HELENA – A state judge has blocked the state from enforcing a law prohibiting certain nurses from performing abortions, opening the door for expanded abortion services in Montana.

District Judge Mike Menahan of Helena last week granted a request by the American Civil Liberties Union of Montana and the Center for Reproductive Rights, to block enforcement of the law while he decides a lawsuit to strike down the law entirely.

“At this state of the litigation, the state has not met its burden of showing a compelling state interest in restricting Montana women’s fundamental right to privacy,” he wrote.

Caitlin Borgmann, executive director of ACLU-Montana, said Monday that only four Montana counties currently have an abortion provider.

“Allowing advanced-practice nurses to perform these services as the case is pending will ensure Montanans have the quality health care they need,” she said in a statement.

Aided by the ACLU and the center, a Whitefish advanced-practice nurse and an unnamed Montana nurse midwife filed suit in January to strike down Montana’s law that allows only physicians or physician’s assistants to perform abortions.

The lead plaintiff, Helen Weems, has re-opened a Whitefish health clinic that had performed abortions but was severely damaged by vandalism in 2014. It was the only abortion provider in the Flathead Valley.

Weems plans to offer abortions at the clinic once she completes training and is authorized by the state Board of Nursing.

Menahan said the lawsuit could take months or years to resolve, and that he saw no reason to leave Weems open to possible prosecution during that time, if the Board of Nursing says providing abortion is within her “scope of practice.”

Last month, state lawyers argued against an immediate ban on enforcing the law.

They pointed to an American Journal of Public Health article showing that 1.8 percent of abortions performed by a “newly trained nurse” had complications, compared to 0.9 percent by physician-attended abortions – and said therefore the state had a compelling interest to ban nurses from performing the procedure.

Yet Menahan said the same article concluded that the complications were “clinically equivalent” among newly trained nurses, midwives, physicians and physician’s assistants.

“This article does not support the state’s contention that (state law) is necessary to preserve the health of Montana women seeking abortion care,” he wrote. “Absent evidence to the contrary, the court is satisfied the Board of Nursing is competent to set appropriate licensing requirements and police Montana’s advance-practice registered nurses.”

Menahan issued his ruling last Wednesday.

HELENA – An East Helena suspect is charged with punching his wife over using Facebook.

Korey Nickolas Chafin is charged with one count of felony partner family member assault.

Charging documents say on April 1st Chafin and his wife were sitting in bed while she was scrolling through Facebook on her phone.

The victim told law officers Chafin allegedly “flipped out” and accused her of cheating on him.

Charging documents say when the victim tried to get out of bed, Chafin allegedly punched the victim in the face.

The 30-year old Chafin told law officers nothing happened.

Bond in the case had been set at $50,000.

HELENA – Trial is underway for a Helena suspect charged with attempted deliberate homicide.

Andrew Lake is accused of stabbing another man last year at Fifth Avenue near North Rodney.

A jury in the case was seated this afternoon. Opening statements are scheduled to begin Tuesday morning before District Judge Mike Mcmahon.

Court documents say Lake and the victim were arguing around 1:45 in the morning when Lake allegedly stabbed the victim in the neck, chest and back.

The victim said he didn’t know he was stabbed until he felt blood running down his neck.

Lake fled the scene and was caught by police later.

Investigators say Lake admitted he had a fixed blade knife on his person during the incident, but said he didn’t know what happened to it.

Trial is expected to last through Thursday.

Previous:
Helena man faces felony charges after Thursday morning stabbing

BILLINGS – A man wielding a knife was shot and killed by Billings police in a downtown apartment building Monday morning, Chief Rich St. John said at a press conference.

The 29-year-old Billings resident was in the Sandra Apartment building at 13. N. 32nd St. around 10 a.m. when he was seen by someone in another building through an open window swinging the knife, St. John said.

Upon arriving at the scene, one officer fired a Taser at the man from outside the building through the window, but either didn’t hit him or otherwise did not take him down, St. John said.

