Whitefish fund assists 250 renters

An emergency rental assistance fund for Whitefish area workers impacted by COVID-19 assisted more than 250 renters in April.

In the wake of the pandemic, many Whitefish workers found themselves without a job and unable to pay bills, including rent.

The Whitefish Chamber of Commerce, the Whitefish Housing Authority and the Whitefish Community Foundation came together in late March to create the emergency fund to aid with one-time rent payments for renters whose employment status was affected by COVID-19.

The program was able to pay out $68,972 on behalf of 252 renters in the Whitefish area as the result of donations to the program.

Lori Collins, executive director of the Whitefish Housing Authority, said applications to the program were coming in seven days per week through constant calls and emails. Property managers and employers were reaching out to the housing authority about obtaining help for those in-need.

Collins said she’s extremely grateful to donors who supported the program, along with representatives of the chamber, housing authority and community foundation for being able to work together to create the program in a span of just three days.

Each affected worker was eligible to apply for $300 in rent assistance, with a cap of 50% of the monthly rent amount. If multiple wage earners in a single household were affected, $300 was available for each wage earner, subject to the 50% cap. The rental assistance fund is depleted at this time, but is still accepting donations in hopes of supporting future need. Visit www.WhitefishHousing.org.

— Whitefish Pilot

A new separate bike and pedestrian path is planned from the U.S. 2 bridge east of Columbia Falls to Columbia Heights. Crews from Montana Department of Transportation were surveying the route last week.

The path is funded through the Federal Lands Access Program. It is set to go to out to bid later in May with an award date on June 18. Work should begin in August, MDT District Administrator Bob Vosen said. The project has been planned for years.

The initial plans were to have the bike path go to the House of Mystery, just outside the Bad Rock Canyon, but there wasn’t enough funding, Vosen said.

The long-range plan is to have a bike path that runs from Columbia Falls to West Glacier. Most of it has been built over the years, thanks to philanthropic efforts of the Gateway to Glacier Trail group, which partnered with the state, county and federal government on the section from Hungry Horse to West Glacier.

— Hungry Horse News

Brayden Waldo, 23, of Eureka, was rescued April 26 after sustaining injuries in a snowmobile accident in a basin south of Gibralter Ridge, according to the Tobacco Valley News. He underwent surgery for a fractured hip at a Spokane hospital.

Waldo and his friends were snowmobiling when Brayden was thrown from his snowmobile and “essentially nose-dived the snowmobile off a bank,” the Tobacco Valley News said. Can-AM Search and Rescue hauled Brayden on a stretcher out of the steep terrain, and was met by a waiting Eureka Volunteer Ambulance, which took him to a Flathead Valley hospital. Brayden then was flown to Spokane for surgery.

— Tobacco Valley News

A special-use permit for a new daycare facility was given the go-ahead from the Polson City Commission last week.

Property owner Lisa Wall-Wilbert requested approval of the permit to construct the 15,359-square-foot daycare and learning facility at 303 11th Ave. W. The 145,055-square-foot property currently is vacant.

According to the permit application, the business will operate year-round from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday to Friday, with limited hours on Saturday. The business is expected to serve about 150 children, ages 1 to 5.

Access to the facility will be off 11th Avenue West. It will include a 32-space parking lot, as well as a 15-foot-wide drop-off lane.

The property is zoned as medium density residential, which is suitable for the proposed use. However, a special-use permit is required for schools and daycare centers.

The City Commission confirmed the permit with an unanimous vote of approval. The permit is valid for three years.

“I love this,” commented Commissioner Jan Howlett. “It’s such a plus for the kids of Polson and the city of Polson.”

Construction is anticipated to take about six months to complete.

— Lake County Leader