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The final phase of the project that the Murdock Trust is helping to fund is the renovation of the main floor in the library at Carroll College.
Tyler Manning, IR file photo
“Jack Murdock believed in the power of education as a means to create positive change and inspire innovation,” said Dana Miller, senior program director with the Murdock Trust. “We are grateful that the Pacific Northwest is home to a number of outstanding educational institutions like Carroll College that are helping cultivate the next generation of thinkers, doers, and leaders. We have been proud to support the work of Carroll College for more than 35 years and we are excited to see this valuable transformation to the school’s library come to life and serve the needs of students for generations to come.”
The final phase of the project that the Murdock Trust is helping to fund is the renovation of the main floor in the library. An open floor plan with collaborative study areas, modular seating tables, white boards, an expanded library information and office space and a digital innovation center staffed by two academic technology specialists is the vision for the main space. Upgrades to the technology infrastructure will also boost internet speeds and capacity.
“The world that we are in requires a different kind of skill set – creative problem solvers who can work in different media and different fields together,” said Amy Honchell, associate vice president for academic affairs at Carroll. “This renovation is really going to enhance all the spaces we have to foster the kind of learning and collaboration that is so important for today’s students.”
The building will also be fully ADA accessible following the completion of this project. Construction is set to begin in spring 2023 and wrap up in 10-12 months.
“Murdock is our capstone gift for this project, and we are just so grateful for them to help us make this possible,” said Katherine Ramirez, major gifts and planned giving for Carroll College. “We’re utilizing the funds to benefit Carroll College and our students, but other institutions have come to see what we’ve done and modeled it, so there’s a ripple effect from Murdock’s gift that extends well beyond our community.”
The partnership between the Murdock Trust and Carroll College dates back to 1985, when the Trust awarded the college its first grant. Since then, the Murdock Trust has supported Carroll College and the Carroll College Foundation with around $3.5 million for projects and new staffing and new programs.
Carroll College was founded in 1909 as a private, four-year Catholic college in Montana’s capital. The Jack and Sallie Corette Library was built 40 years ago. In 2018, the college began renovation of the library with the goal of transforming it into a flexible space for multiple types of student work and collaboration. The first phase of renovation created a learning commons on the lower level of the two-story building, installing multimedia communication labs, a tutoring center, group study and work spaces and smart classrooms.
Since 2017, the Murdock Trust has contributed more than $34 million through 200 grants to nonprofits serving communities in Montana and more than 7,500 grants totaling around $1.2 billion across the Pacific Northwest region since opening its doors in 1975.
The Murdock Trust was created by the will of the late Melvin J. (Jack) Murdock. The Trust provides grants to organizations with the aim of strengthening the region’s educational, spiritual and cultural base in these five states of the Pacific Northwest: Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington and Montana.
"We are extremely grateful to the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust for providing Carroll College with this grant to help move us closer to completion on this transformational project for our campus," said President of Carroll College John Cech. "This grant is in addition to the tremendous support of Roy (’62) and Frances Simperman whose generous gifts over the years to the library renovation have totaled over $4.2 million. We are delighted that due to these invaluable contributions, the Jack and Sallie Corette Library and Simperman Learning Commons will stand as the premiere academic library facility of its size in the Northwest."
"A project of this scale takes significant investment, those interested in supporting the Simperman Learning Commons Enhancement and helping us complete this important project for our students can visit carroll.edu/gifts," said Cech.
Murdock Trust
Symphony Under the Stars breaks record for food donations
This year’s Symphony Under the Stars broke its record for food donations to the Helena Food Share.
'Another mystery of faith': Remembering former Carroll President Joseph Harrington
Joseph D. Harrington Jr. was designated a “Monsignor” by Pope John Paul II on May 25, 2000 and was the president of Carroll College from 1969-1974.
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2022-08-23T00:01:14Z
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helenair.com
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Carroll College gets $800K from Murdock Trust to complete library renovation | Education | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/local/education/carroll-college-gets-800k-from-murdock-trust-to-complete-library-renovation/article_466bb6a6-2d7c-5319-8882-96c6fc1924ea.html
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https://helenair.com/news/local/education/carroll-college-gets-800k-from-murdock-trust-to-complete-library-renovation/article_466bb6a6-2d7c-5319-8882-96c6fc1924ea.html
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The city of Helena on Monday introduced the new director of its department of parks, recreation and open lands.
Doug Smith of Greenbelt, Maryland, will take control of the department Sept. 19.
"To ultimately be offered the position is humbling," Smith told the Helena City Commission during its meeting Monday evening. "I'm excited to begin."
Smith previously worked as a facility director for the Maryland National Capital Parks and Planning Commission, where he helped open four new facilities during his four-year tenure, according to a city of Helena news release.
Smith also spent six years as general manager of a sports complex in Marquette, Michigan, and prior to that, worked for the city of Marquette from 2006 to 2012.
A graduate of Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan, Smith attained a bachelor's degree in business administration and played on the school's hockey team.
Smith said he has been traveling to Montana most winters for the past 15 years to ski and fell in love with the area.
The city commissioners welcomed Smith, who attended the meeting virtually from Michigan.
"We're looking forward to having you out here," City Commissioner Melinda Reed said. "Safe travels. Enjoy the journey. And, hopefully soon, welcome aboard."
Interim City Manager Tim Burton thanked Open Lands Manager Brad Langsather for filling in as interim director since former director Kristi Ponozzo's departure earlier in the year.
"(Langsather has) done a wonderful job in the interim, and he'll continue that role until the 19th," Burton said.
Helena Department Of Parks Recreation And Open Lands
Kristi Ponozzo
Lands Manager Brad Langsather
Stained glass, wooden doors and trim, floor tile, hardware, plumbing fixtures, fireplaces, light fixtures and other items were removed from the Montana Capitol in the 1960s.
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2022-08-23T03:18:42Z
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helenair.com
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Helena names new director of parks and rec. | Local | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/local/helena-names-new-director-of-parks-and-rec/article_54da5529-1914-57f7-b2dc-72ee7ee87fb8.html
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https://helenair.com/news/local/helena-names-new-director-of-parks-and-rec/article_54da5529-1914-57f7-b2dc-72ee7ee87fb8.html
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The Lewis and Clark County Sheriff's Office reported evacuations were occurring as of 11:30 p.m. on Eagle Bay Drive, Osprey Ridge Drive and Rising Moon Road. In a post to social media, the sheriff's office did not indicate if evacuations were mandatory.
Tri-Lakes Volunteer Fire Department requested mutual aid from surrounding fire departments. A unified command has been established between Tri-Lakes, LCCSO and the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation.
Authorities ask people to stay out of the area while emergency crews respond.
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2022-08-23T06:29:50Z
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helenair.com
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Wildfire reported near Canyon Ferry Dam | Local | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/local/wildfire-reported-near-canyon-ferry-dam/article_1bbb08f8-5f55-5199-8a56-bcd923f73406.html
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https://helenair.com/news/local/wildfire-reported-near-canyon-ferry-dam/article_1bbb08f8-5f55-5199-8a56-bcd923f73406.html
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New C.R. Anderson Middle School Principal Kathleen Prody, left, and new Kessler Elementary School Principal Riley Thatcher are preparing for the upcoming school year.
THOM BRIDGE PHOTOS, Independent Record
As Montana cools down from a hot summer break, Helena Public Schools officials are preparing for the new school year with two new principals at the helm.
Kathleen Prody started in July as the new principal at C.R. Anderson Middle School. She will be joining Assistant Principals Sol Jones and Eric Peterson.
Prody started in July as the new principal at C.R. Anderson Middle School. She will be joining Assistant Principals Sol Jones and Eric Peterson.
“Middle school is such a significant time of growth. Physical growth, they come in as small sixth graders and leave taller than I am. Growing into their adulthood,” said Prody. “They grow significantly academically, and they grow significantly emotionally, so (school staff) have to serve all three of those areas and provide support… They’re starting to see the world beyond their own backyard. For us, it’s a lot more than reading, math and social studies.”
Prody has a bachelor’s degree in English and speech communication, a master’s degree in speech communication education, and another master’s in educational leadership. She has been a longtime English teacher at the middle school and high school levels, teaching for a few years at Helena High School in her career.
Prody was the superintendent at Belt Public Schools for 11 years. Belt is about two hours north of Helena. She retired from Belt, but then the principal position at C.R. Anderson Middle School opened up.
“I think I’m a collaborative leader. I believe the team is important in decision making and building a strong community. One person cannot do it all,” said Prody. “So I surround myself with good people, and it helps to set goals and then meet those goals.”
In this position, Prody oversees 67 teachers and 20 staff. The school is fully staffed and ready for the academic year to start. As of early August, C.R. Anderson has 1,061 students, one of the biggest middle schools in Montana.
Helena Public Schools will have a normal, pre-COVID-19 schedule this year.
“Kids, teachers, staff, everyone needs more social and emotional support after Covid. I wasn’t in this district when Covid started, I was in Belt. But when you take kids out of school and homeschool them on the computer and ask teachers to change the way they teach and learn skills they may or may not have by tomorrow, it’s a lot of stress,” stated Prody.
Prody recognizes the difficulty these past few school years have placed upon everyone involved in school systems.
“Coming back, kids have to relearn how to come to school, how to socialize. We’ve been back for a year and a half, and it’s been a long road,” said Prody. “Just reinforcing that (students) are safe. There’s many reasons kids don’t feel safe today (at school), and I don’t think people recognize the pressure that puts on young people because they don’t talk about it much.”
Two of the main things Prody plans to focus on in her principalship are safety and positivity.
“I want to make sure we have a safe and positive learning environment for all of our students so that every student gets the opportunity to reach his or her full potential regardless of where they are when they walk in the door,” said Prody. “We have some guiding principles we teach all the kids: Cooperative, Respectful Achievers (which is an acronym for CRA, or C.R. Anderson).”
To recharge, Prody spends as much time as she can outdoors and spends time with her husband, children, grandchildren and two rescue dogs, Logan and Sophie.
Thatcher has been with Helena Public Schools for 11 years and is the new principal at Kessler Elementary School.
Riley Thatcher has been in the Helena Public Schools for 11 years and is the new principal at Kessler Elementary School.
“I want (students) to be proud to say they came to Kessler school, and I want them to know that the people in this building love them and are rooting for them and still are,” said Thatcher.
Thatcher was born and raised in Helena. Before her principalship, she previously worked at Jim Darcy Elementary School with students and staff as an instructional coach. She also taught kindergarten at Bryant Elementary School before moving out to teach second grade at Jim Darcy, in person and a year of remote learning.
“(Elementary school) is foundational. It is (student’s) first opportunity to have a community outside of their home. It is where they learn to work with others, follow rules, set goals, and trust adults who aren’t their parents,” said Thatcher. “It is the foundation for everything after school. This is their first try.”
Thatcher has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in educational leadership.
Thatcher oversees about 30 teachers and staff at Kessler. As of early August, there are around 220 students enrolled for the 2022-2023 school year.
“Leadership styles are defined, there’s transformational leadership and there’s service leadership. I feel like I sit in the middle of both of those actually. I believe nothing is done without collaboration and empowering teachers,” said Thatcher. “I’m really into putting in the work behind the scenes to help (teachers be successful). So doing anything (the teachers) need to make their jobs easier and make it so that they can meet the students where they are.”
When Thatcher is not at school, she recharges by “chasing the sun” as she puts it. She spends time on the lake, outside, on her patio, and with her husband and six children.
C.r. Anderson Middle School
Kessler Elementary School
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2022-08-23T12:36:44Z
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helenair.com
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Helena Public Schools gains two new principals this year | Education | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/local/education/helena-public-schools-gains-two-new-principals-this-year/article_3c9a9e8d-249a-5672-9efa-7e3093d19d56.html
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https://helenair.com/news/local/education/helena-public-schools-gains-two-new-principals-this-year/article_3c9a9e8d-249a-5672-9efa-7e3093d19d56.html
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David Colamaria provided this photo of the lightning in Lewis and Clark County Monday night.
David Colamaria photo
In addition to the 200- to 250-acre Rising Moon fire west of Canyon Ferry Reservoir by Yacht Basin Marina, the following fires were reported by the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest.
Tamarack fire (approximately 482 acres, northwest of Augusta). The fire started from lightning Monday night on Bureau of Land Management-managed (BLM) land. The fire is no longer actively spreading and is being mopped up. Resources that supported suppression efforts include the Augusta Volunteer Fire Department, Department of Natural Resources and Conservation and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS).
Deer Creek fire (0.1 acres, southeast of Deadman Hill in the Scapegoat Wilderness, within the 2007 Ahron fire area). The fire received recent precipitation and is being monitored.
South Fork Lyons fire (two acres, just south of Wolf Creek). The Forest Service is providing help to suppress this fire. The Wolf Creek Volunteer Fire Department is also on scene. Smokejumpers are circling the fire to assist with suppression efforts as well.
Horse Gulch fire (five acres, south of York). Resources were dispatched Monday evening to assist. The fire was contained around 1:30 a.m. and resources that could be released were moved to assist with the Rising Moon fire.
Visit www.MTFireInfo.org for more information and full-sized maps.
South Fork Lyons Creek
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2022-08-24T00:48:28Z
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helenair.com
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Lightning starts several fires in Lewis and Clark County | Local | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/local/lightning-starts-several-fires-in-lewis-and-clark-county/article_76ba8fda-0c56-5ddc-b181-45d9f8519d45.html
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https://helenair.com/news/local/lightning-starts-several-fires-in-lewis-and-clark-county/article_76ba8fda-0c56-5ddc-b181-45d9f8519d45.html
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Park Lake boasts a population of Arctic grayling and cutthroat trout.
Park Lake Dam is scheduled to be replaced with work beginning this fall after increased seepage was found during its annual inspection, U.S. Forest Service officials said Tuesday.
“This is not a public safety emergency, but it is a priority," Helena District Ranger Kathy Bushnell said in a news release. "We want to mitigate further deterioration of the dam to avoid an emergency, so we are beginning work now.”
Bushnell said the work has potential to be disruptive to visitors over the next couple of years and thanked the public in advance for understanding. The gate to Park Lake recreation site is usually closed in mid-October each year. This year, the Forest Service will close the gate to the recreation site on Sept. 7, to begin lowering the lake level.
U.S. Forest Service officials say this is what Park Lake will likely look like after a temporary drawdown of 6-8 feet of water. This GoogleEarth screenshot is from 2005 when water was lowered during repairs to the dam.
Park Lake is a 40-acre lake in the Lump Gulch Drainage, 28 miles south of Helena. The dam is inspected annually for safety and functionality. The Forest Service’s Helena Ranger District manages the lake’s water rights, dam and recreation. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks last upgraded the dam in 2005.
This year’s inspection indicated increased seepage under the embankment, potential erosion at the foundation/embankment, and a change in the dam’s normal drainage system, forest officials said.
The Forest Service has initiated a process to rehabilitate the dam to prevent further deterioration.
The first step will be reducing the water level in Park Lake to ease further stress on the dam. This work will begin this fall while a survey and design for the new dam is completed. The time frame for rehabilitation of the dam is contingent on the design but will likely take a couple of years, forest officials said. Impacts to the campground and picnic area will be shared as the design and logistics are finalized.
The Helena Ranger District is working with county officials and state agencies to help ensure a coordinated and deliberate approach to the project.
Park Lake has ecological, recreational and historical importance. The lake is an important water source to raise Arctic grayling for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks’ restoration efforts across the state and is a popular day-use and overnight recreational refuge for visitors. The lake also serves as a valuable water source for fire suppression efforts.
The dam was built in the late 1800s by Chinese immigrants by damming the lake to supply gold miners with a reliable source of water for placer mining operations. A cost estimate for the project is not available at this time.
Follow Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest on Twitter @LewisandClarkNF, Facebook @HLCNF, or on its website www.fs.usda.gov/hlcnf/ for updates. Folks wanting an update can also contact the Helena Ranger District at 406-449-5201.
Park Lake Dam
Kathy Bushnell
Lump Gulch Drainage
Chinese Immigrants
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2022-08-24T00:48:34Z
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helenair.com
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Park Lake Dam to undergo repairs after increased seepage found | Local | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/local/park-lake-dam-to-undergo-repairs-after-increased-seepage-found/article_2fffcfed-8ba0-59e7-9ae5-d51876f69423.html
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https://helenair.com/news/local/park-lake-dam-to-undergo-repairs-after-increased-seepage-found/article_2fffcfed-8ba0-59e7-9ae5-d51876f69423.html
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Jennifer Esberg
Firefighters respond to the Rising Moon fire near Canyon Ferry Dam Tuesday morning.
Firefighters attack the Rising Moon fire in the Spokane Hills east of Helena on Tuesday morning.
A wildfire that promoted evacuations near Canyon Ferry Dam outside Helena Monday night destroyed one structure and had burned an estimated 200 to 250 acres as of Tuesday.
The Lewis and Clark County Sheriff's Office (LCCSO) reported evacuations were occurring as of 11:30 p.m. Monday on Eagle Bay Drive, Osprey Ridge Drive and Rising Moon Road to the west of the dam. The fire was reported around 9:30 p.m. that night and named the Rising Moon fire. It is burning in steep, rugged terrain covered by grass and timber with multiple homes and outbuildings nearby, fire officials said.
In a post to social media, the sheriff's office said deputies talked to about 40 residents in the evacuation area. Eleven residents evacuated while others stayed.
"The evacuated roads are closed and are being patrolled. We will be stopping anyone who is traveling in theses areas," according to Sheriff Leo Dutton. "Homeowners are to stay on their property. We cannot tell who is a property owner and who is a would be thief, so all will get stopped while the area is closed."
A public meeting about the fire was scheduled for 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Tri-Lakes Fire Station No. 3, 3200 Spokane Creek Road.
State officials said a strong thunderstorm moved through the Helena area Monday evening and started several fires.
Martin Balukas, a public information officer with the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC), said the fire is on a mix of public and private land, but mostly private land. He said one structure had been destroyed, but it was not a primary structure.
Tri-Lakes Volunteer Fire Department requested mutual aid from surrounding fire departments. A unified command has been established between Tri-Lakes, LCCSO and the DNRC. The U.S. Forest Service has committed resources. As of Tuesday afternoon, the DNRC and Tri-Lakes Volunteer Fire department were managing the fire under unified command.
Balukas said two state helicopters have been requested to help with the blaze, as well as a bulldozer.
With the hot and dry conditions predicted for Tuesday, he said there was concern about the possibility of more lightning strikes.
"With thunderstorms come erratic winds," he said, adding firefighters hoped to get this fire under control so that resources would be available for other blazes.
Brian Goddard, 57, who lives on Osprey Drive, did not evacuate.
He said his neighbor, Vi Gauvin, lost a guest home called “the bunkhouse” where she and her late husband Richard had kept antiques and other collectibles.
Goddard said he took pictures of the destruction and sent them to Gauvin in Helena. He said he told her it was unfortunate, but that she should be thankful the fire department was able to save her home because it was close.
Goddard said he went to another neighbor’s home and saw that firefighters were able to save their property. He said the flames came within a foot of the structure and had lapped propane tanks.
“It’s been quite a night,” he said.
"The bunkhouse" on Vi Gauvin's property was destroyed in the fire, neighbors said.
Brian Goddard
Goddard said he has mostly grass on his property and has built a road which served as a fire break.
“We are fortunate,” he said.
Goddard, who does construction, said he built several of the homes in the area. He said he even has a guest house for any neighbor who may need to use it. He said he likes living up there, talking about its scenic views, proximity to the reservoir and his neighbors.
“We 100% take care of each other, all of us do,” Goddard said. "The best thing is the type of people up here.”
Betsy Brandborg said she and her family have lived in the area for 33 years.
She said when the fire started she dusted off the cobwebs from a text chain she created for the Matt Staff Road fire last month and was able to communicate with 13 neighbors throughout the night.
“The text chain was the key, let me tell you,” Brandborg said.
Goddard offered praise for the firefighters.
They did an amazing job,” he said. “I am just appreciative of what we have in Helena. (We have) an amazing group of firefighters.”
Officials are urging the public to make sure that they have a plan to evacuate on short notice, if necessary. Go to www.mtfireinfo.org to learn more about how to prepare your family and your property for wildfire.
Phil Drake of the Independent Record and Tom Kuglin of the Montana State News Bureau contributed to this story.
Coffee for responders
Scenic Brew and iFlyBigSky want to offer thanks to the fire and emergency personnel and volunteers that responded to the Rising Moon Wildfire. On Tuesday, the companies will cover the cost of coffee orders for those that responded at Scenic Brew in Helena.
A 49-year-old woman was charged with felony criminal possession with intent to distribute and misdemeanor criminal possession of drug parapher…
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2022-08-24T00:48:40Z
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helenair.com
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Wildfire prompts evacuations near Canyon Ferry Dam | Local | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/local/wildfire-prompts-evacuations-near-canyon-ferry-dam/article_1bbb08f8-5f55-5199-8a56-bcd923f73406.html
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https://helenair.com/news/local/wildfire-prompts-evacuations-near-canyon-ferry-dam/article_1bbb08f8-5f55-5199-8a56-bcd923f73406.html
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Montana Supreme Court Justice Ingrid Gustafson hears oral arguments in the case of L.B. v. United States at Dennison Theatre on April 15.
Justice Ingrid Gustafson's re-election bid raked in nearly a quarter-million dollars in the last two months, more than twice as much as Public Service Commission president James Brown, who is challenging her for a seat on the Montana Supreme Court.
The first campaign fundraising reports filed with the Commissioner of Political Practices since the primary election in June show Gustafson raised $243,837 between June 16 and August 15, with 684 individual contributions and no committee contributions. Her campaign spent $8,084 during that time, and, with more than $9,000 leftover from the primary election, she moves into the fall with $245,000 on hand.
Brown, the Republican head of the PSC, raised $93,293 since June, with 318 individual contributions and a pair of $700 contributions from the Montana Action Committee for Rural Electrification PAC and the Montana Independent Bankers PAC.
Neither of those groups appear to have reported any contributions, fundraising or individuals working on behalf of their committees to the COPP.
Brown had more than $88,000 left over from the primary and has since spent $21,410, leaving him with more than $160,000 in the bank with less than three months until Election Day.
Brown did not return an email Tuesday seeking comment on the report.
Gustafson, in an emailed statement Tuesday, said her fundraising ground game demonstrated trust established with the electorate.
"I am honored by the significant outpouring of volunteer support, personal encouragement, and donations to my campaign from supporters across Montana," she said. "Rather than a lobbyist and politician beholden to partisan extremists with no judicial experience, I believe Montanans want an experienced justice they can trust to protect not only their right to privacy and access to public land and water but their other unique Constitutional rights as well."
Gustafson and Brown were the top two vote-getters among three candidates in the June primary election, with Gustafson pulling in 48% of the vote to Brown's 36%.
James Brown.
The race has drawn much comparison to the 2014 election between then-Justice Mike Wheat and challenger Lawrence VanDyke, which set a record for the $1.6 million in spending that largely came from outside groups. That record was broken the next election cycle between Dirk Sandefur, who was elected to the Supreme Court, and Kristen Juras, who is now lieutenant governor. The following cycle in 2018 saw no challengers to the two incumbents, which included Gustafson.
According to COPP records, the spending by outside committees on the two candidates in the current race has been limited since the primary, when the Republican State Central Committee spent $85,000 in support of Brown and the Montana Trial Lawyers Association's committee, Montanans for Liberty and Justice, put down $132,000 in support of Gustafson.
Outside spending has been illustrative of the broader picture in the nonpartisan race, with Montana GOP officials like Gov. Greg Gianforte, Sen. Steve Daines and Attorney General Austin Knudsen backing Brown's candidacy, while trial lawyers and the wider legal community have put their money behind Gustafson's bid for re-election.
Brown's campaign has taken considerable heat by Democrats and former Supreme Court justices for being too closely aligned with Republicans, although the commissioner contends he's stopped short of crossing any ethical lines defined in the Judicial Code of Conduct. But, like the GOP over the last year, Brown's campaign casts the Supreme Court as stacked with liberals, while holding himself out as the "constitutional conservative" and "pro-business" candidate.
In the other Supreme Court race, incumbent Justice Jim Rice reported roughly $3,500 raised since the primary. His opponent, Billings attorney Bill D'Alton, has not reported a single cent raised since filing for candidacy.
Montana Supreme Court Election
Montana Trial Lawyers Association
Montana Republican State Central Committee
Bill D'alton
Supreme Court field narrows, experts eye financing
"I think the bigger question is how much money are the Republicans willing to spend for the election in November," political scientist Jeremy Johnson said.
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2022-08-24T00:48:46Z
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helenair.com
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Gustafson outpaces Brown in new SupCo campaign fundraising report | 406 Politics | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/gustafson-outpaces-brown-in-new-supco-campaign-fundraising-report/article_3070b1a4-d46f-5fc1-bdf4-c9518c391041.html
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https://helenair.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/gustafson-outpaces-brown-in-new-supco-campaign-fundraising-report/article_3070b1a4-d46f-5fc1-bdf4-c9518c391041.html
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Rep. Geraldine Custer, R-Forsyth, during a meeting of the House State Administration Committee on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021.
A Republican state lawmaker testified in a Billings courtroom Tuesday that her GOP colleagues were motivated when crafting new election laws last year by the perception that “college students tend to be liberal.”
Rep. Geraldine Custer, a former long-time elections official from Forsyth, made no secret of her opposition to several of her party’s priority election bills during the 2021 session. Three of those measures that were signed into law by Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte are being challenged in an ongoing trial in Yellowstone District Court that began last week.
Custer was at times her party’s lone voice of opposition to those laws. She was the only Republican “no” vote on one that changed voter identification to require additional documentation if a voter tries to use a student ID from a Montana college. Among nearly a dozen plaintiffs in the consolidated court case, a trio of youth advocacy organizations are challenging the student ID bill as unconstitutional because it discriminates against young voters.
In response to a question from Rylee Sommers-Flanagan, an attorney representing Montana Youth Action, Forward Montana Foundation and the Montana Public Interest Research Group, Custer suggested some Republican lawmakers possess a “mistrust” of young voters.
“The general feeling in the caucus is that college students tend to be liberal, and so that’s the concern with them voting,” Custer said.
Both Custer and the plaintiffs referred to public comments offered on the voter ID bill by House Speaker Wylie Galt, a Martinsdale Republican, during the 2021 session. Addressing the lower chamber during a floor session, Galt was arguing for a change to the bill that eliminated college IDs from the list of stand-alone documents a voter could provide when registering and voting in-person.
“If you’re a college student in Montana and you don’t have a registration or a bank statement or a W-2, it makes me kind of wonder why you’re voting in this election anyway,” Galt said at the time. “So this just clears it up that they have a little stake in the game.”
Regardless of the intent, Custer also testified she believed the effect of the voter ID bill was to make it harder for college students, in particular, to vote in elections. Unlike those with a Montana driver’s license, state ID, tribal photo ID or concealed-carry permit, the law requires voters with only a student ID to bring a supplementary piece of government identification. The defense has argued student IDs are less of a clear indicator of a student's residency in Montana than other forms of identification.
“It seems like you’re just discriminating against young people, because when you first starting out in life, you may not have a driver’s license, you may not have had a job, you may not have a bank account,” she said. “ … Who knows what you might have at 18.”
Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen, a Republican, is the sole defendant in the case. Her attorneys have sought to build the case that voting remains accessible because there are many potential avenues for voters to prove who they are. They’ve also noted that having a government-issued photo ID is often necessary to obtain a student ID, and cited statements from lawmakers that the bill was designed to boost voter confidence in the state’s elections.
Before first winning her Montana House seat in 2014, Custer spent more than three decades as the top elections official in Rosebud County. She drew on her long experience as that county’s clerk and recorder during her testimony, outlining myriad duties small-town clerks are responsible for: assisting the county commissioners; posting meeting notices; recording vital records, surveys and other documents; providing human resources for the county; and acting as the county’s chief financial officer.
And on Election Day, election officials are answering questions from voters, delivering supplies to the polls, potentially testing voting machines, preparing ballots or beginning the count, verifying absentee ballot signatures, running Election Day reports and various other tasks.
