The year in review: 2018

The past 12 months were filled with local news, some happy, some distressing, ranging from politics to helping people in need, from trying to find why indigenous women are so much more likely to be murdered or to disappear to having a legendary actor put on a show on the Hi-Line.

And, once again, weather filled many of the headlines.

Following a year in 2017 in which dry conditions led to national-level fires in the area then a record-setting devastating blizzard at the start of October, the region at about Christmas time settled into a winter the likes of which had not been seen in years. While Havre just missed setting a new record for total snowfall - less than an inch short of the 93.4 inches that fell in 1981 - it set many other records and was named by Weather Channel as the city with the worst winter in the United States.

Then the snow started to melt. The region was inundated with floodwater, with valleys and fields on the prairie underwater and communities putting up sandbags to hold out water that had no place to go. That led to the area receiving its fourth federal disaster declaration for flooding in less than a decade.

Once the floodwater receded, the area then went into a dry spell, with far-below the normal precipitation for May, June and July.

Then that was followed by a fairly wet fall - though not enough to make up the moisture deficit.

Even with the high snowfall and snowpack last winter, and the flooding in April, the region is short on moisture. Havre as of Dec. 30 had received .18 inches of precipitation for December, with the norm for Dec. 30 .39 inches. That left Havre with a total for the year-to-date of 9.87 inches of precipitation, short of the normal amount of 11.19 inches. Forecasters are predicting an El Niño to continue for the next few months, with higher-than-normal temperatures and about-normal levels of precipitation.

That - and U.S. trade policy - has led to a topsy-turvy year for local agricultural producers, as well.

After dealing with the severe winter, farmers and ranchers then had to deal with the flooding, although it dried up quickly enough that most were able to get crops in ahead of U.S. Department of Agriculture deadlines. Some local farmers were expressing optimism in the early summer.

But the dry weather followed by the wet fall led to another issue. Many producers held back planting winter wheat due to the dry soil, and after the precipitation fell were unable to get out to plant that crop. Local acreage of winter wheat is down, with Farm Service Agency estimating Hill County, for example, has about 25 percent less acreage planted to the crop compared to last year.

While some producers were saying the winter wheat that was planted early was looking fairly good, concern about the dry weather in the last two months was, again, raising concerns.

Politics enters the picture

And politics was also getting involved in agriculture, with producers showing some concern about trade tariffs that President Donald Trump had put in place. That was having an impact, some local producers as well as economic experts said, although some raised hopes that the trade truce put in place this month with China might help.

And the rowdy mid-term elections also hit this area, including a battle between President Donald Trump and Big Sandy-area farmer U.S. Sen. Jon Tester-D-Mont., who was seeking his third term.

The campaigning started early, with Republican candidates including state Auditor Matt Rosendale, who won the Republican primary in the race, coming up to Havre and the Hi-Line.

But the race got national attention once Tester released information from people saying Trump's nominee for Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Adm. Ronny Jackson, was a poor choice. Jackson ended up withdrawing and Trump vowed Tester would regret his actions.

Trump came to Montana a record four times, including to Great Falls, campaigning against Tester.

Havre also saw some of the action, with Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., campaigning in Havre against Tester.

That campaigning came to naught in the Senate race, with Tester winning a third term. Some have speculated that the high-profile race did bring out more Republicans than otherwise might have voted and impacted other races.

In other races, the Public Service Commission race got hot and heated, with Republicans Randy Pinocci and Rob Cook trading heated rhetoric at times. Pinocci defeated Cook and the other Republican candidate, Mark Wicks of Inverness, and then defeating Democratic candidate Doug Kaercher of Havre in the general election.

In the legislative races, incumbent Republican Sen. Russ Tempel of Chester withstood a primary challenge from Havre businessman Brad Lotton, then defeated Democrat Paul Tuss of Havre to hold onto his seat.

Democratic Rep. Jacob Bachmeier of Havre also withstood a challenge from Havre Libertarian Conor Burns and from former state legislator Bob Sivertsen of Havre, who ran as an independentent.

Rep. Jonathan Windy Boy, D-Box Elder, withstood a challenge from former Rep. G. Bruce Meyers, R-Box Elder, and Republican Joshua Kassmier defeated Democrat Dan Nelson, both of Fort Benton, for the House Seat formerly held by Jim O'Hara, who lost his bid to go back to the Chouteau County Commission.

In county races, Karen Alley won the primary to become Hill County Attorney, defeating Randy Randolph to take the place of Jessica Cole-Hodgkinson, who did not run for re-election. Justice of the Peace Audrey Barger held off a challenge from Bruce Grant, as did Democratic Treasurer Sandy Brown, who defeated Republican challenger Penny Hadford, and Democratic Hill County Commissioner Mark Peterson, who defeated independent challenger Dale Hansonl.

