Law roundup: Contractor threatens to fight trash talking competitor

A competitor allegedly bad-mouthing his work at a job site left a contractor fighting mad. He told the Columbia Falls Police Department he would engage the unwelcome critic with fisticuffs if he pulled a similar stunt again. The contractor accused his rival of telling anyone and everyone that he was doing the job wrong while denigrating his company. The contractor asked police to run the man’s license plate and give him the owner's name so that he could file a restraining order and lawsuit.

A passerby found a bag containing drug paraphernalia left in a Seventh Street parking lot. They turned it over to the authorities for destruction.

Concerned about a camper parked in a 10th Street alley, a resident asked police to check it out. Officers found only one camper in the area and it was on private property that was home to a local business. Inquiring with workers there, authorities learned that the camper belonged to an employee who had permission from the owner to stay on the land.

During a sweep of a public park, officers came across a man in a vehicle. When they reminded him of park hours and asked him to move along, he said he was visiting from Tennessee when one of his brake calipers went out. He had an appointment with a mechanic in the morning, but planned to stay with his ride that night as all the nearby campgrounds were full. After hearing the story, authorities agreed to let him stay, but for one night only. They also arranged to have extra patrols through the park that night.

Authorities checked out a man found slumped over the wheel of his vehicle. It turned out he was hypoglycemic. As he refused medical care, officers asked him to stay put until he stabilized his blood sugar.

Officers tried to track down a blue Jeep that reportedly was swerving all over the road. The person who reported the Jeep suspected the driver was suffering from a medical emergency. Or maybe just drunk.