Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Sorted by date Results 1333 - 1357 of 1522
The state of Montana is not immune from the dangers of aquatic invasive species. At a meeting last week, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Wildlife Biologist Vanna Boccadori discussed the dangers of zebra and quagga mussels, and stressed the importance of cleaning boats after use. Boccadori discussed recent findings in water samples that found that AIS were present in the Tiber Reservoir and possibly in the Canyon Ferry Reservoir. Boccadori said this is a huge deal, and if the mussels get into...
After three and half years as the Cardwell School Clerk, Dawn Lewton has stepped down from the position. Despite leaving the job, she will still have a direct impact on the school. At their regular meeting in May, Lewton will be sworn into take the place of Mike Mastel on the Cardwell School Board of Trustees. “I love the Cardwell School and this seemed like a good transition,” she said. Looking back at her time at the school, Lewton said it has been a good experience, but it was also a very hard job. Lewton said she didn’t know how much went i...
For the second straight month, the production numbers were above target at the Barrick Golden Sunlight Mine. At the Community Transition Advisory meeting last week, Mine General Manager Dan Banghart reported the production for the month was 4,992 ounces, well above the target of 4,100. In February, the mine reported production of 5,076 ounces, compared to a target of 4,484. The productions numbers may however drop in April. Banghart said they will start a shorter six-day mill run April 20, and the numbers should be lower. He said this would...
HELENA -- With the future of health care on the federal level still unclear, Republican lawmakers in Helena are pushing legislation that could reshape how Montanans access and pay for medical services. Three bills -- House Bill 266, and Senate Bills 100 and 362 -- operate under the philosophy that individual states should be able to determine what health care practices are best suited for their residents, and that costs should be lowered. "Finally a handful of legislators on both sides of the...
HELENA -- A legislative committee has tabled a lawmaker’s attempt to clarify how private land is leased to oil companies. Speaker of the House Austin Knudsen, R-Culbertson, is the sponsor of House Bill 384, which would have revised language used on oil and gas leases to inform landowners of the associated costs of oil extraction from their land. Knudsen said leases tell landowners they will receive royalties from wells on their land. However, he said the oil industry tends to deduct transportation and operating costs from that royalty. That i...
Hi Folks, Last week we met with Road Supervisor Rory Parsons for his weekly update. We are scheduled to get another several thousand yards of millings off the Interstate between Basin and Boulder this summer. We will have several miles of roads that we will be able to hard surface in the Boulder area. We are looking at also putting millings on Capp Lane. The State would then use that as a detour while the new bridge is put in across Pipestone Creek. We also met with Candice Bell, our Solid Waste Manager. We are looking at having three separate...
Monday, Apr. 10 9:47 a.m. - 911 hangup, UNK, Whitehall 10:25 a.m. - suspicious/person/vehicle/circumstance, 80 Boe Lane, Whitehall 10:39 a.m. - 911 hangup, UNK, Whitehall 11:23 a.m. – traffic stop, Edwards Addition, Whitehall 12:53 p.m. – stranded motorist, I-90 eastbound, MM 265-266, Cardwell 4:54 p.m. - theft-labor/services/use property, 8 West Olive Street, Whitehall 9:11 p.m. – traffic accident, I-90 eastbound, MM 241, Whitehall 9:44 p.m. - traffic/roads parking, 515 North Whitehall Street, Whitehall Tuesday, Apr. 11 12:37 a.m. – traffic/re...
A shooting Saturday night in Whitehall is currently under investigation. Jefferson County Undersheriff Mike Johnson told the Ledger the department responded to a call of a shooting April 15 shortly after 11 p.m. According to the weekly Jefferson County police log, deputies responded to the call at 601 East Legion Avenue. Johnson said a 24-year-old male with a gunshot wound was transported to the hospital by Jefferson Valley EMS and Rescue. Johnson said the department is still investigating the shooting, and did not further comment about any... Full story
An increase in water and possibly sewer rates may be imminent for residents in Whitehall. At the Monday Town Council meeting, Mayor Dale Davis said the State of Montana Board of Investments would not let the town apply for the bonds or loans until the town has paid off a previous loan from a $59,000 bond issued in 1997 for a water project. The last payment is $6,400. Currently the town has $5,800 in the reserve account for that payment and will be looking at the budget to make up the $600 needed. Requirements made by a bond counsel for rate...
