The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
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HELENA, Mont. – Governor Greg Gianforte today launched the 2021 Montana Governor’s Veteran Commendation and seeks nominations for the award. “Our veterans and their families have sacrificed so much in defense of our freedoms and our way of life. Even after their time in military service, many Montana veterans have kept the flame of service burning by helping others in their community,” Gov. Gianforte said. “I’m asking Montanans to help me identify and recognize these outstanding Montana veterans, and I look forward to...
MISSOULA – Multiple accounts of scam calls have been reported to Montana’s Senior Medicare Patrol including new attempts to take advantage of Montanans’ increased use of telehealth during the pandemic. The current complaints document unsolicited phone calls people are receiving with the purpose of sending unnecessary medical supplies or stealing Medicare numbers. Those calls include “we need to confirm your Medicare number” and “you are eligible to receive a free genetic test kit.” Telehealth fraud has increased alo...
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...
Following the retirement of Aaron Daniel at the end of October, LincTel has a new General manager, Bryce Daniel. Bryce Daniel, who had been offered the position about a week before his father accepted an early retirement offer, took over the position on Nov. 1. 'We'd been gearing up for it, but it was a pretty quick transition," Daniel said. The planned transition had been in the works for several months. "I'm excited to take over. I've been here for more than 13 years," he sa...
MISSOULA – The University of Montana has launched a major new scholarship to help Montana students pay for college. The Payne Family Impact Scholarship, established with a significant $7.5 million gift from longtime UM supporters Terry and Patt Payne, will be awarded to hundreds of Montana high school students who choose to attend UM beginning in fall 2022. "When it comes to paying for school, too often Montana families find themselves caught in the middle of a financial gap w...
SEELEY LAKE – The Montana Department of Transportation Project Team for the Clearwater Junction Intersection met with the public virtually and at an in-person open house Nov. 18 to share and gather feedback on the proposed alternatives, the evaluation process and the proposed solution. Installing a roundabout was the only alternative of the six evaluated that met all five criteria and is the preferred alternative. MDT is now entering the design phase of the project. While t...
The design for a new Dalton Mountain Road Bridge seemed to be popular with locals who use the bridge on a regular basis, but residents of the area still harbor doubts about when the old bridge, which is down to just one lane and now an eight-ton weight limit, will actually be replaced. The Dalton Mountain Road Bridge open house hosted by the Montana Department of Transportation Nov. 18 provided some insight into the state's plans for the bridge replacement, The processes and...
Sometime during the night of Nov. 21 or the early morning hours of Nov. 22, thieves broke into eleven storage units at Mini Storage of Lincoln behind Mountain View Co-Op. Gerry Malek, who checks on the storage units at least twice a day for Maggie and Tim Mulcare discovered the break ins during his morning rounds. It's unclear at this point what all may have been stolen from the various units, although hand tools and fishing poles were among the items reported thus far....
Anyone who has lost a friend or loved one to suicide is encouraged to attend Montana's International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day on Nov. 20 for a morning of healing, hope and togetherness. This free program begins at 10 a.m. and will be offered virtually. Survivor Day is the one day a year when people affected by suicide loss gather in their communities to find comfort and gain understanding about suicide loss as they share stories, honor loved ones and connect with fellow...
Hi Country Snack Foods marked the final stop on Gov. Greg Gianforte's tour of all 56 counties in Montana. The visit give the governor the chance to tour the production lines of Lincoln's best-known "Made-in-Montana" products with Hi Country owner Travis Byerly and Chief Operations Officer Steve Fehrs. The visit also highlighted Gianforte's efforts to tout the importance of Montana's value-added agriculture products and local supply chains. "This is impressive," Gianforte told...
Lewis and Clark County County Commissioners approved the Lost Moose Meadows Campground Subdivision at their meeting in Helena Tuesday, Nov. 9. The decision clears the way for property owners Matt and Nichole Simpkins to begin development of a 40-space RV park on 30.74 acres about three miles west of Lincoln, just north of Highway 200. The Board of County Commissioner's decision included approval of a variance for fire protection that county planning board originally recommende...
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...
