News briefs

Holiday fire prevention tips

LAKE COUNTY — Thanksgiving has passed with relatively few incidents requiring fire suppression but Polson Fire Chief John Fairchild hopes residents will keep some safety tips in mind as the holidays really swing into full gear.

Holiday lights are up on houses, structures and strung around Christmas trees, which can pose problems if people aren’t careful, Fairchild said.

“Be careful with how much you overload a circuit, you can overheat that circuit and cause ignition,” he said. “Most of those string lights you can only put four in succession without blowing the circuit or overheating that circuit.”

Fairchild said there have been a number of recalls on candles, so if you have questions about which are safe, call the Polson Fire Department at 406-883-8220.

“Don’t leave a candle unattended, especially around kids or pets,” he said. “You just don’t know what will happen next.”

The biggest concern, Fairchild said, is with heating units, either space heaters or baseboard heaters. He said those devices can create one of the biggest fire dangers during the winter months.

“We just want to remind people to clean the dust bunnies out,” Fairchild said. “You need heaters a minimum of 18 inches away from furniture; don’t push your beds up close to heaters. When those things are on, it’s only a matter of time and space for that to ignite the furniture, that’s the critical piece.”

The amount of baking and cooking goes up as family visits and Fairchild warned chefs to keep an eye on food that’s cooking and not to leave the home unattended while the stove or oven is on.

“If you’re going to use a microwave, pay attention to what’s going on,” he said. “We’ve had fires start in the microwave and extend into the cabinetry. Also, if you’re basting, pull the food out of the oven, away from the oven element.”

Fairchild said following these simple tips can help you have a happy, safe holiday season.

-reporter Sasha Goldstein

Altercation lands man back in jail

RONAN — A Ronan man was arrested early Sunday morning after an altercation at a local tavern.

Jon Lozeau, 23, is being held on five charges, including two felonies, after an alleged fight around 1 a.m. at Dick’s Pheasant Lounge on Main Street. Lozeau allegedly punched, spit and struggled with two officers attempting to control the situation, Ronan assistant police chief Art Walgren said.

Lozeau was arrested and charged with assault on a peace officer, threats and improper influence, both felonies, and assault with bodily fluid, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, misdemeanors. As of press time, Lozeau remained jailed on $5,000 bond.

This is the second alleged altercation involving Lozeau in the last two and a half months. He was arrested and charged with two counts of felony assault with a weapon after allegedly stabbing John Allen the evening of Oct. 2. He had been freed on $10,000 surety bond shortly after that incident. He has pleaded not guilty to those charges in Lake County District Court.

-reporter Sasha Goldstein

Bank joker charged

ROLLINS — A 48-year-old Rollins man has been charged with felony criminal endangerment after he allegedly joked about robbing a Lakeside bank — the same bank where a real robbery occurred in November.

Ross Tetachuk has been in the Flathead County Detention Center since Dec. 1 when his apparently botched attempt at humor caused a lockdown at Glacier Bank on U.S. 93 South.

That’s the same location where a helmeted man displayed a weapon, demanded cash and fled on a motorcycle on Nov. 10.

According to documents filed by the Flathead County Attorney’s Office, Tetachuk entered the bank and said “I’m going to rob you, I have a gun.” He then allegedly reached toward his waistband before later declaring it was prank.

Less-than-amused bank employees told Tetachuk to leave, but he became belligerent and insisted on making a withdrawal first, according to court documents. Bank staffers told Flathead County Sheriff’s Office investigators they feared for their safety and thought Tetachuk could easily have become aggressive toward them.

During the transaction, Tetachuk — who employees believed was intoxicated — allegedly made comments about having served in Iraq as a sniper and told the tellers “they needed to toughen up and not be afraid after being robbed.”

When Tetachuk left, bank employees locked the doors and secured the building, according to court documents.

“It’s just general stupidity,” Flathead County Sheriff’s Office Undersheriff Pete Wingert, who took the initial report from a Glacier Bank employee said. “You don’t go into a bank and joke about a robbery. You don’t make that sort of movement.”

