A new tool to fight domestic violence

Kalispell will have some solid resources in preventing and monitoring domestic abuse, beginning in October.

The city and The Violence Free Crisis Line will receive a $390,000 federal grant to form a team of professionals on domestic violence.

The money will be used for a prosecutor and a police detective who will work exclusively for the team. It will also fund a part-time victim-witness advocate who guides victims through the process and a compliance officer who makes sure that people who are convicted of domestic violence are abiding by the terms of their sentences.

It's a serious commitment to a serious problem.

Janet Cahill of the Violence Free Crisis Line points out that domestic violence has killed women in the Flathead Valley.

Police and the non-profit crisis line have done a good job on prevention and education so far. The grant will help them build on that.

-We were happy to see that the Forest Service decided to extend the comment period for the proposed new long-range forest plans for the Flathead, Lolo and Bitterroot forests.

A surprisingly small number of comments had been received so far, and the Aug. 7 deadline was rapidly approaching. It makes sense to take a little more time and give everyone fair warning that the chance to comment on these important plans will soon be gone.

What with summer vacations, forest fires and the doldrums of July and August, it's easy to see why people weren't staying up late to pore over the forest plan proposals. But now there is an extra month, and we trust that will be adequate to get everyone up to speed.

Information on the plans is available at www.fs.fed.us/r1/wmpz

-Starting this morning, a welcome layer of black asphalt will start unrolling on Kalispell's North Meridian Road.

The first segment of paving begins today on the stretch in front of the Flathead County Fairgrounds; paving is scheduled to continue through next week until the entire stretch between U.S. 93 and U.S. 2 has its first layer of asphalt.

The paving project is welcome news, not just to the businesses along Meridian that have felt the brunt of the road project, but also for all those planning to attend the Northwest Montana Fair in just two weeks.

A paved Meridian Road will make everybody happy.