Page 25 - Flathead Beacon // 5.20.2015

FLATHEADBEACON.COM NEWS MAY 20, 2015 | 25 The Roundup
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FLATHEAD
KALISPELL WOMAN DIES IN EARLY MORNING ROLLOVER
A 29-year-old Kalispell woman died after the vehicle she was in rolled over on Montana Highway 206 near Colum- bia Falls on the morning of May 14.
The woman, Loretta Brown, was ejected from the sports utility vehicle after it crashed, according to Montana Highway Patrolman David Mills and the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office. The crash was reported at 5:20 a.m.
A 36-year-old Kalispell man was also in the vehicle and ejected. He received minor injuries and was taken to Ka- lispell Regional Medical Center.
Neither passenger was wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident. Authori- ties believe alcohol was a factor.
Mills said authorities are trying to figure out who was driving the vehicle. The cause of the wreck is still under in- vestigation
KALISPELL HOME DESTROYED IN EARLY MORNING FIRE
A Kalispell home on 6th Avenue East was destroyed in a fire on the morning of May 17, according to the Kalispell Fire Department.
No one was injured in the blaze.
Firefighters got the call shortly af- ter 3:30 a.m. and when they arrived they found that three sides of the building were engulfed in smoke and flames. All residents were evacuated before fire- fighters arrived.
First responders worked tirelessly to protect the surrounding structures but in the end the home itself was lost. Fire Chief Dave Dedman said there was at least $200,000 worth of damage. A pre- liminary investigation found that the fire started because of the “improper use and disposal of smoking materials.”
Firefighters from Kalispell, South Kalispell, Evergreen and Smith Valley all responded to the scene.
HUNTER CITED FOR KILLING GRIZZLY BEAR
A Wisconsin hunter mistakenly shot a male grizzly bear near Spotted Bear on May 16. The hunter thought the animal was a black bear when he shot, accord- ing to state officials. The hunter shot the grizzly in the area of the Wilderness Lodge where he was staying. Upon dis- covering it was a grizzly, the hunter im- mediately reported the incident to Mon- tana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
On May 17, Richard Kutcher ap- peared in Flathead County Justice Court and pled guilty to the charge. He was fined $235 and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution as mandated by state law.
FWP Game Warden Perry Brown responded and investigated the scene. Kutcher was cooperative and gave a de- tailed account of what happened. Brown picked up the bear and cited the hunter for killing a grizzly bear in a closed sea- son.
MONTANA
COMMISSION: SCHWEITZER’S MINING CLAIMS WORTH NOTHING
A group including former Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer is not entitled to any compensation after its mining claims were taken to make way for a pro- posed silver and copper mine, according to an expert commission appointed by a federal judge.
Schweitzer and other investors have sought up to $10 million in compensa- tion after mining claims they own were condemned under a court order for the proposed Montanore silver mine near Libby.
A tunnel for the mine passes through the claims held by Schweitzer’s group, Optima, Inc.
The three-member commission said Optima did not show that its mining claims, or rights, had been worth any- thing prior to the condemnation. The commission sided with developer Mines Management, Inc. of Spokane, Washing- ton, in a report filed Wednesday.
The findings must be accepted by U.S.DistrictJudgeDanaL.Christensen, who appointed the commission to inves- tigate the compensation dispute and has final say over the case.
Schweitzer is a former two-term Democratic governor who became chairman of Montana’s largest min- ing company, Billings-based Stillwater Mining, soon after leaving office in 2013. Stillwater is not involved in the Mon- tanoreclaims.
Optima paid at least $700,000 to ac- quire its stake in the claims from owner Arnold Bakie. The deal called for future payments to Bakie of $50,000 per year up to a total of $1.1 million, according to court documents.
Schweitzer said in an interview that despite the commission’s findings, the claims held by Optima have value and their condemnation will prevent the group from pursuing a mine of its own.
“The point needs to be made very clear, it’s Arnold Bakie, plus Optima, that have been the defendants,” Sch- weitzer said. “We didn’t sue anybody. We were trying to develop a mining claim and an out-of-state corporation sued to take those rights away.”
Optima has 21 days to object to the commission’s findings.
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