News:
Lincoln County Commissioner Tony Berget puts his signature on an agreement to bring Stinger Welding to Libby. Also on hand for the signing are (seated, from left) Commissioner John Konzen and Kootenai River Development Council director Paul Rumelhart and (standing) Kootenai Business Park Industrial District board members Russ Barnes, Amy Guth and Ardell Filler. Photo by Kootenai Valley Record.
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Stinger guarantees jobs (posted 7/3/09)
Bridge builder inks deal to set up facility at industrial park
Brent Shrum, Kootenai Valley Record
It’s official: Stinger Welding is coming to Libby and bringing at least 200 jobs with it.
Lincoln County officials signed a formal agreement last week with the Arizona-based steel bridge manufacturer that finalizes the company’s plan to set up shop at the Kootenai Business Park Industrial District. Under the terms of the agreement, Stinger will construct its own building at the former mill site, which will be purchased by the industrial district and then leased back to the company. The agreement includes a guarantee that the company will employ at least 200 people within four years and maintain those jobs for another six years.
"They don’t think they’re going to have any problem whatsoever achieving that," said industrial district chair Amy Guth. "They expect to exceed that."
Guth drafted the agreement with the assistance of fellow attorney Mark Fennessy. The agreement was signed Thursday by the industrial district’s board of directors along with the county commissioners. Stinger Welding president Carl Douglas traveled to Libby Friday to put his signature on the document.
Funding for the project includes a $3.3 million loan from the Montana Board of Investments along with a $3.2 million insurance settlement the industrial district received following the collapse of the old plywood plant roof under a heavy snow load, an $800,000 Community Development Block Grant, and a $400,000 grant from the Big Sky Trust Fund.
Once Stinger completes the building, it will be purchased at cost by the industrial district. Lease payments from Stinger will be used to pay off the MBOI loan. If the minimum level of 200 jobs is not achieved, the company will pay a penalty of $16,600 for each job under 200, with the money to be put toward paying off the loan.
A similar penalty, agreed upon in concept but with details to be worked out, will be assessed to reimburse the industrial district’s $3.2 million contribution from the insurance settlement if the minimum employment level is not met and maintained. Otherwise, the $3.2 million investment by the industrial district will not be repaid by Stinger. The company will have the option to buy the building at any time, however.
"In any event, whether they purchase the building or not, they enter into the jobs guarantee," Guth said.
Stinger has already made a down payment for construction of the building, Guth said.
"They want to keep on that construction schedule and get the roof up by fall," she said.
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Editor’s Note: See the June 30, 2009 edition of the Kootenai Valley Record for the printed version of this story. The Kootenai Valley Record publishes once a week, on Tuesdays, in Libby, Montana. They are a locally owned community newspaper, located at 403 Mineral Avenue in Libby. For in-county and out-of-county subscription information, call 406-293-2424, or e-mail kvrecord@gmail.com.
Old Libby City Hall. Photo by Kootenai Valley Record.
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Council nixes proposal to tear down old City Hall
Brent Shrum, Kootenai Valley Record
The Libby Volunteer Fire Department can move ahead with plans to seek grant funding to build a new fire station downtown as long as those plans don’t include the demolition of old City Hall, the city council agreed last week.
LVFD assistant chief Bill Watt told the council a "unique opportunity" has become available to apply for federal stimulus funds to build a new station. More than $200 million is available nationwide, Watt said.
Rules for the grant program were released June 11, Watt said, and applications must be turned in by July 10. By that time, the fire department will need to have "a tight fix on what you think it’s going to cost," he said.
Two options for building a new two-story station at the current location near the corner of Sixth Street and Mineral Avenue have been considered, Watt said. One calls for tearing down the section at the back of the old City Hall building that is currently used by the fire department; the second would demolish the entire structure. The standalone building further east on Sixth Street, which now houses the fire department’s offices and some of its vehicles, would remain.
The walls of the old City Hall building are insulated with vermiculite, and the building is likely to contain other asbestos-bearing materials as well, Watt said. The health hazard presented by asbestos, coupled with contamination from diesel exhaust, should count in Libby’s favor when applying for grant money, Watt said. Due in part to the asbestos contamination, demolishing the entire building could be a better solution than tearing down only a portion, Watt suggested.
Councilwoman Peggy Williams expressed concerns about the aesthetic impacts of tearing down the old City Hall building.
"I would not like to see that building go," she said.
Councilman Ron Carter agreed, adding that a structural engineer should be consulted before any decision is made on demolishing the building.
"I think everyone would be pretty shocked to see that come down," he said.
Mayor Doug Roll said he didn’t think the public would want to see the building torn down.
