Sept. 1 - Sept. 7, 2023
Philipsburg Volunteer Fire Department, along with the Granite County Sheriff’s Office was on the scene of a gas leak off North Holland Street in Philipsburg, after a line was hit and emitting fumes while broadband fiber lines were being installed.
Deputies set their sites on police academy
By Philipsburg Mail staff
With their first summer in law enforcement behind them, Granite County Sheriff’s Office deputies Marlena Weber and Bryce Parret prepare for the academy this fall and winter. Contributor Kirk Boxleitner spoke to the new recruits, ahead of their next adventure.
By Kirk Boxleitner
Even before she became one of the more recently sworn-in deputies of the Granite County Sheriff’s Office in June of this year - and the first female with a badge in the county since Clarice McDonald briefly replaced her husband, Angus McDonald as sheriff in 1942 when he went off to World War II - Marlena Weber was always interested in law enforcement.
But then again, she’s maintained a number of interests and vocations over the course of her 28 years.
Weber attended the University of Montana Western in Dillon, where studied anthropology and sociology, and her jobs have included working as a sales representative for a cosmetics company, all while she’s volunteered as part of church groups and social services organizations such as Abilitree, the latter based in her former home state of Oregon.
“I worked with a number of developmentally delayed adults and children, helping to meet their needs,” Weber said. “And it might sound silly, but selling cosmetics helped me learn a little something about getting to know people. Yes, I was selling them things, but I became genuinely interested in them and their lives.”
Weber had also volunteered with law enforcement, educating herself about the system by doing ride-alongs with law enforcement agents, but it wasn’t until 2018 that her interest in the law and protecting the public was particularly piqued.
“I was the victim of a crime,” said Weber, who elaborated that she experienced a “domestic incident” that painfully personalized the process for her. “I was really hurt. I was fighting for my life. But I was able to work through law enforcement, and through the courts, to see justice done. And it made me want to help other people, especially if they’re facing bad situations in their own lives.”
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Gas leak halts fiber placement
By Philipsburg Mail Staff
Emergency services were called to a block of North Holland Street in Philipsburg on Tuesday afternoon, after utility workers struck a gas line while installing fiber lines - an illustration of some of the difficulties Blackfoot Communications is working through while pushing for a fall finish for at least a portion of the $76 million project to bring fiber-based broadband to rural Montana, which will include Granite, Ravalli, Sanders and Missoula counties.
Blackfoot Communications spokesperson Chris Laslovich had been updating Granite County Commissioners on their progress that morning, when the incident occurred. Philipsburg Volunteer Fire Service attended the scene, as Granite County Sheriff’s Office deputies moved through the neighborhood, advising residents of the incident and recommending that residents on lower North Holland leave their homes if they could smell gas. Later in the afternoon, Northwest Energy also went door to door to about 12 houses to offer to relight pilot lights after the gas line was turned back on, once they had repaired the line.
Laslovich stated that after looking into the reason the line was hit, it had appeared that the line had not been “located” by a contracted mapping service.
“Prior to construction, Blackfoot Communications contracts for locating services to identify underground utilities (e.g. gas, water, sewer),” Laslovich stated. “Our contractor was plowing in an area thought to be free of any utilities based on the locating mapping we had received.”
No injuries were reported.
A few hours before Laslovich had been informing commissioners that as of this week, about 60 miles of fiber had been installed, working on two separate pathways from Marshall Creek, to Rock Creek and Moose Lake, before connecting with the Skalkaho, as well as the town of Philipsburg.
“Town has been difficult,” Laslovich said, adding that progress had been slower than anticipated, while navigating septic, gas and water lines as well as rocky ground. While Marshall Creek would likely be completed by the end of the year, the plan was now to get as far as possible before the ground froze and then resume work in the spring, with a goal of a 2024 finish. The town of Drummond was also due to begin fiber line installation next year.
