BUTTE — Montana's 2025 Legislative session wrapped up earlier this week
didn't pass which has left an Anaconda family heartbroken
all you can do is sit back and go I hope a tragedy like ours doesn't have to affect you," says Keith Worl
While on her way to work on a March morning nearly four years ago
25-year-old Chloe Worl was struck head-on and was killed instantly by a distracted driver in Dillon
Keith and Connie Worl stood before legislators pleading for safer roads in Montana
Montana still remains the only state that does not restrict cell phone use in vehicles
Connie says Senate Bill 359 would have restricted hand-held devices while driving in order to eliminate distractions like texting or scrolling on a phone
the bill would have allowed victims and their families to seek justice in accidents involving distracted driving
"We don't feel that Chloe received justice from the judicial system
the way we were received during the legislative committee—the House legislative committee—you know
I don't think her tragedy was even validated
Connie says almost 50 people died on Montana roads
it's difficult to know if those deaths are connected to distracted driving
Despite the legislature's failure to pass Chloe's Law
a bill did pass that increases penalties for drunken driving
"The House and the Senate did some really good work with passing Bobby's Bill
The Worls say they will bring Chole's Law before the legislature again
They also host an ATV fun run in July to raise money for scholarships in Chloe's honor
Anaconda Professional Firefighters Local 100 says it battled a 30-vehicle fire on Friday at Nazer and Son Towing in Anaconda
West Valley Volunteer Fire Department and Opportunity Volunteer Fire helped contain the fire to the pit area
who said he lost 15 trucks to the accident
The parts from older vehicles are sold off
Nazer said an individual started a fire in the yard – we are not able to confirm this information at this time
Officials say the cause of the fire is unknown at this time
Kathleen “Kathy” Keenan Swanson
passed away peacefully at home at the age of 77
was waiting to greet her and usher her into their next life together
to Patrick John Keenan and Ann Vanisko Keenan
Her life was deeply influenced by the history and tight-knit community of Anaconda
She grew up under the shadow of the towering smokestack in Goosetown
and graduated from Anaconda Central High School
where the picture window offered a view of both the “C” Hill and the “A” Hill
a place where they built their life together and raised their children
Kathy found joy in watching the young children walk to and from the elementary school
Kathy dedicated herself to raising four strong
and boisterous children while Butch taught public elementary school
she spent weekends and holidays cooking for the county jail when her children were young
Kathy joined the team at the Southwest Montana Community Federal Credit Union
where she worked as a teller for over 20 years
The credit union’s staff and its members became like family to her
of Division 1 of the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians (LAOH)
Her strong values of community and service aligned perfectly with the mission of the LAOH
united in their shared love for all things Irish
Kathy took great pride in representing the Anaconda
and Drummond areas when she ran for and won a seat in the Montana State Legislature
One of her proudest accomplishments was carrying the bill that increased the wages of state workers
She knew this salary boost would have a significant impact on the hardworking union workers in Warm Springs and at the state prison
Kathy served her community as a House Representative from 2011-2019
and spending time with her many lifelong friends
Patrick John Keenan and Annie Vanisko Keenan
and infant grandchildren Keenan Patrick and Bryan Quane Swanson
Kathy is survived by her children: Dayna Swanson (Denise Juneau)
and Kate Swanson Benson (Chase Benson); her five grandchildren who brought endless joy to her life: Daylee Swanson
and Cashel Benson; and her beloved siblings: Colleen Keenan D’Arcy (Joe D’Arcy)
and many nieces and nephews who brought her great happiness
A special heartfelt thank you to the Anaconda Hospice team who comforted Kathy in her last month – Sheila
at Longfellow Finnegan Riddle Funeral Home
The Rosary will be prayed beginning at 6pm that evening and sharing personal stories about Kathy will follow
The Ladies AOH ceremony will begin at 10:15 am with Funeral Mass at 10:30 am
Rite of Committal will follow at Mount Olivet Cemetery and a reception will be held back at the church in the Hunthausen Center
For those that are unable to attend in person
the service will be livestreamed and can be watched form this webpage
Memorials in honor of Kathy are suggested to Anaconda Pintler Hospice
MT 59711 or to the Ladies AOH - mailing address to come.
