New officials appointed to positions in town
Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local.
You are now reading
1 of 3 free articles.
ST. IGNATIUS – Two members were appointed to the board and a new officer was hired during the town council meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 5.
Willy Long took his seat on the town council after being sworn in by Mayor Charley Gariepy. Long replaces Annie Morigeau. Mayor Gariepy thanked Morigeau for her service to the town.
Council member Ray Frey was sworn in and reappointed to his seat on the council. The council voted to reappoint Frey as president of the council. He was also reappointed to the Lake County Solid Waste Management district for a three-year term.
Mayor Gariepy continued the meeting with items on the agenda concerning the police department. The part-time police officer’s position was eliminated due to budget constraints. The town now has two full-time officers.
Officer Patrick Nobles was approved to fill a vacant full-time position. He is a certified officer through the State of Montana. Former St. Ignatius Police Officer Josh Black Weasel needed to resign from the position due to family issues. He was hired in May of 2015.
St. Ignatius Fire Department Chief Jeremiah Morigeau said at the meeting that his department could use more volunteers. If anyone is interested in learning how to put out a house fire or help with traffic accidents, they can call the department.
After the meeting, Police Chief Matthew Connelly said crime has increased in the past month in the town. He said more burglaries have occurred. He is gathering evidence on an attempted theft of an ATM machine at the bank. He said the strap used to try and remove the heavy machine broke, so the machine was left at the bank.
Chief Connelly added that his department also responded to an armed robbery at the gas station on U.S. Highway 93 in St. Ignatius. He said that Officer Nobles responded to the incident and made an arrest.