“I feel sorry for the smaller counties that just have one or two (people) in the office, because running an election is a big deal,” she said. “So I feel for them, but they also signed up for that.”
The plaintiffs are also challenging a 2021 law that eliminated voter registration on Election Day. Custer acknowledged that she previously supported eliminating the practice, which was adopted by the state in 2005 — even going so far as to help craft a ballot referendum to end it in 2014.
Montana voters overwhelmingly rejected that referendum, voting to keep Election Day registration on the books. Custer said she changed her position in part to support the will of the voters, and in part because technological upgrades have made registering voters on Election Day less onerous.
The defense called another former county clerk, Doug Ellis of Broadwater County, who argued that registering voters on Election Day “impedes our progress substantially.”
“It delays our (ballot) count in the office all day long,” he said. Ellis also noted that he simultaneously served as the county treasurer and school superintendent during his roughly 10 years on the job. "There have been elections where we didn’t actually start counting the ballots until 5, 6 o’clock at night.”
Ellis also supported the voter ID bill as a “commonsense” measure.
“If you need your driver’s license to do most anything else in this country, why not need it to vote?” he said.
Custer’s testimony, which supports a coalition of plaintiffs that includes the Montana Democratic Party, comes 11 weeks to the day after she lost a bruising primary election. The high-profile primary in a solidly Republican Senate district pitted her against a well-known Republican opponent who criticized her moderate positions and tendency to buck the party line, including on election-related legislation.
Custer was unable to answer one of Sommers-Flanagan’s questions, after Moses upheld the defense’s objection: Do you still feel welcome in the Republican Party?
“I don’t know if you’d call it ‘welcome,’” Custer said in an interview afterward.
She noted many of her colleagues have embraced unfounded conspiracy theories related to election fraud. This summer, the Montana Republican Party added language to its official platform supporting the elimination of vote-counting machines in elections, a right-wing goal that follows from the false assertion the machines were somehow hacked during the 2020 general election. Montana Republicans trounced Democrats in all the statewide races that year.
On whether the party has room for those who don’t believe in the election-fraud theories, Custer added, “Right now I’m thinking probably not.”
In building their argument that the laws were passed in the name of election security, Jacobsen’s attorneys have at times referred to three isolated instances of voter fraud that have occurred in the state’s recent history.
But none bear any relation to the unfounded allegations of widespread election fraud, and witnesses for both the plaintiffs and defense in the trial have testified that the laws being challenged wouldn’t have prevented those instances.
Custer won’t be the only Montana lawmaker to testify in the trial. Sen. Greg Hertz, R-Polson, is scheduled to appear Wednesday, and Sen. Steve Fitzpatrick, R-Great Falls, may also be called as a witness.
Montana Republicans
Geraldine Custer
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2022-08-24T02:18:56Z
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helenair.com
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GOP lawmaker: Republican election laws tied to concerns that college students vote 'liberal' | 406 Politics | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/gop-lawmaker-republican-election-laws-tied-to-concerns-that-college-students-vote-liberal/article_a4e72738-18e6-5e29-9d28-03d5e434e89a.html
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https://helenair.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/gop-lawmaker-republican-election-laws-tied-to-concerns-that-college-students-vote-liberal/article_a4e72738-18e6-5e29-9d28-03d5e434e89a.html
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Jill-Marie Steeley: PureView Health is meeting the challenge of the mental health crisis
JILL-MARIE STEELEY
Montanans are facing an uphill battle to access mental health care. And that was before the COVID pandemic turned up the heat on levels of stress across the state. Statistics hardly tell the whole story, but they do provide a scary glimpse into how serious a problem this is, starting with the prevalence of suicide. Montana has the distinction of leading the nation in the percentage of the population that completes suicide. Last year, 42,000 adults had thoughts of suicide and 265 carried out plans to end their lives.
About 163,000 adults in Montana — five times the population of Helena — have a mental health condition, 35% of adults in the state reported having anxiety or depression, and 44,000 adults have a serious mental health condition requiring a long-term investment in care. It’s not just adults. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in Montana reports that 10,000 Montana kids ages 12-17 suffer from depression and half didn’t receive any care last year. High school students with depression are twice as likely as their peers to drop out of school. In short, everything gets harder when your mental health suffers.
A stunning example of this phenomenon: due to mental health problems 64,000 people in Montana are living with a substance misuse issue. Unaddressed substance misuse, like any mental illness, makes it harder to do the things we need to keep our families and communities safe. Ninety percent of people in Montana struggling with substance misuse aren’t receiving treatment and because of that, more than half the children in our foster care system don’t have stable homes to return to.
At PureView, we see the issues and are working hard to help. This summer, we have added a psychiatrist and three therapists to our team. Together they bring a wide range of experience in trauma informed care, perinatal counseling, crisis intervention, cognitive behavioral therapy, psychotherapy, medication assisted treatment for opioid use disorders, grief and loss, geriatric/aging care, holistic treatment and more. We’re prepared to meet a broad range of mental health care and treatment needs — from adjusting to life changes, general anxiety and depression to more complex diagnoses such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Our team serves all age ranges including children, teens, adults and our aging population.
We know that it is not always convenient to come to our locations in Helena and Lincoln, so we also offer telehealth appointments. Between our growing team and improved technology, PureView is ready to meet you where and when you need support. We don’t turn anyone away because they can’t pay. We take all kinds of insurance and have a sliding fee scale to help you pay for care. For more information about getting care for yourself, a friend or loved one, contact PureView Health Center today.
Contact PureView Health at (406) 457-0000 or pureviewhealthcenter.org.
Jill-Marie Steeley, CEO, PureView Health.
Pureview Health
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2022-08-24T15:16:24Z
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helenair.com
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Jill-Marie Steeley: PureView Health is meeting the challenge of the mental health crisis | Columnists | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/opinion/columnists/jill-marie-steeley-pureview-health-is-meeting-the-challenge-of-the-mental-health-crisis/article_7340cddd-5101-5c25-87c0-12fbede58729.html
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https://helenair.com/opinion/columnists/jill-marie-steeley-pureview-health-is-meeting-the-challenge-of-the-mental-health-crisis/article_7340cddd-5101-5c25-87c0-12fbede58729.html
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Matt Olson will listen to all people
I support Matt Olson as the best candidate for Senate District 42. I have known Matt for 25 years, and over that time have seen him to be an unwavering honest individual with a strong work ethic and a heart for the community of Helena. As a small-business owner (DQ) in Helena for nearly 28 years, Matt is familiar with the issues that face working-class Montanans. He is financially conservative and will work to ensure that our tax money is spent wisely. He will be someone who listens to people and makes decisions in the best interest of all he serves. Matt also has a mindset that it is vital to make our community a place where young people have opportunities to grow and thrive. Please join me in supporting Matt Olson for Senate District 42!
Chris Bushnell,
Chris Bushnell
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2022-08-24T15:16:44Z
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helenair.com
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Matt Olson will listen to all people | Letters | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/opinion/letters/matt-olson-will-listen-to-all-people/article_97f54ff0-5af5-5bcd-99f3-2cafa32c269b.html
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https://helenair.com/opinion/letters/matt-olson-will-listen-to-all-people/article_97f54ff0-5af5-5bcd-99f3-2cafa32c269b.html
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Mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus found in Lewis and Clark County
A mosquito takes blood from a human.
Mosquitoes carrying the West Nile virus have been found in some Lewis and Clark County mosquito populations, according to officials from the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services.
No human or equine cases of the disease have been reported in the state, Lewis and Clark Public Health (LCPH) officials said Wednesday.
Most Montana cases of West Nile virus occur in late August and early September. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, WNV is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the continental United States.
There are no vaccines to prevent the disease or medications to treat the virus, making prevention the only line of defense, health officials said.
West Nile virus is transmitted to people through the bite of a mosquito. Most infected will not become ill. However, 1 in 5 people infected develop a fever and other symptoms such as headache, eye pain, muscle aches, joint pain, rash on the trunk, or swollen lymph nodes.
About 1 in 150 people develop a severe illness affecting the central nervous system, such as encephalitis or meningitis.
“The most important thing you can do to prevent West Nile Virus is to avoid mosquito bites. The mosquitoes that carry WNV are most active at dusk and dawn,” Laurel Riek, disease control and prevention division administrator for LCPH, said in an email. “As we head into the last few weeks of summer, remember to cover exposed skin when you can and use an insect repellent.”
Health officials said people can reduce the risk of getting WNV by taking these steps to prevent mosquito bites:
• Wear protective clothing like long-sleeved shirts and pants.
• Use insect repellent registered with the Environmental Protection Agency, such as DEET and Picaridin.
• Control mosquito populations by removing standing water around homes, barns and apartment buildings. This can include tires, buckets, planters, toy pools and flowerpot saucers. In addition, residents who have bird baths and outdoor water bowls for pets should change the water frequently.
• Use screens in good repair on windows and doors to keep mosquitoes out of the home.
While we love the summers here in Montana, the soaring temperatures create unique challenges to staying healthy.
West Nile virus detected in Lewis and Clark County mosquitoes
West Nile Virus has been detected in mosquitoes in Lewis and Clark County.
Montana's 1st West Nile case of the season reported
BILLINGS -- Montana's first human case of West Nile virus this season has been reported in Rosebud County.
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2022-08-24T19:27:52Z
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helenair.com
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Mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus found in Lewis and Clark County | Local | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/local/mosquitoes-carrying-west-nile-virus-found-in-lewis-and-clark-county/article_689dae3c-f3d2-5f02-8578-948a987c6553.html
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https://helenair.com/news/local/mosquitoes-carrying-west-nile-virus-found-in-lewis-and-clark-county/article_689dae3c-f3d2-5f02-8578-948a987c6553.html
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Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Arntzen is partnering with New Meridian, a nonprofit assessment development company, to develop and pilot a next-generation state testing system intended to better align with classroom teaching to support student learning.
“Montana's pilot is a major step forward in the next generation of assessment,” said Arthur VanderVeen, founder and CEO of New Meridian. “Summative assessment is critically important, but a single end-of-year test is just a snapshot. The testlet system will directly align with classroom instruction in a way that supports teachers and students all year long, while providing the data administrators need to make decisions. It makes a direct connection between assessment and learning.”
The new Montana Alternative Student Testing (MAST) pilot program will introduce an instructionally aligned "testlet" model, which will use short assessments that are closely connected to the classroom instruction to provide students with multiple opportunities throughout the school year to demonstrate their learning in both English language arts and math. The system will integrate culturally relevant test content designed with input from Montana educators, parents and students, reducing the inequities that result when testing differs from taught curriculum and lived experience.
Data from the testlets can be used by teachers to help shape classroom learning in real-time while aggregating to provide administrators and state officials with the information needed to make critical decisions.
“The MAST program has the potential to supplant the traditional end-of-year comprehensive test by using a series of shorter, more concentrated tests throughout the year,” said Bill Becker, an eighth-grade math teacher at Ronan Middle School. “By overlapping multiple standards within specific test items, the shorter tests aim to isolate which specific standards have been mastered and those which have not. This idea removes the over-reliance on one huge test which provides little actionable data to the current teacher, instead providing teachers more meaningful feedback throughout the year.”
With the support of philanthropic funding, content development for the testlet system began with a workshop this summer. Twenty-eight educators from Montana and 12 from Louisiana, another state piloting the system, spent a week writing test questions under the supervision of experts from the Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI), the Louisiana Department of Education, and New Meridian. New Meridian is now conducting a thorough review of these questions for bias and sensitivity.
The Montana Alternative Student Testing system began as an effort to align legislative priorities and the Board of Public Education’s pursuit of a balanced assessment system statewide. OPI partnered with New Meridian to create an instructionally aligned assessment designed to provide greater consistency and comparability in determining student proficiency, while allowing for greater flexibility. The new system is designed to better support the needs of local communities and respond to requests for tests that better connect to local curricula and improve student learning.
The new system will be rolled out in at least 30 districts starting this fall, with a minimum of 3,200 students in grades five and seven taking the testlets. Based on the results, OPI and New Meridian will evaluate and improve the system, expanding it to include grades four and six in the 2023-24 school year. The pilot is scheduled to continue in the 2025-26 school year, expanding again to encompass third through eighth grade.
Those interested in learning more can visit the OPI website for full details on the pilot program.
“Montana schools will be better served through assessments that reflect true teaching and learning,” said Arntzen. “Classroom instruction is the focus, with less teacher time taken on assessment preparation. Montana is leading the way on reimagining the one-size-fits-all student assessments of the past.”
New Meridian
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2022-08-24T21:20:04Z
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helenair.com
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Montana OPI and New Meridian partner for new state testing system | Education | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/local/education/montana-opi-and-new-meridian-partner-for-new-state-testing-system/article_1e799d7a-adf3-519b-acd0-6e7feee0c214.html
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https://helenair.com/news/local/education/montana-opi-and-new-meridian-partner-for-new-state-testing-system/article_1e799d7a-adf3-519b-acd0-6e7feee0c214.html
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MATTHEW DALY and TOM KUGLIN Associated Press and Montana State News Bureau
Former Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke speaks at the Montana Republican Party's Winter Kickoff event in Helena in January 2020.
Zinke, now the Republican nominee for a new House seat in western Montana, made statements to investigators "with the overall intent to mislead them,'' a report by Inspector General Mark Greenblatt said. Zinke previously served as Montana's at-large representative, winning re-election in 2016 before his appointment to Interior by former President Donald Trump.
A letter from Zinke’s attorney, included in the report, said the finding that Zinke lacked candor was "wrong and without merit.''
Zinke did not approve or reject the tribes' request, instead sending it back to the tribes in September 2017. The lack of action led to a federal ethics investigation, one of several against Zinke, who served as Interior secretary from March 2017 to January 2019.
The state of Connecticut and the tribes filed a lawsuit in 2017, alleging that improper and undue political influence, including from MGM, was behind the decision not to sign off on the agreements.
Zinke repeatedly told investigators that his decision not to act on tribes' request was based on advice from Interior lawyers. He also dismissed the efforts of casino lobbyists to sway a decision, saying he was advised not to speak with them.
When interviewed by investigators, the agency's lawyers denied providing that opinion and said they supported approval under applicable law. Investigators also say that interviews, texts and emails show a more extensive effort from lobbyists that included multiple contacts with Zinke and other officials seeking denial of the tribes' request.
Zinke's campaign referred questions from the Montana State News Bureau to the attorneys' letter.
Criticism over Zinke's actions at Interior have been prevalent from his opponents in his run for Montana's western congressional seat. A separate investigation released in February found that Zinke misused his official position and failed to abide by ethics obligations related to his involvement with a foundation on a project in Whitefish. The report also found he did not comply fully when questioned by ethics officials. Zinke has called that investigation a political hit job.
He narrowly prevailed in a five-way GOP primary in June with the other Republicans attacking Zinke's time as secretary and resignation following multiple ethics investigations including into travel and spending.
Wednesday's release drew a response from Monica Tranel, Zinke's Democratic opponent in November's election, calling it further evidence of his "trail of corruption and chronic lies."
"As I travel across the district one of the most common refrains I hear is that voters want someone in Congress they can trust,” Tranel said in a statement. "Based on his actions, it’s clear we can’t trust Ryan Zinke."
The inspector general's findings were referred to the U.S. Justice Department, which declined to prosecute in both cases.
Stage set for Zinke-Tranel battle in the general election
Watching results trickle in after the polls closed on election night, the word many political observers in Montana landed on was “surprise" to sum up the western U.S. House race.
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2022-08-24T23:11:22Z
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helenair.com
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Watchdog: Ex-Interior head Zinke lied during casino probe | 406 Politics | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/watchdog-ex-interior-head-zinke-lied-during-casino-probe/article_475dd837-fba8-5dd6-b195-0e38eb4aacf5.html
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https://helenair.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/watchdog-ex-interior-head-zinke-lied-during-casino-probe/article_475dd837-fba8-5dd6-b195-0e38eb4aacf5.html
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Helena police responded 1:24 a.m. to the Holiday Stationstore in the 400 block of Euclid Avenue. A man had entered the store with a firearm and demanded money from an employee.
The male then fled the scene, police said.
Police said there were no injuries and the investigation remains active. There is video surveillance, but police said they and are not releasing a description of the suspect at this time.
Helena Police
Holiday Stationstore
Helena man accused of armed robbery
A 54-year-old Helena man is accused of robbing another man at gunpoint in East Helena.
Helena man accused of robbing two casinos
A 31-year-old Helena man is accused of robbing a casino.
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2022-08-25T00:58:19Z
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helenair.com
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Armed male robs Helena gas station | Local | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/local/armed-male-robs-helena-gas-station/article_70d74290-d1c1-5b37-87f6-bd7d1212f0ba.html
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https://helenair.com/news/local/armed-male-robs-helena-gas-station/article_70d74290-d1c1-5b37-87f6-bd7d1212f0ba.html
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Bozeman Americana act Laney Lou and the Bird Dogs are playing at the Wake the Giant Music Festival this weekend, along with Chance McKinney, Levi Blom and Ten Years Gone.
Wake the Giant Music Festival benefits West Mont
Montana music lovers will be in for a real treat at West Mont's Second Annual Wake the Giant Music Festival on Saturday, Aug. 27.
West Mont will host an all-star lineup of four popular Montana bands including Laney Lou and the Bird Dogs, Chance McKinney, Levi Blom, and Ten Years Gone.
Once again, the event will be held at West Mont’s 34-acre Farm & Gardens located in the Helena Valley at 3240 York Road. Gates open at 2 p.m. and music kicks off at 4 p.m.
In addition to music there will be many family activities including hayrides, giant games and a petting zoo. Local vendors will be onsite to offer an assortment of tasty food and drink for sale, including Lewis & Clark Brewing Company with its award-winning beer.
Tickets are $35 for general admission and free for children younger than 13. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.wtghelena.com.
All proceeds raised will go toward phase three of West Mont’s Farm Project, which will include the construction of a pavilion, installation of pavers and benches, and the development of a new community/event center. Previous farm updates included major renovations of the farm group home, the addition of Morgan’s Orchard, and a new petting zoo. For more information about the farm, visit www.westmonthelena.com/projects.
West Mont is a nonprofit organization that offers a wide variety of services for individuals with disabilities, including residential, vocational training, employment, nursing care, and other assistance programs. For additional information about West Mont, visit www.westmonthelena.com.
On Thursday, Aug. 25, Yarn plays from 7 to 10 p.m., $10 in advance and $15 the day of show.
Here Comes the Sun, The Beatles tribute band, plays on Friday, Aug. 26 from 7 to 10 p.m., $20 in advance and $25 the day of show.
Friday night jazz at Benny's Bistro
Wilbur Rehmann on saxophone and Ken Nelson on piano are performing from 6-8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 26, at Benny’s Bistro. Enjoy ballads, blues and bossa by this talented duo, along with farm-to-table food and beverages in the air-conditioned comfort at Bennys.
The 1+1=1 Gallery is featuring an exhibit called "Paperwork" with an open house on Aug. 27. This piece by Dawn Endean is called Jugglers.
Open house exhibit showcases 'Paperwork'
The humblest of mediums will take center stage during 1+1=1 Gallery’s next exhibit: “Paperwork.” The show opens with an open house on Saturday, Aug. 27, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Continuing the gallery’s year-long art education focus, the exhibit will feature a number of new perspectives into a material that is often taken for granted. Participating artists will showcase paper sculptures, traditional media like watercolor and oil, and collage. Audiences will be introduced to a number of different, sometimes obscure, printmaking techniques in addition to an innovative artform called “constructed photographs.”
Several artist demonstrations are planned throughout the run of the exhibit, including a number of “open studio” experiences where visitors are invited to watch the artist at work and learn more about their process and their practice via casual question and answer sessions.
Nine local and regional artists will display their work during “Paperwork,” including four Helena artists: Brad DeFrees, Bonnie Lambert, Carol Montgomery and Maureen Shaughnessy.
The exhibit will have a virtual component, available online at https://1plus1is1.com/2022-paperwork. Website visitors can learn more about the participating artists and browse a gallery of all the pieces included in the exhibit as well as individual artist catalogs.
“Paperwork” will be on display through Saturday, Sept. 24. 1+1=1 Gallery is located at 434 North Last Chance Gulch in Helena, and is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Artists invited to submit artwork for show
In keeping with the social media designation of October as "INKtober," all art for this show must incorporate ink in a majority of the piece while keeping with this year’s theme: “My Dream.”
The show will be up during the month of October 2022 in Queen City Framing & Art Supplies at 400 Euclid Avenue in the Lundy Center. There is no submission fee, and artists may submit up to two pieces completed within the last two years. Works must be for sale and framed in a professional manner no larger than 16X20. There are two prizes awarded for Judges Choice and Best of Show.
The deadline to email a digital file is Sept. 9, 2022. Email qcity.framing.art@gmail.com for more specific information.
Grandstreet presents 'A Doll’s House, Part 2'
Grandstreet Theatre presents one of the most widely produced plays of the last few years, "A Doll’s House, Part 2" is a bitingly funny contemporary play about family and new beginnings.
Performance dates are Thursday, Sept. 1-Sunday, Sept. 11; Wednesday through Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2:30 p.m. This is a limited two-week run with only nine performances.
"A Doll’s House, Part 2" is a one-act play and will run 70 to 80 minutes in length.
To get tickets, call the Grandstreet Box Office (afternoons): (406) 447-1574, or order online: www.GrandstreetTheatre.com.
Ticket prices: $27 - Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings; $23 - Wednesday evenings and Sunday matinees; $17 - kids 18 and under.
Grandstreet Theatre is located in downtown Helena at 325 N. Park Ave.
Madison Nottingham angles toward the first barrel in the Junior Barrel Race at the 2018 Jefferson County Kids Rodeo in Boulder.
BMGPhotos.com
Jefferson County Fair and Rodeo
The Jefferson County Fair and Rodeo, "A Fair of the Heart," kicks off on Thursday, Aug. 25, and runs through Sunday, Aug. 28. Held at the Jefferson County Recreation Park one-half mile south of Boulder, the fair and rodeo is affordable fun for the whole family. There is free admission to the grounds with a $2 per car parking fee Friday and Saturday.
Rodeos and horse shows lure fans out to enjoy the weekend. Kids have their own horse show, parade down Boulder’s main street, and kids’ rodeo on Friday, Aug.26. The Jefferson County Rodeo Association puts on the wild and wooly Jefferson County NRA Rodeo, starting at 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for kids 12 and under, and free for kids 6 and under.
Entertainment includes displays and exhibits along with a carousel, inflatable games, acrobats, 4-H animals, a baked goods auction, food trucks, and more.
Craft a Better Community program
Local businesses from the Continental Divide Trail gateway community of Helena are supporting the trail with a variety of specials and promotions during August.
The Continental Divide Trail Coalition (CDTC) is thrilled to be the partner nonprofit in Helena's Craft a Better Community program. Ten Mile Creek Brewery, Gulch Distillers, Loft Helena, The Base Camp, and Point S Tires have all partnered to steward the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (CDT) by offering specials and deals that support CDTC.
CDTC and Ten Mile Creek Brewery will host a large celebration on Aug. 28, from 5-8 p.m., featuring food trucks, gift certificate raffles from The Base Camp, and a drink special where $1 from every pint will benefit the CDT.
Other events will take place all month, including:
● Ten Mile Creek Brewery: Head down any Sunday in August from 5-8 p.m., and they’ll donate $1 from every drink to CDTC.
● Loft Helena: Sunday mornings at 11 a.m., attend a yoga class followed by a beer from Ten Mile Creek Brewery, and a portion of the $12 class price will go to CDTC.
● Gulch Distillers: Every Wednesday, $1 from each cocktail sold will be donated to CDTC.
● Point S Tires: All month long, a percent of services per vehicle will be donated to protect the trail.
● The Base Camp: A portion of all sales for the entire month will be donated to CDTC. The Base Camp will also join with Ten Mile Creek Brewery on Sunday, Aug. 28, with a chance to win gift certificates to The Base Camp.
The event is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. at the Montana Historical Society. Copies of the book will be available for signing by the author at the society bookstore.
Retired in 2017, he has since been a full-time book author. He has two other published books — “Win ‘Em All — Little Laurel Wins Montana’s Biggest Basketball Trophy” (2016) and “Sky Dreamer” (2019) — and has a book in progress, “Lindbergh in Montana,” scheduled for publication in late 2022. He lives in Billings.
The Invitation, PG-13
Three Thousand Years of Longing, R
Bodies, Bodies, Bodies, R
Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, PG-13
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2022-08-25T12:32:43Z
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helenair.com
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Around the Town: Helena-area arts and entertainment news published Aug. 25 | Local | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/local/around-the-town-helena-area-arts-and-entertainment-news-published-aug-25/article_4d2a1eb8-0847-544c-a387-2a0c54b42e42.html
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https://helenair.com/news/local/around-the-town-helena-area-arts-and-entertainment-news-published-aug-25/article_4d2a1eb8-0847-544c-a387-2a0c54b42e42.html
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Meet The Bray’s new director Rebecca Harvey
Rebecca Harvey has been named the Archie Bray Foundation's new executive director.
“What happened here blew up the world,” said Rebecca Harvey, the new executive director at the Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts.
What happens next could prove just as powerful.
She is convinced that whatever happens next, it will bubble up from within The Bray.
Founded in 1951 by Helena brickmaker and arts patron Archie Bray, Sr., The Bray has become an internationally acclaimed center for ceramic arts.
It’s attracted most of the top ceramic artists in the world at least sometime during their career, either as a resident artist or a visiting instructor.
“I was always so interested in the stuff of the world,” Harvey said of how she found her passion for ceramic arts.
Playing with mud and sticks as a kid in Ohio was one of her fond memories of tactilely exploring the world around her.
After a disappointing short stint in college studying pre-med and pre-law, she realized “this is not what I want to do” and bailed.
While working at a production pottery, she discovered that she really loved working with clay, and shovels and “the big muscle stuff.”
“Ceramics is so much about the body – tools and shovels and digging.
“Plus, ceramics is a really great way to look at the world,” she said. “Almost every culture has some type of ceramics.”
Diving deeper, she did a summer residency at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Maine and then studied with the legendary ceramic artist and teacher Bill Daley in Philadelphia.
After completing graduate work at Cranbrook Academy of Art, she worked at Ohio State University for 23 years as a professor and later chair of the art department.
Most recently, she did short stints as Head of Programme in Applied Art at the Royal College of Art in London and then last year at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, where she was director of the school of art.
Although she planned to stay at Ball State for a number of years, when she saw The Bray was searching for an executive director, it seemed the perfect fit.
A confessed curriculum wonk with impressive administrative chops, Harvey was ready for a leap into the nonprofit world and a chance to focus her administrative skills completely on ceramics.
It “was too good to pass up.”
“I love learning new things,” she said. “I feel privileged that I have an outsider eye to look at things.”
In fact, when Archie Bray created his upstart ceramics center, he brought an outsider eye to the world of ceramics that forever changed the field.
The young artists helping Bray – Peter Voulkos and Rudy Autio – were the ones who started “blowing the whole thing up.”
They’re credited with pushing clay from the world of craft into the arena of modern art.
Their art instructor at Montana State University, Frances Senska, was another powerful influence on The Bray.
And Harvey is excited to announce that “one of the things I’m most proud of is renaming the education building for Fransces Senska – she’s kind of an untold story.”
The Bray will be recognizing Senska and her contributions to The Bray at a special event this fall by naming the new educational center in her honor.
The story of The Bray is not just the story of a lot of white men, added Harvey. “She came out here and was instrumental.” She was an early advocate of “dig your own clay. Use the natural material. Pay attention and respond to what’s available.”
Former Bray director, Steven Young Lee, in his new role as special projects manager, is already helping The Bray take its first steps in a new direction, serving new audiences.
The Bray is partnering with Cannupa Hanska Luger, a Native American artist who will be building an earth lodge at The Bray that will be dedicated toward education around indigenous practices.
It’s also partnering with Bill Strickland from the Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild in Pittsburgh that uses art to help disadvantaged youth and Theaster Gates, who’s earned a national reputation for his socially engaged art, and won a Smithsonian Innovation Award.
Harvey has also been an innovator at previous jobs, putting together teams of artists and engineers to tackle real world problems and future possibilities.
