MONTANA

Sick mine workers allege insurer delaying payments

BILLINGS – Attorneys for Montana mine workers sickened and killed by toxic asbestos exposure filed a lawsuit against Zurich American Insurance on March 21 for allegedly stalling legal settlements and medical payments after transferring the workers’ claims to investors who can profit off the delays.

The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in Great Falls on behalf of 17 former workers and representatives of 29 deceased workers who developed lung cancer and other diseases following exposure to asbestos during the 1960s and 1970s at a W.R. Grace & Co. vermiculite mine in Libby, Montana.

The legal dispute over responsibility for their suffering dates back two decades to when news reports about sick and dying mine workers and residents in the remote mountain area triggered an emergency cleanup by federal authorities. That cleanup is ongoing and the contamination is blamed for hundreds of deaths among mine workers, their families and others.

The Montana Supreme Court in 2020 ruled that insurer Maryland Casualty Co. – now owned by Zurich – should have warned the workers about small fibers of asbestos in vermiculite dust that can be easily inhaled and damage a person’s lungs.

But rather than move to resolve the many remaining liability cases still pending against it, Zurich has paid to transfer at least some of the workers’ claims to investors, said Allan McGarvey, an attorney for the workers. The investors, including Enstar Group Ltd., can hold onto and profit off that money even as the workers’ health further deteriorates, according to McGarvey and the lawsuit.

Zurich is part of Switzerland-based Zurich Insurance Group, which has operations around the globe. Spokesperson Robyn Ziegler said Zurich had no comment on Monday’s legal complaint.

A former Libby mine worker with lung disease now living in Oregon was awarded $36.5 million in February by a Montana jury in one of the lawsuits against Zurich.

IDAHO

Hospital locks down amid call for protest

BOISE – A major Boise hospital went on lockdown for about an hour on March 15 after far-right activist Ammon Bundy urged supporters to go the facility in protest of a child protection case involving one of his family friends.

St. Luke’s Health System put the Boise Medical Center on lockdown and began diverting incoming patients about 1:30 p.m. on March 15.

“Safety is our top priority,” the hospital said in a statement. “At this time, anyone in need of care should seek alternative health care providers and options. We ask that people please avoid the area near the Boise hospital until further notice.”

Several police cars from the Idaho State Police and Boise Police Department responded to the hospital for the protest.

A few dozen protesters stationed themselves outside various hospital doors and buildings, some speculating on social media about whether the facility could be accessed via underground tunnels. The protesters appeared to mostly stay on sidewalks, however, and the lockdown was lifted shortly before 3 p.m.

Earlier in the day, Bundy released a statement on YouTube warning that if an acquaintance’s young child was not returned to the family after a hearing that afternoon, that “patriot groups” would take action.

The baby was temporarily removed from from family custody four days earlier after officials determined the 10-month-old was “suffering from severe malnourishment” and at risk of injury or death, according to a statement from police in the city of Meridian near Boise.

Bundy, who is well-known for participating in armed standoffs with law enforcement, was arrested the following day on a misdemeanor trespassing charge after he protested at a different hospital where he believed the baby was being treated.

Bundy, who is running as an independent candidate in a crowded race to be Idaho’s next governor, didn’t attend the protest himself. He was at the Ada County Courthouse all day, standing trial on charges of misdemeanor trespassing and resisting or obstructing officers in connection with an incident last year in which he showed up at the Idaho Statehouse despite being banned from the building after a previous trespassing arrest.

WYOMING

Anti-bias ordinance passes on final reading

CHEYENNE – The Cheyenne City Council voted on March 14 to pass on final reading an ordinance that would make it a misdemeanor to intimidate or maliciously harass someone as a result of a personal bias.

The ordinance passed 8-1 with Councilwoman Michelle Aldrich the lone vote against it.

Aldrich has consistently been the sole holdout among council members regarding the ordinance. She reiterated her opposition during the March 14 meeting, saying she agreed with the intent of the ordinance, but that it was “a really badly written piece of legislation.”

The councilwoman has also repeatedly expressed concern that the council would pass the ordinance, pat itself on the back and not continue to have conversations about harassment and discrimination in the community, which some say is on the rise.

Also at the meeting, Aldrich clarified a comment she made during a March 9 interview with the Wyoming Tribune Eagle. She apologized for suggesting that her colleagues were afraid to vote against the ordinance out of fear of being labeled homophobic or racist, adding that she was speaking about common reasons and not talking about anyone specifically.

NEW MEXICO

Albuquerque real estate market hits record high, low

ALBUQUERQUE – The average sale price for a single-family detached home hit an all-time high in Albuquerque, while the inventory of homes hit a historic low.

According to a February 2022 report from the Greater Albuquerque Association of Realtors, the average home price stood at $367,566. The median sale price was $315,000 – tying the record set in December. Both averages showed an 18% increase year over year.

Moreover, Albuquerque’s inventory of single-family homes for sale reached a record-low of 540 in February, according to the report. That’s a decrease of nearly 40% year over year. And it breaks the previous record set in December 2021.

New home builds have also slowed with supply chain issues hampering timelines, said Steve Duran, a local real estate agent with eXp Realty.

Duran said an influx of remote workers, retirees and investors have identified Albuquerque as a “hidden gem” with home prices still lower than the national average. The market is so hot that buyers are paying as much as 25% over list price, Duran said.

ARIZONA

Music hall to be named for native daughter Linda Ronstadt

TUCSON – The Tucson Music Hall will be renamed in honor of Linda Ronstadt, a southern Arizona native who went on to become a Grammy-winning superstar, Mayor Regina Romero announced on March 18.

One of the top performers of the 1970s and a popular singer well into the 21st century, Ronstadt collected nearly a dozen Grammys in such categories as country, pop, Latin and children’s music. She stopped singing in 2009 when Parkinson’s disease robbed her of her singing voice.

Ronstadt arrived on the music scene in 1967 as the lead singer of the Stone Poneys, a country-folk trio that featured two of her friends from the University of Arizona in Tucson. She later found success as a solo artist in eclectic genres ranging from rock to Mexican ranchera.

She was influenced by the Mexican music she grew up listening to as a child in Tucson.

The venue will be formally renamed on May 7 during the International Mariachi Conference Espectacular Concert. Romero’s office said Ronstadt is scheduled to be in Tucson to unveil new signage bearing her name.