Vandals shoot up business park

By GWEN ALBERS Western News Reporter

For a third time since mid-June vandals have shot the windows at the scale station in Kootenai Business Park.

The thousands of dollars in damage has Paul Rumelhart offering $1,000 for answers.

"It's really frustrating the heck out of me," said Rumelhart, executive director of Kootenai River Development Council. "We are really putting an effort into developing this industrial site and now its a G— d— shooting range," Rumelhart said.

The Lincoln County Sheriff's Department has no suspects, but also is offering a separate reward from Crimestoppers. Information leading to a conviction could mean a reward of up to $1,000, said Jim Sweet, detective lieutenant for the sheriff's department.

Sometime over the weekend, the shooter used a high-powered rifle to shoot at the scale station on the former 411-acre Stimson mill property, sheriff's department Lt. Roby Bowe said.

Bowe believes the shots came from across Libby Creek.

Four months ago, vandals did $5,000 damage after shooting out five windows at the scale station. They also kicked in the second-story door and tossed a filing cabinet and air conditioner out a window.

Soon after the windows were replaced, they were shot out again, Rumelhart said.

The third incident was discovered Tuesday.

"They busted out three windows again," Rumelhart said.

The scale station was once used by logging trucks for Stimson. Today it is used to weigh freight.

Bowe and Rumelhart also expressed concern for people's safety if the shooting continues.

"The bullets were fired toward Town Pump, and there's workers in the Kootenai Park and there's Empire (Foods)," Bowe said. "Even if people are sleeping, it can go through their houses."

"There's potential danger to the Post and Rail workers," added Rumelhart, referring to Luck E-G Post & Rail, which employs 13 on site. "These people could be shooting at the workers."

He also feels frustration for things like vandalism to slow down the development of the industrial park.

KRDC, a non-profit agency in Libby that oversees economic development in Lincoln County including the business park, plans to spend more than $2.5 million to improve roads, rail lines, and water, sewer and electrical systems at the former mill site. The industrial park currently rents space to 12 companies.

Porter Block, a distributor of insulated concrete blocks in Whitefish, is considering opening a manufacturing plant in the industrial park that would employ a minimum of 48.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crimestoppers at 293-STOP.