At the Royal College of Art, where she was head of ceramics, glass, metals and jewelry, “people would come and say, ‘We’re interested in knowing how to build a house on Mars.’ And she would put together a team to help do it.
One area The Bray could explore is creating new, unique clay bodies, tailor made to artists’ needs. It has a perfect team to do it – the Bray clay business and its resident artists.
More and more science teams, she said, are adding artists because of how artists think and problem solve. “That’s something I think as artists we are really good at, considering the impossible.”
One of the biggest items on Harvey’s plate is planning The Bray’s 75th anniversary in 2026, which will bring in artists from around the world.
She’s excited about being part of shaping The Bray’s history.
And, in the more immediate future, she wants to live on The Bray grounds.
“My dream is to renovate the chicken coop at The Bray,” which has been a residence of directors Josh DeWeese and Dave Shaner and his wife, Ann, and their children.
“I want to live surrounded by ceramics,” Harvey said.
Although she’s a lifelong flatlander and laughs that she’s somewhat suspicious of mountains, she couldn’t be happier here.
“I’m thrilled to be in Montana, and I’m over the moon to be at The Archie Bray. The idea that I could center all my life and conversations around all things ceramic.
“And what an amazing time to be here. We’re at the edge of making an even bigger step.
“For me, it feels like it’s a real giving back to the field that gave me so much pleasure – my life’s work.
“It’s amazing, people from all over the world come here. It’s been life-changing to so many artists.
“It’s really moved the field forward – not just here in Montana, but across the U.S. and across the world. We’ve had a real impact.
“Another exciting thing about The Bray, it wasn’t built FOR us … it was built BY us – just internally bubbling up without a grand plan.
“I’m just going to be here as part of that bubble. It’s not for me to make the grand plan, it’s just to get the next couple steps forward.”
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2022-08-25T15:35:14Z
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helenair.com
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Meet The Bray’s new director Rebecca Harvey | Local | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/local/meet-the-bray-s-new-director-rebecca-harvey/article_c22fddf7-890e-5670-ab7e-0e127a282e96.html
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https://helenair.com/news/local/meet-the-bray-s-new-director-rebecca-harvey/article_c22fddf7-890e-5670-ab7e-0e127a282e96.html
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Digging in: Paleontologist studies the distant past, and our troubled future
Inside a trench the length of a football field, against the mesmerizing backdrop of the Rocky Mountain Front lay a scattering of granite-hued bone fragments, each exposed for the first time after some 75-80 million years preserved in the Two Medicine Formation’s alkali powder.
David Trexler, a lifelong resident of nearby Bynum and paleontologist for a half-century calls it the most spectacular and complete bone bed he’s ever worked on.
What Trexler knows so far is that many of the multi-species bones unearthed are from a new breed of duck-billed dinosaur.
Trexler sees more than the Earth’s distant past in dig sites like that along the Front He also connects the dots to an ominous outcome for humans humans don’t view what he describes as a “ticking time bomb” through a more holistic and urgent lens.
This week Jeff Welsch, editor of Lee Enteprises' Montana newspapers talks about discoveries of creatures of the past and Trexler’s theory about the future.
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2022-08-25T15:35:21Z
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helenair.com
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Digging in: Paleontologist studies the distant past, and our troubled future | Science | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/science/digging-in-paleontologist-studies-the-distant-past-and-our-troubled-future/article_35e74a2c-5abd-5107-95c5-be789574dea7.html
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https://helenair.com/news/science/digging-in-paleontologist-studies-the-distant-past-and-our-troubled-future/article_35e74a2c-5abd-5107-95c5-be789574dea7.html
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Rep. Matt Rosendale reportedly has not committed to any debates. His three opponents for Montana's 2nd Congressional seat, Penny Ronning, Gary Buchanan and Sam Rankin have no such reluctance.
Is it because he takes voters for granted; shaky on his record or just turned shy?
As a voter, I don't take kindly to candidates, who won't debate. It shows a lack of respect for the process and our right to know. I'll remember in November.
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2022-08-25T15:35:38Z
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helenair.com
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Debates vital for democracy | Letters | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/opinion/letters/debates-vital-for-democracy/article_3527c27d-44b4-5e68-bb61-57c2477071ec.html
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https://helenair.com/opinion/letters/debates-vital-for-democracy/article_3527c27d-44b4-5e68-bb61-57c2477071ec.html
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Montana’s Republican Party’s efforts to assure a legislative supermajority undermine the principles of a democratic republic. Central is the principle that people are sovereign. Not a particular, narrow group of people, but the people as a whole. In our current partisan frenzy, we seem to have forgotten that popular sovereignty means we all have a say. It does not mean any single group always gets their way.
It also means we all follow the same practices and procedures. Statements about the mechanics of government are subject to a review based on evidence. Hypotheticals don’t count, evidence counts.
Yes, this is an ideal. We don’t always live up to these ideals. But, any effort to bend the operation of government to benefit a particular partisan group needs to be viewed in light of these principles, not unsubstantiated partisan claims. Efforts to structure elections to the benefit of a narrow, self-serving subsection of the community flies in the face of the principles of popular sovereignty.
In an ideal republic, there would be no “safe” seats. Every representative has to consider the full range of public opinion, not the proclivities of a narrow, highly partisan, base. Safe seats and purist politics guarantee extremism.
Ken Taylor,
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2022-08-25T15:35:44Z
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helenair.com
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Ideal republic | Letters | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/opinion/letters/ideal-republic/article_9a44467f-d7d1-541a-a0bf-c8b1b28e6088.html
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https://helenair.com/opinion/letters/ideal-republic/article_9a44467f-d7d1-541a-a0bf-c8b1b28e6088.html
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Montana Jewish Project reaches goal to buy back Helena's Temple Emanu-El
Officials with the Montana Jewish Project said Thursday they have bought back Helena’s Temple Emanu-El, the oldest synagogue in Montana, returning it for Jewish use for the first time since 1935.
The synagogue, historically referred to as the Temple Emanu-El, is across the street from the Cathedral of St. Helena on Ewing Street, and had housed the Diocese of Helena since 1981. The Diocese has moved its offices into a new space called the Center for Catholic Life in the Seeley Building downtown. Montana Jewish Project (MJP) leaders said earlier they saw an opportunity to return ownership of the synagogue to the Jewish community.
A ceremonial signing will take place at 10 a.m. Friday at 515 N. Ewing St. with Roman Catholic Bishop Austin Vetter. This event is open to the public.
“Now that we have the building as our base, we want to pivot and immediately transition to helping Jewish life in Montana thrive,” Rebecca Stanfel, president of the Montana Jewish Project’s board. She said t was important to hire a professional who can oversee this and create new cultural pathways for Montana Jews to connect to their traditions.
Construction of the Temple Emanu-El building finished in 1891, making it the first Jewish house of worship in the state.
While the agreed-upon sale price was not publicly disclosed.
More than 2,000 donors from Helena, Montana and the United States gave gifts ranging from $5 to $100,000 for this “community-wide effort” to buy Temple Emanu-El for the Jewish community, according to Stanfel.
Helena’s Jewish community built Temple Emanu-El in 1891, two years after Montana became a state. The cornerstone is inscribed with 5651, the same year in the Hebrew calendar. It was the first synagogue between Portland and Minneapolis.
In 1935, during the Great Depression, the congregation gave the temple to the state of Montana for only $1, asking that it be used for a “good and social purpose.” The Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena bought it in 1981 to house administrative offices. The temple is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Throughout the past year of fundraising, Vetter and his staff met with MJP for months negotiating and renegotiating the sale. The bishop extended the closing deadline twice, MJP officials said. MJP renegotiated from buying historic Temple Emanu-El and surrounding properties to buying only the synagogue. It will lease the open lawn next door for community use.
"It's been my pleasure to work with the Montana Jewish Project through this process. It's vital for all of us that people of faith focus on the good that we can do together instead of our differences. My prayers are with them and Montana's Jewish Community for God's blessing in this new endeavor,” Vetter said in a news release.
“We know our work is only just starting,” said Julie Bir, member of the Montana Jewish Project’s board of directors. “We can’t wait to fulfill our mission: to create a statewide center for Jewish life, enhance interfaith opportunities, combat antisemitism in Montana schools, and bring to reality the Jewish value of 'repairing the world.'"
To learn more about the Montana Jewish Project or donate, visit montanajewishproject.com or email info@montanajewishproject.com, or follow on Facebook, Instagram (@montanajewishproject) and Twitter (@mtjewishproject).
Center For Catholic Life
Seeley Building
Bishop Austin Vetter
Austin Vetter
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2022-08-25T18:20:19Z
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helenair.com
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Montana Jewish Project reaches goal to buy back Helena's Temple Emanu-El | Local | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/local/montana-jewish-project-reaches-goal-to-buy-back-helenas-temple-emanu-el/article_2245b2d5-219b-5f00-a771-c3bfb1be6d6a.html
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https://helenair.com/news/local/montana-jewish-project-reaches-goal-to-buy-back-helenas-temple-emanu-el/article_2245b2d5-219b-5f00-a771-c3bfb1be6d6a.html
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Elisabeth Danielsen stands in front of a pile of coats she donated for children in need of back to school clothes.
Helena’s Angel Fund then helps set up these donations at an elementary school for children to come pick up any clothes they may need.
“When I came over (to America) from Germany at 10 years old, I didn’t have much,” Danielsen said. “I didn’t have the ‘right’ clothes or the ‘right’ shoes, and kids called me names and made fun of me all the time. I don’t want these kids to have to go through what I had to go through.”
Wednesday marked the fourth year in a row that the back-to-school clothes donated by Danielsen were given out at Warren Elementary School. It was the first year ever that Danielsen got to attend the event and see all her donations in one place going to grateful families. Everything from coats, socks, shoes, pants and more all laid out in piles, waiting for kids to take them home.
Throughout the year, Danielsen shops sales around Helena and stores the items in her home till the time comes to give them out to the community. Without the sale pricing, the items would total around $8,000-$9,000.
“I’m a good shopper,” Danielsen stated.
“She’s a really good shopper!” emphasized Marcia Wall, founder of Angel Fund. “I made her a name tag so when she shops people know why she’s always in the stores.”
Wall noted how a lot of the stores Danielsen used to shop at are no longer in Helena. However, that doesn’t stop her from impacting the lives of Helena children in ways she would have loved as a little girl.
“I had a (fourth grade teacher in America), and she really helped me,” said Danielsen. “When kids gave me a bad time, she stepped in sometimes and protected me. The kids also made fun of me because of my accent. I didn’t know a word of English when I came over here. Not one word.”
When Danielsen and her family left Germany, they left of a town that was destroyed by bombs during World War II. The family came to the United States because they had relatives, Danielsen’s aunt and uncle, who lived in Oakland, California.
“We came over by boat. I remember the name of the boat. It was ‘The Italia,’” Danielsen said. “I remember that the storm was so, so bad. There was a ship behind us, and we couldn’t turn around because of the storm to save the people (when the ship wrecked), so they drowned. I don’t talk about it because it reminds me of too many bad things. That stays with you. It doesn’t leave.”
Danielsen’s husband, who’s retired now, is the reason she ended up in Montana. He worked for a German company and traveled a lot.
Danielsen did a little bit of everything throughout her life.
“When my cousin came over from Germany, she worked at a transformer company. I wasn’t old enough to work, but I worked (at the transformer company too),” said Danielsen. “I learned how to make transformers and electronics. I did that for quite a while (while also going to school). What are you going to do? You have to survive.”
In Montana, Danielsen worked as a chef at the Gates of the Mountains. It was at this job where she met Jim McGrane, who was a teacher and counselor at Helena Middle School and drove the Gates of the Mountains’ ferry tour boats during the summer. McGrane was also an Angel coordinator at Helena Middle School and helped Wall start Angel Fund over 33 years ago at Helena Middle School. Now, each school in Helena has an Angel coordinator.
McGrane introduced Danielsen to Wall and Angel Fund.
“(Danielsen) first started giving clothes to Jim Darcy because it was close to her home,” said Wall. “After we talked, we started taking things to Bryant school for many, many years. Then now, Warren school. We’re trying to spread the good news around.”
Wall noted how in the future, they may move the program to Broadwater Elementary School or Central Elementary School when the time is right.
“The first year (at Warren) I just divided up stuff by sizes and sent bags home with each contact family for the kids. Last year we did an open house, but we had to do it outside (because of COVID-19), so I had a little card table. The wind picked up, and clothes were blowing everywhere,” said Collette Ozburn, a counselor and the Angel Coordinator at Warren Elementary School. “This year we got to go back to setting it all out and (the kids) got to pick their own stuff out. A lot of these kids don’t have the opportunity to go shopping and pick out their own stuff. When you unpack the bags (Danielsen) sends over, there’s so much in each bag to lay out. It’s incredible.”
From left to right: Collette Ozburn, Elisabeth Danielsen and Marcia Wall.
A little girl behind Danielsen brought her mother over to look at the shoe donations. The little girl grabbed a pair of hot pink slipper boots.
“These ones, will these ones fit, mom?” the little girl asked. The mom nodded.
The little girl was introduced to Elisabeth Danielsen and thanked her for all of the clothes.
“Like Elisabeth? Like our Elisabeth? I have an Elisabeth, but she’s a (child),” stated the little girl. Danielsen laughed.
“It’s been a really good relationship and friendship (with Danielsen),” Wall paused, teary-eyed. “She’s like an angel. She’s my angel friend.”
To contact the Angel Fund or donate, visit http://www.angelfundhelena.org/ or email theangelfundmt@gmail.com.
Elisabeth Danielsen
Warren Elementary School
Marcia Wall
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2022-08-25T20:48:02Z
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helenair.com
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'She's like an angel': Helena woman spends thousands each year on back-to-school clothes for students | Local | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/local/shes-like-an-angel-helena-woman-spends-thousands-each-year-on-back-to-school-clothes/article_09a1b08f-b006-5c6a-9ad9-8e726e1eb9e8.html
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https://helenair.com/news/local/shes-like-an-angel-helena-woman-spends-thousands-each-year-on-back-to-school-clothes/article_09a1b08f-b006-5c6a-9ad9-8e726e1eb9e8.html
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Joshua Calvin Hughes and Jerod Wade Hughes, of East Helena.
Two brothers from East Helena pleaded guilty Thursday to an obstruction of an official proceeding charge stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the Capitol in Washington, D.C.
Kelly warned the sentencing could be more or less severe than the guidelines in the report. He said the charge could bring a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
"The guidelines are not binding," he said.
Under a plea agreement, Joshua Hughes could be sentenced to 41-51 months in prison, something his attorney said earlier he would ask the judge to reduce. Jerod Hughes faces 51-63 months because of his previous criminal record. The brothers are to each pay the architect of the Capitol $2,000 in restitution.
Both waived their right to a trial by jury.
On Jan. 6, 2021, the brothers were part of a mob of former President Donald Trump’s supporters who broke into the Capitol to contest the Electoral College vote being certified that would name Democrat Joe Biden as president instead of Trump. The U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia has said the brothers placed themselves at the “tip of the spear” that day, “actively engaged in the destruction of government property,” harassed and interfered with Capitol police and obstructed a joint session of Congress.
The Hughes brothers were part of a group that broke open windows and doors to get into the Capitol, according to federal court documents. The brothers followed a man who pursued Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman up the stairs and later found their way to the Senate floor, prosecutors said. Jerod Hughes joined another rioter in trying to kick open the Senate Wing door. During a stand-off in the Ohio Clock Corridor, Jerod Hughes screamed and made aggressive gestures toward officers. They then entered the Senate Gallery. By about 2:48 p.m., they entered the Senate Chamber, among the first rioters there, federal officials said. They walked among the senators’ desks for about two minutes and then left the Capitol building.
Attorneys for the brothers announced their intention earlier this month to enter the guilty pleas. At one time they each had nine felony counts against them. The remaining counts were dismissed, attorneys said.
Those counts included civil disorder, destruction of government property and aiding and abetting; entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; entering and remaining on the floor of Congress; entering and remaining in certain rooms in the Capitol building; and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.
The brothers, who drove to Washington, D.C., from Montana, turned themselves in to authorities after they returned to Montana and initially were incarcerated in early 2021. They pleaded not guilty and were released from custody pending trial, on their own recognizance.
Attorney Palmer Hoovestal, who is representing Joshua Hughes, said earlier he was sure his client felt remorse for participating on Jan. 6, and added: “The scope of his participation was to follow the crowd.”
He said he did not touch or break anything.
“He made a poor decision when he went in and unfortunately was one of the first people who entered,” Hoovestal said earlier this month.
Thursday’s plea hearing was delayed for more than an hour as Jerod Hughes’ attorney, Jonathan Zucker, was involved in another trial and apologized to the court.
Kelly on Thursday asked the brothers if they understood the charges against them and went over the plea agreements. He said the brothers would serve the full time of their sentences.
Both brothers said they had no questions about the competency of their attorneys.
Kelly asked the brothers questions about their personal history, telling them that they could lose their right to vote or serve on a jury once sentenced. And he said if they were immigrants they could be deported. Both brothers said they were born in the United States.
In the 19 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 860 people have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 260 people charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, the U.S. Attorney’s office said.
The investigation remains open. Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
Washington Insurrection
'eugene Goodman
Capitol Buillding
Biggest local stories of 2021: East Helena brothers step into Jan. 6 insurrection spotlight
The Jan. 6 insurrection 2,100 miles away in Washington, D.C., hit home when two brothers from East Helena entered a local police station a few…
East Helena brothers to return to court Dec. 1 over D.C. riot
A Dec. 1 status hearing was set Friday for two East Helena brothers accused of participating in the Jan. 6 insurrection in Washington, D.C., b…
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2022-08-26T01:08:43Z
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helenair.com
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East Helena brothers plead guilty to Capitol breach charge | Crime & Courts | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/east-helena-brothers-plead-guilty-to-capitol-breach-charge/article_48ff9903-6f2f-55b4-845b-9a79ae4e673c.html
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https://helenair.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/east-helena-brothers-plead-guilty-to-capitol-breach-charge/article_48ff9903-6f2f-55b4-845b-9a79ae4e673c.html
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Montana was on the hook for $90,000 owed to the federal government due to "inadvertent employment" of a Montana State Hospital employee who was unauthorized to work in certain health care settings.
The state's psychiatric hospital in Warm Springs identified and self-reported the issue to the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, according to settlement data kept online by the state's information technology services division. The individual worked at the facility from 2016 to 2021.
The U.S. Office of Inspector general can "exclude" individuals from working in federally funded health care programs for a variety of reasons, such as being convicted of patient abuse, drug-related charges or fraud.
The $89,233.26 settlement paid in late June and posted online late last week includes payments from federal health care programs "potentially attributable" to services furnished by that employee.
The payment also included an additional penalty for the inadvertent employment, although it was unclear Thursday how much the penalty comprised the total or what previous action excluded the individual from working in health care settings. The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services on Thursday asked for a formal public records request before furnishing any additional information to the Montana State News Bureau.
The employee's exclusion to work in a health care setting is a new dimension to the staffing issues that have plagued the Montana State Hospital, already running $7 million over budget as of five months ago. Late last year the facility suffered from a 40% vacancy in its permanent employees. In March, the state health department director notified lawmakers that, even after wage increases, more than 70% of the registered nurse positions were vacant, as were 62% of the psychiatric aide positions and 54% of the custodians.
The result has been an reliance on contract or traveling staff that then-Director Adam Meier described as unsustainable. Contract staff are far more expensive, and a large contributor to the hospital operating over budget by $7 million, according to Meier's March report to state legislators. It was unclear Thursday whether the $89,233 payment to the federal government came from the state hospital's budget or other state accounts.
Montana DPHHS has hired a third-party contractor to handle executive management and consulting to, among other things, stabilize the workforce at the state-run health care facilities. The contractor, Alvarez & Marsal, has prioritized the state hospital and made reports to lawmakers on the Children, Families, Health and Human Services Interim Committee. That body meets on Friday at 8 a.m. and is scheduled to hear from Charlie Brereton, the recently named director of the state health department, as well as representatives from Alvarez & Marsal, on the state of the state hospital.
Montana Legislators
'Management' top reason DPHHS facility employees considering an exit
A spokesperson for DPHHS said Friday the survey results provide specific objectives to address moving forward.
Lawmakers begin drafting bills to address conditions at state hospital
"We can do better, we have the money to do better, we have the will to do better," one lawmaker told a state health official. "You're in the position to do better."
MT Medicaid patients to see greater access to substance use disorder treatment
“There's more work ahead, but we're certainly excited to announce this achievement today."
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2022-08-26T01:08:55Z
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helenair.com
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State hospital inadvertently employed unauthorized worker, paid $90K to federal gov | 406 Politics | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/state-hospital-inadvertently-employed-unauthorized-worker-paid-90k-to-federal-gov/article_7e752e9f-c793-5eb9-bcf6-16453d69b89e.html
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https://helenair.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/state-hospital-inadvertently-employed-unauthorized-worker-paid-90k-to-federal-gov/article_7e752e9f-c793-5eb9-bcf6-16453d69b89e.html
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Montana Secretary of State Chief Legal Counsel Austin James, middle, pictured during a 2020 hearing in Lewis and Clark County District Court.
The chief legal counsel for Montana's top elections official referred to claims of election irregularities in Missoula County as a conspiracy theory advanced by “wingnuts” during a legal deposition in which he was designated to speak under oath as Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen’s representative.
The comments were made public Thursday near the end of a nine-day trial to determine the constitutionality of several election laws enacted by Republicans last year. Austin James is the chief legal counsel for Jacobsen, who is the sole defendant in the civil case. He took the stand as the final witness in the marathon trial.
Nearly a dozen plaintiffs are asking Yellowstone County District Court Judge Michael Moses to strike down elections laws that tightened photo ID restrictions for voters, eliminated Election Day registration and restrict third-party ballot collection. The bench trial ended Thursday afternoon.
The allegations refer to claims by right-wing activists that their public records inspection of ballot envelopes in Missoula County last year revealed discrepancies with the official election numbers certified by the county and the state in 2020.
Alarmed by indications conservative voters were becoming convinced their votes don’t count, Missoula County Republicans this spring undertook their own records request and found no substantial difference from the official tally. County election officials have criticized the original group’s methods as imprecise and error-prone.
“You would agree with me that those allegations in Missoula County are part of a conspiracy theory?” asked Alex Rate, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union. The ACLU is representing a coalition of Native American organizations who are among nearly a dozen plaintiffs in the case.
James agreed. Referring to previous under-oath remarks James made in his deposition, Rate continued, “Those allegations were made by, quote, wingnuts?”
“Yes,” James replied. “… and I said that I shouldn’t have said that on behalf of … the Secretary of State.”
James was then asked about proposals, also advanced by some GOP lawmakers, to return the state to a system of hand-counting individual ballots. The suggestion has gained traction among those who argue, without evidence, that the tabulating machines have been hacked.
“I don’t know if I said ‘wingnuts’ apply to them, but I do think that it’s crazy,” James replied. “There’s no way we could count a million ballots by hand in Montana in a secure manner that people would be proud of and that there wouldn’t be issues. I think that’s a crazy proposition.”
Experts have warned that those proposals could actually make election systems more vulnerable to fraud, citing crooked practices that existed prior to the introduction of mechanical voting machines.
James’ testimony follows nearly a year and a half of relative silence on the Missoula County allegations from Jacobsen — Montana’s top elections official. Since March 2021, when the group of activists first began publicizing the allegations, her office has repeatedly declined to publicly offer an opinion on them. In an interview last December, Jacobsen acknowledged she had reviewed the allegations but declined to comment further.
For that past year, the allegations been cited by some GOP state legislators in their quest to create a special committee to investigate Montana’s election system. Those lawmakers have also pushed unfounded allegations that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from former President Donald Trump.
Asked for clarification on Thursday, Jacobsen spokesman Richie Melby did not address James’s testimony.
“Montana’s elections are the best in the nation and can serve as a model for the rest of the country,” Melby wrote in an email. "There is also always room for improvement in our elections. The Secretary of State joins state and local election officials in working with a servant's heart toward safe, secure, transparent and accessible elections every day while striving to provide the best possible voting experience for all Montanans.”
James’ testimony stretched over about four hours on Thursday, and he was the last of more than a half-dozen witnesses called by the defense. He described the process of crafting and enacting House Bill 176, which ended Election Day voter registration, and reiterated Jacobsen’s position that it was an attempt to ease the burden on local election officials.
“Election administrators have been talking about these stresses for years,” he said. “Figuring out the proper way to address it was going to take looking at all the different late-registration activities, and trying to make it a meaningful way to resolve the problems, while at the same time enhance the elections in the right way.”
Plaintiffs, meanwhile, have called on witnesses who have testified that moving the registration back to the Monday before Election Day will disenfranchise voters, with little to no benefits to election officials or the security of the state's elections.
Austin was also questioned about Senate Bill 169, which created several changes to the state’s voter ID requirements — notably downgrading student IDs as an acceptable form of photo identification at the polls. Like HB 176, he said he had the primary responsibility for writing the bill.
Under the new law, students with no other form of photo ID must also show up with another official document bearing their name and address. Plaintiffs have pointed out that college students may be less likely to have utility bills, or pay stubs or bank account statements. But Austin also noted that election officials, after checking a voter’s name against the last four digits of their social security number, can print out a special identification form that satisfies that requirement.
Moses said he will issue his order in the case "as soon as possible," and indicated it would come in advance of the midterm election on Nov. 8. Jacobsen's office announced Thursday that general election ballots have been certified. Absentee ballots will start going out to overseas Montana voters next month.
Wingnuts
Austin James
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2022-08-26T03:10:20Z
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helenair.com
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Secretary of State's office refers to 'wingnuts' pushing Missoula Co. election allegations | 406 Politics | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/secretary-of-states-office-refers-to-wingnuts-pushing-missoula-co-election-allegations/article_972f8ad0-1e8f-50dd-bdc2-c346ced8d04e.html
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https://helenair.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/secretary-of-states-office-refers-to-wingnuts-pushing-missoula-co-election-allegations/article_972f8ad0-1e8f-50dd-bdc2-c346ced8d04e.html
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The fire was estimated at 20-30 acres as of about 4:15 p.m. There are multiple resources on scene from different agencies, the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff's Office said on Facebook. Officials said they hoped to have it contained soon.
No structures have been reported burned, nor were any evacuations ordered.
The road was blocked at the 1600 block of Grizzly Gulch Road and was open to resident traffic at this time, authorities said.
Prospector Gulch
Lewis And Clark Sheriff's Office
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2022-08-26T23:31:08Z
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helenair.com
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Fire reported Friday at Prospector Gulch and Grizzly Gulch near Helena | Local | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/local/fire-reported-friday-at-prospector-gulch-and-grizzly-gulch-near-helena/article_74b53a34-8093-52e6-92fe-802d4bf5240b.html
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https://helenair.com/news/local/fire-reported-friday-at-prospector-gulch-and-grizzly-gulch-near-helena/article_74b53a34-8093-52e6-92fe-802d4bf5240b.html
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The future of the state-run psychiatric hospital — which has lost its federal certification, is $17 million over budget and operating with 45% of staff positions vacant — remains unclear, the state's top health official said Friday, although an assessment may provide clarity in the coming months.
State lawmakers on Friday got their chance to pepper Charlie Brereton, the recently named director of the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, with questions about the Montana State Hospital, the future of which has been in question as state officials have so far kept plans on whether to once again seek federal accreditation close to the vest. Brereton was named director of DPHHS in June as his predecessor, Adam Meier, announced his resignation.
Democratic lawmakers on the Children, Families, Health and Human Services Interim Committee took the lead Friday on prying answers from Brereton, to whom they had sent a letter earlier this week laying out their concerns.
"From the beginning of MSH's loss of accreditation, there have been significant concerns that DPHHS seeks to privatize or close the State Hospital altogether," the Aug. 22 letter stated.
Brereton said Friday seeking a future agreement with the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare, which provided roughly $7 million annually to the state to reimburse the costs of some services, could be a costly and protracted endeavor considering the existing conditions plaguing the facility. Whether the state pursues re-certification or another route, he told the committee, will largely depend on the assessment due next month from Alvarez & Marsal, a consulting firm hired earlier this year to stabilize the workforce at all state-run health care facilities and offer recommendations on improving operations.
