Flathead COVID-19 surge strains hospital, health department
Flathead County continues to see an uptick in Covid-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths. The county had 690 active cases on Wednesday — the highest number the area has seen since February, according to local health officials.
Logan Health exceeds adult acute-care bed capacity
Logan Health Medical Center surpassed its adult acute-care bed capacity this week after the hospital experienced a surge in both emergency-room activity and patients suffering from COVID-19.
Logan Health reopens COVID-19 unit
In preparation for what experts believe will be a large and lingering wave of COVID-19-related hospitalizations, Logan Health Medical Center in Kalispell has reopened an area of the hospital reserved for patients who test positive for the virus.
Blood shortage prompts widespread call for donations
Facing a critical blood shortage, the nonprofit transfusion medicine organization that supplies dozens of hospitals and clinics throughout Montana, Idaho and Washington with blood products recently urged individuals to donate blood as soon as possible to their local clinic.
Statistics show domestic violence on the rise in Montana
Montana law enforcement officers responded to a domestic violence call every 1.75 hours in 2020 — and experts say that's likely a significant underrepresentation of the problem.
Feds steer clear of BNSF suit against CARD clinic
The federal government decided last week it will not intervene in a lawsuit against the Center for Asbestos Related Disease in Libby that alleges the nonprofit clinic committed Medicare fraud by using federal monies to perform “unnecessary” screenings and treatments on its patients.
Supreme Court rules permit for Rock Creek Mine is valid
In a recent ruling, the Montana Supreme Court determined the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation jumped through its proper review hoops prior to granting a mining company a water permit for the proposed Rock Creek Mine Project situated near Noxon in Sanders County.
Southern Pine sells huge tract to wealthy Texas couple
An affluent couple from Texas recently purchased nearly 126,000 contiguous acres west of Kalispell from Southern Pine Plantations, the Georgia-based company that bought roughly 630,000 acres of timberlands in Northwest Montana from Weyerhaeuser in early 2020.
State distribution plan details vaccine rollout
As Montana rounds into the new year, state and local officials are focused on transitioning into the next phase of the state’s COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Plan after nearly 17,000 high-risk health-care personnel received their first doses of the vaccine in December.
Hospital overflow site set up to receive patients
An alternative care site on the vacant third floor of Montana Children’s that had been prepared for a potential surge in COVID-19 patients is now being set up to begin receiving patients.
Flathead health officer to resign at end of year
Flathead City-County Health Department Interim Public Health Officer Tamalee St. James Robinson resigned from her position Friday, citing inaction and a general lack of support from elected county officials and the Board of Health.
Kalispell care center reports six coronavirus deaths
As of Friday afternoon, six residents at Brendan House have died from COVID-19-related complications as the long-term care facility in Kalispell continues to battle an outbreak that has infected the vast majority of its residents.
Counties have differing results with COVID compliance
As Montana rounds into its eighth month battling a pandemic experts say is likely to rage on well into 2021, the question of how to enforce state and local public health orders designed to curb the spread of COVID-19 is one that remains largely unanswered, though some counties have been more successful than others.
State sues 4 Flathead businesses over lack of COVID protocols
The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services has lodged complaints against four Flathead County businesses alleging the entities violated COVID-19 directives by failing to ensure employees and patrons wore masks and that the establishments displayed proper signage related to COVID-19 protocols.
Health department strained as COVID surges in Flathead
A surge in COVID-19 cases in Flathead County over the past week, which officials say can partially be attributed to Labor Day weekend activities, has strained the health department’s ability to relay case data to the state, perform contact tracing and other tasks associated with the new positives, a local health official said Thursday.
Chemical spill at Dickey Lake under investigation
An investigation into a chemical spill that occurred at a Dickey Lake campground last week is currently underway, according to Kootenai National Forest officials.