The city of Whitefish will pay $90,000 to settle a lawsuit accusing police officers of racial profiling a man from Venezuela. Montana’s earn-while-you-learn training program is seeing record growth. Officials say it’s driving higher wages for participants and keeping them in state. One person died following a boat accident the evening of April 27th east of Missoula.
Whitefish settles lawsuit over alleged racial profiling by police
By Shaylee Ragar
The city of Whitefish will pay $90,000 to settle a lawsuit accusing police officers of racial profiling a man from Venezuela.
In a statement, the city says it does not admit any wrongdoing and will pay the sum with insurance.
Beker Rengifo del Castillo was in the U.S. legally and residing in Whitefish when he was pulled over for a traffic stop. According to the lawsuit, the officer then called U.S. Customs and Border Protection who took Rengifo del Castillo into custody. He was held in a Tacoma detention facility for about a week.
The suit, filed by Upper Seven Law, claimed the arrest violated federal protections against racial profiling and unlawful seizure, and the state constitution’s anti-discrimination provision.
Apprenticeship training program sees record growth
By Edward F. O'Brien
Montana’s earn-while-you-learn training program is seeing record growth. Officials say it’s driving higher wages for participants and keeping them in state.
Montana’s Registered Apprenticeship Program supported nearly 3,500 active apprenticeships last year. According to the Montana Department of Labor and Industry that marks the highest participation rate in the state program’s history.
Apprentices train in high-demand fields including health care, tech, child care, and construction industries.
On average, more than 900 new apprenticeships have started in each of the last three
Years. That follows a regulatory update four years ago increasing the ratio of
apprentices to mentors.
According to DLI, Montanans who complete an apprenticeship earn more than $72,000 within a year of graduation, significantly above the state average wage of $58,000.
Nearly 85 percent of participants remain employed in Montana five years after finishing their programs.
One person dead after boating accident near Missoula
By Edward F. O'Brien
Spring storms and snowmelt means Montana waterways are running high, fast and very cold.
One person died following a boat accident the evening of April 27th east of Missoula. According to the Missoula County Sheriff's Department, a boat with several people aboard overturned in cold, fast moving water near Clinton.
More than 25 first responders from several local agencies pitched in to help rescue the boat’s occupants.
One person was unable to make it to shore and was swept downstream. That individual was later found by a helicopter search, but did not survive.
Officials urge Montanans to wear life jackets and recreate with caution.
