Year in Review: January-April 2009

File/The Western News JANUARY: Heavy snow that began to fall in mid-December 2008 continued well into January to create problems for residents, businesses and local government.

| January 7, 2010 11:00 PM

(Editor’s note: This is the first of three stories reviewing Libby and Troy news of the past year. In this issue, read about the first four months of 2009. In the Jan. 6 edition, May through August will be reviewed, followed by September through December on Jan. 8 ) .

JANUARY

• Heavy snow continued to fall in northwestern Montana and created challenges for residents, businesses and government. Local law enforcement stayed busy responding to snow-related incidents.

• Asbestos-related agencies expressed fear that they would not make it through 2009 without state funding. “If the state doesn’t step up to the plate, these agencies will end,” Tanis Hernandez of the Center for Asbestos Related Disease said. Reps. Chas Vincent and Jerry Bennett said during a December Community Advisory Group meeting that it was vital for Gov. Brian Schweitzer to hear residents’ concerns.

• Herb Neils, who devoted his life to the advancement of tennis in Libby, died on Jan. 2 in Honolulu, Hawaii, at age 82.

• Soldiers from the Libby unit of the Montana Army National Guard’s 639th Quartermaster Co. were among approximately 120 members ordered in early January to active duty. The soldiers departed Montana to a mobilization station at Fort Lewis, Wash., before ultimately serving in Iraq.

• The Kootenai National Forest’s supervisors office suffered extensive water damage that was bad enough to force a short closure. Water leaking into the building had always been an issue since it was first leased but heavy, wet snow led to worse conditions in late December and early January.

• Libby City Council passed an emergency ordinance amendment that outlawed the pushing of snow into city streets. The amendment served as a clarification to the previous ordinance.

• The Libby Police Department got up to a full staff with Terry Watson sworn in as an officer. The department had four active officers, a chief and one officer on injury leave.

• St. John’s Lutheran Hospital welcomed the first baby of 2009 on Jan. 7 with the arrival of Natalya Grace Chvilicek, daughter of Bo and Lindsay Chvilicek of Libby.

• The Circus of Science rolled into Libby to wow children and adults with a variety of experiments. The event is a product of the University of Montana’s SpectrUM program.

• Terry Spear was appointed to the post of technical adviser for the Technical Advisory Group.

• Semitool cut 13 employees from its Libby plant on Jan. 8. The staff reduction was the result of a worldwide downturn in the semiconductor market.

• The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service delisted the gray wolf in the northern Rockies on Jan. 14. Federal officials said that they believed the management of the recovered wolf population could best be managed at the state level.

• Christopher Haines, 26, was sentenced to 20 years in prison – with 15 years suspended – for molesting his young son.

• School boards in Libby and Troy gave passing grades to superintendents Kirby Maki and Brady Selle, respectively.

• Troy Mine employees received notice that they would keep their jobs at least through February after they had been informed in December that the mine could close because of low metal prices.

• Libby High School wrestler Justin Graham won his division at the Rocky Mountain Classic in Missoula on Jan. 17.

• St. John’s Lutheran Hospital revealed on Jan. 20 that the site of its new hospital would be located adjacent to the current facility.

• Rep. Chas Vincent of Libby proposed several bills aimed at forest and fire management as the 61st Montana state legislature kicked off.

• Libby School Board members expressed concern with the conditions of Libby Elementary’s Asa Wood building. On Jan. 20, a Kalispell architect presented plans and cost estimates for a new building as well as a remodel of the existing structure.

• Approximately 120 residents living within the Lincoln County air quality control district showed up for a Jan. 22 meeting. Some residents had reached a boiling point with policies regarding wood stove use during an air alert – especially those with no alternative source of heat. An air alert had been called in Libby back in October 2008.

• Libby High School wrestler Seth Wright won six of seven matches in the Class A Duals after a return to the mat following a bout of memory loss. A neurologist had determined that Wright suffered the memory loss because of a pinched artery in his neck.

• Heather Henson, 19, was sentenced on Jan. 28 to five years in prison for her part in the 2008 shooting death of 67-year-old Larry Kingsley. Henson’s sentence was for 20 years with 15 years suspended.

