New Year rings in without incident

In the bar scene, it is known as “amateur night.”

“New Year’s Eve brings out all the regulars, and all the people who never get out to celebrate – so you can usually count on some kind of crazy to go down,” said one bartender.

But according to local law enforcement, this New Year celebration concluded pleasantly calm. “We didn’t have a single arrest,” said Sheriff Tom Rummel, “we had five personnel on shift, including reserve deputies and undersheriff Lanny Hensley. We are always thankful when nights like that go quietly.”

Rummel attributed the uneventful evening to public awareness and officer presence, “Everyone knew we would be out to help with traffic mishaps and patrol for DUI’s,” shared Rummel, “and the high price of a DUI ticket probably helped in keeping people acting responsibly, I’m sure.”

Hot Springs Police Chief Stuart Smith reported a quiet New Years on the east side of the county, with no celebration-related incidents.

Newly sworn in Thompson Falls City Police Chief Chris Nichols took time in the days leading up to the holiday to visit with Falls establishments and encourage preventative safety measures for the big night. In a public announcement Chief Nichols said, “As with any New Year’s Eve, please drink responsibly and use designated drivers or make plans to stay the night wherever you choose to celebrate. Additionally; the weather has been difficult for recent driving conditions and we hope you will keep this in mind as you make your holiday plans.”

The Chief’s visits with taverns confirmed they would be serving non-alcoholic soda and coffee free of charge to designated drivers. It was also confirmed that K&D Towing would be offering a tow and a ride for partiers that had imbibed too much. His lowered fee was just a fraction of the cost of a DUI, which starts at $585. Nichols reminded the public that lodging establishments would have rooms available at winter rates.

Thompson Falls City Police had two officers on shift (Nichols and new officer Luke Hauke) to respond to any catastrophes, collisions, or drunk drivers. But, “We only had a few traffic stops that were related to equipment violations, not New Year’s festivities,” Nichols noted, “I think the weather and poor driving conditions had a lot to do with the quiet night – which was just fine with us.”