The news that Stinger Welding has gained $17 million in financing to complete a 105,000-square-foot plant in Libby has to be the best economic news that community has had in a long time.

When completed, the plant is expected to support more than 100 new jobs. That is huge news in a community that has perennially suffered from double-digit unemployment since the downturn of the timber economy. It also shows that the legacy of negative publicity about asbestos left behind in Libby by W.R. Grace & Co. can be overcome by hard work and enthusiastic promotion of the virtues of small-town Montana.

The plant, which is expected to be completed next month, will provide steel for bridge infrastructure projects throughout the Northwest. Pay for the new jobs starts at $13.55 an hour and is expected to average around $16 an hour. Not bad considering how many people have been struggling on much less in the current economy.

The funding was made possible through the Montana Community Development Corp.’s use of a federal tax-credit program to encourage investment in low-income areas. Credit for the new deal was given to Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., for sponsoring changes that targeted some of the program’s money to rural states.

Congratulations to Libby and to Stinger Welding, and thanks to Sen. Baucus.

COLUMBIA FALLS is once again celebrating its rich history during the annual Heritage Days celebration this weekend. Organizers have turned the event into a five-day shindig that rises to a crescendo on Saturday with the big parade at noon in downtown Columbia Falls.

This is a home-grown celebration that truly has something for everyone, whether it’s a barn dance, barbecue or Boogie-to-the-Bank run. If you haven’t seen your Columbia Falls friends or relatives lately, Heritage Days is a good chance to catch up on old times.