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The Seeley Lake community is grappling with the effectiveness and longevity of its medical center, the only spot with primary and dental care in about a 50-mile radius. Partnership Health Center, the nonprofit organization that provides services to the Seeley-Swan Medical Center, experienced financial hardship during the covid-19 pandemic and Montana’s Medicaid redetermination process, both across its six locations in Missoula County and specifically at the Seeley clinic, according to hospital representatives. These financial stressors — and...
Candidate filing for special district elections, including school board and community councils, opened on Dec. 12. Particularly in unincorporated towns like Seeley Lake and Condon, being a part of various boards is a way community members can get involved in local issues and in some cases — in community councils particularly — can be the mouthpiece for the community to the Missoula County Board of Commissioners. In the Seeley-Swan area, there are two open positions on community boards: one with the Swan Valley Fire service area and one on the...
At the beginning of October, a situation took place on Seeley Lake Fire District property where a volunteer was carrying a gun and it made someone feel uneasy. According to Fire Chief Dave Lane, the person felt intimidated that fire district volunteers could carry on district property. The fire district doesn’t have a policy in place that restricts firearms on district property. Some districts develop policies that do in their particular locations. Doing so and posting signage of the policy is not a violation of any federal laws, like the S...
We're mental health therapists who work directly with students in Montana elementary and middle schools. We love working with kids to support their well-being and academic success. In Montana, making sure kids have access to the resources and services they need to succeed isn't just the right thing to do, it's also critical for the future of our state. One resource that many students need is help coping with stress, trauma, depression or anxiety. Sadly, many students struggle to access mental...
Audrey Stevenson groaned as the volleyball she served hit the net instead of sailing over like it was supposed to. Assistant Coach Shawn Evans told her to keep her arm up, and she walked around the court to get back in line and try again. At a practice in October, many Lady Blackhawks brought up how much serving technique improves when players get on the high school team. And Stevenson, along with fellow eighth grader Kieu Snow, has an extra year to practice. Both young women are playing up...
A few weeks back my opponent and I were able to share both of our visions for rural areas like the Seeley-Swan. I respect Rep. Connie Keogh for coming to our rural community to debate topics from property taxes to 2nd Amendment Rights. As I’ve stated, I respect Rep. Keogh, and thank her for her service as a representative for House District 91, a city house district. We agree on topics, such as preserving our public lands, and a Homestead Exemption that will lower full-time resident property taxes, and make second homeowners pay their fair s...
Nearly 60 community members piled into Seeley Lake's Sullivan Community Hall last Tuesday evening to hear what the people vying to represent them in Helena had to say. Sponsored by the Seeley Swan Pathfinder, the candidate debate, moderated by editor Keely Larson, starred seven hopeful state representatives and senators, plus written statements shared aloud by Larson from one absent candidate. Audience members, about a third of whom wore bright red "Ted Morgan" t-shirts in support of House...
I’m Rep. Connie Keogh, and I am currently serving in House District 91. It’s my honor and privilege to run for election in the newly drawn HD 92, which includes rural parts of Missoula County and up to Condon on Highway 83. Thank you for this opportunity to introduce myself and to discuss what we need to do this next legislative session. It has been my pleasure to get to know my opponent, Ted Morgan. He has impressed me with his enthusiasm and energy, as well as his willingness to get involved in his community upon his arrival here. I’ve been...
Missoula County Parks, Trails & Open Lands is accepting applications starting Sept. 3 for the annual Community Parks & Recreation Grants Program The program, formerly called the Matching Grants Program, provides funding to help communities create and enhance parks, trails and other public recreation sites and facilities. Staff encourage local nonprofits, schools and community groups to apply for the grant by 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11. Ninety thousand dollars is available during the 2025 awards cycle for community-driven projects that improve...
Mike Fowler brought a small temperature sensor with him from Seattle to a presentation he was a part of held at the Foundation Building in Seeley Lake. On that Wednesday, with outside temperatures in the nineties, Fowler said his sensor showed 78 degrees in the Foundation Building. Fowler is the sustainability integration leader for Mithun, an architectural firm in Seattle. He and other members of his team came to Montana in May to tour five schools to start thinking about potential design upgra...
When Hattie Batchelder was a freshman, she had no idea what BPA was. She just wanted to participate in more clubs. She thought it was some sort of after-school class with a focus on business that was just a Montana thing. After four years of participating in Business Professionals of America, Batchelder's learned, competed and traveled to two national competitions, one in Anaheim, California - where Batchelder and friends placed eleventh in the nation in a podcasting category about an episode...
Condon voters approved two levies the Swan Valley Elementary School Board put on May ballots. Just a little over $20,000 will be added to the school’s budget, about $10,000 into the general fund and about $10,000 for a technology fund, which the school didn’t have before presenting the technology levy to voters. The timing of voted levies across the state couldn’t have been worse in many cases. For Condon voters, the early-March announced levy was right before extra property tax bills were sent out by Missoula County and just before the annou...