"I think that would be too much for folks to handle," he said.
Carter moved to authorize the fire department to apply for funding with the stipulation that the old City Hall building is preserved. Councilman Lee Bothman suggested amending the motion to remove the stipulation, but Carter said he wouldn’t make that amendment.
"And I won’t vote for it without that stipulation," Williams said.
Williams said she understood that applying for funds wouldn’t bind the city to accept the money and go ahead with the plan, "but I see us getting pushed into it."
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Editor’s Note: See the June 23, 2009 edition of the Kootenai Valley Record for the printed version of this story. The Kootenai Valley Record publishes once a week, on Tuesdays, in Libby, Montana. They are a locally owned community newspaper, located at 403 Mineral Avenue in Libby. For in-county and out-of-county subscription information, call 406-293-2424, or e-mail kvrecord@gmail.com.
Request for petition to recall Sheriff Daryl Anderson rejected (posted 6/25/09)
Lincoln County Clerk and Recorders office rejects request citing errors on both the petition and affidavit
Duane Williams, KLCB 1230 AM Libby News Radio
Lincoln County Clerk and Recorders office rejects request citing errors on both the petition and affidavit
by Duane Williams, KLCB 1230 AM Libby News Radio
The Lincoln County Clerk and Recorders office had until Tuesday to return a determination regarding a petition to recall Lincoln County Sheriff Daryl Anderson.
A group of about 25 Eureka citizens, The Lincoln County Recall Committee, filed a request to authorize a petition to circulate among Lincoln County voters and require 2,000 signatures of those registered to vote in the county's last general election to put a formal recall on a countywide ballot.
The petition alleges Anderson "failed to adequately investigate" rape cases involving the use of "date-rape drugs", animal cruelty, among other allegations.
The Lincoln County Election Administrator and Clerk and Recorder, Tammy Lauer rejected the request for the petition. In a letter to Ginny Emerson, Lauer said that after review of the petition and affidavit she found errors on both, thus rejecting the form of the petition.
Lauer said the law states the petition must be filed in the form in which it will be circulated. Neither the emailed copy nor the faxed copy is true to what will be circulated.
A statement of the basis for knowledge of the facts claimed to constitute incompetence. This must be from the petitioner's knowledge of the facts, apparently not the case, but based on "third-hand" accounts. And "We the people of Lincoln County" must be removed as the petitioner, in this case the Lincoln County Recall Committee, cannot speak for all the people of Lincoln County, Lauer said.
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Story by Duane Williams, KLCB 1230 AM Libby News Radio, www.todaysbestcountryonline.com.
Asbestos Watch says Libby won’t get new money for asbestos cleanup (posted 6/25/09)
Says EPA will use money it already received from W.R. Grace one year ago
Dawn Ballou, LibbyMT.com
In an article posted on its website, Asbestos Watch disputes the perception that EPA is providing new money to help Libby as part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recent announcement declaring a Public Health Emergency for Libby. In EPA’s announcement on Thursday, June 18th, the agency said they were offering a new grant to provide short-term medical assistance for screening, diagnostic and treatment services in a comprehensive and coordinated manner in partnership with local officials on the ground in Lincoln County.
"It does not, contrary to most reporting, provide any additional money to Libby. In answers to a host of questions from Asbestos Watch, the EPA stated that money for the cleanup is actually coming out of funds it had already received from W.R. Grace one year ago (EPA answered these questions on the condition that Asbestos Watch would not attribute them to any one official). There is no "new" money going to Libby as a result of this public health emergency declaration," author Paul Peters writes.
"And it’s more than a little interesting that the declaration comes now, after W.R. Grace, the company responsible for releasing the contaminants that poisoned Libby, has safely cleared the deck of all lawsuits pertaining to its operations in Libby, and has reached a settlement with the federal government that protects the company from future health care and cleanup costs in Libby," he said.
Asbestos Watch (AW) is a nonprofit online news magazine dedicated to original investigative reporting on asbestos issues. Its Lead Investigative Reporter and Chief Editor is Paul Peters, who is a former reporter for the Missoula Independent. According to the AW website, he often covered the Superfund cleanup of asbestos in Libby, Montana, and won a Society of Professional Journalists award in 2007 for his reporting on the subject.
Click here to read the entire article from June 19, 2009: For Polluter, EPA Times Libby Emergency Declaration Perfectly
Related Links:
Libby meets Manhattan Connecting the dots between a New York terrorist attack and a Montana mining disaster (Asbestos Watch, 8/2/07)
EPA announces Public Health Emergency in Libby, Montana (LibbyMT.com, 6/18/09)
The graduating class of 2026 and their proud families. Photo courtesy St. John’s Lutheran Hospital.
