8 March 2016

Late Tuesday briefs

I spent the day on foot prowling around northwest Kalispell, taking photographs, especially of the construction activity on the bypass route. Below, an excavator loads trucks.

More filings for Flathead legislative districts:

Republican Jack Kearns of Whitefish filed for House District 5 today. He’ll face teenager Chet Billi in the GOP primary. Thus far, only David Fern has filed for the Democratic primary. HD-5 leans Democratic.

George Dickenson of Bigfork filed for the Democratic primary in House District 10. Incumbent Mark Noland (R-Bigfork) faces Laura Hartland of Bigfork in the GOP primary. Hartlands email handle is “Ateen4christ,” so it’s possible there’ll be a holy war in Bigfork’s elephant land. To say the district leans Republican is to say a tree lying on the ground is leaning.

Democrat Rolf Harmsen of Polson filed for Senate District 6, which extends north to south Kalispell. Incumbent Sen. Janna Taylor (R-Dayton) is retiring. Rep. Albert Olszewski, MD, currently representing House District 11, has filed for the GOP primary in SD-6. Former Sen. Carmine Mowbray expressed an interest in running again, filing a C-1 late last year, but so far she hasn’t filed for the office, and I’m beginning to suspect she might not. This district is so red that a fluorescent fire engine pales by comparison.