Latest news with #InterLake
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kalispell-based nonprofit sees federal funds pulled, then restored
May 13—Cassidy Kipp opened an email on March 6 to find out that federal dollars meant to help pay for renovating the Community Action Partnership of Northwest Montana's headquarters had abruptly been pulled. The nonprofit, of which Kipp is the director of project development, connects individuals across Northwest Montana with community programs like heating and rental assistance. It was using the money on its new location at 1820 U.S. 93 S. in Kalispell, which also houses a recently launched subsidized child care program. The email, which had come from an intermediary responsible for dolling out the dollars, said that "without warning and without consultation, all of the grants were pulled nationally." The money had been rescinded the week prior, according to the message. Kipp immediately halted work on the new facility. The Community Action Partnership relocated at the end of 2024 to a new building along U.S. 93. The organization was in the middle of pre-development planning to spruce up the new place when the funds were pulled. "We had an engineer working, we had landscape architects going in," she said. "Thankfully, we hadn't accrued a ton of expenses in that window of time, but we had to just terminate all efforts and pivot," she added. The two grants funding the project came from the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Section 4 competitive grant program, which is intended to help nonprofits carry out community development activities. Each grant amounted to between $40,000 and $60,000, according to Kipp. "We love those grants because they are capacity building grants," meaning they are meant to support the nonprofit's mission to provide services, Kipp said. But more than a month later, Kipp arrived in her office on April 29 to find another email: The grants had been reinstated. An official from the federal housing department told the Inter Lake that the grant program was halted for being out of compliance with President Donald Trump's spate of executive orders. Kipp said that the specific order the program was in violation of was "Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing," which Trump signed on Jan. 20. The federal agency told the Inter Lake that organizations could appeal the Section 4 grant revocations on a case-by-case basis. A national organization, Rural — Local Initiatives Support Corporation, which was responsible for distributing the grant funds, successfully appealed the cancellation, according to a post on the organization's website. "For over 30 years, [the Rural-Local Initiatives Support Corporation] has been a trusted steward of the Section 4 program—helping nonprofits grow, stabilize, and deepen their impact," read the post. Kipp said she is always looking for ways to make operations more efficient, but that the federal dollars funding building revitalization is not an example of wasteful spending or contributing to a woke agenda. "All we were trying to do with this particular programming is align with what the city requirements are for our campus space and to make sure that we are being a good neighbor," Kipp said. "We're talking about [eliminating] bunch grasses in the front yard, not about some woke agenda," she added. THE LEARNING Tree Preschool is a new low-income child care facility that can host up to 24 kids and holds story times, group music and cooperative games. Stockman Bank helped build a playground on the property, which also houses the Community Action Partnership's headquarters, said Kipp. The need for low-priced child care was identified in the nonprofit's annual community needs assessment. "It's a barrier that pops up time and time again, where people are constantly having to have that juggle of covering child care expenses and getting work," Kipp said. The Kalispell location is also home to a paid HVAC apprenticeship program. Participants conduct energy audits at homes and retrofit energy saving techniques like replacing windows, furnaces or woods stoves. "We're training young people to get out in the field," Kipp said. ALTHOUGH THE grants were restored, business is not as usual. Kipp said she remains on edge and will continue to be nimble with funding by finding ways to diversify revenue. "I think that everybody anticipates that there are still more cuts to come," she said. The nonprofit owns six different low-income apartment complexes, comprising of 152 units, most of which are dedicated toward seniors or individuals with a disabling condition, according to Kipp. Heating assistance remains the most used program, according to the nonprofit's end-of-year statistics. "What we found is that increasingly we are having more folks who are homeowners seeking help to alleviate things like heating burdens," she said. Reporter Jack Underhill may be reached at 758-4407 and junderhill@
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Yahoo
Police target noisy cruising in downtown Kalispell
