Malta's LaFond sets up in Havre

Like a good neighbor, Tom LaFond is there...he's just not as close as he used to be.

On New Year's Day, LaFond, a longtime Malta resident, opened his new State Farm Insurance Agency office in Havre, Mont., after nearly a year's worth of schooling in California and Helena in order to obtain his license.

"The schooling was nine months," LaFond said. "I had to pass all of the Montana exams, all six of them ... property, causality, life and health, bank and securities."

LaFond, who turned 50 last year, said that going back to school wasn't ideal, but it wasn't as strenuous as climbing electri...