BUTTE – The organizer of Butte’s St. Patrick’s Day parade has been arrested on a drunken driving charge.
The Montana Standard reports 61-year-old Mollie A. Kirk was stopped at about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday after an officer reported seeing a vehicle being driven recklessly. The officer conducted a field sobriety test and Kirk was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving.
Kirk is the longtime director of Butte Celebrations, which organizes the city’s St. Patrick’s Day parade, the Fourth of July parade and other events. She was released from jail after posting a $5,195 bond. She has not appeared in court. A call to a phone listing for Kirk rang unanswered.
Thousands of people were expected to attend Thursday’s St. Patrick’s Day parade and continue celebrating the city’s Irish heritage into the night.