Page 25 - Flathead Beacon // 4.27.16

which time the spill spread nearly a mile downhill and polluted a stream in north- western Montana.
A federal grand jury indictment unsealed last week charged FX Drill- ing Co. and eld supervisor Quay Geza Torok with negligent discharge of oil into waters of the United States and failure to immediately notify federal authorities of the spill.
Torok and an attorney for the com- pany entered not guilty pleas in U.S. Dis- trict Court in Great Falls on April 19. They dispute the Environmental Protec- tion Agency’s assertion that the spilled oil ever made it to water.
“The EPA is trying to make it some- thing that it’s not and we’re standing up to them,” said Cathy Laughner, the attor- ney for FX Drilling.
Torok discovered a 3-inch line con- necting two oil wells had broken on an oil eld on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation on June 12, 2011, according to the indict- ment. The line was xed, but the com- pany did not take steps to clean up the oil and production uid that had already leaked, prosecutors said.
The spill, up to 840 gallons, spread down a drainage and into a tributary that ows into Cut Bank Creek, which empties into the Marias River. A boater reported the spill to Blackfeet tribal o cials.
HELENA
5. GOP Lawmakers Seek to Ground
State Aircraft for Campaigning
Three Montana lawmakers say they will introduce legislation next year to prohibit the use of Montana’s govern- ment-owned airplane for campaign purposes.
The Republican legislators — Sen. Mark Blasdel, Rep. Ryan Osmundson and Rep. Brad Tschida — announced their plans amid continuing controversy over Gov. Steve Bullock’s use of the aircraft.
The proposal wouldn’t allow the air- craft to be used for travel to places less than 120 miles from Helena, unless it’s an emergency. It would also bar use of the plane for trips that include campaigning.
Earlier this year, Bullock reimbursed the state nearly $2,700 for campaign events that coincided with state business.
Tschida and Osmundson, who both face re-election, want the governor to foot more of the bill.
The governor’s spokeswoman, Ronja Abel, says Bullock has used the aircraft “less on average” than any previous governor.
HELENA
6. Facebook Disputes Claims of
Gianforte
In a recent campaign speech, guberna- torial candidate Greg Gianforte asserted that Facebook passed over Montana for a data center because of the state’s busi- ness equipment tax.
However, a spokesman for the inter- net giant said last week that Facebook executives never spoke to the Bozeman Republican.
Gianforte made his claims at a news conference at a Clancy lumberyard on April 18, when he unveiled a tax-relief
proposal. He said he had discussions with Facebook and others about building data centers in Montana.
He went on to say: “You know what the biggest barrier was? The business equip- ment tax.”
Facebook spokesman Andy Stone on April 21 said no discussions with Gian- forte took place and the tax was not the reason the company didn’t locate the cen- ter in Montana.
Gianforte stood by his comments, say- ing he spoke with a Facebook executive last year. That same executive, Gianforte said, appeared on a radio show last year hosted by Aaron Flint, now the spokes- man for the Gianforte campaign.
Facebook said Flint’s guest was a low-level former employee who had no direct involvement in data center plan- ning or operations. Facebook also said the employee left the company about a year ago.
Flint’s guest, Dean Roberts, said in an interview with The Associated Press on he was not speaking on behalf of Face- book on the radio program or when he later spoke with Gianforte.
His employment status with Face- book at the time of his on-air chat with Flint and his conversation with Gianforte could not be veri ed. He said a nondisclo- sure agreement with the company pre- vented him from providing details.
Roberts denied telling Gianforte that Facebook’s reason for not pursuing a data center in Montana was because of the business equipment tax.
“I would have been under no o cial capacity to comment on that on behalf of Facebook. ... Nor was I ever authorized to do that,” Roberts said.
Roberts said he had no role in the com- pany’s site-selection process.
In a statement emailed to The AP, Facebook said it will continue to con- sider Montana, as well as other states, for future data operations.
BILLINGS
7. Investigator Says Woman Beat
Baby to Death
A federal investigator says a woman beat to death a 1-year-old girl on a Mon- tana Indian reservation and threw the baby’s body into a dumpster.
Forty-two-year-old Janelle Red Dog appeared in Fort Peck Tribal Court on April 22 in the death of Kenzley Olson. Court o cials say she didn’t enter a plea and was returned to custody.
KTMF-TV reports Bureau of Indian A airs investigator Ken Trottier says Red Dog confessed to punching Kenzley several times on April 19, killing her. She then put the girl’s body into a du el bag and threw it in a dumpster.
Trottier says Red Dog reported Ken- zley missing, prompting authorities in Montana and North Dakota to issue an alert for a kidnapped child. The rela- tion between Red Dog and the girl is uncertain.
Red Dog’s attorney, Mary Zemyan, didn’t immediately return a telephone message from The Associated Press seek- ing comment.
QUITTING
“Traditional”
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APRIL 27, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM
25
a selection of jewelry
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Closed Sunday & Monday to review inventory & adjust discounts.
735 Main Street, Kalispell, MT 59901
Located 2 doors north of the courthouse on the east side of main street.