Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Sorted by date Results 1383 - 1407 of 1522
Hi Folks, Last week was the Montana Association of Counties (MACO) mid-winter meetings in Helena. Monday, I attended the Agricultural Committee meeting and the Coalition of Forest Counties. Both Committees had speakers that talked about various issues. One of the discussions in the Ag. Committee continues to be the threat of Brucellosis spread through buffalo and elk. I don’t think we have any good answers to the problem. One of the biggest issues in the Forest Counties Coalition is Secure Rural schools (SRS) payments, or more accurately, l...
The Montana House of Representatives passed a bill last week that would shutter the Office of the Commissioner of Political Practices, which some critics say could put the integrity of Montana elections in jeopardy. The bill, introduced by a state lawmaker tied to one of the office's most significant investigations, would place oversight and enforcement of campaign laws back into the hands of the Secretary of State and Attorney General, as it was before the office's creation in 1975. Supporters...
The Whitehall area suffered a huge loss Saturday with the passing of longtime coach and educator James Loomis. The first person elected to the Whitehall High School Athletic Hall of Fame, Loomis is remembered not only for his accolades as a coach, but for the tremendous impact he made on students and the local community. During a hall of fame ceremony in February of 2016, Loomis was inducted by two of his former wrestlers Shane Shaw and Mike Hedegaard. Earlier this week, the two shared what...
The Whitehall Town Council voted unanimously Monday night to enter in to an agreement to lease the Ambulance Barn, itemized equipment and inventory to Community Beacon of Hope Inc. for a three-month trial beginning March 1. Beacon of Hope Inc. is under the direction of former Whitehall Ambulance Director Tyler Steinebach. The decision was made after the Town of Whitehall looked at their options regarding an ambulance service and was unable to sustain their enterprise fund. Mayor Dale Davis explained an enterprise fund has to generate enough...
Elections are on the horizon for three Board of Trustee positions in the local school districts. The three-year position in the Whitehall School District 4 & 47 currently held by Angie Davis, and the three-year position in the Whitehall School District 2 (Cardwell) held by Paul Shaw are both open in 2017. At a meeting last week, Superintendent John Sullivan said Davis informed him she would not be running. Shaw stated at the meeting he plans to run again. Those interested in running must submit a Declaration of Oath of Candidacy from by March...
January was a quiet month for production at the Barrick Golden Sunlight Mine. At last week’s Community Transition Advisory Committee meeting, Mine General Manager Dan Banghart reported the production for the month was 0 ounces. Banghart said this was because the mill run has been deferred to this month. At last month’s CTAC meeting, Banghart stated at the start of the year they would run the mill twice a quarter. The first will take place in the middle of the February, and the second in mid March. He added they are hoping to achieve the sam...
Monday, Feb. 6 5:30 a.m. - care for sick/injured, 80 Bay Street, Whitehall 2:46 p.m. - trees/debris on roadway, Hwy 2 West, MM 77, Whitehall 4:49 p.m. - care for sick/injured, 105 1/2 South Division Street, Whitehall 5:10 p.m. - disorderly conduct, 1173 Hwy 55, Whitehall 5:58 p.m. - welfare check, I-90 eastbound, Whitehall 8:04 p.m. - suspicious/person/vehicle/circumstance, I-90 westbound, MM 242-243, Whitehall Tuesday, Feb. 7 1:12 a.m. - suspicious/person/vehicle/circumstance, 4 West Olive Street, Whitehall 2:48 a.m. - welfare check, 64 Tebay...
The Jefferson Watershed Council will be hosting a public meeting to present the draft Jefferson River Channel Migration Maps and Floodplain Discovery Map on Thursday, February 23 at 6:30 p.m. at the Borden Conference Room on the corner of Main Street and West Legion Avenue in Whitehall. The Ruby Valley Conservation District & Ruby Watershed Council are the project sponsors and administrators who have received a grant through Montana DNRC to fund channel migration mapping and floodplain discovery on rivers within the Upper Missouri Headwaters...