Two officers, three-year veteran Jairo Solorio and four-year veteran Brian Weaver, entered the building and went to the apartment where the man was. He emerged from the room with a knife tied or affixed to his hand and began moving toward the two officer, St. John said.

They told him to stop and drop the knife, St. John said. When he didn’t, Solorio fired his Taser, which failed to stop the man, and Weaver fired three shots with his hand gun, the chief said.

The man was taken to Billings Clinic, where a coroner pronounced him dead. St. John said. He added that he did not know if the man had a previous criminal history.

Weaver and Solorio were both placed on administrative leave and will undergo counseling before returning to active duty, which is department protocol, St. John said.

An independent review of the incident will be conducted, he said. An officer in the alley was wearing a body cam, but the two inside the building were not, St. John said.

No officers or other members of the public were injured.

St. John said he is not releasing the name of the deceased until family members are notified.

Bruce Edward Dragonfly of Browning is facing charges of transfer of obscene material to a minor; coercion and enticement of a minor; and distribution of a controlled substance to a person under 21.

Federal court documents state that FBI agents reportedly found that Dragonfly sent sexual images to a 12-year-old girl, and gave with methamphetamine in exchange for sex with her friend.

Court documents say that Bengamin Yellow Owl provided investigators with information about Dragonfly after Yellow Owl pleaded guilty to similar charges in October 2017.

Yellow Owl reportedly told officers that he saw Dragonfly sending messages with pornographic images via Facebook to a 12-year-old girl, who was the same age as Yellow Owl’s victim.

Court documents state:

• In July 2017, Benjamin Yellow Owl participated in an interview with the FBI after pleading guilty to Sexual Abuse of a Minor and Distributing a Controlled Substance to a Person Under 21.
• Yellow Owl stated he saw Facebook messages sent from Bruce Dragonfly (“Dragonfly”) to Juvenile Female 1, who was then twelve years of age. According to Yellow Owl, these messages included “perverted” pictures, such as a female performing oral sex on a male. Yellow Owl stated that Dragonfly asked Juvenile Female 1 to bring her friends over to him. Yellow Owl estimated Dragonfly was in his late 40s and stated these messages were sent via Facebook.
• In September and November of 2017, I received Facebook account information for two accounts maintained by Juvenile Female 1. Within Juvenile Female 1’s Facebook account were Facebook Messenger conversations between Juvenile Female 1 and a Facebook account with ID number 1101144818. The conversation between the two accounts centered on sexual activity and drug use and included pornographic pictures.
• On July 2, 2017, Dragonfly sent Juvenile Female 1 messages and asked if she was becoming sexually aroused and discussed how he could make Juvenile Female 1 react if he were to perform sexual acts on her.
• When questioned by investigators in December 2017, the girl reportedly told agents that she and another girl went to Dragonfly’s home, where the second girl would perform oral sex on him in exchange for meth, she said.
• In an interview with the FBI on December 14, 2017, Juvenile Female 1 stated she had visited Dragonfly’s residence with other individuals, to include with a juvenile female named “Juvenile Female 2” Juvenile Female 1 stated Dragonfly provided her methamphetamine because, she believed, Juvenile Female 2 would give Dragonfly oral sex. Juvenile Female 1 stated Dragonfly provided her methamphetamine on five separate occasions. Juvenile Female 1 also stated on one occasion she drove to Missoula with Dragonfly to obtain methamphetamine. Juvenile Female 1 noted they smoked methamphetamine during the drive to Missoula.
• During the interview, Dragonfly disclosed that he gave methamphetamine to Juvenile Female 1 on more than one occasion. He admitted that he knew Juvenile Female 1 was 12 years old at the time he provided methamphetamine to her. I discussed Dragonfly’s Facebook Messenger conversations with Juvenile Female 1 as more fully described herein.
• He acknowledged sending the messages to her as well as the pornographic pictures described herein. He further acknowledged that it was inappropriate but that it was his fantasy to receive oral sex from younger females like Juvenile Female 1. Finally, Dragonfly admitted that, just prior to the North American Indian Days in 2017, Juvenile Female 1 came to his home in Browning, Montana, and performed oral sex on him on approximately two occasions.

