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C-Falls to open city pool in mid-June

| June 1, 2020 1:00 AM

The city of Columbia Falls plans to open Pinewood Park pool June 15, though there will likely be some changes to ensure at least some social distancing at the facility due to coronavirus.

Phase II of the state’s reopening plan allows pools to open, but at a reduced capacity.

City Manager Susan Nicosia said the question is whether the pool will be capped at 50 swimmers at a time or 50 percent capacity.

At 50 percent capacity, the pool could accommodate about 113 swimmers. The most it had last summer, on the hottest day, was 83.

But if the capacity is capped at 50 people, then the city might have to turn away some swimmers. Whatever the case, the city is planning to not have the locker rooms open, though it will add an outdoor shower and folks who need to change children can use the family bathroom. The chemicals in the pool kill coronavirus.

As far as toys, kids will have to bring their own and the city will probably go to a punch pass so staff don’t have to carry cash.

— Hungry Horse News

Officials with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office announced via social media the safe return of three missing hikers in the early morning hours of May 26.

Lisa Hunt and her two children were found after a search of the Ross Creek Cedars area that involved sheriff’s deputies, David Thompson Search and Rescue and Two Bear Air, authorities said.

The family was reported missing about 7:22 p.m. May 25 after they failed to meet up with Hunt’s father, according to the sheriff’s incident log. Local authorities did not respond to multiple requests for comment regarding the incident.

Per the incident log, the older man arrived at the preplanned meeting point and found Hunt’s vehicle. But she and the children were nowhere to be found.

Two Bear Air and David Thompson Search and Rescue were called in to aid the search about 8:29 p.m. Inclement weather ultimately prevented Two Bear Air from flying, though officials with the organization pledged to take flight as soon as conditions improved. Search and rescue teams, meanwhile, used dogs to search the area.

Details of the family’s rescue were not immediately available. The announcement posted on Facebook only said the trio was found safely.

—The Western News

The Polson Police Department is asking residents to register their surveillance cameras.

According to a news release from the department, it recently launched a voluntary surveillance camera registration program.

“Often our officers conduct neighborhood canvasses in an effort to identify all the involved individuals in an incident,” Police Chief Wade Nash wrote in a Facebook post. “This often includes locating and collecting video surveillance footage. Videos are terrific evidence that aids in building criminal cases.”

“We are the first tier in the criminal justice system and we place the utmost pride in presenting the prosecutors’ office with the best cases that we can. Video surveillance helps to strengthen our cases by aiding in the identification of individuals and perhaps even capturing the criminal act.”

The department is asking all businesses and citizens to register their surveillance system with it. There is no cost.

“By register we mean just let us know you have a camera at your address and how to get into contact with you,” Nash said. “We are not asking to “tap into” or “remotely use” your system.

Department officers won’t be able to monitor what the camera sees and it is not asking for passwords or direct access to your system.

“We are only asking to let us know you have a camera so if a crime occurs in or around your neighborhood, we make sure to speak with you in an effort to see if your cameras recorded anything useful to the investigation. We would like to continue strengthening our bond with the community we serve; together we can make a positive difference for Polson.”

According to the department, it will need the following information, contact name, phone number, email, address of business or residence and number of cameras. Those with RING doorbells are also encouraged to register their devices.

For people interested in registering their devices, they can go online and complete the short form, come to City Hall at 106 1st Street East, Polson, call the department at 406-883-8211 and having an officer take the information over the phone or by calling 406-883-7301, to have an officer come speak with you in person.

— Lake County Leader

For the second time since the COVID-19 outbreak, the Community Foundation for a Better Bigfork has voted to forgive rent due from the Bigfork Art and Cultural Center. The community foundation is a nonprofit organization that supports a number of local projects, among them the maintenance of the BACC building. The organization opted to forgive rent, in the amount of $425 per month, for March through May and agreed to a second request for the months of June, July and August during its May 21 meeting. BACC board member Andrea Goff said the cultural center was hoping to be open within the next month or so and was “sort of limping along in terms of finances and payroll.” The cultural center has been closed since March 18.

Goff did point out a few bright spots despite the current challenges, including that the BACC raised $5,000 in the Whitefish Community Foundation’s Day of Giving campaign, which was organized to help raise funds for nonprofits affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Not having to pay rent will be a great help in sustaining the center’s payroll and operational expenses and Goff had requested the foundation waive BACC’s rent through May 2021. But the foundation wasn’t comfortable writing off that expense for such an extended period of time without further evaluation. Bigfork Area Chamber of Commerce board member Tara Allen suggested a shorter interval.

Alternatively, she suggested the foundation forgive rent for another three months, from June through August, with a plan to reevaluate the situation at their August meeting, which passed unanimously.

—Bigfork Eagle