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Locals get a look at I-90 bridge projects
Fall, winter, spring and road construction are Montana’s four seasons, many will tease. But summer is when the big projects must take place, so the rule of thumb is to plan for the commute to take longer.
St. Regis Senior Center under new management
In 2009 when the St. Regis Senior Citizens Center opened the doors of their brand-new facility, there was a waiting line outside on Thursdays for their weekly lunch.
HD-14 candidate Rep. Denley Loge
There will be two Republican candidates for the primary election on June 8 for the Montana House Representative from District 14. Both live in St. Regis, with Rep. Denley Loge as the incumbent and Randy Mitchell vying for the position. HD-14 covers areas in three different counties.
COLUMN: Chuck Taylor All-Star
There was no thought of making some kind of statement. Well, maybe just a bit.
Stakeholders discuss future management at Fish Creek
About three dozen people participated in a 3-hour field trip of Fish Creek to collaborate on ideas, brainstorm, strategize and leave with a better understanding of what Fish Creek means to organizations, recreationists and landowners when it comes to its future.
Sheriff's office facing budget shortfalls
The Mineral County Commissioners met with Mineral County Sheriff Hugh Hopwood Wednesday to discuss budget shortfalls and ways to fix funding problems in the Sheriff’s Department.
Developers discuss problems with county planner
Mineral County landowners and developers filled every chair in the Mineral County Commissioners’ Room Thursday to talk with commissioners about problems with the Mineral County Planning Department and possible solutions.
New superintendent takes the helm in Alberton
Alberton School has a new superintendent this year after Clay Acker retired last spring. Steve Picard is returning to the area after teaching in Roy, Montana, a small town 35 mile northeast of Lewistown.
Montana Aussie Adventures with Erin-Jay
I now understand the reason for 4x4 in Montana for winter… and needless to say if nothing else I can always laugh at my latest adventure.
Commissioners to decide jail's fate Friday
Mineral County commissioners will decide on Friday, June 7 whether or not to contract with a nonprofit private prison CEO to reopen the detention center which closed in January due to staff shortages. Commissioners met with Mike Thatcher, the CEO of Community, Counseling and Correctional Services Incorporated (CCCS), on Tuesday, May 28 to discuss leasing the facility from the county. Thatcher toured the jail with county officials to see if he would be interested and there was a public meeting afterward to discuss ideas. One idea was that Thatcher would reserve 16 beds while the remaining ten beds would be reserved for Mineral County inmates. For example, Thatcher’s reserved beds could be used for overflow probationary inmates from Lake County while the county’s reserved beds would be used for criminals arrested in Mineral County. Thatcher also discussed having a treatment center in the county down the road as an additional facility to help the program, and to add and maintain jobs. “It’s a longer-term treatment concept,” Thatcher said. “That’s something you should parallel to the discussion.” Thatcher says treatment facilities are a niche operation, and the county has potential to have separate programing. ANOTHER OPTION in addition to a contract with Thatcher for commissioners to consider is creating a Temporary Contractual Agreement for Coordinating Position. County residents Denyse Traeder, Diane Magone and Judy Stang proposed the idea to commissioners at the May 31 meeting for the position to jumpstart the process for reopening the jail. The proposal entails hiring a temporary person on a 3- to 6-month contract who will be responsible for “exploring the options available to reopen the county detention center in a timely manner and performing all duties that would accomplish this goal,” according to the proposal. The coordinator would create foundational procedures to recruit and retain employees. Traeder says the coordinator position could potentially work in tandem with CCCS and work together to reopen the jail. However, some residents don’t believe a coordinator would be necessary. Former detention officer Brandy Taylor says a Jail Administrator should be responsible for these duties. “What I’m hearing is, we want to hire someone to hire people to hire people,” Taylor said. She says the coordinator position is the definition of what a jail administrator is supposed to be.
Hunter hit with costly penalties after mishap
Jeff Fleming wishes he could take back the most expensive three seconds of his life.
