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The Seeley-Swan Volleyball Team enjoyed a 3-0 set victory over Lincoln on Sept. 6, dominating the play in front of a loud home crowd. Blackhawks Volleyball entered the game 1-2, with all three games going on the road. The Lincoln game was originally scheduled Aug. 31, but an illness with the team caused both sides to reschedule. "We were transitioning, we were talking, we just had energy," head coach Janelle Greenwood said. The team is starting fresh this year, as no starters returned from last...
Seeley Swan Blackhawks Football went 1-1 on the road the last two weeks, first beating Powell County High School before losing to Manhattan Christian the last week. The Blackhawks took on Manhattan Christian in football last Friday. This year was the first that the Manhattan school fielded a football team, which lost to Lone Peak High School to start the season. But after beating Cascade High School the next week, Manhattan Christian looked more dangerous than a first-year team might seem. The...
The Missoula County Commissioners approved a new budget for next year, focusing on increasing funds for public safety and keeping the increase within the margins of recent high inflation. The commissioners also approved an increase for the Seeley Refuse District, increasing annual prices for district ratepayers from $180 to $200. Out of district fees also increased. For a person living outside of Missoula City limits, county taxes will be approximately $314 for every 100,000 in value of the home, not including local mills like the Seeley Lake...
The Forest Service plans to use prescribed burns on a couple units across the district, with one coming as soon as Sept. 17. Seeley Lake District Ranger Quinn Carver said in an email that the district is looking to burn about 135 acres in the Horseshoe Hills area north of Big Sky Lake. Carver said smoke will be visible from the site and likely pass through Ovando before dispersing in the Upper Blackfoot Valley. "I don't want folks to be alarmed when they see smoke," Carver said. "The stuff in...
Parents across the Seeley-Swan and Blackfoot Valleys got a sigh of relief last week as the 2023-2024 school year officially kicked off. With more than 250 students in Seeley, Condon, Potomac and Ovando, some new faces and projects will mark what educators hope will be a successful semester. Seeley Swan High School, Swan Valley School and the Helmville School were too busy teaching to comment for this story by press time. Seeley Lake Elementary Students are returning back to Seeley Lake Elementary with a big list of items for the fall,...
Ten years ago, Renee Kay dreamed about working with her family in Seeley Lake, often eyeing The BBQ Pit as she drove through town to her family's land in Condon. This summer that dream has come true: Kay and her family reopened The BBQ Pit this August, and plan to usher in a new era by staying open later into the year and offering community events like a family movie night. "If you showed me what we were doing back (10 years ago), I would have renewed hope on a lot of aspects about myself," Kay...
The Seeley Lake Community Council approved sending a letter to survey traffic speed by the Double Arrow Ranch, discussed potentially holding a special meeting on water quality and heard from area experts during its monthly meeting on Aug. 14. The council heard from leaders on the Salmon Lake construction project, who informed the room that there will likely be more construction along Highway 83 next summer, and the manager of the sewer board reported an unhealthy amount of nitrate in the Seeley area. There was also a brief update on the...
The Seeley-Swan High School football team returned to action last weekend, battling the Ennis Mustangs to a tough 48-14 defeat on Aug. 25. The Blackhawks entered the year with a younger team, featuring just three seniors and some breakout sophomores. "We are a young team with a lot of promise," head coach Jacob Haley said in an email. The Mustangs took control early in the game, scoring 33 unanswered points in the first half of the game. The Mustangs brought 34 players compared to Seeley-Swan's...
The final outcome of the Holland Lake Lodge could still be years away, but Forest Service officials in Washington D.C have joined the process in deciding the future of the resort. Representatives from the nonprofit Save Holland Lake told members of the public at the Swan Valley Community Council on Aug. 15 that questions submitted by Save Holland and the public have been routed to the Forest Service national headquarters. With new development looming, the council also started the process of...
The Missoula County Sheriff's Office reserves three deputy jobs for the Seeley-Swan Valley, but since May just one officer lives in the area full-time, and sometimes there is no law enforcement on patrol. With the high price of housing, there's a chance that there will be no resident sheriff deputies in the future, although there will always be patrol cars in the area, according to Missoula County Sheriff Jeremiah Petersen. The sheriff's office hopes to hire a second Seeley Lake deputy from its...
For thousands of years, members of the Salish Tribe would cross the Mission Mountains into Lindbergh Lake - what they called Long Ridge Trail - and up Holland Creek to reach hunting grounds in the Bob Marshall and Rocky Mountain Front. The story weaved with countless others as the chair of cultural and language studies at Salish Kootenai College Tim Ryan connected with the past practices of Indigenous groups that lived across western Montana during the annual talk at the Upper Swan Valley...
Despite near-record breaking temperatures in the Seeley-Swan Valley, any growth on the Colt Fire has been stifled over the last few days and little activity is expected as cooler temperatures come into the region. The Colt Fire sat at 7,154 acres as of Aug. 19, a decrease of about 50 acres from earlier estimates in the week. Containment has shored up to 51%, with hand line and heavy machine line around most of the fire. Fire crews have continued to mop up areas where there is residual heat....
Fire crews across western Montana saw minimal fire growth last week, but August will roar to life this week with record-setting temperatures across the Rocky Mountains. The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for the Seeley Swan Valley from 11 a.m. Aug. 15 to 11 a.m. Aug 17. Temperatures in Seeley Lake are expected to be 95 degrees on Aug. 16 and 94 degrees on Aug. 17 - both on track to beat records set in 2003 and 1967, respectively. With the hot weather, fire conditions will...
