Year in Review 2017:

The year 2017 was ushered in on the back of an epic snow storm which dump nearly a foot of snow on the valley in early January. It was just one of many natural disasters and phenomenon which dominated headlines throughout the year.

Traffic accidents piled up on Interstate-90 with a complete closure in mid-February due to melting snow and flooding. The deep snows were then matched by epic wildfires as Montana burned in all directions during the months of July through October. With the fires in and around the state, came hazardous smoke conditions to welcome residents to autumn.

Weather conditions weren’t the only headliners in the Mineral Independent. Residents also experienced a total eclipse of the sun in August and an earthquake in July. There were also shake-ups in personnel this year. Several community members with long-standing vital roles in the county retired or quit. Including MSU Extension Agent, Kevin Chamberlain; Public Nurse, Peggy Stevens; and LEPC Coordinator, George Gupton.

The county also felt the sting of its jail closure and watched as the County Sheriff, Tom Bauer, walked away from his position. However, Mineral County residents have proven their resilience time and time again when faced with adversity. The spirit of locals remained high and came together for traditional annual events from community dinners, Easter Egg hunts, fundraisers, holiday celebrations, and parades.

Here are some of the bigger events covered over this past year but it’s just a mere drop in a huge bucket of stories. Enjoy the review of 2017 and the Mineral Independent will be back in 2018 to continue to bring you the latest news in your neighborhood. From the staff at the paper, here’s wishing you a safe and healthy New Year.

Jan. 4

BIG CHANGES IN MINERAL COUNTY DISTRICT COURT

Kathleen Brown was sworn in as Mineral County Clerk of District Court by Judge Robert Deschamp on Dec. 29. She ran unopposed for the position in the Nov. 8 elections and will serve a four-year term. It’s a position she has held since 2006 and was happy to be re-elected. “I love my job and what we do here,” she said.

This year is also starting with some changes. New County Attorney Ellen Donohue was recently hired and will begin next week. Brown was on the search committee and is looking forward to working with Donohue. “She will be a great asset and we can return to some normality up here.”

The department has not been regularly staffed since Marcia Boris stepped down as the county attorney last August. In the interim, Missoula attorney Matt Erekson agreed to help out and started in September. However, he was only able to stay until the end of October. After that, Missoula attorney Kristine Akland agreed to hold the position until it was filled. Akland had previously worked part-time as the deputy attorney for Boris.

HOSPITAL DROPS ASSISTED LIVING SERVICES

This spring Mineral Community Hospital will no longer offer assisted living service in Mineral County.

“This is a terrible decision we had to make, but the hospital needs to provide services that the community really needs,” said the hospital’s CEO, Ron Gleason. “Financially, we just can’t keep the facility open for such a small number of people.”

At the beginning of the year, Mountain View Village had seven residents. However, four residents have either passed away or moved, leaving only three.

Jan. 6

EPIC SNOWSTORM COATS MINERAL COUNTY OVER CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY

It was not just your imagination if you think the snow over Christmas was an epic event. Meteorologist Bob Nestor with the National Weather Service office in Missoula reported that Missoula had 13 inches of snow on the ground over a 36 hour period.

Feb. 1

ROUTINE TRAFFIC STOP RESULTS IN METH BUST

A routine traffic stop ended in a drug bust on I-90 on Jan. 23. Mineral County Sheriff Tom Bauer said Sergeant A.J. Allard and Deputy Eric McMurray pulled over a vehicle for speeding near DeBorgia on Monday night. Two men were in the vehicle and there were reportedly indications of drug trafficking.

The deputies called Highway Patrol Trooper Shad Anderson with the K-9 unit, who found drugs when the vehicle was searched. Officers seized 20 pounds of meth, which has a street value estimated at $140,000.

Mar. 29

COLORADO WOMAN DIES AFTER VEHICLE GETS STUCK

An early evening call received by Mineral County dispatch on Friday, March 17, ended in tragedy. The body of Debra Ann Koziel was found by a search team on the following Tuesday afternoon. Her death was determined to be the result of exposure to the weather.