Visit the sidebar to offer the family a condolence or share a memory of Kathy
Longfellow Finnegan Riddle Funeral Home and Crematory has been privileged to care Kathy and her family
A group of five people was recently rescued after surviving 36 hours in the Bolivian jungle
they sought refuge on top of their submerged aircraft while alligators and anacondas circled the water around them
The five survivors were rescued after 36 harrowing hours
Photo: Bolivian Civil Defense Vice Ministry
Twenty-nine-year-old Andres Velarde was flying a single-engine plane over Bolivia on Thursday
He was taking four passengers — three women and a young child — from the town of Baures to the Bolivian city of Trinidad
a flight which should have taken less than an hour
Velarde began searching for a place to make an emergency landing
open spaces are not easy to find in the Amazon
but Velarde brought the plane down in a swamp near the Itanomas River
The rough landing flipped the plane upside down
The five of them climbed out of the plane, which was sinking into the swamp. They had survived falling out of the sky
Alligators and anacondas watched them from the water at all times
The alligators prevented anyone from trying to swim to shore
members of the alligator family native to South America
But neither the caimans nor the anacondas attacked
Perhaps they were concerned that the people on the plane would also taste like gasoline
The gasoline in the water also prevented the survivors from drinking
and soon they were covered in mosquito bites
their situation seemed more and more desperate
Several species of caiman live in the Amazon basin
Some can grow up to four or five meters long
After 36 hours stranded on the sunken plane
they heard the sound of motorboats in the distance
Using cellphone flashlights and hoarse shouts
the group caught the attention of the local fishermen
an army helicopter airlifted them to Trinidad for medical attention
were conscious and in relatively good condition
“We couldn’t have handled one more night.”
Lou Bodenhemier holds an MA in History from the University of Limerick and a BA in Creative Writing from the University of Arizona
He’s interested in maritime and disaster history as well as criminal history
and his dissertation focused on the werewolf trials of early modern Europe
At the present moment he can most likely be found perusing records of shipboard crime and punishment during the Age of Sail
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Wildlife & Parks warden stopped a driver after driving past and aquatic invasive species inspection station while pulling a tugboat near Anaconda last week
The warden sent the driver back to the inspection station
where a great amount of mussels and barnacles were found on the watercraft
The driver was travelling from Lake Michigan to the Puget Sound in Washington
The presence of the barnacles indicates that the tugboat was also likely in saltwater before being placed into Lake Michigan
The boat was allegedly out of the water for two days
making it possible that some of the mussels were still viable
The inspection station decontaminated the entire tugboat with the exception of the engine flush due to the size
The boat was locked to the trailer and a follow-up inspection is required
Montana FWP reminds everyone that it is the law that anyone transporting a watercraft must stop at all open aquatic invasive species inspection stations
ANACONDA — ANACONDA — A sense of place is defined by many things
Peppermint Paddy’s has been serving the community comfort food for 30 years
and it won’t taste bad," says Brea Crncevich
the kitchen manager and chef at Peppermint Paddy's in Anaconda
Crncevich works with the menu that has been a favorite in the community since the 1980s
the interior is brand-new — a nice change that allows for a comfortable dining experience
But Crncevich says what really makes the establishment special is the family feel
and we’re doing it in honor of my aunt Julie," says Crncevich
She says her aunt Julie Gagnon was a driving force behind the restaurant and was supposed to be a business partner
but she passed away tragically just after the restaurant reopened
when she was struck by a truck while crossing Harrison Avenue in Butte
it wouldn’t be this way today," says Heather Collins
Collins has been reviving Anaconda restaurants for over a decade
She is responsible for reviving a local pasty shop with a long history dating back to the 1950s
She also owns an Italian restaurant in town
just feel comfortable in the restaurant business and that’s how I know how to make a living
"Seeing the opportunity with businesses that have been established in this community is definitely important
and I like to take something and make it even greater."