Hi Folks, At our regular meeting last week, we heard a presentation from Joe Willauer, Executive Director of Headwaters RC&D, about a Community Economic Development Strategy. We brainstormed a number of different projects or events that could help with economic development in Whitehall, Boulder, and Jefferson County. We heard a presentation from Lori Ladas, Executive Director of Rocky Mountain Development Center in Helena. We discussed their two year work plan and talked about Head Start in Whitehall. At the current time Whitehall Head Start...
Students at Whitehall High School are currently required to take the ACT during their junior year. At a meeting Monday night, the Whitehall School Board of Trustees discussed the possibility of requiring sophomores to the take the ACT Aspire test which maps learning progress from grades three to high school on a vertical scale, anchored to the scoring system of the ACT. During her monthly report to the Board, Whitehall High School Principal Hannah Nieskens approached the board with the idea of having the school provide the test at no cost to...
Monday, Jan. 30 8:13 a.m. - mental crisis, 460 Hwy 2 West, Whitehall 9:16 a.m. - traffic accident 2 vehicle/non-injury, I-90 eastbound, MM 236, Whitehall 12:58 p.m. - suspicious/person/vehicle/circumstance, 415 North Whitehall Street, Whitehall 2:14 p.m. - citizen assist, Edwards Addition Road, Whitehall 3:59 p.m. - abandoned auto, I-90 westbound, MM 239, Whitehall 5:24 p.m. - traffic accident, Hwy 55, Whitehall 8:25 p.m. - suspicious/person/vehicle/circumstance, Homestake, Whitehall 10:04 p.m. – traffic stop, I-90 eastbound, MM 239, W...
Hi Folks, Last week at our regular meeting, we open bids for a couple of projects in the Whitehall area. We received ten bids, which ranged from $360,000 to just under $32,000 for the Blowout Project on Pipestone Creek. We will probably award that bid to the lowest bidder at today’s meeting. We received nine bids for the Sugar Beet Row Sewer Project. These bids were fairly close, with the low bid of $216,825 being about $32,000 over the Engineers Estimate. There were also higher than anticipated costs for Bond Counsel and engineering s...
Gov. Steve Bullock vetoed the first bill of the Montana legislative session last week, reducing the proposed pay raise for legislators. House Bill 1 would have increased the legislators' pay by 14 percent for the next legislative session. Bullock vetoed the bill with an amendment to increase pay only by 1.4 percent to coincide with the rate of inflation. He said the state needs to "live within its means." "At the same time that we're tightening the belt of the rest of government, the...
The Town of Whitehall is currently exploring options to keep its ambulance service. According to Town Attorney Edward Guza, the Whitehall Ambulance Service is currently not taking calls as they are trying to figure out how to keep the service going in their current environment that he said is limited by rotations and limitations. Guza said keeping the service that is operated with an enterprise fund is not the easiest thing to do. He said as a government body you have certain requirements, and there is a lot more flexibility in how a private in...
At a Jefferson County Commission meeting last month, Whitehall Town Attorney Matthew Haus expressed concern with a resolution dealing with a proposed ambulance district. Prior to the Commissioners 3-0 vote to approve a Resolution of Intent to create the Jefferson Valley Regional EMS and Rescue Ambulance District, Haus raised several questions about Section 6 of the Resolution that deals with the estimated cost and method of financing for the proposed district whose service area would include...
Montana lawmakers heard broad support last week for the construction of a new veterans home in Butte. During the final hearing on House Bill 14, which would fund a wide variety of infrastructure projects primarily through bonding, dozens of Montana veterans spoke to the shelter's necessity. "It's time that we make a commitment to these veterans," said Rep. Duane Ankney, R-Colstrip, a Vietnam veteran. "If we're gonna send them, we've got to take care of them." Montana currently has two state-run...
Late last month, Montana Governor Steve Bullock appointed a new 5th Judicial District Judge. According to Montana State Supreme Court Administrator Beth McLaughlin, Bullock named Lewis and Clark County Deputy Attorney Luke Berger to the position that covers Jefferson, Madison, and Beaverhead Counties. He will take over for Judge Loren Tucker whose last day in the position was Friday, January 27. Berger was one of three finalists for the position. The other two finalists for the position were Lori Ann Harshbarger of Whitehall and Beaverhead...
