Bigfork
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Polson murder suspect upset after estate left to victim, court docs say
A Polson man accused of shooting and killing a Ronan man appeared in District Court in Polson last week for an arraignment hearing. James Phillip Lawrence, 70, entered a plea of not guilty to felony deliberate homicide and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence.According to court records, Lawrence shot and killed Edwin Loder, 67, sometime Aug. 30. A possible motive emerged because Loder was named the beneficiary of the Mendenhall estate, documents state. The case began when Lake County Undersheriff Ben Woods responded to a report of a missing person on Sept. 4. Blood was identified in an area east of Loder’s...
Ferndale murderer gets 100 years in prison
Bigfork resident Matthew Vitek, 50, was sentenced last week to 100 years in prison for the December 2023 murder of 56-year-old Ferndale resident Tammi Jordan.Vitek's sentencing in District Court in Polson on Sept. 18 was in accordance with a plea agreement reached on July 31. Judge Molly Owen sentenced Vitek to the Montana State Prison for 100 years for deliberate homicide, and 100 years on each of two counts of attempted deliberate homicide. The sentences are to run concurrently with each other. Vitek won’t be eligible for parole for 30 years.According to court records, on Dec. 10, 2023, deputies with Lake...
Libby man returned to custody after violating release terms
A Libby man with multiple convictions for assault is back in custody after he allegedly refused to wear a monitoring device.According to court documents, Erik Lynn McQueen, 40, walked into the office of Compliance Monitoring in Kalispell on Sept. 6 and cut off a SCRAM monitoring bracelet.He reportedly said he, “couldn’t do it anymore” before leaving the office. Staff called county probation officer Vanessa Williamson to report the incident and she applied for a bench warrant for his arrest. He was taken into custody Sept. 18.Monday in Lincoln County District Court, McQueen pleaded guilty to an amended charge of disorderly...
More rain, slower snowmelt kept Flathead Lake at full pool, officials say
Flathead Lake sat at full pool this summer following a dry 2023 season that saw its water level plunge to record lows. It’s been a welcome development for everyone from water recreationalists to operators of the Se̓liš Ksanka Qĺispe Dam, but it is more likely the result of cooperative weather in spring and summer than any actions taken by man, officials said. “While we really appreciate positive sentiments, and there is a lot of mastery and excellence managing the situation, a lot of it is mother nature,” said Robert McDonald, spokesperson for Energy Keepers Inc., which operates the SKQ Dam,...
Plea deal struck for woman accused of shooting at vehicle
Judge Molly Owen set a sentencing date of Nov. 11 for a Ronan woman who admitted to firing a weapon during a domestic dispute.Lucy Laryn Smith-Cluff, 26, entered a plea of guilty to the amended charge of criminal endangerment during a change of plea hearing District Court in Polson Sept. 18.Initially, she was charged with two counts of assault with a weapon. The plea was entered as part of a plea agreement that amended one the charges to criminal endangerment and will dismiss the second charge of assault with a weapon at sentencing. The agreement comes with a joint recommendation...
Elmo man sentenced for stealing dead mother’s benefits
MISSOULA — A federal judge today sentenced an Elmo man to three years in prison and ordered $95,722 restitution for stealing his deceased mother’s Social Security benefits and underreporting his income and assets to receive Social Security Administration benefits, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.The defendant, Gerry Alen Albus, 64, pleaded guilty in May to theft of government money and Social Security fraud as indicted.U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided. The court also ordered three years of supervised release after incarceration. Albus was ordered to self-report to the Bureau of Prisons.In court documents, the government alleged that in May 2015,...
Legals for September, 26 2024
NOTICE OF NAME CHANGE Montana 20th Judicial District Court, Lake County In the matter of the name change of Susan Erickson, Susan Erickson, Petitioner Cause No.: DC-24-187 Dept No.: John A. Mercer Notice of Hearing on Name Change This is notice that Petitioner has asked the District Court for a change of name from Susan Keys Erickson to Susan Keys MacLean. The hearing will be on 10/10/2024 10:00 am. The hearing will be at the courthouse in Lake County, August 26, 2024. \S\ Mary Rensvold Deputy Clerk of County PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 5TH, 12TH, 19TH & 26TH, 2024 MNAXLP __________________________ Montana Department of Transportation Notice of...
Legals for September, 27 2024
Russell S. Barnes Attorney at Law PO Box 5482 Whitefish, Montana 59937 406-293-1812 Honorable Matthew J. Cuffe MONTANA NINETEENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT COUNTY OF LINCOLN IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF LINDY GOYEN, Deceased. PROBATE NO. DP-24-78 NOTICE TO CREDOTRS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned has been appointed Personal Representative of the above-named estate. All persons having claims against the said deceased are required to present their claims within four months after the date of the first publication of this notice or said claims will be forever barred. Claims must either be mailed to DARLA CONNERS, the Personal Representative, return receipt requested, at the address below or filed with...
Polson wins Lake County tilt against Ronan
Polson powered its way on the ground, rushing for 318 yards as it defeated its Lake County rival Ronan 37-14 on Friday, September 20. The win pushed Polson’s record to 3-1 on the season.“It always feels good to go and get a win in Ronan,” Carson Oakland said. “Our ability to control the line of scrimmage was a key for us. When we run the ball you can control the game and clock. Our offense did a good job executing in the first half and minus some big plays our whole defense played a good game.”Pirate quarterback Hunter Emerson had...
Delaney runs to second at Thompson Falls Invite
Polson sophomore Morgan Delaney placed second at the Thompson Falls Invite (18:54.32) on Saturday, Sept. 21, while teammate Kimora Scott was third (20:15.60). Arlee sophomore Anola Naugle was eighth (21:10.85). Ronan’s Annie Adams was 40th (23:21.19). On the boys side, Polson junior David DiGiallonardo placed fourth (16:47.43) at the invite, while teammate Jackson Bontadelli was sixth (17:09.12)Mission senior Harlon Leishman was ninth (17:21.41), while Ronan senior Jacob Piapot was tenth (17:23.16). Piapot’s teammate Tayen Edmo was 16th (17:48.05) and Jhett McDonald was 28th (18:20.23). Ronan would finish fourth as a team at the invite.
Polson boys soccer shuts out Corvallis
Jackson Bontadelli continues his scoring streak, notching two goals in a 5-0 victory by Polson over Corvallis on Thursday, Sept. 19, in Southern A Conference play.Corvallis scored two own goals, while Ted Mausshardt had Polson’s third non-Corvallis assisted goal of the game. Lucian Sawyer, Afton Hatch and Parker Hendrickson had assists in the matchup.Polson improved to 2-1 in conference play and 3-2 overall.Bontadelli Notches hat trick in win over FrenchtownThe Southern A Conference is bunched up, and the Polson Pirates are now receiving votes in the Class A Power Poll. The Pirates picked up an important conference win on Tuesday, September 17, downing Frenchtown 5-3. Sophomore midfielder Jackson Bontadelli pulled the rabbit out of the hat with a hat trick against the Broncs, notching three goals in the victory and dishing out another assist. Midfielder Lucian Sawyer and midfielder/goalie combo Edgar Vejez-Pete also had goals, while Sawyer added an assist to his total. Dion Lichtenberg also notched an assist in the victory.Polson received three votes on the power poll on Sunday, while South second-place team Hamilton was ranked No. 5, South-leading Stevensville was No. 4, Whitefish was No. 3 and Columbia Falls was No. 1.
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