The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
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Helena – Lewis and Clark Public Health has expanded our drive-thru mass vaccination clinics at the Fairgrounds to include individuals age 16 and older in four neighboring counties. The decision to include our surrounding counties stems from a need to better streamline processes and ensure efficient use of vaccine supply. Effective immediately, all residents age 16 and older from Broadwater, Jefferson, Powell, and Meagher counties can attend any LCPH clinic at the F...
HELENA – Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking public comment on Elk Management Guiding Principles developed by the Elk Management Plan Initial Guidance Citizens Group. This process was the first step in the revision of Montana's Elk Management Plan. FWP is interested in comments regarding whether the guiding principles are adequate in describing what the department should be striving to achieve in an updated Elk Management Plan. The citizens group used a structured, f...
Montana Senate Passes State Budget Bill, Rejects Attempt to End Medicaid Expansion The state budget is on the move again in the Montana Legislature after the Senate passed in on a 33-17 vote Thursday, making few changes and defeating an attempt to end Medicaid expansion in the process. House Bill 2 is the only bill the Legislature is constitutionally required to pass, as it determines how much money state agencies and programs will receive for the next two years. This...
During the April 2 Lincoln Government Day meeting, Lewis and Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton provided a stark reminder about Highway 200's role as an east-west drug trafficking route. Following updates from both Lincoln resident Deputy Sheriff Robert Rivera and Dutton, Jim McCormick referred to Gov. Greg Gianforte's interview with Fox and Friends earlier in the day. In the interview commented on the situation at the southern border and voiced concerns about methamphetamine...
Each spring, FWP receives calls from people who have picked up deer fawns or other wildlife. It's important to remember that Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks no longer accepts, holds or rehabilitates moose, deer, elk and most other animals. Often times, people think they are rescuing an orphaned animal. However, it's important to understand that wildlife care for their young much differently than humans. They have strategies to provide the highest chance of survival for their yo...
Philip R. Forstrom, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Citizens Alliance Bank, has announced that Chad Forkrud has been installed as the Bank's next president. The Board of Directors accepted Chad's application at a meeting held on March 25, 2021. Chad has been acting as interim president after the unfortunate passing of the Bank's previous President, John T. Gill. The Board of Directors places its confidence in Chad because he understands the culture of the Bank, displays...
The Lewis and Clark County Lincoln Roads Department has temporarily closed Alice Creek Road due to issues with passibility. According to Lincoln-area road technician Pete Dempster, the closure will be in effect until enough snow comes off to allow for maintenance on the road....
Montana House Approves Draft of Bill to Spend $3 Billion in Federal COVID-19 Relief; Senate Panel Advances Budget Ahead of a key deadline on April 8, the Montana Legislature is quickly advancing a bill to spend billions in federal COVID-19 dollars as guidelines for how that money can be spent continue to roll in. House Bill 632, sponsored by Rep. Frank Garner, R-Kalispell, and dubbed the "Beast Bill" by lawmakers, advanced out of the House Appropriations Committee on Monday, M...
HELENA – Bears are emerging from dens with the onset of spring, and people are reminded to “Be Bear Aware.” Bears can be found throughout Montana. In recent years, grizzly bear populations have expanded and bears are sometimes found in historic ranges beyond western Montana As bears begin foraging for food, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is asking residents to remove or secure food attractants such as garbage, bird feeders and pet food. The most common human-bear confl...
Montana House of Representatives Advances State Budget in Partisan Vote The state budget cleared another major hurdle in the Montana Legislature after lawmakers in the House of Representatives passed it down party lines on Wednesday, March 24, with all 67 Republicans voting in favor and 33 Democrats against. House Bill 2 determines how much money state agencies will receive from a pool of about $12.6 billion over the next two years. Passing a balanced state budget is the only...
Starting April 1, Lewis and Clark Public Health will begin Phase 2 of the vaccination plan, providing vaccinations for all eligible residents. ."A few months ago, projections estimated Montanans 16 and older would be eligible for the vaccine as late as mid-July. Today, I'm pleased to announce that we're moving up that timeline. All Montanans 16 and older will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine on April 1st," Gov. Greg Gianforte said during a March 16 press conference when...
Lincoln Volunteer Fire Rescue hosted firefighters from five other districts last weekend for a Basic Wildland Firefighter course sponsored by the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. Twenty volunteer firefighters from Lincoln, Seeley Lake, Potomac, Ovando, Helmville and Greenough participated in the twenty-hour course that got underway Friday night and wrapped up Sunday afternoon. "DNRC sponsors these trainings. The fire department is doing the legwork,"...