May 4—As warmer weather arrives in Kalispell, so are motorists looking to flaunt their cars down Main Street. Friday night cruising on the municipality's historic throughfare is seen by many as an opportunity for teens and adults alike across the Flathead Valley to show off their passion for automobiles. But the social activity has proved troublesome for nearby residents and business owners. Downtown residents say they have been subject to the roar of unmuffled engines, burnouts, billowing exhaust and reckless driving for years, and not just on Friday nights, but each night of the week. Entrepreneurs have said the disruptive cruises have cost them business. And that's why Kalispell Police Department has beefed up patrols along Main Street. Since April 11, three to four officers on overtime pay have been stationed every Friday night — when cruising is at its heaviest — from the intersection of Main and Idaho streets down to the Flathead County Courthouse to patrol traffic along the corridor. Residents can expect to see increased patrols until September, said Chief Jordan Venezio. Over the first three Friday nights since the extra patrols were launched, over 120 traffic stops were made, he said. "That's kind of our plan at this point, is heavy police presence, traffic enforcement, be visible," he said. The heightened police presence has already brought back positive returns, Venezio said. "I've had community members reach out about how much better it's been," he said. But to Joe Biby, who lives on First Avenue East, the ruckus has only gotten worse. He said that on April 25 — a Friday — he saw dramtically more cars than usual. "If traffic was stopped for a red light at [Main Street] and 11th Street, the trucks and cars were backed up to St. Matthew's school," he told the Inter Lake via email. "It's very much a carnival atmosphere, a combination of 'Mad Max Fury Road' and the film, 'American Graffiti,'" Biby said. While the act of aimlessly driving cars down a strip of road became popular in the 1950s, cruising was revitalized across the country during the Covid-19 pandemic, including locally. The organization Kruise Kalispell formed in April 2020 as a means of safely escaping isolation and parading cars. Kruise Kalispell, though, only organizes a few events a summer. The weekly cruises are largely unorganized and not associated with the group, according to Venezio. Downtown residents say that the cruising culture has changed over the years as it veers away from the family-friendly atmosphere. "That is an absolute joke," said downtown resident Teresa Narduzzi about the idea that cruising is family activity. "I wouldn't want my kids exposed to that." Narduzzi has lived on Second Avenue East since 1993, and cruising has kept her away from Main Street. "I don't go downtown at all anymore," she said. In the summer months Narduzzi said she can't leave her windows open because of the roar of car engines, which are audible until 1 a.m. She said that drivers speed down side streets as well, creating a racing circuit of sorts. The Police Department has placed an electronic speed radar sign near the intersection of First Avenue East and Eighth Street East, where Venezio said cruisers often turn around. "It has gone on for so many years now it is absolutely frustrating and maddening," Narduzzi said. She added that she has not seen a noticeable drop in disruption since more patrols were dispatched. "Some of us make a habit of leaving our homes on Friday evenings," Biby said. Not everyone is dissatisfied with the city's response to the cruises. A recent letter to the editor from several downtown residents thanked the Police Department for taking steps to enforce traffic laws downtown and for placing the electronic radar. THE ISSUE came before Kalispell City Council in October. While councilors mulled over potential regulations to limit the activity, cruisers, residents and businesses owners convened in City Hall to express both their support and frustration over cruising. Councilors ultimately decided against implementing any new rules, arguing that existing laws dictating noise and reckless driving could be enforced better. Councilors also suggested self-policing, asking that those cruising be respectful regarding noise and to follow traffic laws. Narduzzi saw the decision as a way of throwing the issue onto the Police Department without finding solutions to effectively enforce city code. "If you are going to make the rules, figure out how you are going to enforce them," she said. Chapter 17, section seven of Kalispell's municipal code states that "it shall be unlawful for any person to 'tune up' or 'race' the engine of any motor vehicle on any public highway in the city. The object of this provision is to prohibit loud or distressing noises." Municipal code also requires mufflers on cars to be "in constant operation and of sufficient size to prevent excessive and unusual noise." Cut-outs are also prohibited. But noise ordinances are hard to enforce, said Venezio, because finding the source of the ruckus among a sea of cars can prove difficult. The Police Department has been unable to divert more resources to quelling cruising in the past over staffing shortages. Last summer, staffing was down 40% "and we were just trying to get to where we could respond to calls," Venezio said. Now the department is almost fully staffed, having increased its ranks with four new patrol officers following a voter-approved public safety levy passed in March 2024. But some residents expressed concern that if further action isn't taken to punish disruptive cruisers, pedestrian accidents are bound to occur. Between 2018 and 2022, Main Street saw 258 motor vehicle crashes, First Avenue East saw 73 and First Avenue West saw 48, according to a study by Kittleson & Associates Inc. The corridor serves an average of 18,000 trips a day. "Someone's eventually going to get killed," Narduzzi warned. Reporter Jack Underhill can be reached at 758-4407 and junderhill@
