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HEIDI DESCH | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 9 years, 6 months AGO
by HEIDI DESCH
DEPUTY EDITOR, FEATURES Heidi Desch is the Deputy Editor at the Daily Inter Lake, overseeing coverage of arts, culture, lifestyle, community, and business. Desch leads reporters in developing stories that highlight the people, traditions, and events shaping Northwest Montana, guiding content across print and digital platforms. With more than 20 years of journalism experience, including serving as managing editor of the Whitefish Pilot, Desch is a graduate of the University of Montana School of Journalism. She has received multiple Montana Newspaper Association awards, including part of the team leading the Daily Inter Lake to Best Daily Newspaper in Montana Award and the General Excellence Award in 2024 and 2025. IMPACT: Heidi’s work connects readers with stories that deepen the understanding of the community beyond daily news. | January 10, 2017 3:12 PM

A neo-Nazi blog that has threatened to hold an armed march through Whitefish may be calling off its plans, at least for the time being.

The Daily Stormer Tuesday afternoon, in a post, said it would not hold a march until a permit is issued by the city.

The city of Whitefish received an incomplete application for a special event from The Daily Stormer for a proposed Jan. 16 march on Second Street from Memorial Park to City Hall.

City Manager Chuck Stearns said the city received the application by mail on Monday.

“We are still reviewing the application, but we cannot act on an incomplete application,” he said.

In Tuesday’s post, the blog said it would be looking to challenge deficiencies listed by the city in the permit and try to reschedule the march. The neo-Nazi website has said it would hold a “James Earl Ray Day Extravaganza” armed march and parade on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Whitefish from 4 to 7 p.m. James Earl Ray in 1968 assassinated civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

Since late December, The Daily Stormer has been threatening to hold a march in Whitefish sometime in January. The website also created a call to action last month prompting an online “troll” storm directed at Whitefish businesses and Jewish families.

“If a march were ever to happen, please be assured that the Whitefish Police Department has a critical incident plan in place aimed at ensuring the public safety of our citizens and visitors,” Stearns said last week.

Stearns this week said the police department “continues to refine its operational plan” to ensure safety.

Under city regulations, the city manager is authorized to grant or deny applications for a special event permit for events in the city, and “may decline to consider an application for a special event permit, and refer the application to the city council for consideration, if the city manager determines that an application is significant to the public, or might create unnecessary disruption, congestion, controversy or crowding.”

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