Council election heats up
HEIDI DESCH | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 16 years, 5 months AGO
Heidi Desch is features editor and covers Flathead County for the Daily Inter Lake. She previously served as managing editor of the Whitefish Pilot, spending 10 years at the newspaper and earning honors as best weekly newspaper in Montana. She was a reporter for the Hungry Horse News and has served as interim editor for The Western News and Bigfork Eagle. She is a graduate of the University of Montana. She can be reached at [email protected] or 406-758-4421. | July 9, 2009 11:00 PM
A last-minute filing has turned the Columbia Falls City Council election into a race.
Last Thursday —the last day to file — Shawn Bates had filled with the Flathead County Election Department to vie for a city council seat.
Also running are Matthew McConville and incumbents Michael Shepard and David Petersen. There are three open positions on the city council to serve four-year terms.
Besides Shepard and Petersen, Harvey Reikofski's term expires at the end of the year. Reikofski did not file for re-election.
Mayor Jolie Fish's term will also expire this year and she has decided not to run again. Councilman Don Barnhart has filed to run for mayor.
Because Barnhart is running unopposed he will likely be elected and leave his council seat open after November. If that happens, the council usually appoints a new member to fill the vacancy. That could mean whichever candidate is not elected could still be seated on the council.
The city election is Nov. 3.
ARTICLES BY HEIDI DESCH
Children’s book about world’s largest steam tractor aims to inspire
Smoke billows from the stack of the steam-powered tractor as it chugs along, sounding like a train locomotive. At a top speed of just under 6 mph, the 150 Case Road Locomotive moves methodically but is mighty in strength as it’s able to pull 50 plows, carving a large swath in the brown field.
Whitefish Council looks at cell tower contract
Whitefish City Council on Monday will consider a new agreement for a cell tower located at Memorial Park.
Whitefish hotel expansion goes before City Council
A hotel along the Whitefish River is looking to expand by converting an office building on the same property into lodging.