New Libby PD officer takes oath
Benjamin Kibbey Western News | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 6 years, 11 months AGO
Libby Mayor Brent Teske swears in Libby’s newest officer, Ian Smith, during the City Council meeting Monday. (Ben Kibbey/The Western News)
The City of Libby has a new officer, who will start at the Montana Law Enforcement Academy on Jan. 7.
Ian Smith comes to Libby from Sandpoint, Idaho, where he served as a reserve officer for about a year and a half prior to becoming a full time officer for the Ponderay Police Department, Libby Police Chief Scott Kessel said.
Kessel said that Smith came highly recommended by the chiefs of both departments and was the most qualified applicant.
Smith will spend 12 weeks at the Academy, followed by 12 weeks with a training officer, Kessel said.
An Iraq veteran with the U.S. Army, Smith served in the infantry while deployed. He told the Libby City Council Monday that he wanted to live in a smaller sommunity such as Libby.
The vote to hire Smith by the interview panel — which included Kessel and the City of Libby Police Commission — was unanimous.
“I think he’ll be a good fit for the community policing that we want to do — being involved in the community we serve, living amongst us, getting along — I think he’ll be a great asset that way,” Kessel said.
“He’ll be approachable, and I think he’ll be more than capable of doing the job,” he said.
ARTICLES BY BENJAMIN KIBBEY WESTERN NEWS
Father accidentally shoots son while hunting near Libby
Things turned tragic for a father and son from Utah who came to the area looking to hunt bears on Tuesday, after an accidental discharge put the son’s life in jeopardy.
Interest high in proposed changes to benefit Lincoln Co., state
Lincoln County residents nearly filled the conference room at the Red Lion Hotel in Kalispell — joined by other parties from around the Columbia River Basin and a retinue of Montana legislators — for a town hall meeting to talk about changes to the 1961 Columbia River Treaty that would benefit Lincoln County and Montana.
Woman found guilty of murder in Lincoln County case
LIBBY — After an evening and morning spent deliberating, a jury in Montana 19th Judicial District Court found Sarah Carpenter guilty on Wednesday of deliberate homicide and tampering with physical evidence in the January 2017 death of Travis Gillett.