The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
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Last October, Montana was awarded a five-year, $50 million literacy grant through the U.S. Department of Education. In June, the state awarded Lincoln Schools a subgrant for a little over one million dollars. According to a press release from the Office of Public Instruction, the Montana Comprehensive Literacy State Development Project broke the Striving Readers Comprehensive State Development Program literacy grant into competitive subgrants that were awarded to eligible dist...
Beef prices have risen steeply for consumers since COVID-19 hit. At the same time, beef prices for ranchers have dropped. Much of this is due to supply chain disruptions caused when meat processing plants closed in April. Although local restaurant owners say prices have begun to go back down, they're still much higher than in previous years. Jill Frisbee, who owns the Pit Stop, said that all of her meat is at least 25 percent higher in cost, with some up as much as 35 percent....
A flag flown during a combat mission from Kuwait to Iraq especially for the Blackfoot Valley will be awarded for the first time to the first-place business float in the Lincoln Independence Day Parade on Saturday, July 4. Monte Howse, a member of the Montana Air National Guard in Great Falls, donated the flag to the Lincoln Valley Chamber of Commerce's annual Community Benefit last fall, said Laurie Richards, who was president of the LVCC at the time. Howse had previously...
David ‘Tater’ Davis opened a small engine repair shop in Lincoln April 13, 2020, and business is going well. Davis, who moved to Lincoln in 2012, used to work in construction. He began working on chainsaws by fixing problems with ones he owned and discovered a natural talent for small engine work. He said he had been working out of his garage and made the jump to open his own business, called Carburetor Tater, this spring. He rents half of the building at Donut’s Tires at the west end of Lincoln. Originally from Nampa, Idaho...
Dozens came to a party for Rhonda McClure last Wednesday to wish her well on her move back to Wisconsin after 40 years in Montana, most of those spent here in Lincoln with her husband Bob. Rhonda first came to Montana in 1980, when she was stationed at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls. Although she'd won a four-year scholarship to college in Wisconsin, Rhonda chose instead to enlist. Her parents wouldn't sign for her, so she waited until she turned 18 the summer after...
The Lincoln Solid Waste Board has decided to pause plastics recycling for one year, starting July 1, 2020 and ending June 30, 2021. One of the reasons for the move is the COVID pandemic, said Misty Edwards of the Lincoln Solid Waste Board. “We don’t necessarily want the attendants handling plastic,” she said. Edwards said the larger reason for the pause in recycling is changes in the market. “We don’t have a market for plastics right now. Our plastics used to be grouped together in a co-op and sold to China. China changed w...
When COVID-19 restrictions led to the 2020 Lincoln Fireman's Ball cancellation, the Lincoln Volunteer Fire Department adapted by hosting an online auction through Facebook, which concluded May 30. "It's going to be right around $14,000," said Fire Chief Zach Muse, regarding how much money the auction raised. "Considering what's going on, we're more than thrilled." Muse said the Fireman's Ball usually raises $18,000-20,000. "I think we'll probably be okay to make it through...
Hooper Park, had a delayed opening this year due to maintenance issues, but the park's camp host position has been filled for the first time in about three years, said Lincoln Parks Board chairman Nyle Howsmon. The bathrooms at Hooper Park, which reopened last summer after a two-and-a-half-year closure, needed repairs this year and caused a delay in the park's seasonal opening this year. "We actually missed Memorial Day," said Howsmon. "There were a couple of repairs from the...
Amid concerns about COVID-19, rodeos across Montana have been canceled, but the 68th annual Lincoln Rodeo will go ahead as planned this year, on July 4 and 5. Sharla Lewenight, secretary and treasurer of the Lincoln Rodeo Club, said the club had been waiting for Phase Two of the Reopening the Big Sky plan to go into effect, which happened June 1. "I called our insurance. That was a go," said Lewenright. She said the Health Department also gave the event the go-ahead. "This is...
Lincoln Skatepark construction wrapped up Memorial Day weekend, apart from some remaining dirt work, paint, landscaping and signage. The park won't be open for use until after park rules signs are posted, said project coordinator Karyn Good, who will consult with the county to determine that date. The grand opening is not scheduled yet, either, but Good is planning for the event this summer. "Jeff Ament will be attending the event, so I'll work with him to come up with a date...
Envision Lincoln has applied for two new grants to support in-town trails efforts and is in the beginning stages of gathering input regarding how to move forward as a Montana Main Street member. A USDA Rural Business Development Grant will support further planning related to trail cost estimates, trail surface design, easements, tree removal and wayfinding, according to Envision Lincoln's lead organizer Karyn Good. "The USDA grant would support trails planning by encouraging...
The Lincoln School Board decided in their May 11 meeting to hold graduation ceremonies June 6 outside on the football field, using social distancing measures and limiting total attendees to 150. The school plans to rent a 36-inch LED screen to display the ceremony and use FM radio transmission for attendees who would like to stay in their cars to watch graduation. The board discussed having kindergarten graduation at 10 a.m., 8th grade graduation at 11:30 a.m., and seniors at... Full story
At the May 11 Lincoln School Board meeting, board members approved new hires for the 2020-21 school year, discussed job postings for open positions, how to disburse funds originally designated for the senior class trip, and plans for graduation ceremonies. Superintendent Jennifer Packer recommended Dani Cyr for the preschool position and Drew Blubaugh for the K-12 PE/Health position. A recommendation was also made for filling the 7-12 grade English position, although the candidate hasn’t accepted the position yet. All t...