Brereton said plainly the administration has no plans to privatize the state hospital, albeit pausing before adding a caveat: "at this point in time."
Rep. Danny Tenenbaum, a Missoula Democrat, pressed Brereton about another option, which would essentially wind down the state hospital and build up community mental health care providers around the state. Tenenbaum has floated a similar idea of ending admissions for dementia patients at the facility, which was never intended to accept dementia patients, to free up staff for their intended duties. Rep. Llew Jones, R-Conrad, in a recent op-ed suggesting using the state budget surplus — sitting comfortably at $1.6 billion — to invest in a regional mental health model that could theoretically save $50 million annually compared to operating the state hospital.
"We are very interested in exploring a similar model and sort of working internally, in the infant stages, but exploring what a more regionalized mental health system would look like," Brereton said.
The state hospital, however, is the state's "safety net" for people with severe mental illness who are either involuntarily committed to the facility or have nowhere else to go. Building up a regional mental health care system would, Brereton said, take many years. The Legislature, which convenes in January, could begin laying the groundwork for such a change, he added.
Alvarez & Marsal representatives joined Will Evo, the state's new deputy chief of DPHHS facilities, in sharing an update from Warm Springs. Evo described some "wins" for the facility, particularly in improving training compliance over the last several months. According to the monthly update, culture is improving under the interim leadership installed after the previous state hospital administrator was removed, and the facility has been able to manage recent COVID-19 outbreaks, whereas the lack of infection control in January led to several preventable deaths.
Still, Evo said, employees report burnout at facilities across the state. Montana State Hospital, which DPHHS reported was $7 million over budget in May, finished fiscal year 2022 $17 million over budget due to a reliance on traveling or contract staff. Less than a year ago, DPHHS reported a 40% vacancy among permanent staff. On Friday, that updated number had risen to 45%.
Evo himself has held town halls at the health care facilities and made an attempt to be warm to staff as he travels the state in his new role.
"It's important these facilities feel supported by our Helena team," he said.
Will Evo
A corrections department spokesperson said Thursday the prison has contracted with a third party to change the workplace culture "by promoting solution-oriented thinking rather than blaming."
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2022-08-27T01:11:30Z
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helenair.com
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Lawmakers press new DPHHS director on state hospital's future | 406 Politics | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/lawmakers-press-new-dphhs-director-on-state-hospitals-future/article_7f10c4f1-db66-5d1e-b354-fe5c82bc4dd5.html
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https://helenair.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/lawmakers-press-new-dphhs-director-on-state-hospitals-future/article_7f10c4f1-db66-5d1e-b354-fe5c82bc4dd5.html
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Pictured from left, Julie Bir (a member of the Montana Jewish Project’s board of directors), Bishop Austin Vetter and Rebecca Stanfel (president of the Montana Jewish Project’s board) stand outside Helena's Temple Emanu-El.
Nothing says happy birthday quite like accomplishing a goal a year and a half in the making.
“I bought a synagogue on my birthday,” stated Rebecca Stanfel, president of the board for the nonprofit Montana Jewish Project (MJP).
On Aug. 26, a crowd of around 75 people gathered in front of what is historically known as Helena’s Temple Emanu-El for a ceremonial signing celebrating MJP buying back the temple for Jewish use the day before, on Aug. 25.
“I haven’t heard of any other Jewish community buying back a synagogue from the Catholic Church, but that did not stop Bishop Vetter,” said Stanfel.
The signing opened with a prayer by Roman Catholic Bishop Austin Vetter and a Hebrew blessing by Julie Bir, a board member of MJP.
“I will be saying the Jewish prayer ‘Shehecheyanu’ which we say in times of special occasion, holidays, gathering together for the first time and this is such a special occasion. I’m going to try not to cry,” stated Bir.
In English, Bir stated the prayer means “Blessed are You, Eternal Spirit, who has given us life, sustained us and allowed us to arrive in this moment.”
“Reclaiming Montana’s first synagogue is more than just buying back bricks and mortar,” wrote Stanfel in an op-ed earlier this month. “Our communities are living through an unprecedented rise in antisemitism in Montana. The Anti-Defamation League reports anti-Semitic assaults and incidents are at highs not seen since 1976. There is no better time to proudly occupy this synagogue again and anchor our present and future Jewish generations to Temple Emanu-El and Montana’s rich history of inclusivity.”
For the past 15 months, MJP has been working to buy back the synagogue, the oldest one in Montana, from the Roman Catholic Church, which bought the building from the State of Montana for $81,000 in 1981.
“I can’t think of a better thing I’ve done since being the bishop for almost three years than being able to sign today the Jewish synagogue back to the Jewish community,” said Vetter. “When we talk about interreligious dialogue between the Catholic church and the Jewish community, you can’t get a better dialogue than getting a synagogue back to the Jews who are a solid rock for this community. It is a deep reality for me knowing that in my own faith, the Catholic faith, rests on the rocks of our Jewish brothers and sisters.”
Helena's synagogue, the oldest synagogue in Montana, is historically known as Temple Emanu-El.
MJP officials noted the moral and financial support that came from churches like the Montana Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Episcopal Diocese of Montana, Plymouth Congregational Church, the Knights of Columbus in Missoula and others. Businesses around Helena such as Montana Book Company, the Windbag Saloon, Gulch Distillers and Headwaters Crafthouse supported MJP’s journey as well.
No structural updates need to be done on the synagogue, according to Stanfel. After the MJP board takes around a month break, the building will be open to community use.
“The building can be used exactly as is. Our plan for the present is to rent out the basement and the entry level. The top floor will be for Jewish community use. A part of the strategic planning we’ll be doing is laying out five- and 10-year plans.”
Since December, MJP has been programming in Helena, even before it owned the former Temple Emanu-El. The nonprofit sponsored Jewish musicians in Helena, hosted an open discussion on how to counter antisemitism and hate and offered Jewish baking classes with the help of Park Avenue Bakery. It plans to continue programming throughout the state.
The famous onion domes of the synagogue were removed when the temple was bought by the State of Montana for $1 in 1935 to renovate it into administrative offices. The location of the domes is still unknown.
“I know someone is going to ask this, but we don’t know where the onion domes are,” said Stanfel. “I really wish we could put them back up.”
An attendee asked Stanfel if there was any thought to getting a Torah for the synagogue.
“We’ve had an offer of a Torah being donated to us, but we had to hold off on it because we had to have the right insurance, which we do have now. We’re not getting a rabbi.”
MJP and Vetter stated how they would like to have a rededication ceremony in the future and possibly lay down another plaque or hang an item inside the temple to commemorate the date that MJP bought back the synagogue for the Jewish community.
Champagne, sparkling juice, bagels, and fresh baked challah bread were served in celebration at the event.
People gather to toast and break freshly baked challah bread after the ceremonial signing.
“In the Hebrew calendar, we are here on an extremely auspicious day,” said Stanfel. “Today is the first day of Elul, which is the month that precedes the holiest Jewish holy days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Elul is a time traditionally for reflection and taking stock, to see where we’ve come from and how we move forward.”
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2022-08-27T02:55:19Z
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helenair.com
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Montana Jewish Project hosts ceremonial signing at former Temple Emanu-El | Local | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/local/montana-jewish-project-hosts-ceremonial-signing-at-former-temple-emanu-el/article_ef4eebc7-b6f0-5e11-b844-81f0d5b670c7.html
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https://helenair.com/news/local/montana-jewish-project-hosts-ceremonial-signing-at-former-temple-emanu-el/article_ef4eebc7-b6f0-5e11-b844-81f0d5b670c7.html
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Governor says state hits record for workers
Gov. Greg Gianforte said Montana’s economy continued its strong growth in July, reaching a record high for the number of Montanans employed.
According to data compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Montana’s labor force added 1,470 workers in July, while Montana’s total employment grew by 712 workers.
Job creation in Montana grew in July for the 27th consecutive month.
“With our focus on trades education and expanding opportunities for good-paying careers, more and more Montanans are getting back to work,” Gianforte said in news release, adding the record job growth is easing the workforce shortage and providing relief to employers who are hiring.
Montana’s unemployment rate was 2.7% in July, as labor force growth continued to outpace total employment, compared to 3.5% for the United States in July.
Electrify Big Sky event held in September
The inaugural Electrify the Big Sky Conference will be held at the University of Montana Sept. 13 at the University Center Ballroom.
Electrify the Big Sky, which focuses on the opportunities and challenges of beneficial electrification, will take place from 7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. in Missoula. The cost is $20 for the general public and includes breakfast and lunch. Admission is free for University of Montana students who register using the provided code on the website and a present a student ID at check in.
Attendees can register online at www.electrifythebigsky.com.
The Montana Electric Cooperatives’ Association, the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, the Beneficial Electrification League and Missoula Electric Cooperative are the organizers of the event.
Topics at the conference include a panel discussion on electric vehicle adoption in Montana and practical sessions on home electrification projects, as well as breakout sessions on utility rate design, resource adequacy and the opportunities of beneficial electrification, such as using electric hot-water heaters to store energy. Other discussions will center around beneficial electrification upgrades for new homes; what easy upgrades are available for existing homes, such as programmable thermostats, and a look at renewable energy sources and storage options for the home.
There is also an electric vehicle and technology trade show, where attendees will have the opportunity to get up close and personal with electric cars, lawnmowers, a garbage truck and a large tractor for agricultural use.
For more information, Contact Ryan Hall at 406-761-8333
Montana joins with Lithuania over lasers
The Montana Department of Commerce, in conjunction with the Montana Photonics Industry Alliance and the Lithuanian Laser Association, have joined to produce virtual seminars to promote education about the laser, photonics and optics industries while developing a network of business and academic contacts between Montana and Lithuania, officials said recently.
“Since its inception, the program’s success represents over $4.5 billion of investment into Montana’s economy by adding value to the state’s natural resources, creating good-paying jobs, and bolstering our tax base,” Montana Department of Commerce Director Scott Osterman said in an email.
He said the seminars are creating a mutually beneficial relationship with Lithuania while promoting bilateral trade and investment in the laser, photonics, and optics industries.
The first seminar on Light Detection and Ranging was held in May. This technology uses eye-safe laser beams to create a 3D representation of the surveyed environment and is key for autonomous driving and similar applications.
Last month, the second seminar was on the topic of quantum telecommunications and materials.
With nearly six times the land area, Montana has one-third the population of Lithuania. In 2020, Montana’s GDP was almost 80% of Lithuania’s; both have similar land use with approximately two-thirds privately owned.
Montana and Lithuania share a robust laser, photonics, and optics industry cluster that together employ over 3,000 workers, paying salaries above relative averages, officials said.
Two more seminars are planned. For more information, visit COMMERCE.MT.GOV.
State Ag accepting applications for funding
The Montana Department of Agriculture is reminding folks that the Growth Through Agriculture program is accepting applications for this year’s funding cycle. The application deadline is 5 p.m. Sept 12.
MDA staff will hold a technical assistance call for interested parties on Monday at 12 p.m. Join by visiting the Department’s website at: https://agr.mt.gov/GTA.
The program was established by the Legislature to strengthen and diversify Montana’s agriculture industry by developing new agricultural products and processes. GTA grants and loans are awarded by the Agriculture Development Council, a seven member committee appointed by the governor. GTA funding requires the investment of at least $1 in matching funds for every $1 in grant or loan assistance received.
For more information on the Montana Department of Agriculture, visit agr.mt.gov.
Jacobsen speaks to Rotary Club of Helena
Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen spoke to the Rotary Club of Helena on Wednesday during the organization’s weekly meeting and provided members with updates from the Secretary of State’s Office in which she discussed successes and accomplished goals.
Jacobsen touted Montana’s pro-business climate and low business filing fees, including her recent reduction that cut registration fees for Montana businesses in half.
“By cutting red tape, thousands of businesses will benefit with estimated savings of more than a million dollars per year. Montana saw record business growth in 2021, and we look forward to seeing that trend continue for years to come.”
Jacobsen also updated the Helena Rotary on the current midterm election cycle, including June’s primary election reaching record voter turnout for a Montana midterm primary.
Club members were also provided with updates from the Montana Land Board, including the August meeting that generated an estimated revenue of more than $100,000 to benefit the Montana Common Schools trust.
Christie Jacobsen
Electrify Big Sky
Montana Electric Cooperatives' Association
Montana Photonics Industry Alliance
Lithuanian Laser Association
Montana Department Of Agriculture
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2022-08-28T11:47:36Z
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helenair.com
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Business Briefcase | Local | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/business/business-briefcase/article_da4de55a-91e3-5601-9702-035be3bd2ada.html
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https://helenair.com/business/business-briefcase/article_da4de55a-91e3-5601-9702-035be3bd2ada.html
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Maria Toccafondo-Wisler cuts Shawn Reagor's hair recently at Gent's Dapper Cuts barbershop in Helena.
When you think of a barbershop, you might picture a group of men chatting about recent events as the sound of buzzing razors and the smell of coffee and cologne fill the air.
When you picture a salon, the image might be a group of women sitting in front of mirrors chatting across the room as their stylists cut, perm, straighten, color and press their hair while bleach and conditioner perfume the air.
What you might not picture is someone in a barbershop or salon having a gender identity crisis because they don't know whether to select a "women's" or "men's" haircut. Throughout history, barbershops and salons and the haircuts offered have been gendered and many are still today.
There is a movement toward androgyny with many barbershops, salons and haircuts catering to both males and females, but how does a person feel in these places if they do not conform to the gender binary of male or female (non-binary) or to their sex assigned at birth (transgender)?
Lennon is a member of the non-binary community in Helena. They weren’t out as non-binary when they moved to Helena, but they were getting “masculine” shorter haircuts at the time. They go to a local barbershop but are switching to a different salon to follow their stylist, who is very “open and affirming.”
By “affirming,” Lennon means “gender affirming,” or people allowing space for them to “actively present as far as gender expression how (they) feel most comfortable.”
“It was a strange experience moving to Helena. I moved here about two years ago from a town where I had a hairstylist who was very trans and non-binary affirming, and one half of the owners of the salon was trans feminine, so she and her wife were always very supportive,” said Lennon. “Then, moving here and trying to find a stylist in a new town where I didn’t have a lot of connections or queer connections was quite anxiety inducing to find someone who would be comfortable cutting my hair.”
Lennon's barbershop prices haircuts based on gender, so their stylist charges them for a men’s cut.
“What is a gendered haircut? Men can have long hair and women can have short hair. There really is no gender in haircut unless you choose to make it that way,” said Lennon. “There’s so many haircuts people can have that transcend gender and are not for one specific gender, so it doesn't make sense to put labels on things when there doesn’t need to be one. I wish they would do long hair and short hair or time because that would be a less confusing model for a non-binary person to try and book a haircut under.”
Hair can have underlying meanings and send messages at a glance about health, status, sexuality, identity and more.
“I was born assigned female at birth, but I ask for a more masculine centered haircut. So it’s important for people to be welcoming when you ask for a haircut that might fit the opposite of what someone might perceive as your gender,” said Lennon. “It is very gender affirming to have a haircut that matches what we feel on the inside and to be able to outwardly express how we feel with our hair expression is very important.”
Lennon has been a drag king since August 2018. They noted how this path allowed them to explore gender expression and realize that they didn’t feel connected to being female or male. The representation of Jonathan Van Ness (JVN), who’s non-binary on the Netflix show Queer Eye, helped Lennon realize that they might also be non-binary.
“I think (representation) is really important to youth who are just coming to terms with their identity that they have someone who they can look up to as they are working on their coming out journey,” said Lennon. “It is really important for people to see positive representations in the media of themselves because 20 years ago we didn’t have many people who identified as transgender and non-binary because people didn’t see themselves represented.”
Many minority communities such as the LGBTQ+ community, highlight the difference between welcoming someone into a space versus creating a safe space with them in mind.
“It is really important to me as a non-binary person that a salon is very open and affirming in their language, so if they have a website, if they’re specifically putting out there that they are trans and non-binary inclusive, making sure that their staff are trained in what it means to be affirming and inclusive, and creating a space where as a non-binary person I can feel comfortable receiving services from that business,” said Lennon.
Sage Julian has been a barber for five years in Seattle, but they spent most of their summers growing up in Billings with their grandma.
“I came out as non-binary trans masculine three years ago," said Julian. "I had a lot of trans masc friends who gave me different perspectives on gender and sexuality, and I figured it was time to really be myself.”
Since then, Julian has been hard at work on social media getting out the word that they’re a non-binary barber and trying to build trust with clients.
“We have the LGBTQ flag and trans pride flags hanging proudly in the windows of my barbershop,” said Julian. “I’ve helped a lot of queer youth with gender euphoric haircuts and tell them they can trust me and let them know they’re safe to tell me anything and that I will respect their name, pronouns and style choices because that’s what I always wanted for myself.”
In their shop, stylists write their pronouns on their license frame.
“We try to state our pronouns and ask clients theirs just to break down any barriers,” said Julian. “My shop says ‘Rudy’s - for everyone.’ I try to keep it simple and not so corporate sounding.”
They charge based on hair length and time, not gender. A short haircut is anything above the chin, and a long haircut is anything below. Every cut comes with a wash and style.
“What’s the point in charging a ‘woman’ with long hair for a trim but not charging a ‘man’ with the same hair length the same price?” asked Julian.
Among the 10 or so barbershops and salons in Helena with operating websites, Bassu Salon and Aesthetics is the only one that lists “non-binary” as an option for haircuts. The other barbershops and salons list men, women, and children’s haircuts as options or list “haircuts” but have a feminine target audience.
“I had someone call a couple years ago, and they asked if we did haircuts for non-binary. We did, but I never thought about putting it on (Bassu’s) menu,” said Leslie Hochstrasser, owner of Bassu in Helena. “Everyone’s a person, and they deserve good service and have the right to feel comfortable.”
At Bassu, a non-binary haircut starts at $55, while a men’s haircut starts at $35, and a women’s haircut starts at $50.
“The pricing I chose (for non-binary) is because I don’t know if someone is going to have extremely long hair or extremely thick, so it is a matter of time,” said Hochstrasser. “People are more comfortable with verbiage, you know, pronouns. That’s why there’s still a man’s cut and a woman’s cut on the service menu.”
Hochstrasser keeps gender pricing for the same reason she offers men’s facials and not just facials -- many people aren’t used to the idea of gender being completely removed. She noted how there can be price changes if a male walks in with long, thick hair or a female has a short, easy cut. She lets the clients know early in their appointments about upcharges or downcharges.
“I would definitely encourage (other shops to include non-binary as a haircut option). Just to have it and to make everyone comfortable,” said Hochstrasser. “A lot of (barbershops and salons) cater to everyone, it’s just not on their website, and if someone wouldn’t have called me, I wouldn’t have (listed non-binary haircuts).”
Gendered hair pricing is not modernized enough to fully represent the non-binary community since non-binary is rarely listed as a haircut option, but does that mean gender should be removed completely from the hair business?
“Lots of times, we know that there can be benefits for spaces that incorporate gender. It’s about being in a space with like people,” said Shawn Reagor, director of equality and economic justice at the Montana Human Rights Network. “The problem is when it becomes inequitable and inaccessible to certain people.”
Reagor is a member and advocate of the transgender community. Like every human, he is much more complex than a simple label.
“I think that, first and foremost, when we are talking about trans people, you don’t have to understand what it means to be trans to be able to respect someone. You don’t have to understand my history or where I came from or why I am the person that I am to agree that I pay taxes, I’m involved in the community, I volunteer, I go to church. And I exist as a person,” states Reagor in his bio on the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Montana website. “And on top of that, there’s more to me than just a trans person. For example, I really like nerdy jokes. I like to go outdoors. I like to snowboard. And I like to be involved in the community in different ways."
Like the non-binary community, trans people can have difficulties navigating the gender sea of barbershops and salons. One example of an accessible and equitable barbershop would be Gent’s Dapper Cuts by barber Maria Toccafondo-Wisler, where Reagor gets his haircuts.
Toccafondo-Wisler describes her clientele as “widely, widely diverse,” but she treats them all with the same respect. The only thing she asks for in return is respect for her and everyone there.
“It starts as soon as (clients) walk in, I always greet them the same way, ‘Welcome Sunshine,’ pet names. Then they sit down, and they’re just more relaxed,” said Toccafondo-Wisler, who’s been in the hair business for about 10 years. “I used to be intimidated by certain customers, but the best advice I ever got was from a friend at a salon. She said, ‘They’re coming to you for a service, so you can’t care about who they are or who they think they are.'”
Gent’s Dapper Cuts charges a flat rate of $18 per haircut and only cuts men’s hair. If a woman or someone who doesn’t want a typical “male” haircut walks in, Toccafondo-Wisler gives them a good recommendation for a salon in Helena. Some salons in Helena often do the same, referring male clients to Gent’s.
“I’ve always loved pretty things, and then I realized I can make other people feel pretty and good about themselves,” said Toccafondo-Wisler. “It’s about giving a little time out of your day to make their day.”
There are movements and campaigns that have gained traction to make barbershops and salons safer spaces for all. One of those is a 2017 campaign called “Strands For Trans.”
This campaign’s goal is to map transgender-friendly barbershops and salons after headlines about discrimination against transgender people trying to get their hair cut began surfacing.
The website reads “Haircuts are historically gendered: Salons for women. Barbershops for men. This leaves the trans community feeling uncomfortable, unwelcome and unsure. Strands For Trans is bringing gays, straights, women, men, anyone, together to create trans-friendly barbershops and hair salons.”
Due to an overwhelmingly large amount of registrations over the past few months, the trans-friendly map will be updated again on Oct. 1, and “Strands For Trans” will be accepting new registrations then as well.
In Montana, there are six trans-friendly barbershops and salons currently registered on the map in Livingston, Laurel, Billings and Missoula.
Austin’s Barber Shop located in Billings is the embodiment of an old-school barbershop where men gather to talk about sports, the news, and all things “guy.” But there’s more layers to this stereotypical barbershop than meets the eye.
While in high school, Austin Schlosser, the owner and barber for the past 15 years, realized most of the barbers he had grown up going to were getting older and no one was replacing them. He reached out to one of his great uncles who was a barber, and the great uncle got him set up at a barber school.
“I charge $12 for haircuts. I do all walk-ins. It’s an old-fashioned barbershop,” said Schlosser.
While it is old fashioned, Austin’s Barber Shop is registered with “Strands For Trans.” Schlosser welcomes and respects customers of all identities.
“I don’t care who comes into my shop. If I am able to offer them a service and keep them happy, then that is my job,” said Schlosser. “That is why I signed up for ‘Strands For Trans.’”
Canvas Studios is one of Montana’s salons registered on “Strands For Trans.” Canvas has been operating for 11 years in Missoula. Andrea Caffrey bought the hair studio three years ago but worked there for eight years prior.
After starting her hair career at a chain where “people were viewed as dollar signs,” she knew she wanted to do something different, so when a friend texted her about Canvas opening, she applied.
As a stylist, Caffrey started out doing the typical men’s and women’s haircut pricing because it was what she knew, but she had a trans friend message her stating that they didn’t know which haircut option to pick. From that moment, Caffrey said it was “obvious” to take gender out of her haircut pricing altogether.
“It can be confusing for people, and we have the privilege to educate them. We have some women in their 70s who come in and say ‘My grandson is trans, what do I do?’ Or others come in and ask, ‘How do you know what gender to call someone?’ I tell them, ‘You ask,’” said Caffrey. "(Missoula) is a purple town in a red state, and not everyone feels super safe, so we make safe spaces… If we can work together as a community, we can build the community we want. We are the community.”
When Caffrey bought Canvas Studios, gender priced haircuts were totally removed. “Strands For Trans” noticed and reached out about how Canvas would be a great fit for the campaign.
“We do haircut pricing based on time, similar to tattoo artists,” said Caffrey. “‘Strands For Trans’ takes gender out of haircut pricing, and it worked great because we’d already been doing that.”
According to The Trevor Project’s 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health, nearly half (45%) the LGBTQ+ youth (ages 13 to 24) considered suicide in the past year. It also found that fewer than one in three non-binary and transgender youth don't find their home to be gender affirming.
In 2022, 23 states, almost half of the U.S. states, introduced anti-LGBTQ+ bills, and over half of these states, 13, signed anti-LGBTQ+ bills into law, according to the Human Rights Campaign.
With high rates of suicide among the LGBTQ+ youths combined with anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, there could be a new public health crisis. It is never just about hair. Hair is a surface issue in the depth of challenges facing members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Over 1.6 million adults (18 or older) and youth (13 to 17) identify as transgender in the U.S., according to a study released in June of this year from Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law. That's more than the entire population of the state of Montana at 1.1 million in July 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. All of these individuals have hair in some shape or form that needs upkeep whether they cut it at home or find an inclusive and safe barber or stylist to cut it.
Is taking gender pricing out of the hair industry “too woke,” or would it “overcomplicate” things?
“(It’s) just the opposite. (It would) simplify something that has been overcomplicated,” said Reagor. “It’s another system that impacts us all, even if we don’t see it.”
Barbershops
Around 75 people gathered in front of what is historically known as Helena’s Temple Emanu-El for a ceremonial signing celebrating MJP buying back the temple for Jewish use.
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2022-08-28T15:42:18Z
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helenair.com
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The binary challenges for non-binary and trans Montanans getting haircuts | Business | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/business/the-binary-challenges-for-non-binary-and-trans-montanans-getting-haircuts/article_d03e8c8b-2f77-53ba-990c-e191ec86643c.html
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https://helenair.com/business/the-binary-challenges-for-non-binary-and-trans-montanans-getting-haircuts/article_d03e8c8b-2f77-53ba-990c-e191ec86643c.html
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Capital Transit vehicles are pictured at the transit station.
The city of Helena is considering expanding its Capital Transit services in Lewis and Clark County, possibly into the North Helena Valley and westward after seeing steady growth in passengers and potential elsewhere.
During a joint meeting in July between city and county commissioners, Chris Couey, deputy director of transportation systems for the city of Helena, said Capital Transit ridership has grown about 250% in a year, during which it transitioned from a fixed route to a more flexible schedule in which customers call for rides. However, service to East Helena remained a fixed route.
Couey said that in July 2021, there were 1,058 people who used Capital Transit. In July 2022, that number hit 3,843. In August 2021, ridership was 1,104. So far, in August 2022, it was 3,559.
“The system is very good and it’s very adaptable,” he said, adding that drivers are not overwhelmed and people are not waiting a long time for their ride.
The city started its new ride scheduling service model March 14 with a trip fare of 85 cents.
Couey said people seem to be willing to get back on public transportation after the pandemic. He said the increase in ridership can be attributed to the switch from fixed routes to demand-response scheduling.
“We saw the pandemic as an opportunity to transition back to service that ultimately serves more people,” he said. “We switched back in March and it has been phenomenally better.”
Capital Transit has 16 buses in its fleet -- two new vehicles were added a couple weeks ago -- and 10-12 of those vehicles are active on any given day. The fleet tallied 15,172 miles in July and had 14,324 miles so far in August. It has a $1.8 million budget.
No action was taken at the meeting, which served as an update.
Couey said the county recently paid $10,000 to look into expanding service beyond the Helena city limits into East Helena, the North Valley and west of Helena.
“We get calls all the time from North Valley and even out to the westside,” Couey said, adding he believes that if service were expanded ridership could climb from 4,000 a month over time to 6,000.
But it would not be the curbside, front door service that Helena riders get.
He said at this point they were considering a park-and-ride area where a hub could be set up in which people could catch a Capital Transit bus and park a vehicle there if need be.
Jim McCormick, chair of the Lewis and Clark County Commission, said the county pays about $100,000 annually for the service that he described as a “partnership with the city of Helena.” He said the commissioners were open to discussions to city proposals and vice versa.
But McCormick, who is not seeking reelection, said he has not heard from North Valley constituents about access to the transit service.
“It’s been really quiet,” he said, but he added he believed the city and county would continue conversations in the future.
Couey said the extra $10,000 the city received from the county this year will be used to bring in a consultant or dedicate extra staff time to look into expanding service to more parts of the Valley.
