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Still no deal to reopen Mineral County detention center
Following attempts to reopen the Mineral County jail with help from a nonprofit private corporation, the detention center will remain closed when both failed to reach an agreement.
St. Regis Schools receive $50,000 grant
Superior, Alberton are denied
Dr. Karen LaRoe, 74
Dr. Karen LaRoe passed away on June 15, 2019. She was born on December 13, 1944, in her grandparent’s four-room farmhouse on Buck Creek, in Lawrence County, Ohio. Karen grew up as the cherished child and valued farmhand of Hershell and Ann Roach on their dairy farm just a half-mile down the road. Widowed at 23, with two young children and a high school diploma, Karen went on to earn a Doctorate in Educational Leadership. After serving at the Ohio State University, Fitchburg State University, and Montana State University Northern, Karen was appointed President of the West Virginia University Institute of Technology, just 90 miles from her parent’s farm. There, together with faculty, staff, and students, she led Tech to significant national recognition for academic rigor and value. She was a leader with a kind heart, an open and curious mind, enthusiastic optimism, and endless energy. Her guiding principle was, “A college is a place where we come together to debate one another’s ideas with love and respect.” May we all follow her lead. Karen retired with her husband to homes in St. Regis, Montana and Venice, Florida, where they enjoyed the frequent visits of family and friends for many years. Karen is survived by her children, Joseph West, Lee Ann West, and Steven LaRoe, her grandchildren, Amanda West and Joey West, her sister, Rena Snouffer, her brother, Keith Roach, an enormous extended family; and her husband, Lin Williams. Services will be held at the Trinity Baptist Church, a church her family and friends built, near Aid, Ohio, on June 29, at 2:00 p.m. Karen will be interred near her parents in the cemetery in Aid. Arrangements will be handled by the Phillips Funeral Home in Ironton, where visitation will occur from 5-7 p.m., Friday, June 28. Karen would tell you that she lived a wonderful life. Her childhood was nurturing and rich in the Appalachian traditions of family and community. Her adult life was full with the love of her family, her many treasured friends, her travels around the world, and her amazing career.
Meeting set June 25 to discuss detention center future
After the Mineral County Detention Center closed six months ago due to a staff shortage, county commissioners will meet again with the CEO of a private prison organization to potentially form a deal and reopen the facility.
Decision on status of detention center on tap Friday
Mineral County commissioners and County Attorney Ellen Donohue hope to reach a solution to reopen the jail, which closed in January due to a staff shortage, on Friday, June 14 following a postponed deadline.
VonHeeder's track & field career progressing at MSU
Former Plains High School track and field standout Carley VonHeeder continues to pursue qualifying for the NCAA Division I National track and field championships.
New CFVP reporter seeks adventure in Sanders County
A new reporter/photographer has arrived at the Clark Fork Valley Press, and he is ready for action.
Trotters look toward the future at third-place finish
Plains-Hot Springs softball coach Michelle Bangen knew her team had the capability, and after they finished third at the Montana High School Class B-C state softball tournament, her team now believes what she knows.
No headline
Hot Springs track coach Bethany White knew Katelyn Christensen would have an immediate impact on the varsity team during her first year at the varsity-level competition.
A community at its best
It is difficult to capture an event as broad-ranging and active as Plains Days in words. Throughout the community, from the fields to the streets, the gym to the golf course, the corners to the clouds, Plains abounded with laughter, good sportsmanship, generosity, athleticism, kindness, volunteerism, and fun.
Young Eagles take to the sky
Since 1992 the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) has been giving youth a chance to get interested and involved in flight, such as during Plains Day on Saturday, June 1 at the Plains airport.
