Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 26
SEELEY LAKE – The Seeley Lake Sewer District Board learned at their April 24 meeting that Missoula County’s inability to perform the construction engineering for the collection system is adding $759,400 to the project’s estimated cost. The board also discussed agency review of the collection system design, User Agreements, water test results and other business. The District’s former manager, Missoula County Public Works Director Greg Robertson, committed the county to performing the construction engineering in order to cut costs of the project...
SEELEY LAKE – "There is a [National Forest] crisis right now because of increased wildfire and increased diseases and more people moving in to the Wildland Urban Interface," said Daniel Hottle, US Forest Service press officer with the northern region. "[The Forest Service] has not been operating on the scale that we need to." With the 2015 Farm Bill, 2018 Omnibus Bill and the 2018 Executive Order 13855 from President Donald Trump, the Forest Service has expanded authorities to prioritize f...
SEELEY LAKE - On April 24, the students of Seeley-Swan High School presented their pieces of art and performed for community members at the annual Celebration of the Arts. The drama class, school band, creative writing class, choir and juniors who wrote persuasive speeches entertained parents and community members. The students from the art class displayed their artwork across tables, allowing viewers to examine their hard work with decorations. The audience enjoyed a variety of treats...
SEELEY LAKE – Those of us living in Seeley Lake are very fortunate to have the services of the men and women who provide help in emergencies. Numerous times over the past several months I have had to call on them to assist with my husband’s many falls. Twice they arranged ambulance transport to the hospital due to his injuries. I always found the responders to be quite competent, friendly and efficient and they always have arrived within 15 minutes of my call. I don’t know what I would have done without their help and I can’t thank them en...
Q: I love basil and would like to grow my own but I need some instructions. Also, once I have basil plants outdoors, will I have to protect them from deer? A: Basil is easy enough to grow, once you know its likes and dislikes. And yes, you need to cover the basil plants or surround them with netting all summer long. Deer may not love basil more than you do but they do consider it a delicacy. Because basil came from the Mediterranean, it likes warm weather. It may fold itself up and die if it is...
"Baby sister, I was born game, and I intend to go out that way." ~ Rooster Cogburn (John Wayne) "True Grit" It's a funny, enlightening, scary and humbling thing to write out a list of things you feel you're good and bad at. I did this recently. I will tell you, there were direct correlations and similarities between the two contradictions. I realize I'm pretty darn good at drinking coffee until it's an acceptable time to drink wine. I'm good at laughing at inappropriate things at even more...
With Memorial Day coming up, I am acutely reminded of all the benefits we enjoy in our country due to the service and sacrifices of United States Veterans. The purpose of today's Note from Linda is to explain the Veteran Directed Care Program (VDC). VDC is an outstanding benefit available to veterans who are currently enrolled in the VA health care system. Many services are available from the VA health care system, provided through VDC, at no cost to the veteran: 1. Assistance with household...
SEELEY LAKE - Local fire agency experts will be available to conduct free wildfire home risk assessments during the Seeley Lake Community Wildfire Preparedness Day May 4. This is an educational opportunity for homeowners to speak with fire professionals and discuss ways to reduce their wildfire risk. In Montana, May is designated as Wildfire Awareness Month. The Seeley Lake Community Wildfire Preparedness Day will help kick off Wildfire Awareness Month. It is designed to build community...
The 66th Legislative Session has come to an end. Out of all the Legislative Sessions I have seen, this has been the most productive. When I first got involved in politics, the State Budget was growing on average between 8-12 percent per biennium. For the second session in a row, we were able to pass a conservative budget that repaired the damage from the special session, taking care of our essential services without necessitating tax increases. In 2017, the budget grew by 0.6 percent over the...
HELENA — On the final day of the 66th Montana Legislature, lawmakers completed their only state constitutionally mandated task by passing the bill that sets the budget for state agencies. House Bill 2, which spends about $10 billion of state and federal money over the next two years, passed its final vote in House of Representatives 73-25. The bill had moved through the session relatively quickly, passing the House 54-45 for the first time in late March and then passing the Senate 28-21 in early April. The final vote in the House was to a...
MISSOULA – The Missoula County Office of Emergency Management is offering more resources to help surrounding communities become more fire adapted. As the new Wildfire Preparedness Coordinator, Max Rebholz’s goal is to create more fire adapted communities, create a picture for what that looks like to mitigate wildfire risks and be prepared before the fire, during the fire and following the fire. Rebholz said there is a nationwide push to implement the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy. The Fire Strategy is a strategic push to...
A new annual invasive grass is on the horizon, literally. Just down the highway from the town of Seeley Lake, Ventenata dubia is taking hold along our roadways. Though Ventenata is newly arriving in our corner of the county, it is increasingly becoming widespread in the state of Montana. New populations are being identified every summer and current populations seem to be moving/growing at a rapid pace. Land managers around the West are reporting this invasive grass to be more challenging to...
SEELEY LAKE – Bonnie Johnson, EMBA, CPA learned accounting from her father as a child and made a career out of it. After retiring to Seeley Lake, she has opened The Johnson Management Group, LLC to provide businesses and individuals the resources to better manage their finances and free them up to do what they love. She believes financial information provides a story that is very powerful and an important component to all other aspects of a business. Johnson was born and raised in California. H...
