The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
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Montana’s legislators completed work for the 67th Session on Thursday, April 29 (ten days ahead of schedule). Our primary Constitutional duty is to pass a balanced budget, which we did conservatively with the mandate of you, our voters. We passed legislation to promote the Governor’s Montana Comeback Plan, reforming taxes to promote job growth and wages. With this approach, income, property and business taxes are set to be simplified and reduced. More of our hard-earned dol...
Lincoln Public Schools are taking their spring music concert outdoors this year. The concert is set to be held in the Hooper Park pavilion on May 19 at 6:30 p.m. All grade levels are scheduled to perform a combination of vocal and instrumental pieces. The fifth and sixth grade students will be performing using brand new ukuleles the school was able to obtain through funding made available due to the pandemic, according to Lincoln music teacher Darryan Gonzales. Kindergarten...
The Lincoln School Board has two seats open for election this spring, and four candidates have thrown their hats into the ring. To provide voters with additonal insight into the candidates, the BVD asked each of them a series of four basic questions Ballots went out in the mail last week, giving voters the option to return them by mail or drop them off at the at the Lincoln School Monday through Thursday between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., or on Election Day May 4, between 8 a.m....
During their April 12 meeting, the Lincoln School Board heard concerns about the future of the school's football program, the results of a survey regarding masking in school and addressed staff hiring for the 2021-22 school year. Looking ahead at school sports in general, Lincoln Schools Athletic Director Shane Brown said there has been talk recently about possibly combining districts 13C and 14C for basketball, volleyball and track. For basketball and volleyball, that would...
If you could give one gift to every single child in the world, what gift would you give? "I would give them all a prize and the prize would be a skateboard." - Ridge Bullis, Pre-K "I would give every kid a Godzilla and a Dinosaur." - Brody Nelson, Kindergarten "If I could give every child a gift, it would be gum because children like gum." - Mathew Brown, 1st Grade "It would be food and drinks. You need food and drinks, no pop! Only healthy. No candy...only healthy." -Trayce R...
Lincoln Public School's response to the sale of politically-charged baseball caps last month has led to charges that cancel culture and political double standards are alive and well in Lincoln. Lincoln resident Steve Hartman leveled the accusations at the school after the administration - in response to his fundraising for the school by selling baseball caps critical of President Joe Biden - returned $1406 he had raised since 2019 to help buy an extra-large projector and...
Lincoln's second drive-through COVID-19 vaccination clinic saw about 100 people show up to receive a dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Lewis and Clark County Public Health opened their vaccination clinics to all Phase 1b eligible individual in the county, which includes anyone older than 70 years old, or anyone between the ages of 16 and 69 with medical conditions that make them high risk for COVID-19. Friday's clinic at Lincoln Public Schools, provided second doses for individuals...
Lincoln's second drive-through COVID-19 vaccination clinic saw about 100 people show up to receive a dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Lewis and Clark County Public Health opened their vaccination clinics to all Phase 1b eligible individual in the county, which includes anyone older than 70 years old, or anyone between the ages of 16 and 69 with medical conditions that make them high risk for COVID-19. Friday's clinic at Lincoln Public Schools, provided second doses for individuals...
Governor Greg Gianforte last week announced his order allowing the statewide mask mandate that has been in place since July 15 to expire, but a mask order remains in effect for Lewis and Clark County. Under Executive Order 2-2021, Gianforte encouraged Montanans to continue to wear masks but highlighted personal responsibility as the best tool to combat the spread of COVID-19. However, state law allows local jurisdictions to enforce health directives that are stricter than thos... Full story
Last year the Sheriff's Office and Lincoln Public Schools together decided the DARE program that was currently being taught in the elementary grades would be expanded to include the middle school students. As the DARE instruction expands, here are highlights of the program's evolutions since its inception in the 1980's. DARE was created in Los Angeles in 1983 as it became clear that enforcement of drug laws were not enough, and that resistance education was necessary to effect...
Today's update for the Lincoln Public Schools actually does not concern COVID-19. It has most to do with rules and policies coming back to life, such as today's topic: Zero Zeros. Zero Zeros was a big deal for the school in the past, but was taken down due to POUNCE grants. Now, Zero Zeros is back up in running, and has been enforced starting Monday, Oct. 5. If any of you don't know what Zero Zeros is, it is an after school program for students who have missing work/tests,...
Diane Krier earned recognition this year for her work as the Lincoln Schools cafeteria manager and food director with the Wonderful Outstanding Worker award from the Montana School Nutrition Association. Patrice O'Loughlin, the awards chairperson for the MTSNA, made the trip up to Lincoln Friday Oct. 9 to present Krier with the award for "exceptional service and devotion to Montana students," and that, according to the MTSNA website, "recognizes any school food service...
