Sorted by date Results 910 - 934 of 2089
OVANDO – Parade participants rode and walked from Trixi's through downtown Ovando for the annual Fourth of July celebration. Main street was lined with bystanders for arguably the largest turnout in recent years. This year it was apparent that while the parade theme is "Everyone participates, no one watches" there were more spectators than parade participants. Candy and other goodies were passed out and any thoughts of getting too warm under the sun were drenched by the Ovando Volunteer Fire D...
SEELEY LAKE – "There is a lot going on during the parade and I've eye-witnessed several close calls," said Steve Felix, Missoula area maintenance chief with the Montana Department of Transportation. "MDT fully supports the parade, we know it is a tradition and we aren't out to end the event. But we have to make sure it is done with safety in mind." MDT and the Seeley Lake Area Chamber of Commerce are asking for everyone's help to make this year's parade safer for everyone. Parade participants ar...
Anyone driving north of Seeley Lake has been greeted with a sea of beargrass blooms covering the forest floor. Resident Jenny Rohrer, who lives at the Summit between Seeley Lake and Condon, said, "This is the most sensational year of flowers since 2003 when I arrived. Up here on the Summit they are tall and everywhere." While Seeley Lake resident Jeff Harrits agrees that this year is a spectacular year for the blooms especially starting just south of Lake Inez and extending north to Lindbergh...
SWAN VALLEY – The Swan Valley School board prioritized the list for facility security, safety and maintenance at their June 19 meeting. Topping the list was school safety and security closely followed by a water cooler and bottle filler for the main school and building insulation. The board voted to start getting estimates to address the recommendations from staff to create a main portal for the school. Board Chair John Mercer told the board they have a maintenance fund pool of $50,000 and he wanted to set priorities. He went back through t...
SWAN VALLEY – Area horseback riders are invited to participate in the Swan Valley Fourth of July O-Mok-See. This is an annual event held at the Swan Valley Community Arena starting at 1 p.m. Bring your horse and your friends. This year all ages can participate in the Pole Bending, Key Hole, Western Jump, Let's Get Dressed and Barrel Races. There were will be Pair Sack Races for the 7 and under and 8-11 age groups and a Ribbon Pair Race for the 12-15 and adult age groups. Riders pay $2.50 per e...
SEELEY LAKE – As the boats floated towards Big Larch boat launch for the Seeley Lake Kids' Fishing Tournament weigh-in Saturday, June 22, the smiles could be seen from the dock. "We've got a monster," pronounced Bob Mytty as he grabbed the dock. "I had the winner in my boat last year too. I think Kieu has it this year." Seeley Lake third grader Kieu Snow was confident that she beat her older sister Isis who caught a 1.59 pound northern pike last year. Kieu was right. She took the biggest fish c...
SEELEY LAKE – The Seeley Lake Rural Fire District Board approved their insurance policy and passed a preliminary budget at their June 18 meeting. Marketing Coordinator - Montana Chris Hindoien with Volunteer Firemen’s Insurance Services, Inc (VFIS) presented this year’s insurance plan to the board. The policy increased $476 from last year to cover the buildings, 13 vehicles and the volunteers on and off work. He said that the Department is adequately insured to cover liability concerns and to meet state law including the accident and sickn...
GREENOUGH – Relaxed on her front porch, the newest Missoula County Commissioner Juanita Vero watches intently as two wranglers head out to break in two horses. A fourth-generation partner of the E Bar L Ranch in Greenough, Vero is responsible for one of Montana's oldest family-owned and operated guest ranches. After her appointment June 13 to fill the remainder of Commissioner Nicole Rowley's term, Vero is excited to be part of the team leading the forward momentum of Missoula County. With t...
SEELEY LAKE – Property owners in Missoula County recently received their 2019 Classification and Appraisal Notice indicating the taxable value of their property. Assessments in Missoula County as a whole showed an average increase of 12 percent for residential values and 18 percent for commercial values. Landowners have until July 18 to appeal their assessment with the Montana Department of Revenue. The classification and appraisal notice sent by the Montana Department of Revenue Property Assessment Division informs landowners how their p...
SEELEY LAKE – Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation Clearwater Unit Supervisor Kristen Baker-Dickinson and US Forest Service Seeley Lake District Ranger Quinn Carver presented about the local applications of the Good Neighbor Authority at the Seeley Lake Community Council meeting June 10. They are both excited about this opportunity to increase the pace and scale of forest restoration and resiliency work in the area. The Good Neighbor Authority was put into law in the 2014 Farm Bill and the authority expanded in the 2018 O...
OVANDO - Bike packers have begun to trickle through the area on the 2019 Tour Divide bike race. As of Tuesday, June 18, there are still 146 racers (originally 159) that left with the Grand Depart from Banff, Canada June 14. The winners are on pace to reach Antelope Wells, New Mexico in just more than two weeks. The Tour Divide, billed as the hardest bike race in the world, is a single-stage, self supported 2,745-mile mountain bike race on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. Riders left en...
SEELEY LAKE – When Kathleen Pecora, PhD started as principal at Seeley-Swan High School in 2010 she believed in teaching a rigorous curriculum, demonstrating relevance to the students' lives and futures, and building the best possible relationships with the adults in their lives. Now, after nine years as principal, Pecora feels she has done that with the help of the staff, students and community and set SSHS on a path for continued success following her retirement. Pecora has more than a decade...
