CRIME & SAFETY

A Columbia Falls motorist arrested after allegedly drunkenly colliding with a family of cyclists last summer has struck a plea deal with prosecutors. Prosecutors brought Kenneth Malcolm Stevenson, 34, up on one count of felony negligent vehicular assault following the Aug. 21, 2022 collision on Seventh Avenue East North in Kalispell. Although he pleaded not guilty at his September arraignment in Flathead County District Court, Stevenson agreed to change his plea in a deal inked last week. Under the terms of the agreement, prosecutors will recommend Stevenson receive a 10-year sentence with the state Department of Corrections with five years suspended. Judge Dan Wilson set a change of plea hearing on July 6. Stevenson allegedly seriously injured one man — and subsequently struck a Jeep — after trying to pass a group of cyclists in his Ford F-350 pickup truck. Responding Kalispell Police officers reported that Stevenson sported slurred speech and watery, bloodshot eyes. He also allegedly smelled of an alcoholic beverage and needed the help of officers to stand upright. Stevenson was driving shoeless at the time, court documents said. The 34-year-old admitted to drinking at an area bar earlier in the evening and eventually consented to a blood draw, according to court documents.

The Flathead County Sheriff’s Office responded to over 500 calls and 16 people were arrested over the Memorial Day holiday weekend.

KALISPELL, Mont. - Over the Memorial weekend, Flathead County Sheriff’s Office had 519 calls for service across its 5,200 square miles. Deputies arrested sixteen individuals who are currently being held in the detention center. By the end of the weekend, the population at the detention center was 111 inmates.

A Whitefish man accused of fraudulently voting the ballot of another elector in the 2020 general election appeared for arraignment on criminal charges today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Donald Samuel Hill, 52, pleaded not guilty to an indictment charging him with false information in voting and with fraudulent voting. If convicted of the most serious crime, Hill faces a maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and one year of supervised release. U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided. Hill was released pending further proceedings. “Our voting laws are in place to protect the right of every citizen to cast...

9:30 a.m. Someone reported getting a call that a person, who was a known thief, had their dog but claimed not to have stolen it. 10:15 a.m. A dog killed several of the neighbor’s chickens. 11:53 a.m. A couple of lost mules were turned in to law enforcement. 12:36...

On Monday afternoon, a 28-year-old female from Kansas fell off a rocky overhang into Avalanche Creek and was swept into the gorge. According to the Daily Inter Lake, Atheer Abdulrahman S. Alqahtani was spotted in the creek passing under the bridge of Trail of the Cedars by bystanders who waded into the water to pull her out. They immediately began CPR and sent people to notify rangers and call 911. Flathead County Dispatch received and diverted the call to Glacier National Park Dispatch. NPS staff, ALERT and Three Rivers Ambulance mobilized after learning about the incident. The woman was declared deceased by ALERT...

May 24—A Flathead County District Court judge this week dismissed a felony case against a woman accused of trying to cash a forged bond at a valley bank. Authorities brought Liane Maree Lovelace, 55, up on a forgery charge after bank officials determined several bonds she tried to cash on April 7 were fake, according to court documents. The $5,000 bonds were purportedly now worth $44,070, court documents said.

The police calls section is presented for entertainment purposes and does not reflect the nature or the volume of the calls received by local law enforcement. May 13 A young boy accidentally called 911 from an Apple watch. The out-of-state owner of a condo on Lupfer Avenue called police because he believes the unit is being rented without permission by the decorator. Evidence includes a bed that had been slept in and items that were out of place. Two accidental 911 calls came in. One from a purse and one from a person hitting the side buttons a couple of times. A caller was concerned...

Attorneys defending a 37-year-old transient man charged in a deadly September 2021 shooting outside a Kalispell fitness center have asked for a change of venue for an upcoming jury trial, citing unfavorable pre-trial publicity and the “negative attitude” displayed by some Flathead County leaders toward the homeless population.

KALISPELL, Mont. - A search and rescue organization in Montana is reporting a rise in search and rescue missions as temperatures are getting warmer. Two Bear Air said the following in a Facebook post:. "As previously posted on this page, back on May 8th we searched and located a hiker...

May 26—A Kalispell man arrested after allegedly drunkenly driving down a pedestrian path last year was sentenced earlier this month in Flathead County District Court for driving under the influence, fourth or subsequent offense. Judge Dan Wilson on May 11 ordered 31-year-old Steven Lee Myers to 13 months with...

May 19—A Columbia Falls teenager arrested after allegedly firing a handgun during a dispute with his father earned a suspended sentence in Flathead County District Court in late March. Judge Dan Wilson handed down the suspended five-year sentence to Jeremiah Rardon, 19, for criminal endangerment on March 30. Prosecutors...

May 19—A northwest Montana man is facing drug trafficking charges after a traffic stop last fall. Barry Rosenlund, 66, of Kalispell and formerly of Libby, pleaded not guilty to one felony count of criminal possession of dangerous drugs with the intent to distribute on April 17 in Lincoln County District Court.

A person who identifies themselves as a City of Whitefish employee has been calling people seeking immediate payment for an unpaid invoice.

May 17—Authorities have identified a Flathead Valley man already facing a felony stalking charge as the person who held a blade to his throat inside the Flathead County Justice Center in Kalispell on Tuesday. John Drew Peterson, 75, is back in county jail following the roughly one-hour standoff with...

May 17—A Kalispell man arrested for allegedly flashing a gun during a confrontation at an area basketball court last year earned a suspended sentence in Flathead County District Court in March. Judge Dan Wilson handed down the suspended five-year sentence with the state Department of Corrections to 32-year-old Romano...

May 17—A woman allegedly caught with 55 pills containing fentanyl during a traffic stop in Columbia Falls in April pleaded not guilty last week to a criminal possession of dangerous drugs with intent to distribute charge. Jessica Elaine Boyd-Criado, 27, appeared in Flathead County District Court before Judge Dan...

May 17—A Somers man received a partially-suspended sentence in April for allegedly stealing a construction van last year, driving recklessly and eventually crashing into a camper in Whitefish. Benjamin Edward Brant, 44, earned a 10-year sentence with the state Department of Corrections with five years suspended for felony negligent...

A 75-year-old Kalispell man was arrested after holding a box cutter blade to his throat inside the Flathead County Justice Center on Tuesday, causing a disturbance and saying he wanted “justice.”. John Drew Peterson was booked in the Flathead County Detention Center on May 17 after violating conditions of...

FLATHEAD COUNTY, Mont. — Two Bear Air Rescue reported an increase in missions as more people are becoming active as weather gets warmer in the Treasure State. Within the past two weeks, search and rescue crews assisted in four different missions. Two Bear Air Rescue's most recent mission involved...