In Blaine County, Sheriff's Lt.  John Colby, a Democrat, defeated Republican Undersheriff Frank Billmayer in the race to take the place of retiring Sheriff Glenn Heustis, while Republican Miles Hutton of Turner defeated Harlem Mayor and former state Sen. Ken "Kim" Hansen, a Democrat, in the race for Blaine County Commissioner. State District Judge Yvonne Laird won a close race against her challenger, Peter Helland.

Other contested races in the area were decided in the primaries, with Chouteau County Commissioner Robert Pasha defeating O'Hara in the Republican primary for that race, and in Liberty County Republican primary, challenger Davin Buffington unseated Angel Colbry for clerk and recorder, while incumbent Treasurer/Assessor Denise Wanken fended off challenger Rachelle Fenger.

School shooting threats

While no shootings occurred in this area, local schools have been roiled by threats of violence.

Last winter, both Havre High School and Havre Middle School raised security, with the middle school temporarily evacuated, after threats of violence were found on bathroom walls.

The district held meetings with the public in the fall to discuss what it has in place to deal with threats and acts of violence, meetings which then were followed by another threat found in the Havre High School upstairs boys bathroom.

All of those threats were determined to be non-credible, as was a threat found in North Star High School in Rudyard.

But then a threat found at Havre High in November raised a new level of security, with the school shut down for a day, in lockdown for another and having a closed campus for several weeks.

While security had been lessened, the nature of the threat had the school go back to a closed campus again the last week of school before Christmas break

Another threat, which was deemed non-credible, also was found at Sunnyside Intermediate School this month.

Former county attorney found in contempt

In another issue, a county attorney who had faced complaints almost from when she took office not only resigned but also was found in contempt and sentenced by a judge in whose court some of those complaints had arisen.

Jessica Cole-Hodgkinson, who was appointed Hill County attorney in November 2016, resigned in July while facing contempt hearings in both Hill County Justice of the Peace Audrey Barger's court and state District Judge Dan Boucher's court.

Boucher canceled the hearing in his court after Cole-Hodkginson supplied him with the paperwork he had schedule the hearing about, but Barger held her hearing and found Cole-Hodkinson in contempt in three cases for not appearing in court or finding an attorney who could represent the state.

Barger sentenced Cole-Hodgkinson to six days of house arrest, fined her $1,500 and banned her from practicing in Hill County Justice Court for one year.

Cole-Hodgkinson asked Boucher to review and overturn Barger's findings, but Boucher upheld them instead.

Alley was appointed to take the position.

Businesses leave and come in

It was a bad year in Havre for chain stores, but despite losing three community anchors local business was also growing, with economists saying that reflected a changing world economy.

Herberger's, Kmart and the local Sears outlet all closed over the summer, leaving major gaps in retail.

But new businesses also were opening in Havre, with others expanding or moving into larger locations.

Havre businesses reported having a fairly good holiday season.

Experts said the chain store closures, which were made at the corporate level, really didn't reflect the local economy and were caused by a shift in business models caused in part by internet shopping, in which small, local stores still could compete while it was more difficult for large chains.

Amtrak pulls ticket agents

In another reflection of modern economic models, the Amtrak stations in Havre and Shelby lost their ticket agents.

Despite extensive complaints by local residents - and members of Montana's congressional delegation - the national passenger rail service still pulled the agents, saying in an effort to save taxpayer money it would require people to use the automated telephone or internet service to buy tickets in advance.

Fair has ups and downs

The Great Northern Fairgrounds had a difficult year that seemed to end well, saying in January it was over budget and scrambling to find ways to pay for operations. That included in March laying off the fairgrounds manager - the fourth in three years, who had been hired less than a year earlier.

People started volunteering to help with the grounds and to put on the fair. Fundraisers were held and a new parking fee charged to help with expenses. In the end, the 2018 fair was held, generally to praise by fairgoers.

Voters also approved a request by the fair board in November to implement a county tax to help with capital expenses at the fairgrounds.

It also saw the culmination of years of work by Hill County 4-H with the opening of the new top-of-the-line 4-H Chuckwagon the fairgrounds.

Asner comes to Havre

The year also saw a legendary Hollywood figure come to the Hi-Line.

Ed Asner, who has "Mary Tyler Moore," "Lou Grant," "Elf" and Disney-Pixar's "Up" among his many acting credits, acted in "God Help Us" in October in Havre along with Montana Actors' Theatre's Jay Pyette and Kate Hagen.