The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
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Experience Montana history for free February 28-29 as the Montana Historical Society waives its admission fee during the two-day Leap of Kindness celebration. Be one of the first to experience the new “Good Beer Here” exhibit, which traces the path of Montana’s complicated yet longtime love affair with brewing beer. The exhibit walks visitors through the earliest brewing years, through prohibition, and the most recent explosion of microbrewing in Montana. It also explores the synergies between beer and agriculture as Monta...
Private Land/Public Wildlife Council to meet March 2-3 in Helena The Private Land/Public Wildlife Council will meet on March 2 and 3 in Helena at the Holiday Inn Express, 3170 N. Sanders Street. The council will meet from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on March 2 and from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on March 3. Public comment will be taken at 4:15 p.m. on March 2 and 1 p.m. on March 3. Council members will work to refine scoring criteria for the new public access land agreement program created in...
As the current license year is winding down, hunters and anglers can look for a few immediate changes for the coming year. The new license year starts on March 1, which means that is the day you can buy your 2020 hunting and fishing licenses and begin applying for permits and special licenses. The deadline to apply for deer and elk permits is April 1. Hunters should keep a couple of things in mind as they look to the application process for this year. First, this will be the...
Helena -The Lewis & Clark Library Lincoln Branch and the Lincoln School Library are teaming up to encourage consistent reading for Pre-K - 6th graders. Lewis & Clark Libraries are providing a Winter Reading program through the month of January that is open to all ages. Grades PreK-6 will have the opportunity to take part in the Read It Challenge through the Lincoln School during the month of February. Students who participate in both programs will have their names submitted...
Landowners have until March 16 to submit applications to Montana Fish, Wildlife, & Parks for enrollment in the Unlocking Public Lands Program to be eligible for up to $3,000 in tax credits. The Unlocking Public Lands program is designed to provide recreational public access to state (Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation) or federal (Bureau of Land Management or United States Forest Service) land where no legal public access currently exists. In exchange...
Billings - Girl Scouts across Montana and Wyoming will begin taking pre-orders for favorites including Thin Mints, Samoas, Tagalongs, Do-si-dos, Trefoils, Girl Scout S'mores™ and the gluten free variety, Toffee-tastics. The Girl Scouts are lao introducing a new variety called Lemon-Ups; a crispy lemon cookie baked with messages inspired by Girl Scout Entrepreneurs. There are several ways to order the cookies in the coming months: Pre-orders last from Feb. 7 - 23, with d...
HELENA – The Montana Department of Revenue will open the state Individual Income Tax filing season on Monday, Jan. 27. Once again, the department encourages Montanans to file electronically. “E-filing is the easiest and most secure way to file your returns, prevent fraud, avoid errors, and get your refund as quickly as possible,” said Montana Department of Revenue Director Gene Walborn. Because of the department’s efforts to protect Montanans against fraud, filers should allow up to 90 days to receive their refunds. Montana h...
The Private Land/Public Wildlife Council will meet Jan. 27, from 1 to 5 p.m., and Jan. 28, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 pm., at the Helena Holiday Inn Express, located at 3170 N. Sanders Street. A time for public comment has been set for 1 p.m. on the Jan. 28. During the meeting, council members will work to develop new recommendations that may require attention during the 2021 Montana legislative session as well as refine the new public access land agreement program created in the...
HELENA-On January 1, the U.S. Census Bureau will begin the selection process for various census positions in preparation of the 2020 Census. These positions offer competitive pay, flexible hours, paid training and weekly paychecks. Pay rates in the state are around $17 an hour and $19.50 in urban areas and workers will also have their mileage covered. All part-time applicants working on the Montana census will be able to maintain their federal benefits and assistance such as...
HELENA, Mont. – Kathy Bushnell of Helena, Mont. has accepted a permanent position as the Helena District Ranger on the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest. Bushnell has worked in the District Ranger position since September in a temporary role, and was offered the permanent position by Forest Supervisor Bill Avey after a competitive application process. "Kathy's strategic thinking skills, leadership capability, and integrity will serve both the Helena Ranger District and t...
HELENA, Mont. – The Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest has finalized plans for the Stonewall Vegetation project near Lincoln, Mont. following additional environmental analyses that were deemed necessary after wildfire burned portions of the project area in 2017. The final project decision, signed December 19, authorizes forest management activities including timber harvest and prescribed burning on nearly 1,400 acres in the larger project area. "We have taken the time t...
As the result of recent fraud takedowns, The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) identified a group of beneficiaries whose Medicare numbers were being fraudulently used to bill Medicare for unnecessary medical equipment and services. This was not due to a breach of personal information. To protect them from continued Medicare fraud, CMS gave them new Medicare numbers. New cards (with new numbers) for affected beneficiaries will arrive with an accompanying letter that explains the situation and further actions to...
