New Briefs

Oct. 22

Ricciardi fined for July wreck

Chris Ricciardi, the chief of the Finley Point-Yellow Bay Volunteer Fire Department, was convicted of the amended misdemeanor offense of negligent endangerment (substantial risk – death/serious bodily injury), in Judge Chuck Wall’s justice court last week. Ricciardi was given a $950 fine with 30 days in jail with all 30 days suspended.

The 52-year old faced charges in connection with a July 4 motorcycle accident. According to police reports, Ricciardi was returning from a Highway to Hell AC/DC tribute concert in Ronan in the early morning hours of July 4 when he reportedly took a wide turn on his Harley Davidson motorcycle at Fulkerson’s Corner, south of Finley Point on Montana Highway 35, catching on some gravel and going into a slide off the highway.

Ricciardi reportedly sustained no serious injuries in the accident.

At the time, Ricciardi was charged with driving under the influence, criminal possession of dangerous drugs and criminal possession of drug paraphernalia.

The driving under the influence charge was amended to negligent endangerment and the prosecutor dismissed the drug charges.

-Reporter Aimee Niles

Candidate’s sign defaced

On Monday, Polson Police Chief Doug Chase said one of Polson city commissioner candidate Murat Kalinyaprak’s signs was defaced with what he described as “borderline hate speech.”

Chase said “go back to Turkey” was written on the sign posted on the bulletin board at SuperOne grocery store.

Kalinyaprak wants to press charges, Chase said.

“This is as inappropriate as can be,” Chase said. “The insinuation is completely out of line, and there is no reason to do this to someone who is running for office.”

Chase said there is video surveillance in that area of the SuperOne store that could reveal the identity of the person who wrote the note, however, he is unsure whether law enforcement can invest the time to watch all the tape.

Chase said he is recommending that law enforcement personnel outside of the Polson Police Department investigate the case to ensure fairness in the investigation.

“We want to make sure [Kalinyaprak] feels like he is being treated fairly,” he said.

Kalinyaprak is running for a four-year term for Polson’s Ward Two.

-Reporter Aimee Niles