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Hello and welcome to News Now. I'm your host, Taylor Inman. We're going over this week's biggest headlines and what's coming up for the Flathead Valley. U.S. Representative Ryan Zinke, whose bipartisan gateway Communities and Recreation Enhancement Act passed the House of Representatives last week as part of a larger outdoor recreation policy package. The expanding public lands, outdoor recreation experience Act landed in the Senate on April 10th after earning House approval.

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The package, co-sponsored by Zinke is Republican, is aimed at improving public land access. Modernizing technology uses streamlining permitting processes, creating and restoring …

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Hello and welcome to News Now. I'm your host, Taylor Inman. We're going over this week's biggest headlines and what's coming up for the Flathead Valley. U.S. Representative Ryan Zinke, whose bipartisan gateway Communities and Recreation Enhancement Act passed the House of Representatives last week as part of a larger outdoor recreation policy package. The expanding public lands, outdoor recreation experience Act landed in the Senate on April 10th after earning House approval.

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The package, co-sponsored by Zinke is Republican, is aimed at improving public land access. Modernizing technology uses streamlining permitting processes, creating and restoring trails and campgrounds, increasing accessibility, and supporting gateway communities. Gateway communities face challenges. According to Zinke, which include housing shortages, strained infrastructure, and fallout from disagreements or lack of communication between federal and local agencies. Earlier this year, Zinke.

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He introduced Gateway Communities and Recreation Enhancement Act with an eye to supporting communities like those in the Flathead Valley. The act was included within the Explore Act. Zinke ease legislation would create a Digital America the Beautiful national parks and Public land pass. Develop a program to track visitation data and congested areas. Require public land agencies to work with local stakeholders to address economic needs and mandate that the National Park Service consult with nearby communities before restricting or changing access to parks.

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Approximately 2.9 million visitors came to Glacier National Park in 2022, spending an estimated $368 million in surrounding communities, according to the National Park Service. That spending had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $548 million. Montana Republican Senator Steve Daines carried a version of Zinke he's bill in the upper chamber last year, which is now wrapped into the Senate's America Outdoor Recreation Act, the counterpart to the House's Explore Act.

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There are two other priorities a Dane secured into the larger Senate package, according to his office. Those include the Simplifying Outdoor Access for Recreation Act, which streamlines the process to get special recreation permits for accessing public lands, and the Forest Service Flexible Housing Partnerships Act, which will reauthorize a program that allows the federal agency to lease underutilized sites to address housing needs for rural communities.

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Ideally, according to Zinke, the legislation should ensure that the public retains access to national parks without placing an unnecessary burden on the communities that surround the park. The travel Lincoln County man accused of running over a Montana Highway Patrol trooper during a law enforcement pursuit more than a year ago, is underway in Libby. 42 year old Jason Allen Miller is facing felony charges of attempted deliberate homicide, criminal endangerment, aggravated kidnaping, possession of dangerous drugs and criminal mischief.

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Following a February 16th, 2023 incident in north Lincoln County. Miller pleaded not guilty to the charges, but he remains locked up in the county jail, with bail set at $1.5 million. Trooper Lewis Johnson suffered life threatening injuries in the incident near Rexford, and is still recovering after returning to his home in Chester in October 2023. Wednesday began with opening statements from Assistant Attorney General Soren Geist, who is prosecuting the case.

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The defense attorney is Daniel Wood. Geist argued the evidence he and fellow prosecutors Helene Koepka would present would show Miller was aware of the warrant for his arrest and that the defendant wanted to, quote, get away from law enforcement at all costs, would want the jurors to consider the question of intent. Following testimony from Lincoln County Sheriff's Office Deputy Clint Haynes about the events of February 16th, 2023, Johnson took the stand when the chase began.

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Johnson was within 30 minutes of his shift ending. He said hindsight to his assistance in the pursuit, and he joined it on Montana 37. After explaining the pursuit, continuing on to camp 32 road, Johnson testified to his recollection of the moments leading up to him being run over. After further questioning by Geist. Johnson said he knew a big truck was coming at him, accelerating heavily, and was under control.

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Johnson recalled Hines making the radio call and being taken to the U.S. Forest Service ranger station in Eureka for transport to Kalispell by the alert helicopter, including the severing of his vertebrae in his spine. He suffered 22 broken ribs, a broken shoulder, his right lung was punctured, and his stomach lining was torn. Koepka began the prosecution's case by questioning Haynes.

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The deputy led the pursuit from Eureka to Camp 32 road near Lake Coconut Bridge. He is credited with helping save Johnson's life after he was struck by Miller's truck. Dashcam footage from his patrol vehicle showed the chase from the beginning to the time when Miller was struck by Johnson. The footage left many observers cheering up and sobbing. Haynes described the day to the jury following questions from Koepka.