• Two federal fugitives that escaped from the Mineral County Jail were apprehended in Troy on Jan. 26. One of the men was captured following a three-hour manhunt that involved seven local and federal government agencies.

• Eighty northwestern Montanans received summons letters in late January as potential jurors in the federal criminal case against W.R. Grace & Co., and six former and current executives.

• Lincoln County commissioners announced the hiring on Jan. 30 of Jay Sheffield to fill the vacant justice of the peace position formerly held by Gary Hicks. The job will be up for election in November 2010.

• A Eureka-area citizens group launched a campaign to recall Lincoln County sheriff Daryl Anderson over a perceived failure to properly investigate a series of recent rape complaints. Anderson called the allegations “not true.”

• Bobby Brown of Troy gave birth to a son in an ambulance near Cedar Creek.

• Jason Schikora of Libby High School placed third statewide in the Humorous Solo category at the Class A Speech and Drama Tournament in Butte. As a team, Libby’s drama team placed seventh in Class A.

FEBRUARY

• Libby City Council members mulled over ideas on how to spend water budget money received from International Paper Co.

• The Lincoln County Sno-Kats staged its annual Fun Run up Pipe Creek on Feb. 7 with more than 80 snowmobile enthusiasts on the course.

• The 639th Quartermaster Company of the Montana National Guard left Fort Lewis, Wash., for Iraq.

• The Libby High School wrestling squad qualified 12 for the Class A state tournament. Kyle Sweedman and Justin Graham each won individual titles at divisionals. Head coach Jay Graham was honored at the tournament in his final home appearance.

• Revett Minerals, parent company of the Troy Mine, was served with a multi-million dollar lawsuit in connection with the 2007 death of Michael E. Ivins.

• An Environmental Protection Agency study revealed asbestos levels in Libby were low enough to not pose a cancer risk to residents.

• Libby High School senior Justin Graham won the state wrestling title at 215 pounds on Feb. 14.

• The Environmental Protection Agency announced that it was pulling out of the Community Advisory Group meetings. The EPA said it would like to see CAG and the Technical Advisory Group present their views to the agency as a group.

• Dean Byrns transitioned from a 20-year career with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office to associate minister at Libby Christian Church.

• Jury selection was scheduled to begin Feb. 19 in the federal trial against W.R. Grace & Co.

• Charlene Leckrone on Feb. 17 resigned from the Libby City Council. Leckrone relocated to Mount Vernon, Wash.

• Community Advisory Group facilitator Gerald Mueller resigned on Feb. 17. “I no longer believe that my acting as facilitator adds sufficient value,” he said.

• Troy Mine’s underground operations shut down for four days beginning Feb. 17 following safety concerns.

• Margie O’Brien-Johnson submitted her letter of resignation as principal at Libby Elementary. O’Brien-Johnson would serve out her contract through the end of the school year.

• U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.) stopped in Libby on Feb. 19 to visit the Center for Asbestos Related Disease. Rehberg vowed his support in CARD’s fight to stay open amid financial challenges.

• Tristian Thomas, sixth-grader at Fortine, won the Lincoln County Spelling Bee Feb. 19 in Troy.

• The federal environmental trial against W.R. Grace & Co., and five executives began Feb. 23 in Missoula.

• Troy City Council fired its water project engineering firm and retained a private consultant after Troy’s water system project ranked low on priority lists for three state grants.

• The Troy High School boys basketball team settled for fourth place at the District 7-B tournament after finishing the regular season 13-5 and earning the No. 2 seed. The Trojans lost to Thompson Falls, 63-51, and Eureka, 47-35.

• Paul Peronard, former Libby Team Leader, made his first appearance on the stand on Feb. 24 at the W.R. Grace & Co., trial in Missoula. Peronard would remain on the stand for several days.

• Law enforcement in Lincoln County responded to a cell phone texting scam that targeted credit union customers.

• Judge Donald Molloy called off court for a day in the W.R. Grace & Co., environmental trial. The delay involved the issue of Libby victims and witnesses who wanted to be in the courtroom to watch the trial.

• Kootenai National Forest unveiled a new brochure that identified areas of concern and precautions to take regarding asbestos contamination.

• The Libby High School boys basketball team fell in the third-place game at the Northwestern A tournament in Kalispell to finish one win shy of reaching the state playoffs. The boys finished with a 14-7 overall record. The Libby girls lose two straight at the tourney to finish the season at 13-8.

