Woman facing felony charge

SANDPOINT — A Careywood woman is facing a felony charge for allegedly threatening a neighbor with a pistol during a dispute last fall.

Sherri Lee Arter was initially charged with disturbing the peace following the incident on Barnhart Road on Oct. 9, 2011. Bonner County prosecutors filed an aggravated assault charge against Arter following further investigation.

Arter made an initial court appearance in magistrate court on Friday, clearing the way for a preliminary hearing.

A neighbor told sheriff’s deputies he was walking back from his mailbox with his 3-year-old granddaughter and their dogs when he heard a gunshot, according to a probable cause affidavit. He looked up at Arter’s place and saw her standing there, leveling a pistol at him.

When the alleged victim had the girl run ahead to safety, he told a deputy that three more gunshots rang out, but did not see where the bullets went.

Arter, 49, told a deputy that the man’s dogs came onto her property and scared her animals, prompting her to fire her .357 revolver into a woodpile. She said she was in an easement dispute with her neighbor and accused him of stalking her, the affidavit said.

Arter is scheduled to be tried on the misdemeanor disturbance charge next month.