The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
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The Department of Health and Human Services recently announced expansion of the Montana Warmline service to help support Montanans during COVID-19. The Warmline was established in 2008 to provide telephone and online support services for people with mental illness. "(Mental Health America) has been monitoring the line for the last few years, and has seen more callers calling in with some not getting through to a responder, so we wanted to extend our hours before COVID-19...
Despite reports of vacation rental increases across Montana in response to COVID-19, hotels in the Lincoln and Ovando area haven’t seen that business. An article from the Montana Free Press on March 27 cited estimated increases in vacation rental revenue from 36 percent in Red Lodge to 107 percent in Livingston during the first half of March, with similar increases expected in Big Sky and Whitefish. With Montana’s first reported COVID-19 case reported March 13, and Gov. Steve Bullock’s directives that residents stay at home... Full story
Parker Medical Clinic is still seeing patients and has adapted the clinic to ensure everyone's safety in light of COVID-19 concerns. "Our staff is there," said Jill-Marie Steeley, Executive Director of Pureview Health Center. "We've separated the clinic into two spaces so that we can keep patients and staff safe." The Clinic is screening all patients either by phone or at that front door. Patients with any symptoms in line with COVID-19 are taken into the building through a... Full story
Lincoln School teachers adapted quickly to Governor Bullock's March 15 announcement that schools would be closing for two weeks, rallying together and compiling materials to ensure students at all grade levels would continue to receive quality instruction. "Everyone was really great about getting their plans put in place quickly, and by Wednesday, our students had packets or online classes to work with," Laura Allen-Bullis, the business and technology teacher, said. Annette Ga...
Two weeks ago, when school closures were announced with little warning, Lincoln Telephone stepped in to work with Lincoln Schools to get internet access to all students in the district. Lincoln Telephone manager Aaron Daniel said Governor Bullock encouraged telephone companies to work with their school districts to ensure students would have access to internet from their homes to continue their education during school closures. "We waived all costs, installs, and equipment...
Lewis and Clark County Commission Susan Good Geise joined the Montana 2020 Senate race as a Libertarian candidate on March 18. When Libertarian candidate Eric Fulton withdrew his candidacy on the last day to file, the Montana Libertarian Party had one week to find a replacement. At a special meeting on March 17, the Libertarian party nominated Geise to step in as the party's replacement candidate. "This was absolutely not on my radar, but I have given my life to public...
The Lincoln Volunteer Ambulance performs well above the national average when giving life-saving CPR. This year alone, the LVA team has made two CPR saves, meaning patients made it to the hospital with a pulse. Over the past five years, they've had at least nine saves. The national average cardiac arrest survival rate, also called the Utstein rate, is just 33 percent. LVA President Aaron Birkholz said that he expects the survival rate for patients treated by the Lincoln...
With organizations and agencies shutting down in attempts to slow the spread of the coronavirus, communities are having to navigate lost access to services. On Sunday, both the Lincoln School District and the Lewis & Clark Library, including the Lincoln Branch, announced closures. The Lincoln School District will be closed for two weeks, and the Lincoln Library for at least four weeks. Patricia Spencer, the Public Information Officer for Lewis & Clark Library, said, "It's...
After spending weeks designing experiments, writing hypotheses, and testing out theories, Pre-K through 10th grade students presented their findings to judges on Thursday, Mar. 5 at the annual Lincoln School Science Fair. Nancy Schwalm is a new science teacher this year at Lincoln School, and this was her first experience coordinating the Science Fair. "I think it went very well. Obviously, I learned some things that I'm going to do differently next time," said Schwalm. She...
Jeff Ament, bass guitarist for Pearl Jam, is originally from Big Sandy, Mont., and has helped build more than a dozen skateparks in rural towns throughout Montana, from St. Ignatius to Glendive to Havre. A group of students, along with some dedicated adults, hope to add Lincoln to that list this year by building a skatepark in Hooper Park where the horseshoe pits currently are. In 2018, students approached Ament about supporting a skatepark in Lincoln. At that time, Ament...
When students need extra help with academics, whether for sports eligibility or to brush up on a difficult subject, there aren’t many opportunities in Lincoln. One option for students is to work with their current teachers for more help. Lincoln School Superintendent Jennifer Packer said teachers are contractually obligated to stay at school until 4:45 p.m., and students can get help during that time. Additionally, for students who choose to receive help through what is sometimes called Zero-Zero or are assigned to it, teache...
Groomed cross-country ski trails around the Lincoln School track and through Blackfoot Pathways: Sculpture in the Wild and the adjacent Forest Service property received an expansion onto private property this winter, providing greater access to Lincoln skiers and snowshoers. The Lincoln Outdoor Club works with the Lincoln Ranger District every year to groom trails for students to snow-shoe and cross-country ski on. "They have been terrific at keeping up with the trail maintena...
A new student-initiated class at the Lincoln School District this year has started a YouTube channel and creates a school-related news broadcast every two weeks. In April 2019, Sage Kamps and Jaken Shelton, then juniors, attended Journalism Day at the University of Montana with English teacher Philip Reed. Based on what they learned, they proposed that Lincoln students create a media class to make a regular broadcast with school news. When Laura Allen-Bullis took on the class,...
