HANNAH SHIELDS
RURAL GOVERNMENT REPORTER, REPORT FOR AMERICA
Hannah Shields covers rural government and accountability reporting for the Daily Inter Lake and Northwest Montana weekly papers as part of the national Report for America program. Her reporting focuses on transparency, public spending and the impact of local government decisions on small communities. Shields has covered issues ranging from school district finances to development disputes and rural infrastructure projects. She regularly uses public records and investigative reporting to examine institutions that affect local residents. Her work helps bring greater oversight and visibility to rural government across Northwest Montana.
IMPACT: Hannah’s work strengthens transparency and accountability in rural communities that often lack consistent watchdog coverage.
Recent Stories
Flathead County examines creating independent Elections Department
Elections administrator is one of five hats Clerk and Recorder Debbie Pierson wears as the county clerk and recorder, an elected position she's held for more than a decade. But the Elections Department has rapidly grown in its complexity in recent years.
Lakeside zoning change discussion heads to work session
Existing district zoning regulations have befuddled planners and developers alike for more than a decade, according to county Planning and Zoning Director Erik Mack.
Ryan Hunter elected as Kalispell's next mayor, Flathead County jail bond passes
Ryan Hunter is the next mayor of Kalispell.
Future of St. Regis hydrogen facility shrouded in uncertainty
The future of a hydrogen production facility in St. Regis is uncertain after the Trump administration canceled nearly $8 billion in clean energy funding in October.
Judge denies request to temporarily stop Lakeside wastewater project
Flathead County District Court Judge Danni Coffman, in a decision issued on Oct. 17, denied a request to temporarily stop the first phase of the project while the lawsuit makes its way through court.
Election Day is here, and it's not too late to cast a vote
The Flathead County Election Office is opening its doors at 7 a.m. on Election Day, Nov. 4, and voters have until 8 p.m. to turn in ballots.
Damming evidence: Citizen scientists track beavers through Lolo National Forest
Beavers are an excellent tool in water storage, something Montana wildlife researchers have taken great interest in, when it comes to repairing water systems.
Officials urge voters to turn in ballots as Election Day nears
Flathead County voters must remember to include their year of birth on their ballots as they prepare to cast their vote by Election Day.
Inside Flathead County Jail: The crisis behind the $105 million bond
As Flathead County voters weigh a $105 million bond to build a new detention facility, the Daily Inter Lake goes behind bars for an unfiltered look at the conditions facing inmates and officers alike.
Stakeholders given look inside new Flathead Valley Reentry Center
Staff at the Flathead Valley Reentry Center are wrapping up training as the facility prepares to accept its first residential inmates on Oct. 27.
Flathead County Planning Board split on amendment to allow indoor marijuana growth in business zones
Marijuana business owners want to cultivate their product in business zones, where dispensing is permitted, but the Flathead County Planning Board was mixed on the proposal.
A journey to sobriety leads to a lifetime of helping others
Recovering from a drug addiction isn’t a question of willpower.
Behind locked doors: Dangerous working conditions, flooding sewage water, power failures
For almost two decades, the Flathead County Detention Center has dealt with overcrowding, unsafe working conditions and limited space for inmates with mental health needs.
Trustees vote to hand off investigation into former Hot Springs School District employee to law enforcement
The Hot Springs School District Board of Trustees unanimously voted Wednesday to hand over the investigation into a school employee accused of embezzling funds to law enforcement.
Mineral County deputy sheriffs, detention officers to form a union
Mineral County Sheriff’s Office employees are seeking to form a union nearly a decade after the last one disbanded.
West Valley property owners seek zoning change in anticipation of future development
In anticipation of Kalispell’s continued growth, West Valley property owners are looking to shape future residential development on several pieces of land by easing agriculture zoning restrictions.
Flathead County Search and Rescue celebrates 75 years and countless missions
In 1947, then Flathead County Sheriff Dick Walsh gathered a group of ragtag volunteers and created the Flathead Rescue and Life Saving Association.
Valley Neighbors challenges new immigration enforcement law
Immigration advocates are challenging the constitutionality of new state law that allows police officers to check an individual’s immigration status during traffic stops, arguing that it violates protections from unreasonable search and seizure.
Audit shows Hot Springs school employee overpaid herself, made personal purchases with district credit card
An audit of a Hot Springs School District employee found they made unauthorized personal purchases using public funds and overpaid themselves using thousands of dollars in grant money.
String of blazes near railroad leave Sanders County residents smoldering with suspicion
To this day, locals are convinced it was ignited by a railcar passing over the tracks that cut through Sanders County.
Lawsuit claims county failed to take public comment on Steamboat Landing subdivision
The Steamboat Landing subdivision is a large-scale housing development project proposed by Somers Project, LLC and Somers Property, LLC. The project anticipates the construction of 180 single-family homes and 72 condo units on the 64-acre property.
New prerelease center in Evergreen targeted to open at end of October
The Flathead Valley Reentry Center aims to focus on helping offenders to transition back into the community, said the center’s operations manager Jim Sanderson, during the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce luncheon Tuesday.
Literature promoting hate group distributed in Evergreen neighborhood
Jessy Hiatt was out walking along West Cottonwood Drive in Evergreen on Saturday night when he found a clear plastic bag containing several beans.
Crews collected more than 11K pounds of trash from U.S. 93 this summer
Crews in Flathead County’s roadside cleanup program gathered about 11,320 pounds of trash along U.S. 93 so far this summer.
Stakeholders propose compromise to keep more water in Little Bitterroot Lake
Flathead County commissioners and a local nonprofit are proposing a three-year management plan to keep more water in Little Bitterroot Lake.