Koziel, a 56-year-old woman from Colorado, had called 911 around 6 p.m. and said “I need help, I climbed a hill from where my car was towed,” reported Mineral County Sheriff Tom Bauer.

April 26

ST. REGIS SCHOOL WORKS KINKS OUT OF NEW “SUMMIT BASECAMP” TEACHING PLATFORM

Outside of Superintendent Joe Steele’s window is a pen full of chickens, “It’s part of the FFA program,” he explains, “we used to have a rooster, boy he was a noisy thing.”

It’s not a typical setting for a school’s administrative office, but St. Regis is no longer a typical school. Last year Steele took the helm and helped to lead the way to a different path for learning. They adopted the Summit Basecamp Learning Program which is project-based and a more hands-on method compared to traditional modes of education.

Steele said it’s been great to watch teachers take hold of this new method of teaching and break down “the castle walls that used to be classrooms”. Now students are allowed to have control over their own learning experience.

May 10

GIANFORTE VISITS SUPERIOR GROUP TO DISCUSS LOCAL ISSUES

The Mineral County Republican Central Committee hosted a meet-and-greet for Greg Gianforte last Friday, May 5 at the Mineral County Fair Grounds. He is running for the vacant seat in congress against oppenent Rob Quist and addressed many issues facing voters today including management of the national forests, healthcare, vets and the economy.

May 17

FLATCREEK CLEANUP NEARS COMPLETION

The Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Environmental Quality hosted a site tour of the Flat Creek-Iron Mountain Mine tailing cleanup on May 10. Members of the Superior Technical Assistance Committee (STAC) and the public met in Superior and drove up to the site north of town. It gave interested parties the opportunity to ask questions and present ideas or concerns to the departments involved with the cleanup.

The area has been a Superfund site since 2002 and the final cleanup phases are currently taking place. Joel Chavez, Project Manager with the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) led the tour up to the old mill site. At the site, they have been working on excavation and disposal of tailings and impacted soil. Approximately two to three feet of top soil has been removed, totaling about 90,000 cubic yards in the Flat Creek floodplain.

May 24

KINNEY NAMES WESTERN MONTANA SUPERINTENDENT OF THE YEAR

Superior School Superintendent Scott Kinney has been named the Western Montana Superintendent of the Year and the school held an assembly Wednesday afternoon to present the award to Kinney.

The fourth year superintendent was surprised to learn that he was selected at the School Administrators of Montana’s recent annual conference. Kinney was picked out of 27 districts which range from Hot Springs to Deer Lodge and includes all schools from Class AA to C.

ARMED FORCES DAY HONORS TWO LOCAL RESIDENTS

For the second time, the Retired Senior and Volunteer Program (RSVP) paid homage to local veterans on Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 20. Veterans from World War I were honored, along with veterans from WWII, the Korean War, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Veterans, along with family and friends gathered in the Superior High School gym at 1 p.m. Rep. Denley Loge was the emcee for the afternoon, with musician Jack Gladstone and Army Sgt. Maj. Michael Jarnevic as guests.

Superior residents Russell Norris Grunhuvd, 91, and Edna Cummings, 104, were guests of honor for the event.

May 24

SIX ATHLETES WILL TRAVEL TO LAUREL FOR STATE TRACK

A long season of track and field has culminated into a trip to Laurel, Montana for six Mineral County athletes who have qualified for State to be held May 26 and 27. Clark Fork’s Hailey Kelly, Griffin Pluth and Emma Duboise will join St. Regis’ Brandon Managhan, Madison Hill and Brock Cantrell-Field. The top five competitors qualify for State.

May 31

RECENT DEER AND ELK COUNTS SHOW INCREASE IN NUMBERS

Fish Wildlife and Parks (FWP) biologist, Liz Bradley gave a presentation at a recent Mineral County Commissioners meeting. Every spring she does elk and deer surveys in Mineral County for Hunting Districts 200-203, 260 west, and 283 west for Region 2. This is her third year of flying with Mark Musick of Minute Man Aviation. Musick has been doing these surveys since the late 80s and she commented that it was nice to have that consistency with same pilot for so many years.

