Sorted by date Results 201 - 225 of 2089
MISSOULA – Missoula author and retired forester Stephen Arno has had an affinity for forests and trees since he could barely walk. Not only did his love lead to a career as a research forester but as an author he shares his passion for forestry with the general public. Arno recently released his latest book "Golden Trees of the Mountain West: A Natural History of Larch." In this 148-page book, Arno explores the ecology of western and alpine larch, their history with humans and their role in t...
SEELEY LAKE – How often do you notice when the highway is decorated with litter? However, when the roadside is free of debris, motorists are quick to take it for granted. There is an army of volunteers, from organized groups to individuals, who keep local roadways clean through the Montana Department of Transportation Adopt A Highway (AAH) Program. In the spring and the fall, they walk their adopted stretch of highway and remove the trash that was intentionally, or unintentionally, lost. "I thin...
SEELEY LAKE - Each year Seeley Lake Lions Club distributes Holiday Food Baskets to area families in need of help, providing a holiday meal for Christmas. The Lions perform various fundraisers throughout the year to raise money to purchase turkey dinners, with all the trimmings for those in need. Besides fundraisers by the Lions Club, donations from the community have been made in the past. All groceries are purchased locally at Cory’s Valley Market. Cory’s employees assemble the food baskets, which are then distributed by Lions Club mem...
SEELEY LAKE – The Seeley –Swan High School Leos Club raised $1,240 and two turkeys for the Seeley-Swan Community Food Bank during their fourth annual Turkey Drive. Students collected donations at the Post Office, Rovero's and Cory's Valley Market throughout the day Thursday, Nov. 19. "These kids do this every year and it is just fantastic what they do for the Food Bank," said Karen Montgomery, President of the Food Bank. "Thank you, thank you." The Leos Club started the Turkey Drive in 201...
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 the timeframe has n...
SWAN VALLEY – It had been five years since she had seen the man behind the counter at Liquid Louie's but she recognized him. She asked, "Are you a preacher or something?" "Without explaining the details I said, 'Yeah,'" Eric Rydbom said and laughed. After sharing part of her faith journey and bad experiences with church, the customer told Rydbom she found a church in Florida that met in a bar. She and her husband really liked it because it was comfortable and it was really good. She asked him i...
SEELEY LAKE - Local vendors, artists and crafters offered their handmade crafts, art and creations at the Seeley Lake Community Hall Nov. 20 for the annual Holiday Bazaar. The Holiday Bazaar kicked off the holiday events in the area. For a pull-out list of events pick up this week's paper or visit seeleyswanevents.net...
MISSOULA – The Missoula County Commissioners voted Nov. 18 to approve the letter from the Seeley Lake Community Council to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks requesting they reopen the Clearwater Junction RV Dump station. They also agreed to draft a cover letter to include with the Council's letter voicing their support. Seeley Lake Community Council Secretary Tom Browder presented the Council's letter and provided the Commissioners more information about the request. He said the Council felt the n...
SEELEY LAKE – Blackfoot Communications representatives presented the Seeley Lake Community Foundation with a $2,000 matching donation from CoBank through their "Sharing Success Program." Blackfoot donated $2,000 in July to help the Foundation alleviate funding gaps due to the continuing pandemic and address lingering community needs. CoBank's Sharing Success Program doubles the contributions of its customers to charitable organization and causes. Since Sharing Success was established in 2012, C...
SEELEY LAKE – At their Nov. 15 meeting, the Seeley Lake Elementary School Board denied the request from Missoula Electric Cooperative (MEC) for the Community Solar Project and approved the modified school calendar for second semester. The board also received several updates from Superintendent Josh Gibbs regarding the new SLE App for parents, COVID quarantine recommendations and use for the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding At the September Board meeting, MEC presented a proposal to install a 47.6 kW Community S...
SEELEY LAKE – At the Nov. 16 meeting, the Seeley Lake Fire Board approved negotiating a payment plan with a patient who is unable to pay their ambulance bill, received updates from Chief Dave Lane and heard concerns from members of the public. Lane presented the board with a request for assistance from a patient that was transported in the ambulance and cannot pay their bill. The individual does not have health insurance and demonstrated their inability to pay, however, he still feels patients need to be responsible adults and pay their fair s...
SWAN VALLEY – With standing room only at the Hungry Bear Bar & Grill, the Swan Song Trio made their debut singing together for the first time Saturday night. While local singers Mikayla Kay, Linda Ellison and Mikkie Gleason are no strangers to the microphone, this performance took their act to the next level. At different times all three ladies were singing at the Hungry Bear's Thursday night karaoke. "People noticed that the ladies were really bringing it," Ellison said. Hungry Bear Owner Rick...
MISSOULA – The Seeley Lake Community Foundation (SLCF) was recognized by the Missoula Nonprofit Center (MNC) as this year’s Outstanding Foundation as part of their National Philanthropy Day Celebration Nov. 15. SLCF Executive Director Claire Muller said this recognition is a great way for the SLCF to cap off celebrating 21 years of service to the Seeley Lake community. She feels the honor must be given to everyone in the community who has supported the Foundation and worked to strengthen See...