When Lincoln technology teacher Laura Allen-Bullis wanted to upgrade the seating in her classroom to keep up with student needs, she sought funding for wobble stools, chairs with rounded bases that allow students to move while staying seated. Allen-Bullis listed her project on DonorsChoose, a website designed to help teachers fundraise for classrooms and projects, to raise the $1200 needed to replace seating for all the computers in her room. Local funders quickly began to sup...
Every February, Lincoln School librarian Joanie Templeton organizes the Read It program for students up to 6th grade to encourage reading activities throughout the month. Working with teachers to set goals for each class, Templeton coordinates prizes with local businesses and organizations to reward students who meet their goals. The program culminates each year with a Read It Night celebration for students and their families. This year, Templeton expanded the program to include preschoolers, so eight grade levels are...
The Lincoln School Board held their regularly monthly meeting Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. in the Lincoln School Library. The meeting included updates about the open school board trustee position, upcoming student activities, athletics, and the school website. One petition has been submitted for the open school board trustee position currently held by Wendi Dietz. The petition filing deadline is Mar. 26, and if necessary, an election will be held May 5. Superintendent Jennifer Packer is...
The Lincoln Senior Center celebrated Valentine’s Day on Friday with a special roast beef lunch. The original sign-up sheet had room for 30 attendees, but Senior Center Coordinator Diane Ironi increased the limit and had about 40 people arrive for lunch, gifts, and entertainment. Ironi said she hadn’t seen this large a response to a Senior Center event since the annual Christmas party lunch in December. Attendees were seated at tables and served roast beef, mashed potatoes, rolls, and apples and carrots. “It was really good,...
Lincoln Public Schools introduced a new class this semester to manage the school's website. Four students will be working with technology teacher Laura Allen-Bullis to update and refresh the website and content. "The students are really excited to make it better," she said. The students have already begun work on the website. "We looked at Class C school websites and discussed what we liked and what we didn't, what we need and don't," said Allen-Bullis. The students really lik...
Local 5th grader Elijah Barnett was one of five winners in the Lewis & Clark Library’s annual Dear Author Contest this January, earning a Sphere SPRK+ robot for himself, four tickets to a Helena Big Horns hockey game, and $150 for the Lincoln School Library. The contest, which is similar to the Library of Congress’s program Letters About Literature, invited 4th and 5th grade students to write a letter to an author who inspired them and submit it to their public library. The letters were then judged by a small team of Lew...
The Montana Snowmobile Association's annual Trans-Montana week-long charity ride will take place from Feb. 6-11, to benefit the Montana chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. There are currently about 28 riders signed up for the event which will start in Seeley Lake and come to Lincoln that night. The rides are all guided by local snowmobile clubs, and Ponderosa Snow Warriors president Mark Christian has organized the guides for the Lincoln area ride on Friday,...
In 2017, the Lincoln Volunteer Ambulance expected to shut down without the passage of the mill levy that allowed the Lincoln Rural Fire Department to contract emergency medical services through the ambulance service. The levy passed in May of that year, but adequate funding continues to be a struggle for the LVA, particularly due to unpaid ambulance bills. "The mill levy definitely helps, but it was kind of a Band-Aid," LVA President Aaron Birkholz said.He estimates that the L...
A new batch of students have enrolled in the Emergency Medical Technician course offered through the Lincoln Volunteer Ambulance that began this month. The class, which started the week of Jan. 6, is offered every year or two depending on interest. Kristy Fry, who is currently an EMT, is the lead instructor for this course. Although the class costs $300, students who work with or join the ambulance after becoming EMT certified will be reimbursed for the cost. The class began...
Lincoln’s wrestling club, the Lincoln Loggers, had their first tournament two weekends ago in Shelby and will have one or two tournaments every weekend from now until Mar. 7. The club, composed of two girls and nine boys, ranges in age from six to 13. Several students are new wrestlers this year, including three of the four oldest students. It can be tough as a new wrestler in an older age bracket. “There’s a high likelihood of facing kids who have been doing it the whole time,” Coach Ezra Schwalm noted. He tells the kids th...
The Ponderosa Snow Warriors have several upcoming rides this winter, snow permitting. The first, a midnight fun run teaming up with the Montana Disabled American Veterans, was to be held in conjunction with the club's first annual Snowdeo on Feb. 8. The Fun run is still moving ahead, but due to a lack of volunteers and help, the Snowdeo has been canceled. Club secretary Bonnie Christian hopes they can hold the Snowdeo next year. Despite having a robust membership she said the...
The Lincoln School Board held its monthly meeting Jan. 20 at 7 p.m. in the Lincoln School Library. This month’s meeting, which was delayed a week, included updates on school organizations, the resignations of two staff members and the approval of the 2020-21 school calendar. Two staff members turned in resignations, which were accepted. Preschool teacher’s aide Mishayla Fallis, who’s position is being filled by a substitute, is in school to become an elementary teacher. Second grade teacher Loretta Greenough also plans to le...
