Train derails, spills soybeans

PLAINS (AP) — Nineteen cars of a 111-car Montana Rail Link train derailed just west of Plains early Wednesday, spilling approximately 37 tons of soybeans into the Clark Fork River.

MRL spokeswoman Lynda Frost said the derailment occurred shortly before 5:30 a.m.

No one was injured and no hazardous materials were involved. The cause of the derailment is under investigation.

The 19 cars carried 2,134 tons of soybeans. Frost said one-third of the contents of one car was dumped into the river.

‘‘The soybeans spilled into a back eddy, and they’re just swirling there,’’ Frost said. ‘‘It was the perfect place. The water is about 8 feet deep and the soybeans piled up and were contained to one area.’’

Frost said heavy equipment needed for the cleanup arrived about 6:30 p.m., and crews would use a liquid pump to remove the soybeans from the river. MRL’s main line was expected to reopen Friday morning.

The train was traveling from Mitchell, S.D., to Tacoma, Wash.

Man charged with leaving scene of crash

BILLINGS (AP) — A Lockwood man accused of running over a motorcyclist with his car was charged Wednesday in Justice Court with leaving the scene of a fatal accident.

James Hagberg, 33, also faces a charge of tampering with evidence. Judge Larry Herman set bail at $50,000 and ordered Hagberg to appear for arraignment in District Court on Friday.

Prosecutors say 43-year-old Renae Merkel died May 3 when she was run over by Hagberg’s car after losing control of her motorcycle in Huntley.

According to court documents, Hagberg stopped the car at the insistence of three passengers. As two of the passengers tried to help Merkel, he drove off and parked away from the scene. One of the passengers convinced Hagberg to call the responding state trooper to set up a meeting at Hagberg’s Lockwood residence.

Hagberg told the trooper he had been drinking at a Huntley bar and came across Merkel in the road as they were driving away from the bar, according to court documents.

An investigator determined that Hagberg’s car ran over Merkel, but there was no evidence that it struck the woman’s motorcycle first.

Hagberg also is accused of cleaning the hood of his car after the accident and bending the front license plate frame back into position.

Great Falls teacher wins $25,000 award

GREAT FALLS (AP) — A fifth-grade teacher from Great Falls has won a $25,000 award from the Milken Family Foundation.

Kathie Heusel, an educator at Morningside Elementary, was the only teacher in Montana, and one of just 80 nationwide, to be given one of the foundation’s National Educator Awards.

The honor is given to teachers who display a commitment to excellence, and inspire both their students and fellow educators.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Linda McCulloch surprised Heusel by presenting her with the award Wednesday during an assembly at her school’s gymnasium. Heusel received a standing ovation.

Heusel says she’s still ‘‘processing’’ the honor but will likely use some of the money to further her own education.

Excavation to begin at Hamilton airport

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality says excavation is scheduled to begin Oct. 24 at the Hamilton airport, as part of a long-term cleanup of contaminated soil.

Recent lab results indicate a jet-fuel spill at the airport resulted in three separate plumes of contamination.

The 4,500-gallon spill happened July 1 during a fuel transfer at Northstar Aviation. The fuel was being moved from a storage tank to a truck used for fueling airplanes.

The contamination is northwest and southeast of the maintenance building at the Ravalli County Airport.

The DEQ says the excavation will happen in two phases. The second phase is expected to get under way next year.

The agency says crews likely will dispose of the contaminated soil at the Missoula landfill.