The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
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Lewis and Clark Public Health received three confirmed reports this week of influenza A, all in county residents under the age of 25. In one case the disease was severe enough to require hospitalization. “It’s definitely time to get your annual flu shot if you haven’t already,” said Shelly Maag, nurse supervisor at the health department. “Flu season is here.” Public health officials recommend an annual flu shot for everyone 6 months and older to protect against the potentially deadly disease. The vaccine is safe and takes t...
Fall is a time of year when bat observations are common in Montana. This time of year, young bats are attempting to take care of themselves, some bats are beginning long migrations to warmer climates and some bats are grounded by disease or illness. A common misconception is that bats "carry" rabies. Bats are not asymptomatic carriers of rabies, that is, the rabies virus does not exist indefinitely in a bat host. When a bat contracts rabies, it dies. When a bat begins to show...
The Lewis and Clark Suicide Prevention Coalition, spearheaded by Lewis and Clark Public Health, last week announced the launch of a new campaign to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health for working-aged men. The coalition will use Man Therapy™, an approach that uses humor to cut through stigma and tackle issues like depression, divorce, and suicidal thoughts head-on. In addition to the anti-stigma campaign, the coalition is scheduling a series of events and activities to help men improve their mental health by c...
MISSOULA – Montana’s hardrock mining industry supports more than 12,000 permanent, year-round jobs with average annual earnings of $86,030, according to a new study released by the University of Montana Bureau of Business and Economic Research. The BBER study, sponsored by the Montana Mining Association, found that the eight largest metal and other mines across the state helped produce $2.7 billion in economic output and almost $200 million in state government revenue annually. “Hardrock mining delivers vital economic benef...
Governor Steve Bullock today announced the appointment of Tom Livers as the Director of the Office of Budget and Program Planning (OBPP). "Tom has over four decades of experience in public service working with Democrats and Republicans and I'm confident Montanans can trust him to be a fiscally-responsible steward of our taxpayer dollars," said Governor Bullock. "I look forward to working with him to continue the investments we've made in our communities to make Montana an...
LINCOLN-The Lincoln Ranger District of the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest is preparing to conduct prescribed burning in the Ogden Mountain area and Poorman Creek area this fall, when weather conditions become favorable. Burning will begin as weather and fuel conditions allow and will continue into late fall and early winter. The Helmville Face Wildlife Enhancement Project is located in the Ogden Mountain area. Multiple units are planned to be treated this fall,...
MISSOULA – The University of Montana’s Department of Physics and Astronomy invites the public to its fall semester planetarium shows in the Payne Family Native American Center Star Gazing Room this month through December. The 50-minute shows will be offered at 6 and 7:30 p.m. on the following Fridays: Sept. 14 and 28; Oct. 12; Nov. 2, 16 and 30; and Dec. 14. Tickets cost $6 for adults and $4 for children ages 12 and under, and are available for purchase at http://hs.umt.edu/physics/Outreach/default.php. The maximum cap...
Hunting Fri Aug 24 14:57:26 MDT 2018 Are you ready for hunting season? Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks can help. In addition to the following hunting forecast, FWP's provides online information about hunting access, including our popular Block Management Program. Through the program, we coordinate with landowners to provide hunting access to more than 7 million acres of private land. The interactive Hunt Planner map allows users to look at information for various species,...
Shayne Lindsay recently joined Citizens Alliance Bank in the Lincoln, Mont. location as Branch Manager and Loan Officer. In this role, he will be responsible for oversight of the Lincoln branch, maintaining and growing existing banking relationships, as well as expanding sales and customer development efforts in Lincoln and the surrounding Blackfoot Valley area. Lindsay brings more than 17 years of financial experience which includes, Investment Advisor and Branch Manager in...
Elk shoulder seasons began Aug. 15 in several hunting districts around Montana. Elk shoulder seasons are firearms seasons that can occur as early as Aug. 15 and run as late as Feb 15 depending on the hunting district. While most shoulder seasons focus on antlerless elk harvest on private land and are not intended to replace or reduce harvest during the existing general archery or five-week firearms seasons, a few are meant to address problematic distribution of elk. First...
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 convenient to the lan...
HELENA - Beginning in September, Forest Supervisor Bill Avey will begin a temporary assignment as Northern Region Deputy Regional Forester in Missoula. While Avey is on this detail, Lisa Stoeffler will fill in behind him as the temporary Helena-Lewis and Clark Forest Supervisor. Both Avey and Stoeffler will begin their respective assignments Sept. 4, 2018, and will remain in those acting roles for approximately four months. Stoeffler has served as Deputy Forest Supervisor on...
Beginning in September, the Lincoln Fiber Guild will begin meeting again, but this time under a new name, The Lincoln Fiber Circle. Resident, Tammy Jordan returned to Lincoln in March of this year after a brief stint living in Billings. She was disappointed to learn the fiber guild was no longer getting together, so, she decided to revive it, but with a new twist. Rather than label the group with the word "guild," she thought the word "circle" was less formal and more...
