Community briefs
Electric Co-op warns customers of phone scam
Flathead Electric Co-op is warning customers that scammers claiming to be Co-op employees are contacting members and attempting to obtain their private information.
The most recent scam attempts include the following scenarios:
• Threat of disconnect due to an outstanding balance for a meter exchange/upgrade.
• Threat of legal action if an outstanding account balance is not paid the same day.
• Prompts to call a 1-800 number at which the person answering claims to be from Flathead Electric Co-op.
It is not Co-op policy to threaten members with immediate disconnect if there is a balance on their account. The Co-op follows a comprehensive series of procedures with regard to delinquent accounts to find an equitable solution for all concerned.
Should you receive a call like those reported, do not release your personal or financial information, or pay using gift cards. Hang up the phone!
You can also report unwanted calls or scams to the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
Lincoln Co. Library hosting military speaker July 24
At the Libby and Troy branches, the Lincoln County Library will host a Montana conversation, “The Veteran Experience and Military Culture” with Elizabeth Barrs on Monday, July 24.
The program is at the Libby branch at noon and at the Troy Branch at 4 p.m. The presentation is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be provided by Friends of the Library.
One in 10 Montanans is a veteran, yet how much is known about the veteran’s experience and military culture?
Literature, history, movies and other media often portray the veteran in stereotype – brave hero, troubled youth, skilled warrior, apathetic killer or unflappable leader.
In this talk, Barrs, an army combat veteran and instructor of Veterans Studies, explores the real experiences of the American veteran in combat and in peacetime.
She’ll discuss military life as well as the historical and current military culture that helps to shape how veterans relate to society.
The discussion also explores the experiences of military families and the contemporary challenges and triumphs of veterans as well as what our society is doing to address those challenges.
Barrs is a retired U.S. Army officer and instructor of Veterans Studies at the University of Montana.
For more information, please call Lincoln County Library at 406-293-2778.
Libby Church of God Weird Animals Vacation Bible School
Libby Church of God invites area children (ages 5-12) to come to Weird Animals Vacation Bible School from July 24 to July 27.
At Weird Animals Vacation Bible School, kids experience God’s word in surprising and unforgettable ways! Each day kids will meet a new friend that will remind them how much God loves them.
The fun begins on Monday, July 24, and ends Thursday, July 27 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. each evening at Libby Church of God.
The church is located at 1007 Utah Avenue in Libby. The adventures include Bible fun and creative crafts, recreation, science discovery time and great music.
To register or for more information, call 406-293-6916 or go to libbychurchofgod.com.
Flathead Electric Co-op holds fundraiser for local food banks
Over the last eight years, Flathead Electric Cooperative’s Ribeye Raffle has raised $52,386 in cash and donated approximately 6,000 pounds of meat to the Kalispell, Columbia Falls, Whitefish, Bigfork, Lakeside, Libby and veterans food banks. Tickets for this year’s raffle are on sale now.
As part of its commitment to the community members who own the not-for-profit electric utility, Flathead Electric Co-op purchases beef, lamb, and hogs each year during the 4-H and FFA (Future Farmers of America) Market Sale at the Northwest Montana Fair. Most of the meat — and all of the cash — goes to the local food banks, except for the prime steak cuts, which are raffled off.
The raffle winners take home approximately 60 one-inch thick premium t-bone and ribeye steaks, valued at over $500 per winner.
Tickets are $1 each or $5 for six. They can be purchased online through Aug.
20 at flatheadelectric.com/ ribeyeraffle, or at the co-op’s Kalispell and Libby offices, and at the Co-op’s booth during the Northwest Montana Fair in August. Winners are announced Aug. 22.