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A Seeley Lake man will be behind bars for the next eight and a half years after he pleaded guilty in July to receiving child pornography. Charles Lief Isaacson, 62, was first arrested by Missoula County after he allegedly thought he was messaging a 14-year-old girl on social media, who he planned to have sex with, in 2022. Isaacson still has two charges against him for Sexual Abuse of Children active in Missoula District Court. U.S Attorney Jesse Laslovich announced on Nov. 8 that an...
The Missoula County Sheriff's Office has increased its number of deputies working in Seeley Lake and will have someone on patrol in the area at all hours - the first time in recent memory. Sheriff Jeremiah Petersen told the Pathfinder that starting Nov. 1 there will be at least one deputy on duty in the Seeley Lake area. The Pathfinder previously reported the sheriff's office had been short staffed and failed to replace two open resident jobs in Seeley Lake. After another failed search to find a...
A new project from the Flathead National Forest would do fuel reduction, logging and road management work on roughly 6,000 acres in the southeast area of the district, which officials said would help limit dangerous wildfires and increase forest health. The project stretches from the southern edge of the Flathead National Forest to Rumble Creek, with Highway 83 and the Bob Marshall Wilderness bordering the western and eastern sides. The area would also include Holland Lake and Upper Holland...
The two dogs that attacked a goat and fed on a deer carcass while on the loose for multiple days last month have been located and the owners have been fined. Two animals, one white and one black husky, caused trouble near the Seeley Lake Airport, challenging residents’ dogs and attacking livestock. Missy Kesterke reported that her goat was badly mauled, but she said the goat is expected to survive. The two dogs were later located outside of Seeley Lake. Missoula County Animal Control did not disclose where. The owners of the dogs received f...
When Sandi Hilderman looked through her late brother's possessions, she found a package with hundreds of handwritten pages in a manila envelope. They were his stories from his career as a wildland firefighter. "This is a story he never told our parents, although we knew he got injured," Hilderman said during a book tour in Condon on Oct. 25. "But it is a story about a fire and how he was trapped in one of them." Her brother, Robert Ritchey, served as a wildland firefighter for decades at the...
Missoula County has announced a later property tax due date after officials said the state sent tax roll information late. The new deadline for property tax bills will be Friday, Dec. 8, according to an Oct. 25 press release. Paper bills must be postmarked by the date. Usually tax bills must be sent to the county by Nov. 30. With the delay, bills are reaching residents the first week of November. Although residents will get a physical bill, the county encouraged those who could to pay online at missoulataxes.us. People can also drop off their...
The Seeley-Swan High School Volleyball Team started the postseason strong with a sweep over Victor, but struggled to respond against later teams, and was eliminated after losing to Lincoln on Oct. 26. The team finished third in conference, giving it a decent route versus the last ranked team. The Blackhawks made easy work of Victor, sweeping the pirates in three sets. The Blackhawks then went on to face Philipsburg, the second ranked team in Class C District 13 volleyball. The Prospectors earned...
The Swan Valley Community Council is going ahead with a long-term process to add potential zoning and community plans to the area, which split the crowded room over what would be appropriate to keep landowner rights. The council also heard a plan to get 24 hour coverage from the sheriff's department, got an update from its Montana State legislature representatives and listened to the community club during a two and a half hour meeting on Oct. 17. Missoula County Planner Andrew Hagemeier told...
The inside of Seeley-Swan High School's auditorium has been transformed into an eerie maze, and the school's drama class hopes to get locals screaming during a one-night haunted house special on Oct. 27. The drama class, led by teacher Katy Pellett, spent the last several weeks designing a maze and building different exhibits that the unsuspecting guests can walk through. Each room has a different theme made by the students, featuring the scariest masks the group can find. "I got a full class...
A leakage study determined the Holland Lake Wastewater System has been spilling sewage at a very high rate into the surrounding ground, an issue that the Forest Service said will be fixed under state guidelines. If the Forest Service does not complete the necessary maintenance deadlines, it might face legal trouble with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, which said in an Oct. 18 letter that some fines associated with the lagoon could run up to $10,000 per day. The study showed that...
The Seeley-Swan High School Football Team lost to Choteau on the road, capping a 3-6 season filled with tough games and a team looking to find momentum. The Blackhawks finished seventh out of the 10-team South Central 8-man division. Just three of the 10 teams made the playoffs. The Blackhawks took victories over Powell County, Sheridan and Cascade. The Blackhawks will graduate three seniors: Cannon Hawkinson, Jalen Kauffman and Austin Gonzales. "We are going to miss our three seniors a lot,...
The Seeley-Swan High School Volleyball team is hoping to keep its season alive in the playoffs as it goes to Missoula for the Class C western divisional tournament. The Blackhawks went on a five-game win streak earlier in the season, but struggled with rivals like Philipsburg and Drummond. The team's final three game scores had not been reported by press time. The Blackhawks will first face off against Victor High School at the tournament, which will be held at Valley Christian High School in...
The owner of the Holland Lake Lodge announced he will not continue a partnership with a Utah company to expand the resort and plans to sell the site. Christian Wohlfeil told the Pathfinder on Oct. 14 he has revoked his request to the Forest Service to expand or transfer ownership to the Utah-based resort company POWDR. The lodge is now for sale, and Wohlfeil hopes to find a buyer before the next business season starts. Wohlfeil said the decision came from two reasons: the inability to complete...
