purchase new hose for the city’s two fire trucks, Davis said. The city will put in about an extra $1,000, which FEMA required as a local match. The new equipment will replace the department’s current hose, which is roughly 25 years old. “We’re at a critical stage,” Davis said of the need to replace the hose. The grant will pay for several thousand feet of hose that will be split between the department’s two fire trucks with some left over for reserves.
Sports update Basketball Rebels The Shields Valley High School girls shot lights out for the second-straight game at Wilsall and blew District 11/12C rival Sheridan out of the gym, 43-21, in front of a packed crowd on Jan. 30. Sheridan didn’t take its first lead until overtime Jan. 30 in Wilsall. But when it did, senior standout Casey Crippen made sure they didn’t give it up. The Panther guard netted six-straight free throws in helping Sheridan complete its second-straight upset with a 52-48 victory over the Rebels. Rangers There was a moment — a very brief moment — when Park High School boys basketball coach Troy Hostetler actually sat in his seat on Feb. 4. The reason the third-year coach was able to sit — he allowed himself all of 45 seconds — was that the defensive show his Rangers put on paved the way for Park’s 62-25 rout of visiting Sweet Grass County High School. “We really defended well,” said Hostetler. “We made it difficult for them to score.” Meanwhile, the firing squads were brought out for the Feb. 4 border clash between Park High School girls and visiting Sweet Grass County High, with the Lady Rangers hitting bulls-eye after bulls-eye — after bulls-eye. Paced by senior all-stater McKenzie Scofield’s game-high 23 points, Park pinned the upstart Lady Herders on their heels early and never looked back in sprinting to a 64-22 victory. Bruins Sparked by Maddie Hoeninghausen’s game-high 12 points and Tory Vandersnick’s 10, the visiting Lady Bruins doubled the Sheridan Lady Panthers’ output en route to a 53-26 verdict Jan. 29.
• Alice Hazel Johns McGahan Raines, 89, formerly of Livingston, died of cancer in Billings Jan. 30, 2010, surrounded by her family. |
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