Commissioners to decide jail's fate Friday
Mineral County commissioners will decide on Friday, June 7 whether or not to contract with a nonprofit private prison CEO to reopen the detention center which closed in January due to staff shortages. Commissioners met with Mike Thatcher, the CEO of Community, Counseling and Correctional Services Incorporated (CCCS), on Tuesday, May 28 to discuss leasing the facility from the county. Thatcher toured the jail with county officials to see if he would be interested and there was a public meeting afterward to discuss ideas. One idea was that Thatcher would reserve 16 beds while the remaining ten beds would be reserved for Mineral County inmates. For example, Thatcher’s reserved beds could be used for overflow probationary inmates from Lake County while the county’s reserved beds would be used for criminals arrested in Mineral County. Thatcher also discussed having a treatment center in the county down the road as an additional facility to help the program, and to add and maintain jobs. “It’s a longer-term treatment concept,” Thatcher said. “That’s something you should parallel to the discussion.” Thatcher says treatment facilities are a niche operation, and the county has potential to have separate programing. ANOTHER OPTION in addition to a contract with Thatcher for commissioners to consider is creating a Temporary Contractual Agreement for Coordinating Position. County residents Denyse Traeder, Diane Magone and Judy Stang proposed the idea to commissioners at the May 31 meeting for the position to jumpstart the process for reopening the jail. The proposal entails hiring a temporary person on a 3- to 6-month contract who will be responsible for “exploring the options available to reopen the county detention center in a timely manner and performing all duties that would accomplish this goal,” according to the proposal. The coordinator would create foundational procedures to recruit and retain employees. Traeder says the coordinator position could potentially work in tandem with CCCS and work together to reopen the jail. However, some residents don’t believe a coordinator would be necessary. Former detention officer Brandy Taylor says a Jail Administrator should be responsible for these duties. “What I’m hearing is, we want to hire someone to hire people to hire people,” Taylor said. She says the coordinator position is the definition of what a jail administrator is supposed to be.
Plains library offers 'Teen Video Challenge'
Plains Public Library invites teens to participate in the 2019 Teen Video Challenge, a national video competition, as part of their summer reading program.
Should barking dogs land you in the 'doghouse'?
If there’s anything a room full of Sanders County residents can agree on, it’s that our dogs are important to us. The May 23 county commission meeting to address a proposed ordinance about incessantly barking dogs was proof of that.
Commissioners commit to re-opening detention center
After two hours of heated discussion at a public meeting on May 20, Mineral County Commissioners decided the detention center must reopen following its closure in February due to staff shortages. The questions remain how officials will attain this goal and where they will find the funding, but they are nearing a solution. Commissioners were to meet with the CEO of a private, non-profit jail corporation. Community, Counseling and Correctional Services, Incorporated CEO Mike Thatcher was scheduled to meet with commissioners on Tuesday, May 28, to discuss a jail lease deal. If officials cannot reach a deal with Thatcher, they will advertise for a jail administrator/commander position and the county will remain responsible for the detention center. “Thatcher is a big player in corrections,” County Attorney Ellen Donohue said. If they can make a deal with Thatcher, she hopes he will run the facility and be responsible for training and retaining employees. Ideally, Mineral County will maintain ten out of the 28 beds and Thatcher will hold the rest. Donohue hopes that with his resources, he could provide staff transportation from Missoula. Thatcher currently has transport operations for employees in Anaconda to commute to work in Butte. The county agrees they must find an experienced, competent jail administrator who will prevent the detention center from closing down again in the future. But hiring an experienced jail administrator would be expensive and the county doesn’t have the funding to pay an appropriate salary. A mill levy could fund the position but raising property taxes would be a challenge in a county with high poverty and residents with fixed incomes. “You’ve got to have something to vote on that people are going to trust,” former County Commissioner Judy Stang says. “I’ve tried to run levies before, and people won’t vote for stuff they don’t know enough about. They won’t vote for something that’s not working.” If the county finds the funding to pay a jail administrator a higher salary, this would cause a pay scale issue for the rest of the law enforcement officers. This means a jail administrator might have a higher salary than the sheriff. “How will that pill be swallowed by the sheriff and deputies which are decided by statute?” County Commissioner Roman Zylawy asked. Sheriff Mike Boone currently sends inmates to the Sanders County Jail in Thompson Falls the Missoula County Jail and other jails in nearby counties. Deputies must transport inmates to the other jails, leaving fewer officers to patrol Mineral County. “I fear every day for our deputies,” Mineral County resident Mary Jo Lommen said. Transporting inmates comes with liability. Lance Jasper, an attorney and Superior resident, said he dealt with a prison transport case five years ago in Plains where the patrol car wrecked and killed a mother of two in Sanders County, causing a $3 million settlement. “If we’re going to keep transporting, you better up the insurance,” he said. Mineral County pays $69.50 to Sanders County and $108 per day to Missoula County facilities to house an inmate. Mineral County paid a total of $20,000 to Sanders and Missoula counties in March. As of May 20, Mineral County had around ten inmates dispersed throughout Northwest Montana. If the county brings on CCCS, Mike Thatcher will run the facility and it will be the fourteenth facility the private system will operate. CCCS currently runs 13 facilities in Montana, Washington and North Dakota. Facilities in Butte include pre-release and treatment programs and correctional facilities. After four months with an empty detention center, the county agrees it must reopen soon. “It can’t go as it is, the commissioners have to make a decision,” Jasper says. “Are we going to have a jail or are we not going to have a jail? But they make that decision and they have to implement it.”