• The Troy High School boys basketball team lost to Loyola Sacred Heart and Thompson Falls to finish the season with an overall record of 13-9. Tony Smith coached his final game with the Trojans.

MARCH

• Former longtime Community Advisory Group member Gordon Sullivan announced plans to file a complaint with the Environmental Protection Agency’s General Accounting Office Division of Fraud, Waste and Abuse regarding six alleged acts of misconduct.

• A pair of bald eagles moved back into the Souse Gulch nest at Libby Dam where they could be seen on the popular online Eagle Cam.

• Paul Rumelhart of Kootenai River Development Council announced progress on an agreement that would bring Stinger Welding Inc., to Libby. The bridge part manufacturer expected to eventually employ 150 to 200 people on site in the Libby Industrial District.

• A multiple-agency search-and-rescue mission occurred March 7 when two 21-year-old men were found unscathed after spending a chilly night trapped in a remote area outside Troy. The two men had been snowmobiling in China Basin behind Kootenai Falls when an accident occurred.

• The Libby Rotary Club raised money for a variety of good causes on March 6 with its annual wine tasting event at the Memorial Center.

• The Libby Irish Fair on March 14 features arts, crafts, food, music and dancing.

• Among those taking the stand in the continuing W.R. Grace & Co. environmental trial was Dr. Alan Whitehouse and Libby couple Melvin and Lerah Parker, who purchased the mine’s export plant property in 1992. Whitehouse discussed the progression of asbestos-related disease seen in Libby patients. The following week, Dr. Aubrey Miller, toxicologist, took the stand and endured an aggressive cross-examination from Grace attorneys.

• The Libby School Board voted to continue administering the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills to students this year. The school planned to further study use of the standardized tests and whether or not to make a change in the future.

• The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and Libby City Police Department learned that they would receive more than $58,000 as part of a state law-enforcement grant stemming from the federal stimulus package.

• The Troy School Board announced the renewal of high school principal Jeff Ralston’s contract.

• The Troy Police Department arrested two men for allegedly shooting out windows of Troy’s animal shelter and killing four feral cats outside the building.

• The Libby School District worked on plans to staff family resource centers on three campuses.

• Libby Middle School students competed in the annual Jitterbug contest. Tyler Badertscher and Mahalah Wedel took first place.

• Lincoln County commissioners applied for a grant that would create documentation on the state of 33 bridges.

• The Kootenai Pets for Life animal shelter in Libby continued to take shape, although plenty of work remained before dogs and cats could move in.

• Libby City Council conducted interviews on March 16 to replace the vacancy created by the resignation of Charlene Leckrone. Among those under consideration were Ron Carter, William Cunnane, Rob Dufficy and Scott Evey.

• Animal studies by an independent scientist took center stage at the W.R. Grace & Co., trial in Missoula. Studies revealing the dangers of Libby tremolite dated back to the 1970s, according to testimony.

• In a frenzy, the Montana League of Cities and Towns called mayors around the state in a hurried request for stimulus funding projects. The Montana Association of Counties used a similar tone to contact commissioners. Counties and cities had to submit “shovel ready” projects in less than 24 hours in an attempt to qualify for the funding.

• The Libby Ranger District and Rocky Mountain Research Station combined efforts for a project that tested the resilient nature of ponderosa pine and prescribed burning.

• The criminal trial of William A. Dancer began March 23. Dancer, former Libby businessman and mayoral candidate, was accused of embezzling more than $400,000 from his former employer – Independence Home Center Inc., a manufactured home supplier based in Sagle, Idaho.

• Seth Wright and Nicole Rios were crowned king and queen on March 21 during Libby High School’s prom.

• Lincoln County Credit Union broke ground on a new building on March 24 at the corner of Sixth Street and Commerce Way in Libby.

• Lincoln County’s last major sawmill, Ksanka, near Fortine shut down.

• District court judge Michael Prezeau on March 30 declared a mistrial in the case against accused embezzler William A. Dancer. Jurors were unable to reach a verdict in 13 hours of deliberation spread out over two days. Jurors said it was a “fairly thin split” on the decision. Officials indicated that Dancer would be re-tried.