We have not yet been able to obtain a jail booking photo for Dragonfly.

Yellowowl sentenced for 2 felonies, including sexual abuse of a child
Explainer: How a person can confess, and yet still plead not guilty
Yellowowl charged after 12-year old girl found high on meth in car

GREAT FALLS- A mistrial was declared on Tuesday morning in the trial of Richard Lee Tome.

He was accused of raping a 13-year old developmentally-disabled girl.

According to court documents, the girl told her mother that she had been raped by Tome.

The girl told investigators that Tome showed her pornographic images on his phone, fondled her breasts, exposed his genitals, and then raped her.

When questioned by police, Tome denied sexually assaulting the teen and denied being sexually attracted to her.

The girl underwent a sexual assault exam at Benefis Health System, which revealed “vaginal lacerations, swelling and tenderness.”

The victim was unable to take the oath to be able to testify at the trial; as a result, the defense motioned for a mistrial and Judge Greg Pinski granted it.

The County Attorney plans on having a hearing to have the witness’ statements to a counselor submitted for a trial at a later date.

MISSOULA – A Missoula woman was sentenced to five years in the Montana Department of Corrections after being convicted of fleeing the scene of a fatal hit-and-run crash.

On Monday, Missoula District Court Judge Leslie Halligan sentenced Emily Levens to 10 years in the DOC with five of those years suspended for failing to remain at the scene of fatal accident in February 2017.

Levens was charged for failing to stop at a scene where Benno Big Back Jr., 32, was killed.

In January, Missoula prosecutors amended Leven’s charges by dropping the vehicular homicide while under the influence charge.

Levens pleaded guilty to the amended charges of failure to remain at the scene where a person was killed and misdemeanor charges of driving under the influence, driving with a suspended or revoked license and driving without insurance

The fatal accident happened in February 2017 at the intersection of Mount Avenue and Hollis Street.

A resident called 911 reporting a woman, Levens, standing over the man’s body.

When the witness told Levens she was calling for help, Levens got in her SUV and drove away.

Police found Levens a short time later at her home.

In court documents, Levens told authorities she had been at a casino drinking the evening before driving home and didn’t see Big Back Jr until she hit him.

Family say Big Back Jr was attending the University of Montana at the time of his death.

Reporting by Melissa Rafferty for MTN News

GREAT FALLS – There is a large police presence at Great Falls High School. KRTV began receiving reports of the police activity just after 2 p.m. on Tuesday.

Several people have reported that the school has been placed in lock-down or “shelter in place” status, but we have not yet been able to confirm whether that is accurate. One witness says that the perimeter of the school is blocked by law enforcement officers.

We have also received a report that a military bomb squad is at or near the scene.

We have reporters heading to the school and will update you as we get details.

(UPDATE, 2:35 p.m.) Great Falls Public Schools posted the following message on Facebook at 2:27 p.m. “The GF Police Department has put GFHS and Longfellow into a shelter-in-place due to the reports of shots fired in the surrounding neighborhoods. There are no reports of any injuries. This is a precautionary measure only.”

KRTV has learned that the military bomb squad is conducting training, and is not associated with the incident at GFHS.

There are no indications at this point that anyone – including students – has been injured.

A GFPD officer tells KRTV that they are responding to as-yet unconfirmed reports of three or four gunshots heard west of GFHS.

(UPDATE, 2:59 p.m.) The Great Falls Police Department posted the following message on Facebook at 2:58 p.m.

COMMUNITY ALERT! We are investigating reports of shots fired near Great Falls High School. GFHS, Our Lady of Lourdes, and Longfellow Elementary are in Shelter In Place and we will assist school staff as they release children soon. There are no reported injuries and nothing has occurred inside either of the schools. Please avoid the area and follow instructions from any law enforcement officer.