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Management of Bowles Creek Fire still under scrutiny; commissioners vote to keep Stage 1 restrictions in place for now
By Philipsburg Mail Staff
Granite County Commissioners voted in favor of keeping current Stage 1 Fire Restrictions in place for Granite County until at least after Labor Day Weekend at last Tuesday’s regular meeting, ahead of a debate on fire management around the Bowles Creek Fire which had leapt 40 % to 6,847 acres by that morning, six weeks after the lightning-caused blaze broke out on July 20, about 27 miles southwest of Philipsburg.
“Rain has made an impact, but it has not put it out,” noted Ben Krupski of the Nevada Team 3 Incident Command, which took over the management of the fire last week. It remained at 20% contained, with 167 personnel, five engines, two helicopters and four hand crews as of that morning.
Commissioner Charles Hinkle, who had been critical of fire management in previous discussions at commissioner meetings, again expressed frustration that the fire was being allowed to burn for so long, along with defensive fires that were also being set to manage the fire area. This was creating an air quality hazard as well as burning prime hunting areas.
“It’s polluting the atmosphere,” Hinkle said, adding that the reason for not sending personnel in - terrain that was too steep and hazardous - was “an old cliche.”
“I fought fires in the north Cascades,” Hinkle said. “Now that was steep.”
He said as a resident with an allergy to smoke, he was especially empathetic to others who were also suffering from the poor air quality.
“I was in total misery last week - and how many other people are like this?”
Krupski agreed with Hinkle that the best solution would be to contact Congress directly to discuss the legislative policy that covered designated wilderness study areas, which is what the burn area falls into. “You are correct in engaging your congressman on this.”
Granite County Attorney Blaine Bradshaw said that many people in Granite County shared Hinkle’s opinion of how the Bowles Creek Fire was being handled.
“The federal government is cracking down on carbon - but the smoke around here is way worse than anything that is coming from cars,” Bradshaw said. “It’s a joke.”
He also disagreed with the current management decision to allow the fire to get as close as it was to Hwy. 38 - Skalkaho Pass - that week. “That’s a serious safety risk.”
When asked by Hinkle if there were going to be any more fires lit to offset the blaze, Krupski said there were no current plans to light any more fires in Granite County.
Want to read the full story?
Click SUBSCRIBE at the top of this page.
Deputies set their sites on police academy
By Philipsburg Mail staff
With their first summer in law enforcement behind them, Granite County Sheriff’s Office deputies Marlena Weber and Bryce Parret prepare for the academy this fall and winter. Contributor Kirk Boxleitner spoke to the new recruits, ahead of their next adventure.
By Kirk Boxleitner
Even before she became one of the more recently sworn-in deputies of the Granite County Sheriff’s Office in June of this year - and the first female with a badge in the county since Clarice McDonald briefly replaced her husband, Angus McDonald as sheriff in 1942 when he went off to World War II - Marlena Weber was always interested in law enforcement.
But then again, she’s maintained a number of interests and vocations over the course of her 28 years.
Weber attended the University of Montana Western in Dillon, where studied anthropology and sociology, and her jobs have included working as a sales representative for a cosmetics company, all while she’s volunteered as part of church groups and social services organizations such as Abilitree, the latter based in her former home state of Oregon.
“I worked with a number of developmentally delayed adults and children, helping to meet their needs,” Weber said. “And it might sound silly, but selling cosmetics helped me learn a little something about getting to know people. Yes, I was selling them things, but I became genuinely interested in them and their lives.”
Weber had also volunteered with law enforcement, educating herself about the system by doing ride-alongs with law enforcement agents, but it wasn’t until 2018 that her interest in the law and protecting the public was particularly piqued.
“I was the victim of a crime,” said Weber, who elaborated that she experienced a “domestic incident” that painfully personalized the process for her. “I was really hurt. I was fighting for my life. But I was able to work through law enforcement, and through the courts, to see justice done. And it made me want to help other people, especially if they’re facing bad situations in their own lives.”
Want to read the full story?
Click SUBSCRIBE at the top of this page.