Collins says the secret ingredient in their food is love
I love to be creative with it and I love to offer a quality product to people because that’s what I want myself," says Collins
at the Community Hospital of Anaconda due to natural causes
he was the son of Charles and Mary (Leroy) Nicely
where he became a beloved figure in the community
Ben graduated from Anaconda Central High School in 1960 and later attended Montana State University
He married Kathleen (Haffey) Nicely on August 6
and together they created a warm and loving home
Their strong partnership was built on mutual respect
Ben served in the Army National Guard for 20 years
demonstrating his commitment to his country
he spent 20 years as a transportation officer at the Montana State Prison
where he earned a reputation for being reliable
Outdoor activities such as camping and golfing were also significant parts of his life
Ben was a passionate fan of college football and loved traveling to Missoula to watch his Montana Grizzlies
several trips to sunny Hawaii and a recent trip to Pasadena to watch his Fighting Irish play USC. One of his last adventures was a fishing trip to Orofino
reeling in steelheads with his dear friend
Ben was actively involved in the Anaconda Catholic Community and participated in local clubs
including the Anaconda Country Club and the Ham Radio Club
He also leaves behind many friends in the community
including members of the "Breakfast Club" consisting of Victor Boucher
the Stevenson’s and Kovacich’s
the family suggests that memorial contributions be made to the Discovery House in Anaconda
Anaconda Food Bank via Project Care or the Anaconda Catholic Community. His services will be held at the Holy Family Church on Tuesday
April 15th at 10:30 with visitation beginning at 9:30 with a luncheon to follow
The family wishes to express their sincere gratitude to the staff of Community Hospital of Anaconda for the exceptional care and compassion provided to Ben during his final days
Your dedication and kindness have been a profound source of comfort and support
will be sorely missed and will be remembered for his kindness
His legacy will live on in the hearts of those who knew and loved him
Please visit the sidebar to offer the family condolences or to share a memory of Ben.
Longfellow Finnegan Riddle Funeral Home and Crematory has been privileged to care for Ben and his family
1951in Anaconda to Wallace and Lilyan Nugent
He was in the Coast Guard and she a Registered Nurse who
they returned home to Anaconda to raise their family
Lori graduated from Carroll College with a bachelor’s degree in education
She later attended Montana State University for a master’s degree in counseling
She taught in the Anaconda School District until illness caused her to retire
Lori was diagnosed in 1980 with Thrombocythemia
a disease that causes your body to produce too many platelets
she was the recipient of a bone marrow transplant at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle
she was blessed with great care and support from her Seattle cousin Ann Ries and her husband Jim
One of the many blessings in her life were connections with the Irish ladies of the AOH
She formed lifelong friendships that sustained her through many difficult days
St Patrick's Day was a grand event as she marched in the parade and joined the festivities with the Irish washerwomen
but hard to read and didn't often share her thoughts
Lori is survived by her sister Patricia Anderson and husband Charles
nine great nieces and nephews in Butte and Austin Texas
and seven Nugent cousins in Montana and Nevada
Much gratitude is given to the staff at Anaconda Community Hospital and the EMT's at the Anaconda Fire Department for their kindness and care
Patti Boggess and Rinky and Brandon Mclean who were so close and caring
A Celebration of Life Mass will be held at 10:30 a.m
November 14 at Holy Family Catholic Church
Please visit www.longfellowfinneganriddle.com to offer the family a condolence or to share a memory of Lori
Longfellow Finnegan Riddle Funeral Home and Cremation Services has been privileged to care for Lori and her family
ANACONDA — A woman pleaded guilty Wednesday in the stabbing death of her boyfriend in Anaconda last year
Leann Malcolm agreed to plead guilty to mitigated deliberate homicide due to mental illness in the death of De'Quan Watson
Malcolm initially pleaded not guilty to killing Watson in the couple's Cherry Street home on April 10
Malcolm claims she caused the death of Watson while under extreme emotional and mental distress
the southern green anaconda) are among the largest snakes in the world
growing up to 9 meters (29.5 feet) long—rivaling the reticulated python (Python reticulatus) in length—and weighing up to 250 kg (550 pounds)
The "Minecraft" actor teases the upcoming film
Rodriguez/Getty; Columbia/Courtesy Everett
The green anaconda — scientific name Eunectes murinus — is the heaviest snake species on our planet
These colossal serpents slither through the waterways of South America
