Tuesday, January 31
Long way
We've come a long way since the first copy of H.R. 1283 crossed my desk.

Burns receives input on FAIR
By ROGER MORRIS Western News Publisher

Fourth-graders make donation to needy family
Doreen Gruber's fourth-grade class at Asa Wood saved money from their allowances and drew from their savings to give to the holiday Tree of Sharing, sponsored by the Montana Athletic Club-Libby, for a needy family in the community.
James Bernard
James H. Bernard, 55, of Libby, died Monday, Jan. 30, 2006, at his home from natural causes.
Letter on councilman inaccurate with regard to facts, law
To the Editor:
School district eyes moving classes
By BRENT SHRUM Western News Reporter
Joseph Gilder
Joseph A. Gilder, 71, died at this home on Jan. 20, 2006 in Elgin, N.D.
Recommended wilderness: once it's gone, it's gone forever
To the Editor:
Thursday, January 26
KPFL proposal about reducing unwanted animal population
To the Editor:

? IS FOR NURSE
Ruth Fenn, RN at St. John's Lutheran Hospital, takes a fun approach to teaching Mrs. Ralph's kindergarten class at Plummer School about medicine and nursing. This week the youngsters were learning that N is for nurse. (Photo by KC Hoyer)
When and where will the wilderness designations end?
To the Editor:
Fisher River Valley Fire/Rescue credited with saving a life
To the Editor:
Burns sets asbestos conference
U.S. Sen. Conrad Burns will hold a video conference with Libby residents on Saturday, Jan. 28, to discuss the asbestos situation.

Planning board proposal advances
By BRENT SHRUM Western News Reporter
Libby to host Northwest A Band Festival
Libby High School will be hosting this year's Class A Northwest Band Festival on Monday and Tuesday, Jan. 30-31
Shirley Price
Shirley A. Price, 74, a resident of Libby for 18 years, died Monday, Jan. 23, 2006, with her children by her side.
The fun begins
"Without comprehensive campaign finance reform, we are leaving the system of representative democracy open to the charge and to the reality that political outcomes are for sale. The appearance of favoritism to contributors is damaging; the fear bred of alienating contributors is growing; and each year the expense of campaigning mounts and the pressure to seek financial support wherever it can be found intensifies, even though the consequences are increasingly transparent." — a former U.S. Senator in 1993.
Royce Gilbertson
Royce J. Gilbertson, 88, longtime Libby resident, died Saturday, Jan. 21, 2006, at the Libby Care Center.
Zeita Romeiko
Zeita M. Romeiko, 86, of Libby, died Wednesday Jan. 25, 2006, at St. John's Lutheran Hospital from natural causes.
Tuesday, January 24
George Elletson
George A. Elletson, 82, of Libby, died Jan. 18, 2006, at his home.
Wounded man seeks treatment release
A man wounded in a Dec. 18 shootout with police in Eureka is seeking release from jail for medical treatment and a psychological evaluation.

Second stove fair draws a crowd
Nearly 250 people turned in applications for vouchers to subsidize the cost of replacing an old non-EPA certified woodstove at Saturday's stove fair in Libby.
Eric Almeida
Eric Z. Almeida, 43, died of a heart attack near his home while working in Belen, N.M., on Jan. 18, 2006.
Council restores faith by upholding electorate's choice
To the Editor:
Political candidates begin filing
Filing opened Monday for candidates seeking state and county offices in the November election.
Growing pains
Pinal County, Ariz., sandwiched between the ever expanding Phoenix and Tucson, is experiencing a road and traffic crisis with no easy and cheap solution available.
Thursday, January 19

SIXTH HOME FINISHED
Dedication for the sixth home built by the Kootenai Valley Partners Habitat for Humanity will be Saturday, Jan. 21, at 1 p.m. along with an open house from 2-4 p.m. at the Libby home at 216 W. 10th. Kootenai Valley Partners The home is for Cristian and Yvette Fernandez and their children Andrea, Miguel, Daniel and Gabriel. The comunity is invited to the open house from 2-4 p.m.
Burns takes aim at FAIR
U.S. Sen. Conrad Burns has notified Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, that he would not support the "Fairness in Asbestos Injury Resolution Act of 2005" unless the bill is changed from its current language, which excludes many Libby residents.
County's offer
Lincoln County's offer to provide $100,000 a year should be a good starting point for negotiations for the Port Authority board.
True magnitude of life loss being ignored
To the Editor:
Local man rescues fishermen from frigid reservoir
Matt Mischenko didn't catch any fish at Tiber Reservoir on Saturday, but he is being credited with a far greater accomplishment — saving the life of a fellow fisherman.
It is the nature of most individuals to discredit opponents when they are in fact guilty
To the Editor:
If we give them an inch they will take the mile
To the Editor:
Thursday, January 12
Baucus staff collects input on FAIR
Staff members from the offices of U.S. senators Max Baucus and Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) were in Libby on Wednesday gathering input on asbestos reform legislation expected to reach the Senate floor later this month.
City delays decision on animal shelter
By BRENT SHRUM Western News Reporter
James Chappell
James Arthur Chappell, 63, died Dec. 23, 2005 at the Kadlec Medical Center in Richland, Wash.
Port OKs temporary KRDC funding
By ROGER MORRIS Western News Publisher

