In Brief

Unite For Youth representatives travel to Washington, D.C.

Representatives from Lincoln County’s Unite for Youth Coalition (UFY) recently returned from the Washington, D.C. area where they joined more than 2,700 substance abuse prevention specialists and advocates from throughout the country for 26th Annual National Leadership in Substance Abuse Prevention Forum.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to spend several days with youth and community leaders from across the country, including several from Montana, learning about the latest trends in substance use and hearing from the best about strategies that work to reduce underage drinking and prescription drug abuse in communities like ours.  We are definitely on the right track and look forward to continuing the good work of creating a strong, safe and healthy Lincoln County,” says UFY Project Coordinator Maggie Anderson. 

CADCA’s Forum covered a wide range of topics – everything from how to prevent prescription drug abuse and the abuse of synthetic drugs and marijuana to how to develop policies to reduce underage and excessive alcohol use.  

UFY also met with Montana’s U.S. Representative Ryan Zinke and Senators Steve Daines and Jon Tester at the CADCA Forum’s Capitol Hill Day event to advocate for reauthorization of funding aimed at strengthening coordination of substance abuse prevention, intervention and recovery programs.  Underage drinking has been shown to reduce academic and athletic performance and contributes to several of Montana’s top public health concerns including academic failure and dropout, teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease, alcohol-related crime, partner/family member assault, depression/anxiety and suicide. 

Bowhunter education classes start March 2

Bowhunter education classes begin at 5:30 p.m. March 2, 2016, at the Frontier Communications building at 114 E. Fourth Street in Libby. Classes are scheduled for March 7, March 8, March 9 and March 10 at the Lincoln County Shooting Complex on Farm to Market Road. Students must register in advance for the free course at fwp.mt.gov and bring copies of the online registration paperwork to the first class.

Registration is open to students who will be age 11 on or before March 2, 2016. For more information call Bill at 334-0352.

School board trustee elections May 3

Three vacancies will be up for election on the Libby School District No. 4 board of trustees. Nomination petitions are available at the Libby Public Schools business office, 724 Louisiana Ave., and must be returned by March 24, 2016.

Pioneer Society meeting Feb. 21

The Pioneer Society will hold a meeting Sunday, Feb 21, at 1 p.m. at Fellowship Hall of the Nazarene Church on Horseshoe Drive. The meeting will include a potluck, presentation and elections.

The presentation by Everett Nelson on the J.Niels Boarding Houses and Mill Row and the Halsey Boarding House, by Hazel Halsey.

Come and enjoy the richness of Libby’s past by those who lived it.

Call 293-2552 for more information.

Gas prices continue to fall

Average retail gasoline prices in Montana have fallen 6.8 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $1.71 per gallon yesterday, according to GasBuddy’s daily survey of 615 gas outlets in Montana. This compares with the national average that has fallen 3.9 cents per gallon in the last week to $1.69 per gallon, according to gasoline price website GasBuddy.com. 

Including the change in gas prices in Montana during the past week, prices yesterday were 23.8 cents per gallon lower than the same day one year ago and are 20.1 cents per gallon lower than a month ago. The national average has decreased 23.0 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 55.5 cents per gallon lower than this day one year ago.

According to GasBuddy historical data, gasoline prices on Feb. 15 in Montana have ranged widely over the last five years:

$1.94 per gallon in 2015, $3.05 in 2014, $3.14 in 2013, $3.06 in 2012 and $2.99 in 2011.

“We are mid-February and 45 out of 50 states have a state gas average below $2 and the national average is at a multi-year low. Sadly, these incredibly low gas prices won’t be here forever, as refineries talk of production cuts with crude oil at 13 year low.  

“Additionally, their spring turnarounds and the changeover to summer spec gasoline also loom ominously on the horizon. The sooner the refineries can complete their maintenance and start producing gasoline again the better for drivers everywhere,” said Jeff Pelton, a GasBuddy.com senior petroleum analyst.

IRS offers free forms for eFile

Whether you draw a paycheck, are self-employed or own a small business, you can use all available tax forms you need for free with IRS Free File.

If you make $62,000 or less, you qualify for free brand-name software offered through a partnership between the IRS and 13 leading tax software providers. Some of these providers offer free federal and free state return preparation and electronic filing. If you made more than $62,000, you can use Free File Fillable Forms, electronic versions of IRS paper forms best for someone experienced in return preparation.

Free File offers all federal tax forms for free. That goes for the Form 1040, Form 1040EZ and Form 1040A. For example, all forms are free if you have mortgage interest deductions, children in college or made money in the stock market, among other things.

Also for example, all forms are free if you have a Form W-2, or a Form 1099 or an EIN for your own business.

February marks a high-point in the tax filing season when the IRS experiences many calls to its customer service line from taxpayers with questions. Free File software products can help answer many of your questions by walking you through a step-by-step process to complete your tax return.

And if you can’t find answers from your tax software product, there are many other online tools at IRS.gov that can help you find the answers you need when you need them.

Goodman named Rotary Citizen of the Month

Libby Elementary School  principal Ron Goodman was named the Citizen of the Month by the Rotary Club of the Kootenai Valley. Goodman was recently recognized as the Montana Elementary/Middle School Principal of the Year for his tireless dedication to the success of Libby’s schoolchildren. The award was presented by Rotary member Eileen Carney, left. Photo courtesy Tracy McNew.