Year in Review, Part 2

April 2

Lincoln Co. officials sound alarm on dangers of fentanyl

Lincoln County officials sounded the alarm on the deadly drug fentanyl at a town meeting last week.

The Dome Theater was full of county residents who heard the sobering story of the synthetic drug that has caused death in the county and threatens residents of all ages, particularly younger people.

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use as a pain reliever and anesthetic. It is approximately 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin as an analgesic.

According to information from Lincoln County Unite for Youth, fentanyl poisoning is the No. 1 cause of death in people ages 18 to 35 in the county. There have been two confirmed fentanyl poisoning deaths in the county since November 2022.

April 7

City OKs deal to part ways with Police Chief Scott Kessel

And then there was one.

Libby City Council voted unanimously Monday night to approve a separation agreement with Police Chief Scott Kessel.

With Kessel on sick leave for more than two months and former officer Joshua Brabo recently leaving the department, it left Sgt. Ron Buckner as the lone officer on the force that less than five months ago included a force of six.

Kessel came under fire after three officers, Sgt. Chris Pape and officers Ian Smith and Cody DeWitt, quit the force on Monday, Nov. 21.

The trio then penned a letter that was published in the Western News on Dec. 27. It detailed some of their issues with Kessel. They included concerns with his leadership, forced overtime, not assisting with patrol responsibilities and giving incorrect direction regarding policy and procedure. The news was not announced by city officials until after a social media post revealed the information on Dec. 3, 2022.

April 11

Lincoln Co. felons facing drug smuggling charges

A Rexford man accused of running over a state trooper in February is facing an additional charge of smuggling methamphetamine into the Lincoln County Detention Center.

Jason Allen Miller, 41, is accused of illegal transfer to an incarcerated person, a felony. He pleaded not guilty to the charge on Monday, April 10, in Lincoln County District Court.

Miller, 41, has been locked up in the county jail since Feb. 16 when he was accused of running over Montana Highway Patrol Tpr. Lewis Johnson during a police chase after authorities attempted to arrest him on a probation violation. The bail is set at $1.5 million for the three-time convicted felon who has offenses dating back more than 20 years.

2008 homicide conviction involving Troy man overturned

On March 23, District Court Judge Dana Christensen granted Katie Garding’s claim of ineffective assistance of counsel, overturning her conviction of vehicular homicide in a 2008 incident involving a man from Troy.

After 10 years of imprisonment, Garding was granted parole in December 2021. The judge's order gives the Missoula County Attorney’s Office 30 days to vacate Garding’s conviction and refile the charges against her. The state Attorney General’s Office could also seek to appeal Christensen's decision to the Ninth Circuit.

After charges were filed in April 2010 against Garding, accusing her of vehicular homicide, leaving the scene of an accident and driving without a valid driver’s license, she was found guilty in 2013.

April 21

Libby boys track wins own invitational

The Libby Loggers track and field team cruised to a team win last Saturday in its invitational at Logger Stadium.

The Logger boys piled up 170 points to easily outdistance runner-up Thompson Falls’ 107.5. Eureka finished third with 90.5 while Plains (61) edged Troy (60). Browning was sixth with 10.

On the girls side, the Lady Loggers were third with 112. Eureka won with 131 while Thompson Falls was second with 113. Plains was fourth with 47, Troy was fifth with 36 and Noxon was sixth with 32.

April 25

City of Libby approves Ercanbrack as new Chief of Police

It may have not been on the City of Libby calendar, but councilors approved at a special meeting on April 20 the hiring of one of its own to become the new chief of police.

The council voted to approve Cody Ercanbrack as Libby’s new police chief.

Tasked with rebuilding the police force after four officer resignations and Chief Scott Kessel's departure left the city with one police officer, Ercanbrack will start in May, according to City Administrator Samuel Sikes.

Following two investigations and the formation of a police commission, the city hopes it has turned a corner with Ercanbrack’s hiring.

April 28

Eureka teens charged for shooting at bicyclist

Two young men from Eureka have been charged for their alleged involvement in shooting a bicyclist with a device called a “splatter ball gun.”