intimidating our imaginations with their immense size and power
The largest anaconda ever found was an astounding sight to behold
coming in longer than a pickup truck and heavier than a gorilla
The green anaconda is the heaviest snake in the world. These anacondas are estimated to range from 20 to 30 feet (6.1 to 9.1 meters) in length. In 2016, construction workers in Brazil reported they discovered a massive anaconda measuring 33 feet (10 meters) long and weighing approximately 880 pounds (399 kg) but outlets later debunked the story
researchers identified a new species that they dubbed the northern green anaconda (Eunectes akayima)
The giant anaconda may rival or even surpass the southern green anaconda in size
A notable specimen known as Ana Julia measured 20.7 feet (6.3 meters) and weighed 440 pounds (200 kilograms)
The huge anacondas belong to the boa family and have evolved to become some of the largest snakes due to several factors. Their natural habitat in the Amazon rainforest provides abundant prey and dense waterways
allowing these snakes to grow to impressive sizes
This environment also offers ample hunting opportunities
enabling them to feed on large prey such as capybaras
Their greenish-brown coloration with dark spots provides excellent camouflage in murky waters
Female anacondas are typically larger than males (a trait known as sexual dimorphism) which aids them during reproduction
What's the biggest snake overall
while the green anaconda is the heaviest snake
it's not often credited as the world's longest snake
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ANACONDA — Most students learn about the Vietnam War from history books
but some honors students from Anaconda are learning about that war from the men who actually fought it—and they’re going to record their stories for future generations
I went into the Marine Corps,” said Marine veteran Paul Beausoleil
Beausoleil was among a group of Vietnam veterans from the Smelter City sharing their stories to Anaconda High School juniors recently to give them boots-on-the-ground accounts of what happened over there
they’re getting it from first-hand people who were there
And I’m glad they’re interested because when it was over back then
it was not very interesting,” said Army veteran Jeff Frank
Anaconda High teachers Megan Casey and Erin Hansen want their students to record these stories for a book that will tell the stories of these men
“While they may look at things like the Vietnam War as being history
that they aren’t necessarily in the distant past,” said Anaconda High teacher Erin Hansen
Students interviewed men like Bill Willing
who was a helicopter gunship pilot in the war
“We only flew when things were bad as gun pilots
Student Grace Galle took pictures of the veterans for the publication
“It opens up a whole new viewpoint of the war
being able to see the effect it had on all these people and just the emotions they have and to see what they’re going through,” said Galle
The veterans say they hope the young people will learn from their experience so they never have to go through the horror of war
“Hopefully they go away with the option of not repeating history again; they’ll know how to avoid it
confrontational “separatist” who may provoke war in the Taiwan Strait
it is China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) that has been raising the chances of conflict by deploying more air and naval craft around Taiwan
“The PLA is using an ‘anaconda strategy’ to squeeze the island,” says Admiral Tang Hua
This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “China’s anaconda strategy”
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Ahead of the vote on May 3rd, politics has flipped
The country is making it first big bet on semiconductors
This one could be riskier than their last major crisis in 2019
After the Kashmir attack, military action is possible but comes with huge risks
On December 7, 2014, Discovery Channel was ready to show a 20-foot anaconda devour conservationist Paul Rosolie whole
which certainly made it seem like Rosolie would end up in the belly of the beast
The idea was that Rosolie would wear a protective carbon-fiber suit
and let the snake eat him and then regurgitate him
Rosolie claimed the point of the stunt was to bring attention to habitat loss in the Amazon
“I’ve seen firsthand how the Amazon rainforest is being destroyed,” he said, per Deadline
“It is so rampant that we may be the last generation with the opportunity to save it
People need to wake up to what is going on
What better way is there to shock people than to put my life on the line with the largest snake on the planet
Discovery was already feeling the squeeze before Eaten Alive even aired. More than 38,000 people signed a petition demanding the cancellation of the special and a boycott of the channel
“This is animal abuse to the highest degree and absolutely disgusting,” the petition reads
calling it a “blatant publicity stunt” that
sounded like “the snake was tormented and suffered for the sake of ratings.”
