Sorted by date Results 2772 - 2796 of 6337
National Forests and Grasslands throughout the Northern Region, including the Lolo and Flathead National Forests, will continue to offer free firewood and other forest product gathering for personal use for the remainder of 2020. Starting June 1, the Forests are requiring the public to obtain a hard-copy permit in order to track harvesting and communicate important wildfire safety and collection information. "As the impacts from COVID-19 continue to be felt across the country, we remain committe...
At a press conference May 28, Governor Steve Bullock and the state of Montana prioritized preparing highly transited ‘destination communities’ for higher amounts of tourists as the state loosened interstate travel restrictions as a part of its Phase Two reopening plan. This includes adding additional resources for community testing and contact tracing in high-visitation communities, as well as an informational campaign to educate visitors on responsible travel and a grant program for small businesses across the state to implement safety mea...
MISSOULA - On Thursday, May 28, the Missoula City-County Health Department amended local orders to embrace the Governor’s requirements for Phase 2, which take effect June 1. Missoula County offices will begin to reopen to the public with precautions in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Starting Monday, per Governor Bullock’s directive, gyms, fitness studios, pools, restaurants and bars can move to 75% capacity providing that they can maintain six-foot distancing. Restaurants and bars can increase the number of people seated at tab...
KALISPELL - Last month, the Flathead County Resource Advisory Committee and USFS Northern Regional Office approved fee changes for 12 rental cabins and the Spotted Bear and Lindbergh Lake campgrounds in Flathead National Forest. The changes come as part of a regional effort to better align prices with the services and amenities the areas provide. Most existing rental fees at Flathead National Forest have not been changed for over 15 years, with some dating back to 1999. The public was first notified about this proposal in 2017 with an early opp...
SWAN VALLEY – "Loss changes everything. Your way of life, your hopes, your dreams, your normal and your faith," wrote musician, teacher and video producer Katie Wright of the Swan Valley. Wright has transformed her love of music and God into a tangible connection that she hopes offers blessing and hope to others. After producing her initial film "The Gift" in 2017 she has expanded, creating four more productions each with their own motivation and purpose. Her most recent film, "Seek and Find" w...
SWAN VALLEY - Swan Valley School graduated four eighth graders June 2 in a closed, in-person ceremony. The students shared their favorite memory, someone who had impacted their lives at school and their teacher Colleen Harrington wrote a little about them....
SEELEY LAKE - The bear in front of the Grizzly Claw Trading Post on Highway 83 has been refurbished in an effort to signify a 'rebirth' to local businesses. Seeley Lake resident and woodworker Tom Flannery spent eight days last month sanding and refinishing the iconic bear. "When things look run down people feel run down," said Flannery. "We need to take a little pride in our town." Flannery encourages everyone to utilize the resources they have and do one thing to visually brighten up town – w...
PLACID LAKE - During routine monitoring in early May, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks discovered a northern pike in Placid Lake. The Fish and Wildlife commissioners declared at their May 28 meeting that the fish must be killed and reported when caught. “We are seeing too many of these,” said Commissioner Tom Aldrich. “We’ve got to take every reasonable measure we can to figure out what’s going on and halt what’s going on with that fishery in Placid Lake.” According to FWP, the goal of the kill order is to find the pike’s origin, populat...
SEELEY LAKE – The Seeley Lake Elementary eighth grade graduates were recognized June 2 through a video that was posted to the SLE website and Facebook page. Below, some of the graduates shared their favorite memory from SLE. Their teachers Patti Bartlett and Bridget Laird also offered them best wishes for the future....
GREENOUGH - Multi-colored cones lined the grass outside of Sunset School as the teachers recognized their students for finishing out the unexpected school year. Roughly 10 families gathered under summer dusk Friday, May 29 to watch. "We are thankful that we are still able to come together to celebrate what you have learned and accomplished each school year," said teacher Toni Hatten. For the 29 students, parents and teachers in attendance, the ceremony was the first time the group was able to...
CORRECTION SEELEY LAKE – In the Seeley Swan Pathfinder article, “Annual assessment may double,” published May 28, 2020, the cost of Pyramid Mountain Lumber, Inc.’s share of the Seeley Lake Sewer District’s tax bill was incorrect. Pyramid’s sewer tax bill doubled from approximately $10,000 in 2018 to approximately $20,000 in 2019. If the proposed administrative budget is passed and the assessment method stays the same, it will more than double again this year. The administrative budget and assessment method will be discussed and adopted at...
SEELEY LAKE – The Seeley Lake Sewer District Board discussed a plethora of topics at its May 21 regular meeting including more than doubling the annual District operating budget, project updates, hiring a new attorney, drilling new test wells and performing an income survey. The meeting was recessed in the middle to hold a public hearing on a grant application for Phase 2 of the collection system. As the meeting started President Pat Goodover asked the directors in attendance, including newly elected but not seated directors, their thoughts o...
SEELEY LAKE – Friday afternoon Seeley Lake Elementary staff Toni Sexton, Suzie Teafoe and Janina Bradley hung banners recognizing the eighth grade graduates at SLE on the fence facing School Lane. "We have known some of these kids since they were in preschool. It just doesn't feel right to not somehow honor them," said Teafoe. "Even if it is in just this small, little way." Missoula County Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist Shannan Sproull said ever since schools have been closed and g...
