The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 173
6 has been a rough year here at the Blackfoot Valley Dispatch so when the 'Newspaper Office' sign blew off our building at the end of July, it seemed kind of like an omen. By now the rumors have probably made the rounds around town that the BVD is closing. A couple of weeks ago that was the plan. But that changed last week. Well, sort of. After our Sept. 22 issue, the Blackfoot Valley Dispatch will end print publication, but we plan to keep the paper alive on our website...
OVANDO – Wildlife officials euthanized two grizzly bears this week that were responsible for at least 10 conflicts in the upper Blackfoot Valley over the past two months. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks wildlife specialists reported that the conflicts began in mid-July in the Ovando and Woodworth areas where the bears broke into three grain sheds. FWP worked with the property owners to install an electric fence at all sites to prevent more issues. The bears moved on from that i...
Work this month at Sculpture in the Wild has focused on maintenance throughout the park. Kevin O'Dwyer and Marshal Bullis have been spending time this month on maintenance, repairing damage to sculptures and developing a final pathway around the southwest section of the sculpture park....
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...
The Annual Lincoln Christmas Bazaar saw a busy day Saturday, Dec. 4. This year's Christmas Bazaar marked the first since Ann Pryor retired in 2019 after 30 years organizing the sale by crafters and artisans. For Jill Sallin, who took over as organizer, the bazaar was a bittersweet affair. She watched the ebb and flow of the crowd from behind a table laden with quilts, rugs, potholders and other useful creations handmade by her mother Jesse, who passed away last month. Jesse...
The Lincoln Council for the Arts had their first meeting of 2022 to discuss their upcoming Pasty Fundraiser as well as upcoming events for the year. They are excited to bring more entertainment and art to Lincoln in the coming year. To get the year started, The Lincoln Council for the Arts, in conjunction with the Upper Blackfoot Valley Historical Society, will again be selling pasties as their first fundraiser for the year. Last year, there was a competition between the...
About three and a half years ago, the specter of Ted Kaczynski returned to Lincoln as filmmaker Tony Stone filmed scenes for 'Ted K' in and around Lincoln. Next week the movie, which delves into Kaczynski's life during his last few years living near Lincoln in his now-infamous frame cabin, will have its North American premiere Feb. 15 at the Wilma Theater in Missoula. Invitations for the premiere went out last week to people in the community who helped with the movie,...
April 2022 marks 40 years since Lincoln voters approved a bond issue to fund a high school for Lincoln. A Lincoln high school had long been a hot topic. The 120 mile round trip to Augusta High School was a challenge for Lincoln student and parents, and a high school was considered by many to be important to the town's future. But establishing a High School came with a cost, which created controversy, and a fair share of doubters at the county level. Here are a couple stories...
Randy Newberg of Bozeman is known for two things: his love of hunting and his love of public lands, and that has made him one of the country's leading advocates for access to public lands by hunters. Newberg, who fans of hunting shows may know from 'On Your Own Adventures' or 'Leupold's Fresh Tacks' TV show, visited Lincoln High School Thursday morning, April 7 to talk to Nancy Schwalm's wildlife class - and a few members of the community who took time to stop in - about the...
Sculpture season returns to Blackfoot Pathways: Sculpture in the Wild in September, featuring an artist originally slated to be here in 2020 and the return of an artists who was last here in 2019. Following a two-year delay, Northern Cheyenne artist Bently Spang will be here to create an installation reflecting his Native American culture. "We're real excited about him," said BPSW president Becky Garland. Spang was originally scheduled to create an installation during the...
"The future of the Chamber is at a tipping point," Lincoln Valley Chamber of Commerce President Laurie Welty told the BVD last week. During the chamber's Aug. 11 board meeting, Welty announced that, unless something changes, the LVCC will be without a board of directors early next year. "By February of 2023 when we vote the board members in, there will be no active members on the chamber (board). The chamber can't function without a minimum of three. The bylaws say we can...
For the last month or so, the open lot just east of Stonewall Storage has been the site of some conspicuous activity as work got underway for a new branch location for Ox and Son Towing & Recovery. With the Great Falls-based company doing plenty of business in the area, Ox and Son has been working toward developing a location in Lincoln for nearly four months. "It looks like we'll be opening probably within the next month," said Jennifer Klinker, owner of Ox and Son, and wife...
Dean Darrel Mack, 90, beloved father and grandfather, began his eternal heavenly journey when he transitioned peacefully from his earthy life the evening of Jan. 21, 2022, surrounded by his family. Dean, the oldest of 3 sons, was born in Hazen, ND, on April 14, 1931, to John and Marie (Bubel) Mack. The family lived on the family farm in the neighboring community of Zap. Dean attended elementary school in Zap until the family moved to Lincoln, Montana. He attended junior and hi...
