Great Falls In Top 3 MT Cities For Fentanyl Trafficking According To U.S. Attorney

From KTVQ in Billings last week:

“Billings, Helena and Great Falls are top hotspots for drug trafficking of fentanyl, while Missoula falls in fourth, U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana Jesse Laslovich said Monday at a public forum.”
U.S. Attorney: Billings, Helena, Great Falls top cities for fentanyl (ktvq.com)

Great Falls appears to be the hub for drug trafficking on area Indian reservations, “…Great Falls traffickers are going to Blackfeet, Fort Belknap, and Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservations, Laslovich said.”

In addition, according to the New York Times:

“Nearly 110,000 people died last year of drug overdoses in the United States, according to preliminary federal data published on Wednesday, a staggering figure that nonetheless represented a plateau after two years of sharp increases.

The preliminary count of 109,680 overdose deaths was only slightly higher than the figure for 2021, when 109,179 people were estimated to have died, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Overdose deaths had climbed significantly that year and the prior year, increasing by roughly 17 percent in 2021 and 30 percent in 2020.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/17/us/politics/drug-overdose-deaths.html

Great Falls Police Standoff, Politics, And Property Values

Our weekly feature highlighting a few of the latest and most interesting local and national news items from various sources.

Monica Tranel wants to ‘run it back’ vs. Rep. Zinke, from Montana Public Radio:
https://www.mtpr.org/montana-news/2023-07-10/monica-tranel-joins-montanas-western-district-congressional-race

Montana Department of Revenue holds public meetings on property valuations, from KRTV:
https://www.krtv.com/neighborhood-news/great-falls-cascade-county/great-falls-forum-provides-information-about-spike-in-property-valuations

Man charged in recent standoff with GFPD, from Local ABC FOX:
https://www.montanarightnow.com/great-falls/great-falls-standoff-suspect-charged-with-felony-robbery/article_5f4a396a-1d00-11ee-944e-5b3b03ba3bc9.html

Raided Gun Shop Holds Rally Saturday

Highwood Creek Outfitters is hosting a rally to show support for Second Amendment rights this Saturday, July 1st at 10:00 AM.

The gun shop has attracted a lot of local and even national news coverage over the past week or so due to a warrant served and store records confiscated by armed IRS/ATF agents in mid June.

Here is part of the alert on HCO’s Facebook page:

“PATRIOTS ARISE! PATRIOT RALLY July 1st starting at 10 am at Highwood Creek Outfitters.
205 9th Ave S. Great Falls, MT 59405″

GF House Fire Set Intentionally, Sheehy Challenges Tester, Kalispell Homeless Man Murdered

Our weekly feature highlighting a few of the latest and most interesting local and national news items from various sources.

Great Falls officials suspect arson in house fire, from KRTV:
https://www.krtv.com/news/crime-and-courts/gffr-house-fire-in-great-falls-was-intentionally-set

Tim Sheehy enters Montana Senate race, from the Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/06/27/tim-sheehy-montana-senate-tester/

Homeless Man Murdered, from the Flathead Beacon:
https://flatheadbeacon.com/2023/06/27/kalispell-teen-charged-in-homeless-mans-murder-as-nonprofit-leaders-urge-compassion/

Letter To The Editor: Firearm Stability Stocks

Editors note: the opinions expressed in “Letters to the Editor” do not necessarily reflect the opinions of E-City Beat, our volunteer staff, or contributors. All letters to the editor are welcome and will be considered for publication. Please include your name and city of residence to ectitybeat@straymoose.com.

Hello E-City Beat – 

I am reaching out because several months ago the Cascade County Libertarian Party sent out letters to all Montana and US Representatives who represent citizens of Great Falls. In this we also included Sheriff Slaughter. This letter was in regard to ATFs new ruling on stability stocks (See link here). As concerned citizens we have not received any response from our representatives on the concerns listed in these letters. This is especially concerning as we have recently heard about ATF and IRS involvement at  Highwood Creek Outfitters (KMON Facebook post), without much additional information.

We would like more attention brought to this issue, and the fact that local representatives only have something to say when a newsworthy event happens, instead of addressing constituents’ concerns when vocalized. Would you be able to include this letter as a “Letter to the Editor”?

Please reach out if you have any questions.

Best,
Tony

Tony Rosales, PhD
Medical Director, 21GRAMS
Chair, Cascade County Libertarian Party
(406) 217 1905

Monitor Says Merchant Election ‘Ran Smoothly’, GFPD Officer Assaults Up 133%, IRS Raids Great Falls Gun Shop

Our weekly feature highlighting a few of the latest and most interesting local and national news items from various sources.