May 31

DREAMS COME TRUE IN ORLANDO FOR BPA STUDENTS FROM LOCAL SCHOOLS

Students from St. Regis, Superior and one from Alberton, joined nearly 400 members of Montana’s delegation for the National Business Professionals of America Leadership Conference in Orlando, Florida. Over 5,800 students from 23 state associations attended the week-long event which started on May 9.

June 14

LONG-TIME TEACHERS RETIRE AS SCHOOL YEAR ENDS

The careers of several area teachers came to a close with the recent ending of the 2016-17 school.

When the school year ended this year, some prominent teachers headed into retirement.

Chris West of St. Regis has been gathering up more than 15 years of school memorabilia from her science room. There, she taught science to grades seven through twelve, as well as some music and a title class, she said. West also taught for 12 years before starting at St. Regis.

Another long-time teacher who retired this year was Diane Gingerich. She also has been teaching at St. Regis for 15 years. She taught fourth and fifth grade, plus middle school. Her teaching career spans 21 total years, with a few at Victor and Hot Springs schools.

Alberton School is also losing a few of its staff members. Superintendent Clay Acker will be leaving his post after four-years at the school. Acker moved to Alberton in 2008 and was on the school board before taking the helm as superintendent. Prior to that, he had been a teacher and principal for 31 years in Wisconsin.

Steve Picard has been hired as the school’s new superintendent. He is from Roy, Mont. and he will begin July 1.

Glen Teeters is also hanging up his keys this year. Teeters taught math for 46 years at Alberton and retired from his teaching post a few years ago. He then became the school’s transportation director and a bus driver. However, he’s decided to retire and do some traveling with his wife, Donna. They plan to spend more time with their granddaughter. He was presented a plaque of recognition at graduation ceremonies in May from fellow retiree, Clay Acker.

In Superior, a long-time school advocate Gordon Hendricks retired. He wore many hats at the school over his years there and said the kids taught him more than he taught them. During graduation ceremonies in May, Hendricks walked with the class and was the guest speaker.

ST. REGIS TRIO HEADS TO ALASKA FOR TEACHING OPPORTUNITIES

“North to Alaska” now has more meaning to three St. Regis teachers than just a 1960s John Wayne movie as they pack their bags and head to Unalaska, Alaska. The adventurous trio secured jobs at the schools at The Port of Dutch Harbor. Current high school teacher and BPA supervisor, Chad Eichenlaub; Kindergarten teacher Mallery Mceldery; and fourth grade teacher Laura Jarvis will all be on the ferry from Homer, Alaska to the small island around July 19. Mceldery and Jarvis will finish up teaching summer camps and then move.

July 12

HEATWAVE CAUSING WILDFIRES

As of July 10, the Lolo National Forest described fire danger as moderate. But as last week’s heat wave quickly dried out grasses, fire danger is on everyone’s mind. The upcoming week’s weather forecast has several thunderstorms announced and lightning strikes could cause wildfires as they roll through the mountains of Mineral County.

July 12

EARTHQUAKE RATTLES MINERAL COUNTY AREA

Mineral County residents joined a chorus of other Facebook users after a 5.8 magnitude earthquake hit about seven miles southeast of Lincoln on Thursday, July 7, at 12:30 a.m. The quake could be felt 500 miles away and social media exploded as people posted their experiences and surprise within minutes of it happening.

People in Spokane, Washington; Lewiston, Idaho; and as far away as Calgary Alberta, Canada, chimed in with reports that they felt the tremor. There were also reports of items falling off grocery shelves and a section of an old building in uptown Butte had toppled onto the sidewalk below. Several aftershocks ranging from 4.9 to 2.9 could be felt that morning and into the next day. Lincoln also lost power for a while after the initial quake.

July 19

KEY MINERAL COUNTY PERSONNEL RETIRE AFTER LONG CAREERS

Three key positions in Mineral County became vacant as the result of retirements over the past two months. However, they have been filled by familiar faces already seen around the courthouse.

Kevin Chamberlain, who had been a Montana State University Extension Agent for the past 28 years, retired in late May. His position was filled by fellow MSU Extension Agent Dave Brink.

