Page 23 - Flathead Beacon // 2.4.15

FLATHEADBEACON.COM NEWS FEBRUARY 4, 2015 | 23 The Roundup
From Beacon wire and news services
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PLAINS MAN DIES IN ONE- VEHICLE CRASH
A 36-year-old man from Plains died in a fiery, one-vehicle crash on a gravel road in Sanders County.
The Montana Highway Patrol tells KECI-TV that the man was westbound on River Road between Plains and Thompson Falls early Jan. 30 when he began to slide as he rounded a curve. The car hit a tree on the shoulder of the road, spun around, went down an embank- ment and caught fire.
The man died at the scene. His name had not been released when the Beacon went to print.
SNOWMOBILERS CITED FOR RIDING IN MISSION WILDERNESS
Law enforcement officers recently cited seven snowmobilers for riding in the Mission Mountain Wilderness, a protected area in the Flathead National Forest.
Motorized vehicles are prohibited in designated wilderness areas.
Seven violation notices were issued to the snowmobilers for possessing or using a motor vehicle or motorized equipment in a National Forest Wilder- ness. The snowmobilers were each fined $325. Violating the policy carries a max- imum penalty of up to $5,000 for an in- dividual or $10,000 for an organization or imprisonment for not more than six months or both.
According to Flathead National For- est officials, officers observed snowmo- bile tracks entering the wilderness area while patrolling the Mission Mountain Wilderness boundary. Later, several snowmobiles exited the Mission Moun- tain Wilderness area.
Four of the snowmobilers were from Kalispell and the other three were from the Polson area.
Forest Service Law Enforcement also issued violation notices to two snowmobile operators who violated the Badger – Two Medicine closure area on the Lewis and Clark National Forest.
One individual from Raymond, Al- berta stated he knew the area had been closed in the past but that someone told him it was no longer closed to snowmo- biles.
The individual was cited for operat- ing a snowmobile in violation of the Mo- tor Vehicle Use Map.
Another individual from Cut Bank drove his snowmobile past two blaze or- ange boundary signs advising that the area was closed to motor vehicles. The individual stated he was unaware the
area was closed to motorized vehicles. Forest Service Law Enforcement contacted the individual inside the clo- sure area and cited him for operating a snowmobile in violation of the Motor
Vehicle Use Map.
Both citations included a $175 fine. “Snowmobilers have a responsibil-
ity to know where they can and cannot operate on Forest Service land,” stated Teresa Wenum, conservation education coordinator with the Flathead National Forest.
The Forest Service provides free maps showing areas that are open to motorized travel and recreation at area offices.
HONG KONG BUSINESSMAN CHARGED WITH DAMAGING POLSON HOUSE
A Hong Kong businessman is charged with breaking into a northwestern Mon- tana home after getting drunk at a wed- ding and causing extensive damage in a caseajudgesays“readslikea‘Hangover’ movie.”
Lake County sheriff’s deputies re- sponding to a report of a naked intruder at a residence near Bigfork, east of Flat- head Lake, found food strewn across the kitchen, a frying pan heating “some sort of wretched, mysterious substance” on the stove, urine-soaked formalwear in the living room and flooding from a damaged water line. Guneet Banga was found naked and asleep in the bedroom early on Sept. 6.
A deputy ordered Banga out of bed at gunpoint and Banga seemed confused as to why officers were there, court records said.
Investigators learned that Banga had attended a wedding a few houses away and apparently, while intoxicated, mis- takenly broke into someone else’s house to get some sleep.
Banga tried to claim diplomatic im- munity, a law enforcement report said.
Banga was arrested, cited and re- leased, Sheriff Don Bell said.
Charges of felony criminal mischief and misdemeanor criminal trespass were filed on Jan. 23 and Banga was or- dered to appear for arraignment on Jan. 28. He did not show up.
District Judge James Manley said the charging document affidavit “reads like a ‘Hangover’ movie.” He said he would sign a $25,000 warrant, an amount prosecutors said would ensure Banga’s return or cover the cost of repairs.
Court records do not indicate a dam- age estimate.
A businessman with the same name didn’t return phone messages and emails from The Associated Press seek- ing comment.
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