Week of November 10, 2024
Week of November 10, 2024
LINCOLN, Mont: The Montana Department of Transportation and Sletten Construction, in collaboration with Lewis and Clark County, are pleased to announce that the new Dalton Mountain Road Bridge is now open following a successful inspection on Friday morning. The new bridge replaces a timber structure that stood in the same location for 68 years. In 2017, the old bridge suffered several foundation pile failures, and Lewis and Clark County nominated it for replacement. Emergency...
Helena, MT - The first draft of the Lewis and Clark County Growth Policy and Future Land Use Map are now available for public review, and the County is calling on residents to provide their feedback. This marks the second round of public engagement for the Growth Policy update following an online survey and a series of open houses, community meetings, and discussions with stakeholder groups earlier this year, which were instrumental in shaping this first draft. What is a...
Oct. 10, 2024 - In cooperation with Lewis and Clark County, the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) and Sletten Construction are replacing the Dalton Mountain Road Bridge over the Blackfoot River, 3 miles west of Lincoln. A detour is in place via Herrin Lake Road, Stemple Pass Road, and Montana Highway 200 (MT 200). Deck curing is underway. This week, crews are working on riprap placement, bridge end backfills, and preparing roadway approaches for the concrete pavement...
With some studies finding that home insurance rates have ballooned 44 percent in Montana over the past five years, the affordability and availability of insurance have become cornerstone issues in the state auditor election. James Brown, a Republican currently serving as president of Montana's utility board, is squaring off against John Repke, a Democrat and retired businessman, for the open seat to become Montana's top consumer watchdog. Whoever wins the election on Nov. 5...
The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Thursday that Montana's pandemic-era law barring vaccine mandates and data collection may go into effect in health care settings, reversing a federal judge's injunction from 2022 after state attorneys appealed the case early last year. House Bill 702, which was already in place for many other private businesses and employment settings, prohibits employers from discriminating on the basis of a person's vaccination status. The law...
Sept. 19 - In cooperation with Lewis and Clark County, the Montana Department of Transportation and Sletten Construction are replacing the Dalton Mountain Road Bridge over the Blackfoot River, 3 miles west of Lincoln. A detour is in place via Herrin Lake Road, Stemple Pass Road, and Montana Highway 200. This week, the installation of the first two loads of steel trusses for the north and center spans is underway. This involves bolting the trusses and associated beams to the...
Missoula, Mont., Sept. 10, 2024 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service's Northern Region announces investments of more than $8 million on two National Forests in Montana, in support of the Collaborative Wildfire Risk Reduction Program. These investments will be funded by hazardous fuels funds from the Inflation Reduction Act. CWRRP is designed to significantly reduce wildfire risk on National Forest Service lands outside of the 21 designated Wildfire Crisis...
According to a newly published roadmap from the Bureau of Land Management, about 572,000 acres of land in Montana have some baseline potential for utility-scale solar development, more than double the acreage the agency identified in the draft Environmental Impact Statement it released in January. The revised Western Solar Plan released in late August identifies 31 million acres of BLM-administered land that could be suitable for solar projects of five megawatts or greater...
According to a newly published roadmap from the Bureau of Land Management, about 572,000 acres of land in Montana have some baseline potential for utility-scale solar development, more than double the acreage the agency identified in the draft Environmental Impact Statement it released in January. The revised Western Solar Plan released in late August identifies 31 million acres of BLM-administered land that could be suitable for solar projects of five megawatts or greater...
A state district court judge has issued a final order in a dispute over Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks' approach to elk management. Tenth Judicial District Court Judge Gregory Todd ruled Friday that FWP and the Fish and Wildlife Commission have considered the concerns of private landowners and managed for a sustainable elk population. The order dispenses with the last remaining claim United Property Owners of Montana raised in a lawsuit it filed against the state in 2022....
Helena MT – Lewis and Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton has lifted evacuation warnings for the Black Mountain Fire near Lincoln, Montana. Under the evacuation warning, access to the area north of Highway 200 from Lone Point Drive to the east just past Stonewall Creek, north of Lone Point Drive and Tamarack Lane, north of North Lincoln Gulch/Morris Drive, north of the intersection of Beaver Creek Road and Stonewall Creek and all feeder roads north of that intersection had been...
HELENA – Attorney General Austin Knudsen is encouraging Montanans to be on high-alert and take measures to protect their identity following reports that billions of records, including social security numbers and other sensitive information, may have been compromised. According to reports, a hacking group USDoD allegedly stole personal records of 2.9 billion people and claims to be selling it online for millions. The data includes names, address histories, relatives, and...
The Lewis and Clark County Commission is seeking interested citizens to serve on the following boards: Augusta Cemetery Board Augusta Solid Waste District Board of Adjustment City-County Library Board Compensation Board Fair Board Forestvale Historic Preservation Committee Human Services Task Force Investment Committee Lewis and Clark County DUI Task Force Lincoln Cemetery District Lincoln Parks Board Noxious Weed Board – Augusta, Wolf Creek Open Lands Citizens Advisory...
