Divisions exposed in Reardan council

REARDAN — In a fiery clash that exposed raw divisions in Reardan, a resident publicly branded a council member as “radical” during a city council meeting, sparking heated demands for apologies and debates over transparency in the town’s governance.

The Thursday, March 5 session at the fire department featured sharp exchanges among officials and the public. Mayor Kathy Eastman presided, with council members Rocky Kidder, Dan Graham and Leanne Merkel present. Clerk-treasurer Sam Mathis attended, while Wayne Terry and Pat Hogan were absent.

Tensions emerged early during approval of prior minutes,...