In the lead-up to Eaten Alive’s airing, Rosolie made the press rounds to hype up the special. “The last thing I remember is seeing the snake’s mouth open straight at my face. Everything went black,” he said on Today
“They don’t tell you how the tightrope walker makes it across,” he told the baffled TODAY hosts
What Rosolie wouldn’t say — or couldn’t say — is that he never ended up in the belly of the beast. Out of the Eaten Alive’s two-hour runtime, 90 minutes were devoted to the mythical, 25-foot anaconda Rosolie purportedly found on a prior expedition, as The Washington Post reported
Rosolie had no luck finding that snake while the Eaten Alive cameras rolled
And in the last 15 minutes of the special, viewers finally saw Rosolie grappling with the snake… and then tapping out when it felt like the snake would break his arm. “I felt her jaws lock onto my helmet,” he said later, per The Hollywood Reporter
She got my arm into a position where her force was fully on my exposed arm
I started to feel the blood drain out of my hand
And when I got to the point where I felt like it was going to snap
It was an anticlimactic result for a special the Discovery website promised would show Rosolie “enter[ing] the belly of an anaconda,” per the Daily Mirror
“Calling it #EatenAlive is like having a show on the Food Network about cooking a turkey and all they do after two hours is preheat the oven,” wrote one Twitter user
“I guess calling this ‘Getting Squeezed Really Hard’ didn’t sound as enticing,” another person wrote
PETA condemned the special in another statement after the airing
saying that viewers weren’t the only ones deceived
“The chosen snake was deceived into using her precious energy reserves to constrict a human being pretending to be a pig
all for a publicity stunt,” the organization said in part
anacondas go weeks and even months between meals
eating only when necessary for survival and expending the tremendous amount of energy required to attack
and consume large prey only when the payoff outweighs the risk
Paul Rosolie and his crew put this snake through undeniable stress and robbed her of essential bodily resources.”
Casting even more skepticism on the whole endeavor, Vox reported that Rosolie’s credentials as a herpetologist were hard to track down and that it seemed like Rosolie was provoking the snake into attacking him
“I was extremely disappointed that when given an opportunity to produce a show that would highlight the amazing biology of this animal, that Discovery went with a production that is only based on fear and sensationalism,” Dr. Stephen Secor, then a biological science professor at the University of Alabama, told Business Insider
Discovery — a channel that had aired “docufiction” like Mermaids: The Body Found and Megalodon: The Monster Shark Lives — defended the special
“Paul created this challenge to get maximum attention for one of the most beautiful and threatened parts of the world, the Amazon rainforest, and its wildlife,” the channel said in a statement to ABC News
“He went to great lengths to send this message and it was his absolute intention to be eaten alive
after the snake constricted Paul for over an hour and went for his head
the experiment had to be called when it became clear that Paul would be very seriously injured if he continued on
In comments at a Television Critics Association press tour a month later, however, incoming Discovery boss Rich Ross said the show had “the right intention with a packaging that was misleading,” per TheWrap
who was president of Discovery for another three years
tempered hopes (or fears) of an Eaten Alive sequel
“I don’t believe you’ll be seeing a person being eaten by a snake in my time [at the channel].”
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By Hal Brands
Bloomberg Opinion
As wars have ravaged Ukraine and the Middle East in 2024, the situation around Taiwan has been comparatively quiet. The crisis many observers were expecting when the year began hasn’t erupted; Beijing
Washington and Taipei have managed to maintain a certain stability in an inherently unstable situation
And with the Democratic Progressive Party’s Lai Ching-te
whom Beijing sees as a pro-independence radical
winning Taiwan’s presidential election in January
it looked inevitable that China would push back hard
That blowup has been the dog that hasn’t barked — so far — for several reasons. US officials urged Lai to take a moderate tone on relations with the mainland and, with some exceptions
Biden’s team has used high-level diplomacy with Beijing to stress that Washington still opposes Taiwanese independence and wants to maintain the status quo in the Taiwan Strait
The US also warned that Chinese provocations could bring new economic and technological punishments from Washington
simultaneously reassured and deterred by those messages
he seems to have realized it would be foolish to create a new war scare around Taiwan amid a US presidential election
Doing so would only have made China-bashing a central issue in America’s quadrennial madness
But don’t mistake the absence of crisis for the absence of Chinese coercion
and demonstrate their ability to command the skies and waters that connect the island to the world
in January as punishment for Lai’s election and a signal that Beijing can easily deepen Taiwan’s international isolation
Taiwanese officials can be forgiven for feeling that their country is caught in a closing vise
China’s strategy is meant to constrict Taiwan physically
creating a sense that resistance is pointless and reunification on Beijing’s terms is inevitable
Unrelenting, if measured, military activities around Taiwan will exhaust the country’s overmatched armed forces
And as China’s actions nibble away at Taiwan’s de facto sovereignty
they will also strain the island’s ties to Washington by showing the limits of US support
But if this Chinese coercion campaign doesn’t do the trick
it could also set the stage for something more brutal
As Evan Feigenbaum, one of America’s top China hands, told me after his recent travels to the region
officials in Taipei worry that China’s activities are anesthetizing them and Washington to a heaver People’s Liberation Army presence around Taiwan
This could make it harder to tell when Xi decides to stop practicing for a blockade or other form of aggression and execute the real thing
