Page 9 - Flathead Beacon // 4.23.14

FLATHEADBEACON.COM NEWS APRIL 23, 2014 | 9

Flathead Runners Complete Historic

With
Marathon Year After Attack

32,000 runners and 1 million spectators hit
EVERY
the streets of Boston for the 118th edition of

one of America’s most historic races

By JUSTIN FRANZ of the Beacon

A year after bombs rocked the inish line, nearly 32,000 run-

STEP
ners competed in the Boston Marathon on April 21, including
seven from the Flathead Valley.
Leading the pack in Monday’s race was Meb Kelezighi, who
became the irst American man to win the marathon since 1983,
inishing with a time of 2 hours and 8 minutes, his personal best
for Boston. Rita Jeptoo of Kenya became a three-time female
winner of the marathon with a time of 2 hours and 18 minutes, a
women’s course-record.

More than 70 Montanans participated in the 118th edition of
the Boston Marathon. Of the seven runners from the Flathead
Valley, Kalispell’s Richard Briles led the pack and inished the
you make
race in 3 hours and 14 minutes, ive minutes faster than his time Boston Marathon runner Richard Briles shows his inisher medals.
last year. This year marked Briles’ ifth trip to the marathon.
GREG LINDSTROM | FLATHEAD BEACON
“It was just awesome, I’m so glad I went,” Briles told the Bea- all female inisher. Scott Sneddon, 51, of Billings, clocked 2:46.10
con shortly after inishing. “The crowds were bigger and louder and was 15th in his age division.

than ever.”
More than 1 million people lined the 26.2-mile route from
Six other Flathead Valley runners inished the race on April the suburbs to downtown Boston, twice the usual number.
21. Russell Skelton of Kalispell inished in 3 hours and 18 min- About 3,500 law enforcement oicers were also on hand.
utes; Ted Burnham, a teacher at Glacier High School, crossed On April 15, 2013, two bombs detonated 12 seconds apart
the inish line in 3 hours and 33 minutes; Jabby Young of White- near the inish line on Boylston Street. The bombs, which killed
ish inished in 3 hours and 34 minutes; Andi Romano of Big- three people and injured more than 250 others, were allegedly
fork crossed the inish line in 4 hours and 16 minutes; Lucrecia constructed and planted by two Chechen brothers living in Bos-
Lobbestael of Bigfork inished in 4 hours and 20 minutes; and ton named Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev. Tamerlan, 26,

William Anderson, 75, of Columbia Falls inished in 4 hours and died during shootout with police. Dzhokhar was captured and a
22 minutes, taking 11th place in his division.
year later is still awaiting trial.
Among the top inishers from the Treasure State, Mark A brief moment of silence was held during this year’s race at
Handelman, 27, of Missoula inished in 2:33.53, earning 147th 2:49 p.m., the time the two bombs went of. A memorial service
place overall and 126th among male competitors. Trisha Dro- was also held last week on the anniversary of the attack.
beck, 33, of Missoula, inished in 2:46.28 and was the 38th over-
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Browning, Blackfeet Council

Spar Over Water System

Town of Browning is suing the tribal council after the council allegedly

took records and began billing residents

By JUSTIN FRANZ of the Beacon
choice but to take over the system to en- same time, a tribal employee allegedly
sure the health, safety and welfare of the took the town’s utility customer list.
Browning and the Blackfeet Tribal Blackfeet Nation.”
Soon after, the council began sending
Business Council are facing of in court According to court documents, notices and water bills to Browning res-

after the tribal government took over Browning has owned and operated wa- idents. In October, it did the same with
the town’s water and sewage system ter and sewage services within the town the town’s sewage system.
and began billing customers. On April 9, since the 1930s. In 2009, the tribal Court documents accuse Sharp,
the town iled a lawsuit in U.S. District council and town agreed to jointly fund Kline, Forrestina Calf Boss Ribs, Paul
Court against eight tribal employees the Blackfeet Community Water Proj- McEvers, William Old Chief, Cheryl
and oicials, including Chairman Willie ect to construct a new water system to Little Dog, Shawn Lahr, and Alvin Yel-
Sharp Jr.
serve East Glacier, Browning and the low Owl of interference with business

But a tribal attorney says the council surrounding communities. The resolu- relations, malice, conversion and mail
needed to take over the water and sew- tion passed by the council still designat- fraud.
age system because the town was mis- ed the town of Browning as the operator The lawsuit is just another in the
managing the operation and overcharg- and manager of the facilities.
gamut of issues facing the split Black-
ing residents. Attorney Derek Kline said In August 2013, the tribal council feet tribal council and community of
the tribal government was within its terminated past agreements that des- Browning. The nine-member board has
“sovereign authority” to take action.
ignated the town the operator of the fa- been divided since October 2013 and
“The town was charging families on cility and informed the municipality it now there are concerns that an upcom-

www.ThreeRiversBankMontana.com
ixed incomes way too much and that’s would be taking over control of water ing tribal election will not be legal.
not fair,” Kline said. “The tribe had no
and sewer utility services. At about the
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