Grizzly Bear Attack Investigation, School Levy Fallout & West Glacier Work Camp

On this episode of News Now from the Daily Inter Lake, host Taylor Inman breaks down the biggest headlines impacting Northwest Montana. 

A deadly suspected grizzly bear attack in Glacier National Park is raising new questions after search crews discovered bear spray near the scene where a Florida hiker was found dead on the Mount Brown Trail. Meanwhile, schools across the Flathead Valley are preparing for staffing cuts, program reductions and larger class sizes after voters rejected multiple school levies in Tuesday’s election. Plus, a controversial 137-worker housing camp near West Glacier survives a legal appeal despite concerns from residents about traffic, wildlife and the future of their historic community.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 1:24

Hello and welcome to News Now. I'm your host, Taylor Edman. We're going over the week's biggest headlines for Northwest Montana. Search crews found a can of bear spray near where a Florida man was killed in an apparent bear attack in Glacier National Park earlier this month. The suspected attack near Mount Brown, which left 33-year-old Anthony Polio dead, remains under investigation, according to Glacier National Park officials. Officials are still determining whether the bear spray belonged to Polio and the circumstances surrounding its use, according to spokesperson Autumn C. Fuentes. Search and rescue crews discovered Polio's body, which displayed wounds consistent with the bear encounter, about 50 feet off the Mount Brown Trail, after he went missing while hiking on May 3rd. Evidence at the scene points to a surprise encounter, according to C Fuentes. Polio's father, Arthur Polio, told several Florida news outlets that the coroner's report suggested his son encountered a grizzly bear while hiking the Mount Brown Trail on May 3rd. He believes Polio deployed a can of bear spray during the encounter as officials indicated to him that the area was very odorous when Polio's remains were discovered days later. C Fuentes said that the species of bear involved in the encounter remains undetermined. There have been ten other fatal bear attacks in Glacier National Park since 1967, all involving grizzly bears. The latest fatality occurred in 1998 when a lone hiker encountered a female grizzly bear and two yearlings on the Scenic Point Trail in the Two Medicine Valley. Park officials have historically killed bears suspected of being involved in fatal encounters with humans unless the encounter is deemed a defensive response. C Fuentes did not respond to a question about whether officials intended to kill the bear involved in the encounter with polio. The park has received no reports this season of bears exhibiting unusual behavior, though C Fuentes noted that bear activity tends to increase going into the summer. She suggested that park visitors continue to follow typical bear safety precautions, including hiking in groups, making noise, properly securing food and garbage, and carrying bear spray. The sperry trailhead remains closed as officials monitor bears in the area. C Fuentes said that there is no estimated time frame for the trail's reopening. Staffing and programming cuts are on the horizon for several schools in the county after voters rejected all school levy issues in Tuesday's election. Preliminary results tallied by the Flathead County Election Department are unofficial until canvassed by the respective school boards. Cowspell voters rejected a$1.1 million general fund levy for the elementary district by a$3,485 to$4,036 vote. Money raised by the elementary general fund levy was intended to cover a projected budget deficit and allow the district's six elementary schools to maintain staffing levels and cover the daily expenses of operating the schools. Without it, there will likely be more cuts, according to district officials. Callspell Superintendent Matt Jensen said while this is difficult and disappointing news, the levy campaign was focused on keeping up with inflationary costs and maintaining strong classroom experiences that they currently have in place. He said while this outcome is not what they hoped for, they remain committed to their students and proud of the work happening in their schools. Jensen pointed to the results as a reflection of how Montana schools are funded by the state. He said the results, quote, reflect the ongoing challenges of the current school funding system in Montana, which relies on regular local support simply to maintain the status quo. Regardless of the election outcome, I'm grateful for the parents and community partners who stepped forward to advocate for our schools. Their willingness to share the great things happening in our classrooms, to have conversations with neighbors, and to support our work in meaningful ways continues to matter. End quote. Cayuse