China’s win-without-fighting strategy holds that pressure can ultimately change the trajectory of Taiwanese politics
producing more Beijing-friendly leaders in Taipei
Xi’s approach is failing: Lai’s presidential victory was the third straight by the independence-minded DPP
All eyes in Beijing are now on what happens in Taiwan’s next presidential election, in 2028. If Lai or another DPP candidate wins again, Xi — whose military will then be completing its current modernization program — might conclude that coercive persuasion has failed and sharper measures are necessary
things could get really nasty in the Taiwan Strait
Austin, Texas, July 31, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Anaconda Inc. a leading provider for data science
today announced the public beta release of Anaconda Code within its Anaconda Toolbox for Excel
Anaconda Code empowers users to write Python code directly within Excel and run it locally
it provides users flexibility and control over their Python environments
eliminating the need to wait for network communication and keeping all code and data within the workbook
as well as advanced machine learning and AI tasks
the Python code would run on Microsoft Azure’s secure cloud servers
Excel users gain the exclusive ability to run Python code on their local machines without relying on external compute services
and long-term reproducibility in their spreadsheets
Anaconda Code addresses these challenges through its WebAssembly-based technology that enables local
secure Python execution without requiring separate installations or complex environment management
By bridging the gap between traditional spreadsheet use and advanced coding practices
this solution grants users access to a wider Python ecosystem
enhancing data analysis capabilities while maintaining Excel's core strengths
we're giving users freedom to control the environment," said Peter Wang
Co-Founder and Chief AI Innovation Officer at Anaconda
"This release marks a significant step forward
enabling Excel users to harness Python's vast ecosystem while maintaining the speed
reliability and accessibility that businesses and individuals have come to expect from their data tools."
Expanding Access to Python in Excel Users access Anaconda Code via the Anaconda Toolbox in Excel
which democratizes Python use within Microsoft Excel
The Toolbox allows users of all skill levels to generate code and create visualizations efficiently
the Toolbox facilitates seamless collaboration between Excel users and Python experts through Anaconda.cloud notebooks
enabling efficient data sharing and teamwork
Excel users with Anaconda Toolbox will now have access to:
Anaconda Code is a direct result of Anaconda’s commitment to its community
Feedback from both Python in Excel users and the broader open-source Python community resulted in a localized Python experience that is widely accessible
Albert Messer died peacefully on Thursday January 16
in Hettinger North Dakota to Katie and John Messer
He married the love of his life Dolores Gerhardt in August 1956
the couple settled in Anaconda in 1963 and opened Coast to Coast Hardware
Al strongly believed in the community of Anaconda and he quickly began his lifelong objective to do all he could for his family and Anaconda
For fifty plus years Al worked tirelessly to advance
He was an active member in the Anaconda Catholic Community
His community involvement would take him through the Mitchell Stadium Track project
Wayne Estes Tournaments and ensuring all that needed had bicycles
During his time in Anaconda he would see many accolades come his way as well
such as Montana State Small Business Person of the Year and many other acknowledgments
he and Dolores welcomed three children; Sheila
wrestling tournaments or school accomplishments
He was determined to share his love of polka music with his grandchildren as well as his love for ice cream
He also maintained strong ties to his siblings attending family reunions as often as possible back in North Dakota
Tim and Liana; grandchildren Jason and Mandy
special granddaughters Nicole and Amanda; great grandchildren Layne and Sierra
He is also survived by his siblings Larry and Diane Messer
Alice and Howard Steiner and Bernie and Jim Staudinger and inlaws Margie and Bob Knoll
He is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews
Albert was preceded in death by his wife Dolores
Katherine and Benno Barth and Eugene Gerhardt
The funeral is scheduled for Saturday January 25
2025 at 10:30 am at Holy Family Catholic Church with burial and luncheon to follow
All are welcome to attend and celebrate Albert’s life
please send donations to Project Care Anaconda Food Bank or a charity of your choice
The family would like to thank all the staff at New Horizons
The family would like to send a special thank you to Dolores and Al’s neighbors and first responders for all their help
Please visit the side bar to offer a condolence or share a memory of Albert
a new add-in for Microsoft Excel that seamlessly brings Python's robust capabilities to the familiar spreadsheet interface
This release empowers Excel users across all teams to leverage Python for data analysis
and automation regardless of their Python experience level
As the use of Python in Excel has rapidly grown
Anaconda has responded to community feedback with a robust set of features that meet the real-world needs of data professionals
accessible analytics tools — including enhanced data preparation
and visualization features — the toolbox guides beginners while enabling developers to run complex code and support data driven decision-making
the toolbox enhances collaboration by enabling seamless data- and code-sharing and joint analysis between Python and Excel users
simplifying the creation and distribution of complex classes and custom functions without the overhead of packaging and publishing
we’re opening new doors for millions of Excel users to tap into Python’s advanced tools without leaving the environment they rely on every day,” said Peter Wang
Co-Founder and Chief AI & Innovation Officer at Anaconda
“This isn’t just about adding new features — it’s about bridging worlds
The launch reflects our commitment to making powerful data capabilities accessible to everyone
allowing organizations to meet their analytics needs securely and efficiently.”