Here are the definitions of key safety terms used by the Great Falls Public School District:

• Evacuation: Defined as an internal emergency that requires students and staff to leave the building for their safety. Parents should follow emergency notifications.
• Lockdown: Defined as an internal and/or immediate threat. All staff and students are locked in rooms. No one IN or OUT!
• Shelter In Place: Defined as a safety precaution for an external threat that is not an immediate or internal threat.
• Class Hold: Defined as a safety precaution implemented during an incident where students need to be kept in the classroom.
• Release with Care: Defined as a possible threat in the schools’ neighborhoods during arrival and release time. Release with care procedures.
• To ensure safety, the building administrator may ask staff to escort students to/from buses or waiting cars.
• Staff may also be asked to accompany students home.

BILLINGS – The man shot and killed by a Billings police officer on Monday has been identified.

Yellowstone County Coroner Cliff Mahoney identified the man as 29-year-old Zachary Glen Hoven of Billings.

Mahoney said Hoven was shot in the upper torso.

Hoven was shot three times by officers on Monday morning, Police Chief Rich St. John said.

Hoven was in the Sandra Apartment building at 13. N. 32nd St. around 10 a.m. when he was seen by someone in another building through an open window swinging a knife, St. John said.

When officers arrived, Hoven reportedly threw knives at an officer in an alley. That officer fired a Taser at Hoven from outside the building toward the window, but either didn’t hit him or otherwise did not subdue him, St. John said.

Two officers, Jairo Solorio and Brian Weaver, entered the building and went to the apartment where Hoven was. He emerged from the room with a knife tied or affixed to his hand and began moving toward the two officers, St. John said.

They told him to stop and drop the knife, St. John said. When he didn’t, Solorio fired his Taser and Weaver fired with his handgun, the chief said.

Hoven was transported to the hospital, where he later died.

Mahoney said it will be months before a toxicology report from the state crime lab is complete. Until then, they will not know if Hoven had drugs or alcohol in his system at the time of the shooting.

Reporting by Samantha Harrelson for MTN News

The United States Marshals Service District of Montana has issued a BOLO Alert (Be-on-the-Lookout) for Jacob Eastman.

Eastman, 21, is wanted by the Montana Violent Offender Task Force on a felony arrest warrant for sexual intercourse without consent.

Eastman is described as a while male, 5-feet, 2-inches tall, 115 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with information about Eastman is asked to call the U.S. Marshals Service at 406-247-7030 or your local law enforcement agency.

GREAT FALLS – Benjamin Fontana faces a felony charge after allegedly choking a woman and threatening her life.

According to court documents, a Great Falls Police officer responded to a residence for a report of a physical disturbance around midnight on April 7.

After arriving at the apartment, the officer made contact with Fontana and reported smelling alcohol on Fontana’s breath and that his eyes were bloodshot and glassy.

Another officer arrived to assist and observed a large clump of hair on the floor.

The officers then made contact with a woman and a family member who were at another residence.

The family member told officers he heard Fontana and the woman arguing and then choking sounds.

The family member reported that Fontana told the woman, “You’re gonna die and I will have the pleasure of killing you.”

Court documents continue that Fontana dragged the woman through the apartment and threw her out of the door.

The officer noted injuries to the woman’s neck and shoulder areas.

Fontana has been charged with one felony count of strangulation of a partner/family member and a misdemeanor for obstructing a peace officer or other public servant.

The State has requested bond be set at $50,000.

HELENA- A September trial date has been scheduled for two of three suspects accused of taking part in the homicide of a Helena couple a month ago.

During the weekly initial appearance hearing in Lewis and Clark District Court, Kyle Alexander and Journey Ryder Wieneke were arraigned on a series of charges involving the deaths of David and Charla Taylor.

Hamm is facing eight charges including two counts of deliberate homicide, felony burglary, tampering with evidence and possession of meth. Wieneke is also charged with two counts of deliberate homicide.