A collaborative program between the Montana Veterans Affairs Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Park's Montana WILD has earned national attention and has been proposed as a positive treatment option by the National Center for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The program provides veterans with an opportunity to learn about animal rehabilitation and then to use that experience in the veterans' own recovery process. Each week, veterans in...
HELENA – Christmas tree permits are now available at Forest Service offices on the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest. Permits cost five dollars and can be used to harvest a tree on public lands managed by the USDA Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management. Each family can purchase up to three permits. The Forest Service is happy to once again offer FREE Christmas tree permits to fourth graders through the Every Kid Outdoors program (formerly known as Every Kid in a P...
The Montana Fish & Wildlife Commission will meet Nov. 12 at FWP Headquarters in Helena. The meeting will be streamed live via video to all FWP regional offices. The meeting will also be audio streamed online at fwp.mt.gov. The meeting begins at 8:15 a.m. and will end at 1 p.m. The commission will hear the following presentations and proposals: Madison River Petition presentations from Madison River Foundation, Montana Sportsmen Alliance (Trout Unlimited, Skyline Sportsman Association, Anaconda Sportsmen Association, and the P...
International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day is the one day a year when people affected by suicide loss gather in their local communities to find comfort and gain understanding as they share stories of healing and hope. Survivor Day was created by an act of Congress in 1999 and since then has been sponsored and supported by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. In 2018 there were 370 total events, including 32 international sites in 19 countries. For many loss survivors, attending a Survivor Day event is an...
Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) officials have identified two additional cases of illness related to the national outbreak of e-cigarette use, or vaping. Montana now has five identified cases, including one death. DPHHS officials said one new case involves an individual from Cascade County in their teens who was initially hospitalized this past summer and then again in October. The second new case involves an individual from Lake County in their 30s who...
PureView Health Center's Lincoln site, Parker Medical Center, has hired a full-time provider to increase healthcare access for Lincoln residents. Lanna Zobel is a Family Nurse Practitioner with proven track record in patient care and family medicine. She brings over twenty years of healthcare experience to the Lincoln area. Zobel completed her Doctor of Nursing Practice – Family Practice at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire and had previously completed a Bachelor of S...
Helena – Electric bicycles (often referred to as “e-bikes”) have grown in popularity for both recreational use and hunting on public lands and are currently welcome on more than 52,000 miles of roads and 7,700 miles of trails throughout the Northern Region’s nine National Forests and Dakota Prairie Grasslands where motorized vehicle travel is authorized. Specific to the Helena-Lewis & Clark National Forest in west-central Montana, approximately 2,545 miles of system road and 813 miles of system trail are available for e-b...
Non-resident off-highway vehicle users coming to Montana this fall will see a slight increase in their temporary use permits. The increased fee is a result of House Bill 355, which was passed by the 2019 Montana Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Steve Bullock. The revenues from the fee increase will go towards OHV trail maintenance, noxious weed abatement, search and rescue missions, and OHV enforcement efforts throughout Montana. HB 355 raised the OHV non-resident...
UM News Service MISSOULA – The University of Montana Big Sky Poll recently asked participants "What is the highest number of U.S. Representatives that Montana has ever had?" Only 39 percent of respondents answered correctly with two. Although Montana currently has an at-large congressional district that represents the entire state, Montana had two districts from 1913 to 1993. Montana could regain a second congressional seat as a result of the 2020 census. The 2020 census in M...
The 2019 Hunting Access Guide is available, directing hunters to more than 7 million acres of private, state and federal lands enrolled in Montana's Block Management Program. 2019 Block Management Area Access Guides and maps are available on the Block Management page of the FWP website and in FWP regional offices. The Block Management Program is a tremendous benefit for hunters and for Montana's economy. Hunting contributes more than $20 million annually to the area economy....
The Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee recommends the use of bear spray and urges hunters to learn other bear-aware safety measures. Hunters in bear country need to: stay alert and look for bear sign carry bear spray and know how to use it, hunt with a partner, leave detailed plans with someone and check-in periodically, pay attention to fresh bear sign. Look for bear tracks, scat, and concentrations of natural foods, use caution when hunting areas that have evidence of bear a...
The Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks toll-free hotline for reporting wildlife poaching, property damage, and violations of fish and game laws is in operation 24 hours a day. TIP-MONT is the acronym for Turn in Poachers-Montana. Poaching includes: • hunting out of season or at night using spotlights • taking more than one's legal limit • nonresidents who purchase resident licenses • professional and commercial poachers who illegally offer outfitter and guide services. When it...
Helena - The Governor's Grizzly Bear Advisory Council is convening for its first meeting next month in Helena. The council will gather Oct. 3-4 at the Kleffner Ranch, 305 Montana Highway 518, in East Helena. The meeting is open to the public. The inaugural meeting will cover the objectives and structure of the council and set the stage for the group's work over the next year. The meeting will feature presentations on grizzly bear biology and ecology, management, and legal spec...