Key Features of Anaconda Toolbox for Excel:
offering attendees insights into real-world applications and the future of Python and data science in Excel
Hear his talk from 10:30-10:45am PST in the Partner Theater located inside the Exhibit Hall
Leo passed away peacefully at home of natural causes
He was one of seven children born to Adelina and Lawrence Jense
Leo graduated from Anaconda High School in 1956
His love of cars led him to a career in autobody work
He won several awards over the years for his meticulous work as a body shop foreman for multiple garages in the area
Leo met his wife Joanne Sconfienza in 1964
Leo and Joanne were blessed with three children
When not with his family you could find him outdoors
He enjoyed cruising in one of his classic cars
or spending time in his world class garden
Leo was a phenomenal gardener and truly enjoyed sharing his bounty with friends
He was a longtime member of the Anaconda Sportsman Club and the Knights of Columbus
He especially enjoyed watching and supporting the Copperheads
you could always count on Leo to lend a helping hand to anyone in need
as well as sisters: Marlene Puccinelli (Ray) and Carol Varelia (Dick)
He is survived by brothers: Fred Jense (Pat) and Gene Jense (Tammy)
Leo leaves behind his children: John Jense (Tracy)
He is also survived grandchildren Vanessa Evans (Brian)
Leo left behind many special friends including Floyd Sather and Terry LaValley
Leo was preceded in death by brother Larry Jense
Funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 am on Thursday
March 27th at Holy Family Church in Anaconda
with Rite of Committal following at Olivet Cemetery in Anaconda
A reception will be held back at the church in the Hunthausen Center
Memorials in honor of Leo are suggested to the Anaconda Sportsman Club at PO Box 1113
Please visit the sidebar to offer condolences or share a memory of Leo
Longfellow Finnegan Riddle Funeral Home has been privileged to care for Leo and his family
ANACONDA — An Anaconda family is headed to the state capital to push for the passage of Chloe’s Law—intended to help protect Montanans from distracted drivers—after they lost their daughter tragically to a distracted driver in 2021
beautiful eyes," says Connie Worl as she scrolls through photographs of her daughter
She was always the first person to step up if someone needed help
Chloe Worl's life unfolds from happy baby pictures to images of her playing softball and musical instruments and riding horses with Dillon's Rambin' Rose Drill Team
Chloe is also photographed with sparkles of sunshine as she embraces her fiance
Connie laments about the future that Chloe lost when she died tragically: the wedding plans
A tragedy the Worls hope other families can avoid if Montana legislators can work together to pass a law to protect others from distracted driving
25-year-old Chloe Worl was struck head-on and was killed instantly by a distracted driver
"The person who killed our daughter was so distracted with whatever she was doing with her texting
she drove in our daughter’s lane for the length of a football field
and didn’t put on the breaks at all," says Worl
the 35-year-old woman who killed Chole Worl pleaded guilty to felony negligent homicide
She admitted to texting while driving 60 miles per hour on a highway outside of Dillon
The woman was given a suspended prison sentence
The Worls say because there is no state law regulating distracted driving there is no way to hold people accountable
"Because we have nothing on the books in our state
We can’t even collect certain funds for our highways because we don’t have a law," says Keith Worl
the Worls attended a national roadway safety meeting in Washington D.C
with hunderds of others who have lost loved ones on America's roadways
they discovered Montana is the holdout state when it comes to passing laws against distracted driving
They are asking for a bipartisan effort to get Senate Bill 359 out of committee and on its way to becoming the law of the land
but let’s be a holdout state for people who care about each other
hold the door for each other—let's be that
Let’s not be a holdout state for something that’s common sense: when you get in the car
You can still use your cellphone; you need to do it a hands-free method," says Connie Worl
— A "long-time favorite" roller coaster at Kings Dominion will be removed before the theme park celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2025
Park officials confirmed the news to CBS 6 on Friday that Anaconda would be demolished
"We understand that saying goodbye to classic rides can be difficult
and we appreciate our guests' passion for Kings Dominion," a spokesperson for the park wrote
The Arrow Dynamics steel coaster was publicized as the world's first looping roller coaster to feature an underwater tunnel when it opened in 1991
Kings Dominion's website describes the ride as a "long-time favorite of park visitors and roller coaster enthusiasts alike."
