E-City Beat⩗

22/07/2024

"First, can the City reduce spending? The answer is, yes of course it can.

But the better question is this: Can the City reduce spending and continue to maintain the level of public safety, public services, and public amenities that citizens require and expect?"

Lat week the Great Falls City Commission passed the City's Fiscal Year 2025 budget. You can view the budget details here. This year's budget included a marginal tax increase for local property owners - $2.25 per month for a $300,000 home. I've received several general questions about how our b

15/07/2024

"Dawn is here again. Let us reunite. Now." - Melania Trump

Editors note: Here is full text of the letter Melania Trump wrote to America the day after her husband, former President Donald Trump, survived an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania. Melania TrumpJuly 14, 2024 I am thinking of you, now, my fellow Americans. We have always been a

10/07/2024

News briefs.

Jon Tester told Montana voters in 2023 that Joe Biden was “absolutely 100% with it” - then came the presidential debate in June...and vodka-cran for Senator Tester, from the Daily Caller:https://dailycaller.com/2024/07/10/jon-tester-joe-biden-bistro-cacao-vodka-cranberry MT Secretary of State

08/07/2024

Here are two press releases from Great Falls Fire Rescue outlining some of the activity during the Independence Day holiday in Great Falls.

Here are two press releases from Great Falls Fire Rescue outlining some of the activity during the Independence Day holiday in Great Falls.

24/06/2024

"Presumably Toole doesn’t allow his grandson to read his wtf406 blog because the f-bombs there are prolific. Apparently, the bloggers at wtf406 think that cursing on their blog makes them cool and more believable as “activists”. Here are a few examples:"

Ken Toole, writer and co-founder of the local kooky, far left Democrat wtf406 blog wins "Local Hypocrite of the Year" - hands down. In his recent rant on wtf406 Toole plops out his phony angst over his 11 year old grandson seeing a "F*** Biden" sign on a pickup truck at an area boat ramp. Let'

19/06/2024

This week's news briefs.

A Great Falls teenager is still missing as the search resumes north of Shelby, from NonStop Local:https://www.montanarightnow.com/great-falls/search-continues-for-missing-teen-in-shelby-after-weather-turned-on-lake-elwell/article_2b97e122-2c12-11ef-bb55-fba4de8dbfe7.html Long-awaited ribbon cutti

11/06/2024

"Despite what some of the loudest most obnoxious local voices would have you believe, the overwhelming majority of folks in this community are not bigots, homophobes, racists or haters.

I’ve always known the people of Great Falls to be good, kindhearted, give-you-the-shirt-off-their-back kind of folks who couldn’t care less about who you love or the color of your skin."

In light of some of the recent chatter around town I thought this would be a good time to offer my own opinion on the character of my hometown. I grew up in Great Falls in the 1960's and 1970's. I raised my own two daughters here and helped to get a couple of my grandkids started right here in th

30/05/2024

Dumpster diving for reading material?

I posted this today on my personal page regarding a picture making the rounds on social media: "I've had several folks bring this to my attention today. A couple of dumpsters full of books behind a public library is a head scratcher for sure."I've had several folks bring this to my atten

29/05/2024

More local voter info.

Editors note: All of the local Great Falls/Cascade County legislative and county commission contests in the June 4 primary election are Republican. HD21 candidate James Osterman did not submit a profile to E-City Beat. Here is the profile submitted by incumbent Ed Buttrey, unedited: Personal Bio:

29/05/2024

Local voter information.

Editors note: All of the local Great Falls/Cascade County legislative and county commission contests in the June 4 primary election are Republican. HD22 candidate James Whitaker did not submit a profile to E-City Beat. Here is the profile submitted by incumbent George Nikolakakos, unedited: Name:

23/05/2024

Local candidate profile.

Editors note: All of the local Great Falls/Cascade County legislative and county commission contests in the June 4 primary election are Republican. SD13 candidate Josh Kassmier did not submit a profile to E-City Beat. Here is the profile submitted by Lola Galloway, unedited: What issues seem most

23/05/2024

Local candidate profile.

Editors note: All of the local Great Falls/Cascade County legislative and county commission contests in the June 4 primary election are Republican. Cascade County Commission incumbent Rae Grulkoski did not submit a profile to E-City Beat. Here is the profile submitted by challenger Eric Hinebauch, u

16/05/2024

Local voter information.

Editors note: All of the local Great Falls/Cascade County legislative and county commission contests in the June 4 primary election are Republican. Here are the profiles submitted by the candidates in House District 20, Steven Galloway and Melissa Nikolakakos, unedited: Steven Galloway I a

09/05/2024

This weeks news bites.

Incumbent GFPS trustee Marlee Sunchild beats challengers to retains her seat on the school board, from KRTV:GFPS School Board Election Results (krtv.com) Democrat blog WTF406 urges Cascade County/Great Falls Democrat voters to vote for Republicans in the upcoming primary, from WTF406:Vote In

02/05/2024

"Sunchild’s newly discovered ethical oversight is a concern for anyone committed to the highest standard on our school board. Great Falls deserves better." - Tony Rosales

Editors note: (Photo -Marlee Sunchild and Tony Rosales) GFPS School Board candidate Tony Rosales recently took to Facebook and issued a press release (see below) claiming a conflict of interest on the part of school board incumbent candidate Marlee Sunchild. The press release doesn’t necessarily r...

29/04/2024

All GOP candidates in local primary.