He said Capital Transit can’t do door-to-door service in the North Valley with its current staff and fleet, and any expansion would likely involve two more drivers and new vehicles.
But he said they could maybe set up pickup and drop-off spots, not only in the North Valley, but west Helena as well. He said any study would look at the merits of setting up such as spot at an existing business or private property, or if creating something on public property would work better.
“We’re trying to figure out the best way to provide service,” Couey said.
Chris Couey
Capital Transit
Jim Mccormick
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2022-08-28T19:10:57Z
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helenair.com
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Amid surging ridership, Helena's Capital Transit considers expanding service | Local | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/local/amid-surging-ridership-helenas-capital-transit-considers-expanding-service/article_76fbbda2-db4a-5f3d-95a0-7fea1c833428.html
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https://helenair.com/news/local/amid-surging-ridership-helenas-capital-transit-considers-expanding-service/article_76fbbda2-db4a-5f3d-95a0-7fea1c833428.html
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U.S. Forest officials said they expect the perimeter of the Grizzly Gulch fire to be fully surrounded within the coming days.
U.S. Forest Service / Cody Philpott and Evan Franklin
The most recent containment estimate was from end of shift Saturday, officials with the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest said.
They said that a hotshot crew, a Type 2 initial attack crew, and a 10-person hand crew were working on mopping up the fire.
The fire was reported at 1:54 p.m. Friday and was listed at 26 acres as of early Sunday afternoon. The cause of the blaze had yet to be determined.
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2022-08-28T22:17:50Z
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helenair.com
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Grizzly Gulch fire south of Helena 75% contained | Local | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/local/grizzly-gulch-fire-south-of-helena-75-contained/article_635deab7-2511-5533-bf5f-a445ebed1c6a.html
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https://helenair.com/news/local/grizzly-gulch-fire-south-of-helena-75-contained/article_635deab7-2511-5533-bf5f-a445ebed1c6a.html
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Helena Fire Chief Jon Campbell said about 4:30 p.m. that fire crews are transitioning to mop up and will remain on-site throughout the night. He said weather remained the wild card, especially if the winds pick up.
A cause of the fire, reported at 12:15 p.m., is under investigation, officials said.
All trails on and leading to Mount Helena Park are closed until further notice, officials said. Spring Meadow Lake is also closed to assist with fire suppression efforts. Firefighters are asking people not to hike on the trail in proximity of the fire as suppression efforts continue. They said some people had returned to the trails late Sunday afternoon and could be at risk as helicopters continue to drop water in the area.
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2022-08-29T01:02:48Z
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helenair.com
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Wildfire on Mount Helena burns 15 acres Sunday | Local | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/local/wildfire-on-mount-helena-burns-15-acres-sunday/article_addf03e3-5665-5c97-ad97-c950a639e315.html
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https://helenair.com/news/local/wildfire-on-mount-helena-burns-15-acres-sunday/article_addf03e3-5665-5c97-ad97-c950a639e315.html
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This photo was included in the U.S. District case involving Jerod Hughes. It shows Jerod and Joshua Hughes being led by Capitol police Officer Eugene Goodman.
U.S. District Court for District of Columbia.
East Helena brothers Jarod and Joshua Hughes both signed a Statement of Offense prior to Thursday’s plea hearing in federal court admitting to actions they took Jan. 6, 2021, when they joined others in storming the U.S. Capitol in protest of presidential election results.
The brothers, who at one time faced nine felony charges, pleaded guilty Thursday to a single charge of obstruction of an official proceeding. The remaining counts were dismissed.
The charge could bring a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
Under a plea agreement, Joshua Hughes would be sentenced to 41-51 months in prison, something his attorney said earlier he would ask the judge to reduce. Jerod Hughes faces 51-63 months because of his previous criminal record. The brothers are to each pay the architect of the Capitol $2,000 in restitution. Each brother could also be fined $15,000 to $150,000.
This is the Aug. 17 signature of Jerod Hughes on the Statement of Offense.
According to the six-page Statement of Offense signed Aug. 14 by Joshua Hughes and Aug. 17 by Jerod Hughes, the brothers acknowledge prosecutors could prove the allegations against them “beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Officials say in the detailed statement, which provides the times the allegations occurred, the brothers drove from Montana to Washington D.C. to attend the Jan. 6, 2021, “Stop the Steal” rally protesting Democrat Joe Biden winning the presidency over incumbent Republican Donald Trump as lawmakers were meeting to certify the vote count of the Electoral College of the 2020 Presidential Election.
After the rally, the brothers joined “a group of rioters” on the northern set of stairs and were part of the crowd that pushed past law enforcement officers at the top of the staircase, forcing the officers to retreat, the document states.
The brothers entered the U.S. Capitol building about 2:13 p.m. through a window next to the Senate Wing door that had been shattered open by other rioters wielding weapons and a plastic riot shield.
This is the Aug. 14 signature of Joshua Hughes on the Statement of Offense.
Joshua and Jerod Hughes were among the first rioters to enter the U.S. Capitol building through a shattered window. Jarod joined another rioter in trying to kick open the Senate wing door, the document states. The door broke open before Joshua arrived.
The brothers continued walking northeast through the Capitol and encountered U.S. Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman standing guard near a staircase leading up to the Senate Chamber. They followed close behind other rioters who chased Goodman up the staircase to the Ohio Clock Corridor, where they were met by other U.S. Capitol Police officers who had come to Goodman’s aid, according to the document.
Jerod can be seen screaming and making aggressive gestures toward the officers.
They entered the Senate gallery at about 2:44 p.m. and stayed there for one minute, the Statement of Offense states.
At about 2:48 p.m., they entered the Senate chamber through the east doors, which had been opened from the inside by another rioter. They were among the first 10 rioters to enter the Senate chamber and walked among the senators' desks for about 10 minutes, the document states.
They left the Senate chamber at 2:51 p.m. and walked out of the Capitol building. According to the signed agreement, they knew they did not have permission to enter the building.
The brothers agreed that by signing the document submitted by U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves that the Statement of Offense was true and accurate.
An attorney representing Joshua Hughes has said the brothers had no intention of causing damage, but were following the crowd.
Jared Hughes
2021 Insurrection
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2022-08-29T16:02:07Z
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helenair.com
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As part of plea, East Helena brothers admit to actions in Capitol riot | Crime & Courts | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/as-part-of-plea-east-helena-brothers-admit-to-actions-in-capitol-riot/article_36a42774-b8c6-57fb-9622-98d7161ad360.html
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https://helenair.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/as-part-of-plea-east-helena-brothers-admit-to-actions-in-capitol-riot/article_36a42774-b8c6-57fb-9622-98d7161ad360.html
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When the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) became law, we secured a much brighter future for Montana than the one we had previously been facing. The bill marks a historic moment for our public lands, fish and wildlife, and for taxpayers and communities around the state.
That’s because the IRA will deliver much-needed reforms to energy policies that haven’t been updated in more than a hundred years, policies that have cheated taxpayers and hamstrung agencies in being able to properly care for public lands, water quality and outdoor recreation infrastructure.
The bill updates the royalty rate, minimum bid requirements and rental rates that oil and gas companies pay to use our public land. According to Taxpayers for Common Sense, taxpayers in Montana have lost out on millions in revenue due to antiquated federal oil and gas fiscal policies. The reforms in the IRA will bring them into the modern era and ensure that companies are required to pay market rates for the lease of publicly-owned resources and taxpayers get a fair return, putting money back in the public’s pocket.
The Biden administration and the Department of the Interior must build upon this incredible achievement and go even further to protect taxpayers, public lands and wildlife, and hold oil and gas companies accountable for cleaning up their messes.
That means moving forward with a promised rulemaking for the federal oil and gas program that, along with implementing the important changes established in the IRA, also requires oil and gas companies to fully pay for potential cleanup costs, so that taxpayers aren’t stuck with the bill for the mess industry leaves behind. The rulemaking should also include mandating that the Interior Department avoid allowing speculative leasing in areas of low potential for oil development that could otherwise be managed to protect critical wildlife habitat.
For now, we are thankful that Congress and President Biden took this crucial action that modernizes the federal oil and gas leasing program and sets us on course to a future that is much more livable than the one we were previously headed towards.
Ben Gabriel
Frank Szollosi
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2022-08-29T16:02:13Z
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helenair.com
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Ben Gabriel and Frank Szollosi: Inflation Reduction Act a vital win for Montana | Columnists | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/opinion/columnists/ben-gabriel-and-frank-szollosi-inflation-reduction-act-a-vital-win-for-montana/article_ba916993-cca4-5a4e-9020-3a0dc939efce.html
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https://helenair.com/opinion/columnists/ben-gabriel-and-frank-szollosi-inflation-reduction-act-a-vital-win-for-montana/article_ba916993-cca4-5a4e-9020-3a0dc939efce.html
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BOB PYFER
The abortion issue is all about values. What do you value most? Your values are formed by a combination of your individual environmental influences or life experiences, and your own individual cognitive analysis and personal conclusions regarding those experiential inputs.
Parents, teachers, religion, media, and cultural surroundings all have an impact on your values. At least arguably, we also possess certain intrinsic human values. The desire to live and be happy with a minimum of personal suffering; to successfully negotiate social relationships with others. I for one want to believe that every human also possesses some degree of empathy and compassion for the suffering of all sentient beings.
If one can possibly step back from all dogmatic doctrines and values imposed by extrinsic sources, and focus on our natural intrinsic benevolence, while applying our best efforts at objectivity, we may have a shot at discovering truth and justice.
In other words, can we start with a moral "blank slate" and apply our best natural cognitive and emotional intelligence to the abortion issue?
At the risk of oversimplification, the abortion issue boils down to two conflicting values. In one corner is the absolute sanctity of human life as a good, in and of itself. In the other corner is the desire to avoid or reduce sentient human suffering. The former value holds that once the earliest stages of human life has begun, it must be protected at all costs. The latter holds that the consequential suffering, which results from rigid adherence to the mystical belief that all human life is somehow divine, is more important than theoretical dogma.
All this notwithstanding, if you simply believe that God despises abortion because human life in all its stages is the greatest good superior to any other value, you are entitled to this religious belief. But make no mistake, it IS a religious belief!
In a democracy underpinned by the rule of law, our duly elected representatives make rules to avoid chaos and further the common good. However, our society erects boundaries around this rulemaking power by way of our constitution. This overarching, fundamental law protects us from abusive tyrannical rulemaking by setting forth basic principles that no legislation can violate. One of those principles prohibits laws that would establish or impose religious dogma on the citizenry. The founding fathers adopted this principle recognizing countless historical examples of egregious human suffering caused by religious persecution.
So you are free to enjoy the proven benefits of church community and to follow, live, and practice your religious beliefs. You are not, however, either morally or legally entitled to impose those beliefs on anyone else, either directly or through your elected representatives.
You are not entitled to force another human being to have a child; to force suffering on an unwilling mother and a helpless unwanted child. In all likelihood, our mental institutions and prisons are heavily populated by neglected, unwanted children.
If anything is sacred, it is the duty to protect women and children from suffering, and to protect a woman's solemn responsibility to decide the course of her life for herself, without government intrusion.
On the macro level, the abortion issue distracts our attention from serious problems affecting our shared quality of life and indeed, the very survival of life as we know it on this planet.
We have so many truly important crises causing real human suffering, like mental illness, human trafficking, drug trafficking, homelessness, teacher shortages, childcare shortages, poverty and child hunger, present and future pandemics, international and domestic terrorism, potential nuclear war, violent crime, white collar crime, inflation, crumbling infrastructure, and climate change, not to mention sticky issues like immigration, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and preservation of our very democracy. Given all this, its both a shame and shameful to waste your time, effort, AND VOTE opposing your neighbor's right to make her own critical life decisions in consultation with family, trusted friends, counselors. and medical professionals.
Abortion is a private matter and is simply not an appropriate topic for the general population to heavily weigh in on. If regulation is needed, it should come in the form of ethical standards developed by medical and mental health professionals. Direct intrusion by the government, micromanaging the doctor-patient relationship, is a horrible waste of time and effort; and most importantly, its just downright cruel!
Mystical dogma vs. Real suffering. That's our choice. That's our value judgment.
Pyfer
Bob Pyfer is a retired lawyer with extensive legislative experience and an intense interest in social psychology and public policy.
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2022-08-29T16:02:19Z
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helenair.com
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Bob Pyfer: Abortion is a matter of values | Columnists | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/opinion/columnists/bob-pyfer-abortion-is-a-matter-of-values/article_b9e1e7f5-bdd9-5804-90fd-3d1f211ef044.html
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https://helenair.com/opinion/columnists/bob-pyfer-abortion-is-a-matter-of-values/article_b9e1e7f5-bdd9-5804-90fd-3d1f211ef044.html
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I am writing to express my support of Gary Buchanan to represent Montana in the U.S. House of Representatives. After 25 years as an elementary school teacher, I've watched our state become very divided in our politics. I love that Buchanan is an independent during this time of hyper partisanship. I think that his moderate views will resonate with voters, and hopefully both Republicans and Democrats alike will vote for him. He will bring us together rather than divide us even more. Buchanan is an independent who has split his vote on Montana politics for nearly 45 years.
Gary Buchanan was part of the creation of the Montana Department of Environmental Quality. My late father, Ed Casne, worked for this department as an environmental engineer. Also, Buchanan supports our police officers and public safety is a priority for him. This directly impacts me as an elementary school teacher since school safety is a huge concern. He also supports our health care system.
I believe that Gary Buchanan is the best candidate to challenge Rosendale and I hope that people will look into him before casting their ballots along party lines this November.
Amy Casne-Fetz,
Amy Casne-fetz
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2022-08-29T16:02:25Z
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helenair.com
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Gary Buchanan will bring us together rather than divide | Letters | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/opinion/letters/gary-buchanan-will-bring-us-together-rather-than-divide/article_f6caa070-b1c8-5781-9319-2a4a0b91b98a.html
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https://helenair.com/opinion/letters/gary-buchanan-will-bring-us-together-rather-than-divide/article_f6caa070-b1c8-5781-9319-2a4a0b91b98a.html
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A film crew waits between shoots outside the Montana State Capitol while filming the Yellowstone TV series.
Kelly Hunt, the co-background casting director for the series about a Montana ranching dynasty, said 2,000 people applied for 300 spots to appear as an extra in the episode.
“It was a great success,” she said of the one-day shoot. Preliminary plans were to film at the Capitol on Aug. 24, but that had to be shuffled to accommodate an actor’s availability.
Lockey St. is blocked by production vehicles on Monday as filming for the Yellowstone TV series happened at the Montana State Capitol.
Casting directors said earlier this month that extras would be paid $130 for the one day of work, plus they will get $40 to help with gasoline costs.
Yellowstone," created by Taylor Sheridan, chronicles the Dutton family, led by John Dutton, who controls the largest contiguous cattle ranch in the United States. The ranch is in constant conflict with those it borders – an expanding town, an Indian reservation and America’s first national park.
Along with Kevin Costner, the show stars Wes Bentley, Kelly Reilly, Luke Grimes, Cole Hauser, Kelsey Asbille and Gil Birmingham.
Hunt said she and the crew like working with Montanans and said staff at the state Capitol were very accommodating.
"Yellowstone" also filmed at the Capitol in 2017, during its first season.
Cole Hasuser
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2022-08-29T23:46:54Z
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helenair.com
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'Yellowstone' returns to Montana Capitol for day of filming | Local | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/local/yellowstone-returns-to-montana-capitol-for-day-of-filming/article_4c011de7-bf23-580b-80b1-dfbd9a1f7299.html
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https://helenair.com/news/local/yellowstone-returns-to-montana-capitol-for-day-of-filming/article_4c011de7-bf23-580b-80b1-dfbd9a1f7299.html
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State lawmakers on Friday approved a draft bill tightening up the circumstances in which children can be removed from their homes, legislation they will introduce to the Montana Legislature come January.
While the bill passed out of the interim committee on Friday on a 6-4 vote, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle conceded it will need additional work in the legislative session next year to ease their respective concerns about whether or not the bill will better protect children or create additional risk in a troubled home.
The more significant changes proposed in bill include requiring Child Protective Services caseworkers to obtain a warrant before removing a child, unless the child is "likely to experience" sexual abuse or serious bodily injury in the time it would take to obtain a warrant; requiring children in subsequent proceedings are provided a public defender to represent their interests in court; and cutting the time between an emergency removal and court proceedings from five days to 72 hours.
The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, which oversees CPS, objected to restricting the agency's ability to remove a child from a potentially dangerous home, arguing child removals are already down 42% since 2019 without a warrant by, in part, doing more work to engage with parents. Additionally, caseworkers already have to work with county prosecutors and others to ensure parents' rights are not being overrun, DPHHS officials said.
"We believe our standards currently meet the Fourth Amendment," DPHHS deputy chief legal counsel Chad Parker told the committee Friday, referring to due process rights.
Rep. Danny Tenenbaum, a Missoula Democrat who helped guide the draft to its current form, contended the bill would ensure the agency's threshold to remove a child does not fall below constitutional requirements.
"If we have an instance where there is risk of serious bodily injury to the child because of the parent's substance use, a warrantless removal is completely acceptable and it does not violate any part of the constitution," Tenenbaum said. "What we're hearing from the field, from prosecutors and parents' attorneys is children are being removed in certain jurisdictions … upon a positive drug test. … What this bill does is require that there be a showing that the child is at risk of being abused or neglected because of that substance use."
Committee chair and Bozeman Rep. Ed Stafman, a Democrat, did attempt to pass an amendment that would have met the agency's concerns by expanding the circumstances for which CPS can remove a child, including risk of psychological abuse or a child being left alone after, for example, a parent's arrest.
Stafman's amendment failed on a 7-2 vote, with a majority of the committee leaning toward keeping the narrower circumstances the agency can remove children without a warrant.
Stafman and Republican Sen. Chris Friedel ultimately voted against passing the committee's bill due to an additional requirement that law enforcement accompany the CPS worker during a removal. According to the bill's language, the removal would have to wait in the case a law enforcement officer wasn't immediately available to take part in the removal. Friedel said he would like to see more nuance in the bill; in his district of Billings, law enforcement is often running from call to call, while a rural area may have more availability for officers to assist CPS workers.
Rep. Jennifer Carlson, a Republican from Manhattan, however, said her correspondence with law enforcement about that provision compelled her to keep that measure in the bill.
"I still believe the premise of having a peace officer there for protection is valid," Carlson said. "If there’s an emergency going on, they might have to wait. I think its the right thing to do and the law enforcement I've spoken with thinks its the right thing to do."
Carlson will carry the bill in the upcoming legislative session.
State-governent
Montana Child Removal Process
Chris Friedel
Chad Parker
Montana Cps
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2022-08-29T23:47:01Z
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helenair.com
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Lawmakers move forward with proposed changes to child removal process | 406 Politics | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/lawmakers-move-forward-with-proposed-changes-to-child-removal-process/article_b4744900-c932-5a75-9204-8ebd100c7877.html
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https://helenair.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/lawmakers-move-forward-with-proposed-changes-to-child-removal-process/article_b4744900-c932-5a75-9204-8ebd100c7877.html
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Carson Yahvah
A lawsuit has been filed against Helena Public Schools and a music teacher who was charged with assaulting a 9-year-old student with disabilities in his classroom at Four Georgians Elementary School.
Carson Christman Yahvah was charged on June 6 with felony assault on a minor, following a March 7 incident in his classroom. The civil suit against Yahvah and the school district was filed July 27.
In an emailed statement to the Independent Record Monday, Yahvah's attorneys with Delli Bovi and Martin, LLC in Helena said their client has been a music teacher with Helena Public Schools for the past nine years. They acknowledged the two cases involving Yahvah and noted that notices of affirmative defenses have been provided to the court in the criminal matter.
"There is always more to every story," the statement says. "As these matters are still ongoing, we have no further comment at this time. We look forward to our day in court."
According to the affidavit of probable cause filed in Lewis and Clark County District Court as part of the criminal case, the Four Georgians Elementary School principal called a school resource officer on March 7 to report that Yahvah had been accused of assaulting a student earlier that day. The principal told the officer that Yahvah had been suspended and the student’s mother and father were on their way to the school.
School officials told authorities that Yahvah became upset with the student because he would not apologize for scratching another child during a music class.
“The Defendant reacted by gripping (the student’s) neck and shoulders in such a way as to bring (the student’s) head or face to eye level and with his hands still on (the student’s) neck and shoulders, he removed (the student) from the classroom and left him in the hallway,” the affidavit says, adding that Yahvah yelled at the student during the altercation.
The principal took photos of red marks on the student’s neck, which were later obtained by police. The student’s mother also provided photos of the red marks to police.
During a phone interview the day of the incident, Yahvah told an officer the student was starting to “get into other people’s faces, not listening to directions.” After Yahvah called the student over to him to apologize for scratching another child, he said, the student appeared to blow him off and refused to apologize.
Yahvah told the officer this made him immediately angry, so he put his hands on the student’s shoulders and neck and forced his head toward the door to sit in at a desk in the hallway. Yahvah said he apologized to the student for his behavior and asked for the student’s forgiveness, acknowledging this was not the best way to handle the situation.
As part of the arraignment, the court entered a plea of “not guilty” on Yahvah’s behalf. A jury trial has been scheduled for 9 a.m. Oct. 31. Through his attorneys, Yahvah informed the court he plans to rely on the affirmative defense of justifiable use of force and introduce evidence of good character at trial.
If convicted of felony assault on a minor, Yahvah could be fined up to $50,000 and sentenced to up to five years in prison.
According to the civil suit filed in District Court, the student Yahvah allegedly assaulted suffers from multiple disabilities including “Emotional Disturbance.” An Individualized Education Program developed for the student in November says the student “is very disruptive in class” and “needs staff support to engage and keep him on task."
The lawsuit says the student told his parents Yahvah had verbally and physically abused him in the past, and that the student was bullied and ridiculed by fellow students following the alleged assault in March.
The lawsuit also alleges that Helena Public Schools reassigned Yahvah to another elementary school instead of terminating his employment after the alleged assault.
Helena Public Schools Superintendent Rex Weltz said Monday that Yahvah is on unpaid leave and is not currently assigned to any school. Weltz also said that while the school district is “bound to a level of confidentiality when investigations take place,” he confirmed that Yahvah was removed from the classroom after the criminal charge was filed and will not be in the classroom during any criminal proceedings.
The lawsuit accuses Yahvah of assault/battery, Helena Public Schools of being strictly liable for the assault, the school district of negligent supervision and retention of the teacher, both defendants of negligent infliction of emotional distress, and the school district of failing to protect the student on its premises.
The lawsuit is seeking compensatory damages from both defendants in an amount to be proven at trial, along with punitive damages from Yahvah “to punish him and others from abusing his position of trust to assault students and children.”
Four Georgians Elementary School
A 36-year-old Helena man is being charged with felony aggravated assault and misdemeanor violation of a no-contact order after allegedly kicki…
A 28-year-old Helena woman is being charged with felony criminal endangerment and misdemeanor driving a motor vehicle while privilege to do so…
A 72-year-old Helena woman has been charged with felony DUI, her fourth offense, after allegedly taking medication prior to driving and pullin…
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2022-08-30T02:58:03Z
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helenair.com
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Helena teacher charged with assaulting 9-year-old student | Crime & Courts | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/helena-teacher-charged-with-assaulting-9-year-old-student/article_0665256f-0179-57b2-90df-4528a8f065ef.html
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https://helenair.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/helena-teacher-charged-with-assaulting-9-year-old-student/article_0665256f-0179-57b2-90df-4528a8f065ef.html
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Prime-time, and obviously well-funded, television ads have, for months, been proclaiming the value and humanness of children of all ages, whether “planned” or not. Viewers are being assaulted with barely-understandable, baby-talking fetuses saying the same thing—"I wasn’t planned, but I am human and I have value.” Billboards are sending the same message.
Sadly, missing from these gimmicky TV spots is the self-evident truth that women who become pregnant — whether they plan to or not — are also human and have value. Women are not simply baby-makers whose reproductive functions need to be controlled by patriarchal politicians and self-appointed religious busy bodies. Importantly, pregnant women have the constitutional right to determine for themselves whether or not to bear a child.
Sappy television commercials and billboards aside, however, the real threat to women’s right of choice will be in the form of a supermajority of the Legislature calling for a constitutional convention to amend out of our constitution Montanans’ rights of individual privacy, to human dignity, equal protection, due process, to seek safety, health and happiness, and to refuse to ascribe to any religion or sectarian belief.
These are the fundamental, state constitutional rights grounding the Montana Supreme Court’s 1999 decision in Armstrong v. State. This decision guarantees women’s right to seek and obtain abortion services, free of government interference — and, importantly, despite the United States Supreme Court’s recent decision overturning Roe v. Wade.
1. An individual’s right to reproductive autonomy, which, without limitation, includes the right to have an abortion and to use contraception, is a fundamental right, central to liberty, to human dignity to determine one’s own course of life and to individual privacy to make the most personal of intimate decisions.
2. Neither this right, nor the exercise thereof, shall in any manner be restricted or punished by any governmental civil or criminal authority or by any branch of government, absent clear and convincing evidence demonstrating a compelling state interest achieved by the most least restrictive means.
There is no good reason why those supporting women’s right to choose must simply sit back and wait for the axe to fall on that constitutional guarantee.
James C. Nelson of Helena is a retired Montana Supreme Court justice.
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2022-08-30T12:14:12Z
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helenair.com
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The best defense is a good offense | Columnists | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/opinion/columnists/the-best-defense-is-a-good-offense/article_5feacf49-d327-5703-8d89-51de54831e36.html
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https://helenair.com/opinion/columnists/the-best-defense-is-a-good-offense/article_5feacf49-d327-5703-8d89-51de54831e36.html
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Letter to the editor icon2
What a show of force the city, county, state and federal agencies and volunteer fire departments threw at the fire on Mount Helena Sunday! Thank you, thank you, thank you to all these skilled fire fighters for keeping the fire on the mountain and away from nearby residential neighborhoods. And thank you to the city of Helena for years of tree thinning and fuel mitigation efforts. It paid off on Sunday. This is why we pay taxes. Government is not our enemy. These agencies saved the day!
Norma Tirrell,
Norma Tirrell
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2022-08-30T15:38:20Z
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helenair.com
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Government agencies saved Helena from fire | Letters | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/opinion/letters/government-agencies-saved-helena-from-fire/article_3609aeab-992f-5fb1-990e-71bead819733.html
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https://helenair.com/opinion/letters/government-agencies-saved-helena-from-fire/article_3609aeab-992f-5fb1-990e-71bead819733.html
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A friend who has a severely compromised immune system just caught COVID. She can’t take Paxlovid (the most common treatment for COVID) because it causes serious (and potentially fatal) interactions with other medications she has to take. So in order to get the treatment she needed, she had to travel to another Montana city; the staff at that hospital treated her compassionately and professionally.
I’m outraged on her behalf — and on behalf of other people in her situation. I cannot for the life of me understand why St. Peter’s is refusing to offer potentially life-saving medical treatment.
St. Peter’s has been engulfed in scandal after scandal. It’s time our hospital got its act together.
Martha Kohl,
St. Peter's Health
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2022-08-30T15:38:32Z
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helenair.com
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Time for St. Peter's to get its act together | Letters | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/opinion/letters/time-for-st-peters-to-get-its-act-together/article_fd8c50b3-1642-579c-9168-577942d18bde.html
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https://helenair.com/opinion/letters/time-for-st-peters-to-get-its-act-together/article_fd8c50b3-1642-579c-9168-577942d18bde.html
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Perla Williams
A 31-year-old woman from Dallas, Texas, is being charged with felony assault with a weapon and two misdemeanor counts of assault after allegedly trying to stab a man in Helena.
On Aug. 27, Helena police dispatch received a call about a woman near the 900 block of Gibbon Street who was sitting on a set of stairs and bleeding. The woman was identified as Perla Nonemi Williams.
Dispatch received a second call from a man who reported that Williams had attacked him with a knife.
An officer arrived in the area and located Williams walking away from the residence. According to charging documents, Williams was highly intoxicated with a strong odor of alcohol and red bloodshot eyes, and she was carrying a bottle of vodka.
