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Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Man allegedly kicks his way to a felony charge
Jun. 5—After getting drunk at a downtown Columbia Falls bar late last month, a 35-year-old man allegedly wandered over to a city building and kicked several vehicles in the parking lot. Morgan Alan Pruett faces one felony count of criminal mischief in Flathead County District Court in connection with the May 29 incident. Held in the county jail with bail set at $15,000, Pruett is scheduled to appear before Judge Heidi Ulbricht on June 19 for his arraignment. Columbia Falls Police officers located Pruett after receiving a report about 9:40 p.m. of a man in blue jeans and a black tank top wearing cowboy boots and a cowboy hat damaging vehicles in a parking lot near Second Avenue West and Seventh Street West. Pruett at first denied kicking anything, but later amended his story to say that he "did not kick anything that he did not own," court documents said. But a review of surveillance footage allegedly showed Pruett kicking the passenger door of a white Ford Flex parked in the lot. Then Pruett headed over to a parked Columbia Falls patrol vehicle and kicked the driver's side door, court documents alleged. The strike to the Ford Flex left a roughly 18-inch wide dent with an estimated cost of more than $1,500 to fix, court documents said. The patrol vehicle appeared unscathed. After noticing signs of impairment while talking with Pruett, officers sought a preliminary breath test, which returned at 0.202, according to court documents. Pruett faces up to 10 years in Montana State Prison and a $50,000 fine if convicted of felony criminal mischief. News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 758-4430 or dperkins@
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Man allegedly kicks his way to a felony charge
Jun. 5—After getting drunk at a downtown Columbia Falls bar late last month, a 35-year-old man allegedly wandered over to a city building and kicked several vehicles in the parking lot. Morgan Alan Pruett faces one felony count of criminal mischief in Flathead County District Court in connection with the May 29 incident. Held in the county jail with bail set at $15,000, Pruett is scheduled to appear before Judge Heidi Ulbricht on June 19 for his arraignment. Columbia Falls Police officers located Pruett after receiving a report about 9:40 p.m. of a man in blue jeans and a black tank top wearing cowboy boots and a cowboy hat damaging vehicles in a parking lot near Second Avenue West and Seventh Street West. Pruett at first denied kicking anything, but later amended his story to say that he "did not kick anything that he did not own," court documents said. But a review of surveillance footage allegedly showed Pruett kicking the passenger door of a white Ford Flex parked in the lot. Then Pruett headed over to a parked Columbia Falls patrol vehicle and kicked the driver's side door, court documents alleged. The strike to the Ford Flex left a roughly 18-inch wide dent with an estimated cost of more than $1,500 to fix, court documents said. The patrol vehicle appeared unscathed. After noticing signs of impairment while talking with Pruett, officers sought a preliminary breath test, which returned at 0.202, according to court documents. Pruett faces up to 10 years in Montana State Prison and a $50,000 fine if convicted of felony criminal mischief. News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 758-4430 or dperkins@
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
Vandals accused of causing $48K in damage to Kalispell construction site
Jun. 4—A 23-year-old man accused of causing about $48,000 in damages while commandeering heavy machinery at a Kalispell construction site also allegedly bought beer and tobacco for his underage companions. Prosecutors brought Matthew James White up on a felony criminal mischief charge and a misdemeanor count of unlawful transaction with children in Flathead County District Court following a May 21 incident near Kidsport Complex. White, who remains in the county jail with bail set at $50,000, is expected to appear before Judge Paul Sullivan on June 12 for his arraignment. Kalispell Police officers came across White after an employee of an excavation firm reported seeing people using machinery at a construction site about 1:30 a.m., according to court documents. Responding to the area around the intersection of Northland and Four Mile drives, authorities found a running excavator. Aided by a neighbor, who shouted "one went that way" while pointing west, officers found White. They also discovered a 14-year-old hiding under a barbecue cover left in the backyard of a nearby home, court documents said. The teenager told investigators that White and another minor had picked him up earlier in the night. The trio stopped at a gas station where White allegedly bought a 30-pack of Busch Light Apple, an 18 pack of Twisted Tea, two packs of cigarettes and two packs of ZYN nicotine pouches for the group. Together they drove around Kalispell before eventually arriving at the construction site, the teenager told