Dustin Monke

Authorities search for man in Billings County: Alleged car thief who fled scene of accident still on the loose

NEAR GORHAM — Several local law enforcement agencies, including the Southwest Tactical Team, spent all of Thursday afternoon and evening searching for a man who allegedly rolled a stolen pickup truck he was driving on Highway 85 about 12 miles north of Belfield and fl ed from the scene.

The man, who as of 9:30 p.m. still hadn’t been located, is described as being white, and around 6-foot, 180 pounds with sandy brown hair. According to a witness, he was last seen wearing a red-brown plaid shirt and had an arm injury likely caused by the rollover, Billings County Sheriff Pat Rummel said.

The 1996 blue Ford F-350 pickup, which had been reported stolen in Billings, Mont., came to a rest on its side in a ditch after the rollover. According to a witness, Rummel said, the man exited the vehicle and ran into a sunflower field west of the highway near milemarker 87.

Authorities are unsure if the man is armed, but said.22-caliber shells were found in the pickup. Because of this, authorities are asking the public not to approach anyone fitting his description and to instead call 911 immediately.
Continue reading “Authorities search for man in Billings County: Alleged car thief who fled scene of accident still on the loose”

Erratic weather brings ups, downs during harvest for area farmers

The only delay Lenci Sickler saw this week in his family’s spring wheat harvest was a combine that broke down Wednesday.

North of Dickinson, farmers like Sickler haven’t been affected much by the colder temperatures and rain showers that have hindered their counterparts south of town since Sunday.

“We’ve kind of been in a weird pocket here where we’re at,” Sickler said during a phone interview while driving a combine.

In rural Hettinger County between New England and Regent, Jon Stang hasn’t been so lucky.

“We’re shut down for the day,” Stang said.

Continue reading “Erratic weather brings ups, downs during harvest for area farmers”

Sheriff denies ex-Trinity principal’s lawsuit allegations

BISMARCK — The final defendant in the former Trinity High School principal’s federal lawsuit against the city of Dickinson and three law enforcement officials denied allegations made against him on Monday.

Stark County Sheriff Terry Oestreich denied Thomas Sander’s allegations in a U.S. District Court complaint that he was subjected to intimidating interrogation while Oestreich was a detective with the Dickinson Police Department investigating the March 3, 2014, fire that destroyed parts of the school.

Sander claimed in a complaint, filed June 8, that he was “seized, confined, and subjected to unreasonable force, including coercive, threatening, and intimidating interrogation, by law enforcement officials,” including Oestreich, Detective Sgt. Kylan Klauzer and Detective Jeremy Moser, “until he falsely confessed to starting the fi re.”

Sander is suing the city of Dickinson, the three law enforcement officials and up to 10 unnamed “Doe” defendants for emotional and financial damages that allegedly occurred during his incarceration after he claimed that Klauzer and Oestreich coerced him into admitting that he started the Trinity fire during an interrogation March 4 and 5, 2014.
Continue reading “Sheriff denies ex-Trinity principal’s lawsuit allegations”

A crash course in all things baby

Everything you need to know about the final stages of pregnancy and the first days of being a parent can ably be covered in just eight short hours, which Sarah and I discovered last week as we wrapped up a three-night first-time parents classes offered by CHI St. Joseph’s Health.

During the sessions, we received a crash course in everything new parents may want or need to know about babies, giving birth and the first few weeks of being mom and dad.

These used to be called lamaze classes because they focused on teaching breathing techniques that can help a woman during childbirth.

Today, there’s very little of that involved. Instead, the classes are a combination human anatomy refresher course, birthing and parenting class, and simple dos and don’ts. There are countless sets of tips for both women and men on how to keep their sanity during the often excruciatingly long and sometimes complicated birthing process, as well as for after you bring baby home.
Continue reading “A crash course in all things baby”

Haider’s mother still waiting for answers about son’s death

The mother of a man whose body was found in a Dickinson construction site three years after he disappeared from there says she has received little information about the investigation into his death just days before a memorial service will be held for him.

Nearly three months have passed since the body of Eric Haider was found at a worksite off 40th Street West in north Dickinson by private investigators who had been hired by Mary Ellen Suchan, Haider’s mother.

Haider’s remains were exhumed May 22 “relatively intact,” according to a Dickinson Police Department report and a positive identification was made a week later. He had disappeared from the job site where he was working for Cofell’s Plumbing and Heating on May 24, 2012. Police investigators and private citizens spent months looking for Haider, who was 30 years old and living in the Bismarck area at the time of his death, near the site following his disappearance, but turned up no results.

Continue reading “Haider’s mother still waiting for answers about son’s death”