Caleb S. Utter, 18, and Tyson Brouillette, 18, are each charged with one misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct, first offense, after an April 2 incident.

A conviction is punishable by a fine of not more than $100.

According to a report by Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Scott Welchons, he was patrolling on the evening of April 2 when he received a report of a 58-year-old man being shot in the head by someone in a red or maroon Ford F-150 truck with a BB or pellet gun. The alleged victim was riding his bike on U.S. 93 near Glen Lake Road, south of Eureka.

Libby Lady Loggers celebrate Senior Night with win

The Libby Lady Loggers softball team enjoyed Senior Night festivities on Tuesday with a 16-1 win in three innings over Whitefish.

Before the game, the teams' senior members, Kinzee Boehmler, Mackenzie Foss and Destinee Crawford, were honored.

May 2

Francom stepping down as Troy Schools Superintendent

Troy Junior and Senior High School Superintendent Jacob Francom has announced his resignation from the position.

Francom will serve the school until July 1 before becoming the founding principal of North Idaho Classical Academy in Bonners Ferry, Idaho.

Francom said he informed school trustee members of his decision by letter and phone calls on Thursday, April 27.

Troy Public Schools may not have to look far for its next superintendent because Christina Schertel was on the agenda for consideration for the position at the Monday, May 1 school board meeting.

May 9

State says no speed limit change needed in Happy's Inn area

Motorists traversing two Lincoln County highways may see some minor changes in the future following studies by the state.

Concerns from residents prompted county officials to ask the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) to conduct speed studies on Montana 37 and U.S. 2 in the Happy’s Inn area.

At the April 26 county commission meeting, MDT District Traffic Engineer Rebecca Franke presented the results of the studies and possible changes the agency is proposing.

Following their studies and analysis, the state didn’t recommend any change in the speed limit in the Happy’s Inn area. But it did think that extending 35 mile per hour and 45 mph zones in some places on Montana 37 were good ideas.

On the heels of new subdivisions, business growth and recreational traffic in the Happy’s Inn area, some county residents, officials and the Fisher River Fire Rescue Department thought reducing the speed limit from 70 miles per hour to 45 was a way to increase traffic safety.

Libby's O'Rourke sets his sights on space

Isaac O'Rourke, a 2021 graduate from Libby High School and current student at Montana State University in Bozeman, attributes much of his success to hands-on classes he took in high school.

O'Rourke is majoring in Mechanical Engineering Technology with a double Minor in Aerospace and Mechatronic Engineering.

"I would like to use the knowledge learned here at MSU studying Mechanical, Aerospace and Mechatronic engineering to someday work for an aerospace company and help design, build and prototype anything from rockets, thrusters, satellites or rovers, ultimately accomplishing my goal of working on something that will one day end up in outer space," O'Rourke wrote in a prepared statement.

Judge halts Knotty Pine project because of grizzly concerns

Last week, U.S. District Court judge Dana Christensen halted a logging project in the Kootenai National Forest because of its potential to harm an already imperiled population of grizzly bears.

The Knotty Pine timber project would have started as soon as next week, but a coalition of environmental groups has worked for several years to stop or modify the project, which they say could devastate the small group of grizzly bears trying to come back in the Cabinet and Yaak mountain ranges.

The project area consists of just more than 56,000 acres in Lincoln County, in the Three Rivers Ranger District. The industrial timber harvest and fuel treatments, which include “pre-commercial” thinning, would total just less than 10,000 acres, including authorization of prescribed burns totaling 7,465 acres.

May 11

Woman's body found in Flower Creek

On Wednesday, May 10, at about 2:37 p.m., Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office dispatch received a report of a body in Flower Creek near the Libby Cemetery and Libby baseball and softball fields.

When deputies arrived, they located a deceased female, later identified as Sarina Lewis, in the water near the edge of the stream.

Circumstances of the death are not being released currently pending further investigation.

May 12

Libby woman gets prison time for child endangerment

A Libby woman was sentenced on May 1 in Lincoln County District Court to serve time in prison for endangering children.