Williams attempted to walk away from the officer speaking to her. She was detained in handcuffs. Authorities say she was seen by ambulance staff for a wound, but was still uncooperative, kicking and cursing at law enforcement and medical staff.
Williams was transported to the hospital for treatment and sedation. While waiting for the sedation, Williams allegedly kicked an ambulance employee in their private area, causing pain, according to court reports.
Williams told authorities that she met the male victim on a dating app but did not reveal anything further about that night’s incident.
The male victim told officers that Williams grabbed a ceramic kitchen knife and tried to stab him in his mid-section. He said he attempted to grab the knife away from Williams, injuring his hand.
A broken ceramic kitchen knife was located in the apartment with blood on it.
Williams was booked into the Lewis and Clark County Detention Center on Sunday.
Perla Nonemi Williams
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2022-08-30T21:17:56Z
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helenair.com
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Woman accused of trying to stab man in Helena | | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/woman-accused-of-trying-to-stab-man-in-helena/article_47919483-348c-57c1-a7bd-044c6ccbe5f2.html
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https://helenair.com/woman-accused-of-trying-to-stab-man-in-helena/article_47919483-348c-57c1-a7bd-044c6ccbe5f2.html
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On Aug. 15, a deputy received a call from a complainant regarding a possible sexual assault of a teenager under the age of 16 on Aug. 12 in East Helena.
According to charging documents, the minor stated that Joshua Paul Jones took off pieces of the child's clothing and tried to initiate sex. Jones allegedly started to undress, and the minor was able to push him away and flee the area. The minor left pieces of clothing behind.
On Aug. 17, a detective spoke with Jones, who called dispatch and stated he was being accused of rape. Jones agreed to meet the detective the next day, said officials.
Jones requested a lawyer after his Miranda Rights were read to him. The detective learned that Jones was on probation for prior sexual assault charges.
The detective was granted a search warrant for the garbage and located the clothing the minor left behind.
Jones was arrested and booked into Lewis and Clark County Detention Center on Aug. 25.
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2022-08-30T23:45:14Z
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helenair.com
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East Helena man charged with attempted rape of a minor | Crime & Courts | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/east-helena-man-charged-with-attempted-rape-of-a-minor/article_c62f81c8-14a3-56d9-a0b9-1e31d8f6d77e.html
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https://helenair.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/east-helena-man-charged-with-attempted-rape-of-a-minor/article_c62f81c8-14a3-56d9-a0b9-1e31d8f6d77e.html
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Matt Olson is a role model
I believe Matt Olson is the top candidate for Senate District 42. I was one of Matt’s employees for two years when I was in high school, where he became one of my biggest role models. I would always seek him out for advice which has led me to being highly successful in both my college life and my work life. Running a small business is hard, but you would never be able to tell if you saw Matt. He was kind to his employees, successful in his practices, and conscientious of the needs of his community. In all the time I worked under him, through all the rushes and stressful times, Matt always managed to keep a level head. He was constantly seeking the opinions and thoughts of his employees, which meant a lot since we were typically all high school students. Under Matt, I believe that District 42 will be an excellent place for youth to grow and become successful in all their endeavors. Please help support Matt Olson for District 42!
Gray Andres,
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2022-08-30T23:45:39Z
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helenair.com
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Matt Olson is a role model | Letters | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/opinion/letters/matt-olson-is-a-role-model/article_021668e6-f816-5bb5-80d6-25447778f576.html
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https://helenair.com/opinion/letters/matt-olson-is-a-role-model/article_021668e6-f816-5bb5-80d6-25447778f576.html
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A camera crew films while extras walk around the rotunda inside the Montana state Capitol while filming the "Yellowstone" TV series on Monday.
As many Helena-area residents learned this week, television acting can be an exercise in patience.
“My advice if anyone is ever considering doing it is to have a lot of patience, because there’s a lot of sitting around,” said Alana Listoe of Helena, who was one of the 300 people selected to appear as an extra in an episode of “Yellowstone” filmed Monday at the Montana state Capitol.
Starring Kevin Costner, the “Yellowstone” TV series follows the life of the fictional Dutton family, which owns the largest ranch in Montana. The ranch is in constant conflict with the expanding town, the Indian reservation and America’s first national park on its borders. Season 5 will premiere Nov. 13 on the Paramount Network.
The extras who participated in Monday’s filming met at the Lewis and Clark County Fairgrounds before being taken to the Capitol building where the film crews were set up. Listoe said she did her own hair and makeup and was asked to bring along a few different outfits from her own wardrobe.
The extras played the role of several different groups of characters including community members, lawmakers and journalists, Listoe said.
As a community member, her task was to walk around the outside of the Capitol building.
Michelle Moler of Helena had the same job.
“It was really fun,” said Moler, who also acknowledged “there was some sitting around.”
Gene Meegan of Helena came with his wife Marianne and said he was filmed both outside and inside the Capitol building.
“They had us walk individually and had the camera down at ground level,” he said, adding that he was instructed to walk past the camera, count to 10 and walk back. “I was the only person in the shot.”
At one point, he said, there was a helicopter flying overhead.
Listoe estimated that she spent two of her nine hours at the Capitol filming and the rest of the time waiting. Although it wasn’t always obvious where the film crew was, she said, she thinks she was in some of their footage.
“I did the same thing so many times that I would think it would be likely that I would be in some shots, but that doesn’t mean at final production I’ll be recognizable,” she said. “Maybe it’s just the back of my head or maybe it’s just my arm. There was never any filming that was up close. It was all from a distance.”
Listoe said she didn’t meet Costner, didn’t get any autographs, and didn’t notice any actors or actresses she recognized. Moler and the Meegans said the same thing.
However, Gene Meegan said, “It didn’t really matter because it was just a fun experience.”
Moler said she enjoyed seeing how a TV show is made.
“It was nice to meet the other people and chat with them and represent Montana in a nationally known show,” she said. “It was really exciting.”
About 2,000 people applied for the 300 available spots to appear as extras, said co-background casting director Kelly Hunt. Each extra will be paid $130 for one day of work plus $40 to help with gasoline costs.
Listoe said the film crew was grateful that Montanans were willing to participate, and the Montanans were grateful to be there.
“I think Montanans appreciate the realness of the environment here and the people that reside in it,” she said. “I think we are probably the best people to portray that.”
Editor’s note – Alana Listoe serves as a community representative on the Independent Record editorial board.
Yellowstone Dutton Ranch
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2022-08-31T13:21:54Z
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helenair.com
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'Yellowstone' filming an exercise in patience, Helena residents say | Local | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/local/yellowstone-filming-an-exercise-in-patience-helena-residents-say/article_64a5fb1c-7035-58ee-a886-5568c1b59c92.html
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https://helenair.com/news/local/yellowstone-filming-an-exercise-in-patience-helena-residents-say/article_64a5fb1c-7035-58ee-a886-5568c1b59c92.html
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When talk of climate change, or global warming as it was called back then, began to appear during the 1980s, I took notice, but not much more than that. My interest was a matter of scientific curiosity rather than concern about the fate of my children. Then the predictions became more serious, and the informed opinions became more unanimous. Real-time events around the world started to fall in line with what once obscure scientists had been telling us for years.
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2022-08-31T13:22:00Z
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helenair.com
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Don Thomas: The head of the ostrich | Columnists | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/opinion/columnists/don-thomas-the-head-of-the-ostrich/article_43d7ab31-ee34-5dc5-80fb-5eebdad9be72.html
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https://helenair.com/opinion/columnists/don-thomas-the-head-of-the-ostrich/article_43d7ab31-ee34-5dc5-80fb-5eebdad9be72.html
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Just like clockwork, Montana’s junior senator, Steve Daines, and Rep. Matt Rosendale have repeated the timber industry propaganda on forest management at their recent Western Caucus roundtable in Bozeman. Montanans, however, not only deserve better, they deserve the truth.
By far the vast majority of the Equal Access to Justice Act payouts go to Social Security disability and veterans’ disability claims, not conservation groups. So when Rosendale, Daines and Gianforte denigrate the act, they are in essence telling veterans and disabled people they don’t have the right to take the government to court when it doesn’t follow the law.
When logging or other Forest Service proposals fail to protect our land, water quality and native wildlife, the Alliance for the Wild Rockies takes part in the entire process as required by law. Before we can challenge the Forest Service, we have to comment on the project and file an administrative objection. If necessary, we will go to court to force the federal agencies to follow the law, but we do not get reimbursed for any of the pre-trial work – those costs are picked up 100% by our members.
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2022-08-31T13:22:07Z
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helenair.com
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Mike Garrity: Daines and Rosendale are timber industry puppets | Columnists | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/opinion/columnists/mike-garrity-daines-and-rosendale-are-timber-industry-puppets/article_b666cef1-90d7-5588-9e10-676c02a79e2b.html
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https://helenair.com/opinion/columnists/mike-garrity-daines-and-rosendale-are-timber-industry-puppets/article_b666cef1-90d7-5588-9e10-676c02a79e2b.html
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Knudsen and Arnzten don’t represent sportsmen
Montana’s top five elected officials serve on boards not directly related to their elected positions. Recently the Montana Land Board voted on the proposed 829-acre Willow Creek Acquisition to the Mount Haggin Wildlife Management Area. The acquisition, funded by Pittman-Robertson dollars, license sales and contributions from nonprofits, improves hunter access and provides important wildlife habitat.
This seems like a “no-brainer” for the Land Board to approve but that was not the case. Attorney General Knudsen and Superintendent of Schools Arntzen voted against the acquisition. Knudsen stated, “I don’t think people are moving here from California, Oregon and Washington to live in high-rise apartments. I think they’d like to have a piece of Montana and have a little acreage and a house.” Fortunately, the remaining three members including Gov. Gianforte voted to approve it.
Elections have consequences. Be informed of candidates’ positions on public lands regardless of the office they are running for. Arnzten and Knudsen ran for positions that don’t seem to affect our public lands, but they do. From these offices, they have the power to go against the will of Montanans. Their votes did not represent Montana’s hunters, anglers and outdoor recreationists’ values and beliefs.
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2022-08-31T13:22:13Z
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helenair.com
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Knudsen and Arnzten don’t represent sportsmen | Letters | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/opinion/letters/knudsen-and-arnzten-don-t-represent-sportsmen/article_d5430e73-bee4-5e3a-b828-8aad72ace9f5.html
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https://helenair.com/opinion/letters/knudsen-and-arnzten-don-t-represent-sportsmen/article_d5430e73-bee4-5e3a-b828-8aad72ace9f5.html
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The Carroll College campus in Helena.
Following concern about the interpretation of a rule related to veterans using the G.I. Bill to pay for college, President Joe Biden has signed a new law clarifying the program.
Last year schools across the country and in Montana raised the red flag about how the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs was interpreting what's known as the 85/15 Rule.
The 85/15 Rule has been around since the 1950s and says the VA cannot pay for the education of students enrolled in programs where more than 85% of students have their tuition supported by the VA or the college. The rule aimed to prevent programs from taking advantage of veterans using their G.I. Bill benefits.
The change in interpretation hinged on what counted as a “supported student.” Before it generally meant any student who was receiving VA education benefits, but the new understanding broadened that to more students receiving assistance or benefits. Because of the number of "supported students" at many schools, use of the program could have been in jeopardy for veterans in Montana.
At Carroll College in Helena, for example, the definition of a “supported student” could have included nearly all of the campus’ students, the college’s director of veteran services said last year.
The new law was sponsored by Montana Sen. Jon Tester and is called the Ensuring the Best Schools for Veterans Act of 2022. It clarifies the 85/15 rule to ensure schools can still enroll veterans and keeps oversight aimed to prevent programs that seek to take advantage of veterans using G.I. Bill benefits. The law passed with bipartisan support.
“No veteran should have to cut through bureaucratic red tape to access their hard-earned education benefits,” Tester said in a press release. “I’m proud to have worked with Sen. (Jerry) Moran (R-Kansas) and our colleagues on this bipartisan law to remove roadblocks standing in the way of Montana veterans and their families getting the quality education they deserve.”
Late last year, representatives from colleges in Montana met with staff for Tester, who chairs the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs.
In a Nov. 12 bipartisan, bicameral letter to VA Secretary Denis McDonough, Tester, Moran and Rep. Mark Takano asked for clarification on the new interpretation of the 85/15 Rule.
In the press release sent Wednesday, college administrators said they were pleased with the new laws.
“The Ensuring the Best Schools for Veterans Act allows us to remove a burdensome reporting process for the 85/15 Rule, which the majority of Montana’s public institutions fall within,” Patrick Beckwith, director of Military and Veteran Services at the University of Montana, said in the release. “Now, we can focus on new opportunities to enhance the veteran experience with finding new programs and pathways for those who served and continue to serve.”
85/15 Rule
The initial recommendations would devote $126 million of $258 million to Charter Communications for projects to expand broadband service around Montana.
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2022-08-31T21:54:40Z
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helenair.com
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New law aimed at ensuring veterans can use G.I. Bill to attend college | 406 Politics | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/new-law-aimed-at-ensuring-veterans-can-use-g-i-bill-to-attend-college/article_d59546b1-a710-5ff9-9425-df60e6425c2a.html
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https://helenair.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/new-law-aimed-at-ensuring-veterans-can-use-g-i-bill-to-attend-college/article_d59546b1-a710-5ff9-9425-df60e6425c2a.html
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Schandelson named director of state public defenders office
Office of the State Public Defender building in Helena.
Brett Schandelson has been picked to lead the state public defender's office, officials announced Wednesday.
Schandelson, 39, has been serving as acting director of the Office of State Public Defender since June, when then-director Rhonda Lindquist announced she was leaving the post. Schandelson's term as permanent director starts Thursday.
Schandelson has been with OPD since 2018.
“I’m honored for this opportunity to lead the department and continue building on its solid foundation and structure,” Schandelson said in a press release Wednesday. “Getting to continue working with such a dedicated and compassionate team makes me excited for the future and everything we will accomplish.”
Schandelson previously served as OPD's development and operations bureau chief, handling public policy, IT services, contracts, projects and media relations. He has also developed data reports in order to better communicate the OPD's recent caseload weights and staffing needs to lawmakers during a critical time for the agency.
Roughly a year ago a district court judge in Yellowstone County issued a pair of contempt orders against the agency for failing to assign attorneys to indigent defendants in a timely manner. The agency at the time told state legislators that employee retention was the largest issue facing the regional office in Yellowstone County, if not statewide. Public defenders in Montana were making roughly $13,000 less than their counterparts in other state departments.
Earlier this year a group of contract attorneys who take on overflow and conflict cases for OPD refused to accept any more cases until their rates were raised to match those in Yellowstone County, where the state had disbursed some additional funding.
The agency, in response to the contractors' calls for higher rates, was able to raise pay for both contractors and permanent staff across the state in rapid negotiations with the governor's budget office and the employees' union. The contractors began taking cases again the next day.
The agency also challenged the second contempt order in a bid to the state Supreme Court and won, with the high court ruling OPD was meeting its constitutional obligations to deliver meaningful representation to its clients.
The statewide public defender's office is housed in the Department of Administration. That department's director, Misty Ann Giles, commended Schandelson's recent leadership ahead of naming him to OPD's top post.
“Brett stepped up and successfully led the department as acting director. During that time, he demonstrated leadership, dedication to serving those most in need of assistance, and ensuring our citizens’ constitutional right to counsel is protected,” Giles said in the press release. “I’m confident in Brett’s ability to lead OPD and keep moving the department forward to meet the needs of Montanans.”
Schandelson was raised in Great Falls and graduated from the University of Montana's Alexander Blewett III School of Law in 2008.
Montana Public Defenders
Montana Courts
Brett Schandelson
Montana Department Of Administration
Misty Ann Giles
Rhonda Lindquist
Last year schools across the country and in Montana raised concerns about how the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs was interpreting what's known as the 85/15 Rule.
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2022-08-31T23:47:51Z
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helenair.com
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Schandelson named director of state public defenders office | 406 Politics | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/schandelson-named-director-of-state-public-defenders-office/article_3138bcbf-690b-5b72-809f-2eadb2aa2f58.html
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https://helenair.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/schandelson-named-director-of-state-public-defenders-office/article_3138bcbf-690b-5b72-809f-2eadb2aa2f58.html
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State starts restoration of Montana's oldest standing Capitol building, Stonewall Hall
Stonewall Hall in Virginia City.
State officials recently joined local leaders, residents and members of the LaFever family in Virginia City to mark the beginning of the restoration of Stonewall Hall, which hosted the Territorial Legislature between 1865 and 1875.
Built in 1864, Stonewall Hall is Montana’s oldest standing Capitol building.
Elijah Allen, who leads the Montana Heritage Commission, called Stonewall the “most important building in Montana from a historical perspective.” He said nearly $1 million in private donations were raised.” The restoration will come at no expense to taxpayers. Completion is expected in 2024.
Gov. Greg Gianforte said at the Aug. 25 celebration that because of “extraordinary generosity of many, in particular the LaFever family,” Montana history will be preserved at Stonewall Hall.
“The significance of this historical restoration project to Montana can’t be overstated,” he said in a news release.
Gianforte met with the Montana Heritage Commission last year in Virginia City to discuss the restoration project, along with economic development plans for the area.
On March 21, the Montana Land Board, of which Gianforte is the chair, approved the Neal C. LaFever Trust’s donation of Stonewall Hall to the state.
According to a 1989 Montana Historical and Architectural Survey Form, the hall was built in 1864 and is two stories. It is made of rubble stone and has a brick facade that faces Wallace Street. The original front of the building was stone and had three semi-circular headed arches with key stones over three pairs of French doors on the first floor.
Over the years it has served as a saloon, the Virginia City Lyceum, where young men could read magazines and "enjoy the use of a small library" for $5 a month. It also served as a dry goods, grocery and liquor store and a clothing store.
When Virginia City became the territorial capital in 1865, the second floor of the hall was chosen as a meeting place for the Legislature.
Virginia City is Montana’s No. 1 tourist destination with over a million visitors coming annually, officials said, adding it has an economic footprint of $75 million that contributes to 1,200 jobs.
Efforts underway to save territorial Capitol building in Virginia City
The State Land Board took action to support efforts to restore Stonewall Hall in Virginia City, a crumbling structure that advocates of the plan say is the most important building in Montana’s history.
The lawsuit alleges the defendants failed to do their duty to consider impacts and protect water and land resources from unreasonable degradation.
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2022-08-31T23:47:52Z
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helenair.com
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State starts restoration of Montana's oldest standing Capitol building, Stonewall Hall | 406 Politics | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/state-starts-restoration-of-montanas-oldest-standing-capitol-building-stonewall-hall/article_14ef6e12-3d0d-5c3a-a62c-4ab1ea2fdeff.html
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https://helenair.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/state-starts-restoration-of-montanas-oldest-standing-capitol-building-stonewall-hall/article_14ef6e12-3d0d-5c3a-a62c-4ab1ea2fdeff.html
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A scene from the Grandstreet Theatre production of ‘A Doll’s House, Part 2’ which opens Thursday, Sept. 1, and runs through Sept. 11.
American Sign Language Interpreters, Molly Verseput and Dana Walls, will be performing with the cast of “A Doll's House, Part 2” on Saturday, Sept. 10.
Whatever happened to Nora after she walked out and slammed the door in “A Doll’s House,” the classic play by Henrik Ibsen?
In “A Doll’s House, Part 2,” you get to find out.
Fifteen years later, there’s a knock on the door of the Helmer residence, and Nora walks in the same door she used to exit her old life.
Where has she been the past 15 years?
And what happened to her husband and three young children while she was gone?
Find out when “A Doll’s House, Part 2,” opens at Grandstreet Theatre, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 1, and runs through Sept. 11.
A smart, new sequel written in 2017 by Lucas Hnath has garnered critical acclaim and full theater houses, as well as a bevy of Tony Award nominations for the Broadway production.
The play picks up where Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House” left off, but you don’t need to know the original play to enjoy this one.
Nora had forged her father’s name to a check in order to take her husband, Torvald, to a warm climate, where he could recover from a deadly illness.
Torvald had been furious when he found out Nora signed a loan, even though it saved his life.
Following the confrontation and what it revealed about her marriage, Nora walked out – slamming the door behind her.
What happened to her is one of the great puzzles about one of theater’s most famous women characters, said artistic director Jeff Downing.
It’s particularly intriguing since Nora was walking out on her husband in 1879 Norway.
“It’s a great piece,” said Downing. “It’s at the top of the list of most-produced plays, so we’re excited we got our hands on it.”
Her behavior was considered absolutely shocking.
“Just for a woman to leave her husband was unthinkable,” said Downing.
It was so shocking and scandalous that many theaters refused to produce the play, said director Mary Lee Larison.
A German theater company actually rewrote the ending.
So, why is Nora returning?
And what does her youngest child, Emmy, and her husband, Torvald, think when she walks back through the door in 1894?
“I love plays with really meaty roles for actors to sink their teeth into,” said Downing.
“The play is really smart….It’s not black-and-white. Throughout the course of the play, you find your allegiances shifting,” as different characters share their perspectives, he said. “It’s also surprisingly funny.”
There are other surprises as well.
The two leads, Sabrina Malecek, playing Nora, and Kevin Mathews as her estranged husband, Torvald, are more associated with Helena musicals than dramas.
This will be the first nonmusical for Mathews who has sung a number of memorable roles, including that of Jean Valjean in Grandstreet’s powerhouse production of “Les Misérables.”
Malecek gave a dominant performance as Judas in The Myrna Loy’s 2019 production of “Jesus Christ Superstar,” and recently appeared as the Acrobat in Grandstreet’s production of “Matilda.”
A Carroll College theater graduate, Malecek is also an aerialist and acrobat who worked a couple of years with Cirque du Soleil and now runs her own aerial fitness company in Helena.
The play is an emotional rollercoaster, said Larison. “It’s not a stuffy drawing room play. Nora on stage for 90 minutes is a tour de force.”
“I wanted to be in this show because the original ‘Doll House’ is so iconic,” said Malecek. “It is one of the first pieces of feminist playwriting, although Ibsen swore up and down it was not a feminist show and that Nora was supposed to be a villain.”
Apparently, Ibsen was appalled that women were drawn to Nora’s character.
(It turns out, Ibsen was no hero in the creation of this play, which he wrote about a friend he refused to help when she was in dire financial need.)
There was and still is enormous stigma that Nora walked out the door and disappeared leaving behind her husband, and particularly. her children, said Malecek.
The points it raises are still very timely.
The play is being performed during a time when the U.S. government and states are making decisions around women’s bodies, she said, and “there is still an expectation that women have more responsibility for children and families than men do. This show is calling out that fact.”
For Kevin Mathews, this play offers a certain freedom. It’s a chance for him to step out and try something new and challenging.
“I’ve done a fair amount of theater – all musicals. I’ve been interested in doing nonmusicals for the challenge of it."
He sees his character Thorvald as a rigid, traditional male.
“He’s the manager of a bank. His standing in society and the perceptions other people have of him are one of his paramount values that drives him.
“When Nora comes back …it threatens that standing.
“He’s kind of constrained and restricted. In one point of the play, Nora calls him ‘constipated.’
“The play goes very fast. The whole thing is almost frenetic.
“When the door opens, it’s like a hurricane came through.”
Performances run Thursday, Sept. 1, - Sunday, Sept. 11, with shows Wednesday through Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2:30 p.m.
Grandstreet Theatre is located in downtown Helena at 325 N. Park Ave.
To order tickets, call the Grandstreet Box Office (afternoons): 406-447-1574 or order online: www.GrandstreetTheatre.com.
Ticket prices are $27 - Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings; $23 - Wednesday evenings and Sunday matinees; $17 - Kids 18 and under.
Note: Two American Sign Language Interpreters, Molly Verseput and Dana Walls, will be performing with the cast of “A Doll's House, Part 2” on Saturday, Sept. 10.
What: “A Doll’s House, Part 2” by Lucas Hnath
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 1, and runs through Sept. 11.
Wednesday through Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2:30 p.m.
Where: Grandstreet Theatre, 325 N. Park Ave.
Cost: $27 - Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings; $23 - Wednesday evenings and Sunday matinees; $17 - Kids 18 and Under
Contact: Call the Grandstreet Box Office (afternoons): 406-447-1574
Or order online: www.GrandstreetTheatre.com.
Also: Suggested for mature audiences because of some profanity.
Note: Two ASL Interpreters will perform with the cast of “A Doll's House, Part 2” on Saturday, Sept. 10.
Grandstreet Theater
Torvald
Sabrina Malecek
Jeff Downing
Kevin Mathews
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2022-09-01T14:16:35Z
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helenair.com
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‘15 years later, Nora comes back’: ‘A Doll’s House, Part 2’ opens at Grandstreet | Local | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/local/15-years-later-nora-comes-back-a-doll-s-house-part-2-opens-at-grandstreet/article_6065e44f-09c5-5444-8c6d-090bf7771f02.html
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https://helenair.com/news/local/15-years-later-nora-comes-back-a-doll-s-house-part-2-opens-at-grandstreet/article_6065e44f-09c5-5444-8c6d-090bf7771f02.html
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It might surprise some to learn that Montana’s largest National Wildlife Refuge doesn’t contain a single mountain. Instead, all 1.1 million acres of the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, or CMR, consists of sweeping prairie encompassing the massive Fort Peck Reservoir and rugged, impassable badlands that spin the land into a labyrinth of gumbo hills and plummeting draws.
But for all its rugged wildness, the refuge has not always stood as a pristine example of prairie grasslands and more than a century of western expansion, homesteading and ranching has left behind barbed-wire remnants of when the refuge was parceled out as ranchland years ago. But one conservation group, known as Keep It Public, alongside the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service field offices that oversee the refuge are hoping to remove those fence lines in a decade’s long effort to restore the refuge’s prairie to its untamed glory.
On this episode, A.J Etherington, city editor of the Billings Gazette newspaper, talks about his time spent in the CMR reporting on work done by conservationists.
Melrose Montana
Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge
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2022-09-01T14:16:47Z
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helenair.com
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Badlands and barbed wire: Conservationists re-wild Montana's prairies and pronghorn | Science | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/science/badlands-and-barbed-wire-conservationists-re-wild-montanas-prairies-and-pronghorn/article_0bd336ab-f3ee-5773-961e-8a5d42741a25.html
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https://helenair.com/news/science/badlands-and-barbed-wire-conservationists-re-wild-montanas-prairies-and-pronghorn/article_0bd336ab-f3ee-5773-961e-8a5d42741a25.html
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With some regularity, we read an opinion piece or hear someone speak about the lack of civility and the divisiveness in political and civic dialogue. Observations are made and examples are given to highlight this problem. The writers or speakers scratch their heads and wring their hands wondering what if anything we can do?
Recently, we began the process to fill the vacancy on the Helena City Commission that was created by the passing of Eric Feaver. I can honestly say that what has happened in recent days, in my opinion, has been a cautionary tale of what not to do. We began to receive public commentary that quite often, while seeking to extol the virtues of the favored candidate, simultaneously sought to tear down the character of the person that they opposed. This was done using demeaning and false descriptions whose hope was simply to mischaracterize and defame the person in the eyes of those of us who were responsible for making the decision, and in the eyes of the community at large. As the field narrowed, the attacks intensified.
It is one thing to have an opinion about a public matter, but it is another thing, and an awful thing, to defame an individual’s character for a political outcome. This behavior is at the very heart of why we are the fractured people that we find ourselves to be. I hope we all as a local community can reflect on this as we look to the future.
Sean Logan,
Helena city commissioner
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2022-09-01T14:17:12Z
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helenair.com
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Attacks on city commissioner candidates unwarranted | Letters | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/opinion/letters/attacks-on-city-commissioner-candidates-unwarranted/article_c99a3d2a-c110-5449-9b15-89c874f39295.html
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https://helenair.com/opinion/letters/attacks-on-city-commissioner-candidates-unwarranted/article_c99a3d2a-c110-5449-9b15-89c874f39295.html
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Kudos to Rep. Geraldine Custer for standing up for voting rights in Montana. In Montana and the U.S., there are no conditions on voting other than age, citizenship, and in some cases, a felony conviction or incarceration. We haven’t restricted voting to property owners in a long time. House speaker Wylie Galt needs a refresher on voting rights; he said, as quoted in the IR, "If you’re a college student in Montana and you don’t have a registration or a bank statement or a W-2, it makes me kind of wonder why you’re voting in this election anyway." Go ahead and wonder, just don’t try to prevent college students from exercising their constitutionally guaranteed right to vote. Likewise, former Broadwater County clerk Doug Ellis needs a refresher on voting rights. He said the Voter ID law is “commonsense,” stating “If you need your driver's license to do most anything else in this country, why not need it to vote.” Either he forgot that not everyone in the U.S. can or wants to drive, or he thinks voting should be restricted to people who can and do drive.
