E-City Beat has confirmed that the two largest contributions to the ‘Vote YES for Libraries’ committee, which advocated in favor of the Great Falls Public Library levy in 2023, appear to have come in equal amounts from the spouses/partners of Susan McIntyre, the Library Director, and Whitney Olson, the Chair of the library board. According…
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…
Opinion by Jeni Dodd There are a number of folks out there claiming that the Library Foundation, not the taxpayers, are paying for the library levy election. Not true — Great Falls taxpayers ARE footing the bill for this special election. I suspect the misconception stems from Library Director McIntyre stating that the library is…
Over the past week I have been contacted and asked by several Great Falls citizens whether or not the Great Falls Public Library is planning to host and sponsor events for ‘Pride Month’ this June, as they have in the past. E-City Beat published a blog post last Thursday raising a similar question and as…
First, some people recognize June as ‘Pride Month’. Second, Governor Gianforte signed a bill banning ‘drag queens’ from reading to kids in libraries and some other public spaces. Third, the Great Falls Public Library is asking voters for over $1,000,000 more per year to expand their programs. The conjunction of these three events raises the…
Opinion by Jeni Dodd A policy change enacted last fall at the Great Falls Public Library thathas implications for the parental rights of minor library patrons seems tohave flown under the radar for many Great Falls parents. The library evidently had a policy in place until September 2022 thatthose under the age of 18 required…
There has been a near frantic effort in Great Falls by a small group of locals to not only delegitimatize the upcoming Great Falls Public Library mil levy election but to smear the duly elected Cascade County Elections administrator, Sandra Merchant. There are a few facts which some local media outlets don’t seem to be…
Our weekly feature highlighting a few of the latest and most interesting local and national news items from various sources. A deceased 29 year old man found outside in downtown Great Falls, from KRTV:https://www.krtv.com/news/great-falls-news/mans-body-found-in-downtown-great-falls Man arrested for Great Falls stabbing last week, from FOX NonStop Local:https://www.montanarightnow.com/great-falls/man-in-stable-condition-after-stabbing-wednesday-night-in-great-falls/article_dc325e0c-e53e-11ed-8a2b-f3072cfe9c91.html Great Falls Public Library threatens to take legal action against…
After a failed attempt by Cascade County Democrat officials, Jasmine Taylor (former/current precinct chair) and Helena Lovick (Vice Chair of the Cascade County Democratic Central Committee) to silence free speech in Great Falls, a local group opposed to the upcoming mil levy for the Great Falls Public Library, ‘Liberty and Values MT’, successfully amended their…
The cover photo for this post was sent to E-City Beat earlier today. As of this afternoon the ‘Liberty & Values MT’ group responsible for the Great Falls billboard was not found on the campaign electronic reporting search page. ‘Vote Yes For Libraries’, a Great Falls ballot issue committee campaigning in favor of a Great…