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LINCOLN, Oct. 19 - This week, a final decision was signed for the Hogum project that will authorize the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest to conduct 2,451 acres of treatments, including prescribed burning, about nine miles east of the Lincoln community near Flesher Pass. "This project is directly aligned with county, state, and federal goals of reducing fuel loading near communities," said Lincoln District Ranger Rob Gump. "I'd like to thank those in the community that...
LINCOLN (Oct. 27, 2021) -The Lincoln Ranger District of the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest is preparing to conduct fall prescribed burning in the areas of Ogden Mountain, Poorman Creek, Marsh Creek, and Flesher Pass. Burning would not begin until weather and fuel conditions allow and will continue into mid-winter. Pile burning is planned along Marsh Creek Road, West Flesher Road and along the Continental Divide Trail from Flesher Pass Trailhead to Stemple Pass. This wo...
With so many new faces in Lincoln, the Lincoln Council for the Arts wanted to give a small update on things they are doing in the community and remind people of ways they can get involved. If you are a local artist and would like to be featured on our website and social media, the Arts Council would like to meet you. Lincoln Council for the Arts meets the third Monday of each month at 5:30 p.m. in the back room at Lambkins. They invite anyone interested in the arts, or those...
Montana-based Farcountry Press released Lincoln artist Annie Daniel Clark's book "Undulating La Roux" in October. Full of "whimsical, magical illustrations" that are pared with "wry humor and quirky observations," Farcounty Press says of Clark's 64-page book that the "richness of color and hue...matches the richness of the human experience that she explores through her art." Clark is noted for using her connection to the land and the abundant wildlife in the Lincoln area as...
The end of October means it is time to give you the quarterly update from the Lincoln Ranger District. I'm sure you all had a busy summer and fall. The staff at the District did as well, and I'd like to take some time to hit the highlights for you. Fire season was once again incredibly busy for most of our folks, especially our primary firefighters. We were quite fortunate not to have any large fires on the District. Your local fire crews responded to six fires, including an...
HELENA, Oct. 29 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service has released the revised Helena–Lewis and Clark National Forest Land Management Plan and final environmental impact statement. "This plan is the culmination of seven years of public engagement, community involvement, analysis and coordination with our partners," said Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest Supervisor Bill Avey. "I am very thankful for the members of our communities who spoke up and got inv...
On the heels of a couple challenging years, the Birkholz family decided to chart a new course for one of Lincoln's most iconic businesses. By early next year, the Sportsman Motel will no longer be welcoming nightly guests. Instead, the motel's nine rooms will be studio apartments with yearly leases. "I was hoping to get them all done by the first of the year, but it looks like it's going to be about February," said owner Dick Birkholz, who made the decision to convert the...
LINCOLN, MONTANA - The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) is hosting a public open house to discuss the proposed bridge replacement on Dalton Mountain Road 3 miles west of Lincoln. Proposed work includes removal of the existing bridge and constructing a new bridge. The roadway approaches will also be reconstructed to connect to the new structure. The purpose of the project is to replace the deteriorating bridge and maintain safe passage across the river for the...
October 27, 2021 (Helena, MT)-In an effort to ensure community access to continued, if limited, library services, the Lincoln and Augusta Branches of the Lewis & Clark Library will be closed until further notice. We will be closely monitoring the situation in these communities and will reopen the branches as soon as we deem it safe to do so. During this time, staff will be available during regular branch hours to assist with curbside pickup, telephone and email reference...
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. - Melissa Youderian donated her long hair to Locks of Love, a nonprofit for children suffering hair loss, after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer. "Though it was a deliberate decision and I thought it would be uplifting to donate my hair before the treatment took it, I had tears running down my face the entire haircut," she said. "It was one of those 'this is actually happening' moments." Youderian is a wife, a mother and an Air Force colonel....
On Oct. 13, a number of the area’s elected officials received an invitation from the Lewis and Clark County Elections Supervisor providing a number of opportunities to observe and learn about the voting process in the County. I want to thank the staff for sharing their training process for tracking and counting returned ballots. Included in the Oct. 15 training was the office’s process to verify signatures on the return envelopes, the reconciliation steps, and the paper cha...
Every day I open my E-mail account and see attempts to defraud and steal. I know I have to be very careful what I open or risk identity fraud or losing everything I have to someone who will manipulate my information to take over my accounts and titles. Law enforcement can do very little to help because these criminals usually live in other parts of the world and are hard to trace. It is disturbing to realize that the computer we all now must use is more dangerous than the...
I was shocked to learn last week that U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland has directed the FBI and federal prosecutors to charge parents who speak up at school board meetings under domestic terrorism and civil rights laws. Acting U.S. Attorney for Montana Leif Johnson delivered this message to the Montana County Attorneys Association, and has provided a follow-up letter explaining the federal claim of urgency in this matter. As a local prosecutor enforcing Montana state...
A semi-annual inspection of the Dalton Mountain Road Bridge by the Montana Department of Transportation in September revealed considerable damage to piles reinforced by Lewis and Clark County in 2017. County Engineer Dan Karlin said the damage to the piles is the result of loads that exceed the 10-ton weight limit crossing the bridge. "The bottom line is we really need that to stop," he said. "That is contributing to this. If it continues, based on conversations with MDT and...
The Bootlegger Inn opened under new ownership Oct. 21, after Amber Calvert recently purchased it from previous owner Alan Brandt. Calvert's daughter, Cady Calvert, is managing the kitchen. "I'd been looking probably three years I think in western Montana, trying to decide where I wanted to go, what I wanted to do, that kind of stuff. This is not my first bar. This is my second bar and probably my fourth business that I've owned, so not a new venture that way," said Amber, whos...
A recent surge in COVID-19 cases in Lincoln led to the closure of both the Lincoln Schools and the Lincoln Library last week. On Oct. 26, Lincoln Schools announced a return to remote learning after several teachers received positive COVID-19 diagnoses, beginning the week prior. The following day, the Lewis and Clark Public Library also announced the temporary, indefinite closure of both their Lincoln and Augusta branches, due to concerns about community spread of COVID. The...
It’s been a busy couple of weeks with travel, in-person shows and getting ready for upcoming holiday shows. Throughout all the hustle and bustle, however, it occurred to me how many connections we create along our journeys. Sometimes these connections are with other people and sometimes these connections happen within ourselves. Regardless of who the connections are with, I find myself being grateful for all of them. Yes, you read that correctly, all of them. We have c...