Two Tales of Independence
By Senator Jennifer Fielder
Airport Board looks to expand business potential
SUPERIOR – The Mineral County Airport Board believes bringing three-phase power to the Superior area would have huge benefits to the businesses and economy of the area. They have begun plans to make this a reality. According to Kevin Chamberlain, a member of the board and Montana State University extension agent, three-phase power is one of the most common types of power used in industrial work. It uses three conductors to carry three separate alternating currents. It also generates more power. Where most households use single-phase power, three-phase could run an entire multiple-unit apartment block with power to spare. Chamberlain said it was often used by businesses to run big machinery. There have been discussions of bringing three-phase power to the area around the airport. Chamberlain felt this would be good for the area because the power’s presence could be used as a draw to bring new businesses in. He said there was the possibility of building an industrial park to expand the area’s businesses and the economy as a whole. “First thing businesses look for is natural gas, which we don’t have anywhere in the county,” Chamberlain said. “The second thing they look at is do you have three-phase power at the site?” There is already three-phase power in some parts of the county, such as St. Regis. However, these places are already occupied by other businesses. Chamberlain felt building an industrial park would be a good solution. He said there had been a couple businesses who looked at Superior and the airport area as a possible location for their business. Three-phase power was an important factor in their search. Chamberlain said the lack of it in Superior led the businesses to decide against relocating to the area. The overall goal is to provide a place for people to do business. Alternatively, local businesses could move into the park and take advantage of the power. The airport board felt the benefits of upgrading the power in the area made it worthwhile to open discussions with the commissioners and the Federal Aviation Administration. The groups would then discuss what could be done in the area and the potential to develop an industrial park. While the project is being arranged by the airport board, there will be no changes to the airport itself. Chamberlain explained the airport was there to be used for aircraft operations and nothing else. The areas nearby could still be used for other businesses. “The whole point of what we’re trying to do is provide a place for someone to do business,” Chamberlain said. He said the board could not estimate a timeline of progress on the project. Because everything needs to fit into the FAA’s policies and guidelines, all aspects need to be reviewed to see if they comply with regulations. As a result, it would be awhile before any projections could be made. Chamberlain said it was tough to bring new business to the area because conditions were far from ideal. Because of the difficulties, Chamberlain felt anything they could do to make things easier was worth it. The airport board has spoken with the Mineral County Commissioners and other organizations to get funds for the project. They are currently working with the Department of Commerce to get grant money. The board hopes to have a grant application ready to submit by April.
Girls come head to head in battle
PLAINS – The Trotters and Lady Hawks battled for bragging rights Saturday night in the ultimate valley rivalry of Plains vs. Thompson Falls.
USFS designates Cedar Thom project for priority consultation
At the last commissioners meeting regarding county forest management, Mineral County Resource Advisory Group member Angelo Ververis asked what needed to be done in order to make local forest service projects such as Cedar Thom a priority – even suggesting that the county had to become “the loudest voice” in the room in order to get projects going.
T-Falls boy breaks into adult sport
Matt Unrau
LIGHT shines in St. Regis
Dr. Alan and Sarah Damron have the intention to spread the gospel from St. Regis to the Idaho border.
Paradise woman dances with horses
Matt Unrau
'We Care' sets out to host first benefit
Last December, a group of residents from around Mineral County gathered together with the idea of organizing the Mineral County “We Care” Foundation of Montana. Just last week, the organization gathered together again only this time they were planning an event that would help benefit a father, James Hodge, and his son, Bryan.
Arkansas students lend a hand
The New Day Fellowship church in Haugen that serves the area from St. Regis to the Idaho state line had some welcomed help last week. A group of 18, 13 youth and five sponsors, traveled two days on a bus from Springdale, Arkansas, to provide assistance and encouragement for New Day Fellowship, which was launched back in August under the leadership of Dr. Alan Damron and his wife, Sarah. The group, which came from the New Hope Fellowship church, came to help out with tasks around the church in Haugen as part of their summer mission trip.