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Covering the Bitterroot Valley – “Where Montana Begins!”
’ ! l a c o L t at
June 29th, 2019
s e B e h T ‘ June 28th & 29th!
Volume XXXIV, Number 49
Better than mice
Established 1985 - Locally owned & independent
Wednesday, June 26, 2019
Former Stevi clerk offers to settle complaint for $500k
By Michael Howell
Dr. Cathryn Haigh at Rocky Mountain Laboratory holds a flask containing “mini-brains” up to the light for a better look. Using these cerebral organoids, or min-brains, a team of scientists has demonstrated that a prion disease, in this case sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) can be transmitted to the mini-brain. It is hoped that scientists will be able to use this human organoid model to evaluate potential therapeutics for CJD and provide greater detail about human prion disease subtypes than the rodent and nonhuman primate models currently in use.
Last Friday the Town of Stevensville received a letter from attorney Nathan Wagner, of Datsopoulos, MacDonald & Lind representing former Stevensville Town Clerk Audree Tribbensee, offering to settle Tribbensee’s complaints about bullying and harassment and her subsequent “constructive discharge” for the sum of $500,000. The offer is being made prior to filing any charges and will remain open for 21 days at which time it will be withdrawn. After outlining Tribbensee’s work experience, the letter notes that upon being hired as Stevensville Town Clerk, “the work environment became hostile almost immediately. The behavior exhibited by the Town Council can only be described as severe, degrading bullying.” Tribbensee first addressed the council about it on August 13, 2018. There are audio recordings
of two council members (Stacie Barker and Bob Michalson) acknowledging the hostile work environment. As time went on the work environment became more and more miserable, the letter claims. The attacks on Tribbensee and the Mayor of Stevensville were so intimidating, it states, that after three months she filed a formal grievance with the town. An independent investigation was conducted by a thirdparty investigator and a final determination was issued which sustained the contents of the grievance, according to Tribbensee’s attorney. He quotes from the report, “The communication situation in the Stevensville town government could reasonably be characterized as a situation so intolerable that a reasonable person could not be expected to endure it. If one or more individuals on staff decides to leave the Town and sue for con-
structive discharge, the Town is likely to face significant liability. This intolerable situation must be recognized by both the Council and Mayor to improve their communications with one another and with staff.” Rather than improve the situation, the attorney claims, the town retaliated against her, “even going so far as to say that they could fire her because of her grievances, filing grievances against her, and calling 911 and filing a report against her in retaliation. Council President Michalson, she claims, ‘even accused her of official misconduct, obstruction, and breach of office - all of which were unfounded and fabricated allegations’.” “As was foreshadowed by the investigator’s findings in this matter, Ms. Tribbensee has a textbook claim for constructive discharge under the Wrongful
application verbally during the meeting. Without any interview, the council voted unanimously against appointing Vick. On Monday, June 17, Crews emailed Mayor Dewey stating, “after careful deliberation I hereby accept the appointment made IAW 7-4-4112 of the Montana Code with the understanding that it expires upon the election of a candidate in the next election. Please advise as to the swearing in date and time. I have a fairly busy summer schedule so prompt action would be appreciated. I request that Judge O’Connor perform the swearing in.” Dewey emailed Crews the next day, stating that the lawfulness of his appointment had come under question, specifically the adequacy of the public notice, and the question had been referred to
the Town’s attorney. “Until the Administration is convinced that the appointment took place in a manner that satisfies the public’s right to know, and provide input on the action, we will be taking no further action on Council’s decision,” he wrote. Town Attorney Brian West said that he was researching the question and would respond that day and stated, “As clarification, I would note that there is zero concern about Mr. Crew’s ability to serve. Second, the Council can suspend its own rules - which have traditionally provided the process for appointment of a vacancy - and did so. The state and local laws do not dictate an exact process to follow (example requiring interviews, etc…) and so with rules suspended a motion to appoint a
See COMPLAINT, page 3
Stevi mayor vetoes council Scientists develop ‘mini-brain’ appointment for Ward 2 model of human prion disease By Michael Howell
National Institutes of Health scientists have used human skin cells to create what they believe is the first cerebral organoid system, or “minibrain,” for studying sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). CJD is a fatal neurodegenerative brain disease of humans believed to be caused by infectious prion protein. It affects about one in one million people. The researchers, from NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), hope
the human organoid model will enable them to evaluate potential therapeutics for CJD and provide greater detail about human prion disease subtypes than the rodent and nonhuman primate models currently in use. Human cerebral organoids are small balls of human brain cells ranging in size from a poppy seed to a small pea. Their organization, structure, and electrical signaling are similar to brain tissue. Because these cerebral organoids can survive in a controlled environment for months, nervous system diseases can be
studied over time. Cerebral organoids have been used as models to study Zika virus infection, Alzheimer’s disease, and Down syndrome. In a new study published in Acta Neuropathologica Communications, scientists at NIAID’s Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Hamilton discovered how to infect five-month-old cerebral organoids with prions using samples from two patients who died of two different CJD subtypes, MV1 and MV2. In an
See MINI-BRAIN, page 3
By Michael Howell
At a press conference on Friday, Stevensville Mayor Brandon Dewey issued a veto of the Town Council’s recent resolution appointing Jim Crews to fill the vacant Ward 2 council seat. The mayor cites potential violations of the public’s right to know and the right to participate in public decisions as his primary concern. The Town Council suspended its rules at a meeting on June 13 and appointed Jim Crews to the Ward 2 position on the council left vacant by Jerry Phillips’ resignation. At a previous meeting on May 23, the council considered two applicants for the position, Crews and Dempsey Vick. Crews, who drew some strong public comments in opposition to his appointment primarily related to bullying, withdrew his
See VETO, page 3
Water use restrictions invoked in Stevi after well failure
Brightfield microscope image of a cerebral organoid during development, showing highly structured regions forming. Photo credit: NIAID.
Last Thursday, June 20, the Town of Stevensville implemented water conservation practices due to the failure of a well pump in the Town’s well field adjacent to the Twin Creeks neighborhood. Public Works Director George Thomas reported that the pump failure was due to sand in the well. A separate well had failed a second time nearly a year ago because of the same problem and is still not operational at this time. Five total wells supply the Town of Stevensville with its drinking water. Those wells have
varying abilities regarding flow rates. With two of the Town’s five wells out of service in a highdemand season, residents on the Town’s water system are being urged to suspend all lawn irrigation, turn off automatic systems, and refrain from hose watering. Citizens are being asked to shorten shower times and be mindful of water usage when bathing and to suspend all recreational water uses, including the filling of swimming pools and using sprinklers. According to Mayor Brandon Dewey, a new pump will be installed in the higher production
Welcome to Stevensville
well by this coming Thursday, at which time the water use restrictions will be lifted. The Town is implementing the restrictions in order to maintain adequate water storage in case of a fire or other equipment failure. All irrigation that is fed by the municipal water system has been shut off until water conservation is no longer needed. Engineers and specialists are working with the Public Works Department to evaluate the sand issues in the well field and provide See WATER, page 3
Western Heritage Day Saturday, June 29th