The Sheriff’s Office initially recommended a charge of attempted robbery, but Flathead County Attorney’s Office Administrator Vickie Eggum said the incident did not quite meet the requirements.

She compared the incident with a hypothetical situation in which someone driving in the wrong lane of traffic toward oncoming vehicles could force someone to take evasive maneuvers that potentially could result in harm.

“He did not have a gun, but they were under the impression that he did,” Eggum said.

Tetachuk is being held in county jail with bail set at $16,185. Felony criminal endangerment is punishable by up to 10 years in state prison and a fine of $50,000.

There have been two bank robberies in south Flathead County since Sept. 24, when another man wearing a motorcycle helmet demanded cash at First Interstate Bank in Bigfork before fleeing on foot.

-reporter Eric Schwartz

Draggin Wagon wins award

POLSON — Jaques Longpre from Draggin Wagon, of Polson, has received the prestigious American Towman ACE Award for achievement in service performance. Recipients were nominated by the nation’s major motor clubs and dispatch centers, including: Asurion, Coach-Net, GEICO, National Automobile Club and Nation Safe Drivers.

The nomination guidelines for the ACE Award include: the highest percentage of calls when the estimated time of arrival is achieved, consistency in response time, written appreciation from customers and percentage of calls serviced (instead of turning them away) thereby reflecting reliability and overall professionalism.

-courtesy of Nelia Kennedy

Free combination gun locks

PABLO — Free combination gun locks are available in Pablo. Contact Roxana, Program Coordinator of the CSKT Circle of Trust Youth Suicide Prevention Program at (406) 270-8631 or ask for Crystal Weatherwax at (406) 675-2700 ext. 1156.

Did You Know?

For every two victims of homicide in the U.S. there are three deaths from suicide. We can all be better prepared if we can consider what suicide prevention is about and act upon that knowledge which begins with safety at home. Montana and Wyoming are two states among others that have high suicide rates. It’s not because people in gun-owning states are more suicidal than people in states where fewer people own guns, but that suicide attempts in states with lots of guns produce more completed suicides.

Reducing access to lethal means is something we can all do to increase the odds that a suicide attempt will end in care, not death. Studies clearly show where there are more guns, there are more suicides. Too often parents believe that their guns are “hidden” or that their kids would never use them in a suicide attempt, but parents routinely underestimate youths’ ability to find and handle guns at home.

Among gun-owning households, the risk of youth suicide is lower in those storing all guns locked and unloaded than in those storing guns less securely. When parents were asked, “has your child handled guns in your home:” 70 percent of the parents reported “no” while 30 percent of the children reported “yes”. We can all make our homes safer and limit access to means:

• Store guns away from the home (particularly if a family member or friend is going through a difficult time with depression, drug or alcohol problems, divorce, arrest, domestic abuse, partner assault).

• Have someone trustworthy temporarily keep the guns stored away from the home.

• Make sure guns are locked and unloaded and kept in a securely locked cabinet or safe (make sure it truly can’t be opened by an unauthorized person).

• Use cabinets that don’t have glass or flimsy locks.

• Use trigger locks (key or combination).

• Insure that firearms in the home are not casually accessible to anyone—especially a child.

Evidence from many countries and cultures shows that limiting access to lethal means and methods of self-harm is an effective strategy to prevent self-destructive behaviors in certain individuals. Evidence suggests that there may be a limited time effect for decreasing suicide, as over time, individuals with ongoing suicide intent may substitute a more available for the restricted, less available methods.

-courtesy of Roxana Colman

Pheasant and partridge season ends

Tribal Wildlife Managers announce that the hunting season for pheasants and gray partridges ends January 1, 2011. Duck, merganser and geese hunting season will close on Jan. 14, 2011.

Hunters are also reminded that the shooting hours for geese, ducks, mergansers and Coots changes after Jan. 1.

The shooting hours for the period of Jan. 2 through Jan. 14 are one half hour before sunrise to sunset of each day.

For more information about the 2010-2011 waterfowl hunting season, shooting hours and limits for pheasants, gray partridges and migratory waterfowl contact Dale Becker, Tribal Wildlife Program Manager or Germaine White, Information & Education Specialist at 883-2888.

-courtesy of Germaine White