Prairie, Fairmont Egan, and Deer Park schools also had general fund levies on their respective ballots. Fairmont Egan schools also asked for the approval of a technology levy. As schools struggle to keep up with inflationary costs, Cayuse Prairie Superintendent Amy Piazzola understood that voters too may also be facing financial hardships in the current economy. Cayuse Prairie School District voters defeated a$300,000 general fund levy issue by 412 to 648 vote margin. The school had intended to use money generated by the levy to hire staff, retain positions, fund salary increases, and maintain current student programs. Without the levy, the school plans to make cuts, including a Title I position that funded reading and math interventions, in addition to a part-time horticulture director position, according to Biazola. She said there may be an avenue to move the horticulture position into an elective, which she learned about recently from the Office of Public Instruction. Fairmont Egan voters defeated a$250,000 technology levy by a vote of$216 to$315, and an over$140,000 general fund levy by a$212 to$339 vote margin. As a result, Fairmont Egan Superintendent Tina Blair said that programming will be adjusted to reflect current funding levels. In Deer Park, there were 132 votes for and 221 votes against a$110,000 general levy due to a decreasing budget. As a result, the district will look at staff reductions, which can mean larger class sizes, and making cuts or implementing fees for its athletic and before and after care program. Helena Flats School District sought voter permission to purchase property located across from the school and the means to buy it through a 10-year building reserve levy. The land acquisition issue was too close to call with 265 voters for the purchase and 263 against. Flathead County Election Administrator Paula Buff said provisional ballots will be counted and resolved Monday. Even if the land acquisition issue is approved, the school does not have the funding mechanism to purchase land following the defeat of a 672,000 building reserve levy by a 237 to 303 vote. The Flathead County Board of Adjustment unanimously denied an appeal on May 5th brought by a group of West Glacier residents over the labeling of a work camp near their homes as a minor land use. Seven Glacier Avenue property owners filed the appeal with the county on March 25th, challenging planning director Eric Mack's label of a proposed work camp as a minor land use. Located west of Glacier Drive at 100 REA Road, the work camp will house 137 employees in three dormitories, 11 cabins, and 19 RV spaces. The property owners argued that a complex of this magnitude warranted higher scrutiny as a major land use, since there is no public hearing in the review process for minor land use applications. They highlighted concerns of traffic congestions on river road bends, strained public services and impacts on privacy, wildlife mitigation, and the overall character of the historic neighborhood. West Glacier resident Margaret Nye Peters said that the workforce housing will have a major, not minor impact on the history and character of their quaint rural community. Work camps are listed as a minor land use under the Canyon Area Land Use Regulatory System, and Mac said he is bound by what is defined in zoning policy. He said there is nothing in the definition of work camps to depict when a certain number of employees warrant major land use review. There are also no guidelines on work camps in the Flathead County zoning regulation. Mack said he's not stretching any definition or any regulations. Discussions around the appeal, however, stirred speculation among board members about the adequacy of current zoning regulations. Board member Daniel Marginau said he understood the rules, but added that he didn't believe what they were approving was, quote, wholly adequate. The board agreed with the disgruntled property owners that zoning regulations around work camps are inadequate. Board member Roger Noble said he was troubled by the fact that a 137 employee work camp passed as a minor land use without any input from the public. Chair Calvin Dyek echoed this sentiment, but added that the county is bound by its own policies. He said they can't function as a judicial board, and if they changed policy there, it would open the county to the possibility of a lawsuit. Thanks for joining us. News Now is a podcast from the Daily Interlake. We're proud to be the largest independent newsroom in Montana and the longest continuously published newspaper in the region. Today's story is written by Daily Interlake reporters Hilary Matheson, Haley Smalley and Hannah Shields, and Lake County News editor Christy Niemeyer. You can read the full versions at dailyinterlake.com. And if you haven't already, subscribe to our YouTube channel to never miss an episode of the Pod. Everybody stay safe and have a great week.