Also, Peggy Stevens, who has been the Mineral County Director and Public Health Nurse for the past 21 years, recently retired. Her position was filled by Jennifer Donovan, who is a registered nurse and works in the Mineral County Health Department as a Public Health Nurse and as the director for the Parents as Teachers Program.

George Gupton, who has been the Mineral County Disaster Emergency Services Coordinator for the past 18 years and the chairman of the Local Emergency Planning Committee, also retired in June. These positions have been filled by Superior Fire Chief Rob Torrey.

July 26

STATE OF EMERGENCY: SUNRISE, BURDETTE FIRES RAGE AS GOVERNOR DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY

Gov. Steve Bullock declared a fire emergency for the state of Montana on July 23. The order cites several active wildfires in the state, “Montana is facing extreme fire conditions,” he states. “Our top priority is ensuring the safety of Montanans, their property, and our communities.”

The declaration permits Bullock to move additional state resources and the Montana National Guard to fight fires. Where high pressure and dry conditions continued to press across the state with a red flag warning in place with very hot, dry and winds expected Monday afternoon and evening.

Meanwhile, Mineral County residents were casting a wary eye toward two fires raging in the mountains south of the Clark Fork River — the Burdette Fire located 13 miles southeast of Tarkio and two miles east of the South Fork Fish Creek drainage on the Ninemile Ranger District; and the Sunrise Fire approximately 12 miles east of Superior.

As of the afternoon of July 23, the Burdette Fire was at 440 acres with 34 personnel on the scene. This lightning-caused blaze started on July 16 at midnight. There is concern about fire getting into Petty Creek where there are a number of homes and private property. Fire-containment strategy continues for the area including Wig Creek, with hopes for containment by Aug 1.

Aug. 9

SUNRISE FIRE GROWS TO MORE THAN 13,000 ACRES

A new Type I National Incident Management Team joined the fight against the Sunrise Fire last week, which had grown to nearly 25,000 acres by Sunday, Aug. 20. Incident Commander Beth Lund, spoke to community members during a public meeting at the Lozeau Lodge on Saturday evening, along with other key firefighting personnel.

The fire is 35 percent contained with the southwest and west areas remaining the most active. Located 11 miles east of Superior, the Sunrise Fire has been burning since July 16 in difficult terrain. The fire had reached Trout Creek by Sunday with threats to structures and long-range spotting as gusty southwest winds had the potential to cross the Clark Fork River and Interstate 90. This would also impact Montana Rail Link, and transmission lines. Late last week helicopters hit the north side of the Trout Creek drainage with more than 100,000 gallons of retardant to pretreat fuels.

Sept. 9

SUNRISE FIRE 90 PERCENT CONTAINED

The Sunrise Fire which swept across the mountains 11 miles east of Superior is finally 90 percent contained as of September 1. Almost all residents have been able to return to their homes except those in the Quartz Creek area.

Greg Burch, operation section chief with the Great Basin National Incident Management Team 1, said they were looking forward to getting that area opened up for the residents and that overall the fire looks good.

“Trout Creek is looking good and is open,” he said during an Aug. 31 briefing. “We are asking people to be careful when they’re driving because they still have resources out there working.”

The Great Basin Management team transitioned to Rick Connell, Incident Commander with the Western Montana Type II Management Team on September 1.

Sept. 13

AIR QUALITY REMAINS UNHEALTHY ACROSS REGION

On Memorial Day last week outdoor enthusiasts were greeted with disappointingly smoky skies which blanketed most of western Montana. The skies glowed an eerie orange cast as the summer sun tried to pierce the thick blanket of wildfire smoke permeating through the mountains and down the Clark Fork corridor. There were reports of “Unhealthy” to “Hazardous” conditions throughout the region including Mineral County where two air quality monitoring stations are located at Quartz Creek and Superior.

According to District Fire Management Officer, Jim Ward, the smoke impacting the county came from multiple sources both in and out of Montana. However, the Sunrise Fire, which is over 90 percent contained, was not much of a contributor to the smoke. The county is surrounded by fires including the new Sheep Gap fire which broke out last week in Sanders County, the Lolo Peak Fire burning near Missoula and multiple fires burning in Idaho, Washington, and Canada.

