A Year in Review, Part 3

Join The Western News in taking a look back at the biggest stories of 2021, a year that won’t soon be forgotten.

July 2

Fire restrictions adopted

The Lincoln County Board of Commissioners joined state and federal officials in enacting stage one fire restrictions for the region.

In the face of high fire danger, the restrictions banned building and tending to campfires in dry areas, smoking outdoors near flammable material and using motorized vehicles off of designated trails.

County Commissioner Jerry Bennett (D-2) said local officials had worked closely with state and federal partners in recent years to streamline and collate the fire restriction process.

“I think it makes it way easier for citizens,” he said.

By July 14, the county had moved into stage two restrictions.

July 4

A Troy Fourth of July

After a one-year hiatus owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, Troy’s Independence Day bash returned with acclaim.

Along with fireworks, the revamped celebration included a color run, church service, parade, car show and vendor’s market. Revelers also took in live music during the daylong festivities.

The Troy Chamber of Commerce organizes the event each year. They cancelled it in 2020 out of concern that state officials might again impose pandemic restrictions that had disrupted everyday life in the late winter and spring of that year.

July 7

Wildfire season roars to life

U.S. Forest Service officials identified an expanding, lightning-sparked wildfire southwest of Troy as the Burnt Peak Fire after it grew to about 600 acres.

Though the fire would burn through the summer, federal officials quickly had about 80 firefighters working to contain the blaze. Their job early on included scouting roads and identifying natural barriers to stop the fire from spreading.

Steep and rocky terrain presented early obstacles to firefighting efforts. Strong winds contributed to the blaze’s quick growth, Forest Service officials said.

July 20

Teen goes missing near falls

First responders began combing the Kootenai River for any sign of a 17-year-old who went missing after falling into the swift-moving water.

Authorities said the teenager slipped into the river near the Kootenai Falls while mountain biking with his brother. The search effort included David Thompson Search and Rescue, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Two Bear Air and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks personnel.

Then Troy Mayor Dallas Carr joined Sheriff Darren Short in urging caution around the falls, which is one of the county’s major outdoor attractions.

“It’s just a real nasty, treacherous place at the falls if you don’t pay attention,” Carr said.

July 21

Teske joins board of commissioners

County commissioners Jerry Bennett (D-2) and Josh Letcher (D-3) voted to appoint Mayor Brent Teske to the board of commissioners as Libby’s representative.

Teske was one of three people put forward for the seat, which opened up after former Commissioner Mark Peck resigned in June. The central committee of the local Republican Party was in charge of selecting candidates, as per Montana Code Annotated.

Bennett and Letcher pointed to Teske’s years of work in local government as a major asset. Following a stint as a city councilor in Libby, he became mayor. Teske simultaneously worked as the county’s emergency management chief.

“He’s very fluent in county business,” Letcher said.

Aug. 4

Seifert returns to health board

In a tie-breaking vote, then Troy Mayor Dallas Carr voted to reappoint Jim Seifert as the municipality’s representative to the Lincoln County Board of Health.

City officials had benched Seifert after discovering they had not followed proper procedure in appointing him in 2020. Although Seifert remained for a while the only candidate for the job, he was eventually opposed by retired contractor and real estate broker Jeff Barger.

City councilors listened as Carr interviewed both men publicly before casting votes. Faced with the deadlock, Carr ultimately favored Seifert.

Aug. 7

Tragedy takes lives of local couple

Jacob and Sara Mertes, a prominent local couple active in the community, died while on vacation in Minnesota when the small aircraft they were aboard crashed.

Jacob Mertes, 42, served as the county planner, worked in the local health department and was a member of the Libby Volunteer Ambulance Service. Dr. Sara Mertes, 37, worked as a physician at Cabinet Peaks Medical Center and served on the county health board.

Federal investigators said the airplane was flown by Jacob Mertes’ stepfather when it went down. There were no survivors.

The two met locally, according to friends, and initially bonded over their love of the outdoors.

Aug. 16

Mail-in maelstrom

After initially nixing a mail-in municipal election in November, Libby city councilors briefly reconsidered after looking at the difference in price tags.

When a proposal, forwarded by the county’s election office, for a mail-in election came up on Aug. 2, city councilors voted 4-1 to hold an in-person election. In the ensuing weeks, officials learned that a mail-in election would cost $3,000 as opposed to the $7,000 “low end” estimate for running an in-person polling location.

After a tumultuous debate, city councilors voted 4-2 in favor of reconsidering a mail-in election.

Ultimately, the deadline to make a change before Election Day passed before city councilors took action.

Aug. 23

Tempore no more

Peggy Williams officially took the job as mayor of Libby after her colleagues on city council voted her into the position.

Williams had served as mayor pro tempore since former Mayor Brent Teske earned an appointment to the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners. City Councilor Hugh Taylor and resident Kenny Rayome Jr. also put in for the top job in Libby, but Rayome exited early amid concerns his sudden departure from his position at the water treatment center would adversely affect residents.

