Briefs: Going to the Sun Road; Glacier Park death; Browning tax relief

GNP’s Going to the Sun Road opens for the season

Aaron Bolton | Montana Public Radio

Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park has fully opened for the season. Park officials opened the road Saturday.

The visitor center at Logan Pass is open, but drinking water isn’t yet available.

The road is opening with some changes to the vehicle reservation system. A reservation is required from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. for cars entering through West Glacier. Reservations aren’t required at the St. Mary entrance on the east side of the park.

Shuttle services along the road will begin July 1.

Woman dies after falling into St. Mary Falls in GNP

Edward O’Brien | Montana Public Radio

A Pennsylvania woman died yesterday Sunday afternoon after falling into the water in Glacier National Park.

Park officials say the 26-year-old woman fell into the water above St. Mary Falls on the park’s east side.

According to witnesses, the woman was washed over the falls and trapped under the very cold and fast water for several minutes.

A park news release says bystanders pulled her from the water and administered CPR until emergency responders arrived.

Park rangers and an ambulance team from Babb took over CPR upon arrival.

An ALERT helicopter crew also assisted with resuscitation efforts, but the victim never regained consciousness.

The victim’s name has not yet been released pending notification of next of kin.

The death is under investigation. It is Glacier’s first fatality of the summer season.

Browning residents to see relief after being overcharged on tax bills 

Shaylee Ragar | Montana Public Radio

State officials are working to get refunds to Browning residents who were overcharged on their property tax bills.

Lee Montana first reported homeowners in Browning received unusually high appraisal values and property tax bills last fall — some four times the amount they paid last year.

That led the state Department of Revenue to re-evaluate the homeowners’ properties. The agency says a computing error miscalculated the values of 385 properties in town.

Bryce Kaatz with the department told lawmakers on Monday that all affected residents should receive letters with their updated appraisals this week. He said the department is working with Glacier County to issue refunds to homeowners as quickly as possible.

Kaatz says the agency is looking at safeguards to prevent the error from happening again.