POSITIVE INFLUENCE

Construction on the highway probably isn't the highlight of anyone's day. But as FiberTel has been laying fiber optic lines through the county this construction season, travelers have been getting an extra dose of positivity.

Samantha Whittington is from Kalispell. She is one of the flaggers that locals have encountered during construction this summer. Whittington, 28, is notable because she makes an effort to smile and wave at every car that drives by. "I always wave at everybody," said Whittington, who started working for Mountain West Holding Company this year. "There's so much negativity in the world and it's just nice to see people smile."

Motorists have appreciated Whittington's smiles and waves. "One man brought me coffee and said I blessed him and his family every time they drove by," she detailed. Another man drove by Whittington, then turned around and came back to apologize for not waving back at her. A delivery driver told Whittington that she was her favorite flagger.

Stephanie Yancy is Whittington's supervisor with Mountain West. "I try to wave, but I can't wave like her," Yancy said. "She's good at her job and so positive."

Whittington joked she smiles bigger and waves harder at speeders when they go through the construction zones.

While sitting in construction may be a burden, Whitington will continue to be a bright spot for local travelers.