Pat Christian,
Pat Christian
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2022-09-01T14:17:18Z
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helenair.com
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Officials need a refresher on voting rights | Letters | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/opinion/letters/officials-need-a-refresher-on-voting-rights/article_e0b87f11-c92b-564b-a5d2-79de79db0271.html
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https://helenair.com/opinion/letters/officials-need-a-refresher-on-voting-rights/article_e0b87f11-c92b-564b-a5d2-79de79db0271.html
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Good news. The climate crisis is over - or at least in the eyes of the Republican Party.
Perhaps because I am easily identified as a conservative independent, the Republican Party likes to send me stuff like their recent survey. It asked me to check off the five issues "most important to you in deciding who to vote for." They offered 20 suggestions and gave a write-in option. Not a one of their 20 dealt with, or even acknowledged, climate crisis.
What matters most to this voter is the preservation of our form of American government. Serious long-term addressment of climate crisis is not far behind. I'm not voting for election deniers. I'm not voting for candidates who try to muddy the waters of the separation of power in the three branches of government, and I am definitely not voting for candidates who turn a blind eye to climate crisis as one of the most serious long-term threats we have ever faced. I've never failed to vote in an election in nearly a half-century, and every time have voted for members from each major party. But it is getting tougher and tougher to find a Republican worth my vote.
Craig Wright,
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2022-09-01T14:17:25Z
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helenair.com
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Republicans must think climate crisis is over | Letters | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/opinion/letters/republicans-must-think-climate-crisis-is-over/article_9cc74984-f266-53df-9e7b-9041884f64a7.html
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https://helenair.com/opinion/letters/republicans-must-think-climate-crisis-is-over/article_9cc74984-f266-53df-9e7b-9041884f64a7.html
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I don’t understand why, with all the conversations, re: abortion that no one has mentioned “safe sex.” There are so many ways to prevent pregnancy. Pills, condoms, diaphragms and the old and most effective way is “no sex.” While the last way is probably the least likely it is the best surefire way. The best preventative measure isn’t the best, it works. If some woman isn’t ready for motherhood then do something to prevent it. I for one abhor abortion. I do hate the acts of rape and/or incest. I’m on the middle line of yes or no on the subject. It’s a very hard decision to make for me. I guess everyone has an opinion on the matter but it still comes back to, is it really necessary to kill a child. No other way to look at it for me. The actuality of the procedure is barbaric. The thought of the actual procedure. The doctor cutting out the baby or sucking it out with a type of vacuum. The thought that the fetus (baby) might be in horrific pain. The noise of the instruments, must be unforgettable. As I write this I know this is my opinion.
Carol Barnes,
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2022-09-01T14:17:31Z
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helenair.com
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There are many ways to prevent pregnancy | Letters | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/opinion/letters/there-are-many-ways-to-prevent-pregnancy/article_e296d66c-db7c-5d80-be6b-42445592eded.html
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https://helenair.com/opinion/letters/there-are-many-ways-to-prevent-pregnancy/article_e296d66c-db7c-5d80-be6b-42445592eded.html
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The nonprofit ACE Scholarships Montana has given out more than 1,000 scholarships this year, 300 more than last year, to students from low-income families around the state to help them afford private school tuition.
“Parents are looking for different school options for a variety of reasons,” said Jake Penwell, vice president of ACE Scholarships Montana. “Many working-class families cannot afford to move if their children are struggling in the school they are zoned to attend. They also are not able to pay full tuition at their local independent school. That is what makes the scholarships ACE offers such a vital resource. Families that come to ACE Scholarships are determined to make the necessary sacrifice to help their child get the education they deserve and provide them the foundation for success.”
The program provides scholarships of up to $2,000 from private fundraising and fundraising under the Montana Tax Credits for Qualified Education Contributions Program.
“The Montana scholarship tax credit program has been instrumental in our efforts to meet increasing demand from families in our state seeking the best educational fit for their child,” said Penwell.
Even though ACE Montana gave out hundreds or more scholarships than last year, Penwell noted that this year, there are still 180 qualified families waiting for a scholarship for their child, hence the need for fundraising.
ACE Scholars have a 93% graduation rate compared to 80% of their peers from the 2021-2022 school year, according to ACE.
“All children deserve access to a quality education, and there is no one solution for every child, especially in the aftermath of pandemic-related school closures, mandates and learning loss. Parents and communities are recognizing the need for alternatives. As a result, we are seeing greater demand for access to the scholarships we provide,” said Norton Rainey, CEO of ACE Scholarships.
For more information or to apply, please visit www.acescholarships.org/become-a-scholar/montana/.
Ace Montana
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2022-09-01T17:27:48Z
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helenair.com
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Ace Montana awards more than 1,000 scholarships for private school tuition | Education | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/local/education/ace-montana-awards-more-than-1-000-scholarships-for-private-school-tuition/article_dafa9433-04de-5e31-ac27-0ecb27bc7c59.html
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https://helenair.com/news/local/education/ace-montana-awards-more-than-1-000-scholarships-for-private-school-tuition/article_dafa9433-04de-5e31-ac27-0ecb27bc7c59.html
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The Helena Public Schools Board of Trustees student representatives for 2022-2023 are Keiran Boyle, a senior at Capital High School, left, and Loreley Drees, a senior at Helena High School.
If at first you don’t succeed, try again.
That’s what Loreley Drees did when she applied her junior year to be a student representative on the Helena school board but didn’t get the position. This year, her senior year, she was sworn in at the Aug. 9 school board meeting as Helena High School’s student rep.
Her fellow student rep on the board is Capital High School’s Keiran Boyle, also a senior. He was sworn in at the June 14 school board meeting.
Both Boyle and Drees accepted the positions as student reps because they thought they could make a difference in Helena schools and in the community. They’re prepared for a year of growth and big changes since this will be Helena Public Schools' first "normal" school year since the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in Montana in 2020.
“I wanted a position in my school and community where I could make an impact on the student body,” said Boyle. “I wanted to make a difference in a meaningful way, and I felt like in this position I could do that."
“It’s cool to be the bridge between students and higher administration,” said Drees. “I can see things from both sides of the spectrum… I’m excited to be a part of something bigger that may impact future generations of Bengals, Bobcats and Bruins… I haven't lived in Helena all my life, but this community has given me a new start and a lot of opportunities. I just wanted to give back to the community and student body.”
To become a student rep on the school board, they had to pick up an essay application from their student counselors, fill it out and turn it in. Then, the applications were narrowed down and students were invited for an interview with their principals, the superintendent, and a few others present. Boyle and Drees were called out of class by their principals to tell them that they got the student rep positions.
Besides being a student rep, Drees participates in multiple events for speech and debate, coaches for Girls Thrive and participates in Grandstreet Theater.
Boyle is also busy, participating in cross-country and track, HOSA-Future Health Professionals Club and student council. Boyle is also a founding member of Capital’s Key Club and plays violin outside school and in the school orchestra.
They both feel that their variety of interests and involvement with various communities will help them spot and meet the needs of Helena’s diverse student body this school year.
Going into his senior year, Boyle has toured 10 universities in the past six months. His favorite currently is Boston University because of a combination of academics, school pride and the overall feeling he got from being on campus. He plans to go into pre-law with a focus in environmental science, environmental economics or environmental policy.
Possibly heading to the opposite coast, Drees is looking at colleges and universities closer to where she’s from in California. Her top school is UCLA, which she wasn’t even considering until her mom told her that both her maternal grandparents attended college there. She isn’t sure what she will study yet because she is interested in medicine and STEM but also the humanities and international relations.
For Boyle and Drees, education doesn’t simply stop when school is over. It is a tool that accompanies you everywhere in life.
“Education is not about learning facts and statistics,” said Boyle. “It is about learning how to learn, especially public education. Helena schools have given me that, and I can take that elsewhere. I can take that to Boston, to New York, to Washington D.C. and use that to make feasible change in the world that I want to see.”
“A lot of people say we’re too young to understand what’s happening in the world, or we’re too naïve because we haven't lived on this Earth a long time," said Drees. “But no. We as the next generation of decision makers, the next generation of lawyers, doctors, diplomats, and whatever people want to be, we’re in charge of what happens to our future.”
Keiran Boyle
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2022-09-01T17:27:54Z
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helenair.com
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Helena school board gets two new student reps | Local | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/local/helena-school-board-gets-two-new-student-reps/article_8b3afe6d-ea77-5114-b645-c4e61b9aa9d7.html
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https://helenair.com/news/local/helena-school-board-gets-two-new-student-reps/article_8b3afe6d-ea77-5114-b645-c4e61b9aa9d7.html
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'It's a big game for sure': Capital readies itself for showdown with Billings West
Helena Capital’s Tom Carter gets taken down after a catch against Billings West Friday, Sept. 3, 2021, at Daylis Stadium in Billings.
Even though the high school football game Friday night between Helena Capital and Billings West won’t count in the Class AA playoff race, it could wind up being a playoff preview.
The Bruins and Golden Bears have met in the Class AA quarterfinals in each of the past three seasons after all. Each time, the Bears, who made consecutive Class AA state championship games, emerged victorious but this time CHS will have the home-field advantage.
“It will be nice to play West at home,” Capital head coach Kyle Mihelish said. “It seems like the last five or six years, all we have done is go to Billings to West or Senior.”
The trips to Billings against West have led to some long bus trips back to Helena, including three season-ending losses in a row, and while the Bruins aren’t stuck in the past, they are excited for another opportunity against one of the best programs in the state.
“We want to get this one really bad,” Capital’s Tom Carter said. “They are really tough but I think we have a shot to get them back. It’s a big game for sure.”
If it happens, Carter is sure to play a big role. Mihelish said Carter was one of several Bruins who delivered a big game last week in Bozeman and he did it in all three phases.
Carter ran for 79 yards (and a touchdown) on 20 carries -- taking handoffs as a running back and direct snaps -- in addition to playing wide receiver, defensive back and returning kicks (59 yards).
Carter also scored a touchdown on an 80-yard touchdown reception and intercepted a pass.
“I was a little tired,” The senior said with a chuckle about the Bozeman game. “But it wasn’t bad at all because I had so many good guys around me. The front did a really great job of opening holes for me and on defense we all played as a unit, our quarterbacks threw the ball well, it wasn’t all me.”
The quarterbacks threw the ball well as he said and the duo of Joey Michelotti and Hudsen Grovom completed 12-of-22 passes for 225 yards and two touchdowns.
Capital had four different receivers catch a pass of at least 17 yards (Hayden Opitz, Carter, Tyler Kovick) and one of them was Nick Michelotti who led CHS with four receptions for 84 yards. He also had a long of 41.
“The quarterbacks played well,” Mihelish said. “They both did a great job. They both bring different things to the table and it’s nice to have options. We’re really happy with the situation we’re in.”
The defense will be equally important for the Bruins and it starts up front with Talon Marsh and Henry Gross who each had two sacks last week in the win over Bozeman. Marsh, a Montana State pledge, had eight total tackles and four tackles for loss. Carter added two tackles for loss as the Bruins had 11 total as well as three takeaways which included an interception by Joey Lauerman who led the team with 10 tackles too.
West (0-1) dropped a close game to Missoula Sentinel last week, which is nothing to be ashamed of as the Spartans have won 22 in a row. The Bears have a new starting quarterback in Drew McDowell who accounted for three touchdowns last week, as well as Daniel Teerink who rushed for 60.
“They are big, they are fast and they are physical,” Mihelish said. “They are going to be tough and (head coach Rob Stanton) does a great job so it will be a huge challenge.”
It’s a challenge Capital is looking forward to.
“We treat every game the same,” Mihelish said. ”But we were just talking today about what it means to play at Capital with all the state championships, playoff appearances, and the winning percentages, and how we need to embrace that. It’s not a burden, it’s an expectation.”
Helena (0-1) vs Billings Senior (0-1)
The Bengals looked on their way to a season-opening win against Great Falls High last week but Helena fell just short in the head-coaching debut of Dane Broadhead. However, there were plenty of positives, especially in the passing game. Carter Kraft threw for 222 yards and three touchdowns and Manu Melo had 118 yards receiving as well as a kickoff return for a touchdown.
Helena High's Manu Melo is showed returning a kick against Great Falls High last week in the Bengals 30-27 loss.
"I thought there were a lot of positive things," Broadhead said. "The kids played really hard and I thought Carter (Kraft) played well. We did a pretty good job of protecting him. I liked how our defense played. We just need to tackle a little better but we had guys flying to the ball."
The Bengal defense was also much better than the 30 points allowed might indicate. Great Falls High scored twice on return touchdowns, while the other score came on a 65-yard run. Helena also forced two takeaways and got 3.5 sacks as well as 10 tackles for loss. David Burgess had two sacks by himself in addition to three hurries.
"We just need to do a better job of finishing," Broadhead said. "I think we got a little worn down with guys playing so many snaps and a lot of them getting their first varsity experience. So that's what we talked about this week was finishing."
Awaiting the Bengals in Billings will be a senior squad that dropped last week’s game in Butte by eight.
"They are always tough, especially down in Billings," Broadhead said. "A big thing for us is winning the turnover battle. We aren't good enough and teams are too good in this league to win when you do that. So we have to take care of the ball and when we are in the red zone, we need to score. Going on the road we have to be dialed in and it's just about executing better and finishing this week."
Jefferson (1-0) vs Bigfork (0-0)
Last week, the Panthers rolled past Baker to open the season and Dylan Root played a big role in that as he carried the ball 12 times for 125 yards. He also scored two touchdowns and ripped off a 62-yard run. Luke Oxarart also accounted for over 100 total yards with more than 40 on the ground. He also intercepted a pass on defense. Both teams made the Class B semifinals in 2021 and were defeated in the postseason by Florence-Carlton. The Panthers lost in the semifinals and Bigfork was the Class B runner-up.
East Helena (0-1) vs Columbia Falls (1-0)
East Helena will play its first home game of the season on Friday night against Columbia Falls. The Wildcats are 1-0 on the season and are fresh off a 35-7 win over Stevensville. The Vigilantes lost 37-0 to Libby last week.
Braden Howell and Jack Taylor both saw time at quarterback. Kaeben Bushnell was their top target in the passing game with three receptions for 31 yards, while Greg Knight was the leading rusher. Hayden Wright will also help spark head coach Tyler Murray’s defense against C-Falls.
Townsend (1-0) vs Florence-Carlton (1-0)
Townsend lit up the scoreboard to the tune of 58 points in its season-opening win over Thompson Falls but the challenge will get tougher this week as the defending Class B state champions are coming to town in Florence-Carlton which is fresh off a 30-0 shutout of Manhattan.
Patrick Duchien is a name to know at QB for the Falcons after he accounted for 274 total yards. He’ll be a focal point for the Bulldogs in their home opener.
All kickoff times are set for 7 p.m.
'A huge win for our program': Great Falls High rallies past Helena in season-opening thriller
Friday's season opening game between Helena and Great Falls High had a little bit of everything.
Helena Capital captures 'hard-fought' win against Bozeman to open season
“We put ourselves in a position there at the end to win that thing and we had enough fortitude to get it done.”
'If you aren't excited, you don't have a pulse': Football returns to Helena Friday night
Looking ahead to the first Friday night of the 2022 high school football season in Helena.
The Blitz: Saturday's high school football highlights (Aug. 28)
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2022-09-02T03:18:45Z
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helenair.com
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'It's a big game for sure': Capital readies itself for showdown with Billings West | Prep Football | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/sports/high-school/football/its-a-big-game-for-sure-capital-readies-itself-for-showdown-with-billings-west/article_a90bb6bc-6e69-5043-88f1-b3c5864d8460.html
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https://helenair.com/sports/high-school/football/its-a-big-game-for-sure-capital-readies-itself-for-showdown-with-billings-west/article_a90bb6bc-6e69-5043-88f1-b3c5864d8460.html
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Funding for the Montana Alternative Student Testing (MAST) pilot program has been completed by a $2,967,259 Competitive Grant for State Assessments (CGSA) from the federal government, which was the total amount requested for the four-year pilot.
“I am very pleased that the federal government is agreeing with Montana’s innovative solution of linking learning and teaching in our state assessments,” said Montana's Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Arntzen. “This will allow Montana to get back to the basics of Math and Reading while focusing on student and teacher success.”
This grant along with private resources will provide funding for the following strategies in Montana schools: Stakeholder engagement, test design and deployment, report development and deployment, research and evaluation, professional development and stakeholder communication, said an official at the state Office of Public Instruction (OPI).
The U.S. Department of Education invited applicants to apply for the Competitive Grants for State Assessments (CGSA) program on Feb. 16, 2022. Only 11 states received the grant, including Montana, which applied for the Absolute Priority 2 of the CGSA. The awards totaled over $29 million, according to the U.S Department of Education.
"Congratulations to these new grantees on their innovative approaches to better understanding student achievement and growth,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “With more authentic, relevant, and engaging assessments, educators and school leaders have more tools to personalize instruction to meet students’ diverse needs; make critical, data-informed decisions that can positively affect student opportunities and outcomes; and communicate progress to parents and families. With this enhanced data and the resources from the American Rescue Plan, our school leaders have the resources to support students who need them the most, which is vital as our nation recovers from the pandemic. Ultimately, student assessment data should be focused on driving resources to students who need the most support, not on labeling schools and teachers especially while we are recovering from a pandemic.”
This program aims to improve the quality of assessment instruments and assessment systems in regard to measuring academic success and achievements for students in elementary and secondary school. These assessments will provide valuable information about post-pandemic learning gaps in students.
OPI officials stated that by looking at the development of comprehensive academic assessment instruments that highlight knowledge of standards and aligned competencies in a competency focused education model -- such as computer adaptive assessments, performance and technology rooted academic assessments, projects and extended performance task assessments -- students' academic achievements can be evaluated.
This new assessment model is a “Through-Year-Assessment” design, meaning that students will be evaluated by tests broken up over the course of the academic year and not just a single assessment at the end of the school year.
For the 2022-23 school year, MAST's “Through-Year-Assessment” will be piloted by OPI and New Meridian in grades five and seven in at least 30 school districts with a minimum of 3,200 students in these grades taking the testlets.
It will expand to grades four and six in 2023-24, and then grades three and eight in 2024-25. By the 2025-26 school year, MAST will be fully implemented in grades three through eight in Montana.
Because only two grades are receiving this assessment this year, OPI intends to continue using the “Smarter Balanced Summative Assessment” for the 2022-23 school year to ensure that the end-of-year state summative assessment is meeting federal requirements. This will continue until the “Through-Year-Assessment” can be used across all grades and students in Montana schools.
“A ‘Through-Year Assessment’ design benefits students, teachers, parents, and administrators by providing actionable data at the beginning of the school year and by providing a meaningful model of student growth over the academic school year,” according to OPI’s website.
For more information on MAST, visit opi.mt.gov.
Mast]
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2022-09-02T12:56:43Z
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helenair.com
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Montana Alternative Student Testing pilot program gets $3M grant | Local | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/local/montana-alternative-student-testing-pilot-program-gets-3m-grant/article_84ee77f3-930f-59da-82ae-33012a537936.html
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https://helenair.com/news/local/montana-alternative-student-testing-pilot-program-gets-3m-grant/article_84ee77f3-930f-59da-82ae-33012a537936.html
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James Holbrook, executive secretary of the Montana AFL-CIO
Out of this desperate situation workers organized and fought for the eight hour workday, the weekend, safety on the job, and basic respect and dignity in their workplaces. They wanted their time back from employers so they could spend more time with their families, more time recreating, and more time enjoying their lives.
Articles abound on the so-called “worker shortage” and the misnamed phenomenon of “quiet quitting.” We know that teachers in Montana make less than teachers in any other state, but we bemoan the fact that no one will work for poverty wages.
Pundits worry about inflation, without underscoring that corporations are making record profits while working people are struggling to make ends meet. And we have seen a resurgence of interest and urgency in organizing workers in industries with a long history of anti-labor practices. All of these examples underscore what we have always known to be true: that workers are the economy, they deserve fair compensation for their labor, and you don’t get more for less.
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2022-09-02T12:57:02Z
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helenair.com
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Ensure workers are treated with dignity and respect | Columnists | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/opinion/columnists/ensure-workers-are-treated-with-dignity-and-respect/article_e91afc44-95c1-545a-81e8-fb10f89e24cb.html
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https://helenair.com/opinion/columnists/ensure-workers-are-treated-with-dignity-and-respect/article_e91afc44-95c1-545a-81e8-fb10f89e24cb.html
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On the Blackfoot reservation, in 2022 alone, 13 people have tragically died from fentanyl. In Montana, the overdose death rate for Indigenous people is twice that of white people. One reason why is that the Indian Health Service is “chronically underfunded.”
The Blackfoot reservation does not have a single treatment facility that can help someone detox from opioid addiction.
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2022-09-02T16:51:23Z
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helenair.com
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Kari Hong: We won’t stop fentanyl unless we identify the real problems | Columnists | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/opinion/columnists/kari-hong-we-won-t-stop-fentanyl-unless-we-identify-the-real-problems/article_9561e6f7-555c-5c90-9aa0-6991ddd332dc.html
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https://helenair.com/opinion/columnists/kari-hong-we-won-t-stop-fentanyl-unless-we-identify-the-real-problems/article_9561e6f7-555c-5c90-9aa0-6991ddd332dc.html
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The Lyman-Neel Residence is on the National Register of Historic Places.
In many Montana cities, it is not hard to spot the silver signs that mark properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places. They are full of historic background and information, but have you ever wondered what details have been left out?
Christine Brown, interpretive historian at the Montana Historical Society, gave a free talk on Aug. 13 at the Jefferson County Museum in Clancy titled “All the Sign Text that Isn’t Fit to Print” about stories left off the signs. The stories were about robbery, suicide, runaway horses, abusive husbands, powerful widows and more.
“(I) learn something new every time I write -- a new property, a new person that I’d never heard of and discovering stories of people who have gone unnoticed for years and years,” Brown said. “The hardest thing, for me, is to leave 'juicy' stories on the cutting-room floor and to not be able to include them on the sign.”
Since 1990, the Montana Historical Society has been running its National Register of Historic Places sign program. There are around 1,800 historic property signs in Montana currently. These signs provide what Brown calls “a self guided tour,” where people can learn about history by walking around at their own pace.
Unlike other states that simply list a property as registered, Montana has signs that tell the story and history of each property. A small sign can fit about 190 words and a large one about 250 words. Brown’s job is researching and deciding what to put on the signs and what to leave off.
“I’ve been writing the state's national register signs for almost four years now, and I got to tell you, it’s such a fun job… It’s a challenge to summarize 150 years of history into about 200 words, but once I started doing it, I got in the rhythm of it and got familiar with it, the writing and the research was really fun,” Brown said.
These silver signs seen in front of historic buildings would cost the property owners around $500 to $800 to be put up, but because they are supplemented by an accommodation tax, they cost owners about $35. A residence first has to be researched and listed on the National Register of Historic Places before a property sign can be put up.
“I come in after the whole certification process happens. The fastest I ever wrote a sign was about three hours because the research prior was so good that I could just sit and write it out,” said Brown. “The longest it takes if the research is sketchy or needs verifying or is not done yet could be 40 hours.”
The owners of historic properties work closely with Brown to decide what they want on their signs. Brown arranged the topics owners often choose to leave off their signs into two lists: The sad and gruesome (murder, disease, suicide, theft, adultery, car wrecks, abuse) and just plain interesting folks (women landlords, innovators and silliness).
In her talk, Brown presented five buildings and residences around Montana whose historic signs don't tell the full story.
Lyman-Neel Residence, Helena
The first was the Lyman-Neel Residence at 309 N. Rodney St. in Helena. Lawyer and U.S. Land Office register Lorenzo Lyman had the house built in 1873, but in 1875, it was sold to Samuel and Lavinia Neel. Samuel died suddenly, and Lavinia kept the house for rental income.
In 1930, Montana Supreme Court Justice Sam C. Ford and his wife Mary bought the house. Sam became Montana’s governor in 1941, but they kept the house as a rental property while they lived in the governor’s mansion nearby. After his term, they moved back into the house and rented out the upper floor.
Brown noted how this house’s historical sign touches on its African-American tenants but falls short in that she couldn’t fully fit on the sign the “snapshot” of the African-American community in Helena this house provided at the time.
Alice Palmer was born in 1853 in Kentucky, so she was likely born into slavery. She moved her family to North Dakota in 1870, where she married and had five children with an English-born white man. They moved to Helena in 1886 but never lived together. By 1898, Palmer was living in the Lyman-Neel Residence with many members of her family.
“In the larger context, the Palmer family is a microcosm of the African-American community at the time. Alice’s son was a steward at an all-white club, her nephew had a job white washing (like painting), her daughters were still in school,” said Brown.
Palmer also had three people renting from her in the house alongside her family.
“Her boarders were Henry Williams, a janitor and Buffalo Soldier who fought in the Indian Wars in the 1870s, Gus Mason worked as a manager at the Manhattan Club (an African-American social club in downtown Helena), and David Cannoli worked as a hotel porter and was a veteran in the Spanish American War, and James Howard, who was a family friend and worked as a hotel porter. These were the types of jobs that African-American men in Helena held in the early 1900s.”
Palmer was a significant businesswoman in Helena, investing in real estate and claiming 80 acres of homestead land near Lincoln and building 22 tourist cabins that catered to African-American travelers along Highway 200. The cabins are no longer standing today.
The Montana Historical Society has a webpage (https://mhs.mt.gov/Shpo/AfricanAmericans/) dedicated to learning more about African-Americans in early Montana.
Stone House, Helena
Stone House at Reeder's Alley is registered on the National Register of Historic Places.
The other historical Helena building mentioned in Brown’s talk was the Stone House in Reeder’s Alley. Brown worked for 10-15 years in Reeder’s Alley, which has three national historic register signs, but none of them talk about “the ghost.”
George and Laura Duchesney were property managers by 1920 and lived in the front unit of the Stone House. Laura rescued and bred canaries, and Laura and George supposedly made moonshine during Prohibition. To show when the alcohol was ready to purchase, Laura would set the birds outside their unit, so if anything looked suspicious, she could say people were coming to her house to buy canaries.
When Laura died, her husband let the birds fly free in the house when she was lying on view so the birds could say goodbye before her burial.
Brown told the story of a co-worker in 2014 being alone in their office located in the Stone House. He heard a large flock of birds chirping and went outside to see what was going on. No birds. The chirping stopped.
The next day, he was talking to his sister about how his new job was going when he mentioned the birds. The sister went pale and grabbed Ellen Baumler’s book "Haunted Helena" and told him the story about Laura Duchesney’s birds in the Stone House. When the building became a restaurant in the 1990s, employees also reported hearing strange noises at night, including birds.
Stephens Block, Butte
Stephens Block on the corner of Park Street and Montana Street in Butte has a lot of history within its 190-word historic sign, with even more left off. Brown talks of things she had to leave off the sign such as child kidnapping, robbery of a store on the ground level, smallpox quarantine, a runaway horse crashing through a historic plate glass window on the ground floor, and multiple suicide attempts.
“Reports of suicide, women’s suicide, in the early 20th century were quite common because they drew readers in like clickbait on the internet today,” said Brown during her talk. “It points to and tells about 19th and early 20th century notions of women’s ‘place’ in society and how women who were unmarried, divorced, or not marriageable at all were cast off in society and not valued. Reports of them trying to commit suicide reinforced that they weren’t valid members of society.”
1212 East Second St., Butte
A home at 1212 East Second St. in Butte was next. The sign outside the property declined to note that an owner manufactured and sold oyster cocktails out of the house. These were similar to shrimp cocktails today, but prawns were easier to transport from Baltimore without rotting back then. This same owner was abusive to his wife to the point where the wife shot him in the house in 1917, and she was acquitted of homicide.