The future of downtown planning and revitalization took a major step forward this week with the notification that Lincoln has been awarded a Montana Main Street Grant for $20,000 to help fund development of a master plan. Karyn Good, the lead organizer for Envision Lincoln, learned of the award Monday after receiving a call from Gov. Greg Gianforte's office. While the announcement came later than expected, she was fairly confident Lincoln had been successful. Her cautious...
Justin McDonough and David 'Tater' Davis expect to have their businesses up and running in town this week, taking over the long-empty repair shop across from the Lincoln Post office. McDonough recently purchased the building, which had been owned by Seeley Lake's Don Van De Riet for several years. With the help of Denny Peterson, Fred Ray, Chad Dietz and Davis, he was busy for much of last week cleaning up the building and removing old or redundant equipment McDonough...
"Open Cut 2.0" Bill would Ease Regulations on Gravel Pit Permit Applications A bill seeking to ease permitting requirements for gravel pits in rural areas and make it harder to call a public hearing on new facilities is drawing clear battle lines in the Montana Legislature, as property owners say it cuts them out of the process. In a hearing that lasted for more than two hours on Monday, March 15, the bill's sponsor, Rep. Steve Gunderson, R-Libby, called the bill -- House...
Lawmakers Hear Bill to Combat Drug, Sex Trafficking in Montana A bill drafted with the help of former Republican state Senator Dr. Al Olszewski would add a new set of signs to Montana's highways and airports greeting visitors with notice of a reward for information leading to the prosecution of drug and sex traffickers. Senate Bill 333, sponsored by Sen. Brad Molnar, R-Laurel, seeks to break down what Molnar called a "culture of trust" in drug and human trafficking circles by...
Helena – Temporary weight restrictions will go into effect on certain County roads March 8. As frozen ground thaws, base gravel in the roadbed becomes saturated, causing surface break up and premature failure. In these conditions, fully loaded vehicles can cause severe road damage. The load limits for all restrictions are seven tons for single axles, 14 tons for tandem axles, or 350 pounds per inch width of tire. Temporary restrictions are in place for the following roads in the Lincoln Area: • B Street (At Stemple Pass Rd....
Lewis and Clark Public Health lifted all COVID-19 restrictions - except the countywide masking mandate - Friday morning March 12 after the county fell below the triggering score established by the Lewis and Clark City-County Board of Health's COVID-19 Emergency Rules and Regulations adopted in December. The change removes restrictions on the number of people at an event, and limited operating hours and capacity limits at establishments such as restaurants and bars. "If you're...
Montana House and Senate Adjourn for Mid-Session Break After Breakneck Floor Sessions After days of marathon sessions, the Montana House of Representatives and Senate adjourned for a nearly week-long break, having advanced more than 200 bills between the two houses in just two days. The break falls on the "transmittal" deadline, in which all bills that don't have spending attached must advance from the house they originate in, or are considered effectively dead. This session,...
A failed transformer at the Landers Fork substation knocked out power to most of the Lincoln valley Saturday night. The failure cut power to 1,321 Northwestern Energy customers in the valley at about 7 p.m. The outage lasted some five and a half hours. Crews began working on the outage not long after it was reported, and Northwestern Energy dispatched a second crew to Lincoln at 10:30 p.m. to help the crews that were already on working to repair the equipment. Power came back...
A Lincoln man arrested Tuesday, March 2 following a standoff with Lewis and Clark County deputies was released on his own recognizance March 3 after spending a night in the Lewis and Clark County Detention Center. Gregory Scheele, 60, has been charged with two counts of assault with a weapon after making what deputies perceived as threats against two individuals - identified in court documents only as 'C' and 'R.' Deputies arrested Scheele at 11:30 a.m. March 2, after he...
Life may now seem turned upside down by the coronavirus and recent school closure and event cancellations, but Alpine Artisans would like to encourage parents and high school seniors to think positive. We're beginning to see the light at the end of the 'Coronavirus pandemic tunnel', and Alpine Artisans encourages parents and high school students to consider the grants and scholarships we offer. Does your K-12 student want to attend lessons or a summer camp in music, drama or...
Lawmakers Race to Introduce Bills Before Key Deadline; House Committee Holds Marathon Hearings As the Legislature approaches the halfway point of the session -- and a key deadline for general bills -- one House committee heard more than 50 bills in four days, imposing strict time limits on testimony and raising questions about transparency and public access. That deadline -- called "transmittal" -- falls on Wednesday, March 3, the halfway point of the Legislative Session 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...
