Judge, county superintendent file for re-election

Angela Brandt

Havre Daily News

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State District Judge David Rice and Shirley Isbell, Hill County superintendent of schools, have filed for re-election.

They join six other local incumbents who have filed for re-election, including the sheriff/coroner, a county commissioner, the clerk and recorder, justice of the peace, county attorney and county treasurer/assessor.

The deadline for filing is March 23. The primary will be held June 6 and the general election is Nov. 7.

Rice is the incumbent district judge in the state's 12th Judicial District, which includes Hill, Chouteau and Liberty counties. He served as deputy county attorney and county attorney for a total of 30 years before he was named by Gov. Judy Martz in August 2003 to succeed District Judge John Warner, who was appointed to the Montana Supreme Court.

Rice was elected to the office without opposition in 2004 to complete Warner's term. The nonpartisan position has a six-year term.

“I enjoy the work and hope to continue for another six years,” Rice said Monday.

Rice said that if he's re-elected he will “continue to try to handle the job efficiently.”

He said he is making extensive use of the judicial branch videoconferencing system, pressing for treatment of methamphetamine addiction, and encouraging his district's pro-bono program to provide legal services to low-income citizens with cooperation from the attorneys in the district. Rice is a member of the Montana Judges Association and attends the association's semiannual education seminars.

He said he is working on bringing a 28-session program to the district that works to improve the attitudes of inmates and people on probation and helps them become more respectful of the law and other people. He said the program is quite a bit cheaper than incarceration.

The judge's salary is $94,093.

Isbell has been Hill County superintendent of schools for about 20 years. The position has a four-year term.

Before taking on the role, Isbell was executive director of District IV Human Resources Development Council in Havre and director of the Northern Montana Head Start program.

The Hill County resident of 35 years said she is very pleased with the services that are in place for the county's students. Isbell said she is running for re-election to take care of “unfinished business.”

“There are issues that are in the works and need to be finished such as transportation, school funding, retirement, special education - a whole book load of them,” she said Monday.

Isbell said she is satisfied with the way the consolidation of Blue Sky and Kremlin-Gildford school districts has taken place.

She has 22 years of college education including master's degrees in elementary education, guidance and school leadership, and she is finishing a doctorate.

“I think my skills and training will allow me to continue to serve the community,” Isbell said.

The county superintendent position has a $35,979 salary.