Melrose man driving lawn tractor pleads to fine, jail time

A Melrose man police say was drinking and driving a lawn tractor on city streets has pleaded to jail time and a fine.

Monday, George Rierson, 36, agreed to serve 364 days in Curry County jail and pay fines and costs of $167.

Police said Rierson will actually serve 11 days in jail because 353 days of the sentence were suspended.

Rierson was arrested Aug. 7 after an officer spotted him driving a lawnmower around the village after dark.

Officer Dean Marney said he stopped Rierson to tell him to put reflectors on the trailer he was pulling.

Marney said Rierson said he was just going to pick up his children down the road.

Marney said during the conversation, Rierson kept drinking from a plastic cup and Rierson’s voice was slurred.

Marney then discovered Rierson was drinking beer out of the plastic cup.

Marney checked Rierson through a national law enforcement computer system and discovered Rierson’s driver’s license was revoked because of a previous DWI charge.

Rierson was charged with driving on a revoked license and carrying an open container.

Several attempts to reach Rierson for comment were unsuccessful.