Columbia Falls, Montana hit by layoffs, but manages to grow by leaps and bounds

"We’re re-inventing ourselves."

Too often in the past few years, the economic news out of this Flathead Valley community dominated by nearby Teakettle Mountain has been doomlike: layoffs at lumber mills, the closing of the Columbia Falls Aluminum Co.

So would it surprise you to learn this was the third-fastest growing city in all Montana over the past decade?

"You’ve got to be kidding me," one local woman said, but the numbers don’t lie.

Between the 2000 and 2010 censuses, the population of Columbia Falls increased by 29 percent.

By VINCE DEVLIN of the Missoulian missoulian.com

Full Story: http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/article_8d2740ee-5daa-11e0-99f6-001cc4c002e0.html

***

Sanders County leads Montana in economic stress

The extreme northwest corner of Montana is home to some of the state’s prettiest scenery, and, according to the Associated Press’ 2011 Economic Stress Index, its ugliest economies.

The index, which measures the combined unemployment, bankruptcy and foreclosure rates to assess the economies of every county in the nation, says Sanders County has the worst numbers in Montana.

Neighboring Lincoln and Mineral counties aren’t far behind.

By VINCE DEVLIN of the Missoulian missoulian.com

Full Story: http://missoulian.com/news/local/article_4896e5c2-5d98-11e0-8e3a-001cc4c03286.html