Online learning program gains popularity with rural Montana school districts
A Utah-based online learning program could help boost enrollment numbers for rural Montana public school districts by bridging the gap between homeschool families and public education.
More than 100 hay bales lost in Cobbler Village Terrace fire
The grass fire that broke out near Cobbler Village Terrace west of Kalispell on Wednesday consumed more than 100 bales of hay before crews extinguished it, officials say.
Crews work to extinguish ignited hay bales in grass fire west of Kalispell
A grass fire that started on a private property near Cobbler Village Terrace west of Kalispell on Wednesday later spread to nearby hay bales, authorities say.
Flathead County budget lowers taxes
The budget includes appropriations of $142 million, which exceeds total revenues of $130 million by about $12 million, but county officials said that doesn’t mean the county is operating in a deficit. Large capital projects, such as the new grandstands at the county fairgrounds, increased expenditures, but are being paid for through savings.
Cause of Knowles Fire remains under investigation as some residents point to railroad
As crews gain ground on the Knowles Fire in Sanders County, questions remain about how the nearly 4,000-acre blaze started, with some residents pointing fingers at the nearby railroad.
Judge denies request to pause major infrastructure projects in Lakeside
A motion filed by Citizens for a Better Flathead for a preliminary injunction and temporary restraining order against Lakeside County Water and Sewer District was denied by a Flathead County District Court judge on Aug. 21.
Lakeside sewer district chooses new sewer plant for facility upgrade
Members of the Lakeside Water and Sewer Board voted Aug. 21 to construct a sequence batch reactor in phase two of its wastewater facility treatment project.
Kalispell woman breaks world record in women’s standing block chop
Laruen Bergman’s competitive logging journey started at Flathead Valley Community College, after her brother encouraged her to join the college’s logging sports team.
Longtime volunteer, former Flathead County Commissioner Gary Krueger dies
Krueger successfully ran to represent District 3 on the Flathead County commission in 2012.
Lakeside Water and Sewer Board passes sewer rate increase
A proposal to increase sewer rates in Lakeside by 61.7% was unanimously passed by members of the Lakeside County Water and Sewer Board on Thursday.
Flathead County commissioners grant unanimous approval of Flathead Lake Club
The contentious members-only resort backed by Arizona-based Discovery Land Company is planned to include two golf courses, a fitness center, spa, restaurants and 359 residential lots set to be built west of U.S. 93 near Blacktail Mountain.
State Wildlife Commission member seeks changes around wolf hunting and snaring
A member of the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission wants to eliminate trapping setbacks on closed roads in Mineral County, increase the statewide wolf quota and extend hunting season dates in certain parts of the state.
Flathead County Planning Board tables Lakeside zoning changes after criticism
A proposal to refine Lakeside Zoning District’s two distinct zoning designations was tabled by the Flathead County Planning Board last week after residents lobbied for more public conversation.
Cultivating flower power: Hope blooms in floriculture competition at Northwest Montana Fair and Rodeo
Every year, members participate in judging the dahlias/gladiolus and floriculture competition at the Northwest Montana Fair and Rodeo. Beginning Friday morning, passersby at the Flathead County Fairgrounds could admire a dazzling array of flowers.
Flathead County Planning Board sends luxury resort near Lakeside to commissioners
Plans for a proposed 1,700-acre luxury resort near Lakeside earned the Flathead County Planning Board’s recommendation in a 5-1 vote Wednesday.
Luxury resort development in Lakeside headed back before Flathead County Planning Board
Plans for a 1,700-acre deluxe resort in Lakeside return to the Flathead County Planning Board on Wednesday night.
Pilot dies in West Glacier airplane crash, says Flathead County sheriff
An airplane crash at Ryan Field near West Glacier resulted in one death Tuesday afternoon, said Flathead County Sheriff Brian Heino.
Flathead County commissioners confirm Austin Hicks as new 911 center director
Flathead County Animal Shelter head Austin Hicks will take over as director of the county's Emergency Communications Center — starting Aug. 18 — after the position opened up in June.
As Zinke casts about for federal funds, Sanders County officials pursue other avenues to replace the ailing Noxon Bridge
Congressman Ryan Zinke is seeking $2.5 million in federal funding to support the replacement of the 102-year-old Noxon Bridge, a project with an estimated $35 million price tag.
Flathead County aims to refine zoning for Lakeside
Planners, real estate agents and homeowners have struggled to understand existing Lakeside zoning regulations for more than a decade, said Planning and Zoning Director Erik Mack.
$105M bond for new detention center to appear on Flathead County ballot this November
For the past two decades, Sheriff Brian Heino said there’s been nearly yearly talks about designing a new detention facility. Overcrowded jails pose higher risks of violence and threaten the safety of detention officers, inmates and the public.
Mid-air collision at Lost Prairie Boogie leaves one skydiver dead, Flathead County sheriff says
One person is dead after two parachutists collided mid-air Monday morning during the annual Lost Prairie Boogie skydiving event near Marion, said Flathead County Sheriff Brian Heino.
New fairgrounds bleachers open ahead of Northwest Montana Fair and Rodeo
The new aluminum north bleachers seat approximately 400 more than the old wooden structure at about 1,600 seats total, and cost $1.3 million.
Pilots sue to save airstrip caught up in plans for a luxury resort near Lakeside
A group of pilots are fighting to preserve a private airstrip near Lakeside, arguing in a lawsuit that its owners have no right to remove the runway.
New wellhouse paves a bright future for Evergreen
In late June, the district held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of a brand new wellhouse, featuring two new, state-of-the-art well pumps and capacity for a third. These wells run 420 feet deep and are in a wellhouse located at 160 W. Reserve Dr. in Evergreen.