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Residents across Missoula County will receive mailed surveys this week asking them to provide feedback to help county leaders better understand the broader needs of the communities they serve. The county is working with the National Research Center to conduct the survey and analyze the results. The firm will mail invitations to complete the survey to 1,700 randomly selected addresses across Missoula County this week. Responses to the survey are anonymous and the adult 18 or older who most recently had a birthday in each selected household shoul...
SWAN VALLEY - In the last two weeks, Flathead National Forest and other local firefighting agencies have responded to multiple human-caused wildland fires across Flathead Valley. As part of Wildfire Awareness Month which occurs every year in May, the Forest is asking the public to take significant steps to reduce wildfire risks around their property and during recreation activities. Now more than ever, it is essential that everyone do their part to prevent human-caused wildfires and prepare their homes and property for the summer. “Many p...
HELENA - Just how hard do Montana cities, counties and school districts lean on residential property taxes to fund government services? Figures presented to lawmakers last month indicate the answer varies widely across different parts of the state, ranging from as low as $125 annually per capita in McCone County to as high as $15,794 per capita in Madison County. The data was presented Jan. 13 by legislative researcher Megan Moore to a group of lawmakers and tax policy experts conducting an ongo...
Invasive Dreissenid mussels pose one of the biggest threats to Montana’s waterways. Native to the Black and Caspian seas, the introduction of zebra and quagga mussels has given rise to extensive detrimental environmental and economic impacts throughout the United States. These invasive mussels are now found in every major watershed in the contiguous United States, except one. The Columbia River drainage basin, which encompasses most of western Montana, is the last major watershed in the country that has not been invaded by zebra and quagga m...
Wildlife Services, a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that annually kills thousands of wild animals across Montana, will at least temporarily cut back on how and where it kills animals such as bears, wolves and coyotes in the state under a settlement reached Thursday with WildEarth Guardians. The settlement applies to wildlife in protected areas like Wilderness Areas and National Wildlife Refuges, and also halts the use of sodium cyanide bombs on public land and private land in 41...
Two particular flowering plants are the toast of late spring and summer in Montana. In the mountain forests and openings of northwestern Montana, beargrass – the official flower of Glacier National Park – struts its stuff along roads and highways, as well as throughout the wilderness areas in northwest Montana. Meanwhile, the sturdy yucca stands guard over the rolling land and river breaks east of the mountains. Both plants, so similar yet so different, are symbolic of the land they grow on....
SEELEY LAKE – When Seeley Lake Elementary first grade teacher Rachel Bemis first talked with Missoula Aging Services RSVP volunteer Jim Haueter about providing their students with some of his hand-carved wooden animals, it was for a end of the year gift. Now with distance learning in full swing, they both agreed it would be a great addition to the weekly packet and bring joy to the students. Haueter started carving tree stumps on his property in more than 10 years ago when the bark beetle outbre...
SEELEY LAKE – The word quarantine has been much in the news lately. In terms of COVID-19, it means stay in your home away from other people for 14 days. But where did the word come from? Interestingly, it originated during another pandemic, the bubonic plague that spread across Europe in waves. Quarantine derives from the phrase "quaranta giorni" which literally means "space of 40 days." It refers to the policy, first started in Venice, Italy, in 1377, of refusing to allow ships arriving from pl...
SEELEY LAKE – The Missoula Education Foundation and Missoula County Public Schools recognized senior Levi Reinitz and sophomore Crystal Lopez as a Most Inspiring Student at Seeley-Swan High School. SSHS Principal Kellen Palmer presented the awards at their home May 18. The award recognized the students' achievements and commitment to their education. Reinitz was a library aide for the past two years. He worked to ensure the student program would continue and created a job description and b...
SWAN VALLEY – "I want to encourage kids to get outside, explore nature and understand the value of their natural heritage," said Swan Valley teacher turned author and illustrator Sharon Lamar. Since 2010 Lamar has published three children's books. She just released her fourth children's book "Wild at Heart" that celebrates a young girl's unforgettable hike into the wilderness. Lamar first ventured into writing and illustrating as a Christmas present for her husband Steve. "He liked it so much h...
Now is a chance for Seeley Lakers to see a wildflower that is not found elsewhere in Montana. The white, creme or buff colored Glacier Lilies are unique to this small area. It is only found in about a one to two-mile periphery of Seeley Lake. The more common color in other parts of the valley, and in the rest of Montana, is a bright yellow. They very seldom are found mixed together. Other known locations for the white glacier lilies are in southeastern Washington and adjacent Idaho. The white va...
Graduation across the nation is looking quite a bit different this year, and the same is the case for this little girl's Kindergarten Promotion at Sunset School in Greenough. Normally, we would be gathering in our tiny schoolhouse with family and loved ones to celebrate the end of the year. This year, we are anticipating an outdoor movie theater style celebration, with appropriate six foot distancing of course! We will go out with a bang no matter what! Although the last three months of Sophia...
Congratulations Aiden McNally! He graduated from eighth grade at Ovando and will be attending Drummond High School in the fall. Congratulations Silas Hessler! He graduated from Kindergarten this year. He will return as a first grader to Ovando School in the fall....
