Page 23 - Flathead Beacon // 11.2.16

Paul Lyn Nisbet and former CEO George Leslie Manlove were charged last year with more than 200 federal counts. According to prosecutors, the two cre- ated shell corporations and had Vann’s lease property from them without the permission from the rest of the board of directors.
Manlove is accused of using com- pany money for personal expenses like tuition for himself, vacations and jew- elry for family members and member- ship fees at private clubs, with Nisbet’s knowledge and approval, according to The Missoulian.
HAMILTON
5. Four Teens Face Arson Charges in Fire That Destroyed 16 Homes
Ravalli County o cials say a camp- re that wasn’t completely extinguished was the cause of a wild re near Hamil- ton that burned over 13 square miles of forest land, destroyed 16 homes and 49 outbuildings.
Prosecutors have led felony and misdemeanor negligent arson charges against three 18-year-old Hamilton men and a 16-year-old girl for the Roaring Lion re, which began on July 31 and led to the evacuation of around 600 homes. One homeowner su ered a fatal heart attack while preparing to evacuate.
Steven Banks, Tyler Landon Johnson and Cody William Knez received sum- monses to appear in Justice Court this week. County Attorney Bill Fulbright says the girl is charged in Youth Court.
Court records say the case was solved when a civilian investigator matched a picture of the spot where the re started with a photo the girl posted on Instagram.
HELENA
6. Montana O cial Calls Election Rigging a Conspiracy Theory
The idea that this month’s elections could be rigged is a conspiracy theory comparable to the U.S. government hid- ing aliens in Rowell, New Mexico, Elvis Presley faking his death or the 1969 moon landing being a hoax, Montana’s secre- tary of state said last week.
Secretary of State Linda McCulloch, a Democrat, sought to reassure voters that the state’s elections won’t be com- promised after reports of stolen absen- tee ballots and people o ering to deliver voters’ ballots for them in at least three counties.
But at times, McCulloch’s comments seemed more directed as a response to Republican presidential candidate Don- ald Trump’s statements that the elections could be rigged.
“If you want to spread theories about Elvis or Roswell or the moon landing that’s ne,” McCulloch said. “But don’t do it about elections. It’s shameful behavior that harms a great state.”
McCulloch said she was speaking only of Montana elections, though she acknowledged there have been no direct claims that the state’s election system might be compromised on Nov. 8. “I just wanted to address everything at once during this one press conference, sort of lay it all to rest,” she said.
Montana’s Republican Party chairman
called on McCulloch to take action after voters in several counties reported that people o ered to deliver their absentee ballots for them, and that at least one was working for the state’s Democratic Party. Billings police said at least 10 peo- ple reported their absentee ballots had been taken from their mailboxes.
McCulloch said she is advising all absentee voters to deliver or mail their ballots themselves, and not to give them to anybody they don’t know. But she also warned the leaders of all political par- ties to halt what she called a “partisan outcry about election rigging and elec- tion fraud.”
HELENA
7. Governor Criticizes Sentence in Incest Case
Montana’s governor agrees with citi- zens who are upset that a man was sen- tenced to 60 days in jail for raping his 12-year-old daughter, but Steve Bullock says his o ce has no authority to inves- tigate or override the decision.
Bullock sent an email last week to con- stituents who contacted his o ce about District Judge John McKeon’s decision to give the eastern Montana man a 30-year suspended prison sentence.
“As a father of three school age kids, I believe the sentence Judge McKeon imposed is unacceptable,” Bullock wrote. “Rape of a child is a horri c crime and when it happens at the hands of a parent, it violates a relationship we expect to be centered on trust and protection.”
Court records said the mother walked in on the father raping the child. The Associated Press is not identifying the man to avoid identifying the victim of a sexual assault.
State law calls for a mandatory min- imum 25-year sentence for incest if the victim is age 12 or younger. McKeon sus- pended the man’s sentence under an exception that allows for a lesser sentence if a psychosexual evaluation determines treatment “a ords a better opportunity for rehabilitation ... and the ultimate pro- tection of the victim and society.”
BILLINGS
8. House Speaker Paul Ryan Stumps for Zinke
House Speaker Paul Ryan is urging Montana voters to send U.S. Rep Ryan Zinke back to Congress for a second term as Republicans seek to boost turn- out ahead of the Nov. 8 election.
During an Oct. 30 rally at the Billings airport, Ryan described Zinke, a former U.S Navy SEAL, as a rising leader within their party.
The Wisconsin lawmaker cited Zin- ke’s push to bar Syrian refugees and his support for lifting the ban on U.S. crude oil experts.
Democratic challenger Denise Juneau says Zinke spent too much time promot- ing his own political career instead of protecting Montana’s interests.
Also at the rally was Republican gubernatorial candidate Greg Gianforte. The Bozeman tech industry entrepre- neur has sunk more than $5 million of his fortune into his bid to unseat Gov. Steve Bullock.
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