Truck Theft Arrest, Council Resignation & Rising Park Fees

This week, host Taylor Inman covers four major stories shaping Northwest Montana — from a Coram truck theft that led to a DUI arrest to a record-breaking nonprofit fundraising campaign.

An 18-year-old already on probation for a fatal DUI crash is facing new charges after allegedly stealing a truck in Coram and crashing it into the woods. He was taken into custody after a bystander spotted him fleeing the scene on foot and now faces up to 10 years behind bars if convicted.

Columbia Falls City Councilman Christopher Semok has resigned after missing more than half of this year's council meetings, including votes on the city's largest subdivision in its history. The city council now has 30 days to name his replacement.

Montana State Parks are proposing their first fee increase in 12 years, raising campsite, entrance and boat slip fees starting as early as 2027. Montana residents would keep free park access, but nonresident and camping costs would climb across the board.

A record 89 Flathead Valley nonprofits are competing for donations in this year's Great Fish Community Challenge, running Aug. 11 through Sept. 11. The Whitefish Community Foundation campaign has raised more than $43 million for local nonprofits since 2015.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 1:24

Hello and welcome to News Now. I'm your host, Taylor Edmonds. We're going over the week's biggest headlines for Northwest Montana. An 18-year-old on probation for killing someone while driving drunk as a minor allegedly stole a pickup in quorum and crashed it into the woods in June. Prosecutors charged Robert James the Rock, III, of quorum with felony theft of a light vehicle, a misdemeanor driving under the influence, first offense, following the June 3rd crash near the intersection of U.S. 2 and Belton Stage Road. He pleaded not guilty at his June 8th arraignment before Judge Amy Eddy and is expected back in Flathead County District Court on September 22nd for a pretrial conference. Deputies with the Flathead County Sheriff's Office began searching for the missing 1988 GMC pickup truck after its owner reported it stolen from the parking lot of a quorum restaurant at about 8 p.m., according to court documents. The owner told dispatchers he had left his keys in it. LaRocque's aunt called the authorities about 15 minutes later, telling dispatchers she had spotted her nephew behind the wheel of a copper-colored truck. She said she recognized the pickup because its owner rented from her. About 15 minutes later, a bystander alerted dispatch to a motor vehicle accident near the intersection of US 2 and Belton Stage Road, a few miles from the restaurant where the pickup vanished. He told authorities that he saw a shirtless man in black shorts running south from the accident along the side of the highway, according to court documents. Arriving deputies spotted the shirtless man as he dashed across the highway and into the woods. They took the man, identified as LaRocque, into custody. An allegedly spluring LaRocque told deputies he was not driving the truck when it crashed, but acknowledged drinking alcohol. Deputies put him through a field sobriety test, which indicated signs of impairment, according to court documents. In the charging documents, prosecutors wrote that LaRocque was arrested earlier that day on a revocation warrant connected to his juvenile case. Records from juvenile cases are not publicly available. Prosecutors described LaRocque as struggling to comply with probation, including using methamphetamine and absconding from supervision in the lead up to the revocation proceedings. If convicted of the felony charge, La Roque faces up to 10 years behind bars and a $50,000 fine. Columbia Falls City Councilman Christopher Seamock has resigned after the mayor and city council sent him a letter of censure recently for not attending more than half of the meetings since he took office in January. Of the 13 city council meetings since the beginning of the year, Seamook had missed all but five, including key meetings on the city's new land use plan and the approval of Tea Kettle Heights, the largest single subdivision in the city's history. He resigned on June 28th. Twenty-two-year-old Seamook had no prior political experience and had only lived in the city for about a year when he ran for office in the fall of 2025. Now the city council is tasked with finding a replacement. Under Montana law, it has 30 days from accepting his resignation, which happened on July 6th, to find a city resident to replace him. Barnhart said on Monday that Seamook was contrite in his resignation. He said he was very gracious and thanked them for allowing him to be on the council. Candidates interested in the vacancy or urge to contact the city, a person has to be a U.S. resident and a resident of Columbia Falls for more than 60 days. The goal is to name a replacement by the August 3rd meeting of council. Then in November of 2027, the city will have two separate filings for candidates to consider. Candidates for three four-year council positions and candidates to complete the two-year term from the created vacancy. Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks officials are reshuffling state park fees to reflect rising costs and better align with rates in neighboring states. Fees for campsites and other amenities at state-managed parks, fishing access sites, and wildlife management areas would see increases under the proposed schedule, which would go into effect no earlier than 2027. It's a modest change to keep state parks safe and welcoming, according to Megan Bicking, Executive Director of the Montana State Parks Foundation, the nonprofit philanthropic partner of the State Parks Division of Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks. The last time the State Wildlife Agency increased park fees was in 2014. In the 12 years since, hundreds of thousands of visitors have stressed the often outdated infrastructure at many state-managed parks, fishing access sites, and wildlife management areas. Bicking said these are fees increased to just keep up with managing the parks, which have had record-breaking attendance over the last few years. While some marijuana and coal tax revenue was funneled into state parks projects, Picking said the majority of the park's operating budgets come from public use fees. She views the proposed changes as necessary to keep up with the maintenance of boat docks, trails, and parking lots. State wildlife officials reviewed fees administered by several neighboring states and the current consumer price index to determine the proposed changes. If the State Wildlife Agency approves the new fee structure, Montana residents would still be able to access state parks for free. The vehicle entrance fees for non-residents would increase from $8 to $10. The price for a standard campsite would increase from $18 to $24 per night for Montana residents and from $28 to $38 per night for non-residents. Campsites with electric hookups would increase to $32 per night for residents and $46 per night for non-residents. Some of the largest changes are being proposed for campsites at fishing access sites, where camping fees are currently based on whether the visitor has a Montana fishing license or not. To better align with the fee structure with other state managed areas and simplify cash transactions, officials are proposing a $20 resident fee and a $30 non-resident fee for campsites at fishing access sites and wildlife management areas. Discounts for seniors, veterans, and those with disabilities will remain available for campsites on all state managed lands. The State Wildlife Agency is proposing upping fees for electric hookups and boat slips at state parks from $6 to $8 for both residents and non-residents, while the fee to use the sewage dump station is set to jump from $5 to $10. Fees for commercial outfitters and guides will increase from $5 per client per day to $8 per client per day. The State Wildlife Agency is accepting public comment on the proposed fee schedules through July 24th. 89 Flathead Valley nonprofit organizations will raise funds in the Whitefish Community Foundation's Great Fish Community Challenge from August 11th to September 11th. It's the highest number of nonprofits to participate in the 12-year history of the campaign. Whitefish Community Foundation's Great Fish Community Challenge is a charitable giving campaign in which donors can choose to give to multiple Flathead Valley nonprofit organizations with one single transaction. At the conclusion of the campaign, Whitefish Community Foundation will award a percentage match on $25,000 raised by each participating organization. The match is made possible by the Whitefish Community Foundation's Circle of Giving Donors, the core group of donors who give $5,000 or more annually to support the grant programs and mission of the foundation, as well as donors who designate their gift to the Great Fish Match Fund. Since 2015, the Great Fish Community Challenge has raised over $43 million for Flathead Valley nonprofits. $8.1 million was raised for 85 nonprofits in 2025, a 21% increase over the previous year. This year's campaign will kick off with the Great Fish Launch Party on Tuesday, August 11th at 5 p.m. at Glacier Bank Park, home of the Glacier Range Riders. Everyone is invited to attend this free event featuring free food and beverages, family-friendly activities, and the opportunity to learn about the nonprofits raising funds in this year's challenge. There's no cost for nonprofits to participate in the challenge. Whitefish Community Foundation underwrites the cost of hosting the campaign with support from title sponsor BNSF, and additional sponsors First Interstate Bank, Glacier Bank, Glacier Guides and Montana Raft, Harris Financial, Iron Horse Foundation, JCCS, Parkside Credit Union, Stockman Bank, Summit Beverage, Three Rivers Bank, and Whitefish Credit Union. Whitefish Community Foundation will award incentive grants to nonprofits throughout the campaign. Donors will have numerous opportunities to help their favorite nonprofits win an incentive grant ranging from $1,000 to $2,500. Nonprofits interested in participating in the 2026 challenge applied through a comprehensive application process this spring. Of the 89 nonprofits invited to participate, six are new to the campaign. They are Bear Grass Performing Arts, Columbia Falls Academic Foundation, Girls on the Run Western Montana, Glacier Aquatic Club, Whitefish Community School, and Whitefish Songwriter Festival. See a full list of the selected nonprofits at DailyInerlake.com. Thanks for joining us, News Now is a podcast from the Daily Interlake. We're proud to be the largest independent user in Montana and the longest continuously published newspaper in the region. Today's stories were written by Daily Interlake News editor Derek Perkins and reporter Haley Smalley, as well as Hungry Horse News editor Chris Peterson. You can read the full versions of these stories at dailyinterlake.com. 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.