All of the local Great Falls/Cascade County legislative and county commission candidates appearing on the upcoming June 4 primary election ballot will be Republicans. Today E-City Beat sent an email to all of those candidates requesting a candidate profile and their reasons for seeking office. We

24/04/2024

"It is shocking, and frankly sad, that anybody would attack a local family-owned business based on weak political attacks and motives. To Leatherbarrow’s knowledge, Taylor lacks any true understanding of the relationship between Go & Grow and GFPS."

Editors note: The following is a press release sent out by the Cascade County Libertarian Party. The press release doesn’t necessarily reflect the opinion of E-City Beat or any of our contributors and it is not a campaign endorsement for Tony Rosales. Leatherbarrow Invites Taylor for an Honest Co

22/04/2024

Candidate profile.

Editors note: Earlier this month E-City Beat sent an email to the three GFPS School Board candidates requesting a candidate profile and their reasons for seeking the position of School Board Trustee. We will publish the replies without edits or editorial comment as we receive them. Tony Rosales

22/04/2024

"Local government can help shape the regulatory, development, and tax environment to a certain degree, but beyond that it’s up to what the marketplace will support."

“Oh no! Another new casino in Great Falls!”. Sorry, but that complaint is kind of misleading, because gaming licenses are tied to liquor/alcohol licenses which are controlled by the state and apportioned to communities according to population. Think Whack-a-Mole. One has to close before anothe

08/04/2024

"This situation illustrates the critical need for more assertive leadership from the school board. To rebuild trust within the community, we urge the school board to take immediate and transparent action by..."

Editors note: The following press release was received by E-City Beat Monday morning. We are publishing it without edits or editorial comment. The press release doesn't necessarily reflect the opinion of E-City Beat or any of our contributors and it is not a campaign endorsement for Tony Rosales.

03/04/2024

"The three candidates are Rodney Meyers, Marlee Sunchild, and Tony Rosales. The election will be Tuesday, May 7, 2024."

Today E-City Beat sent an email to the three GFPS School Board candidates requesting a candidate profile and their reasons for seeking the position of School Board Trustee. We will publish their responses without edits or editorial comment towards the end of April. The three candidates are Rodney

28/03/2024

"It may come as a surprise to some folks but there are a significant number of Great Fallsians who don’t want our city to grow at all, they’re happy with things exactly as they are here in the Electric City."

It's time to update our Growth Policy, Great Falls. It may come as a surprise to some folks but there are a significant number of Great Fallsians who don't want our city to grow at all, they're happy with things exactly as they are here in the Electric City. I get it. Take a look at Bozeman an

21/03/2024

News briefs.

Our regular feature highlighting a few of the latest and most interesting local and national news items from various sources. Three Great Falls Libertarian state House candidates, Rosales, Leatherbarrow, Sui, disqualified from ballot, from MTPR:https://www.mtpr.org/montana-news/2024-03-21/12-

11/03/2024

"According to a court filing submitted Wednesday, Lynn DeRoche, who worked alongside Moore for 16 years and for current Clerk and Recorder Sandra Merchant for about a month last year, gave Merchant faulty advice around procedures for sending out ballots in an irrigation district election.”

Here's a excerpt from the article written by Daily Montanan reporter Nicole Girten and posted last week. "Plaintiffs in a case against the Cascade County Elections Office over its handling of a May 2023 election alleged the office knowingly went against state statute – and fault included ousted C

01/03/2024

"Taylor appears to do little to no research or fact checking. Her latest error — incorrectly identifying a new hire at the elections office as Beth Cummings and tying this person, who isn’t Cummings, to one of her Election Protection Committee conspiratorial narratives."

Editors note, the following is an opinion piece by Jeni Dodd. Jasmine Taylor of the blog WTF 406 apparently has issues with the facts. Taylor opined that E-City Beat✓’s recent article, "Library Director And Library Board Chair Spouses/Partners Donated $130,000 To Levy Campaign Committee", was an

26/02/2024

This weeks news roundup.

Our regular feature highlighting a few of the latest and most interesting local and national news items from various sources. CCSO Deputy wounded, man killed in shoot out west of Great Falls, from KRTV:https://www.krtv.com/neighborhood-news/great-falls-cascade-county/man-dead-after-shooting-a

14/02/2024

"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."

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,

14/02/2024

Heads up!

05/02/2024

"The candidates are Terry Thompson, Nancy Donovan, Lynn DeRoche and Rina Fontana-Moore."

Cascade County Commissioners will conduct interviews on Tuesday with four candidates for election administrator, a newly-created county position. The candidates are Terry Thompson, Nancy Donovan, Lynn DeRoche and Rina Fontana-Moore. Details of the meeting, including a Zoom link, are found at: https:

29/01/2024

"...The Great Falls Public Library is no exception to this push toward woke agendas. The latest examples were on display at the January 23 library board meeting. One agenda item proposed by Library Director Suzie McIntyre, was a change to the library’s Code of Ethics, adding the following language from the American Library Association.

“We affirm the inherent dignity and rights of every person. We work to recognize and dismantle systemic and individual biases; to confront inequity and oppression; to enhance diversity and inclusion; and to advance racial and social justice in our libraries,
communities, profession, and associations through awareness, advocacy, education, collaboration, services, and allocation of resources and spaces.“..."

Opinion by Jeni Dodd I grew up experiencing a local library as an enchanting place to discover literature, gatherinformation and explore ideas. A place for informing and educating but also a placewhere parents could be assured that their children were safe in that exploration —physically, mentall