April 8 Today I woke up thinking about how many new emails I got this morning from school. Enjoying not having to wake up at 6 o’clock every morning to catch the bus, being able to sleep in because of this virus. Getting out of bed, doing my school work online. This morning I ate eggs and toast for breakfast. Now looking out my window at the blue sky glad I am not at school. After breakfast my dad and I were going to haul equipment but not realizing the frost was coming out of the ground made it very soft and easy to get stuck. So we did not ha...
Artist demonstrations, May 23 and May 24 SEELEY LAKE – Gallery 83 will be hosting featured Lincoln painter Judy Johnson outside the gallery Saturday, May 23 starting at 11 a.m. Artists who have their work on display in the gallery will also be available to visit about their work. The public is invited to come check it out at the south end of the Lazy Pine Mall this weekend. They are working on scheduling another painter for Sunday as well. Seeley Lake Memorial Day Ceremony, May 25 SEELEY LAKE – The public is invited to attend a Memorial Day...
SEELEY LAKE – Saturday afternoon, May 9 Clearwater Montana Properties CEO Kevin Wetherell found himself in the crosshairs of a social media storm when his name and image appeared on a post in the "Justice For Gregory and Travis McMichael" private Facebook group. The post, accompanied with a photo of a tactical shotgun lying on a chair read, "Stay out of our Neighborhoods and this incident will not happen again." Wetherell quickly denied the post on his personal page posting, "I was hacked, or s...
SEATTLE, WASH. – When Addy "Boo" Trevino's parents Jen and Treay agreed to donate cells following Addy's initial brain tumor biopsy, they had no idea that gift would allow researchers all over the world the opportunity to continue to study their growth and test new treatments three years later. Seattle Children's Hospital Pediatric Neuro-oncologist and Addy's doctor Nicholas Vitanza will soon be submitting the results of a study for peer review and publication in a scientific journal. The study...
SEELEY LAKE – Every few minutes the phone rang at All Decked Out on Monday. Owner Becki Robbins did her best to work her customers in but she is booked solid for this week and into next. Robbins was shut down March 23. She doesn't qualify for grants because she doesn't have any employees. While she could get a small business loan she declined and has continued to use her two months of reserve to pay bills through this unexpected emergency. "Being in business in Seeley is so unstable," said R...
SWAN VALLEY – The Swan Valley community celebrated their blessings at the second annual Condon Easter Egg Hunt May 9. This event, scheduled for April 11, was postponed due to the statewide shelter in place order issued for coronavirus. Organizer Edward Klassen said the event went great. He hoped everyone had a great time and he is looking forward to more participation next year. Klassen thanks all the businesses for their support, the volunteers that helped set it up and his wife Heidi and d...
The Seeley Swan Pathfinder was one of more than 200 news organizations to receive nearly $16 million in grants through the Facebook Journalism Project’s relief fund for local news. The grant will be used to hire a part-time reporter, grant free and reduced local and regional advertising to businesses and non-profits impacted by COVID-19 and grant free and reduced subscriptions to high-risk residents. The COVID-19 Local News Relief Grant Program was designed to provide support for US local news organizations serving a critical role for c...
The final, unofficial results until canvass are in for the Seeley Lake Sewer Board, Seeley Lake Elementary Board of Trustees and the Seeley Lake Elementary General Fund Levy. The Sewer District election had approximately 67 percent voter turnout and the School Board and bond had approximately 64 percent turnout. For the Sewer Board of Directors' two open positions, Thomas P. Morris and Jason Gilpin received more than double the votes than the closest candidate Duane Anderson. Morris received 168...
SEELEY LAKE – The Seeley Lake Ranger District staff is working hard to reopen developed campgrounds by Memorial Day weekend or shortly after depending on current conditions. Campgrounds and rental facilities across the Lolo National Forest will begin a phased reopening on May 13 based on seasonal availability and facility conditions. Until then, developed campgrounds and rentals remain temporarily closed. "The number one priority for the [Seeley Lake Ranger] District from now until Memorial Day...
The Big Blackfoot Chapter of Trout Unlimited, in collaboration with many different private landowners, agencies and other non-profits, has been working over the past 30 years restoring habitat for trout populations across the Blackfoot and Clearwater watersheds. Trout that live in Montana's rivers and streams rely on cold, clean water with plenty of open miles to swim long distances and ample hiding spaces in deep pools full of wood, root systems and overhanging trees. We are proud to work on...
SEELEY LAKE – "I miss the sounds of the gym. I'm just really excited to hear the hum of people," said Terryl Bartlett, Owner of Optimal Fitness in Seeley Lake. "I love that gym, I love all the people that come and I cannot wait to open the doors." After being closed since March 18, Optimal Fitness will reopen May 15. While hours will be reduced and hourly sign ups required, Bartlett is doing everything she can to make the gym as safe, clean and accessible as possible while complying with the G...
SWAN VALLEY - Swan Valley Emergency Services lost a vital member on April 30, 2020. Dan Maloughney served the community for 40 years, starting with the QRU when it formally organized as one of the founding members, then with the fire department upon its inception. Serving in many formal capacities over the years, the latest being the Medical Chief, Dan was passionate about learning all he could about the COVID-19 virus so he could keep the community and all of our members safe. He was very...
