Let's hope bypass starts in south
While we applaud the state Department of Transportation for its willingness to "let the community" decide which phase of the U.S. 93 bypass to build first, we're not convinced the process has been very helpful to meeting that goal.
The state originally decided to rely on the Technical Advisory Board's advice about how to phase in construction of the bypass using available funds. Maps and sketches were printed, hearings were held, and decisions were made - sort of.
The Techical Advisory Committee, based on a numerical weighting system for various factors, recommended building the north half of the bypass first, and doing the south half when funds became available later.
That however proved to be an unpopular decision with both the city of Kalispell and downtown business owners, and the City Council and county commissioners both urged the state to build the south half first in order to create a real bypass, even if it was one that didn't quite get anywhere.
This week, the state said that if the Technical Advisory Committee didn't object, then the south half would be built first. We hope that is the case.
There's something satisfying about seeing a bad guy caught, isn't there?
Last week, the Flathead County Sheriff's Office arrested a 15-year-old boy who admitting vandalizing headstones at Conrad Memorial Cemetery.
He and others allegedly caused an estimated $7,000 worth of damage to monuments, some more than 100 years old. It wasn't a lark. It took some effort to knock down the heavy granite markers in one of the most senseless acts of vandalism reported this year.
Volunteers and local businesses cleaned up the mess and righted the monuments. Sheriff's detectives did their work and arrested Kyle Trottier of Kalispell for felony criminal mischief. More arrests may be coming.
It was two civilians who nabbed a man last week who fled from a head-on accident on U.S. 93 north of Kalispell.
They saw William Sandel run from the wreckage and chased him down in a subdivision, where they held him until sheriff's deputies arrived. Sandel was charged with leaving the scene of an injury accident and other vehicle violations.
No one was seriously hurt in the accident, but there has been a rash of hit-and-run accidents lately. Kudos to the two men who saw something wrong and took action.
The annual United Way fundraising campaign is gearing up, with early fundraising alreadyunder way at Pacesetter companies and organizations that get a jump-start on donations.
The public campaign targeted to raise more than $900,000 kicks off Oct. 4 and runs through Dec. 31. We urge everyone to be generous in supporting the campaign that raises money for United Way and its 26 member agencies in Flathead County.