Area briefs
Astronomy club
meets Jan. 17
Kootenai Stargazers Astronomy Club will meet Friday, Jan. 17.
The meeting, held at the McGlasson home at 324 White Ave. in Libby, begins at 6 p.m. with chow and chatter, which is followed at 7 p.m. with brain teasers and a presentation by Kathy Nielsen entitled “Just the Facts.”
No astronomy expertise is necessary. For more information, contact Gene at 293-2552 or gene@bythebook.com.
Avid Gardeners
will meet Thursday
Libby’s Avid Gardeners are preparing to cultivate another year.
Planning takes time, but the dividends are great. The gardeners are planning a meeting at 2 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 9, at Bobbie McCanse’s home off Bobtail Cutoff. For directions, call 816-868-4172.
The topic for the meeting will be “Planning your Garden with Less Labor in Mind.”
The additional research question for discussion: “What’s to learn about forcing bulbs — should they be planted in soil or grown in water? Does it matter? Why?”
Persons also may e-mail inquiries to robertamcc8@gmail.com.
Student’s family
files suit in death
WHITEFISH — The German family of a 16-year-old exchange student who died while skiing at Whitefish Mountain Resort in western Montana has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the resort in federal court.
The family of Niclas Waschle filed the lawsuit Dec. 24 in U.S. District Court in Montana and also names the host family and the exchange agency, contending gross negligence. The plaintiffs are his mother, Patricia Birkhold-Waschle, his father, Raimund Waschle, and his brother, Philip Waschle.
The lawsuit said Niclas Waschle was skiing alone on the edge of a groomed trail on Dec. 29, 2010, when he fell headfirst into a tree well and suffocated. The family is seeking damages and compensation, plus medical and other expenses.
Whitefish Mountain Resort, owned by Winter Sports Inc., said in a statement that the lawsuit is groundless and is compounding the tragedy by attempting blame innocent parties for known risks involved with skiing.
“Tree well and deep snow immersion accidents such as this one occur in off-groomed, forested (off-piste) areas with deep, unconsolidated snow,” the statement said. “It is not reasonable to identify a particular tree among the tens of thousands within the resort boundary that has a dangerous tree well by sight.”
Also named in the lawsuit is World Experience, doing business as World Experience Teenage Student Exchange. A message left by The Associated Press was not returned on Saturday.
The host family, Fred and Lynne Vanhorn, are also named. The family declined to comment to the AP on Saturday.
Pedestrian ID’d
in fatal collision
BILLINGS — Authorities have identified the pedestrian who died several days after being hit by a van.
The Yellowstone County coroner’s office tells the Billings Gazette that 40-year-old Travis Kelley of Billings died Wednesday after being hit Dec. 26.
The Montana Highway Patrol says a van struck Kelley as he walked along Blue Creek Road.
Police say it’s unclear why Kelley was on the roadway.