Don't forget your local elections

We know there’s an immense amount on interest in the special election being held May 25 to pick Montana’s lone member of the U.S. House of Representatives. That was inevitable when popular congressman Ryan Zinke resigned to become Donald Trump’s secretary of the interior.

But we hope that local voters don’t become so wrapped up in the intrigue of the battle between the singer-songwriter and the high-tech millionaire that they forget about the other “non-special” elections that are running this spring just like they do every year.

School elections are coming up on May 2. Voters in school districts across the valley will be selecting the all-important trustees who guide our children’s education. Whitefish voters will also vote up or down on a general-fund levy for day-to-day operations.

In addition, filing opens next Thursday for city elections. That means there will be openings for council seats in Kalispell, Columbia Falls and Whitefish. There will also be mayoral races in Columbia Falls and Kalispell, and races for municipal judges in Whitefish and Kalispell.

Those elections will help determine the future of our valley, and in many ways are more important than any national race. Please consider running for office if you have time and energy to serve, and remember to vote when the time comes.

Protect yourself

Kalispell Police are offering sound advice to residents confronted with anonymous emails and suspicious online ads: If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.

Seniors are often the target of these unfortunate attempts at identity theft and fraud through phishing scams. That’s why officers recently hosted a fraud prevention seminar at the Kalispell Senior Center to offer the community some proactive tips.

Giving out credit card information, Social Security numbers or dates of birth puts people a risk of fraud — be vigilant with this information. Consider getting a post-office box to prevent mail theft and keep track of banking statements.

Residents can report potential scams at the Better Business Bureau. For more tips visit www.kalispell.com/police/protecting_yourself.php