State of the City: Challenging and changing says mayor
By ROGER MORRIS Western News Publisher
Tony Holzer
Anton C. (Tony) Holzer, 59, a Kootenai Valley resident for the past 38 years, died Monday, Jan. 9, 2006, at his home in Libby.
Tuesday, January 10
Local air quality regs change postponed
Adoption of proposed changes to air quality regulations for the Libby area has been delayed pending revisions to the draft regulations to clear up concerns raised during a review by Lincoln County Attorney Bernie Cassidy and state Department of Environmental Quality officials.
Mary Catherine Ciesla
Mary Catherine Ciesla, 85, of Libby died Saturday, Jan. 7, 2006 at her home in Libby from natural causes.
State highway foreman unfairly blamed in fatal accident
To the Editor:
Can't help it
You know, sometimes someone has to say something.

NEW YEAR'S BABY
Annika Mae Benner became the first baby born at St. John's Lutheran Hospital for 2006. Annika Mae was born Jan. 7, 2006 at 2:45 a.m. to Kendra Benner, a teacher at Libby Middle School. Proud dad is Monty Benner of the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Annika weighed in at 8 pounds, 1 ounce and measured 20 1/4 inches. She joins a three-year-old brother, Chase. In 2005, there were 105 newborns delivered at the Libby hospital.
Snowshoe reclamation meeting scheduled
Reclamation plans for the abandoned Snowshoe Mine site, 10 miles southeast of Libby, will be shared by Montana Department of Environmental Quality officials during a public meeintg in Libby on Wednesday, Jan. 11.
Don Larson
Helena businessman, and father of a Libby woman, Donald W. "Don" Larson, 83, died on Jan. 1, 2006.
Hearings on mining rules should be held closer to home
To the Editor:
County jail remains over capacity
By BRENT SHRUM Western News Reporter
Andrew Spranger
Former Libby resident Andrew Spranger of Lewistown died on Jan. 4, 2006.
Thursday, January 5
Shocked
I got home from the wrestling matches Tuesday night and turned on the television before I started scrambling some eggs.
Federal government has no right to public lands in states
To the Editor:
Motorists tally 340+ deer kills in 2005
By ROGER MORRIS Western News Publisher
Wounded man transferred to county lockup
A man wounded in an exchange of gunfire with a Eureka police officer on Dec. 18 was transferred Wednesday from a Kalispell hospital to the Lincoln County jail.

Troy road work under way
Work began this week on a project to widen the county road on the north side of the Roosevelt Bridge over the Kootenai River in Troy.
Jennie Seay
Jennie Mae Seay, 84, of Libby, died Saturday Dec. 31, 2005, at St. John's Lutheran Hospital from natural causes.
Charles "Pappy" Hutton
Charles H. "Pappy" Hutton, 77, died Tuesday, Jan. 3, at Kalispell Regional Medical Center.
County opposes stricter mine water treament proposal
By BRENT SHRUM Western News Reporter
Body count not in for asbestos
To the Editor:
Tuesday, January 3
Dale Bjorklund
Dale Bjorklund, 53, of Troy died Thursday, Dec. 29, 2005 at Brendan House in Kalispell following a battle with cancer.
Gordon Anderson
Gordon Edmond Anderson, 77, died on Dec. 17, 2005 at Kalispell Regional Medical Center.
Good decision
Lost in the holiday shuffle is a decision just before Christmas by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Donald Molloy requiring three environmental groups to post a $100,000 bond to continue their appeal of a salvage logging sale near Butte.
Joann Collier
Joann J. Collier, 71, died Wednesday, Dec. 28, at St. John's Lutheran Hospital in Libby.
Vann McDonald
Vann J. McDonald, 51, died Dec. 17, 2005 at his home in Libby.
Mary Jane 'Janey' Schreiber
Mary Jane "Janey" Schreiber, 63, died at her home in Plymouth, Vt., on Dec. 27, 2005.
Myrtle Benoit
Myrtle G. Benoit, 83, of Libby, died Friday, Dec. 30, 2005, at the Libby Care Center.
Elks Lodge, community aid local Katrina victims
By ROGER MORRIS Western News Publisher
Barzia 'Bart' Teske
Barzia Robert "Bart" Teske, 61, died Wednesday, Dec. 28, as the result of injuries received in a well-drilling accident near Libby.
State road foreman shares blame in death
To the Editor:
Philip Morris has probably killed more people than Grace
To the Editor:
Alma Parkinson
Alma O. Parkinson, 100, of Libby, died Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2005, at the Libby Care Center.
Stove fair kicks off second phase of changeout
The second phase of Libby's woodstove changeout program will kick off with a stove fair at the Memorial Center on Saturday, Jan. 21.

MacDonald's latest role commanding attention
By ROGER MORRIS Western News Publisher
Donald Davis
Donald A. Davis, 70, of Troy, died Saturday, Dec. 31, 2005, at St. John's Lutheran Hospital from natural causes.