AUGUSTA, Mont. October 17, 2021 - Following two new human-caused fire starts, the Rocky Mountain Ranger District, and the entirety of the Scapegoat Wilderness on the Lincoln Ranger District, have returned to Stage 1 fire restrictions as of 12:01 a.m. on October 17. "Our district is working to contain the Crown Mountain Fire and yesterday, we received reports of two new human-caused starts, putting us at 6 human-caused starts on the district in the last month," said Rocky...
A new shade structure will provide visitors to the Lincoln skatepark with respite from the sun or the rain. The shade, completed last weekend by DC Construction of Helena, was paid for by an $8000 grant from the American Academy of Dermatology and is the lates, but not the last, improvement to Hooper Park, which saw a record-setting summer season. "We did real good on revenue," said Lincoln Park Board President Nyle Howsmon. "We almost increased $10,000 over last year, which...
Helena - The Montana Department of Transportation would like to announce and invite the public to comment on a proposal to install safety improvements at three sites around the Helena Valley. The proposed work includes adding safety measures at the following three sites: SITE 1 – Prospect Ave & Gibbon St Intersection – Remove the Gibbon St southbound left-turn movement and replace the left-turn bay with raised concrete refuge island for pedestrians. Install ladder-style cro...
HELENA- Beginning Oct. 24, all local calls in Montana must be dialed with the 406 area code to connect. Montana's 406 area code currently allows seven-digit dialing to complete local calls. That will change this month due to a Federal Communications Commission order designating 988 as the new, nationwide, three-digit number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Some seven-digit phone numbers in Montana's 406 area code begin with 988. To prevent misdialing the 988...
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...
During the Oct. 1 Lincoln Government Day meeting, Lewis and Clark County Road Manager Kevin Horne said County Engineer Dan Karlin and Bridge Manager Clay Caudle met with Montana Department of Transportation engineers recently for an alignment grade review for the new Dalton Mountain Road Bridge to ensure the elevations and alignment will work with the new structure. Horne said they still expect to see construction of the new bridge during three-month period in 2023. He said...
Lewis and Clark County and the Lincoln Ranger District have been working with Pyramid Lumber to allow the company to haul 12- 15 loads of logs over Herrin Lakes Road. During Lincoln government Day, County Road, Bridge, and Sign Manager Kevin Horne said Pyramid made the request to use the road for about 15 loads of logs as they clear some rights of way. The road use was authorized, with stipulations about truck speed, additional signage and time frames for hauling. Although the dates haven’t been verified, Horne said P...
Next month the Blackfoot Valley Dispatch is making a change to our publication schedule due to a recent increase in our mailing costs an upcoming increase in our printing costs and declines in advertising revenue Beginning Oct. 7, the BVD will change from publishing an issue every week to publishing biweekly (every other week), on Thursdays. The decision wasn't easy to make and wasn't made lightly. It certainly wasn't what we had in mind when we bought the BVD nine-and-a-half...
The future of recycling in Lincoln is in jeopardy as people continue to fill the paper and can bins near the Lincoln Senior Center with non-recyclable material, or with material that can be taken to the transfer site for recycling. Currently, Lewis and Clark County contracts with Republic Services for the paper and can recycling bins in town, while a cardboard recycling bin is located at the Lincoln Transfer Site. Last week, Lincoln Solid Waste Board president Bob...
HELENA - The commission tasked with dividing Montana into two U.S. House districts for the first time since the 1980s asked the public for input last month. Montanans responded with an earful, submitting 231 proposed maps, some of them duplicates, and more than a hundred pages of written comment as of an initial deadline this week. The proposals are, literally, all over the map. They include efforts that group most of the state's urban areas into a single district and divide...
The Lincoln area has experienced a spate of vandalism in the last two weeks as unknown culprits have spray painted traffic signs and damaged both trash cans and traffic pylons. Lewis and Clark County Deputy Sheriff Robert Rivera said vandals first hit the area around Tuesday, Aug 17. "It was reported that somebody on Dalton Mountain Bridge ran over those pylons and destroyed a few of them, then tossed a couple...up in the river," Rivera said. "That same night they drove up...