Tonya Lynn Deloach, 47, was first charged with two felonies, including possession of dangerous drugs and child endangerment, and a misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

On March 20, she pleaded guilty to endangering the welfare of children. The other two charges were dismissed. The deal calls for her to serve five years, with three suspended, in a state Department of Corrections facility.

May 16

Libby contractor accused of stealing thousands from local couple

A Libby man is facing charges he took thousands of dollars to build a fence for a local couple but failed to do the work.

Steven Austin Quimby, 25, appeared in Lincoln County District Court on May 1 and pleaded not guilty to three charges, including two felonies for theft and check forgery. The other, a misdemeanor, was for deceptive business practices.

The case began when Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office Detective David Hall got a call on March 1 from a couple living on Yellowtail Road in Libby. The man said they hired Quimby and wrote him a check for $4,197 for a deposit to build a fence on their land. The check was made out to Quimby Fence LLC. According to the man who hired Quimby, the defendant said he would begin work on Feb. 13, 2023. When the date came and went with Quimby allegedly not showing up to begin the job, he texted Quimby,

May 19

Libby 7th grade female runners set several new records

As the saying goes, “Records are made to be broken” and a quartet of Libby seventh-grade girls made it happen during the spring track and field season.

Coach Brittany Katzer shared with The Western News that distance runner Capri Farmer and teammates Hadleigh Wood, Alli Clemons and Vivian Cole worked to put four new marks on the record board.

Farmer set three new individual records this season. Her time of 1:07.79 in the 400-meter run at the Whitefish meet is a new Libby standard. In the 800 run, she ran a 2:39.13 at the Lincoln County meet and at the Libby Invitational, her time of 5:38.71 in the 1,600 run also set new records.

May 21

Libby standoff ends with man in custody

A standoff early Sunday morning in Libby ended with one man in custody and a woman the alleged victim of an assault.

According to a press release from the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office, a county dispatcher received a call at about 1:01 a.m. for a report of disturbance involving a man with a weapon at 1309 Washington Ave.

When deputies arrived, they learned that several individuals had been threatened by a man, identified as 36-year-old Chase Butala, with a weapon and a female had been assaulted.

May 26

Libby, Troy track and field athletes headed to state

A dozen athletes from south Lincoln County will set foot on the big stages for the Montana High School Association Track and Field Championships.

Competition begins Friday and ends Saturday.

The Libby Loggers are sending nine competitors to the Laurel Sports Complex for the Class A event. Six are boys and three are girls.

Freshmen Tristan Andersen is competing in three events. He is seeded ninth in the javelin with a season-best throw of 160 feet, 1 inch. In the high jump, he’s ninth with a top jump of 6 feet. In the long jump, his top leap of 20 feet, 1 1/2 inches has him seeded 15th.

May 30

Trego man accused of firing gun in property dispute

A Trego man is charged with firing a gun at a woman and her two, small children while they attempted to drive home during an incident last month in north Lincoln County.

Harry William Richards Jr., 48, is charged with one felony count of criminal endangerment. He pleaded not guilty during a May 15 appearance in Lincoln County District Court.

According to court documents, the incident began at about 7:16 p.m. on April 14 when Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Clint Heintz received a call from Eureka 911 dispatch. Dispatch reported a man said his neighbor, later identified as Richards Jr., fired three shots over his wife’s vehicle as she drove by. He also said his kids, ages 5 and 6, were in the vehicle.

City code discussion draws plenty of comment

In what it says is an effort to ensure safety, the Libby City Council has taken some heat from the public about some proposed code changes.

One relates to what is called a visibility triangle. It is intended to give the driver of a vehicle an unobstructed view of other vehicles, pedestrians or other obstacles while approaching an intersection. The city council is planning some city ordinances to ensure this, but due to public pressure one section will be struck from the draft.

The Libby City Council has one more reading before approving changes aimed at clearing up what is already established practice and to make city code sections 12.40 and 17.32 uniform.

During an attempt to clarify several city ordinances, the council received some criticism of the draft changes announced in the April 17 council meeting.

The original proposed changes included a maximum 4-foot fence height for all front yards, but in the May 15 meeting this section was removed. This means that visibility requirements for corner lots, outlined in the definition of a visibility triangle, will still be in effect.