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Yahoo
Police target noisy cruising in downtown Kalispell
May 4—As warmer weather arrives in Kalispell, so are motorists looking to flaunt their cars down Main Street. Friday night cruising on the municipality's historic throughfare is seen by many as an opportunity for teens and adults alike across the Flathead Valley to show off their passion for automobiles. But the social activity has proved troublesome for nearby residents and business owners. Downtown residents say they have been subject to the roar of unmuffled engines, burnouts, billowing exhaust and reckless driving for years, and not just on Friday nights, but each night of the week. Entrepreneurs have said the disruptive cruises have cost them business. And that's why Kalispell Police Department has beefed up patrols along Main Street. Since April 11, three to four officers on overtime pay have been stationed every Friday night — when cruising is at its heaviest — from the intersection of Main and Idaho streets down to the Flathead County Courthouse to patrol traffic along the corridor. Residents can expect to see increased patrols until September, said Chief Jordan Venezio. Over the first three Friday nights since the extra patrols were launched, over 120 traffic stops were made, he said. "That's kind of our plan at this point, is heavy police presence, traffic enforcement, be visible," he said. The heightened police presence has already brought back positive returns, Venezio said. "I've had community members reach out about how much better it's been," he said. But to Joe Biby, who lives on First Avenue East, the ruckus has only gotten worse. He said that on April 25 — a Friday — he saw dramtically more cars than usual. "If traffic was stopped for a red light at [Main Street] and 11th Street, the trucks and cars were backed up to St. Matthew's school," he told the Inter Lake via email. "It's very much a carnival atmosphere, a combination of 'Mad Max Fury Road' and the film, 'American Graffiti,'" Biby said. While the act of aimlessly driving cars down a strip of road became popular in the 1950s, cruising was revitalized across the country during the Covid-19 pandemic, including locally. The organization Kruise Kalispell formed in April 2020 as a means of safely escaping isolation and parading cars. Kruise Kalispell, though, only organizes a few events a summer. The weekly cruises are largely unorganized and not associated with the group, according to Venezio. Downtown residents say that the cruising culture has changed over the years as it veers away from the family-friendly atmosphere. "That is an absolute joke," said downtown resident Teresa Narduzzi about the idea that cruising is family activity. "I wouldn't want my kids exposed to that." Narduzzi has lived on Second Avenue East since 1993, and cruising has kept her away from Main Street. "I don't go downtown at all anymore," she said. In the summer months Narduzzi said she can't leave her windows open because of the roar of car engines, which are audible until 1 a.m. She said that drivers speed down side streets as well, creating a racing circuit of sorts. The Police Department has placed an electronic speed radar sign near the intersection of First Avenue East and Eighth Street East, where Venezio said cruisers often turn around. "It has gone on for so many years now it is absolutely frustrating and maddening," Narduzzi said. She added that she has not seen a noticeable drop in disruption since more patrols were dispatched. "Some of us make a habit of leaving our homes on Friday evenings," Biby said. Not everyone is dissatisfied with the city's response to the cruises. A recent letter to the editor from several downtown residents thanked the Police Department for taking steps to enforce traffic laws downtown and for placing the electronic radar. THE ISSUE came before Kalispell City Council in October. While councilors mulled over potential regulations to limit the activity, cruisers, residents and businesses owners convened in City Hall to express both their support and frustration over cruising. Councilors ultimately decided against implementing any new rules, arguing that existing laws dictating noise and reckless driving could be enforced better. Councilors also suggested self-policing, asking that those cruising be respectful regarding noise and to follow traffic laws. Narduzzi saw the decision as a way of throwing the issue onto the Police Department