In your February 17 article about LCPH’s racism training, Nolan Lister again mischaracterized why I feel Health Officer Niemann is a divisive character in our county. Yes, her mask mandates created havoc for business owners but it was the closing and intimidation of churches, violating our right to assemble (unless you got the WOKE pass), the demonization of small business owners, manufacturing despair (AA meetings closed and booze sales spiked 40%), the wanton destruction of livelihoods and the communications disaster that led to a massive divide in our community that will take a decade to heal. Ms. Niemann has no professional training in public relations and the damage could have been greatly mitigated if she would have enlisted professional help with PR at the very least.

This training and the cavalier approach to securing a contractor and misleading the BoCC during questioning by Commissioner McCormick indicate little was learned over the past two years regarding community relations.

Yes, I stood up for “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness”. I intend to continue doing so regardless of the outcome of my campaign for County Commissioner in District #3 of Lewis and Clark County.

Conrad Evarts of Helena is running for a seat on the Lewis and Clark County Commission.