officers. They began drinking and taking turns operating the machinery, he said. Eventually White and the other minor used the excavator to destroy pipes stored at the site, according to court documents. When one member spotted headlights, they fled, the teenager told investigators. The teenager also provided officers with a breath sample, which came in at 0.059, according to court documents. The construction site manager later estimated that the damage to the project came in at about $48,000. If convicted of felony criminal mischief, White faces up to 10 years in Montana State Prison and a fine of $50,000. Misdemeanor unlawful transaction with children is punishable by a $500 fine and a maximum sentence of six months in the county jail. News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 758-4430 or dperkins@
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Suspected drunk driver flipped truck with four children inside
May 27—Prosecutors allege that the 53-year-old man behind the wheel of a truck with four children inside that flipped on the U.S. 93 Bypass earlier this month boasted a blood alcohol content of more than three times the legal limit. Andrew James Meyers faces felony counts of criminal child endangerment and driving under the influence, fourth or subsequent offense, in Flathead County District Court following the May 16 wreck. Meyers, who remains in the county jail with bail set at $300,000, is expected to appear before Judge Danni Coffman for his arraignment on June 5. Meyers allegedly repeatedly admitted to drinking before getting behind the wheel after Kalispell Police officers arrived to the site of the wreck, near the intersection of Basecamp Drive and the bypass, about 9 p.m. Officers found Meyers' Ford F-150 upside down on the highway's northbound lane, according to court documents. First responders took his passengers, including a woman and children — aged 12, 10, 8 and 3 — to Logan Health Medical Center for potential treatment. Three of the children suffered minor injuries and medical professionals treated the woman for possible shoulder and neck injuries, court documents said. Meyers allegedly showed signs of intoxication during the course of three field sobriety tests. A preliminary breath sample returned with a breath alcohol content of 0.272, court documents said. Meyers allegedly admitted he was drunk to officers, telling them he was "guilty," according to court documents. He allegedly said he should never have driven a vehicle with the children in it. Meyers' criminal history includes three prior driving under the influence convictions: a 2018 conviction in Flathead County and 2019 convictions in Oregon and Utah. He also earned a felony assault with a weapon conviction in Flathead County in 2024. In that case, Meyers allegedly pulled a gun during a parking dispute at a Hutton Ranch Road parking lot. He received a deferred sentence on May 30, 2024. News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 758-4430 or dperkins@
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Suspected drunk driver flipped truck with four children inside
May 27—Prosecutors allege that the 53-year-old man behind the wheel of a truck with four children inside that flipped on the U.S. 93 Bypass earlier this month boasted a blood alcohol content of more than three times the legal limit. Andrew James Meyers faces felony counts of criminal child endangerment and driving under the influence, fourth or subsequent offense, in Flathead County District Court following the May 16 wreck. Meyers, who remains in the county jail with bail set at $300,000, is expected to appear before Judge Danni Coffman for his arraignment on June 5. Meyers allegedly repeatedly admitted to drinking before getting behind the wheel after Kalispell Police officers arrived to the site of the wreck, near the intersection of Basecamp Drive and the bypass, about 9 p.m. Officers found Meyers' Ford F-150 upside down on the highway's northbound lane, according to court documents. First responders took his passengers, including a woman and children — aged 12, 10, 8 and 3 — to Logan Health Medical Center for potential treatment. Three of the children suffered minor injuries and medical professionals treated the woman for possible shoulder and neck injuries, court documents said. Meyers allegedly showed signs of intoxication during the course of three field sobriety tests. A preliminary breath sample returned with a breath alcohol content of 0.272, court documents said. Meyers allegedly admitted he was drunk to officers, telling them he was "guilty," according to court documents. He allegedly said he should never have driven a vehicle with the children in it. Meyers' criminal history includes three prior driving under the influence convictions: a 2018 conviction in Flathead County and 2019 convictions in Oregon and Utah. He also earned a felony assault with a weapon conviction in Flathead County in 2024. In that case, Meyers allegedly pulled a gun during a parking dispute at a Hutton Ranch Road parking lot. He received a deferred sentence on May 30, 2024. News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 758-4430 or dperkins@