without finding solutions to effectively enforce city code. "If you are going to make the rules, figure out how you are going to enforce them," she said. Chapter 17, section seven of Kalispell's municipal code states that "it shall be unlawful for any person to 'tune up' or 'race' the engine of any motor vehicle on any public highway in the city. The object of this provision is to prohibit loud or distressing noises." Municipal code also requires mufflers on cars to be "in constant operation and of sufficient size to prevent excessive and unusual noise." Cut-outs are also prohibited. But noise ordinances are hard to enforce, said Venezio, because finding the source of the ruckus among a sea of cars can prove difficult. The Police Department has been unable to divert more resources to quelling cruising in the past over staffing shortages. Last summer, staffing was down 40% "and we were just trying to get to where we could respond to calls," Venezio said. Now the department is almost fully staffed, having increased its ranks with four new patrol officers following a voter-approved public safety levy passed in March 2024. But some residents expressed concern that if further action isn't taken to punish disruptive cruisers, pedestrian accidents are bound to occur. Between 2018 and 2022, Main Street saw 258 motor vehicle crashes, First Avenue East saw 73 and First Avenue West saw 48, according to a study by Kittleson & Associates Inc. The corridor serves an average of 18,000 trips a day. "Someone's eventually going to get killed," Narduzzi warned. Reporter Jack Underhill can be reached at 758-4407 and junderhill@
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Yahoo
Whitefish schools locked down as man arrested nearby
Feb. 19—Whitefish schools were briefly locked down Wednesday afternoon while law enforcement officers took a man into custody at a residence near the high school. The "contain and teach" status was ordered at 12:45 p.m. and was lifted a few hours later, according to Whitefish Superintendent Dave Means. Video of the incident shared with the Inter Lake showed a man walking out of a home with his hands in the air as armed officers with a K-9 shouted commands. The man was hand-cuffed without incident.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Former Flathead County commissioner Bob Watne dies
Feb. 7—Former Flathead County Commissioner Bob Watne died Feb. 2 at the age of 75. Watne served two terms as commissioner from 1995 to 2006. Prior to running for elected office, he worked as a heavy-equipment operator with the county Road Department. The Republican grew up in the Flathead Valley, according to a 2000 article in the Inter Lake. Known as the quietest of the commissioners at the time, he said simply of his bid for reelection that "I've got to stay there to see the issues through." Watne died in Kalispell, according to a death notice. Commissioner Pam Holmquist on Thursday said he served the county well. "He was a great guy," Holmquist said. "He cared about the community." Watne and his wife Beth founded Montana Wild Wings Recovery Center in 2013. The nonprofit center is dedicated to helping wild birds of prey through rescue, rehabilitation and release, along with education. "He poured his heart and soul into designing and helping build the entire complex that makes up the center," Montana Wild Wings Recovery Center posted on its Facebook page. "Over the years, Beth and Bob have rescued, rehabilitated and released many birds. These outings never phased him, whether it involved getting into waders to rescue a bird from the river, running after them when they didn't really think they wanted to be caught or hanging out the door of a vehicle with a flashlight to find them in a ditch along the highway in the dark." Watne became an accomplished bird handler, taking pride in developing relationships with the more difficult birds, according to the post, and in handling birds he was "fearless." Watne was a graduate of Flathead High School and earned a degree in automotive sciences. He went on to take automotive jobs at local car dealerships and body shops before going into highway construction. He operated a cattle ranch and custom hay service from his Smith Valley property, but sold the land when he was elected, according to an Inter Lake article. His volunteer service included serving on the Smith Valley Fire Department board, Smith Valley school board, as a 4-H leader and member of the Montana Stockgrowers Association. His public service was not without controversy. In 2004, Watne was convicted of obstructing a police officer following a confrontation with a Flathead County Sheriff's deputy during a fire at his then fiancée's barn. He was also cited for driving under the influence in 2001 and 2002, with the second charge coming before he was sentenced for the first one. When Watne ran for his first term he did so billing himself as "not a politician" riding an anti-government platform into the commissioners' office. "I never thought I'd get into politics," Watne said in 2000. "It's an interesting career. You never quit learning." Deputy Editor Heidi Desch may be reached at 758-4421 or hdesch@