County battles abuse at Green Box refuse sites

Green box sites in Lincoln County may be bear resistant, but it’s some people who are apparently causing the most problems at them.

Problems at green box refuse sites in the county aren’t a new issue, but they have grown to the point where citations are being issued to violators.

Sixteen green box sites are scattered across the county, but population growth of the last few years have caused the problem to get out of hand, according to county officials.

Health Department Kathi Hooper spoke about the issue at the May 10 meeting.

June 2

Libby 2-2 at state; Foss named All-State

The Libby Lady Loggers softball team made some noise at the state tournament last week in Belgrade.

On Thursday in the first round, they knocked off Lewistown, 8-6. After falling to Havre, 8-4, the Loggers rebounded with a 14-10 win over Hardin. Their season ended with an 11-2 loss to Polson, which eventually finished 18-9.

Libby finished the season 15-13 and took state champion Columbia Falls to the wire in the Western A Divisional playoffs before losing a one-run game.

Mackenzie Foss was named to the Class A All-State Team. 

For the Northwest A All-Star teams, Libby had several players named. Foss was a First Team pick while Kinzee Boehmler and Jossalyn White were named to the Second Team. Honorable Mention choices included Paislee MacDonald and Destinee Crawford.

Libby's Beagle grabs bronze medal at state tennis

It wasn’t the medal he wanted, but Libby sophomore Ryan Beagle still brought hardware home from the Montana Class A State Tennis Championships last weekend in Missoula.

Beagle placed third and claimed a bronze medal for the second straight season.

Junior teammate Tyler Andersen finished 1-2. Both players shared something in common - falling to champion Andy Purcell of Hamilton.

"Ryan did an excellent job representing Logger Nation and the community of Libby," head coach Kyle Hannah said. "He fought his tail off and never quit. If you are going to lose, it's best to lose to the state champion.”

Boltz, Stevenson, Andersen medal at state Track and Field Championships

The Libby Loggers track and field team brought home three medals from the Class A State Track and Field Championships in Laurel last weekend.

For the girls, senior Rylee Boltz capped her career with a second-place in the high jump. Her top leap of 5 feet, 3 inches was also a personal best. Boltz narrowly missed a second medal when she placed eighth in the 400-meter run. Her time was 1:00.69.

Senior Cy Stevenson had the best finish among the boys competitors. His shot put of 52 feet, 4 inches placed him third. He was a silver medalist in 2022 with a put of 48-9. In 2021, he was ninth (45-2 1/4).

Freshman Tristan Andersen competed in three events. He medaled in the high jump with a six-foot leap that placed him fifth.

June 6

Lincoln County hires new election administrator

Two months after the resignations of Lincoln County’s clerk and recorder and both elections officials, it has filled two of the three positions.

Melanie Howell is the new Election Administrator. She was hired in May to replace Paula Buff, who along with her assistant Amanda Eckart, and Clerk and Recorder Robin Benson, each resigned in late March.

Howell comes from Grants Pass, Oregon, where she worked in the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office since the beginning of 2020.

Howell said she heard about the job opening in Lincoln County “from a friend of a friend.”

Howell told The Western News she hadn’t done elections work before, but,“I’m always up for a good challenge.”

Hammond's words inspire as Libby Class of 2023 graduates

Libby’s Bruce Vincent is an accomplished public speaker, but his speech took a backseat to the words spoken by Class of 2023 Co-Salutatorian Jenna Hammond Saturday.

Hammond, also the Senior Class President, shared her story of triumph over adversity while speaking during graduation ceremonies in Ralph Tate Gymnasium at Libby High School.

“School was the one place I felt safe when I was younger. I never wanted to leave,” Hammond said.

She spoke of being pulled out of the third grade and later ending up in the foster care system before her grandparents took here in.

“My parents haven’t always been in my life and even today, as I graduate, they aren’t here. But I am still thankful for them,” she said. “School was always my safe place.”

LOR, Libby 4-H team up for safe cattle handling

Handling ornery cattle is a tricky proposition, but the LOR Foundation recently teamed up with the Libby South 40 4-H Club to make it safer for its young people.