The Swan Valley Elementary School Board voted unanimously to approve its school budget for the 2023-2024 school year on Aug 8. With higher taxes on the area, Business Manager Heather Mincey said school taxes will be spread across more people. The general fund stands at $435,576, compared to $402,435 last year. Most of the increase came in the technology sector, which has grown with the need for computers. The total budget stands at $667,164.46. Other funds, like the building reserve, have also increased with help from state grants and...
Almost 100 years ago, hoards of out-of-state visitors climbed on trains to visit Seeley Lake for its downhill skiing along the Double Arrow Ranch. The hill, one of the first in Montana's history, recently got a touch up with new signs showing the past adventurers who once came to Seeley Lake just for the rope tow. Children of ski hill creator Bob Manchester joined to see the legacy their family has brought to the area. "It was the thing to do before World War II," said Kenny Manchester, son of...
A new wildfire started near Lindbergh Lake on Sunday, Aug. 13. Firefighters immediately did an initial attack on the blaze using aircraft and ground crews. As of Monday, Aug. 14 at 1 p.m., the fire is still actively burning. The Lindy Peak Fire is estimated to be up to 1 acre with no containment information available. The cause was also not immediately available. It's located about two miles west of Lindbergh Lake, just south of the Glacier Lake trailhead. Fire managers reassigned the Helena...
A new RV park in Seeley Lake has been solidified after the Missoula County Commissioners approved a subdivision request on Aug. 10 The Lazy Acres RV Park could be in operation as soon as next year, according to park executive Brandon Groesner, but that hinges on approving additional permits and accepting bids for work. Dave Stewart is the landowner partnering with IMEG to create the park. The commissioners approved the subdivision with a 2-0 vote. Josh Slotnik and Juanita Vero approved the...
A Missoula County District Court Judge ruled Aug. 8 that the state of Montana failed to correctly process the permit for the Elbow Lake gravel pit south of Salmon Lake. The decision solidified the halt of work at the gravel pit, which has not been in operation since the nonprofit Protect the Clearwater sued for a temporary restraining order in July. With the project sidelined, the Montana Environmental Review Board will make a final decision on the legality of the permit in the coming months....
Fire managers reported more containment on the Colt Fire on Aug. 9, adding more containment to the south and north with the help of cool, wet weather. The Colt Fire was mapped on Aug. 8 to be 7,202 acres, growing less than 100 acres the last few days. Rain has been in the forecast since Aug. 5, and there will also be a chance of rain Aug. 9. Firefighters will now try to close off the western front to any new growth. Heavy machinery will be creating a direct fire line on the northwestern side of...
The bridge on Boy Scout Road that spans the Clearwater River could need major repairs or a complete rebuild after an inspection this September, according to the Montana Department of Transportation and Missoula County. The bridge was constructed out of wood in 1937. Thousands of people travel over it each year to get to campgrounds and other recreation opportunities in the area. MDT ordered Aug. 1 that the bridge must be limited to vehicles under three tons within the next 30 days. "A 2022...
Almost an inch of rain fell on the Colt Fire on Sunday, Aug. 6, weakening the flames as firefighters make a final push to get full containment of the fire. More than an inch of rain reached parts of western Montana last weekend. Many fire crews got time to rest after monsoonal moisture came over the region on Friday, Aug. 4. Most fires still have residual heat and will burn as temperatures warm up into August. Colt Fire The Colt Fire was last measured at 7,179 acres on Aug. 4, with 25%...
Ospreys are like the human snow bird, enjoying the cool rivers and lakes of Montana during the summer, while traveling thousands of miles south to enjoy a coastal retreat for the winter. Recently discovered research shows just how amazing some of these birds can be, like flying across the gulf of Mexico, or returning to the exact same spot along the Clark Fork River from Central America. "Some of these birds have amazing stories," said Rob Domenech, the executive director of the Raptor View...
Now entering into its third year, Charlie’s Helping Hands is working to solidify its presence in Seeley Lake, with the goal of helping the most children it possibly can. “We want to help with whatever the youth need for trying to survive,” Executive Director Mark Wilson said. “There’s no agenda, as issues present themselves, we want to deal with them.” Charlie’s Helping Hands has been partnering with schools and people directly for supply financial support. Whether that be new jerseys for a sports team, or money for a new playground, W...
A Missoula District Court Judge stopped new work on a gravel pit three miles south of Salmon Lake after area residents filed multiple lawsuits over the validity of the project. Protect the Clearwater, a nonprofit group of residents near the Clearwater River, successfully petitioned Missoula District Judge John Larson on July 17 for a temporary injunction, or hold, on LHC Construction’s permit to crush gravel and create asphalt for road projects. The temporary injunction means work on the p...
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte visited firefighters and got a bird's eye view of the Colt Fire on Aug. 2. Gianforte landed at the Seeley Lake Airport on Wednesday afternoon, and quickly changed into a jumpsuit to fly off towards the Colt Fire. The Colt Fire is roughly 6,800 acres with 19% containment. Gianforte said the Colt Fire was the number one priority in Montana. While there was good news to report - evacuations for local residents have been lifted - fire managers and Gianforte said there is...
