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BILLIONAIRE'S CLUB Sale of Yellowstone Club also settles pending litigation BUTTE, Mont. (AP) An agreement reached yesterday that allows the Boston-based investment firm CrossHarbor Capital Partners to purchase the elite Yellowstone Club also settles pending litigation surrounding the club's bankruptcy.

Credit Suisse gets a note for $80 million, and the dismissal of claims that the $375 million loan it made to the club in 2005 was fraudulent and drove the development into bankruptcy. Last week, a bankruptcy judge ordered the repayment of $232 million to Credit Suisse be subordinated to repayment of other creditors in the bankruptcy.

But former club owner Tim Blixseth still faces charges that he breached his fiduciary duty to the resort when he used most of the 2005 loan to pay down personal debts and buy luxury estates in Scotland, France and Mexico.

Edra Blixseth says the sale of the club is bittersweet for her, but it meets the goal of getting the club into a stable ownership.

She has also filed for personal bankruptcy.

CORONER'S INQUEST Coroner's inquest in Glasgow shooting Tuesday GLASGOW, Mont. (AP) A coroner's inquest is scheduled Tuesday in the case of a Glasgow man who died after he allegedly killed a woman and injured two others in a shooting near the town's hospital.

Fergus County Coroner Dick Brown will hold the inquest in the death of 42-year-old Roger L. Sellers, who died at his residence.

At issue is whether he was killed by law officers or committed suicide.

Melissa Greenhagen, an emergency medical technician and Valley County District Court clerk, was killed on Jan. 17 while Scott and Suzanne Billingsley were injured.

Information from: KFBB-TV, http://www.kfbb.com MISSING MAN Dogs to search for missing Butte man BUTTE, Mont. (AP) Investigators plan to use search dogs Tuesday to look for a 49-year-old Butte man who was last seen in late November.

Officers have characterized the disappearance of Matt Hatfield as "very suspicious," but have released no more information.

Detective Ed Lester says about five dogs will be used to search the wooded area around the house where Hatfield was living at the time. Hatfield was last seen by family on Nov. 28 or Nov. 29, but wasn't reported missing until his sister called police on Dec. 23.

Investigators have said Hatfield's son had the man's pickup truck.

Information from: The Montana Standard, http://www.mtstandard.com GM-MONTANA At least 3 Montana dealerships losing GM UNDATED (AP) At least three Montana car dealerships have been notified they will be losing their General Motors line of vehicles late next year.

GM announced last week it would not renew franchise agreements with 1,100 dealerships Headwaters GMC in Three Forks and Livingston, both owned by Dave Jackson, will be losing GM cars, as will Scarff Auto Center in Kalispell.

Jackson says his company will still sell used cars and keep its service center open. He said all 20 of his employees will keep their jobs.

Greg Scarff, owner of Scarff Auto Center, says he's not sure what he's going to do yet.

All three stores sell Pontiac and Buick vehicles, but GM is phasing out its Pontiac line, as well.

General Motors did not release a list of dealerships losing their franchise agreements.

Information from: KECI-TV, www.keci.com BOZEMAN FATAL-PLEA MSU student plans to plead guilty in fatal crash BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) The attorney for a 19-year-old Montana State University student charged with negligent vehicular homicide after a crash that killed a fellow student says his client plans to plead guilty.

Sloane Realbird pleaded not guilty to the charge in January. She is accused of smoking marijuana and drinking before the Dec. 7 crash in Bozeman that killed 26-year-old Nyree Hogan and injured three others. Investigators say Realbird was driving too fast into a 90-degree curve on Cottonwood Road, and the car crashed into a field.

Realbird's public defender, Eric Brewer, would not elaborate on why his client decided to change her plea. The judge involved in the case has not yet scheduled a hearing to handle Realbird's request.

Information from: KBZK-TV, http://www.kbzk.com BEER PONG STABBING Man pleads guilty in 'beer pong' stabbing Missoula, Mont. (AP) A Missoula man accused of stabbing a UM student during an argument over the rules of a drinking game has pleaded guilty to several charges as part of a deal with prosecutors.

Twenty-four-year-old Collan Sheppard appeared in court yesterday (Monday) and pleaded guilty to felony counts of assault with a weapon and criminal endangerment. He also admitted to misdemeanor counts of criminal mischief and negligent endangerment. In exchange for the guilty pleas, prosecutors dismissed a more serious charge of attempted murder.

Injured in the Sept. 20 fight was 19-year-old Jerry Stewart of Butte, who was hospitalized with a severed artery in his arm and a severe gash across his abdomen. Charging documents state that the stabbing apparently was provoked by a drinking game called beer pong.

Yesterday's (Monday) plea agreement calls for a six-year commitment to the Department of Corrections but does not recommend any prison time. Sheppard would also have to pay more than $100,000 in restitution, including $69,000 within two weeks of his sentencing Aug. 6.

Information from: Missoulian, http://www.missoulian.com RNC-PROTESTER RNC protester's conviction overturned ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) A judge has overturned the conviction of a Montana man convicted of public assembly without a permit during the Republican National Convention.

Ramsey County District Judge Edward Wilson has granted a motion for a new trial for Sean Patrick McCoy of Missoula, Montana.

But St. Paul City Attorney John Choi says the city will not retry the case.

McCoy, 33, was convicted in March of public assembly without a permit, a petty misdemeanor, and ordered to pay a $50 fine. The jury acquitted him of fleeing police, and the judge threw out charges of unlawful assembly and obstructing traffic.

McCoy argued that he was working as a medic during a Sept. 1 protest.

In overturning the conviction, the judge ruled that one of the jury instructions was incomplete.

YELLOWSTONE CHECKPOINTS Yellowstone plans sobriety checkpoints YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (AP) Rangers at Yellowstone National Park will be conducting safety and sobriety checkpoints inside the park over Memorial Day weekend.

The rangers will be looking for traffic and safety violations as well as for impaired drivers.

The park reminds motorists that federal law requires all occupants of vehicles to wear seat belts while driving on park roads.

Rangers investigated more than 400 vehicle accidents last year.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 05-19-09 1127CDT | save this article / add to your favorites list