A leakage study determined the Holland Lake Wastewater System has been spilling sewage at a very high rate into the surrounding ground, an issue that the Forest Service said will be fixed under state guidelines. The study showed that the wastewater system had leaked 19.5 inches of effluent over eight days. The state-approved leakage is six inches per year. That's roughly 148 times the legal limit. “This excessive leakage constitutes a discharge without a permit in violation of the Montana Water...
The Seeley Lake Community Council heard new plans for the Clearwater Resource Council, clarification on current Sewer Board actions and added a new council member at its Oct. 9 meeting. Dave Torrell, the new executive director from CRC, said the group has had some leadership changes over the last few years, and his goal is to get the organization more involved in local projects about the environment. “This valley is prime for issue-based programming for several reasons,” Torrell said. He said Seeley Lake’s want to stay rural while respe...
The woman accused of starting multiple fires near propane tanks in Seeley Lake had gotten into an argument at the Chicken Coop, bought fire starter from Roveros and tried to burn down multiple structures because “she was so upset with what happened with the people of Seeley Lake (that) she needed to do something to show them she was unhappy.” Makayla Dembowski, a resident of Idaho, had been waiting on a load of wood from Pyramid Mountain Lumber, and decided to do some drinking in her vehicle before walking across Highway 83 to the Chicken Coo...
Two dogs around Seeley Lake drew concerns from residents after the animals attacked a goat and caused other problems for multiple-days. The two dogs, both huskies, were first reported by Missy Kesterke, who watched the pair attack her goat on Oct. 8. Kesterke said her goat Dixie is still alive and recovering. The dogs have been sighted several times after that, most notably eating a deer carcass, harassing horses and other livestock and chasing someone’s cat up a tree. The dogs were promptly reported to animal control. Missoula County Animal C...
The Seeley Swan Hospital District Board met with the future neighboring RV Park executive director, announced a new doctor joining the clinic and agreed to continue to look into needed maintenance to the air conditioning and water damage. Lazy Acres RV Park Executive Director Brandon Grosvenor told the board during its Oct. 10 meeting that he intends to be a good neighbor and hopes the two agencies can have open communication about potential issues. The hospital board previously sent a letter expressing concern over the covenants of the...
The Seeley Swan High School Football Team also made history on Friday, Oct. 13, going toe-to-toe versus Flint Creek Co-op, but lost in a last minute comeback 26-22. The Blackhawks have not beaten its rival since the Co-op formed in 2014. Head Coach Jacob Haley said the team did well being physical and played to win. The Blackhawks led at half 22-12 with strong performances from the team's three seniors. Flint Creek came back in the second half with 14 unanswered points to win. "Our team is...
The Seeley-Swan High School Volleyball Team lost to Philipsburg in a four set loss that featured heavy defense on Oct. 14. The team has dropped three games in a row, but still has a chance to make a run to state during the playoffs in the coming weeks. The team still has three games left before the divisional playoffs. The Blackhawks faced Alberton on Oct. 17, and will play Victor on Oct. 20 at home, followed by Charlo on the road Oct. 21. The team is currently 8-6, which is third place in the...
An Idaho woman has been charged with one count of felony arson after she allegedly started a fire near a propane tank at the Chicken Coop and Mission Bible Fellowship Church. McKayla Dembowski, a resident of Idaho, was picked up for arrest on Oct. 3 after an argument at the Chicken Coop led Dembowski to light a flannel jacket on fire and heave it towards the propane tank near the restaurant. Alcohol is suspected to play a role in the incident, Missoula Justice Court Judge Alex Beal said. He also said Dombowski works for one of the food...
The owner of the Holland Lake Lodge announced he will not continue a partnership with a Utah company to expand the resort and plans to sell the site after he said he received numerous hate mail and death threats, the Missoulian first reported. Christian Wohlfeil told the Missoulian he has revoked his request to the Forest Service to transfer ownership to the Utah-based resort company POWDR. The decision comes a little more than a year after the plans for expansion were announced. The lodge came...
More than 40 parents, educators and citizens met Oct. 3 with the Powell County education officials in the basement of Helmville School to discuss concerns that taxes for the high school could rise in rural districts by combining the Deer Lodge Elementary and High School districts. The Deer Lodge unification plan would combine Powell County High School with Elementary District #1, or Deer Lodge Elementary, to create one district. Joint superintendent Rick Duncan said would save costs and not...
Griffen Smith of the Pathfinder Missoula County Public Health has ordered the Forest Service to reapply retroactively for a permit to operate a wastewater lagoon for the Holland Lake Lodge and its neighboring campgrounds after it violated county code. To get the permit, the health department said the Forest Service must get Montana Department of Environmental Quality approval. Any changes, additional structures or streams added to the system since 2001 must be revealed too, the letter said. The...
The Seeley Swan High School Volleyball Team faced a few setbacks in its season, losing to both Drummond and Valley Christian last week. The team now sits at 8-5 as it moves into its final four games. Head Coach Janelle Greenwood said the team has been working on new rotations and improving game mentality. The first game, against Drummond at home on Oct. 2, featured an undefeated conference foe. The Tojans started the game hot, winning the first set 13-25. In the second set, the Blackhawks...
