News

The keepers of the Norton House

The sandstone Jacobs house, the bustling, commercial Atlas block, and the monument-filled Mountain View Cemetery are all sites in Columbus listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The first

Scenic Summer Sky

Photo by Scott Waltner

A brilliant swirl of sky greeted southern Stillwater County last Thursday morning around 5:30 a.m.

Severe summer storms bring hail, wind and rain

A series of severe summer storms swept through the area last weekend, dropping quarter-sized hail in Columbus and bringing torrential rainfall and wind. On Sunday, July 14, at 6:05 p.m.,

County Business

The following business was conducted at this week’s regularly scheduled Stillwater County Commissioners’ agenda meeting: FINAL BUDGET The fiscal year 2019-2020 budget was given unanimous final approval. The budget was

Law Enforcement Blotter

 

The Columbus Police Department, Stillwater County Sheriff’s Office and Montana Highway Patrol responded to 262 calls for service during the seven days listed below. The following is a representation of some of those calls:​​​​​​​

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MONDAY – JULY 1

•An advanced life support transport (ALS) was requested by the Stillwater Billings Clinic at 10:38 p.m. for a cardiac patient who needed to be taken to a Billings hospital. Columbus Fire Rescue (CFR) responded.

Man found wandering I-90 on meth gets DOC commitment

A man who was found wandering I-90 while on methamphetamine has been sentenced to the Department of Corrections (DOC).

Seth Turnsplenty, 31, received a 5-year sentence to DOC with two years suspended at a recent district court hearing in Columbus. Turnsplenty was also ordered to pay $1,085 in fines and fees and must follow 31 court-imposed conditions when he is released from state custody.

He previously pleaded guilty to felony possession of methamphetamine and marijuana.

Woman denies cocaine possession, pot distribution

A Hardin woman has denied felony charges of having cocaine and marijuana in her vehicle during a traffic stop in May 2019.

Dionte Grant, 22, appeared in district court last month and entered not guilty pleas to felony counts of possession of marijuana with the intent to sell, possession of cocaine and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

Grant was allowed to remain free pending the resolution of the case, as she had appeared in court voluntarily.

 

THE CASE

Woman denies alleged DUI with kids in car

A woman has denied driving while impaired on prescription medication while her two young children were in the car.

Danelle McEwen denied one felony count of criminal child endangerment at a district court appearance last month. She also denied a misdemeanor charge of driving without a valid license.

McEwen was allowed to remain free pending the resolution of the case. She was in Columbus for a graduation, but works in Arizona and is based out of Butte, according to testimony at her June court appearance.

 

THE CASE

Tragedy in Absarokee

Dustin Sturm, recent Absarokee Schools superintendent, was killed last week in what appears to be an U.T.V. accident.

Sturm, 51, failed to return from a weed spraying job in the Beaver Creek area Wednesday afternoon, July 3.

The Stillwater County Sheriff’s Office was contacted at 11:46 p.m. when friends could not find Sturm, according to Stillwater County Undersheriff Randy Smith and sheriff’s dispatch records.

One Mor-gan Time

Next Saturday, Morgan Kirch will lead a steer through the auction ring at the Stillwater County Fairgrounds for the final time.  She anticipates this year being a little more emotional than those past, as a big part of her life – 4-H – will be coming to a close.

For 11 of Morgan’s 18 years, she has been involved in 4-H. She’s participated in beef, vet science, Teen Leaders, and Exchange.