Samantha Sechrest joins the Lincoln Public Schools for her first year as a lead teacher this year and is teaching high school English. Her high school classes cover novel studies and reading competency. Sechrest is also teaching a combo class for 7th and 8th graders which mainly concentrates on reading and writing, including handwriting. The curriculum for English students includes comparing differences between video and books, so she said she's including that in her classes,...
The coronavirus pandemic has impacted so many lives in the world Since early 2020, the new worldwide pandemic has increased caution for all businesses, schools and even households. Behind the closed doors of Lincoln Public Schools, the teachers have done an excellent job on improvising in this very abnormal situation. So, let us give some credit to our district for caring so deeply about the student's education and future. Some of the policies have changed due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. Anyone entering the building must...
Lincoln Public Schools released new guidelines for attendance at sporting events Sept. 10, a week after the Lewis and Clark Board of Health approved an amendment to exclude youth activities from the health order limiting gatherings to 250 people. Under the guidelines, a limited number of spectators are now allowed at both volleyball and football games. Volleyball games held in the gym can now have up to 50 spectators, while football games can have up to 125. Lincoln Schools At... Full story
Stephanie Burns joins Lincoln Public Schools as the new 4th grade teacher this year. She graduated from Montana State University Bozeman with a bachelors degree in Elementary Education and a specialization in early childhood education. "This is my second year teaching my own class," said Burns. "Before that, I was an assistant teacher for two and a half years." Burns taught at Lakeside Elementary as well as at a private school in Miami and is looking forward to getting back in...
The Lewis and Clark County Commission’s decision to conduct voting by mail for the 2020 general election dominated the Sept. 4 Lincoln Government Day meeting, the first held here since June. At their Aug. 13 meeting in Helena, the commissioners unanimously approved a resolution to conduct the Nov. 3 election as a “mail ballot election with an in-person voting option.” The decision came one week after Gov. Steve Bullock authorized Montana’s counties to hold the election by mail to help limit the spread of COVID-19. Nationa...
Darryan Gonzales joins the Lincoln Public Schools this year as the music teacher. Originally from Four Corners, Farmington, N.M., Gonzales was in band through middle and high school, is a classically trained clarinetist and specializes in jazz saxophone and voice. In addition, she performed in the University of Montana's Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Chamber Chorale, jazz ensembles, and served as Drum Major for two years in the Grizzly Marching Band. "As a specialist, I'm...
The Lincoln School gym received something of a makeover over the summer. Derek Perez, Lincoln School Custodian, said the gym floor was sanded down to bare wood, refinished, given new school graphics and resealed. He said it's the first time the floor has been rejuvenated worked on since the original gym floor was replaced in 2007. Superintendent Jennifer Packer, Athletic Director Shane Brown and Perez all had input into the new floor design. The design features the ears and... Full story
The 2020-21 school year began Monday with students returning to the classroom for the first time since March. The start of a new school year is always an uncertain time, but few have likely started off with as many uncertainties as this one as COVID-19 guidance from the state and county continues to evolve. Last Monday, Aug.17, the Lincoln School Board held an emergency Zoom meeting to discuss the impacts of Governor Steve Bullock's Aug. 12 face mask requirements for students... Full story
What is the first day of school? Monday, August 24th. When is registration? We will be doing online registration this year. Mrs. Heisler sent an email to each of the 7th through 12th grade students. Please have your student check their email. Do not hesitate to call the school office if you have any questions. Will the students be required to wear masks? Governor Bullock has just released (August 2020) that schools are now included in the directive that masks will be required...
The Elkhorn COAD (Community Organizations Active in Disasters) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Lewis & Clark County to define the working relationship of the two organizations. The Elkhorn COAD helps coordinate the local support and disaster relief efforts for disasters in Lewis and Clark, Jefferson, and Broadwater Counties through partner organizations including the Red Cross, the Civil Air Patrol, Montana Department of Health and Human Services, the...
At their regular Aug. 10 meeting, the Lincoln School Board opted to resume in-person teaching at Lincoln Public Schools when classes start Aug. 24. However, a directive issued by Governor Steve Bullock Aug. 12 prompted an emergency Zoom meeting Aug. 17, to re-examine their decision. "We approved going back to school, and parents had the option of their kids going online," School board President Aaron Birkholz told the BVD. He said under their initial school re-opening plan,...
The Lincoln School Board discussed different options for how school will proceed for the 2020-2021 school year during their Monday, July 13 meeting. The board made no final decisions, and the school district continues to develop and evaluate plans in light of the rapidly changing guidelines surrounding COVID-19. The school sent out a survey to parents to gather information about their wishes for how students might return to school in the fall, including school schedule... Full story
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...