Monday, Jan. 23 1:52 p.m. - theft, 15 Corbett Loop, Whitehall 5:14 p.m. - traffic stop, North Division Street, Whitehall Tuesday, Jan. 24 12:26 a.m. - suspicious/person/vehicle/circumstance, 413 North Whitehall Street, Whitehall 8:39 a.m. – burglary, I-90 westbound, MM 272, Cardwell 8:50 a.m. - animal problem, Forcella Road, Whitehall 11:56 a.m. – forgery, 9 North Main Street, Whitehall 6:00 p.m. – traffic stop, 2nd Street, Whitehall 6:19 p.m. – traffic stop, North Division Street, Whitehall 6:41 p.m. – traffic stop, North Division Street, W...
Hi Folks, A couple of weeks ago, I attended a conference in Helena put on by a group called the United Property Owners of Montana. One of the speakers was an attorney from Wyoming named Harriet Hageman. She talked about Regulation Without Representation. Harriet pointed out that when Congress passes a law, it is often fairly broad and vague, so the agencies interpret the laws and come up with regulations to enact the laws. In January 2011 President Obama announced an Executive Order to review; regulations already on the books and to remove...
Gov. Steve Bullock outlined his goals for the 2017 Legislature Tuesday during his third State of the State address, including a responsible state budget, infrastructure, business growth and education. While addressing a joint session of the House and Senate, Bullock named common values, including, "Fiscal responsibility. Education. Infrastructure. Job creation. Caring for others." "We must engage in thoughtful, rational, and constructive dialogue with one another," Bullock said. Immediately...
Though the 2017 Montana Legislative session has seen more than its fair share of partisan disputes, one issue has united lawmakers — reforming state law on rape and sexual assault. The Montana Senate advanced a package of bills last week that deal with everything from the parental rights of children conceived by rape to the very definition of “consent.” “It’s been a long time coming, and I really appreciate that we’ve kept it out of all of the politics and whatever dynamics could be out there,” said Sen. Diane Sands, D-Missoula, during a Sena...
Monday, Jan. 16 2:39 a.m. - public safety-fire/smoke, C Street, Whitehall 3:28 a.m. - disturbance/noise, other, West 1st Street, Whitehall 10:44 a.m. - burglary -forcible (residence), 108 East 3rd Street, Whitehall 12:45 p.m. – traffic stop, Hwy 55, Whitehall 4:00 p.m. – harassment, 205 West Legion Avenue, Whitehall 4:26 p.m. - traffic accident/2 vehicle/non-injury, 15 North Main Street, Whitehall 5:25 p.m. - harassment – stalking, 12 North Division Street, Whitehall 5:50 p.m. – traffic stop, 415 North Whitehall Street, Whitehall 6:10 p.m. ...
The early morning hours last Tuesday were not that unusual for Whitehall resident Bruce Hayes. Things would change in a heartbeat. Bruce, who suffers from a back injury, could not sleep much like many other nights throughout the year. He decided to step outside to take a look at the night sky, and when he turned around he saw smoke coming from his residence located at 973 MT Highway 2 West. He rushed inside and made sure his wife Tricia and dog Beasley got out of the house. After this, Bruce...
The Jefferson County Commissioners voted 3-0 Tuesday afternoon to approve a Resolution of Intent to Create the Jefferson Valley Rural Ambulance District. The vote is one step closer to putting the district proposed by members of the Jefferson Valley EMS and Rescue on an upcoming ballot. County Commissioner Leonard Wortman told the Ledger Tuesday the next step in the process will be to publish their decision and set another public hearing, most likely in Whitehall. He said they will also need to send a notice of the next meeting to all property...
After two decades of marriage, Bruce and Christina Binkowski decided it was time to move out of Southern California and on to a new adventure. While they were searching for new homes in places like Arizona and Washington, they heard the John Denver song "Wild Montana Skies" play on the radio and this pointed the compass for their search in a new direction. They would soon find a spot of land in Jefferson County, and in 2005 they built on the property. The couple spent a great deal of time at...