To the people of Lincoln, If you wanted me to go out with a bang, you succeeded. Who else would have done this for their UPS man, but the fine people of Lincoln? I am so humbled by all the attention. Having all my Lincoln friends, the IR and KTVH in attendance made the whole experience heartwarming and yes, intimidating. It was a great sendoff for me. Retiring was the hardest decision I have ever made. All I did was love my job and the people I served. You are all like...
The Lincoln Community Hall appreciates and wants to recognize the Lincoln Putt Putt for its very generous donation of $1000 to the Hall this year, and also for the sizable donations in previous years. Over the last 16 years, this fun event has brought folks to our community, which in turn helps the local economy. The substantial proceeds have gone to our various organizations. Bonnie Christian has led this event for many years but "it takes a village" to make it happen. We...
The Lewis and Clark County Commission is seeking interested citizens to serve on the following boards: Airport Authority Board Board of Adjustment Compensation Board Consolidated City and County Planning Board Forestvale Cemetery Board Forestvale Historic Preservation Committee Lewis and Clark County DUI Task Force Lincoln Parks Board Lincoln Solid Waste Board Noxious Weed Board – Augusta, Wolf Creek Open Lands Citizens Advisory Committee Scratchgravel Solid Waste District...
At its August 12 meeting, he Lincoln School Board of Trustees voted to hire former Superintendent Kathy Heisler as an interim Superintendent for one year while the District looks for a long term administrator. The Trustees had previously hired Mike Boyle, an experienced administrator, to take over the position after Jennifer Packer's retirement on June 20, 2024. But Mr. Boyle resigned only one week after beginning work in July 2024, after finding the commuting distance from...
HELENA – Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, along with partners at the Heart of the Rockies Initiative, will be working over the next five years to help landowners proactively reduce conflicts with grizzly bears using nearly $12 million in federal funds. FWP has been awarded nearly $5 million in Department of Interior funding from a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant. This new funding complements more than $6 million provided by a Regional Conservation Partnership...
HAVRE – Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks game wardens want to remind hunters and homeowners that baiting deer and other game animals for hunting purposes and/or purposely feeding game animals in Montana is illegal. Many sporting goods stores in Montana offer feed, supplements, and other baiting attractants that are targeted to these various game animals. Although it is legal for venders to sell these attractants, it is not legal for Montanans to use them for hunting purposes....
This year FWP will continue chronic wasting disease surveillance and monitoring in specific areas known as Priority Sampling Areas across southwestern, central, and central-eastern Montana. *Carcass disposal requirements: Carcass parts, such as brain, eyes, spleen, lymph glands, and spinal cord material, should be left at the kill site when possible. If the animal is transported for taxidermy or meat processing, the brain and spinal tissue must be bagged and disposed of...
Sep 9, 2024 3:22 PM Montana's millions of acres of private land offer some excellent hunting opportunities-the only catch is gaining the landowner's permission to hunt. It is Montana law that hunters obtain landowner permission to hunt on all private land. Here are a few things to keep in mind that will greatly improve results when attempting to secure hunting access to private land. *Show courtesy to the landowner and make hunting arrangements by calling or visiting at times...
DESTINATION: WESTERN MONTANA (REGION 2) After a colder and snowier 2022-2023 winter, we returned to a milder and much less snowy winter during 2023-2024 (although there were a few cold snaps). Given the milder winter conditions and the decent fall leading up to it, animals fared well and were observed to be in good late-winter/early-spring body condition during our annual spring surveys. Spring green-up arrived early this year, benefiting wildlife. We suspect that the mild...
The subadult female grizzly bear wasn't hanging around to wait for the trap door to open all the way. She was done with confinement. With the buzz of a drone above her and the Wyoming high country in front of her, she bounded out the culvert-shaped trap when the door was only halfway up. Before her was the wild heart of Wyoming, an entire state away from where she had lived just one day prior. This female grizzly bear, all 204 pounds of her, represents a coordinated and...
HELENA – The wolf population in Montana remains healthy, according to the 2023 Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Wolf Report. Increased harvest during the 2023 wolf season has not yet resulted in an estimated decline to the statewide total. However, FWP biologists expect to see a moderate decline in wolf numbers next year resulting from the increased harvest in early 2024. "We are committed to following the law to reduce wolf numbers to a sustainable level, which means...
As a U.S. Senator for Idaho, a state enormously impacted by wildfires decimating communities and landscapes each year, I, Senator Crapo, am a long-time advocate for active forest management that restores forest health to help reduce the number and intensity of fires and protects our communities. And as a former wildland firefighter, I, Madi Clark, know all too well the disastrous consequences of poor federal land management. What the two of us have in common is an experienced point of view about the current mismanagement of...
This November, Montana voters will decide whether to adopt two separate constitutional amendments: CI-126 to require a non-partisan Top 4 multi-party primary system to determine which candidates advance to the general election; and CI-127 to require 50% support to win an election. Montana is currently an "open" primary state, meaning voters are able to choose either a Republican or Democrat ballot during a primary without needing to belong to one of these private political...