Kaleb Taylor’s arraignment was postponed because the closed circuit video system from the State Prison wasn’t available. Hamm, along with Taylor, Wieneke, and Lakota Salminen allegedly burglarized the Lincoln RV Park on March 10th. The business was owned by the Taylors.

Prosecutors say after the break-in, David and Charla Taylor confronted Kaleb about the crime after seeing security video at the business. He allegedly told the couple he was responsible for the crime.

Charging documents say on the night of Sunday, March 18th Taylor, Hamm, and Wieneke drove to the Taylor home. While Hamm stood outside the home of Cayuse Road, Taylor and Wienke allegedly went inside. 15 minutes later Taylor walked out of the home with a backpack and ordered Hamm to drive the trio to Rods-n-Dogs car wash.

The bodies of the Taylor’s were found by a family friend the next evening.

Taylor allegedly told investigators he removed his clothing from home, along with a murder weapon and jewelry. Taylor allegedly told investigators he tried to stage the scene as a robbery. Security video shows Taylor and Wieneke washing off their shoes at the car wash, and all three cleaning out Taylor’s pickup truck along with a long metal bar investigators believe is the murder weapon. Hamm is accused of kicking a knife blade into a floor drain at the same time.

During the arraignment, both Hamm and Wieneke were given not guilty pleas, and both were scheduled for trial on September 9th in Judge Mike Menahan’s court.

The three suspects are incarcerated in separate facilities. Taylor at the Montana State Prison, Wieneke at the Lewis and Clark County Detention Center, Hamm is held in the Broadwater County Detention Center.

GREAT FALLS – James Ian Jacob Simpson, 31, has been charged with felony assault with a weapon after allegedly punching a woman and hitting her with an aluminum bat.

According to court documents, Great Falls Police officers were dispatched to a residence on April 8 for a report of a woman having been assaulted.

The victim told officers that she and Simpson got into a physical fight in a car.

The woman said Simpson punched her in the face with a closed fist several times and that he would not let her leave the car.

She stated that he grabbed her hair and rubbed her face into the dashboard.

The woman also said that she tried to get away from Simpson by climbing into the backseat but he grabbed an aluminum bat and hit her in the head and legs several times.

Simpson has no known criminal record but due to the nature of the offense charged, the State has requested bond be set at $10,000.

BILLINGS – Authorities have released the name of the man who was shot and killed by a Billings police officer Tuesday.

Yellowstone County Deputy Coroner Richard Hoffman identified him as 44-year-old Shawn Michael Hubbard of Billings.

Chief Rich St. John said Hubbard was shot by Billings police Sgt. Brett Becker after waving a gun inside the casino, threatening patrons and ignoring orders to stop.

Hoffman confirmed Hubbard died from multiple gunshot wounds to the torso.

According to the Montana Department of Corrections, Hubbard’s criminal past includes convictions of fraudulently obtaining dangerous drugs and theft. He has felony convictions in Lewis and Clark and Park counties.

Reporting by Victoria Hill for MTN News

BOZEMAN – A former neighborhood program coordinator for the City of Bozeman is accused of using city funds to pay for multiple unauthorized personal charges.

The Gallatin County Attorney’s Office filed a felony embezzlement charge against Jessica Johnson on Monday, less than two weeks after she was charged with embezzlement in a separate case involving another employer.

In the first case, filed March 28, Johnson is accused of depositing funds into her bank accounts taken from Downtown Business Partnership, where she went to work as operations manager after resigning from the city in June 2017.

According to court documents, a police investigation discovered that Johnson deposited funds from Downtown Business Partnership totaling more than $2000 into her personal accounts in November 2017.

A Bozeman Police detective reportedly spoke with Johnson via telephone after finding that she had moved to Helena. According to the detective, Johnson said she would contact her attorney and arrange a time to discuss the matter but failed to do so.

Prior to the alleged embezzling of funds from Downtown Business Partnership, Johnson was investigated for a suspected theft against the City of Bozeman.