Lincoln resident Luke Shimer won the Backcountry Hunter's and Angler's national 2020 turkey calling competition, the Struttin' and Cluckin' Calling Classic. Beginning in mid-April, Shimer recorded a series of turkey calls for the digital competition which took place on Instagram. Up to eight callers participated in each state competition. There were more than 250 competitors overall. Shimer advanced through each of the rounds to take first through a combination of judging and...
The annual Lincoln Bike Rally, hosted by the Tenacious Dames Riding Club, has been canceled for ths year, but is scheduled to return next summer, from July 9 -11, 2021. The decision was not an easy one, according to Tina Bundtrock, Tenacious Dames State Event Coordinator. "Just generally, we know this was a tough call. We knew it was just another hit financially for the town, and that made us not feel good," said Bundtrock. "We were on the phone for three hours, and this was... Full story
The Lincoln Airport received $20,000 in funding through the CARES Act to support operations and maintenance. The Lincoln Airport had a series of projects lined up to use Federal Aviation Administration grant funds through the Airport Improvement Program, which funds projects at 90 percent and requires a 10 percent match in local funds. "About $140,000 in local match money is required for these projects," said Conway. "$20,000 will come from the CARES Act allocated to the...
The April meals match program developed by Becky Garland from Action Realty brought in an estimated $6,000 to support local food banks, senior meals and families. Over the course of four Thursdays, Garland offered to pay $1 for each take-out order from the three local restaurants serving meals during closures, which included the Montanan, the Pit Stop and the Wheel Inn. The total number of tickets served came to 307. “It’s hard for me to split it up, so I’m going to donate $307 to the food bank and $307 to senior meals,” said...
The Lincoln School Board held a special meeting on Tuesday, Apr 27 to discuss schooling through the end of the year and graduation. "Due to the restrictions imposed on schools if they wish to reopen, to the safety and acclimation of students, and to the impact on families with high risk students or family members, the School Board approved to extend online schooling through the end of the school year," Superintendent Jennifer Packer wrote in an email update after the meeting....
Many Lincoln businesses have been closed for longer than a month, and those closures have wide-reaching impacts. Restaurants and bars have been some of the hardest hit, with the first closure order from Lewis and Clark Public Health for dine-in businesses going into effect Mar 17. Governor Steve Bullock then mandated the closures continue from Mar 20-27 and extended them twice, first to Apr 10, then to Apr 24. On Apr 22, Bullock announced that dine-in establishments would be allowed to begin reopening with restrictions on... Full story
As Gov. Steve Bullock's COVID-19 related stay-home directives begin to be lifted, many, but not all, Lincoln area businesses are ready to reopen their doors. Several restaurants, including the Montanan, Wheel Inn and Lincoln Pit Stop, have continued to provide curbside pickup meals during the closure. Laurie Richards, from the Wheel Inn, said, "It's been going better than expected. We've had so much support from not only the locals, but our weekend people that have cabins...
Lincoln School may continue distance learning for the remainder of the school year, following a school board discussion at their April 20 meeting and a recommendation developed by the staff after Governor Steve Bullock announced an easing of the directives that closed schools statewide in March. In an email update to parents on Friday, Apr 24, Packer wrote: "With all this, we have decided to recommend to the board that we finish the year out on-line. We are doing this for the... Full story
Under the Gov. Steve Bullock’s plan to reopen the state, churches began meeting again beginning Sunday, April 26 and many Upper Blackfoot Valley churches took the opportunity to return to in-person services. The Blackfoot Valley Bible Church held services Sunday. Pastor Art McCafferty said he called congregation members to let them know about required social distancing measures and to let them know that “there would be no greeting, no hand-shaking.” He added that members were instructed to sit only with their immediate famil...
How Lincoln School will end its school year will depend on how the Governor's stay-at-home and school-closure directives are lifted and what the phased reopening of the state looks like. This will impact whether students continue distance learning through the end of the school year, if high school spring sports resume, and how schools handle graduation celebrations. The Office of Public Instruction issued a memo April 9 advising schools to continue their distance learning... Full story
With residents across the state staying at home in response to Governor Bullock’s directive, libraries are offering programs to encourage kids, individuals and families to write letters to seniors. Lewis & Clark Library plans to launch a program to coordinate mail efforts to several assisted living facilities during the month of April. Bretagne Byrd, the librarian spearheading the program, organizes bookmobile visits to senior and assisted living facilities throughout Lewis and Clark County. With many facilities suspending n... Full story
Local restaurants and Action Realty are teaming up to support groups in Lincoln throughout the month of April. Every Thursday, Action Realty is donating $1 for each meal order placed at Lincoln restaurants providing curbside or take-out service. This includes The Montanan Steakhouse, which is serving Thursdays-Sundays, and The Pit Stop and The Wheel Inn, which are serving starting at 11 a.m. seven days a week. Becky Garland said she thought up the idea while on a walk. “You know in these kinds of situations you always t... Full story
