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Daily Inter Lake - 01/19/2021 January 19, 2021 12:42 pm (GMT -7:00) Powered by TECNAVIA Daily Inter Lake TUESDAY JANUARY 19, 2021 $1.25 Serving the Flathead Valley since 1889 www.dailyinterlake.com THE WEST: Welcome parade for Wyoming COVID survivor A5 TWO CREW mem- bers with Olympus Technical Services begin to remove material atop the for- mer CHS grain ele- vators. The structure was recently paint- ed by local artist Thomas Valencia. WORKERS WITH Olympus Technical Services of Helena break up concrete and clear debris from the former CHS site along West Center Street in Kalispell on Friday, Jan. 15. The site, now owned by the Flathead County Economic Development Authority, is being cleared except for the six former grain elevators. The goal is to spur development along the future Kalispell Trail. (Casey Kreider photos/Daily Inter Lake) TRAIL CLEARING By HEIDI DESCH Whitefish Pilot The Stillwater State Forest located in the snowbelt of the Whitefish Mountain Range is a prime area for winter rec- reation, and forest managers Nicole Stickney, special uses program manager on the Stillwater, said recre- ation has increased from both commercial and general public winter use. “The trend over the last 10 years has been an i i ti ” h areas and in some cases fric- tion between different user groups, Stickney notes. In an effort to better understand these issues, the Stillwater is collecting data on winter recreation and has launched a survey focusing on winter ti one of the parking lots at a trailhead had 65 vehicles parked in it on one day and other vehicles were being forced to park on the road — but the goal is to figure out are there a lack of parking spaces or are peo- ple parking incorrectly thus causing a shortage of space. She said by learning more about what’s happen Stillwater Forest launches winter recreation survey Significant increase seen in commercial, public use PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Two days from the inauguration, President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris pitched in on Martin Luther King Jr. Day service projects as a militarized and jittery Washington prepared for a swearing-in that will play out under extraordinary security. Biden and his wife, Jill, joined an assembly line in the parking lot of Philabundance, an organization that distributes food to people in need, and helped fill about 150 boxes with fresh fruit and non-perishables. As Biden and Harris took breaks from their inaugural preparations to honor the civil rights hero Monday, outgoing President Donald Trump remained out of public view at the White House for the sixth straight day. In past years, Trump has marked the holiday with unannounced visits to the King memorial in Washington but no such outing was expected this year. Such a visit would have been complicated because Washington has become a fortress city of roadblocks and barricades before Wednesday’s inauguration as security officials work Biden takes break from inauguration preparations Rehearsals halted after small fire near site By CHAD SOKOL Daily Inter Lake An attorney for the Remington Bar in Whitefish has asked a judge to dismiss several claims in a law- suit filed by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services that sought to enforce former Gov. Steve Bullock’s mask- ing and social distancing mandates at five Flathead County businesses. meanwhile, has beefed up its legal team by hiring attorneys from the Missoula firm Boone Karlberg, and asked the judge to dismiss the busi- nesses’ counterclaims. In a motion for summa- ry judgment filed late last week in Flathead County District Court, attorney Connor Walker argued Bullock’s directive was unenforceable and state offi- cials failed to demonstrate that the Remington Bar’s activities were “injurious to the public health.” The motion notes that, as of a Nov. 12 court hearing, Flathead County health officials had not definitive- ly traced any coronavirus infections to gatherings inside the bar. “The nuisance is the virus, not Remington’s business operations,” the motion states. “Remington did not cause the pandemic, nor is there any factual sup- port for the assertion that Remington has contributed in any way to the virus’ spread.” While a statewide mask mandate remains in effect to slow the spread of COVID- 19, new Gov. Greg Gianforte last week rescinded other restrictions on businesses, including occupancy lim- its and mandatory closing times. Gianforte also has praised a bill that would shield businesses from legal liability related to coronavi- rus exposure as long as they comply with local, state and federal health requirements; the bill passed the state Senate on Monday. Bar asks judge to dismiss COVID claims See JUDGE, A6 Remington argues that Bullock directive was unenforceable By IRIS SAMUELS Associated Press/Report for America HELENA (AP) — The Montana House on Monday held a committee hearing on two bills that focus on transgender young people, echoing sim- ilar efforts underway in other states. One of the bills would prohibit doctors from providing transgender youth certain gender-related medical treatment. Another would bar trans students from participating on school sports teams of the gender with which they identify. Proponents said the bills would defend trans children from life-altering medical procedures they cannot fully consent to and protect the integrity of women’s sports. Opponents said the bill would harm the wellbeing of trans- gender youth. Jaime Gabrielli, a parent of a trans- gender 16-year-old son, told members of the House Judiciary Committee that the bill banning medical treatments for trans youth could extend the suf- fering of children like her son due to gender “I knew something was different regarding gender with him very early on,” Gabrielli said. “As he got older, I knew this was something more than I could explain by saying he’s a tomboy, or a girl who likes boy things.” Medical intervention for children like her son is “a planned, informed, thoughtful process,” she said, adding that having access to medical profes- sionals has allowed her son to thrive “because he is finally able to be who he is.” Transgender youth affected by two bills in the House MONTANA LEGISLATURE See YOUTH, A6