top speeds of 50 mph and a 360-degree vertical loop
is one of Kings Dominion's most photographed rides
WATCH: Coaster Enthusiast on new Kings Dominion coaster
Kings Dominion announced in late July that it would premiere Rapterra
the world's tallest and longest-launched wing coaster
to celebrate the park's 50th anniversary in 2025
was inspired by the Jungle Hawk and offers riders the sensation of flight
which launches passengers to 65 mph in just four seconds before plummeting into a dive loop and a series of aerial maneuvers
takes only 89 seconds from start to finish
Anaconda's ride time was 1 minute and 50 seconds
"We're confident that the addition of Rapterra and our upcoming 50th anniversary celebration underscores our commitment to elevating the park experience and making every visit truly memorable for all," a park spokesperson said
VIDEO VAULT FROM 2016: Riders stranded at Kings Dominion: ‘We are stuck on the Anaconda’
Construction of Rapterra was completed in the fall
which was when the park announced an old roller coaster would be renamed
originally named Intimidator 305 after NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt
became the tallest roller coaster in the Virginia theme park when it opened in 2010
The new name was part of the ongoing rebranding of the section of Kings Dominion known as Jungle X-Pedition
The website KDFans.com first posted the news of the demolition on Christmas Eve
This is a developing story. What will you miss most about Anaconda? Share your memories on the CBS 6 Facebook page.
— Anaconda's 90th Winter Festival was held over the weekend
a free and powerful desktop application that brings the capabilities of large language models (LLMs) directly to users’ desktops
Users can now interact with locally running LLMs without sending any private information off of their Windows or Mac devices to external cloud services and infrastructure providers
As AI technologies continue to evolve rapidly
so have the challenges of securely adopting and managing these tools
addresses these challenges by offering access to a curated selection of over 200 AI models
tailored for a variety of tasks and device capabilities
Early user interest has been especially strong for both code generation and debugging
with five of the top ten most downloaded models during the public beta coming from the CodeGemma and CodeLlama models
With over 10,000 users actively conducting chats and downloading models
the insights gleaned have already led to significant improvements
including a 300% increase in platform launch speeds
Designed with both individuals and enterprises in mind
and user-friendly way to explore and run generative AI models on your desktop or laptop
Users can access models to perform tasks such as document analysis
tailored to their specific needs and computing resources
Agent creators can also leverage the local API servers to serve AI models locally for the creation and evaluation of AI agents
“AI Navigator's general availability signals our commitment to making AI accessible
and powerful for all users,” said Peter Wang
co-founder and Chief AI & Innovation Officer at Anaconda
“Just as we democratized Python and data science to more than 45 million users
we’re now empowering individuals and organizations to harness the full potential of enterprise-ready AI
AI Navigator ensures AI development is accessible
AI Navigator Paves the Way for Agentic AI Across Industries
AI Navigator empowers individual developers
and enterprises to leverage the power of LLMs while maintaining privacy and security
As part of Anaconda’s vision for the future
agentic AI will play a key role in empowering businesses to build intelligent
autonomous systems capable of performing complex tasks
With the general availability of AI Navigator
Anaconda is expanding its offering of generative AI components
users will be able to create and share their own AI agents—autonomous programs capable of executing tasks and making decisions—making AI more accessible and practical for businesses without requiring deep technical expertise
"AI Navigator is just the beginning," said Steve Croce
"We’re not only simplifying AI model access and management but laying the groundwork for a comprehensive ecosystem where users can build
Our long-term vision is to make AI creation
and governance as accessible as any other everyday digital tool.”