State news in brief

Arraignment set for woman accused of leaving kids

BILLINGS (AP) -- A woman accused of leaving two young children home alone in Shepherd while she worked is scheduled for arraignment Monday.

Twenty-seven-year-old Kellie Jo Habedank remained free on bond after appearing in court Tuesday on charges of felony criminal endangerment and misdemeanor obstruction.

Court records state a woman called the Yellowstone County Sheriff's Department on April 22 after she tried to collect rent at a Shepherd home and suspected a baby was alone. A deputy sheriff entered the home and reported finding unattended children, ages 1 and 2.

According to the records, Habedank soon arrived and asked the whereabouts of a baby sitter, a person prosecutors say they were unable to reach.

Baucus receives Farm Bureau award

GREAT FALLS (AP) -- The American Farm Bureau Federation says the highest award it bestows on members of Congress will go to Sen. Max Baucus.

The federation says the Montana Democrat will receive the Golden Plow Award because of his commitments to U.S. agriculture, and to Farm Bureau policy. The organization praised Baucus's work on the 2008 farm bill, and his work aimed at advancement of agricultural trade internationally.

The Montana Farm Bureau Federation nominated Baucus for the award.

Whitefish man pleads not guilty in scalding

WHITEFISH (AP) -- A Whitefish man accused of putting his girlfriend's 5-year-old son in a tub of scalding water has pleaded not guilty to aggravated assault and criminal mischief.

Juan Vasquez, 27, entered his plea Wednesday in Flathead County Justice Court. He remains jailed on $100,000 bail.

The boy suffered second- and third-degree burns over 40 percent of his body on Oct. 24 and is being treated in the burn unit at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Family members say he has had several surgeries for skin grafting and could face several more.

Wild Card, Montana Cash jackpots won

Montana lottery players claimed the Wild Card and Montana Cash jackpots in Wednesday's drawings.

The $105,000 Wild Card jackpot was won by a ticket sold at the Grantree Conoco in Bozeman while the $40,000 Montana Cash jackpot was won by a ticket sold at Super 1 Foods in Columbia Falls. It was the second time in a week that a Montana ticket won the Wild Card jackpot and the fourth time in December that the Montana Cash jackpot was won.

A ticket sold at Thriftway Super Stop in Butte won $5,000 in Wednesday's Wild Card drawing.

-- Associated Press

Wolves kill 2 sheep near Reed Point

BILLINGS (AP) -- Wolves have killed more livestock north of Reed Point, despite efforts to remove the animals from the area.

Federal Wildlife Services officials say wolves killed two sheep and badly injured a ewe and a goat on a ranch north of Reed Point that has lost 20 animals to wolves since September. The injured animals were not expected to survive.

The rancher has a state permit to kill one wolf and FWS trappers continue to search for wolves, as well.

Wildlife officials believe two wolves were responsible for killing livestock on two ranches in the Reed Point area. Wildlife Services tracked down and killed one of the wolves on Nov. 28.

Sonic replacing Burger Master in Great Falls

GREAT FALLS (AP) -- A Sonic Drive-In restaurant is coming to Great Falls, taking the spot of Burger Master on 10th Avenue South.

On Wednesday, Sletten Construction workers razed the ramp at Burger Master, which closed last summer after 54 years.

Lance Hatzenbeller, vice president for Shoot the Moon LLC, says the new Sonic will be built this summer.

Shoot the Moon also owns the Macaroni Grill and Chili's restaurants in Great Falls and Helena. The company closed its Tony Roma's ribs restaurant in Great Falls on Wednesday night.

Jon Tierney, who will be the general manager of the Sonic restaurant, says the Sonic will be a drive-thru and a drive-in, with carhops on skates serving food.

Shoot the Moon plans to bring seven more Sonic Drive-Ins to Montana in the next several years.

MDU has record demand after blizzard

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) -- Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. says a mid-month blizzard in four states spurred record demand for electrical power.

Spokesman Mark Hanson says the Bismarck-based company had a peak electrical load of 455 megawatts on Dec. 15, following a weekend of heavy snow and bitter cold. He says the previous high of 410 megawatts was set in January 2008.

MDU provides service to about 122,000 customers in North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and Wyoming.

MDU's record gas load was set in 1998 at about 325,000 decatherms. Hanson says MDU approached that amount three times following the storm.