Work continued last week on a project that will give local residents and businesses access to Gigabit Internet. According to Lee Good of TeleSystem Services (TSS), Dustin Laughrey, Jason Good, Shane Good, as well as a several helpful residents along 1st Street in Whitehall pitched in Friday to help install a 3,000 foot 12 fiber cable from near the Flower Shop, all the way to the head end located in the Old Cheese Factory. Good said three other fiber cables were installed Saturday before it...
At a special meeting last week, the Whitehall School Board of Trustees received an audit report for the 2016-17 school year from Debbie Ouellette of Newland and Company. Ouellette reported the Whitehall School Districts not only had a clean audit, but had the highest possible ranking they could receive. Whitehall Superintendent John Sullivan said there were a few little findings they would be taking care of, but it was the best audit the districts have had in years. In the regular board meeting, the Board of Trustees approved a proposal from...
Tuesday, Apr. 4 8:45 a.m. - care for sick/injured, 10 Whitetail Drive, Whitehall 9:52 a.m. – traffic stop, Piedmont Road, Whitehall 10:15 a.m. – traffic stop, Piedmont Road, Whitehall 1:08 p.m. – trespass, Division Street, Whitehall 2:15 p.m. - alarms burglary false/error, 1078 Hwy 2 West, Whitehall 3:34 p.m. – alarms, Route 3 Lot #1, Whitehall 4:44 p.m. - traffic violation/ driver suspended/revocation, South Division Street, Whitehall 6:11 p.m. – traffic stop, Tebay Lane, Whitehall Wednesday, Apr. 5 9:57 a.m. - 911 hangup, 11 Irvine Lane, Car...
HELENA -- When it comes to balancing the state budget, there are two schools of thought - raise taxes and generate revenue, or cut spending and save money. With the state facing a budget shortfall, that ideological difference has become all the more prominent throughout Montana's 65th Legislative session. Often, it defines party lines. In Gov. Steve Bullock's original budget proposal, he suggested a wide variety of tax increases on everything from cigarettes to medical marijuana. Perhaps most...
If a person wanted to improve her overall health, what would have the most impact? Many factors can influence an individual’s health including genetics, obesity, physical activity and diet. Genetics gives us the structure within which we get to operate, but the other factors are under our control. Americans spend billions each year on dietary supplements, exercise equipment and memberships to seek health improvements or weight loss. But how many of us have paid the gym membership, bought the treadmill, bought the supplement and the only c...
With long distances between cities and frequent weather-related travel difficulties, it can often be hard to access medical services in Montana. Because of this, more patients are meeting with doctors remotely, through the practice of telemedicine. House Bill 389, introduced by Rep. Kirk Wagoner, R-Montana City, places regulations on telemedicine, a practice in which doctors communicate with patients remotely through video or audio chat. "The main purpose behind this bill is to put some...
Fire and water emergencies affected customer utilities last week in Whitehall. The two instances had workers from NorthWestern Energy and the Town of Whitehall diligently working several hours to get utilities working for residents, schools and businesses. Butch Larcombe, a spokesman for NorthWestern Energy, reported a call was received at 6:15 a.m. on Friday morning reporting a power pole on fire. NorthWestern Energy quickly sent out crews having some of the 178 customers affected power back...
Monday, Mar. 27 7:27 a.m. - traffic accident, I-90 eastbound, MM 256, Cardwell 3:05 p.m. - agency assist, UNK, Whitehall 3:21 p.m. - suspicious/person/vehicle/circumstance, Delmoe Lake Road, Whitehall 5:28 p.m. – traffic stop, Forcella Road, Whitehall 5:52 p.m. – traffic stop, Piedmont Road, Whitehall Tuesday, Mar. 28 1:38 a.m. – traffic stop, I-90 eastbound, MM 244, Whitehall 1:51 a.m. – traffic stop, West Legion Avenue, Whitehall 3:05 p.m. -lost property, 569 Cedar Hills Road, Whitehall 4:03 p.m. - animal-cruelty/neglect, 94 Hanson Lane, W...