When you receive your absentee ballot or go to the polls on November 5, you might ask yourself why there are so many proposed constitutional amendments on our ballot this year. Certainly, one reason is the enormous amount of out-of-state money pouring into our state this election with the overall goal of changing Montana to be more like California or Illinois. Why is Illinois Governor Pritzger giving $500,000, California residents Gwendolyn Sontheim giving $1.1 million, and...
By Stewards of the Swan Valley Two years ago, a Utah ski corporation and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) announced a plan to highly develop the rustic Holland Lake Lodge on public land in Condon in the rural Swan Valley. The ski corporation, POWDR, and USFS touched off a blistering public debate about the future not only of the small town and relatively wild valley, but a discussion about the future of Montana and the high-dollar outside influences changing the Big Sky State's...
As health care providers, hospital leaders, nurses, and support staff who serve or have served rural Montana communities, we condemn the recent television ads and full-page advertisements by Jon Tester's campaign and the absolute lies being told to our fellow neighbors. The ads, some of which use the names and photos of local hospitals, falsely accuse Tim Sheehy of threatening rural hospitals, misleading the patients we serve. Some of us have gotten to know Tim through his...
If you've followed media coverage of Congress over the past few years, it's been hard to escape two impressions: Not much gets done there, and members spend a lot of their time tearing into one another. We can argue about the first-certainly, recent Congresses have been less productive than their predecessors-but now there's hard evidence that the second impression is just plain wrong. The vast majority of members, it turns out, focus on substance and policy, not on personal...
We're less than 100 days away from a presidential election that many Americans consider the most consequential of their lifetimes. So, it's hardly surprising that most of the attention in the runup to November is focused there. But I'm here today to make a plea: Pay attention to congressional and legislative contests, too. I say this not out of some civic do-gooder belief that all public offices matter, but because what happens in this year's congressional and legislative...
Do you own a home and wonder what it's worth? You can easily look up your address on Zillow and see the estimated value is rapidly rising, translating to more property taxes. Too many Montana families cannot keep up with an annual $249-million property tax increase imposed by Republican Governor Gianforte and his party in the Legislature. Yet, after months of analysis by the Governor's property tax task force, they recommended a complicated process that will raise our taxes...
Post-traumatic stress disorder is a scary reality facing 13 million Americans, acutely affecting veterans who risked their lives to serve our country and resilient survivors of sexual assault and domestic abuse. Helping these individuals find relief where they can is imperative, and one federal agency is considering action that could do just that. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is set to vote on the approval of MDMA-assisted therapy (MDMA-AT) to treat PTSD in the next...
Belinda earned her Heavenly wings suddenly Aug. 10, 2024, in Missoula, Mont. She was born in Chico, Calif. on Jan. 1, 1963, to Harvey and Patricia Walker, who were waiting for her at Heaven's gate to join them. She grew up in the Chico area until the family moved to Winston, Oregon. Where she attended school and graduated from Douglas High in 1981. She then attended Umpqua Community College, where she met the love of her life Jeffery Meeks. Shortly after that their family...
Anna Marie Cox, age 85, passed away Monday, July 29, 2024, of natural causes in Great Falls, Mont. She was surrounded by family in her final hours. Anna was born Dec. 15, 1938, to Armand and Helen Crooks and blessed with one younger sister, Patricia. She was a graduate of Pleasant Hill High School in 1957. Anna married Dennis Baca Sept. 27, 1957, and together they welcomed two children, David and Teri. As a family they spent a lot of time at the racetrack and in the ocean....
Pioneer Wireless, LLC proposes to construct a 195-ft (199-ft overall with appurtenances) AGL monopole communications tower south of a portion of Stemple Pass Road, north of a portion of Gould Creek Road, southeast of the Town of Lincoln, in Lewis and Clark County, Montana. Interested persons are invited to identify historic sites already listed in, or that may be eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places in the vicinity of the proposed facility and to...
AA Tradition One if you need to talk, call Jay at 406-750-1238 or Dawn at 406-362-4697 Alcoholics Anonymous, Lincoln Chapter 6-7 p.m., Lambkins restaurant back room. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. American Legion, Post 9 7 p.m., Third Wednesday of the month, Lincoln Community Hall Blackfoot Community Conservation Area Council Meeting 7 p.m., First Thursday of the month, Ovando Fire Hall Cal 406-739-3900 to confirm Blackfoot Challenge Board...
Lincoln Community United Methodist Church Worship, 10:30 a.m. First and Third Sunday of the month, Pastor Terry Turner. For Food Bank information, please contact Diane Ironi at the Senior Ctr. Blackfoot Valley Bible Church Sunday Worship 11 a.m. Adult Sunday Bible Study, 9:45 a.m.; Ladies Bible Class, 2:45 p.m. Tuesday at the church; Men’s Breakfast and Bible Study, Friday 7 a.m.; Sunday evening Prayer Meeting, 6 p.m. Pastor Art McCafferty, 362-4714. Community Bible Church of Lincoln Sunday Worship Service, 11:00 a.m. at...
