Montana Aussie adventures with Erin-Jay

The count down is on … to the Fair and also for the start of the School year.

Local Emergency Planning Committee gears up for emergencies

The Mineral County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) met for their monthly meeting on January 7. Tim Read, Mineral County Planner and Retired Superior Fire Chief John Woodland presented a slide show to the group regarding the freezing rain and icy roads that occurred on December 4 which resulted in closing I-90. The highway was closed for several hours, and stranded about 200 trucks in the County. The group discussed the event and came up with suggestions and strategies that would help deal with similar emergencies in the future. 

Letter to the Editor: Fear Monger or legitimate warning ?

Think about it. If a road sign says ‘bridge out ahead’, or one that says ‘railroad crossing’, what are they? They are warnings signs informing us that there is, or that there may be, trouble ahead. They aren’t meant to scare you, they are meant to make you alert.

$350,000 grant awarded to fix roads in Mineral County

U.S. Sen. Steve Daines announced on April 10 that the Department of Transportation has granted $350,000 to repair federally owned roads in Mineral County that were impacted by severe storms, flooding and landslides.

Meeting to discuss water rights in Flathead Compact

You’ve heard that water will be the next gold for years, and it appears it’s coming to fruition.

4-H fashions displayed at Flat Iron Quilt Show

Sanders County 4-H sewers gathered in Thompson Falls on Sunday, April 26, for the 2009 Fashion Revue and Patchwork Parade.

Funding scrapped for regional hazmat

Hazmat incidents aren’t things that residents usually think of, however with the state government scrapping the funding for regional hazmat, there are more then a few questions left unanswered.

Crews nearly wrangle Banana Lake Fire

More seasonal weather last week has aided efforts to wrangle the Banana Lake Fire in Sanders County.

Tribal leaders call for reinstatement of health department position

In a recent legislative hearing to help shape the state health department’s budget, tribal leaders traveled from across Montana to tell lawmakers they wanted to reinstate a tribal relations manager position that proponents say once provided valuable communication with the state Department of Public Health and Human Services.

Legislation would assist in tribal management of bison

Leaders from the Blackfeet Nation and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes praised legislation introduced in Congress last month that centers tribal sovereignty into the management of bison herds on tribal lands.

Resource Advisory Committee seeking new members

In a world of acronyms of organizations that overlap with similar names but have different goals, it helps to start in the correct hallway.

Rams butt heads during aggressive rut, FWP reports

“Bighorn sheep are undoubtedly one of the most iconic and revered wildlife species in Montana, yet in comparison to most big game animals, relatively little is known about their population,” stated a 2013 Fish, Wildlife & Parks report. There are roughly 6,000 bighorns in Montana with approximately 700 living in Region 2 of the Fish, Wildlife & Parks map which includes herds up Petty Creek near Alberton and near St. Regis. Over the years, the numbers grew to 1,500 with the 1970s herd producing trophy-size rams.

Montana Aussie Adventures with Erin-Jay

Sunshine and spring rains are making for a great continuation of the warmer weather.

We the People: firearm related bills

There are several firearms related bills awaiting executive action by the Senate Judiciary Committee.  It is anticipated we will be doing that on Monday, March 21st.   I will give a brief description of each bill.  House Bill 271: “Exception to concealed weapon offense if eligible to apply”, says that if you are eligible to apply for a concealed carry permit you may carry without an official permit.  If you are able to qualify for a permit by having completed a firearms training course or military training you may carry concealed, no permit required.  A hunter’s safety course is not adequate.   It also means that those who are ineligible may not carry concealed; felons, etc.  Basically under current law, you do not need a concealed carry permit outside of cities and towns, but you do when you cross the border line of a city or town.   The State of Vermont has a similar law.  I am supporting this bill. Judging by the correspondence I am receiving on this one, the overwhelming majority of Montanans want this bill passed.

Superintendent social

Members of the public gathered to meet the four finalists in the running for Plains new superintendent

A social hour was held Monday night in Plains school cafeteria for members of the public to come  and meet the four finalists in the running to become the new superintendent of Plains Schools.

Arrowleaf balsmroot a sure sign of spring in Western Montana

Is this year a bumper crop of arrowleaf balsmroot as it appears more abundant, brighter, and in more places?

Knudsen elected vice chair of the Republican AG association

Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen was elected vice chair of the Republican Attorney General Association (RAGA), a national political advocacy group, over the weekend.

Hunting slowest since 1997

Results at the six northwest Montana check stations indicated that the 2008 hunting season was one of the slowest since 1997.

Kick Butts flash mob invades St. Regis School

St. Regis School joined hundreds of other schools across the nation for “Kick Butts Day” March 15. Student advocates performed a flash mob for younger students during lunch in the cafeteria. Their message was “Remember to love yourself and a healthy body too much to use tobacco”.

Mild weather keeps harvest slow in West-Central Montana

In west-central Montana, deer and elk harvest reported through the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) hunter check stations near Anaconda, Darby and Bonner so far this season is in line with this time in 2014 and down 13 percent from last year, due largely to unseasonably warm weather and only traces of snow.