The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
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Senator Steve Daines paid a virtual visit to Hi Country Snack foods Thursday, April 7 to hear about challenges rural small businesses are seeing as the COVID pandemic winds down and inflation increases. Daines originally planned to visit in person, but had to change to a virtual tour due to scheduling conflicts in Washington D.C. He joked with Hi Country owner Travis Byerly, Chief Operating Officer Steve Fehrs and Chief Financial Officer Jeff Hollingworth that they had some...
New crosswalk indicators, activated by a recently installed button on the crosswalk sign post, tells pedestrians that the lights on the post and on the school zone warning signs are flashing. The idea to incorporate a push button crosswalk indicator at the crosswalk between the library and Lincoln School was first floated about three years ago by former librarian Kate Radford. Although the idea was a simple solution to a long-standing problem and was approved by the Montana...
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...
Commissioner Jim McCormick asked Lincoln Fire Chief Zach Muse for an update on the fire department and fire season. Muse said everything is going well and the Lincoln Volunteer Fire rescue has been pushing hard on their wildland fire training "We're green right now," he said. "May and June are our wettest months for rain. In May we had 1.4 inches, which really isn't that much. But it was cool, so that helped." He said Lincoln averages five to six inches in June, and the...
When Lewis and Clark County officials opened the bids for the chip seal projects on the Rural Improvement Districts in Lincoln and Augusta, they weren't sure what to expect. Although they had anticipated a substantial increase in the cost of the project, they found when they opened the bids May 24, rising costs had far outpaced what they expected. "The bid we received, with anticipation of inflation and fuel costs, was higher than we predicted.," County Public Works Director J...
Helmville - The Montana Department of Transportation resumed construction on MT 141 in Powell County on June 13. The project begins near the northwest end of Nevada Lake and extends northwest for 12.5 miles ending at the junction of MT 141 and MT 200. This project was started in 2021. Final construction work includes a seal and cover (chip seal) and upgraded pavement markings. The purpose of the project is to improve the road surface, upgrade safety features, and increase the...
With the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas last month and the May 31 threat of shooting in Helena that led to the arrest of a 23-year-old Helena man, , Lewis and Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton addressed some of the challenges facing school security. Dutton said he has been stressing the importance of a single point entry for schools where a potential threat can be contained. He said the Helena School District has worked to make that happen through new construction and...
Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) and the Montana Department of Justice, in conjunction with local law enforcement, have identified an alarming number of fatal overdoses across the state in the last two weeks. In the period from May 22 to June 1, there have been at least eight fatal overdoses, likely due to opioids. These fatalities occurred in Cascade, Custer, Gallatin, Lake, Lewis and Clark, and Yellowstone counties and involved individuals aged 24 to...
During the June 3 Lincoln Government Day meeting, Lincoln's resident Highway patrol Trooper Jesse Short said he's made a lot of traffic stops in the last month due to people following too closely. "I've been pulling over quite a few people, trying to get them to spread out. It's the fourth largest state in the union; we don't have to drive right up behind each other. There's plenty of room," he said. Short has also been talking to people about driving on the shoulder of the...
Lewis and Clark County Commissioners approved a resolution of intention to increase the solid waste disposal fee from 90 to $100 during a public hearing at the Lincoln Government Day meeting Commissioner Andy Hunthausen said the fees pay for the cost of running the container site, the disposals of that waste to Great Falls., under contract with Republic Service. and the recycling bins by the Lincoln Senior Center. County Finance Coordinator Misty Edwards said the assessment had been decreased from $100 to $90 in 2019 due to...
Helena, MT – With a return to in-person voting, the Lewis and Clark County Elections Office offers tips to help voters successfully navigate the Primary Election on Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Before heading to the polls, the Elections Office recommends confirming your voter information by visiting the My Voter Page on the Secretary of State website at https://sosmt.gov/. Some voting locations have changed since the last in-person election and voters can find their polling place on...
An event called Mil/Vet Connect gave Lincoln-area veterans the chance to connect with resources that are available to them through the Veterans Administration and other organizations around the state. "We're trying to go to smaller communities," said Jennifer Thomas with Veterans Inc., the organization that worked with Montana Joining Community Forces to bring the event to the Lincoln Community Hall May 26. "In October we did one in Townsend. Next October we'll do Boulder....