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St. John's celebrates babies born in 2008 (posted 6/25/09)
St. John’s Lutheran Hospital
It’s just not a party without a bunch of smiling babies! On June 18, 2009, St. John’s Lutheran Hospital hosted their annual "Moms & Babes" birthday party to celebrate the birth of all the babies born at St. John’s in 2008. Over 45 moms, dads, grandparents, siblings, and friends celebrated with the birthday boys and girls.
According to KC Hoyer, Marketing Manager at St. John’s, the birthday party is part of an on-going effort by St. John’s Hospital to give back to the community, and to stay in contact with those who choose St. John’s for their healthcare services. "Because of our size, we have the unique opportunity to become involved with our patients beyond the hospital doors," commented Hoyer. "We realize that it is a choice for new parents to come to St. John’s for their health care services, and we want them to know that we appreciate the confidence they have in the care we provide."
The party, complete with cake, ice cream, and presents, also served as a setting for new parents to get to know one another. "Our care doesn’t stop after our new parents leave the hospital," added Hoyer. "We understand the pressures that new parents face, and wanted to create a setting where the new parents and babies would have a chance to meet each other and mingle; a common ground to re-celebrate the birth of their children and bond with each other."
Related Links:
www.sjlh.com St. John’s Lutheran Hospital
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Reminder: Don't Pick Up Deer Fawns (posted 6/24/09)
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
To protect Montana's deer and elk from the impending threat of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks no longer accepts, holds, or rehabilitates deer and elk. FWP Region One Warden Captain Lee Anderson says that this policy is necessary because an infected animal housed at FWP’s rehabilitation center—or any holding facility—could spread CWD from there back into the wild.
Please note the following regarding deer fawns and other wildlife:
* Leave It There: It’s natural for deer and elk to leave their young alone for extended periods of time. What appears to be an orphaned animal may not be.
* Always Control Your Dog: A number of the animals FWP receives are the result of dog attacks. Keep your dog under control, especially in the spring when newborn wildlife is most vulnerable. Pet owners can be issued a citation for allowing dogs to harass, chase, or kill wildlife.
* Keep In Mind: It is illegal to possess and care for a live animal taken from the wild.
Should someone bring a deer fawn or elk calf to FWP, we will ask that the animal be taken back to the site where it was found. If the animal can’t be returned to the wild, it will be euthanized.
FWP also asks that other wildlife species, such as birds and small mammals be left in the wild. Usually, young animals picked up by people can’t be rehabilitated, and they are often abandoned by adult animals once human scent is transferred to them.
Libby
lies in the northwest corner of Montana and is nestled in a valley carved by the
Kootenai River on the flank of the majestic Cabinet Mountain Range and Wilderness
Area. Today
about 2,800 people live within Libby proper. The main industries are lumber and
wood products, mining, tourism and recreation. The movies "The River Wild" and
"Always" were filmed here. Contact the Libby
Chamber of Commerce for brochures, info on lodging and events, general area
information, and contact information for local businesses and services.
SUMMER
When the weather warms and the mountain
snows melt away, the Kootenai National Forest comes alive with over 2.2
million acres of public land as a playground. Mountain trails and lakes
open up, beautiful wildflowers come in bloom, and wildlife have their young.
Libby is the basecamp for the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness Area, 90-mile
long Lake Koocanusa, the Northwest Peaks Scenic Area, and the Ten Lakes
Scenic Area. There is good access to most of the Forest and plenty of room
to get away from it all!
WINTER
Winter in Montana means snow, and lots
of it! For those who love to play in the deep powder, the Libby area offers tremendous
winter fun. Turner Mountain Ski Area, located
just 22 miles from Libby, offers challenging downhill skiing with a beautiful
view. Their slogan is "steep, deep and cheap", and Turner definitely
lives up to that. It's still fairly undiscovered, so you can escape the crowds
and get the cheapest lift tickets around. For those who love snowmobiling,
there are hundreds of miles of backcountry roads to sled on in the Kootenai National
Forest. Cross-country skiers and ice fishermen also can find solitude on a lake
and miles of quiet forest trails to enjoy the outdoors. Those who are a bit on
the wild and crazy side will love the antics of the Libby Polar Bear Club.
Members take winter-time "swims" in frigid Libby Creek every Sunday
from October to April. Plungers have ranged in age from 3 to 61. As long as the
ice can be broken on the creek, if it has formed, the group will take their plunge,
no matter the temperature.
These people must be
craaaazzzzzy!
Libby
Polar Bear Club
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