SEELEY LAKE - A Seeley man was convicted of repeatedly raping a 15-year-old minor in 2018. Roy William Wickum, 38, plead guilty to the charges of sexual intercourse without consent and sexual assault and will serve 30 years with 20 suspended, according to the charging documents, for each count. Wickum reportedly abused the minor between May and August of 2018 and again in March of 2019, according to the filed complaint. Missoula county prosecutors said Wikum repeatedly groped, assaulted and raped the girl over that period of time. According to...
SEELEY LAKE - Due to the uncertainties of the coronavirus pandemic many of the activities for the Fourth of July in Seeley Lake have been canceled. However the Seeley Lake Volunteer Firefighter Foundation is working with the Missoula County Health Department and hopes to be able to still offer their pancake breakfast. The Fourth of July parade and fireworks show, sponsored by the Seeley Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, averages 5,000+ people. Many visitors come together from all over the United States for the events. The Chamber decided to...
The sound of taps echoed over the traffic passing on Highway 83 as veterans and community members gathered at 11 a.m. Monday, May 25 at the Seeley Lake Veterans Memorial Gardens to honor the fallen. "For those that gave the ultimate sacrifice, I have the greatest respect and appreciation for their contribution and sacrifice and we are proud to honor them today," said Veterans & Families of Seeley Lake President Barb Knopp. "Take the time, not just on Memorial Day, but every day to take a moment...
SEELEY LAKE - Seeley Lake's Joel Roesner drew the winning raffle ticket May 19 at Deer Country Quilts for the quilt made by LaRee Morris. Morris started the quilt raffle in January to help Roesner cover expenses. Roesner drew Seeley Lake resident Connie Betson's ticket for the quilt. The raffle raised $400 for the Roesners....
Enjoying your work is one of the greatest feelings a person can have. I questioned what job was right for me but I think if there is any that I can truly appreciate it is the one I have now. I am just two semesters into college and 19 years old. Yet in my short time at the University of Montana, my interest in journalism developed quickly. It took just a week in Missoula before I found myself as the student newspaper sports reporter. While my stories did not reach a large audience, I saw how...
SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Community Foundation's Change Your Pace (CYP) Challenge is a campaign for community-wide giving, celebrating the people and organizations that make our community great. During this month-long fundraising period, June 1-30, the CYP motivates community members to give to their favorite participating local nonprofits and community groups, knowing the impact of their gift will grow thanks to the CYP Match Fund. Fifteen local organizations are participating this year,...
SEELEY LAKE – The issue of when directors terms end and when to seat newly elected directors reared its head again in a special meeting May 21 that was held ahead of the regular meeting and also spilled into the regular meeting. The special meeting had just one item, litigation strategy, under new business on the agenda. Director Beth Hutchinson questioned how the meeting was scheduled on 48 hours notice explaining that the by-laws require 80 percent of the directors to agree to it. She said she was not asked. District Manager Jean Curtiss expl...
MISSOULA – District Court Judge Leslie Halligan threw out Don Larson’s lawsuit against the Seeley Lake Sewer District on May 21. The order came in response to a motion by the District’s attorney Jon Beal seeking to dismiss the case due to the plaintiffs providing inadequate responses to discovery and missing multiple deadlines. Beal successfully argued that the plaintiffs’ actions or lack thereof were abusive and a bad-faith litigation tactic that prolonged the lawsuit to a severe disadvantage to the District. The District has repeate...
SEELEY LAKE - Over the past three months, Pyramid Mountain Lumber has made some major upgrades in its production line. Despite the uncertainty in the economy due to the coronavirus pandemic, Pyramid just finished the $1.5 million second phase in the three-phase project. As a part of a three-phase plan, the 70-year-old company installed an automated tray sorter system in the second stage. After lumber was scanned, graded and trimmed by the GradExpert, an automated grading system that came online...
On March 12, a collaboration of 16 Montana newsrooms launched the first story of a series titled Graying Pains, months in the making, exploring Montana's status as the demographically oldest state west of the Mississippi. The next day, Montana Gov. Steve Bullock announced the state's first four documented cases of COVID-19. If you read, watch or listen to Montana media, you know what happened next. The collaborating newsrooms responded by doing what newsrooms do best, immediately dispatching...
It looked like a lot of senior gatherings: a chatty group of folks, mostly in their 70s and 80s, with friends and family in a church basement, dining on quiche, pastries, fresh fruit and other goodies. There was plenty of laughter and a strong sense of camaraderie. But there was something special happening on a January morning at Kalispell's First Presbyterian Church. This was a celebration by volunteers and members of the recently launched My Glacier Village, Montana's first and only chapter...
Montana will lift its 14-day quarantine for out-of-state travelers as the state transitions to phase two of the Reopening the Big Sky plan on June 1, Gov. Steve Bullock announced Tuesday. Lifting the quarantine will coincide with a likely June 1 opening of Montana’s gates to Yellowstone National Park in West Yellowstone, Gardiner and Cooke City, Bullock said. Yellowstone’s Wyoming gates opened to travelers on Monday, May 18. The lifting of the quarantine was not initially considered part of phase two but Bullock said he decided to lift the qua...