The Lincoln Rural Fire District board approved their proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2023 at their May 26 meeting, but ongoing increases in fuel costs have added a degree of uncertainty. LRFD chairman Dick Birkholz said the district currently has regular base funding of $63,480. Additional funding from a pair of $34,198 mill levies for Fire and Emergency Medical Services brings their total tax base revenue to to $131,876. Birkholz said they adjusted a few things in the...
HELENA -- As summer approaches, Attorney General Austin Knudsen and the Montana Highway Patrol, along with the Montana Department of Transportation, are reminding drivers to stay safe on the road. Memorial Day weekend marks the beginning of the “100 Deadliest Days of Summer.” State troopers will increase their presence on Montana roads and highways throughout the summer, cracking down on drunk and drugged drivers. Traffic deaths are down from this same time last year. However more fatal crashes occur during the time bet...
Between Bonner and Potomac, MT - The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) and Knife River Corporation has begun work to preserve the roadway on Montana Highway 200 (MT 200) east of the Bonner Interchange. Work on about 3.5 miles along the Blackfoot River between Potomac and Bonner will continue next week. Weather permitting, milling and paving will take place from May 16 through May 19. This work is a more cost-effective approach to extend the life of the roadway. Work...
An ambulance call Sunday evening, May 15, led to the arrest of the man Lincoln EMTS were trying to help, after he allegedly pointed a loaded gun at one of them. Dennis J. Doll of Lincoln was arrested on a felony charge with assault with a weapon after Emergency Services arrived at his residence about five miles east of town in response to a call that he had been on the floor having convulsions. According to court documents, Doll regained consciousness and began fighting with...
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...
Next up for the Master Planning process will be a series of focus groups that will give locals a chance to have additional direct input into developing the plan. The focus groups will be small group discussions planned for later this month. Each group should include about 12 community members and a steering committee member. Each group will discuss one of six topics that came out of the community survey. The discussions will welcome all perspectives in a constructive, civil... Full story
The results of a survey designed to gather feedback for the development of a master plan for Lincoln revealed an overwhelming desire to see the town remain a small town, with a high value placed on its character, it's people and the sense of community. Two weeks ago, Dustin deYong of Freestone Development, the consultant hired to guide the master planning process, provided an initial look at some of the results from the online answers to the community survey. At the second...
County taxes are often a source of chagrin for Lincoln residents, with indignation often leveled at road maintenance in the area, but a look at county expenditures on roads reveals those long-standing complaints may not reflect current reality. The fact that roads in the Lincoln area are in constant need of maintenance hasn't changed. Potholes develop every winter and spring, dust and washboards plague the unpaved roads every summer and fall. But the belief that Lincoln is...
A town hall meeting planned for next Wednesday, April 27 will look at the full results of the Lincoln Master Planning Community survey that was in circulation around town and online from early March until April 8. The responses will help guide the development of a master plan by highlighting common concerns, what Lincoln community members would like to see and what they are dead set against. As March drew to a close, the Lincoln Master Plan Steering Committee extended the...
Canyon Creek, Mont. –– The Montana Department of Transportation recently issued new load postings for the Canyon Creek Bridge on Lincoln Road, six miles northwest of Canyon Creek, in Lewis and Clark County. The postings are part of a multi-year effort to update load ratings and postings on Montana bridges as mandated by the Federal Highway Administration. The FHWA mandate is in response to changes in the trucking industry over the last decade. Truck manufacturers are bui...
A man who went missing on a trip to Lincoln Tuesday April 12, was found safe on Stemple Pass, where his truck had slid off the road and gone over a steep embankment. The 19-year-old man from Clancy was headed to Lincoln to visit his girlfriend but never arrived. A 3 a.m. call prompted a search for him by the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff's Office and Lincoln Fire Rescue. The search began on Flesher Pass, but was delayed because heavy snow prevented a deputy from coming over t...
The Lewis & Clark County Commission approved the creation of the Lincoln and Lambkins Rural Improvement Districts following public hearings at the Lincoln Government Day Meeting April 1. The Commission approved a resolution of intention to create both districts Feb 24. That vote opened a protest period that ended March 31. County Special Districts Coordinator Jessica Makus said the date of public hearing to protest the creation of the RIDs was sent to all the property owners...