Gas leak halts fiber placement
By Philipsburg Mail Staff
Emergency services were called to a block of North Holland Street in Philipsburg on Tuesday afternoon, after utility workers struck a gas line while installing fiber lines - an illustration of some of the difficulties Blackfoot Communications is working through while pushing for a fall finish for at least a portion of the $76 million project to bring fiber-based broadband to rural Montana, which will include Granite, Ravalli, Sanders and Missoula counties.
Blackfoot Communications spokesperson Chris Laslovich had been updating Granite County Commissioners on their progress that morning, when the incident occurred. Philipsburg Volunteer Fire Service attended the scene, as Granite County Sheriff’s Office deputies moved through the neighborhood, advising residents of the incident and recommending that residents on lower North Holland leave their homes if they could smell gas. Later in the afternoon, Northwest Energy also went door to door to about 12 houses to offer to relight pilot lights after the gas line was turned back on, once they had repaired the line.
Laslovich stated that after looking into the reason the line was hit, it had appeared that the line had not been “located” by a contracted mapping service.
“Prior to construction, Blackfoot Communications contracts for locating services to identify underground utilities (e.g. gas, water, sewer),” Laslovich stated. “Our contractor was plowing in an area thought to be free of any utilities based on the locating mapping we had received.”
No injuries were reported.
A few hours before Laslovich had been informing commissioners that as of this week, about 60 miles of fiber had been installed, working on two separate pathways from Marshall Creek, to Rock Creek and Moose Lake, before connecting with the Skalkaho, as well as the town of Philipsburg.
“Town has been difficult,” Laslovich said, adding that progress had been slower than anticipated, while navigating septic, gas and water lines as well as rocky ground. While Marshall Creek would likely be completed by the end of the year, the plan was now to get as far as possible before the ground froze and then resume work in the spring, with a goal of a 2024 finish. The town of Drummond was also due to begin fiber line installation next year.
Want to read the full story?
Click SUBSCRIBE at the top of this page.
Management of Bowles Creek Fire still under scrutiny; commissioners vote to keep Stage 1 restrictions in place for now
By Philipsburg Mail Staff
Granite County Commissioners voted in favor of keeping current Stage 1 Fire Restrictions in place for Granite County until at least after Labor Day Weekend at last Tuesday’s regular meeting, ahead of a debate on fire management around the Bowles Creek Fire which had leapt 40 % to 6,847 acres by that morning, six weeks after the lightning-caused blaze broke out on July 20, about 27 miles southwest of Philipsburg.
“Rain has made an impact, but it has not put it out,” noted Ben Krupski of the Nevada Team 3 Incident Command, which took over the management of the fire last week. It remained at 20% contained, with 167 personnel, five engines, two helicopters and four hand crews as of that morning.
Commissioner Charles Hinkle, who had been critical of fire management in previous discussions at commissioner meetings, again expressed frustration that the fire was being allowed to burn for so long, along with defensive fires that were also being set to manage the fire area. This was creating an air quality hazard as well as burning prime hunting areas.
“It’s polluting the atmosphere,” Hinkle said, adding that the reason for not sending personnel in - terrain that was too steep and hazardous - was “an old cliche.”
“I fought fires in the north Cascades,” Hinkle said. “Now that was steep.”
He said as a resident with an allergy to smoke, he was especially empathetic to others who were also suffering from the poor air quality.
“I was in total misery last week - and how many other people are like this?”
Krupski agreed with Hinkle that the best solution would be to contact Congress directly to discuss the legislative policy that covered designated wilderness study areas, which is what the burn area falls into. “You are correct in engaging your congressman on this.”
Granite County Attorney Blaine Bradshaw said that many people in Granite County shared Hinkle’s opinion of how the Bowles Creek Fire was being handled.
“The federal government is cracking down on carbon - but the smoke around here is way worse than anything that is coming from cars,” Bradshaw said. “It’s a joke.”
He also disagreed with the current management decision to allow the fire to get as close as it was to Hwy. 38 - Skalkaho Pass - that week. “That’s a serious safety risk.”
When asked by Hinkle if there were going to be any more fires lit to offset the blaze, Krupski said there were no current plans to light any more fires in Granite County.
Want to read the full story?
Click SUBSCRIBE at the top of this page.
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