HELENA -- With so much talk of money during Montana’s 65th Legislative Session, it can be difficult to comprehend how all that money affects everyday Montanans. This session, one group has become the de facto human face of the budget — direct care workers. According to the Montana Disability & Health Program, nearly 13 percent of Montanans reported having some sort of disability in 2012. Among those, many have developmental disabilities, like down syndrome and autism, and often require significant assistance to meet their basic needs. Mon...
HI Folks, At our last couple of meetings, we gave final plat approval for the Phillips Minor Subdivision near Jefferson City and approved an amended plat for Lot 4-A Cox Creek and Lot 4 of the Clearwater Estates Subdivisions near Whitehall. We approved Resolution 10-2017 Calling for a Special Federal Election to replace Ryan Zinke. By having to hold a Poll Election instead of a mail-in election we will spend nearly $20,000 more. We approved a $3,200 expenditure for Event Coordinator Bruce...
As efforts to revive Senate Bill 305 failed Friday, Montana’s elections administrators turned their attention to the forthcoming special election on May 25. SB 305, introduced by Sen. Steve Fitzpatrick (R-Great Falls) would have given Montana counties the option to hold a mail-only election to replace Rep Ryan Zinke. Despite the support of nearly all of Montana’s 56 counties and successful passage through the Montana Senate, SB 305 was tabled in the House Judiciary committee Wednesday. An effort to “blast” the bill out of committee and on to th...
The annual meeting of the Jefferson Valley Museum will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 6, 2017 in the Fellowship Hall at the Trinity United Methodist Church on 102 North Brooke Street. A short board meeting will review the Museum’s key business items and an election will be held for the expiring board member positions currently held by Kermit Hoyenga and John Joy. The annual historic program will follow. This year, museum volunteer Arlene Weber will provide a review of Piedmont, Pleasant Valley, Renova, and some of the events and people wh...
In 1996, Ken and Tina Bates opened Stageline Pizza restaurants in Dillon and Anaconda. They would later decide to sell both businesses to spend more time with their children and pursue other opportunities. Now over two decades since they opened the two Montana stores, they have decided to get back into the pizza business and will be opening a Stageline next month in Whitehall. Along with the popular pizza and breadsticks featured in Stageline franchises across Montana, Ken said they would also b...
Barring any last minute write in candidates, the scheduled May 2 mail in election for three open school board trustee positions in the Whitehall and Cardwell districts will not take place. Jeff Briggs was the lone candidate to file by the March 23 deadline for the three-year position that will be vacated by Angie Davis in Whitehall School Districts 4 and 47. Incumbent Paul Shaw was the lone candidate to declare for the Whitehall District 2 (Cardwell) position. This is also a three-year term. If there are no write in candidates filed by March...
Monday, Mar. 20 9:56 a.m. - prisoner transport, 108 West First Street, Whitehall 12:11 p.m. - citizen assist, 413 Yellowstone Trail, Whitehall 12:56 p.m. - care for sick/injured, 104 McKay Street, Whitehall 5:59 p.m. – traffic stop, Whitetail Road, Whitehall 7:47 p.m. - 911 hang-up, 8 West Legion Avenue, Whitehall 8:17 p.m. - civil assist, 90 Kountz Road, Whitehall 9:00 p.m. - stranded motorist, I-90 eastbound, MM 269, Cardwell Tuesday, Mar. 21 11:42 a.m. - dog at large, 1061 Hwy 2 West, Whitehall 11:55 a.m. - care for sick/injured, 208 West 1...
Liz Schwartz's brother overdosed in their parents' garage after sucking prescription opioids out of a used fentanyl patch. His mother found him on the floor and immediately called an ambulance. He made it to the hospital in time and survived. But within a year, Schwartz's father overdosed the same way. He, too, survived. "You think the addict is getting clean, or they're on the right track to getting there, and there's setbacks like that," Schwartz said. "It's terrifying." While Montana's drug...
