Sorted by date Results 126 - 150 of 455
SWAN VALLEY - The Swan Valley Elementary School Board unanimously voted to approve a second reading of board policies regarding marijuana at their monthly board meeting Tuesday, March 9. The policies exclusively had to do with consumption and possession of marijuana on school grounds. While recreational usage was legalized in Montana during the 2020 election, it will still be against school policy to possess or use the substance on school grounds. The main changes made were mostly wording clarification. Principal Ralph King announced that all s...
SEELEY LAKE - Voters in the Seeley Lake Sewer District rejected a pair of bonds by a 70% margin Feb. 23 that were proposed to pay for construction of a wastewater treatment plant and Phase 1 of the collection system. As a result of the failed election, the Sewer District Board received a letter canceling the primary funding package. The results of the election were discussed at a Feb. 24 Board meeting where Director Walt Hill also resigned his position on the Board. The General Obligation bond for the treatment plant was turned down by a vote...
POTOMAC - Members of the Potomac School Board unanimously voted to deny an amended Potomac Greenough Community Center (PGCC) lease agreement for 2021-2022 during a special meeting Monday, Feb. 22. Earlier in the meeting, the Board unanimously approved the Potomac Association of Classified Employees (PACE) contract for 2021-2023 as well as the Principal’s contract for 2021-2022 with slight revisions made to both. The School Board met Tuesday, Feb. 18 where they discussed the lease and made initial amendments to it. The lease they approved at t...
SEELEY LAKE – At their Feb. 16 meeting, the Seeley Lake Fire Board listened to letters written by Fire Chief Dave Lane and Board Chair Scott Kennedy in response to a letter dated Jan. 14 from the Missoula County Commissioners. It was sent to Board Chair Scott Kennedy and Sam Hunthausen, executive officer of the State Board of Medical Examiners. Lane read his response to the Commissioners’ letter. This was also provided to the Pathfinder and parts were included in the Jan. 21 article “Commissioners discuss concerns regarding Seeley Lake Ambul...
SEELEY LAKE - Members of the Seeley Lake Elementary School Board unanimously approved a second round of board policy updates in their 2000’s series during a meeting Wednesday, Feb. 17. Superintendent Josh Gibbs also provided updates on the School Improvement Team’s efforts as well as other various aspects of the school. Policy updates included: • Removing the Montana Digital Academy policy because it is already a part of state law. • Using the old library policy for members of the public because it is more in-depth. • Removing a policy around d...
POTOMAC - At their Feb. 8 meeting, the Potomac School Board voted four to one to approve the Potomac Education Association (PEA) contract for 2021-2023. This new contract would result in a $4,024.25 salary raise for all teachers regardless of experience. In other business, the board approved the permissive levy, continued working through policy updates and the eighth grade class provided an update on their class trip. Principal John Rouse said that Gov. Greg Gianforte intends to increase starting teacher pay through House Bill 143 which adds...
SEELEY LAKE – At their Feb. 9 meeting, the Seeley-Swan Hospital District Board received updates regarding vaccinations, Karen Ayers’ resignation at the Seeley-Swan Medical Center, Lazy Acres RV Park Subdivision and the sewer bond election. Partnership Health Center representative Abby Berow reported that 204 PHC patients were vaccinated Feb. 8 at the drive-thru Vaccination Clinic at Seeley-Swan High School. Everyone who received their first dose will return Feb. 28 to receive their second dose. Berow said PHC was responsible for scheduling the...
MISSOULA COUNTY - The Missoula City-County Board of Health (MCCHD) unanimously voted to revise their COVID-19 mitigation requirements for restaurants, bars, breweries, distilleries and casinos during their meeting on Thursday, Jan. 21. These revisions included lifting the 10 p.m. closing time, changing capacity to the degree necessary to ensure six-foot distancing between groups and increasing the number of people at a table from six to eight. These changes went into effect Jan. 22. Missoula...
SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Sewer District Board had its monthly meeting on Jan. 21 when the Board discussed litigation strategy, a change in who qualifies for voting agents in the upcoming bond election and comments made by a Director at another public board meeting. The Board closed the meeting to discuss litigation strategy with their attorney regarding a lawsuit filed in December seeking to force the District to install the proposed sewer and mandate properties to connect among other things. After coming out of the closed session,...
SEELEY LAKE - Seeley Lake Elementary (SLE) School Board members unanimously voted to extend their ice rink agreement with Seeley Lake Regional Outdoor Center for Kinetic Sports (ROCKS) for another three years during their monthly meeting Tuesday, Jan. 19. They also approved hiring for various positions and continued updating their 2000’s policy series. ROCKS Board members Garry Swain and Scott Eggeman spoke to the school board. SLE had a three year agreement with ROCKS that expired this year. The agreement allowed ROCKS to host the ice rink a...
SEELEY LAKE – The Seeley Lake Rural Fire District welcomed three new members at their Jan. 19 fire board of trustees meeting. Jason Rawlings, Austin Binder and John Baker completed their task books and can now run calls. They all spoke the oath of the Fire Department and received their badges. In other business: • Lane reported that the District met all of its requirements to receive the more than $74,000 in CARES Act funding. The grant helped purchase a Power Load lift and Power Pro gurney for...
MISSOULA – At their Administrative Meeting Jan. 14, the Missoula County Commissioners discussed a letter regarding complaints they have received concerning the medical care being provided by the Seeley Lake Ambulance. The letter was sent to the Board of Medical Examiners and Seeley Lake Fire Board Chair. Missoula County Chief Administrative Officer Chris Lounsbury introduced the letter and explained the commissioners have received complaints about the medical care being provided by the Seeley Lake Ambulance. He explained that while the C...
