🌱 Asbestos Poisoning Court Case + Late Sculptor Noellynn Pepos Show

Hello, everybody. It's Thursday in Missoula and I'm back in your inbox to get you caught up on all the most important things happening locally.

But first, your local weather:

• Thursday: Warmer with increasing clouds. High: 87 Low: 57.
• Friday: Mostly sunny and hot. High: 91 Low: 55.

From our sponsor:

Today’s Missoula Patch newsletter is brought to you in part by T-Mobile. T-Mobile has invested billions to light up their best network ever, covering 99% of people in America with LTE, which helps to keep communities like ours informed and connected. We thank T-Mobile for their support and for making today’s Missoula Patch newsletter possible.

Here are the top three stories today in Missoula:

1. BNSF Railway found liable for the spread of asbestos that lead to the deaths of hundreds of people, is arguing before a federal jury in Missoula that Libby-based Center for Asbestos Related Disease (CARD) and one of its providers, doctor Brad Black, submitted false claims of asbestos poisoning in order to defraud taxpayers for personal enrichment. CARD claims that diagnoses have not been falsified and are instead in line with the provisions of the Affordable Care Act. The asbestos controversy began in 2000, and more than 2,000 Montanans were awarded a settlement in 2011 and in 2017 on the grounds that they had not been properly cautioned against possible exposure. (Montana Right Now)
2. Late sculptor Noellynn Pepos, prolific in the state visual art scene from the 2000s through to her passing in 2017, is being honored by the Missoula Art Museum with a memorial show. A joint venture between one of Pepos' fellow travelers in Montana's art world, Brandon Reintjes, curator of the Museum, and the late Pepos' brother, Geoff, the show is meant to serve as a testament to the whole of Pepos' artistic career, cut short at its prime according to Reintjes. (Subscription: Missoulian)
3. As of 1:45 p.m., Jun. 28, the Missoula Police Department has announced delays of southbound traffic on Reserve Street at Union Pacific due to an accident. Locals are asked to use appropriate detours and comply with all traffic flagging and police direction until further notice. (NBC Montana)

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Today and tomorrow in Missoula:

Thursday, June 29

• Sweat Lodge At The Missoula Urban Indian Health Center (1:00 PM)
• Downtown Tonight At Caras Park (5:30 PM)
• West African Dance Class With Oumar Keita And The Djebe Bara group At The Barn Movement Studio (6:00 PM)

Friday, June 30

• Margarita And Whiskey Fest At Caras Park (4:00 PM)

In partnership with T-Mobile:

Father's Day has come and gone, but that doesn't mean we have to stop celebrating rad dads, past and present. Patch partnered with T-Mobile to shine a light on exceptional fathers in communities like Missoula. Click here to meet 13 awesome dads and learn more about the legacies they're leaving behind.

From my notebook:

• John Wicks, formerly the drummer of Fitz and the Tantrums, is now ensconced at the University of Montana teaching private drum set lessons and a History of Hip Hop course! (University of Montana via Facebook)
• Kittens given the names Flathead and Seeley have been found in Missoula and are being cared for by the Humane Society, which asks locals to look them over and see if they or anyone they know may be their owners! Pictures are at the link. (The Humane Society of Western Montana via Facebook)
• Don't forget that by getting your punch card stamped at seven "Out to Lunch" events in Missoula's downtown, you could win a $200 Downtown gift card! (Missoula Downtown via Instagram)

You're officially in the loop for today! See you all soon for another update.

— Amy Mayo

About me: Amy Mayo is a writer, visual artist, and political scientist, living in the NC Research Triangle. She graduated from the University of North Carolina Asheville with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and has worked in a variety of fields outside of copywriting including policy advocacy, the healthcare industry and pharmaceuticals, and education. She hopes one day to live up to the stringent expectations of her cat, Morty.