SEELEY LAKE - Since its founding in 1993, Clearwater Montana Properties has emphasized community-building as a key component of its company culture. Through its Charitable Giving Program, the company's agents give back a portion of all real estate proceeds to the communities in which they were earned. To date, the program has produced over $510,257 in charitable donations to causes throughout Montana, Idaho, Washington and Wyoming. "Being a positive force locally is at the core of what we do,"...
SEELEY LAKE – Nearly 45 firefighters ignited more than 300 acres in the Horseshoe Hills area April 24-25. The objectives of the prescribed burns included reducing fuels and mitigating wildfire risk south of Double Arrow Ranch and west of Big Sky Lake while also improving winter and transitional range for deer and elk. The Horseshoe Hills area used to be owned by Plum Creek. When Plum Creek put it on the market, many thought it would become the next big subdivision in the valley. According to S...
KALISPELL - Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has published three new annual reports for grizzly bear, black bear and mountain lion management in Region 1 (northwest Montana). The reports, prepared by FWP bear and lion specialists, provide an overview of management work, conflict response and prevention, monitoring, mortalities, public outreach and more in 2018. Tim Manley, a wildlife management specialist with FWP in Region 1, prepared the 2018 Grizzly Bear Management Progress Report for the...
My wife recently spoke in church. Her sermon was based on becoming the salt of the earth. What follows is my digested and regurgitated attempt to summarize her remarks. Jesus used this phrase in the Sermon on the Mount and we still use it today. We associate salt-of-the-earth people with those that are fundamentally good, those that are honest and those that are caring and compassionate. As followers of Christ, we go about salting the earth by following the admonition He gave just a few verses later. We can ‘let [our] light shine before men, t...
MISSOULA - The Missoula City-County Health Department is currently investigating six case of pertussis (whooping cough) in the Missoula area and has identified more than 300 close contacts who may have been exposed to the disease. Ages for the confirmed cases range from preschool through teenager, with one case requiring hospitalization. Additional suspected cases are pending laboratory results. There is a mix of unvaccinated and vaccinated children among the cases. The health department is...
When the Corps of Discovery returned to St. Louis in September 1806, fur trappers already were on their way to the new country. In North Dakota, after meeting a group of trappers heading upriver, the Corps' John Colter left the expedition and returned to the country he fondly recalled. In 1808, Colter and John Potts were trapping at the three forks when they encountered Blackfeet hunters and warriors. Potts was killed, and Colter was given a chance to escape. The Blackfeet took his clothes and a...
SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Community Foundation is creating a community space in the former Deer Country Quilts building, along Highway 83. We're working to make this beautiful log building, in the heart of downtown Seeley Lake, into a hub for community activities and a centralized location for residents and visitors to access important services. Work is underway to remodel the interior, transitioning the building into beautiful workspaces. There will be six comfortable office spaces downstai...
Mirl George Gratton was born on Feb. 5, 1936 to George and Gertie Gratton in Great Falls, Mont. In 1939, the family moved to the Greenfield Bench where Mirl attended elementary school and was active in band and basketball. Mirl continued his education in Fairfield, excelling in football, track and basketball. Mirl played on the Fairfield State Championship team of 1954 where the Eagles beat the Nashua Porcupines 56-53. While a junior in high school Mirl made his theatrical debut (and finale)...
CASPER, WYO. - Theodore Edward Anders was born April 3, 2019 to Emilie and Aron Anders of Casper, Wyo. He weighed 7 lbs. 3.9 oz. and was 20 inches long. Teddy was welcomed by proud grandparents John and Shauna Anders of Seeley Lake, Diane Stein of La Mesa, Calif. and Bob & Charla Valusek of Steamboat Springs, Colo....
The Seeley-Swan Blackhawks participated in the Top 10 meet in Missoula April 23 before heading to Great Falls April 27. Ten Blackhawks earned invites to the prestigious Russ Pilcher Top 10 meet and they represented Seeley-Swan well, placing in six individual events and sweeping both the Boys and Girls 4x400 relays. For the Boys, Hunter Shelmerdine took the top spot in the 400-meter with a time of 50.77 seconds while Logan Robinson earned third place in both the 100 and 200-meter races. Caleb...
KALISPELL - Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is undergoing a public scoping process to review fishing regulations and identify potential issues with fisheries. FWP fisheries staff is meeting with local and statewide groups, organizations and individual anglers for discussions on a broad range of topics, including season and possession limits and terminal tackle regulations. The public is encouraged to provide input to area biologists and managers during this initial scoping phase, which formally began in April and runs through May 31. Following...
Grizzly bear euthanized after cattle depredations in Helmville Valley HELMVILLE - Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks euthanized a sub-adult male grizzly bear on Tuesday, April 23 in the Helmville Valley in response to its involvement with livestock depredations. USDA Wildlife Services captured the grizzly after it killed a calf on April 20. The bear killed two calves prior to its capture on April 23 and was suspected to be involved in three depredations last year near that same site. Due to the bear’s history of livestock depredations, FWP made t...