SEELEY LAKE - Seeley Lake Community Council listened to presentations from multiple community leaders during their virtual meeting Monday, Jan. 11. Speakers included Missoula District Administrator Bob Vosen who presented Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) projects expected to take place in the upcoming year; Claire Muller, Seeley Lake Community Foundation executive director, who presented the Foundation’s accomplishments in 2020 and their plans for 2021; and Seeley Lake District Ranger Quinn Carver who spoke about the U.S. Forest S...
SEELEY LAKE – At their Jan. 12 meeting, the Seeley-Swan Hospital District Board voted unanimously to designate Chair Twyla Johnson as the special district agent to vote in favor of the sewer bond that is being voted on Feb. 23. They also learned more about the possibility of the Seeley-Swan Medical Center being included in the residency program through Partnership Health Center. Board member Walt Hill provided background information on the letter the Hospital District received from the Sewer District. Hill also serves as a director on the Sewer...
POTOMAC - Members of the Potomac School Board discussed the continuation of their 1900 series policies which includes requiring masks in school facilities at their Jan. 11 meeting. The series also maintains student cohort groups throughout the school day and encourages social distancing as much as possible inside the buildings. Given Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte’s recent announcement of his intentions to remove the statewide mask mandate following vaccine distributions, Principal John Rouse recommended that the school maintain its current l...
MISSOULA - At a virtual public hearing Jan. 7, the Missoula County Commissioners unanimously voted to table a resolution outlining the need for safety while operating all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) until further discussions can take place among commissioners and dealers. If there are any modifications or amendments to it, a second hearing will be scheduled. Missoula County Chief Administrative Officer Chris Lounsbury presented the resolution before the Commissioners. He said it came at the request of the Montana Association of Counties where it...
SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Sewer Board has been granted an extension to respond to a lawsuit filed by a group of landowners. The lawsuit seeks to force the District to follow through with previously adopted resolutions to construct the proposed sewer, mandate connections and also to reimburse the plaintiffs’ legal fees. The lawsuit filed Dec. 15 and served a few days later gave the District three weeks to respond before the plaintiffs could request an entry of default judgment against the District for the relief demanded in the complaint. T...
SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Elementary School Board unanimously voted to use the remaining $13,000 the school received in CARES Act money towards purchasing new security cameras during their Dec. 21 meeting. The board also received updates on the Student Improvement Plan, COVID and discussed how homeschooled children could engage with the school. SLE Superintendent Josh Gibbs said the school’s CARES Act money must be spent before Dec. 30, otherwise it goes back to the state. The camera company the school is using is Verkada which Gibbs has d...
SEELEY LAKE – The Seeley Lake Sewer District Board of Directors learned at the end of their Dec. 17 meeting that a lawsuit had been filed against the District seeking to force the District to construct the proposed system. In the Board’s regular business they approved a letter to be sent out to District landowners and voters with information on the project and the Feb. 23 Bond Election. District Manager Jean Curtiss informed the Board at the end of her Manager’s report that she had seen a draft of a lawsuit against the District. However, at th...
SEELEY LAKE – Seeley Lake Fire Chief Dave Lane announced at the monthly Fire Board meeting Dec. 15 that the District received more than $76,000 in grants this past month. He also recognized volunteers for multiple years of service. Lane said the Department received a Rural Fire Capacity (RFC) grant for $2,800 through the Montana Department of Natural Resources. The RFC Program assists rural volunteer fire departments by providing cost-share grants for training, equipping and organizing. The g...
POTOMAC - The Potomac School Board unanimously approved the Revised Return to School Plan with an amendment during their monthly meeting on Monday, Dec. 14. In their discussion, the board talked about the transition process into online learning if an outbreak were to take place at the school. They decided that if the school hits its “trigger point,” then it would go online. The trigger point is when two teachers have to quarantine or 33% of students test positive. In addition, board members unanimously voted to revise the Family Onsite Ins...
POLSON - Lake County’s Solid Waste Board reviewed public comments made at an October County Commissioners public hearing in Swan Lake regarding the closure of the Porcupine Dump site, at Porcupine Creek along Highway 83, during their meeting at Polson City Court on Wednesday, Nov. 18. The Board originally recommended closing the site at their August meeting due to illegal dumping from contractor use, gate damage and vandalism. If closed, then residents would have to use the Ferndale Transfer Station site which is 13 miles away. Commissioners c...
SEELEY LAKE – The Seeley Lake Sewer District Board of Directors voted at their Nov. 19 meeting to call for a bond election to be held Feb. 22, 2021 to finance the proposed wastewater treatment plant and Phase 1 of the collection system. In doing this the Board abandons the previously approved financing method. The idea of a bond election was floated several months ago as a compromise to keep the project moving forward after voters elected two new directors. In their campaigns, Tom Morris and Jason Gilpin were very vocal that they wanted the c...
Members of the Montana Department of Transportation and HDR summarized and answered public questions regarding the Salmon Lake Reconstruction Project during a presentation on Thursday, Nov. 19. The project area covers the length of Highway 83 along Salmon Lake from mouth to mouth stopping just short of the Placid Lake Road intersection. MDT Missoula District Administrator Bob Vosen said the design speed of the area is going to be 45 miles per hour and is not the same as a speed limit. The goals of the project are to widen the roadway,...
SEELEY LAKE – At the Seeley Lake Fire Board’s monthly meeting Nov. 17, Fire Chief Dave Lane provided updates regarding an audit and office closure. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is auditing the Fire District for the grant they received in 2018. The District was randomly selected for the audit to ensure the money is being spent according to the grant. Chief Dave Lane and District Administrator Lynn Richards have complied the requested documents. They will be submitted before the Dec. 14 deadline. In response to the increasing num...
