Page 13 - Flathead Beacon // 2.19.14

FLATHEADBEACON.COM NEWS FEBRUARY 19, 2014 | 13

Judge Files Injunction Against Lincoln County

Find
Stormy Langston says
to the county taking $2.1 million in ad- On Dec. 30, public hearings were
closing the Eureka Justice ditional taxes.
held in Libby and Eureka about the con-
But Judge Stormy Langston, who is solidation. At the hearing in Eureka, play in
of the Peace oice will be based out of Eureka, said the commis- according to court documents, most
sion did not follow the correct protocol people in attendance were against con-
an inconvenience to people PROTECTION
when it decided to combine the positions solidating the Justice of the Peace oices
in north Lincoln County
and did not hold a proper public hearing into one oice in Libby.
within 20 days of making the motion.
Langston’s attorney, Timothy Bald-
“I don’t think they followed proper win in Kalispell, iled an injunction on and
By JUSTIN FRANZ of the Beacon
protocol and they did not listen to their Jan. 31 arguing that since the commis-
constituents,” Langston said.
sion voted on the resolution on Dec. 6
A Justice of the Peace in Eureka On Dec. 6, the Lincoln County Com- but didn’t hold a public hearing until

has iled an injunction against Lincoln mission held a special meeting to vote Dec. 30, it broke the law. According to
County after the commission voted to on combining the Justice of the Peace Montana Code Annotated, a hearing valley
shutter her oice.
oices in Libby and Eureka, as well as should have been held within 20 days.
Lincoln County commissioners vot- dissolving the county’s school superin- SECURITY
Lincoln County Attorney Bernard G.
ed to combine the county’s two Justice tendent. All three are elected positions Cassidy sent a letter to Langston in Jan-
of the Peace positions into one in De- and are up for reelection this year. The uary saying that the law was not broken,
cember, citing budgetary concerns. The motion passed two to one, with Tony because even though the commission
county has slashed the budget in recent Berget and Ron Downey voting in favor voted on the matter on Dec. 6, it did not

months and will have to get even more and Mike Cole voting against. Five days sign the resolution until Dec. 11.
aggressive in the coming weeks after it later, on Dec. 11, the commission formal- [email protected]
was discovered a mathematical error led
ly signed the resolution into law.
in banking with

Woman Arrested After Allegedly Shooting Boyfriend
a local bank

that knos you.
Deputies say
and killed in Hungry Horse on Valen- Center.
Pamela Ruth Haines shot and tine’s Day.
Haines was at the scene when depu-
killed a 71-year-old man
Thomas Eugene Edwards was found ties arrived just before 8 p.m. after re-
on Feb. 14 with a single gunshot wound ceiving reports of a gunshot. Investiga-
in Hungry Horse
to his chest, from which he could not re- tors say Haines allegedly shot Edwards

cover. He was pronounced dead at the during a verbal argument.
By BEACON STAFF
scene at First Ave. NW in Hungry Horse.
Haines will remain in jail pending
Edwards’ girlfriend, Pamela Ruth theilingofformalcharges,accordingto
Flathead County Sherif Chuck Cur-
Haines, 55, has been arrested and de- the sherif.
ry identiied the 71-year-old man shot
tained at the Flathead County Detention
[email protected]

Municipal Matters

A recap of recent city council and county commission meetings

WHITEFISH
the Flathead County Commission, erty rights when land-use conflicts

accusing the county of inserting arise.
• The city council reviewed whether sweeping changes into the 2007
to increase the fine for shooting Flathead County Growth Policy in KALISPELL
fireworks in the city, and consid- 2012. The lawsuit alleges that the IDAHO STREET BANK
county failed to follow the manda-
ered enhancing the regulations tory procedures within the growth • Redevelopment plans keep emerg- 233 E Idaho St.
prohibiting the use of fireworks in policy for making amendments, ing for downtown. The city is pre- Kalispell, MT 59901
city limits. The meeting was Tues- paring maps of potentially extend- 755-4271
day night after the Beacon went to and failed to follow Montana law
print. The city has received a flood for keeping the public involved and ed boundaries of the area being
of complaints related to fireworks informed in the process. CFBF says studied. A mailing and email list
in recent years. The city current- the commission approved 30 pages and a newsletter are being made
of changes for the document, but and the city will begin one-on-
ly allows fireworks for three days did not provide a final draft high- one meetings with businesses and
around Independence Day. The lighting all the changes made, forc- property owners.
council looked at reducing it to only ing citizens to go through the doc- MERIDIAN ROAD BANK
July 3 and July 4. Also, the fine •At its Tuesday meeting, the city 552 N Meridian Rd.
would be $300 for a first offense uments word by word to find the council voted whether to call a pub- Kalispell, MT 59901
and $500 for subsequent violations.
amendments. The lawsuit also says lic hearing on proposed increases in
the county did not provide minutes the city’s wastewater impact fees. 755-5432
from the Flathead County Planning
FLATHEAD COUNTY
Board meetings, as required by law. The city is proposing increasing the A Locally Owned,
The nonprofit also took the amend- fees from $2,499/ERU to $5,757/ Independent Community
ment language to task, saying that it ERU. The public hearing would be
• Local nonprofit Citizens for a Bet- March17.
Bank Since 1974
ter Flathead filed a lawsuit against
is vague and appears to favor prop-
www.ThreeRiversBankMontana.com
www.ThreeRiversBankMontana.com