Lewis and Clark County and the Lincoln Solid Waste District will be hosting a free Community Garbage Day event at the Lincoln Transfer Station. The event will be held on Sunday, September 9 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. A Lincoln Solid Waste permit will be required and must be shown the day of the event. This event is for residential customers, commercial waste will not be accepted. The purpose of this event is to help you clean up your yard and beautify Lincoln. Hazardous wastes will not be accepted at this event. If you have...
The Fish and Wildlife Commission has approved language for a proposed administrative rule that would codify population objectives for grizzly bears in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem. The decision on August 9, 2018 sets into motion a public comment period that will run from Aug. 24 through Oct. 26. Public hearings will be held in Kalispell, Missoula, Great Falls, and Conrad. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks staff will explain and answer questions about the proposed...
MISSOULA – A University of Montana researcher has discovered that mountain pine beetles may avoid certain trees within a population they normally would kill due to genetics in the trees. UM Professor Diana Six made the discovery after studying mature whitebark and lodgepole trees that were the age and size that mountain pine beetle prefer, but had somehow escaped attack during the recent outbreak. After DNA screening, survivor trees all contained a similar genetic makeup t...
New Food Storage Orders Signed to Cover Remaining Portions of the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest HELENA, MONT., August 7, 2018 – Late last month Forest Supervisor Bill Avey signed two new food storage orders to cover the areas of the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest (HLC) that were not previously covered by such an order. Now, the HLC has three food storage orders that cover its 2.8 million acre landscape. "Food storage orders are an important step in helping p...
A few important dates remain for hunters looking for license for this upcoming hunting season: On Aug. 6, hunters can buy over-the-counter and surplus B licenses (antlerless) for deer and elk. On Aug. 9, general antelope and antelope B drawing results will be available. On Aug. 13, surplus general antelope, antelope B and antelope archery 900-20 licenses go on sale. On Aug. 15, antelope archery season opens for the 900-20 license. The 900-20 archery antelope licenses were...
The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission will meet Thursday, Aug. 9, at FWP Headquarters in Helena. The agenda includes final decisions on the 2018/2019 furbearer and trapping seasons and 2018 quotas, Reservoir Creek beaver transplant, and Future Fisheries Improvement Program summer 2018 projects. The Commission meeting starts at 8:30 a.m. and will be streamed live via video to all FWP regional offices. The meeting will also be audio streamed online at fwp.mt.gov. The...
West Nile Virus has been detected in mosquitoes in Lewis and Clark County, prompting local health officials to advise steps to prevent mosquito bites. So far, health officials have confirmed no cases of illness in people or horses in Montana, but the virus has also been found in mosquitoes in Cascade County. Last year, there was a single human case of WNV in Lewis and Clark County. “We have an unusually high number of mosquitoes this year due to all the flooding and moisture,” said Laurel Riek, environmental health spe...
HELENA – The Montana Department of Justice released its Forensic Science Division's 2017 Annual Report Wednesday, July 18. The Division, commonly known as the State Crime Lab, analyzes crime evidence submitted by city, county, and state law enforcement officials. The report, the first of its kind for the Crime Lab, outlines casework submissions, successes, and challenges for each of the forensic disciplines it houses. The report also offers data on emerging drug trends in Mont...
Flooding has caused severe damage in Lewis & Clark County recently. Farms and ranches suffering severe damage may be eligible for assistance under the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) administered by the Lewis & Clark County Farm Service Agency (FSA) Office if the damage: will be so costly to rehabilitate that Federal assistance is or will be needed to return the land to productive agricultural use (and generally $1,000 or more) is unusual and is not the type that would...
On Saturday July 28, Jerry Cain will host the annual Lincoln Airport Community Open House and Fly-in BBQ Potluck at his hangar for everyone to enjoy. Lincoln Airport is a state-owned airport managed and maintained by the Montana Aeronautics Division of the Montana Department of Transportation. Since the airport is a valuable asset to the Lincoln community, there will be a MAD sponsored open house in conjunction with Jerry's Fly-in BBQ Potluck. The public is invited to become...
The Montana Trapping Advisory Committee will hold its first meeting July 10 and 11 in Helena at the Montana Wild facility, 2668 Broadwater Ave. Trapping has been and remains controversial. Therefore, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks assembled a citizen committee representing the spectrum of opinions on trapping to provide recommendations to FWP that ensure population viability of trapped species, the humane treatment of animals, and minimize social conflict. During the first...
MISSOULA– Forests, one of the most dominate ecosystems on Earth, harbor significant biodiversity. Scientists have become increasingly interested in how this diversity is enhanced by the sheltering microclimates produced by trees. A recent University of Montana study suggests that a warming climate in the Pacific Northwest would lessen the capacity of many forest microclimates to moderate climate extremes in the future. The study was published in Ecography: A Journal of S...