Development of the Lincoln Community Master Plan continues to move forward after six focus group discussions met June 9 and 10 for a more detailed look at the major concerns identified in a survey circulated in March. Dustin De yong of Freestone Development, the contractor hired to develop the master plan, facilitated the discussions, which combined in person meetings and Zoom participation for those who couldn't be in Lincoln. "I know it was difficult for some people to...
Lewis and Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton joked about the fact hardly anyone comes to Lincoln Government Day meetings when he comes to visits, but with the meeting room at the Lincoln library crowded, he figured there must be something about roads on the agenda. The May 6 meeting served as both the regular monthly meeting of the Lewis and Clark County Commission in Lincoln and as the public hearing on the third and final hearing on both the Lincoln and Lambkins Rural...
After more than 30 years with Lewis and Clark County and nearly 28 years managing the county's infrastructure, Public Works Director Eric Griffin is retiring April 15. Griffin is the first and only Public Works Director Lewis and Clark County has had. Before he got the job, the departments that oversaw infrastructure were separate, but in 1994, the County Commission combined the Road and Bridge Department, County Shop, Rural Improvement and maintenance districts, Solid Waste,...
Lincoln Government Day kicked off with an alarming report from Lewis and Clark County Deputy Robert Rivera. Rivera reported on a few interesting calls that ranged from a person out for a walk mistaking the sunrise for a fire to a UFO crash involving the Navy, to a bear driving off in someone’s car up on Roger’s Pass. The bear was later revealed to be Bigfoot when he was finally stopped near Cascade. That’s what you get for holding a meeting on April Fool’s Day. In no-foolin’ news, Rivera provided an update on his planned t...
In 2015, a group of Montanans from Lincoln, Helena, and nearby communities set out to accomplish something that today would seem, in retrospect, extremely daunting, given the deep political divisions that unfortunately characterize the public arena these days. We set out to draft a proposal for how the Forest Service can manage 200,000 acres of public lands that stretch across the upper Lincoln Valley and along the Continental Divide northwest of Helena, a proposal that would...
Drivers in a rush to pass other cars as they head into or out of Lincoln will need a little more patience in the future with the Montana Department of Transportation's approval of an extension of no-passing zones on both the east and west ends of town. A recent review of data and field observations of traffic and driveway densities on Highway 200 near Lincoln provided justification for the extension. MDT conducted the observations on Highway 200 on both ends of Lincoln at...
A criminal mischief investigation is underway after a vehicle ran through the fences at the Hooper Park baseball fields. At about 6 a.m., Sunday Dec. 19, a vehicle identified as a pickup truck on video from the Lincoln School apparently ran through the chain-link fence around the west baseball field at Hooper Park, did a couple circles on the field before driving out through a different section of the fence. The vehicle also ran through the gate in the fence around the east ba...
The future of paved roads in Lincoln may be in doubt if property owners in town don't get on the ball and sign the petitions for the chip seal projects planned for next year on the town's two Rural Improvement District. "These roads are not asphalt roads. They're double shot chip seal, so ... it's important to keep up with maintenance of that. Once it starts to unravel, it can unravel quickly," said county Special Districts Program Coordinator Jessica Makus Lincoln's two...
Virginia Lambkin Horner marked a milestone birthday Oct. 8 as she turned 100. The eldest daughter of Leonard and Mary Lambkin, Virginia was born in Great Falls in 1921 and spent much of her life in Lincoln, growing up at her parents' hotel, the now -iconic Hotel Lincoln. Brenda Vehrs, Virginia's granddaughter, said Virginia and her younger sisters Ellen (Mulcare) and Betty (Disney) were "all kind of special girls" for their time. "They all got to go to college," Vehrs said....
The Lincoln Valley Chamber of Commerce has decided to postpone their annual Community Benefit, which is usually held the first weekend in November. This is the second year that the Community Benefit has been disrupted by COVID-19 concerns. In pre-pandemic years, the event consisted of dinner served during a play performed by the Lincoln Community Players, as well as an auction and the annual "Chair Game," which raises funds for a local nonprofit and offers event attendees the...
The first thing Myrna Crawford wants to make clear is that the Canyon Creek Country Store is not closing. With the historic store quietly for sale, Myrna and her husband Ron prepared for a living estate sale last Friday. The goal was simply to help clear out some of the antiques and collectibles in the store that they've amassed over the years. But rumors, they do like to fly. As she had explained repeatedly on Facebook posts, Myrna said they were having the sale, so they won'...
The Upper Blackfoot Valley Historical Society hosted the annual Lincoln Heritage Day last Saturday with approximately 125 attendees. The event highlights Lincoln's history, and gives kids and adults alike the opportunity to try their hand at historic skills and activities. We do it "to show old-time skills, so we don't lose those," said UBVHS president Erin Dey. This year, in addition to candle-making, butter-making and embroidery, the event debuted some new activities and...