Court documents state that Johnson used city credit cards to pay for multiple personal charges, including: a $470 dog sledding trip, which she claimed was a mistake and paid back; an Amazon Prime membership; gift cards totaling approximately $2800-3400 in value; purchases at massage bars; and charges made at the Taproom bar in Bozeman.

Johnson also allegedly used a city credit card to pay for a Chicago hotel room while on a business trip, after she had already been given advance travel money by the city for the $1,134 hotel charge.

Johnson was put on administrative leave in June 2017 and resigned from the city that same month. She is scheduled to make her initial appearance in District Court for the two embezzlement charges on April 25 and May 18.

BOZEMAN – A Belgrade man accused of sending child porn to his son pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to sexual abuse of children.

Garland Lowman, 39, entered his plea in Gallatin County District Court following his arrest in March for allegedly sending his son sexually explicit Facebook messages that contained child pornography.

Lowman is a registered sexual offender and currently under supervision by the Montana Department of Corrections.

According to charging documents, a deputy from the Lane County Sheriff’s Office in Oregon called the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday, Mar. 6, to report that an Oregon man claimed he received Facebook messages from his father that contained child pornography and were sexually explicit.

When contacted by law enforcement and probation officers, Lowman admitted sending photographs to his son but stated they were images he downloaded from the internet, but he didn’t consider them child pornography.

A search of Lowman’s cell phone revealed at least three images of prepubescent females, fully nude.

Judge John Brown continued Lowman’s bail at $500,000; his next court date is an omnibus hearing scheduled for April 26.

Previous:
Belgrade sex offender facing charges after sending child pornography to son
$500K bail for Belgrade sex offender accused of sending child porn to son

BOZEMAN – A man accused of providing drugs that resulted in the 2016 overdose death of an MSU student pleaded guilty on Tuesday to criminal distribution of dangerous drugs, a felony. Daniel McGrail was sentenced in Gallatin County District Court to 90 days in the Gallatin County Detention Center, followed by a five-year suspended sentence. He must also pay a $5,000 fine.

McGrail was charged after Natalie Dietrich, 20, was found unresponsive in the bathroom of the now-defunct Fault Line North music venue in Bozeman on January 30, 2016. Dietrich, an MSU student from Billings who was studying economics, died at the scene.

According to court documents, Dietrich and her boyfriend, who was also passed out in the bathroom, had taken a synthetic drug called “Euphoria,” an opioid also known as U-47700. Dietrich’s boyfriend, Geoffrey Qualls recovered from the overdose and was later charged for allegedly providing Dietrich with the drug.

Qualls was originally charged with criminal possession of dangerous drugs with intent to distribute. He pleaded guilty in 2016 to a lesser possession charge and received a two-year deferred sentence.

Prosecutors for the state recommended a three-year suspended sentence for McGrail, citing his lack of prior criminal history and obedience with court orders while his case was pending among the reasons for the recommendation.

McGrail’s defense attorney sought a deferred sentence, which would prevent McGrail from having a permanent felony conviction on his record.

McGrail apologized to the Dietrich family in court, saying “It was stupid to do and something I’ll never do again.”

Judge Holly Brown did not accept the state’s recommendation in sentencing McGrail, stating that what he did made no sense given his background and upbringing. “There is nothing this court can do for the Dietrich family for what they’ve lost,” she said.

After his release from the Detention Center, McGrail will have his supervision transferred to Illinois, his state of residence, for the remainder of his suspended sentence.

Related:
Man pleads guilty to lesser charge in MSU student’s overdose death
Two charged in connection with overdose death of MSU student from Billings

GREAT FALLS – A Coroner’s inquest into the shooting death of Stacy Micheletti will be held on Monday, April 16th, in the Great Falls Civic Center Commission Chambers.

Micheletti, 51 years old, was shot by police in the area of 10th Avenue North and 52nd Street on December 11th, 2017. He was taken to Benefis Health System where he was pronounced dead.

