New Briefs

Jan. 21

PHS continues speech/drama season

Polson came in second to Libby with just six points between the two schools in the Class A Drama Sweepstakes at Bigfork’s 22-school class A, B and C speech, debate and drama meet on Jan. 16.  Polson had 48 to Libby’s 54 and Hamilton was third with 40 points. 

Polson also came in fourth in the Class A Speech and Debate Sweepstakes behind Columbia Falls, Whitefish and Hamilton at Bigfork’s meet.  Bigfork captured Class B/C Drama Sweepstakes and Loyola was first in Speech and Debate for Class B/C.

Logan Garcia was the serious solo acting champion with his selection on a schizophrenic young man. John Bishop came in third in the serious solo portion.

Coming in second this meet with her Mad Hatter depiction was Barbara Kenmille in humorous solo acting. Classical duo actors Kelsey Koberg and Laura Barta also captured second with a Mark Twain selection. 

Lincoln Douglas Debater Mary Wiedrich was fifth place with her 2-1 record, just a speaker point out of semi-finals. Logan Nutzman was sixth in L.D. debate and also obtained a record of 2-1.

NaTalia Arlint was fifth in pantomime with her kite flyer depiction. Josie Benedetti and Kelsey Koberg came in sixth in serious duo acting.   Ejnar Petersen and Shad Giles earned sixth in humorous duo acting and Molly and Rob Ricketts were eighth in humorous duo acting. 

Polson travels to Whitefish for the Northwest Divisional Tournament this Saturday.

-Courtesy of Judie Woodhouse

Glueckert to head Warm Springs

The Department of Public Health and Human Services announced last week that John W. Glueckert has been hired as the Montana State Hospital administrator in Warm Springs.

Glueckert replaces Ed Amberg who retired as the hospital administrator in December 2009. The 56-year-old Glueckert, of Polson, will begin his new job on Feb. 1.

Glueckert was the chief executive officer of the St. Joseph Medical Center in Polson for 19, years from 1990 to June 2009. There, he managed a $30 million budget and 250 employees.

In addition, he was responsible for the operations of the corporation including all hospital operations, clinic operations, assisted living center and home health agency. During this time, he oversaw a 60,000-square-foot hospital addition and construction of a new assisted living center.

He was also the assistant to the president at St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula supporting all hospital operations from 1983 to 1990.

Glueckert holds a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Montana and is a graduate of Whitman College in Walla Walla, Wash., where he earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology.

 As the administrator for the Montana State Hospital, Glueckert will be responsible for providing leadership and direction in all Montana State Hospital services, developing and implementing the Long Range Building Plan, developing policies, procedures and standards in agreement with all state and federal requirements, among other duties.

Montana State Hospital is the only publicly operated inpatient psychiatric hospital in the state. It provides treatment to adults who have serious mental illnesses and who are referred from hospitals, mental health programs, and district courts from across the state. All admissions are governed by procedures established in state law.

The hospital maintains 174 hospital beds licensed and certified by the U.S. Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS), as well as eight transitional care (group home) beds. The hospital has 406 employees. The licensed capacity is 189 beds.

 Montana State Hospital is one of 225 state psychiatric hospitals in the country. About 30 percent of the patient population at the hospital are admitted through criminal court proceedings to evaluate competency to stand trial or are diverted from a prison sentence. Nearly all of the others are admitted through civil involuntary commitment proceedings initiated by mental health professionals in local communities. This population includes many people diverted from county jails.

-Courtesy of DPHHS

Two arrested after shots fired

CHARLO — A gunfight in Charlo the morning of Jan. 9 involving seven people resulted in the arrest of two Polson men.

Cory Mitchell, 22, was charged with intimidation, assault with a weapon and criminal endangerment related to the discharge of a .44 magnum revolver during the 4:30 a.m. confrontation.

Cole Kneesen, 23, was charged with robbery, assault with a weapon, obstructing a peace officer and carrying a concealed weapon, a knife, while under the influence.

According to a press release from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, the men were involved in a disturbance by the Charlo baseball fields that included reports of gunshots fired. By the time the Sheriff’s Office and Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Police responded, all involved had fled the scene. After being located near the intersection of Montana Highway 212 and U.S. Highway 93, seven people were taken into custody and questioned, with Mitchell and Kneesen the only two jailed.

Both men were held on $20,000 bond, with Mitchell posting his and being released.

The authorities also seized a firearm, a knife and a baseball bat. 

-Reporter Sasha Goldstein

Leafy graduates logistic training

Army Reserve Pfc. Joseph W. Leafty has graduated from the Automated Logistical Specialist Advanced Individual Training course at the U.S. Army Quartermaster Center and School, Fort Lee, Petersburg, Va. 

The course is designed to train soldiers to establish and maintain stock records and other documents such as inventory, material control, accounting and support reports, automated and manual accounting records and purchase orders, repair and construct shipping crates for equipment and supplies, among many other duties.

He is the son of Anna M. and Thomas J. Leafty of Seventh Ave. N.W., Ronan.

Leafty is a 2009 graduate of Ronan High School.

-Courtesy of U.S. Army