After Taylor and Williams recused themselves, the remaining city councilors voted 3-1 to keep Williams on as mayor.

Aug. 27

Mandate against mandates draws supporters

About a dozen people demonstrated outside of the Lincoln County Courthouse in favor of a new state law banning vaccine requirements.

While other states were home to protests held against COVID-19 vaccine mandates, Lincoln County residents saw an opportunity to thank Gov. Greg Gianforte and Republican state lawmakers for carving out protections for the unvaccinated and anti-vaxxers. HB 702 barred public agencies and private businesses from mandating that employees, customers or others be vaccinated.

“We thought to ourselves, ‘We can either go and support them in their ‘Say No’ or we could do our own and show appreciation to our leaders for already having done that,’” said organizer Mitch Walters, a member of a local John Birch Society chapter.

Aug. 31

Cleaning up DC

Public workers cleared a plot of land claimed by city council candidate Darrel “DC” Orr off of City Service Road of trash and debris.

The cleanup operation came at the behest of the state Department of Environmental Quality, which received a complaint about the waste at the site. Officials initially thought that the land was privately owned as Orr claimed it as his during a police investigation in May. After DEQ forwarded the complaint to City Hall, officials determined that a portion of the land was public and launched the cleanup effort, fearing facing liability for the waste. Eventually, they learned the bulk of the debris was left on property controlled by railroad giant BNSF.

Asked about the property and the waste therein at the time, Orr said he could not explain why he claimed the land during the police investigation and neither could he explain the presence of debris on it. During his assault with a weapon trial in November, Orr testified under oath that he had a 40-year lease for land with the railroad company.

He has never offered any evidence of the agreement other than his word.

Sept. 1

Emergency declaration lifted

The Lincoln County Board of Commissioners lifted an emergency declaration they had issued as wildfires burned outside of Troy during an unusually dry summer.

At the time, the Burnt Peak fire, which began with a lightning strike in July, had reached 4,097 acres and was 41 percent contained. The larger South Yaak Fire had hit 12,371 acres and was 74 percent contained.

County Commissioner Brent Teske reported visiting the site of the latter fire in the days preceding the vote. He said portions of Eastside Road were exposed to erosion after the blaze. Recent rain had caused sloughs in the road, he said.

Both fires would continue to burn into the fall.

Sept. 14

Listed no more

Officials with the EPA removed Operable Unit 8 of the Libby Asbestos Superfund site from its National Priorities list.

The operable unit covers roadways between Libby and Troy. It was the third portion of the Superfund site delisted in as many years, officials said.

The move drew applause from Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), who thanked federal and local agencies for coordinating in efforts to clean the site.

Despite being removed from the National Priorities list, Operable Unit 8 will see continued operation and maintenance activity. That work includes regular reviews to ensure that the fixes put in place to mitigate asbestos contamination remain effective.

Sept. 15

Mounting costs

County commissioners learned that an already expensive overhaul of the jurisdiction’s emergency communications and records systems got a bit pricier.

The $848,000 project, paid for out of the county’s payment in lieu of taxes funds, needed an additional $31,000 to fix the communication system’s connection between the dispatch center and Libby’s water treatment plant. County Commissioner Jerry Bennett (D-2) brought the cost overrun up to his colleagues after Sheriff Darren Short notified him.

The news came several weeks after county commissioners finalized the fiscal year 2022 budget.

In a follow-up meeting with commissioners, Short stressed that the emergency communications system was used by a variety of first responder agencies in the county. He asked that commissioners spread the cost around rather than pull from his budget.

Short said that technicians working on the problem realized in April they needed to fully address the issue. An invoice for the additional cost did not arrive until after the county’s budget process wrapped up for the year.

“I don’t know why the invoice was so delayed,” Short told commissioners. “[It came] well after our budget was put together. It was just an unforeseen expense.”

Sept. 20

McNew joins city council

With former Libby City Councilor Peggy Williams moving up to the mayor’s seat, her colleagues voted 3-2 to fill her vacant spot with local businessman Zach McNew.

McNew, already on the November ballot for one of three city council seats up for grabs, was one of three residents to throw in for the vacancy. Rival city council candidate Melissa Berke and resident Garrey Allen rounded out the short list, although Allen was later removed after failing to complete his application on time.

Despite the appointment, McNew kept campaigning, saying that he wanted to secure a full term on city council. He also pointed out that it was too late to remove his name from the ballot.

Sept. 24

Vigil for stricken deputy

Friends and family of Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Ben Fisher gathered in the Troy Christian Fellowship to pray for his recovery from COVID-19.

Fisher, a fixture in Troy and in the local law enforcement community, had gone into the emergency room in Libby just a few days before the gathering. A short time later, he was flown to Boise, Idaho, fighting for his life..

Along with prayers, friends, family and community members offered the Fishers meals, funds and firewood. Pastor Eric Myers said the church was committed to keeping the family supplied with food as Fisher battled the disease.

“Ben, if you can hear me now brother, fight, physically fight and do not give up,” Myers said as he closed the assembly.