Mineral County brainstorms ideas for community center
After a survey conducted by the Mineral County Health Department showed that the number one desire for the county was a community center, officials began discussing the idea of building one. Mineral County officials met in the packed Senior Center in Superior on Thursday, May 9 to brainstorm ideas to build a community center. Superior Schools Superintendent Scott Kinney originally came up with the idea because he wants to relocate the wrestlers to different area to practice, but he has nowhere to send them. They currently train in the multi-purpose room where there is stage and sound equipment. “It truly is a multipurpose room,” Kinney said. He says the room gets beat up from the wrestlers and would like to see a new facility for the wrestlers and to also be used for the community. This triggered conversations with County Commissioner Roman Zylawy, who also believes the county should create a new, multiuse facility or a community center. The current 4H building, or Quonset hut, has seen a crumbling roof, plumbing and structural issues since its erection more than 60 years ago. “You just about have to turn sideways to get in the bathroom,” District Ranger Carole Johnson said. 4H activities could relocate to a new building, which could also be used for shooting sports, a performing arts center and a senior center. “The current building gets used almost every day,” Johnson said. It is already used for family reunions, receptions and 4H activities, however the Quonset hut has seen better days. Jim Goss, who represents several Mineral County nonprofits would like to see a new facility to host Mineral County Performing Arts Council (MCPAC) concerts. The LDS Church currently hosts concerts for MCPAC, but Goss would like to see a separate venue. Goss would also like to see the current Senior Center relocated to the potential community center. “The facility is showing its age and the kitchen is way too small,” Goss said. A commercial kitchen and larger space would better accommodate the county’s aging population. Goss says senior centers are compelling to grants and could help with applications. But none of this can happen without funding. That’s why Zylawy has researched the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), a program that provides communities with affordable housing and community development.
Memorial Day flags erected in Plains
Those beautiful flags that pop up around Memorial Day in Plains every year do not just magically appear.
Free lunch trumps free enterprise in America
I suppose I shouldn’t be any more surprised than most taxpaying Americans to discover that I paid more in income taxes in 2018 than the behemoth retailer Amazon.com; but then I didn’t have a net profit of $11.2 billion, either. Nor did I get anything close to Amazon’s $128 million tax refund for 2018. This is the second consecutive year that Amazon has not paid federal income taxes. In 2017, it paid no taxes on an income of $5.6 billion. All this from the April 11, 2019 “Fortune” magazine which reported on research done by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP).
'Miss Montana' drops paratroopers, gives Plains a thrill
In a show of patriotism, skill and small-town devotion to honoring heroes of the past, the skies over Plains became a spectacular part of the “Miss Montana to Normandy” project Tuesday, May 14.
Sanders County Dispatcher McDonald commended for 'keeping her cool'
The following citation was sent to supervisors and media by Sanders County Deputy Eric Elliot, commending dispatcher Becky McDonald for a job well done.