Semitruck slams into 2 buildings
A semitruck plowed into two buildings owned by the Coeur d’Alene Tribe Friday night in Plummer, the Idaho State Police reported.
Quincy L. De Borde, 44, was driving a tractor-trailer south on U.S. Highway 95 when he fell asleep and hit the structures about 10:30 p.m., ISP said in a press release. He was taken to Kootenai Medical Center where he was listed in good condition Saturday night.
No other injuries were reported. Damage to the structures was about $250,000, ISP said.
The buildings were mobile homes used as finance and education offices at the tribal headquarters, said Skip Skanen, a tribal member who looked at the damage Saturday morning.
He said the education building was knocked about 3 feet from its foundation.
De Borde, of Boise, was cited by ISP for inattentive driving. He was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.
Passenger killed in crash identified
Missoula A Corvallis, Mont., man who died in a rollover crash on the Eastside Highway has been identified as Troy P. Voight.
Voight, 33, was a passenger in a sport utility vehicle that crashed Thursday morning near Corvallis. Voight was ejected from the sport utility vehicle and died at the scene of the 10:30 a.m. crash.
The vehicle’s driver was injured and was treated at a Missoula hospital, the Montana Highway Patrol said Friday.
Day care death case set to go to jury
Billings Jury deliberations are scheduled to begin Monday in the negligent homicide trial of a Laurel, Mont., day care owner accused of causing the death of a 1-year-old boy by sedating him with allergy medicine.
District Judge Gregory Todd told jurors in Sabine Bieber’s trial Friday that “the case will be in your hands” by mid-Monday. The trial began Aug. 16 and has included more than 40 witnesses, including Dane Heggem’s parents and Bieber.
Bieber is charged with negligent homicide in the Jan. 31, 2003, death of Dane Heggem, as well as three counts of felony criminal endangerment and evidence tampering.
Prosecutors allege Bieber managed the sleep of the children in her care by giving them diphenhydramine, a generic form of Benadryl.
Bieber denied the charges during testimony on Thursday, and said the large amounts of allergy medicine were for herself and her family.
The two-week trial has been broadcast on the cable network Court TV.
Rail line opens after derailment, corn spill
Essex, Mont. One of two rail lines reopened Saturday afternoon after 21 cars of a freight train derailed near the southern border of Glacier National Park the day before.
BNSF Railway spokesman Gus Melonas said one line was reopened at 2:30 p.m. Saturday and the other was expected to be reopened by Saturday evening.
Crews had to clear away the derailed cars and were using rail-mounted vacuums to clean up the spilled corn so it does not attract wildlife.
Melonas said the cause of the derailment is still under investigation. He said the cleanup would take three to four weeks.
The train was headed from Willmar, Minn., to Kalama, Wash., when the cars derailed at Blacktail, near the town of Essex, Friday morning. Three cars tipped over, spilling their loads of corn, Melonas said.
Amtrak Empire Builder passengers were bused from Whitefish to Havre while the line was closed.
Hundreds of animals, hundreds of citations
Great Falls An area couple is facing hundreds of animal cruelty charges for keeping more than 200 dogs, horses, chickens, pigs and other animals at their home.
Pamela Polejewski and her husband, Mike Hanson, already face 138 citations for failure to have identification and another 130 citations for not vaccinating all of their dogs.
Prosecutors on Friday added six misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty to the list.
Polejewski says her home is a refuge for sick, injured, old and unwanted animals. She says the animals are loved and well cared for.
Authorities, however, say the couple has far more animals than can be properly cared for. Court documents describe many of the dogs as anti-social and claim the cats had respiratory problems and discharge coming from their nose and eyes. One cat had a bloody nose.
Sheriff’s deputies said they also found a Chihuahua guarding a dead kitten in a back room of the couple’s trailer house west of Great Falls.
Man pleads not guilty in death of librarian
Helena A 31-year-old Helena man has pleaded not guilty to charges he killed a local librarian and tried to frame her boyfriend.
Joshua Giddings is charged with deliberate homicide, evidence tampering and drug possession in the July 22 murder of Amy Rolfe, 26, a mother of three boys whose beaten body was found by her father.
A jury trial in the case is scheduled Jan. 9, 2006.
Court documents say Giddings initially claimed Rolfe’s boyfriend had killed Rolfe and that his involvement was limited to helping a friend clean up the scene.
Detectives confirmed the alibi of Rolfe’s boyfriend and he was not charged.
Giddings was arrested on unrelated charges shortly after the slaying.
In 1998, Giddings was convicted of partner/family member assault but given a suspended sentence. In 2001, he violated terms of that suspended sentence and was sent to prison.
Man gets 15 years for fatal car crash
Nampa, Idaho A Nampa man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for vehicular manslaughter, but he will be eligible for parole after three years.
The February accident killed 42-year-old newspaper carrier Don Leppert of Parma.
Police said the crash happened when Israel Salazar, 22, crossed the center line on U.S. Highway 20 and struck Leppert’s car. Leppert was pronounced dead at the scene.
Salazar cried and apologized for the accident during his sentencing hearing in 3rd District Court on Aug. 10, telling Leppert’s family that he would gladly trade his life for Leppert’s if he could.
“He was crying, but I don’t feel sorry for him,” said Leppert’s wife, Camaillia Leppert.
Deal with marshals clinches new jail
Pocatello, Idaho Oneida County will build a new jail next spring, thanks to an agreement with the U.S. Marshals.
The federal agency granted $200,000 toward the $3.5 million 64-bed jail.
In return, the county will guarantee the U.S. Marshals detention space and services for up to 30 prisoners a day for the next 20 years.
The U.S. Marshals will also pay a daily fee for the prisoners it houses at the new jail – money that will go toward the costs of the new building, said Sheriff Jeff Semrad.
Oneida County’s existing jail has only 10 beds, which forces the county to transfer inmates to Caribou and other counties for incarceration, Semrad said.
“This is great,” Semrad said. “We’re a high-tax county with low revenue. The agreement puts us in the position to build the new jail and make payments on it.”