Primary election ballots were mailed to Montana residents on May 10. The Pathfinder reached out to the 12 candidates running for state House and Senate seats that are relevant to Seeley-Swan area residents to ask them a handful of questions to help voters better understand their prospective legislators. After the decennial redistricting, new maps were drawn by the Montana Districting and Apportionment Commission in 2023. That prompted a new district for Seeley Lake, which now lies in House... Full story
Two Seeley Lake organizations - Seeley Lake Elementary School and the Clearwater Resource Council - have received the full amount possible - $4,000 - from Missoula County through the Rural Impact Grant program. This program is intended for groups like community councils, nonprofits and schools to be used for projects that "enhance the quality of life" in rural Missoula County. Last year, the Seeley Lake Lions Club received funding from this grant to hire swimming instructors and the Potomac Scho...
For the first time in 12 years, Swan Valley School in Condon is presenting voters with two levies to vote on. A combination of factors like rising costs, increased need for technology to support education, a drop in enrollment and the loss of ESSER funds — money provided during the covid-19 pandemic to support schools — led to a general fund and technology levy to be presented to voters in a special election on May 7. “Our school has navigated the difficulties of staffing needs, the rising costs associated with maintaining a high standard...
Seeley-Swan High School faces significantly less budget cuts than the three Missoula high schools after the Missoula County Public Schools Board of Trustees supported the school district administration’s budget plan. Business Director at Missoula County Public Schools Pat McHugh said the budget cuts are the result of an unfortunate combination of three different things: an anticipated reduction in ESSER funds — or emergency funding given to schools during the Covid-19 pandemic to help maintain staff — inflation; and growing special educa...
The January community Council Meeting provided updates for the Seeley Lake bridge projects. Shane Stack, the Missoula County Public works director, said he feels confidence in various grant applications, letters of support from local people and organizations are still being welcomed to build a better application for grant money to construct the bridges in need. All letters are needed back by Feb. 9, in order to submit an application for a grant from RAIN (Rebuilding America’s Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity) which is due on F...
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...
Across western Montana, people are being squeezed out of their homes and communities by rising prices. Teaching positions go unfilled – and no one is applying to fill them because a $40k salary - the high end of starting teacher salaries in Montana, doesn’t afford a home, even if you’re lucky to find a house for sale in rural places like Seeley Lake. The 2023 Montana GOP had a super-majority and a $2.9 billion surplus, thanks to federal democratic policies. Armed with power and money, the Montana GOP imposed a permanent tax increase on resid...
Did you recently receive a letter from the Montana Department of Revenue? It’s not a tax bill from Missoula County. It’s an appraisal notice the state DOR issues showing the current assessed value of your property. DOR, not Missoula County, calculates this value every two years, which is an important factor in determining the property taxes you’ll owe this year. Those property taxes help fund several jurisdictions you live in, including the county. Your notice has two key numbers: the updated assessed value of your property and the estim...
On a mild but sunny Tuesday morning the qualifying athletes of Montana's Copper League for track and field had their final competition, the Meet of Champions held at the outdoor facilities of Missoula Public Schools Stadium in Missoula. The Copper League Meet of Champions is the highest tier of competition for middle school grades (six-eight) in track and field. Schools from the Bitterroot and Missoula County area meet to race, and throw in their final bids for top place. Seeley Lake...
Thirty-five years ago in 1988... Thursday, May 5, 1988 Boys State delegates chosen Every year high schools throughout the state choose two junior boys from their school to represent them at Boys State. This year it will be held in Dillon from June 12-18. Chosen to represent Seeley-Swan High School at Boys State this year will be Dustin Gordon, son of Les and Gayle Gordon and Ron Gossard, son of Boyd and Pat Gossard. The purpose of Boys State is to teach these youth about state government. To...
Seeley Lake Rural Fire District Board candidates sparred in a short open forum discussion at the Seeley Lake Community Council meeting on Monday, April 10. Each candidate was given a short time to introduce themself and explain why they are running for the fire board seat as well as explain a little bit of their platform and proposed changes. "This has been a long-term life commitment to fire and medical because it's one of the ways I give back to the community," said Scott Kennedy, the...
The Department of Natural Resources and Conservation is seeking public comment on an aggregate take and remove permit application to mine, crush, and remove aggregate (gravel) on approximately 21 acres of State Trust Land near Elbow Lake in Missoula County. The application also includes a request to have an asphalt plant on site. The permit application has been submitted by LHC, Inc. "Input from the local community is one of the factors we consider when working through the analysis and... Full story
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Owen Hoag, of Seeley-Swan High School, was announced as one of the 21 students in Montana nominated by U.S. Senator Jon Tester to the country’s four prestigious military service academies. Owen is nominated to the U.S. Military Academy. The announcement was made in a press release on Thursday, Dec. 8, noting that Owen is captain of the football team and a track and field 200-meter dash state champion. He is also a junior member of Seeley-Swan Search and Rescue, a student trustee for the Missoula County Public Schools Board, a...