• The W.R. Grace & Co., trial in Missoula continued with perjury allegations surfacing against prosecution witness Robert Locke, a global vice president in the construction products division for Grace.

• Ron Carter was sworn in on March 26 as a new member of Libby City Council. Carter took the seat vacated by Charlene Leckrone.

• The team of Jared Lampton, Greg Hoffman, Tom Ostrowski and Steve Dahner took first place in the Turner Mountain Top to Dog Relay on March 28.

• Josh and Tina Moore purchased the historic Lincoln Theatre in Troy.

• Zach Crace, Mitch Haugen and Eric Thrift each won youth wrestling titles on March 28 at the Western Montana Championships.

APRIL

• Amtrak stations along the passenger-rail company’s Empire Builder route will get $2.5 million to make railway stops more accessible for disabled passengers, the company announced. The allocations included $509,000 for upgrades to the Libby train station.

• Rep. Chas Vincent (R-Libby) on April 6 sponsored a two-bill package designed to help the timber industry.

• The Lincoln County Centennial Board continued plans for summer activities.

• Vandals in Libby destroyed several road signs – an unfortunate tradition that routinely occurs each spring after snow melts.

• Habitat For Humanity’s local chapter selected Rhoda Richardson of Troy as the recipient of a new home.

• Libby’s Community Advisory Group found itself at a crossroads with dwindling community interest, the Environmental Protection Agency’s dis-association and the resignation of the group’s facilitator. Remaining CAG members indicated at an April 9 meeting the need for reform.

• The marathon Grace trial continued with Libby High School’s track and the mine cleanup among the issues discussed during testimony.

• Libby and Troy churches and organizations staged their annual Easter egg hunts.

• The proposed Montanore Mine continued to seek support during a public comment period. Eric Klepfer, an independent consultant, asked for the Libby City Council’s backing. Doug Roll, mayor, said during the council meeting that the project had his support but he could not speak for the entire council.

• The Environmental Protection Agency announced that activity-based sampling would be conducted at local schools over the summer.

• Ricky J. Stindt, 21, of Troy was killed April 14 after driving through a school concessions stand building and hitting a construction trailer. Stindt’s 13-year-old brother survived the accident with a shoulder injury.

• Ryggs Johnston, 8, of Libby made a hole-in-one on April 10 at Polson Bay Golf Club.

• Libby High School’s Hall of Fame honored inductees Tony Smith and Todd Hileman during a ceremony on April 20.

• A ruling from the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals allowed nine projects in Kootenai National Forest to proceed. The three-judge appellate panel upheld a 2006 ruling by U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy that turned away various claims brought by the WildWest Institute.

• The Libby School Board voted to hire Scott Beagle as the principal at Libby Elementary. The vacancy was created with the resignation of Marjorie O’Brien-Johnson.

• Sen. Jon Tester visited Libby and went on a tour of the Industrial District, where Stinger Welding would be coming in.

• A formal hearing on the proposed Montanore Mine occurred on April 16. Locals showed support for the mine but only if it didn’t cause unnecessary human disruption or environmental harm.

• The W.R. Grace & Co., trial entered its eighth week on April 20 with testimony from government witness Richard Lemen who described the imminent risk of asbestos exposure to Libby residents.

• Troy’s determination to seek funds for its massive water project appeared to pay off with more than $1.25 million in stimulus fund grants and a $250,000 low-interest loan.

• Revett Minerals announced Troy native Tim Lindsey as the company’s new chairman of the board.

• Libby High School senior Seth Wright broke his own school record in the high jump by clearing 6 feet, 8 inches during a meet at Columbia Falls.

• Vandals in Libby broke windows in more than 50 vehicles, businesses and homes during the early morning hours of April 23. Officials estimated the damage at more than $30,000.

• The Western News profiled five candidates running for two seats on the Troy School Board. Candidates included Lori S. Damon, Connie Hand, Ed Hanson, Heather McDougall and Lynette Rebo.

• The Western News profiled seven candidates running for four positions on the Libby School Board. Candidates included Lee Disney, Bruce Drury, Ellen Parker Johnston, Jeffrey D. Koskela, Bruce Sickler, Sarah Crace and Gary Huntsberger.