Page 27 - Flathead Beacon // 10.22.14

FLATHEADBEACON.COM
NEWS
OCTOBER 22, 2014 | 27 CALLING ALL
The Roundup
From Beacon wire and news services
FRITZ
CHILDREN OF THE CORN
FLATHEAD
MAN DIES IN WEEKEND HOUSE FIRE IN SOMERS
A Somers man was killed in a house fire on Oct. 18.
The Flathead County Sheriff’s Office identified the victim as Danny Ray Mc- Carroll, 66, of Somers. McCarroll was the only person in the house when the fire was reported at 3:30 p.m.
According to the Associated Press, a neighbor saw the flames, grabbed a res- pirator and was able to pull McCarroll out of the house, but he had already died by the time they got out. The man’s dog was rescued in the blaze.
The cause of the fire is under inves- tigation.
WARDENS INVESTIGATING DEER POACHING ALONG FARM TO MARKET ROAD
State wildlife officers are investigat- ing multiple poaching incidents involv- ing deer along Farm to Market Road west of Kalispell.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks game wardens are seeking information related to the illegal killing and wasting of numerous deer.
“We’ve had multiple deer shot and left,” Game Warden Wes Oedekoven said. “We have had a string of them ever since June.”
Most of the activity has occurred at night, presumably with the aid of artifi- cial light, such as a spotlight, according to FWP. There is no evidence of antlers being taken from the animals.
Anyone with information that could aid in the investigation is urged to call 1-800-TIPMONT. Callers can remain anonymous and anyone with informa- tion leading to a conviction may be eli- gible for a reward.
Earlier this year, four local individ- uals were charged with multiple deer poaching cases. All total, the four de- fendants paid $16,435 in fines and resti- tution and lost their privileges to hunt, trap and fish for a total of 51 years.
According to Warden Captain Lee Anderson, while there had been some reprieve from this illegal activity fol- lowing the recent prosecution of several individuals in the area, wardens are con- cerned that this type of activity is occur- ring again.
MALE GRIZZLY BEAR RELOCATED AFTER KILLING COW
A male grizzly bear was relocated from the Blackfoot Valley to the South Fork of the Flathead River drainage this week after killing a young cow north of Ovando.
The USDA Wildlife Services and
state Fish, Wildlife and Parks employees captured an adult male and female griz- zly on Tuesday near the site where the cow was killed.
Biologists determined the female grizzly was not involved in the depreda- tion just north of the Blackfoot-Clear- water Wildlife Management Area and that bear was released nearby.
MONTANA
REPUBLICANS QUESTION BULLOCK EDUCATION PROGRAM
Republican lawmakers are question- ing a plan by Gov. Steve Bullock for a $37 million early childhood education pro- gram.
The proposal would make grants available to public schools to create or expand programs for 4-year-olds.
Bullock was in Billings last week to talk about Early Edge Montana and planned to visit Great Falls, Helena, Missoula and Bozeman this week to talk about his preschool plan.
Lee Newspapers of Montana reports Sen. Llew Jones of Conrad questioned whether the program is the best use of state money for education.
“We have schools that can’t recruit teachers because their salaries aren’t high enough,” Jones said. “If we’re go- ing to sign up for a new program with the potential for growth, are we making the wisest investment that’s to be made to- day?”
Montana is one of eight states with- out any state investment in preschool programs.
Bullock plans to include the funding request in the two-year budget he pres- ents to the Legislature in November.
NEW COMMON CORE TESTS TO COST $27 PER STUDENT
It will cost the state of Montana about $2 million, or $27 per student, to administer and score the new battery of K-12 Common Core-aligned tests, ac- cording to the Office of Public Instruc- tion.
The department recently finalized contracts for the Smarter Balanced computer-based exams, which gauge students’ mastery of the new standards and will be given for the first time next spring.
The old paper-and-pencil Criterion- Referenced Test, or CRT, for English/ language arts, math and science had a price tag of $2.9 million, according to OPI.
Students will continue to take the CRT science exam, pushing the total testing cost this year to $3.2 million — about 10 percent more than in the past.
MAZE
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