Community Briefs

Meals continue for Cahoon family

SEELEY LAKE – Christian Cahoon made it home Friday night from the hospital. Local law enforcement provided an escort for him and his family. The community lined Highway 83 with lights, signs and honking to welcome him home. It was reported that the welcome home parade could be heard at the last home football game at Seeley-Swan High School.

Meals continue to be coordinated for the Cahoon family. If anyone is willing to make a meal please contact Teresa Cahoon at 406-210-4688 to sign up and to ask any questions. Due to COVID concerns, Christian will not be able to have any visitors from the community at this time.

Loving Hearts not accepting donations, closed until further notice

SEELEY LAKE – Due to the rise in COVID cases and in an effort to keep volunteers and customers safe, Loving Hearts is closed until further notice. They have been blessed to abundance with donations. All of their storage capacity is full so they are no longer accepting donations. Please do not leave donations outside.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Firewood opportunities on the Seeley Lake Ranger District

SEELEY LAKE – There are several opportunities available for collecting firewood on the Seeley Lake Ranger District. Permits are still free but they are required while collecting wood on the National Forest.

Firewood is available on the east side of Highway 83. Several dead trees have been dropped as part of the highway safety project. The District has been working collaboratively with the Department of Transportation to mitigate the dead standing snags.

The loggers on Rice Ridge sorted their piles, so the firewood is easy to access. Piles from logging are now available for firewood gathering in the following areas:

Piles available for firewood (on open roads): 

• Rice Ridge Road (NFS Road No. 720)

• Rice/Morrell Road (NFS Road No. 4343/4353)

• Morrell Lookout Road (NFS Road No. 4365)

• Cottonwood Lakes Road (NFS Road No. 477)

• Dunham Road (NFS Road No. 4388)

Any questions please contact the Seeley Lake Ranger District, 406-677-2233.

Pile burning proposed this fall on DNRC’s Clearwater Unit

The Montana DNRC, Clearwater Unit, is proposing to burn slash piles from timber harvest and other treatments in several areas such as: the Seeley Lake area, Placid Lake area, Salmon Lake, Cozy Corner, the Game Range, Greenough, Ovando and the Blanchard Creek / Lost Prairie Creek area.  This pile burning will occur after receiving approval from the Montana Department of Environmental Quality and Missoula County.  If conditions are acceptable and the smoke columns are transported in acceptable directions, burns will be conducted.  If conditions change dramatically, ignition will stop.  If you have any questions, please call Clearwater Unit 406-244-5857.

Montana Eviction Intervention Project provides legal counsel to those evicted

If you have been served eviction court papers, you may qualify for a free lawyer to represent you in court through the Montana Eviction Intervention Project.

This project is through the Montana Legal Services Association, a private, non-profit law firm that received CARES Act funding to develop a program to preserve housing for renters in Montana.

The program provides a free attorney to every renter facing eviction and is available through the end of 2020. MLSA will appoint the attorney. There are no income qualifications for this program.

Tenants should call MLSA at 1-800-666-6899 or apply online at http://www.mtlsa.org. Tenants will receive a lawyer’s help filing an answer and will have access to an attorney for their case.

Weekly COVID-19 update

As of Oct. 19, there are 23,390 cases of COVID-19 in Montana. There are 9,611 active cases, 1,020 total hospitalizations with 339 active, 13,538 recoveries and 241 deaths in Montana due to COVID-19 complications. Missoula County has had 1,675 cases, has 548 active cases with 19 currently hospitalized, 1,119 recovered and eight reported deaths. There are more than 1,600 identified close contacts in quarantine and isolation. Of the 548 active cases, 64 are associated with the University of Montana.

For the most up-to-date and accurate information please refer to the Missoula County-City Health Department website http://missoula.co/cvirus or call 406-258-INFO (4636) Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Missoula County Sheriff’s Office Call Log Oct. 12 – Oct. 19

•10/12, 5:49pm, 16XX Rumble Creek Road, Condon: Trespassing

• 10/13, 2:21pm, 31XX Scenic Drive, Condon: Theft

• 10/15, 6:42am, 2X Mile Marker Highway 83, Greenough: Accident - Injury

• 10/16, 11:53am, 3X mile marker Highway 83, Condon: Accident – No Injury

• 10/16, 3:42pm, 11XX Beargrass Lane, Seeley Lake: Suspicious Activity

• 10/17, 10:01am, 61XX Highway 83, Condon: Suspicious Activity

• 10/18, 10:27am, X mile marker Highway 83, Greenough: Accident - Injury

• 10/18, 2:03pm, 31XX Highway 83, Seeley Lake: Suspicious Activity

• 10/18, 6:46pm, Highway 83, Lake Inez: Slide-In No Property Damage

• 10/18, 9:07pm, 64XX Highway 83, Condon: Accident - Injury

Seeley Lake Rural Fire District Call Log Oct. 11 – Oct. 17

• 10/11, Highway 200: Injury Accident

• 10/11, Evergreen Drive, Seeley Lake: Illegal Burn

• 10/11, Redwood Lane, Seeley Lake: Medical

• 10/11, Grandview Court, Seeley Lake: Medical

• 10/13, Highway 83, Seeley Lake: Tree Down on Highway

• 10/14, Elm Drive, Seeley Lake: Medical

• 10/15, Highway 200: Injury Accident

• 10/15, Paws Up Road, Greenough, Seeley Lake: Medical

• 10/15, Highway 83, Seeley Lake: Medical

• 10/17, Cub Lane, Seeley Lake: Illegal Burn