Great Falls Police Chief David Bowen said that police officers were in the area looking for a man wanted for questioning related to an earlier incident. When officers located the man – later identified as Micheletti – he reportedly waved a weapon, according to Bowen, and was shot and killed. None of the officers were injured.

In accordance with Montana Code, R. J. (Dick) Brown, the civilian Fergus County Coroner will assume the duties of Cascade County Coroner for the required inquest.

An inquest is a formal inquiry into the causes of and circumstances surrounding the death of a person and is conducted by the coroner before a coroner’s jury.

There have been three shootings of people by police officers in Great Falls within the last year. In April 2017, a knife-wielding suspect was shot and injured by an officer. In September 2017, Jordan Addison died after being shot by a GFPD officer. In December 2017, Micheletti was shot and killed by police after he reportedly brandished a gun.

Friends recall Micheletti and talk about shooting
Great Falls police officers involved in fatal shooting identified
Man killed by police in Great Falls has been identified

Reporting by David Sherman for MTN News

HELENA – The Helena Police Department is reminding residents about scam telephone calls asking for payment by gift card. In the past two days, the Department has received several phone calls from victims.

The press release states:

The Helena Police Department gets frequent reports of scams where the caller requests payment with gift cards. Many of these scams tell the victim that they are with the Police Department, Sheriff’s Department, FBI, or the IRS.

They have started to use actual Officers or Deputies names when they are talking to the victim and will often use the name of someone the victim knows in order to make it sound more legitimate.

These scammers, tell the victim that they have a warrant and will be arrested if payment is not received. They then tell the victim that they need to pay with gift cards and provide the scammers with the numbers.

No government agency will ever request payment for a fine or a warrant via gift cards or MoneyGram/Western Union type payments.

If you are contacted by a Police Officer, a Deputy, or other Law Enforcement agency concerning a warrant they say you have, you will be arrested on the warrant, they are not going to ask you for payment over the phone.

If you are advised that you have a warrant, they will tell you the Court it is in and that you have to appear in that Court and make arrangements with them. The Law Enforcement Officer is not going to take payment over the phone.

Please remember, if it does not sound right or you are not sure, find the local number for Law Enforcement or the agency calling you, hang up, and call the local number.

Don’t call the number they provided since that can be part of the scam. These individuals doing these scams are able to use spoofed numbers so it looks like it is a local number or when they talk to you, they provide a phone number for you to call.

This is all part of the scam to try and make it look legitimate.

Call our dispatch center and they will have an Officer respond to your location so that you know you are actually talking to a legitimate Law Enforcement Officer.

Remember if it does not sound right, it probably isn’t and do your due diligence by checking in to it.

MISSOULA – The Missoula Family YMCA Learning Center will be closed for the remainder of the week due to troubling reports of illegal drugs on the premises.

In a press release sent to MTN News, Learning Center interim director Heather Foster says she received a report Tuesday morning that an employee had reasonable suspicion that a fellow coworker was potentially using and in possession of illegal drugs.

Foster then contacted the Missoula Police Department. The YMCA was informed Tuesday afternoon that an arrest had been made in the case. The Learning Center is now working with law enforcement, childcare licensing and the local health department, according to the press release.

Missoula Police have confirmed that the employee was in possession of methamphetamine. A Missoula Police K-9 conducted a full search of the building Tuesday evening and determined there are no physical drugs on the premises.

The Learning Center has contacted all families and have arranged free childcare at the YMCA main campus at 3000 South Russell Street. The YMCA has also called in a contractor to evaluate the facilities and is working to ascertain what additional steps, if any, are required before re-opening the center.

“We want to assure the community that the safety of our children, staff, and guests is our top priority and we are doing everything in our power to remedy this situation immediately,” Foster said in the press release.

“We are committed to being transparent and forthcoming on this issue, and promise every decision we make will be in the best interest of safety for everyone involved. We are devastated that this could happen at the Y, where our mission is to provide safe and accessible resources to all Missoula families,” Foster added.

We will have more information on this developing story as it becomes available.