Page 22 - Flathead Beacon // 11.27.13

FLATHEADBEACON.COM NEWS NOVEMBER 27, 2013 | 21

The Roundup

From Beacon wire and news services

portant rail link from the Midwest to the
FLATHEAD
Paciic Northwest. No one was injured in

the derailment.
COUNTY UNEMPLOYMENT According to BNSF Railway spokes-
RATE SLIGHTLY UPTICKS
person Matthew Jones, ive freight cars
Flathead County’s unemployment on an eastbound train derailed at about
rate encountered a slight uptick in Oc- 7:15 a.m. Thursday and blocked both
tober, according to the latest state work- main line tracks. The freight cars were
force data.
carrying shipping containers loaded

The non-seasonally adjusted unem- with consumer products and some haz-
ployment rate increased from 6 percent ardous material. Jones noted that all
to 6.6 percent between August and Oc- of the freight was secured and nothing
tober, according to the Montana Depart- spilled on the ground. He also said that
ment of Labor and Industry. Informa- hazardous material could include any-
tion for September was not available due thing from batteries to alcohol.
to the government shutdown.
The train was going from Seattle
Lincoln County had the second worst to Chicago and the cause of the derail-

unemployment rate, 12.4 percent, last ment is under investigation. Although
month. Big Horn County had the high- the main tracks were blocked, Jones said
est, 15.2 percent. Sanders County was freight and passenger trains, including
third highest, 10.1 percent, and Glacier Amtrak’s Empire Builder, were able to
was fourth, 9.7 percent.
run around the wreck on a sidetrack.
Montana’s seasonally adjusted un-
employment rate fell to 5.2 percent in RELATIVES HAND OVER THREE

October, after holding at 5.3 percent CHILDRENREPORTEDMISSING
since July.
POLSON — Relatives have handed
The national unemployment rate over three children reported missing
was 7.3 percent in October.
and believed to be with their father, who
Labor Commissioner Pam Bucy says does not have legal custody of them.
Montana added over 750 jobs in Septem- The Missoulian reports the children
ber, but lost 57 in October.
were turned over to the Lake County
Sherif’s Oice Thursday after the Mon-

HUNTER SHOT NEAR LIBBY tana Department of Justice issued an
IMPROVES TO ‘STABLE’ advisory.
CONDITION
Flathead Tribal Police Chief Craig
A Colorado man who was accidental- Couture says the children were in their
ly shot while hunting near Libby has im- mother’s custody in Lapwai, Idaho, un-
proved to stable condition, according to til she was incarcerated. Another fam-
Kalispell Regional Medical Center and ily member who took them in also was
Lincoln County Sherif’s Oice.
jailed. The children’s father, Kortny Du-

John Cleveland was previously listed back, then picked up the children.
in critical condition after he was shot in The Nez Perce Tribe asked for assis-
the thigh by Mike Wagner of Libby in an tance from Flathead reservation author-
accident in the Libby Creek drainage on ities in locating them.
Nov. 16. Cleveland remains in the inten- Couture says arrest warrants for Du-
sive care unit of KRMC and will be trans- back and two relatives are being issued.
ferred to a Colorado hospital for further He says the 7- and 3-year-old girls and

medical care in the near future, accord- the 5-year-old boy will be turned over to
ing to authorities. The gunshot wound Nez Perce reservation authorities.
and subsequent tourniquet application
to his thigh did not result in amputation, MONTANA
according to sherif’s oicials.
Police are investigation the incident
and further information about the inci- BALLOT MEASURE PROPOSED
dent will not be released until the county TO EXPAND MEDICAID

attorney has reviewed the case.
Advocates for Medicaid expansion
Shortly after 11 a.m., Wagner called gave state oicials proposed language on
authorities and reported that he had ac- last week for a ballot initiative to put the
cidentally shot another hunter who he question to voters.
did not know. Wagner administered aid Backers of the plan have been prom-
and found help with his son.
ising the measure since the Legislature
Cleveland was sent to St. John’s Lu- earlier this year rejected expansion.

theran Hospital where he was stabilized The Healthy Montana Initiative or-
and then sent to KRMC.
ganizers hope to get approval from the
attorney general and start collecting sig-
RAILWAY FREIGHT TRAIN natures by early next year.
DERAILS IN ESSEX
Backers expect they will need more
A BNSF Railway freight train de- than 30,000 signatures to comfortably
railed in Essex on Nov. 21, slowing qualify the measure for the 2014 ballot.
freight and passenger traic on the im-

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