Page 26 - Flathead Beacon // 5.11.16

ROUNDUP
FROM BEACON STAFF AND WIRE SERVICES
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GREAT FALLS
MISSOULA
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HELENA
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BOZEMAN
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COLUMBIA FALLS
1. Crews Extinguish Fire at Weyerhaeuser Plant
Fire crews extinguished a blaze that sparked the night of May 6 at the Weyer- haeuser plywood plant in Columbia Falls.
Tom Ray, Montana resource team leader for Weyerhaeuser, said a re started in a dust collection system at the plywood plant Friday evening. There were no injuries and damage appeared to be minimal, Ray said. A cause has yet to be determined and the company will further assess the situation.
Fire crews from Columbia Falls responded to the blaze and successfully cleared the scene, Ray said. Some crews stayed on through the night to monitor the former Plum Creek plant.
“We appreciate the excellent response from the Fire Department,” Ray said.
Ray said there should be minimal impact to production.
A re at the medium-density ber- board plant in Columbia Falls last sum- mer halted a production line for nearly a week. In 2014, a re and subsequent explosion at the MDF plant caused heavy damage and halted a production line for nearly a month. Neither re caused injuries.
GLACIER NATIONAL PARK
2. Man Dies After Jumping from
Waterfall
BILLINGS
A man died on May 4 after jumping into a shallow pool at Running Eagle Falls in the Two Medicine area of Glacier National Park, according to the National Park Service.
At about 3:45 p.m., park dispatch was noti ed that a man had sustained life-threatening injuries. Park rangers arrived on the scene within minutes and performed CPR. ALERT, Glacier Emergency Services, Blackfeet Emer- gency Medical Services, Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services and the Gla- cier County Sheri ’s Department also responded to the scene. The patient was pronounced dead at approximately 4:30 p.m. by advanced life services medical personnel at the scene.
Initial investigation indicates the 26-year-old male jumped from the water- fall on his own accord and no suspicious circumstances were noted. The victim’s name has not been released pending noti- cation of next of kin. The investigation is ongoing. No foul play is suspected.
Park visitors are reminded to use cau- tion around all water features, especially waterfalls and lakes. Water is cold, fast moving and high in most places at this time, and rocks can be very slippery.
MISSOULA
3. Montana Rail Link Furloughs
Dozens of Employees
The Montana Rail Link has recently furloughed 36 employees and that num- ber is expected to grow with the down- turn of the coal industry.
The Missoulian reports the a ected workers, who are mostly locomotive engineers, are based in Missoula, Helena, Laurel and Livingston.
Montana Rail Link President Tom Walsh says the company has been forced to furlough workers due to the region’s signi cant decline in coal production.
Spokesman Jim Lewis says the rail- road’s coal shipments have dropped 35 percent from the same time last year. The average number of trains operating in Missoula each day has dropped to about 14, down from 18 in the beginning of 2015.
Lewis says the railroad is looking to bring back furloughed employees this fall, depending on a strong soybean and corn harvest.
HELENA
4. Infrastructure Becomes Key Focus
in Governor’s Race
The issue of infrastructure was front and center in the Montana governor’s race last week as the two leading can- didates traded barbs over who to blame for the political deadlock over a funding source to pay for roads, bridges, sewers and other projects.
During a news conference at the steps of the Capitol, Republican Greg Gian- forte again blamed Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock for stubbornly opposing
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MAY 11, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM