Updated at 1:40 p.m. with information from Jenkins’ initial court appearance Christopher Jenkins, 41, has been charged with felony counts of deliberate homicide, assault with a weapon, strangulation of a family member and tampering with evidence for allegedly killing his grandmother on May 8. He was booked in the Cascade County Adult Detention Center on May 8 on a $750,000
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A Mexican man who used fake immigration documents was sentenced in federal court on May 6 to time served, 62 days, and remanded to the custody of the U.S. Border Patrol, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Salvador Santiago-Lopez, 33, pleaded guilty in April 2026 to one count of use and possession of fraudulent immigration documents. On March 6, law enforcement stopped
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Charles Jackson, 17, appeared in court on May 5 on charges related to the March 22 downtown shooting and a bond revocation for previous cases. Jackson answered not true to charges of underage drinking and obstructing a peace officer. A not true plea is similar to not guilty in adult court. Jackson was arrested in late March and held in
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The Great Falls Public Schools board was scheduled to vote during their April 27 meeting on an agreement between GFPS, the Cascade County Sheriff’s Office and the Great Falls Police Department. The agreement is for the pilot reserve deputy school resource officer program proposed by Sheriff Jesse Slaughter. During the meeting, the item was pulled from the agenda at the
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County officials are contemplating the future of the Armington Bridge project as its been beset by delays and complications. During an April 29 meeting, county officials reviewed the history of the project and its current status with Brady Lassila of TD&H Engineering, the county’s consultant. The county received $750,000 from the Montana Coal Endowment Program in May 2021 for construction
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Two people charged in connection with a September 2024 downtown alley assault that left a man with a brain injury appeared in court this week. Jesse Edwards Jr. and Ethanel Pherigo both appeared in court as their cases have been plagued with delays. Edwards was 14 at the time of the assault. He was initially charged with felony aggravated assault
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Dustin Steele appeared in court on April 29, asking for a reduction in bail due to his medical needs related to having been shot by police on March 16 in the 600 block of 17th Avenue South. His bail was $250,000, which he requested be reduced to $50,000. He also asked that he be allowed to have contact with the
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Cascade County Commissioners approved a $44,000 contract to TD&H Engineering for the Rainbow Dam Road slide during their April 28 meeting. A roughly 150-foot section of the road has shifted significantly and is beginning to slide toward the river, creating a safety concern, particularly for heavy vehicles that travel the road regularly, according to county public works. “The failure is
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The Great Falls Public Schools board unanimously approved a $154,300 contract to AT Klemens during their April 27 meeting to replace the fire alarm system at Valley View Elementary School. Luke Diekhans, GFPS’ business operations manager, said the district has been working in recent years to upgrade emergency alarm systems across the district. The fire alarm system at Valley View
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Sarah Bailey was the love of Ned Bailey’s life — a love lost May 18, 2025, when Kelsey Staigmiller caused a disturbance in the Roberts Apartments downtown, then got into a truck occupied by Sarah Bailey, pushed her out and dragged her for several blocks, leading to Bailey’s death. Bailey, a downtown business owner and tattoo artist, who investigators said
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