“I would say that election day ran smoothly with some minor office adjustments that could be taken under advisement,” Election Monitor Lynn DeRoche said in her final review submitted to District Court. – From the Great Falls Tribune:
greatfallstribune.com/story/news/politics/elections/2023/06/09/montana-great-falls-public-library-mill-levy-election-report/70307958007/?fbclid=IwAR2Kt2VHhk7DIEc_YORoBl5ieqzB1wTnKZWKK3sBuKfNHZFyVJGUzoGHyQ8

Assault on Great Falls police officers jumps 133% since 2018, from ABC MontanaRightNow:
https://www.montanarightnow.com/great-falls/assault-on-great-falls-police-officers-jumps-133-since-2018/article_a3c2e608-095c-11ee-ae67-23aef1296769.html

Local gun shop raided by feds, from KMON:
https://560kmon.com/great-falls-gun-shop-owner-feels-he-was-raped-by-the-federal-government/

Letter To The Editor: Know What You’re Voting On

Editors note: the opinions expressed in “Letters to the Editor” do not necessarily reflect the opinions of E-City Beat, our volunteer staff, or contributors. All letters to the editor are welcome and will be considered for publication. Please include your name and city of residence to ectitybeat@straymoose.com.

In regards to all the levies that have been asked for over, let’s say, as long as recent memory can remember. In reviewing the results, at least two things about the voting public is consistent.

Let’s start with the 20 year bond passed in 2016. Then all the other levies since then. It is apparent through this reporter’s observations and with collaboration from sampling the public, here is what is known.

1) Two classes of voters that either don’t read the full text and do due diligence on the matter combine with older voters who don’t care. Why not care? The older class sees either a 10 year, 20 year, or in the most recent case, a permanent tax as being no bother to them, as they are likely not to have to worry about it much longer. The other class? Those first time voters who have been taught (or choose another word and fill in the blank) that the government can better spend our money than we can. Hold this thought- more on that later.

2) Then there are the voters who just simply say yes for anything and everything because they feel it the right thing to do, without any regard for the “down the road” consequences. Again, they can fit in the above mentioned voting public.

Okay, so let’s get some of you educated out there that may not have been taught to be an informed and educated properly.

The late great President Ronald Reagan said the 9 most feared words in the English language are, “I’m from the government and I’m here to help”. A levy is an act to impose a tax or fine. Who asks for these? More often than not, it is a government agency or entity. That includes any body, building, or entity controlled by and/or run by a government agency.

Back to two things, if you learn nothing else from this letter. If the government can spend our money better than us, why are we, the United States $30,000.000.000,000 (30 Trillion, with a “T”) dollars in debt? We are supposed to live within our means, but does the government. I say not due to the above debt. That means $95,043 for every person living in the U.S. 66% more than the combined consumer debt of every household. 

So when a levy is passed, and permanent, that means this is passed down and on to people who have not voted for this, people who will when old enough, have this added to them, people who may not have been born yet, and, as they say “kick the can down to road”. 

At least those of us who understand, did our research can take solace in that we did our part to save things. If the future is those who vote as previous generations have, as we hear in some situations, God help us all.

Jimmy
Great Falls

Great Falls Town Hall Meeting, Library Levy Passes, Child Hit By Car In GF, And More

Our weekly feature highlighting a few of the latest and most interesting local and national news items from various sources.

Public safety town hall meeting at the Civic Center Wednesday, June 14.
(2) It’s been more than 50… – City of Great Falls – Local Government | Facebook

Great Falls Public Library levy passes by 619 votes, from KRTV:
https://www.krtv.com/news/great-falls-news/reactions-to-great-falls-public-library-mill-levy-vote

Child run over by car at Great Falls ballpark, from ABC Fox Montana:
https://www.montanarightnow.com/great-falls/child-run-over-at-centene-stadium-in-great-falls/article_87bb668c-0539-11ee-93d6-5fb0c5ee1cea.html

Cascade County Jail mugshots, from KMON:https://560kmon.com/the-latest-cascade-county-jail-mugshots-and-they-all-have-one-thing-in-common/

95% Of ‘YES For Library’ Funds Spent Out Of State – 80% Raised From 2 Donors

Follow The Money

According to the latest financial report filed with the Montana Office of Political Practices the Great Falls ‘Vote YES For Libraries’ campaign committee has raised $119,350.65 so far.

$95,000 of that total amount came from two donors:

$55,000 from Brandon Olds, Great Falls – RIGHT OF WAY SUPERVISOR STATE OF MT HIGHWAY DEPT

$40,000 from Douglas Little, Great Falls – SELF EMPLOYED

Of the $119,350.65 raised so far, 95%, $108,685 has gone to an out-of-state political consulting and campaign media strategy company called Cerillion N4 Partners in Seattle, Washington.

You can look up all of the campaign contribution and expenditure data here.

Great Falls Woman Stabbed To Death, Drag Queens For Children Nixed, And More

Our weekly feature highlighting a few of the latest and most interesting local and national news items from various sources.

Sheriff’s Office identifies murder victim in Great Falls, from KRTV:
https://www.krtv.com/news/crime-and-courts/great-falls-homicide-victim-has-been-identified

Gianforte signs Drag Queen story hour for kids ban, from the Cleveland Plain Dealer:
https://www.cleveland.com/nation/2023/05/new-montana-law-makes-it-illegal-for-people-in-drag-to-read-to-children-first-law-of-its-kind-in-us.html

Great Falls school district certifies election results, from The Electric:
GFPS certifies election results, expresses concern with the process | The Electric (theelectricgf.com)

Man drowns at Sluice Boxes, from ABC Fox Local:
https://www.montanarightnow.com/great-falls/one-dead-one-still-missing-in-sluice-boxes-state-park/article_868e593c-f8ef-11ed-a916-f3f16b93d419.html