SEELEY LAKE – Seeley-Swan High School Track and Field Coach Mike Haines was voted Montana Coaches Association Coach of the Year for Class C girls track and field after winning the state title this year. Haines said his goal as a coach has always been to have the students do their best at state and this year it all came together for both the boys and the girls. While growing up Haines participated in the decathlon, an athletic event taking place over two days, in which each competitor takes p...
BONNER, MONT. – Standing on the banks of the Blackfoot River, U.S. Senator Jon Tester announced Friday, June 7 that he is reintroducing his Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act. The Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Project was developed through more than a decade of local discussions among conservation, recreation and timber groups in the Seeley Lake area. The project provides for forest restoration activities to support local timber jobs, the development of additional recreational trails and th...
SEELEY LAKE – Seeley Lake ROCKS received a $30,000 grant from the Recreational Trails Program (RTP) administered by Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks for use on Phase 1 of the Hill 16 Community Trail System (CTS). They look forward to continued work on the Lake View Trail within Phase 1 of the project this summer. The Hill 16 Recreation Area lies between the community of Seeley Lake and Placid Lake including Placid Lake State Park. Hill-16 CTS was deemed a priority project in the Seeley Lake Trails Plan. This plan was the result of three y...
BIG SKY, MONT. – The Seeley Swan Pathfinder won 10 awards in the 2019 Better Newspaper Awards Division at the 134th Annual Convention of the Montana Newspaper Association, June 8. Seven of the awards including articles, photography and advertising were first place finishers. The Pathfinder's first place awards included: Best Continuing News Coverage: The continuous coverage of Addy 'Boo' and the Trevino family's fight with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) by Andi Bourne spanned from J...
SWAN VALLEY – Swan Valley School Warhawks made great improvements and set several new school records this track season. Coaches Danni Parcell and Judd Binley were proud of how well the students did in competition as well as all of their personal accomplishments this year. The Warhawks had nine students between fifth to eighth grade participate in track and field this year. Binley, a retired educator and coach of 30 years and US National Team member in the discus, recently moved to Lindbergh L...
SWAN VALLEY – Nearly 50 veterans, families and community members gathered on the Cold Creek Bridge with the Swan Valley American Legion Post 63 May 30 to remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice protecting the freedoms enjoyed in the United States. This Memorial Day tradition included the hand-made flower wreath dropped from the bridge to remember the fallen Condon Community Church Pastor Bruce Rippy read from John 15:13, "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for o...
SEELEY LAKE –Acting District Ranger Quinn Carver will officially be Seeley Lake's new District Ranger June 9. Carver is excited to watch the projects he has started the past six months be completed as well as looks forward to continuing to build strong relationships with the community and surrounding agencies. Carver started working permanently for the Forest Service as a wildlife biologist on the Helena National Forest, Townsend Ranger District in 1994. From there he worked as an I...
SEELEY LAKE – Seeley-Swan High School seniors and their parents gathered for the annual senior awards ceremony May 31. While many awards and scholarships had already been awarded, some students continued to add to their list of recognitions with class awards and local scholarships. Of the 28 SSHS graduates, 17 maintained a cumulative grade point average of a 3.0 or higher throughout their high school career. Brian Atwell, Lily Mercer, Hunter Shelmerdine and Jory Towe scored higher than a 27 o...
SEELEY LAKE – More than 50 veterans, their families and visitors attended this year's Memorial Day Ceremony at the Seeley Lake Memorial Garden May 27. While veterans in attendance were thanked and honored with applause, the focus was on those who answered the call to service and paid the ultimate price. Barbara Knopp, president of Seeley Lake Veterans & Families, shared the story of "The Table of the missing soldier." The table honors the men and women who died serving in the US Armed Forces. T...
SEELEY LAKE – The annual antler hunt on the Blackfoot-Clearwater Wildlife Management Area, known locally as the Game Range, opened May 15 and has become increasingly popular. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Wildlife Biologist Scott Eggeman said there were no incidents this year, however, he has heard concerns about the congestion and safety along Highway 83. Eggeman said they estimated more than 500 people and more than 200 vehicles came out for the opening day on the Game Range. There were m...
MISSOULA – The University of Montana honored 50 high school juniors from across western Montana for their outstanding math skills during a banquet April 11 at the University Center. Seeley-Swan High School junior Kara Good was among those recognized. This was the first year UM offered this award. High School math teachers were asked to nominate one junior who demonstrated five qualities in mathematics: Curiosity, creativity, persistence, understanding and joy. While high-achieving students c...
SEELEY LAKE – Seeley Lake Elementary School is shuffling staff for next year. The school board received two resignations and Superintendent Chris Stout shared about internal transfers and the need to hire a new second grade teacher at their May 20 board meeting. The board accepted resignation letters from second grade teacher Erin Lynch and kindergarten teacher Robin Beckett. With the kindergarten position open, Stout approved first grade teacher Sheila Devins’ request to transfer back to kindergarten. Second grade teacher Rachel Bemis wil...
SEELEY LAKE – In the past month, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks euthanized a black bear and grizzly bear in the Seeley Lake area. There is another collared young male grizzly, named Stevi, in the area that has been in trouble in the past. Bear managers ask the public to lock up all attractants to keep the bears out of trouble. Koppen captured, tagged and relocated the black bear in the Mission Mountains last fall. He said when he released it last fall it was healthy. It returned to the area t...
