Missoula man arrested for allegedly choking woman

By MICHAEL MOORE of the Missoulian

A Missoula man was charged with aggravated assault Monday after allegedly choking his girlfriend early Saturday morning.

Mitchell Killsnight, 24, was charged with a single count after an investigation into his alleged attack on Chandris Woods, the mother of his daughter.

Police were called to an apartment at 1127 McDonald St. about 6 a.m. on Saturday. There, according to court records, they found a distraught Woods screaming about being attacked by Killsnight.

Woods said she and Killsnight were arguing verbally until he accused her of “hitting on” another man.

“Woods stated Killsnight then grabbed her by the neck and pulled her out of the bathroom,” court records state. “Woods stated he pulled her into the bedroom and punched her in the face.” Read more

Police seeking rape suspect

By MICHAEL MOORE of the Missoulian

Missoula police are looking for a man who allegedly raped a 23-year-old woman after meeting her in a bar over the weekend.

Click on the pdf below to learn more about the YWCA's support group offerings during the month of July. As always, age-appropriate groups are available for children, and there is a Native women-led talking circle for Native American women survivors of domestic violence.

Click here to learn more about YWCA support groups.

It's short, sweet, and gets at the heart of the work of more than 300 YWCAs across the country.

In Washington, DC, on May 3, the YWCA USA General Assembly voted by an overwhelming 91 percent margin to amend the national bylaws and revise the organization’s mission statement to read:

"YWCA is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all."

Common use of the YWCA USA mission statement is a standard of affiliation across all local Associations. The revision is now ready for implementation among all local Associations, starting with amending bylaws and updating websites, printed materials, and presentations.

Each local Association can insert its legally incorporated name, for example “YWCA Missoula,” at the beginning of the mission statement.

The YWCA mission statement revision involved an extensive two-year process that included input from local Associations, Regional Councils and the National Coordinating Board, of which Missoula resident Tracy Lakatua is a member.

Each month, the YWCA Missoula Minute profiles one of our Circle of Change donors, women and men who give at least $1,000 a year for five years or longer, about why they feel compelled to give their money and in many cases, their time, to help women and children in our community.

Kathy Witkowsky joined the Circle of Change in 2006. She volunteers as the chair of the YWCA's sustainable funding team, often hosts ywconnects tours, and she will be a third-time table captain at the YWCA's annual fundraiser in November.

YWCA: How did you come to be involved with the YWCA?

By Senators Max Baucus and Jon Tester

April is a very important month. It is when rain begins to fall and spring is ushered in after a cold and long winter. It is a time when days get longer, activities move outside, and friends and family gather for hikes, t-ball games, and picnics in the park.

But April also is a month to help shine light on one of the darkest aspects of society: child abuse. As National Child Abuse Prevention Month, April is a time when people from all walks of life from across the nation gather to say--in a united voice--that child abuse and neglect cannot and will not be tolerated, condoned, or ignored. And as senators, Montanans, fathers, and most importantly, human beings, we are proud to join in this important chorus.