Oct. 4

SUPERIOR SCHOOL LEVY PASSES HANDILY, 462 TO 331

Faculty and staff at Superior High School were doing the happy dance on Friday after a $3.2 million levy was passed to put an addition on the present high school to allow junior high students to be moved into the facility. The unofficial vote was a whopping 462 to 331, a 131-vote lead in favor of the project.

Oct. 11

SUPERIOR STARTS QUEST FOR NEW POOL WITH A MAD DASH

Despite rainy skies over 60 runners showed up for the “Run for the Pool” 5K race held on Saturday, Oct. 7, in Superior. The race started at the Old School and circled near the Eva Horning Park and up past the Mineral Community Hospital.

The cost was $25 per runner and walker which started at 10 a.m. and included a T-shirt. Funds raised went to support building a new pool for the town of Superior. There was also a virtual run which allowed people who could not attend the one in town to participate.

Nov. 1

MINERAL COUNTY JAIL CLOSED DUE TO STAFFING ISSUES

The Mineral County jail has been closed due to insufficient staffing, with inmates being transferred to other facilities or released.

Only two jailers remain on staff after two quit and one was recently fired by Sheriff Tom Bauer.

“It’s impossible to operate a 24-hour jail with just two jailers,” said Mineral County Attorney Ellen Donohue at a Friday meeting with the county commissioners. She asked commissioners for permission to start transferring inmates to other facilities and releasing those who do not pose a public threat.

The two detention officers who quit were at the Oct. 27 meeting to discuss their recent departure. Mick Casper, who has worked with the department for the last few years quit his job the night before. “Last night I walked out,” he said, “and it wasn’t because of the low pay, but due to poor management.”

Nov. 22

SHERIFF BAUER QUITS; BOONE TAKES INTERIM POST

Mineral County was stunned on Monday, Nov. 13, when Sheriff Tom Bauer turned in his letter of resignation to County Commissioner Chairman Roman Zylway.

Just hours before a scheduled meeting to discuss the future of the county’s detention center, Bauer handed Zylawy the letter and walked out the door.

The letter simply read, “To whom it may concern, I Tom Bauer resign my position as Mineral County Sheriff.”

“He just handed me his letter and walked out the door,” said Zylawy, who has no idea what prompted Sheriff Bauer to quit. “He was dressed in camouflage fatigues like he was going hunting when he left.”

Nov. 29

JAILERS, DISPATCH RECEIVE SALARY INCREASES

Despite rainy skies over 60 runners showed up for the “Run for the Pool” 5K race held on Saturday, Oct. 7, in Superior. The race started at the Old School and circled near the Eva Horning Park and up past the Mineral Community Hospital.

The cost was $25 per runner and walker which started at 10 a.m. and included a T-shirt. Funds raised went to support building a new pool for the town of Superior. There was also a virtual run which allowed people who could not attend the one in town to participate.

TRICON MILL SOLD TO IDAHO FOREST GROUP

The Idaho Forest Group, one of the nation’s largest lumber producers has entered into a binding contract with Tricon Timber’s sawmill in St. Regis, one of Mineral County’s largest employers.

“The St Regis sawmill acquisition supports our continued growth and will be an excellent strategic addition to our existing operations in Northern Idaho,” the group’s vice president of sales and marketing, Erol Deren

A spokeman for Tricon said the acquisition is a very good thing for the county. Idaho Forest Group is a very progressive company, and “they want to make improvements to the mill and they want to be in the lumber business.”

Dec. 8

MIKE BOONE APPOINTED AS NEW SHERIFF

In a unanimous decision, Mineral County Undersheriff Mike Boone was appointed county sheriff during the commissioners meeting last Friday, Dec. 8. Three applicants submitted their resumes for the position including Mike Toth who was previously a Mineral County deputy and another man who had recently retired with a law enforcement background who planned to move to Superior from Washington.

After Boone’s appointment there was a round of applause from the small group who had attended the meeting with congratulations all around.