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He said he was on patrol in Eureka when he encountered Miller's brother, who told him where to find the defendant. Haynes went to the property owned by Miller's father. He testified he saw Miller loading tires into the bed of a Chevrolet Silverado truck when Haynes attempted to contact Miller. Video footage showed Miller getting into the truck and driving away, followed by Haynes.

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The pursuit continued on Montana 37. Haynes said Miller drove at speeds exceeding 100 miles an hour. He testified that he believed Miller endangered the lives of more than ten people, as well as law enforcement officers involved with the Chase. The trial continued on Thursday and is expected to last into next week. Montana is number one in the nation for drunk driving fatalities, according to a new ranking by Forbes.

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Recent data showed fewer highway deaths related to impaired driving in 2022 compared to the previous year, according to Montana Department of Transportation. Recent data shows fewer highway deaths related to impaired driving in 2022 compared to the previous year, according to the Montana Department of Transportation. But a state report said Montana also hasn't met its most recent goal of reducing the five year rolling average of those fatalities.

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Supervisor of State Highway Traffic safety at the MDT, Kevin Dusko, said the agency is well aware of the challenges of impaired driving throughout Montana. He said they provide a lot of resources to mitigate it throughout the state. The recent Forbes ratings in Montana ranks as the worst for drunk driving by two separate measures. It said 8.57 drunk drivers are involved in fatal crashes for every 100,000 licensed drivers, and that 7.14 people are killed in crashes involving a drunk driver.

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For every 100,000 residents. Neighboring South Dakota ranks as the number two worst for drunk driving fatalities, and Wyoming and North Dakota ranks number four and five, respectively. Texas sits at number three. The report cites data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the FBI, and the U.S. Department of Transportation. Tesco said support the agency provides includes high visibility enforcement, treatment, courts, education and media messaging, and even safety elements and highway construction projects such as rumble strips.

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The bumpy stretches along shoulders that make a car vibrate. As a rule state with a small population, Dusko said Montana families and emergency responders especially feel the effects of impaired driving crashes. He said MDT is grateful for them and other partners. Prior to the Covid 19 pandemic, Montana had seen a slight dip in alcohol related highway fatalities, at least by total numbers, with 93 in 2013.

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It's all 56 in 2017, 80 in 2018 and 66 in 2019, according to national traffic safety data from MDT. However, those deaths still made up at least roughly one third of the total fatalities in 2020, the year the pandemic started, Montana saw 95 related alcohol related driving fatalities, or 45% of all fatal crashes, according to national data provided by the MDT.

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It counted 102 the following year in 2021, or 43% of the total. The total of fatal crashes that involved alcohol dropped to 71 in 2022, back to 33% of all those crashes. Tesco said data from last year isn't available yet. He also said he doesn't like to blame Covid 19, but the pandemic undoubtedly affected Montana's goal of reducing highway fatalities related to alcohol.

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A Montana Department of Transportation report called Vision Zero, said the state's goal is to reduce its five year average of impaired driving fatalities, but the target for the most recent period ending in 2021 was 73.6. It said Montana didn't meet it with an average of 80. During the pandemic, he said. Substance use and mental health issues were possible factors and increases in speeding and tourism may play roles in the outcomes as well.

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Although the rankings in Forbes focus on alcohol, Dusko said seatbelt use always affects safety. Even at 25 miles an hour or slower, he said, a seatbelt improve safety. A person without a seatbelt might not die if they hit something in a slower speed, but they still might suffer a traumatic head injury. Although not counted in the recent ranking, Dusko said.

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Recreational marijuana affects drivers as well, and many crashes involve both alcohol and other drugs. However, he said there isn't wide agreement on how to measure impaired driving related to marijuana as compared to alcohol. A 2023 report from Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services said alcohol related crashes killed 29 people in the country every day and caused $44 billion a year.

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Data from MDT shows Yellowstone, Bighorn, Flathead and Missoula counties are the worst for percentage of roadway fatalities that involve alcohol in Montana. That's Co said the department takes a data driven approach in providing resources and is working from the director's office to boots on the ground to decrease the deaths. Let's see what events are coming up. Remember, you can find art classes, live music and anything community related by going to daily interlake.com/events and checking out our events calendar next week.

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Comedian and actor Henry Winkler at The Wall holds College Center on April 24th. The Primetime Emmy Award winner will speak at the college starting at 7:30 p.m.. Thanks for joining us. News now is a podcast from the Daily Interlake. We're proud to be the largest independent newsroom in Montana and the oldest paper in the Valley. Consider becoming a subscriber to support our work.

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Call circulation at (406) 755-7018, or go to the subscribe tab in the top right corner of our website. And if you haven't already, subscribe to our YouTube channel to never miss an episode of The Pod. Everybody stay safe and have a great week!