LOR stepped up to buy a Arrowquip Q-Catch mobile cattle shute for the local club and its young members are now able to safely handle animals weighing a half ton or more.

LOR’s $12,300 grant helped the club buy what many consider the best cattle shute on the market. Now their members are getting more hands-on experience with veterinary procedures, weighing and training to show cattle.

Troy Museum and Visitors Center celebrates 50th anniversary

Wandering through the Troy Museum is an entertaining look at the area’s heritage and history.

When it opened on Memorial Day weekend, it celebrated the 50th anniversary. But it didn’t always sit on the small piece of land on the north side of U.S. 2 entering Troy where Lake Creek rumbles through on its way to the Kootenai River.

After opening in 1973, the museum’s home was next to the train station. When that shut down, it was time for a new home. The town’s mini mall sits in the location now.

Lincoln County officials bought the land from Stimson Lumber Company and gave it to Troy.

Lifelong resident Clint Taylor, who has been involved in most things happening in Troy for decades, said the building, which was part of the train station, was moved on wheels to its current location in 1987.

June 13

Happy's Inn fundraiser supports vets, first responders

A big Memorial Day weekend at Happy’s Inn resulted in a large donation for a local group that works to help military personnel and first responders.

According to Happy's Kris Cole, the Gopher Derby, a silent auction and performances by Tim Montana, Copper Mountain Band and Wild Wind helped bring in $35,000 that was donated to Valor Equine Therapy Service. Nearly 100 businesses donated items to the silent auction.

June 16

Libby's Jon Obst honored by Gov. Gianforte

A quarter century of dedicated service on the job and as a volunteer has earned Jon Obst recognition from the Governor’s Office.

Sgt. Obst has worked as a Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Game Warden since the fall of 1998.

Last week, Gov. Greg Gianforte was in Libby and he presented the Outstanding Service Award to Obst for his work with the state and as a volunteer with David Thompson Search and Rescue.

In a letter to Obst, dated June 8, Gianforte wrote, “You’ve been an indispensable member of the FWP team, enforcing the law, protecting Montana’s diverse and highly treasured natural resources, leading the FWP Chronic Wasting Disease Incident Command Team and developing the new Montana trapper education program.”

June 20

Troy, Libby students pass welding certification tests

More than a dozen students at Troy and Libby recently passed their college certified welding tests through a program offered by Flathead Valley Community College.

According to Troy Superintendent Jake Francom, all 10 students passed their test.

“Troy High School was the only school to get 100% passing rate all on the first try!” Francom said. “Only 65% of students at FVCC pass this test and Troy High School has 100%.”

The students, who were taught by Jeff Thill and John McClellan, included Hunter Garrison, Silas Garrison, Kenneth Hutt, Hunter Mack, Seth Newton, Trapper Savage, Winter Sedler, Nathin Sentell, Rowyn Shupe and Cody Todd.

At Libby, four students passed the certification test. Owen Enyeart, Carson Williams, Greysen Thompson each passed the 3G test while Thomas Roark passed the 3-G unlimited.

June 27

Death of local woman found in Flower Creek ruled accidental

The cause and manner of death of a local woman found dead in Flower Creek has been released.

According to Lincoln County Sheriff Darren Short, the death of Sarina Lewis was an accident. She was found in the creek near the Libby Cemetery and Libby baseball and softball fields at about 2:37 p.m., May 10.

An autopsy by state officials determined the causes of death were difluoroethane intoxication, drowning and hypoxia.

According to the National Library of Medicine, difluoroethane acts as a Central Nervous System depressant and causes a brief euphoria when inhaled. Severe complications include loss of consciousness, mucosal frostbite, angioedema, cardiac arrhythmias and skeletal fluorosis.

Michigan murder suspect arrested near Libby

A Michigan man wanted for a 2011 homicide is behind bars Wednesday in the the Lincoln County Detention Center.

According to a press release from the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office, Chadwick Shane Mobley, 42, was the subject of a nationwide manhunt before his arrest by county officers after Sheriff’s Office dispatch received a citizen report of a possible sighting of a man who was wanted for a homicide that occurred in Michigan.