SWAN VALLEY - Swan Valley veterans, their families and the community gathered with the American Legion Post 63 outside the Swan Valley Community Hall to celebrate local veterans Nov. 11. "We now know that each and every generation must give to keep this nation safe and free," Post 63 Commander Edward Klassen said. "This is a time to commemorate and honor those veterans." At the end of World War I on Nov. 11 the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" of 1918 they signed the...
SEELEY LAKE – Every day before football practice started, senior Sawyer Shelmerdine would go get the keys from Head Coach Jay Crum and go unload the equipment shed for the team. He would have been the quarterback again this year but due to a knee injury he was sidelined. Because of his love of football and desire to stay involved he was the captain and team manager. "I just wanted to be there and try and help them out as much as I could," Shelmerdine said. Shelmerdine's dedication and leadership...
SEELEY LAKE – Seeley Lake is very close to having everything setup for a new Girl Scout Troop. The new Seeley Lake Troop is Troop 3436 with Chantel Lynch as the leader. The Troop is open to girls from kindergarten to sixth grade. However girls up to seniors in high school are welcome and can also join. The cost is $25 dollars from September to September. The first meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 1. Time and location to be announced. For more information about the troop, how to get involved call or text Lynch at 907-738-8657 or email c...
SEELEY LAKE - The Salmon Lake Highway Reconstruction project team presented proposed improvements to Highway 83 along the east side of Salmon Lake during two outreach meetings at the end of October. Montana Department of Transportation and Project Managers shared information about the proposed roadway widths, improved alignment, plans for slope mitigations and rockfall areas and other safety improvements. Construction is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2022 and be completed in the spring of 2024. MDT is working with HDR design consultant and...
SEELEY LAKE – At their Nov. 8 meeting, the Seeley Lake Community Council unanimously approved a letter to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks asking them to repair and reopen the Clearwater Junction RV Dump station for the 2022 season. They also hosted a Senior Symposium with representatives from various groups and received several updates from Seeley Lake District Ranger Quinn Carver. Per the discussion from their October meeting, Council Secretary Tom Browder and Council member Bruce Friede drafted a letter to FWP Director Henry Worsech r...
SWAN LAKE - On Saturday, Oct. 30 over 60 volunteers helped prepare Camp Ponderosa Veterans and Retreat Center for winter. They brought shovels, axes, weedwackers, wheelbarrows, tractors, chainsaws and two portable sawmills. TJ Wendt and Steve Perrone worked under camp managers Allen & Linda Erickson's direction to get the much-needed projects done before winter comes. Camp Ponderosa is located across Highway 83 from the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation District office at...
MISSOULA COUNTY – Missoula County was among three counties statewide where voters passed an additional county-wide tax on recreational marijuana. The initiative to impose a three percent tax passed with a sweeping 78%. However, nearly 52% of voters rejected the tax proposed for medical marijuana. These numbers were the final election night report and are unofficial until canvass. In the 2020 general election, the majority of Montana voters approved Initiative 190 legalizing the sale and tax of marijuana. In the 2021 Montana legislative s...
POTOMAC - The Greenough-Potomac Fire Board discussed the Active Member Training and Attendance Standards Policy and received an update on the Blanchard Creek Property at their Nov. 2 meeting. Chair Scott Gordon presented the board with proposed minimum standards for volunteers to remain active members of the department. This was the second reading of the policy that the Board is scheduled to approve at the December meeting. In the proposed policy, active membership includes attending and participating in approximately 40 hours of annual active...
SEELEY LAKE – Veterans Day has been a celebrated holiday in Seeley Lake for more than 30 years thanks local veterans and their families. While the Seeley Lake Veterans of Foreign War (VFW) Post 7992 surrendered their charter in May 2012, the mission and service to the community continued with the unaffiliated, non-profit Veterans and Families of Seeley Lake (VFSL). VFSL continues to support the local and oversees veterans, their families and other local charities that benefit the wider community...
GREENOUGH – Highway 200 was closed for more than six hours Saturday, Oct. 30 due to a fuel spill that covered all three lanes just past Sunset Hill Road at the top of Greenough Hill. Greenough-Potomac Volunteer Fire Department (GPVFD) and Missoula Rural Fire Department's Hazmat Team ran traffic control. Once the road was sanded, Highway 200 was opened around 10:30 p.m. As of Monday evening, Nov. 1, Montana Department of Transportation is still reporting loose gravel with reduced speeds of 35 m...
SEELEY LAKE – To look at the new home on Spruce Drive in Seeley Lake, no one would think it was built from the inside out. Seeley Lake resident and general contractor Chris Chitty built his home using engineered wood products including cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels and wood fiber insulation from the Czech Republic. While the mass timber panel industry is a new phenomenon in the United States, within the past five years it has started gaining popularity in constructing multi-story b...
SEELEY LAKE – Three schools in the state took advantage of the three-day week Oct. 18-20 and closed their doors to in-person learning. Darby, Glasgow and Livingston School Districts reported they either did not have enough employees to operate the schools, did not have enough substitutes to cover the absent staff or they wanted to provide time for the county to contact trace active COVID-19 cases. While none of the local schools have had to shift to remote learning due to staffing shortages, Seeley Lake Elementary, Seeley-Swan High School a...
