Briefs for July 29, 2015
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Shooting under investigation
RONAN — A juvenile was airlifted from St. Luke Community Hospital with serious injuries Saturday evening after being shot in the abdomen.
Sheriff Don Bell couldn’t release further details pending an ongoing investigation, but he said that the Ronan area shooting occurred at around 6 p.m. on Saturday. The condition of the victim as of press time was unknown.
No one injured in plane crash
ST. IGNATIUS — No one was injured in a plane crash that occurred Monday morning on Repass Trail in St. Ignatius.
According to Lake County Sheriff Don Bell the pilot of the plane told responding authorities that he tried to bring the plane down onto Repass Trail after the fuel pump failed. The pilot came close and ended up partially in the roadway, but the majority of the landing was broken by a cherry tree.
“He was lucky,” Bell said. “There was terrible damage to the plane, but the pilot was fine.”
Federal Aviation Administration officials have been called to investigate.
Still time to comment on rate increase
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The public has until Aug. 10 to comment on the proposed rate increase set to be imposed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs on Flathead Indian Irrigation Project users. The bureau has proposed an increase from $26 per acre to $33 per acre. The Flathead Joint Board of Control, voted in July to not levy that increase on ratepayers in the upcoming irrigation season. The ramifications of that decision to ratepayers are unclear. All comments must be made in writing and addressed to: Yulan Jin, Chief, Division of Water and Power, Office of Trust Services, Mail Stop 4637-MIB, 1849 C Street NW., Washington, DC 20240. The office’s telephone number is 202-219-0941.
Search and Rescue finds missing kayaker
POLSON — A kayaker who went missing almost a year to the date that Dr. Robert McDonald disappeared in his kayak and was found dead, had first responders hoping history wouldn’t repeat itself.
Lake County Search and Rescue launched two boats manned by seven searchers to look for Noah Bodenhamer, 20, on July 18. Bodenhamer’s mother called Lake County Dispatch at approximately 6:50 p.m. and reported that Bodenhamer was three hours late returning from kayaking.
Bodenhamer later said he stood up on his kayak, it dumped him and then sank. However, Bodenhamer wore a life jacket.
The LSAR boats launched from West Shore State Park at 7:19 p.m. and 7:41 p.m. and headed north through the Narrows when volunteers spotted a hand sticking out of the water and then a head.
They pulled Bodenhamer from the water, gave him food and water and placed him in the boat’s cabin to warm him until they reached shore, where an ambulance was waiting.
He was extremely weak and hypothermic and had trouble standing, according to Lake County Sheriff Don Bell. LSAR members believe as hypothermic as Bodenhamer was he probably would not have lasted another hour.
Glacier Park firefight continues
WEST GLACIER — The Going-to-the-Sun Road remains closed from the St. Mary Campground to Logan Pass on the east side of Glacier National Park due to the Reynolds Fire, which as of Monday morning had burned 3,913 acres and was 67 percent contained.
A total of 467 personnel are assigned to the fire, with more than 71 miles of hose.
Going-to-the-Sun Road is open to Logan Pass from the west side of the park. Visitors should continue to expect delays and congestion along the road.
Fire Information for the Reynolds Creek Fire is available through the general Glacier National Park information line at 406-888-7500.