The sign today mostly focuses on the residence’s relationship as the first parish house for St. Joseph’s Catholic Church.
302 S. 6th St., Missoula
Another residence listed was 302 S. 6th St. in Missoula. The sign notes three fascinating women who lived there: University of Montana English professor Frances Corbin (whom Corbin Hall is named after); Clarissa Spencer, who earned a master’s degree in journalism and was the director of Missoula’s Socialist School; and Spencer’s colleague Martha Plassmann, who taught music, wrote a column for the Missoulian titled “Socialist Notes” and supported the radical Industrial Workers of the World labor union.
“At the turn of the century, not many women were able to go to college or finish college or get a master’s degree. In the case of Frances Corbin, being the dean of women at UM. So that in itself made for a really interesting sign, but when I was looking at the subsequent owners, one owner who lived in the house from 1955 to 1980, her name was Lillian Hornick, and she was a trailblazer in Montana’s conservation.”
Brown noted how the signs usually focus on the early history of the buildings, about the first 50 years, which is why Hornick was left off.
During World War II, Hornick held an administrative government job and went to Geneva, Switzerland, and worked there during the time of the Geneva Conference. She came back to New York City and helped establish what became the United Nations.
She wanted to come back to Montana, so she got a job with the agriculture department and became a public information specialist with the forest service in Missoula. Her work focused on conservation and education, and she mainly targeted youth and women.
The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 authorized the preservation of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects of significance in American history, architecture, archaeology, engineering and culture. Properties listed are afforded protection measures from projects that are funded, licensed or executed by the federal government, and the properties may be eligible for historic preservation tax incentives. For more information, visit the Montana Historical Society website or download the companion app "Historic Montana."
“To get the building listed, it does have to meet some eligibility requirements,” said Brown. “It has to be 50 years old. It has to look historic, which they call 'integrity' -- it has to reflect what period it came from, and it can’t just be covered in vinyl siding or have the front half torn off or roof gone,” said Brown. “It also has to be associated with a significant event, person or association in history.”
The Legend of Zelda: After 4 years, Helena family reunited with missing cat found in Nevada
The family still doesn’t know how Zelda got to Nevada, or her whereabouts during the two-year gap before she was taken in by an older woman in Nevada.
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2022-09-02T23:22:32Z
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helenair.com
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Montana historian reveals details left off National Register signs | Local | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/local/montana-historian-reveals-details-left-off-national-register-signs/article_cfb278b6-44f3-55be-9814-a4e543d48c9c.html
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https://helenair.com/news/local/montana-historian-reveals-details-left-off-national-register-signs/article_cfb278b6-44f3-55be-9814-a4e543d48c9c.html
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Judge Michael Moses presides over a trial over voting rights in Billings.
Political experts who study how and why people vote exchanged academic fire last week, as they took the witness stand in a trial to determine whether several new changes to Montana’s election laws pass constitutional muster.
The trial, which ended in Yellowstone County District Court last week after nine days, consisted of hours of testimony from election officials, politicians, activists and academics discussing the controversial new laws.
Nearly a dozen plaintiffs, including the Montana Democratic Party, are alleging that the GOP-backed changes to voting laws will disproportionately lower turnout for Native Americans, college students and other groups of voters. The laws, they argue, discriminate on the basis of age and race, and violate a number of rights enshrined in the state constitution.
A pair of experts hired by plaintiffs in the case compiled reports indicating that laws ending Election Day voter registration, tightening photo ID requirements at the polls and restricting third-party ballot collection would depress voter turnout.
Kenneth Mayer, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said during his testimony last week that his analysis found “all three of these changes increase the cost of voting and result in otherwise eligible voters not being able to vote.”
The sole defendant in the case — Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen — has argued that the laws were passed to reduce the chances of voter fraud occurring and to improve voter confidence in the elections. And ending Election Day registration, her attorneys have argued, would decrease the administrative burden on election officials busy with myriad other tasks on Election Day.
Mayer’s report found no evidence of fraud in Montana’s recent history that would have been prevented by the laws, which he called “pure dead weight” that will only make it harder for people to vote.
Mayer analyzed voter files and other data from the Secretary of State’s office, finding that 52,000, or more than 7% of registered voters in Montana had used Election Day registration at least once since 2008.
He concluded that voters who used Election Day registration were 33 years old, on average, compared with Montana’s average voter age of 55. Voters aged 18 to 24 are three times more likely to use that service, he said.
“These are lower-propensity voters,” Mayer testified. “… They have more mobile residences, they move more often, students are going to college, will have moved, they’re less familiar with the processes and requirements of voting. It makes complete sense that younger voters would be more likely to rely on Election Day registration than older voters.”
The law, which moved the registration deadline to noon on the Monday before Election Day, would reduce turnout by an estimated 1.4% in an average general election, Mayer said.
The defense argued repeatedly that changing the registration deadline, along with voter ID requirements and ballot collection restrictions, would result in voters changing their behavior to comply with the laws.
“We have a lot of voting laws where you need to follow the law,” said Sen. Greg Hertz, R-Polson, the only lawmaker called to testify by the defense. “… Whether it’s absentee ballots, whether it’s voter registration, whether it’s voting in person, it’s the responsibility of the voter to understand those laws and do what they need to do.”
Roughly two-thirds of the nine-day trial was dedicated to witnesses called by the plaintiffs. The defense concentrated primarily on testimony from election officials, who testified that ending Election Day registration would likely grant them some relief on Election Day.
However, they did call one of their expert witnesses, Trende, a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank. His report argued that expert reports put forth by the plaintiffs failed to establish a cause-and-effect relationship between turnout and similar laws passed elsewhere in the U.S. Most academic work in political science uses observational data, which is generally harder to draw causal conclusions from than experimental data.
“The concern with observational data is when you try to cross the line into a causal relationship … you have to make some really strong assumptions about your ability to control for everything,” Trende said during his Aug. 24 testimony.
While he didn’t develop any original analysis of how the laws would affect voters in Montana, Trende’s report focused in particular on studies of Election Day registration and same-day registration. While many studies found a link between those practices and higher turnout, he found that in some cases the link was weak and failed to determine cause and effect.
Trende’s review of academic studies on the impact of laws requiring photo ID to vote found mixed results, and he wrote that much of the literature is devoted to states with stricter requirements.
He also noted that compared with most other states, voting remains relatively easy in Montana. The Treasure State maintains a lengthy late-registration period leading up to Election Day, he noted, along with expansive absentee voting opportunities.
“The suggestion that these laws will have a substantial impact on turnout, if any, is unsupported by the literature,” he wrote in his conclusion.
Theresa Lee, an attorney for the plaintiffs, peppered Trende with a lengthy series of questions suggesting he lacked the qualifications to weigh in on the subject. She noted that Trende lacked a doctorate degree, had never published a peer-reviewed article at the time he wrote his reports for the case and has never served on the board of a peer-reviewed journal — an apparent attempt to contrast his credentials with the plaintiffs' experts.
On the witness stand, Trende acknowledged there is “some sort of inverse relationship between costs of voting and the decision to vote,” but reiterated his conclusion that the relationship is weaker than the plaintiffs’ experts have argued.
Lee also noted that Trende’s report didn’t address the frameworks that Mayer’s analysis relied on, or the code he used to run his statistical analysis. She also noted that his report didn’t include research related to the voting experience of Native Americans on reservations.
The defense didn’t call their other expert witness, Scott Gessler, to testify. But the plaintiffs used a later cross-examination to draw attention to Gessler’s embrace of the falsehood that President Joe Biden was not legitimately elected.
A former Colorado Secretary of State, Gessler stated during a public forum in March 2021, “I think there’s a very high likelihood the election was stolen from Trump in Nevada” and referred to “huge problems nationally,” the Colorado Sun reported.
Despite a proliferation of unsubstantiated theories alleging that Biden’s victory was illegitimate, no evidence has emerged of widespread or coordinated attempts to commit election fraud during the 2020 presidential election.
Gessler’s report focused in large part on his conclusions about voter behavior, based on his own opinions and prior experience with election systems. His experience includes more than a decade as an attorney working “primarily in the area of election law,” and teaching election law at the University of Denver and the University of Colorado.
Like Trende, he didn’t develop any original statistical analysis of the potential impacts of the trio of election laws, but reviewed some of the academic literature on the subject.
Moving the registration deadline back from Election Day, he wrote, “provides election administrators and workers adequate time to process voter registration applications. In my two decades of involvement in elections, Election Day is by far the busiest day of the election cycle.”
He also cites the testimony provided by other defense witnesses — including election administrators from Flathead, Broadwater and Fergus counties — supporting his conclusion that ending Election Day registration will ease a significant burden on election workers.
“It interrupts the flow of whatever we’re doing,” former Broadwater County Clerk and Recorder Doug Ellis testified. “… You have to stop that, register the voter, get them into MontanaVotes (the state’s voter database), issue them a ballot … It takes your mind and your ability to do anything on the election away, until you’ve taken care of that voter.”
Montana Election Laws
Trende
Kenneth Mayer
Theresa Lee
“I’m honored for this opportunity to lead the department and continue building on its solid foundation and structure,” Brett Schandelson said.
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2022-09-02T23:22:44Z
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helenair.com
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Experts spar over impacts of contentious election laws | 406 Politics | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/experts-spar-over-impacts-of-contentious-election-laws/article_402be308-6780-5026-bfbf-921fff4fb1d6.html
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https://helenair.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/experts-spar-over-impacts-of-contentious-election-laws/article_402be308-6780-5026-bfbf-921fff4fb1d6.html
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Arthur Clifford Lewis Parent watches over Benefis' construction site with the sun at his back, a near-daily ritual.
If you’ve driven down 11th Avenue in Helena recently, you’ve probably seen him, and he probably put a smile on your face.
Arthur "Art" Clifford Lewis Parent goes out five days a week for a couple of hours in his motorized wheelchair to watch the construction crews work on what is soon to be Benefis’ new specialty clinic in Helena.
“These fellas out here working know I’m trying to keep 'em going. I like to see progress,” said Parent. “I worked in construction when I was younger in Portland. I also did some plumbing and electrician work. I wanted to get a feel for everything.”
Parent grew up on a farm by Minneapolis, Minnesota. He recalls it sat atop peat and grew the most beautiful gardens.
“I could remember when bread was 5 cents,” Parent said. “My family struggled a bit for about six years after the Great Depression. Mother, father, all devout Catholics.”
Parent is a deeply religious person. Growing up, his mom wanted to send him to join the Jesuits, but he had a “youthful wandering” and wanted to explore life a bit more. He now has five children and what he calls a “football” team worth of grandchildren at around age 50. One of his sons lives in Helena.
Parent wears four fishing hooks on his hat to remind him of the “good old days” when he was free to explore wherever his body could take him. Parent has been a resident at Eagles Manor Retirement Community for the past 14 months.
“I miss going fishing. You can’t go fishing in a wheelchair,” said Parent. “I used to own a ranch up in Lincoln, but my legs couldn’t keep up. (Guillain-Barre syndrome) took a mountain of a man and put ‘em down.”
Parent has lived with Guillain-Barre syndrome for a few years. His body’s immune system attacks his nerves, causing weakness and numbness mostly in his legs currently. He’s looking forward to another hospital in town.
“It’s hard to see us go to what we are. Medicine makes us all live longer," said Parent. “Another hospital evens out the politics in Helena and helps with the medical market, especially for older people like me.”
Parent ended up in Montana after passing through the state many times on his cross-county trucking route, one of his many jobs throughout his life. He read a lot of Westerns and loved the life of cowboys out West.
“I’m a self described ‘mountain man,’” said Parent. “I even tried to climb Mount Helena over there in my wheelchair, but the darn rocks got in the way.”
Parent has climbed many mountains in his life, but one of his dreams is to climb Mount Helena. He doesn't know if it'll come true yet. He was sad when he saw Mount Helena catch on fire Sunday afternoon but was grateful it got put out.
“I love where I live. This state is God’s country,” said Parent. “I love talking to people, but I don’t like to be on top of the show. Someone came by the other day and said, ‘Art, look you’re on Facebook!’, and I thought that was nice.”
Kelly Herrera made a post about Parent in the private Facebook group "Helena Classifieds" that has 23,000 members. The posts had 146 likes and 64 comments as of Aug. 30. Many comments express the joy they get from seeing Parent there so often and how they wished to know his story. Parent has become a fixture of curiosity in Helena in a short amount of time.
In Parent’s lap is a well-loved sextant. He just brought a fancy new box for it. It’s helped him navigate life.
“I can’t remember any regrets in my life," said Parent. "I don’t remember the bad things. I remember the beautiful things. This world is so beautiful, and I’ve been around it.”
Herrera's Facebook post about Parent in the group Helena Classifieds.
Facebook comments left on Herrera's post about Parent.
Benefis
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2022-09-03T13:03:26Z
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helenair.com
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'I'm trying to keep 'em going': Meet the man faithfully watching over Helena construction site | Local | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/local/im-trying-to-keep-em-going-meet-the-man-faithfully-watching-over-helena-construction-site/article_8a2c814e-a50b-570e-ab23-54cba5ef7af4.html
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Sami Pack-Toner column: A rummage sale in the crying room
Sami Pack-Toner
Some of my first memories of church involve me lounging in the choir loft during the sermon.
I knew where the activity sheets were, what markers worked best, and how to position myself out of my mother’s line of sight. My peers and I would color, giggle, and whisper loudly.
I am sure this didn’t make everyone thrilled. And at the same time, my peers and I had ownership of that space and time. Now, as an adult and a pastor myself, I realize that my experience as a young child in a worship space is not common.
“Crying Rooms” came into vogue at the peak of the baby boom. This is a room near the sanctuary with windows to see worship and maybe even a speaker to hear worship. However, the group in worship can no longer hear a dysregulated child.
These have evolved a bit since the 1950s: newer churches offer a large lobby with even larger windows. Some caregivers really appreciate this kind of space. Others would rather the congregation be more understanding. Others will never step into a place of worship because of fear of judgment.
Nurseries are often at churches. This also is not always the best option for the family. Baby might not want to be with someone else; baby might be too young still. There is a whole host of reasons why a nursery might not be the best option that day.
It is true that it takes a village to raise a child. What happens when the child isn’t the focus of the village? And what happens to the caregiver of the child when the village has failed the entire family unit? The late theologian and author Phyllis Tickle reflected on the great rummage sale that religion has every few hundred years. We lay out the things we feel are well-used and aren’t serving us well anymore, all in hopes that someone else will see its value. I challenge you to consider having a rummage sale in the crying room.
Jill Escher, President of the National Council on Severe Autism, states that society is decades behind in catching up with the overwhelming challenges facing families that are caring for children with severe disabilities or complex medical diagnoses. How can the village step back into the raising process and offer spaces and resources that focus on caregivers and children?
When looking at sensory and processing struggles, worship is often not a child-friendly space. Even with coloring pages and little bags full of treats and stickers, worship can have strange smells, loud instruments or flashing lights, large crowds of mostly strangers, and patterns that are difficult to learn and follow. Sensory overload cannot easily be fixed, especially by a young child.
One of the biggest actions a church community can make is to become more aware of the journey of parent caregivers with disabled children and medically complex children. Building awareness will help these families feel seen. They will feel safe and accepted as they are. This will include acknowledging that though a caregiver may leave worship with a dysregulated child, they may not want to. They may be worried about offending others, or they have past experiences of shame and judgment. The best way to know is to make connections with each family.
I spoke with a parent whose church created a special room for children who have sensory and processing struggles. The sensory room was unexpected and was not something on their radar at first, but now it is an integral part of the family’s routine on Sundays. It isn’t very far from the sanctuary, so it allows the people using the room to feel close to their caregiver while also being in a safe environment.
At first, their child would spend the entire time in the sensory room, but now they come and go from the space as they need regulation. Sensory rooms like this one are specifically for sensory regulation; they are not playrooms. A space like this takes dedication and advocacy on the part of the congregation.
Another action a church community can make is to keep the focus on the needs of children and caregivers together. Whether this is a traditional “crying room” where families can feel connected to worship, a nursery option for families, or a sensory room, the focus must remain on the whole family. These kinds of rooms allow caregivers to be present in the ways they need to — it might be kid-free (and knowing that their kid is being cared for). It might be by allowing their kid to be their true self in worship without judgment. It might be by allowing families to come and go during worship, or not regularly attend worship.
Keeping the focus on a whole families’ needs lessens the temptation to convenience the congregation. While it is impossible to always meet the needs of every family in your congregation, this will reach many, many needs of current families and guests.
The sensory room is a tool. The nursery is a tool. The crying room is a tool. When the family is the focus, these are tools. When convenience is the focus or goal, these become barriers. And when a family is seen and accepted just as they are, that is now part of that family’s experience of church and, ultimately, their experience of God. What is ready to be thrown into the rummage sale?
Rev. Sami Pack-Toner
Sami Pack-Toner is an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church. She is a Montana native and recently became the Residential Chaplain at Intermountain. Sami and her husband Shane live in Marysville with their four animals. They enjoy skiing and being outdoors as much as possible.
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2022-09-03T14:52:05Z
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helenair.com
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Sami Pack-Toner column: A rummage sale in the crying room | Local | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/local/sami-pack-toner-column-a-rummage-sale-in-the-crying-room/article_28506d17-e635-5291-b6ca-14c9651d5b93.html
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A Helena garbage truck empties a dumpster on Hibbard Way. The Helena City Commission approved a resolution establishing goals to reduce the amount of solid waste transferred from within its borders to the Lewis and Clark County Landfill by 50% by 2040, with an interim goal of 35% reduction by 2030.
Trash is collected in the Lewis and Clark County Landfill.
Eliza Wiley, Independent Record file
A volunteer citizen advisory board to the Helena City Commission tasked with studying ways the city might accomplish its solid waste diversion goals delivered a home run-swing proposal and are now pressuring the city to consider it.
The city commission budgeted in fiscal year 2022 for a study to aid in its goal of diverting 50% of solid waste from its landfill. Its citizen conservation board and a third-party consultant, Missoula-based Zero Waste Associates, returned a Strategic Plan for Waste Reduction that board members said could help the city surpass its goals.
The plan boils down to 10 "recommended waste-reduction initiatives organized in three phases of implementation," culminating in universal residential curbside recycling and, if necessary, city ordinances mandating waste diversion efforts that could be implemented as early as 2031.
The Helena Citizen Conservation Board gave this presentation on its strategic plan to reduce solid waste from the local landfill during the city commission's July 6 administrative meeting. Helena Citizen Conservation Board
The board's waste committee with the help of Zero Waste Associates surveyed 22 area nonprofits, businesses, organizations and neighborhoods "to develop a plan that fits our community," said Diana Hammer, board chairwoman.
"It's not a plan of merely the citizen conservation board," Hammer said. "I believe it was written by the community."
She also said its more of a "tailored menu of options" than a steadfast plan.
One of the reasons why the goal is an important one in fighting back against climate change is the amount of greenhouse gases contributed by the production, consumption and disposal of food and other goods.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 42% of greenhouse gas emissions come from the provision of goods and food.
"The trash can is now seen as a key target to address the climate crisis," said Jeremy Drake, a consultant with Zero Waste Associates.
The city approved the resolution in 2021 to reduce waste by 50% by 2040, but also set an interim goal of 35% reduction by 2030, and will "revisit these goals every five years, starting in 2027."
The resolution also allocated $60,000 to fund the board-led study.
The resulting plan was presented to the city commission during a July 6 administrative meeting.
It determined that about 26% of all solid waste, about 13,000 tons, is now diverted to a variety of sources from recyclers to thrift stores, which is higher than the state average.
Phase one of the plan, the education and incentives portion, could take effect as early as this year and, if implemented entirely, is projected to drive the city's waste diversion rate to 44%, or about 21,000 tons, by 2030.
The initial phase includes such recommendations as the creation of an informational website, ready-to-use educational materials, technical assistance for both residents and businesses, a reuse and repair directory, citywide garage sales and sustainable city procurement policies.
The plan estimates one-time costs of nearly $31,000 and annual costs of nearly $142,000 to implement and maintain all phase one initiatives.
Phase two of the plan, which would see the development of new services and infrastructure, would go into effect by 2025 and is projected to help the city not only meet its 50% waste diversion rate goal by 2040, but eventually reach a rate of about 60%, or a total of nearly 30,000 tons annually.
That phase could see the build out of recycling and composting infrastructure designed to handle the increased amount of waste being diverted from the landfill.
According to the plan, the city's current capacity to store recyclables at its transfer site is limited, and about 80% of recycled materials in Helena go through Pacific Steel and Recycling.
The city would need to either develop or contract for a facility to store recycled and composted materials.
Phase two further recommends implementation of universal curbside collection of recycling, composting and garbage in addition to new recycling drop-off sites around town.
The plan estimates complete implementation of phase two initiatives will come with one-time costs of more than $153,000 and annual costs of more than $2.7 million.
The bulk of those phase two costs come from a universal curbside collection system.
The city commission approved during its Monday meeting garbage collection rates for fiscal year 2023. The rates will be the same as the previous year, $176.10 a year for a single-family residence.
Should a weekly, universal curbside garbage, recycling and composting collection service be implemented, the per year cost for a single family household would increase 117% to $382.
City Commissioner Sean Logan took to social media to sound the alarm over the potential increase in annual assessments.
"This is something to pay close attention to in the near future," Logan wrote to his Facebook followers Aug. 1, following a CCB letter sent to the commission urging them to consider the strategic plan.
"This plan does not address the impact that any reduced tonnage would have on existing revenues that are generated by that tonnage and how the resulting loss of revenue would impact fixed operating costs," Logan said. "This could potentially mean that further increases to residential solid waste assessments would be needed to make up for that lost revenue."
The public works directors of both the city and Lewis and Clark County have long cautioned the commissioners about the financial impact to the overall system should the city succeed in its goals of waste reduction.
"You tweak one thing, and the whole thing gets thrown out of whack," former Lewis and Clark County Public Works Director Eric Griffin said during a February 2021 city commission meeting. "We have to look at the big picture. We just can't look at part of it."
Griffin said per ton assessments at the landfill have only increased less than $4 in nearly 20 years.
"We have some of the cheapest rates in the state," he said.
During an interview on Aug. 2, Logan called the proposal "a big deal."
"I think it's important we understand the costs going in for the average person," he said.
He also likened the proposed sharp increase in assessments to a tax decided on only by the city commission. Assessments as part of an enterprise fund or special district such as the city's streets department or in this case the solid waste operation are technically not considered a tax in Montana code annotated.
Still, Logan compared the proposal to the recent public safety mill levy. That levy was put to local voters and generates a little more than $1 million annually. This increase in assessments would generate more than $2 million annually in new revenue to be invested in solid waste operations.
"This increase to the solid waste assessment would be voted on by the five members of the commission and your only input would be during the public meeting(s) when rates are set (typically in the summer) or survey responses during the planning stages," Logan said on Facebook.
Denise Roth Barber, co-chair of CCB's solid waste committee, noted that Helena residents who now piece together those services pay about $734 annually, so the proposed expansion of collection services would actually save families money.
Roth Barber also noted that among cities with curbside recycling, composting and garbage collection in Montana, the proposed Helena services would cost much less. Bozeman and Billings charge residents about $640 a year, and Missoula charges residents about $800 a year for the same services.
The Lewis and Clark County Board of County Commissioners Thursday approved an interlocal agreement with the city of Helena that details its nearly $130,000 contribution to the creation of an integrated solid waste master plan. That separate but related project will cost a total of nearly $300,000. Great West Engineering is preparing the master plan.
The county and city have partnered on waste disposal since about 1989, and the operations were officially consolidated in 2015.
Lewis and Clark County Public Works Director Jenny Chambers called this latest systemwide evaluation a "holistic look at solid waste management."
County Commissioner Andy Hunthausen said the county does "significant planning" before deciding how to spend tax dollars. Hunthausen noted the planned public engagement process in the creation of the master plan.
"I encourage people to get engaged, pay attention and provide their input," he said during Thursday's meeting.
Lewis and Clark County Chief Administrative Officer Roger Baltz noted that the project was initiated by the city.
"The city of Helena indicated some interest in reducing the amount of solid waste; there were some discussions along those lines," Baltz said to the county commissioners. "Of course, we are very interested in that."
No substantial changes to the system will likely be made until the master plan is completed.
The conservation board's plan states that phase three initiatives would be adopted "only as a last resort" starting in 2031.
Phase three includes adopting new policies such as a community recycling ordinance requiring the separation of recycling and garbage by the individual household or business, and a construction and demolition ordinance, requiring all construction projects to divert 50% of all discarded materials.
The board's waste reduction strategic plan can be viewed on the city's website in the agenda packet for its July 6 administrative meeting.
"This is going to be costly, and we've got unfunded commitments already made," Logan said, citing Helena Police Department staffing, the need for a third Helena Fire Department station and infrastructure projects and maintenance. "It's all about prioritization."
The members of Helena's Citizen Conservation Board understand the costs but said they know it can be done and needs to be done.
"It goes back to what do we expect our city to provide? What kind of a community do we want," Roth Barber said. "This plan is built on the backs of what cities across the country have already accomplished."
Helena Citizen Conservation Board
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2022-09-03T20:00:39Z
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helenair.com
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Conservation board pressures Helena to consider waste reduction plan | Local | helenair.com
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Charlotte Sanddal
A century ago, just two years after women earned the right to vote in 1920, the U.S. Supreme Courts rebuffed Leser vs. Garnett, a challenge to strike down the 19th Amendment to the Constitution.
Also, the USS Langley was commissioned as the first Navy Aircraft Carrier, with pilot Lt. Virgil Griffin launching the first plane from her deck.
On the sporting scene, the New York Giants won the World Series over crosstown New York Yankees; and three MLB players batted over .400 – George Sisler (.420), Ty Cobb (.401) and Rogers Hornsby (.401).
Jack Dempsey was the heavyweight champion of the world, while Morvich won the Kentucky Derby and Jimmy Murphy captured the Indianapolis 500 at an average speed of 94.5 mph. The Cadets garnered the 1922 Army-Navy football game, 17-14.
In the swimming pool, 18-year old Johnny Weissmuller – future Olympic champion and movie star of Tarzan fame – broke Duke Kahanamoku’s world record in the 100-meter freestyle.
Noteworthy deaths in 1922 included baseball Hall of Famer Cap Anson, singer/actress Lillian Russell and telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell.
Among the more famous people born 100 years ago, were George McGovern, World War II pilot and presidential candidate; actresses Judy Garland, Dorothy Dandridge and Ava Gardner; world boxing champion Jake LaMotta; comedian Redd Fox; trumpeter Al Hirt; and Jack Kerouac, beatnik founder.
Oh, and our own WWII vet and world record swimming champion, Charlotte Sanddal.
Charlotte Jean Ewer was born in Chicago. Her father was a World War I veteran, serving in the stateside with the Army in 1917-18. She graduated from Carl Churz High School in 1939, before attending Wilbur Wright Junior College for two years.
After the outbreak of WWII, Charlotte joined the Navy WAVES (Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service) in December of 1942.
“Women had to be 20 years old to join, but my mother still needed to sign for me,” she noted, with a smile. Iowa State Teacher’s College (later known as Northern Iowa University) in Cedar Falls served as the WAVES boot camp.
“It was mainly an introduction into the Navy,” she related. “After completing the aptitude test, I was assigned to the Naval Air Technical Training Center in Norman, Oklahoma.”
According to the Oklahoma Naval Air History web site, NATTC Norman was the largest technical training center in Naval Air Technical Training Command during World War II.
“NATTC was commissioned in September, 1942 when facilities of three West Coast schools were consolidated to form the technical training center,” http://www.oklahomanavalairhistory.com/nattc.php states.
Charlotte studied aviation maintenance for 12 weeks, graduating as an Aviation Machinist Mate Seaman. She was then assigned to the Naval Air Station, which was located on the other side of town, where she served for the next 3½ years.
Navy veteran Charlotte Sanddal's Petty Officer Second Class Aviation Machinist Mate patch.
Photo by Curt Synness
The WAVES and a few sailors maintained the Boeing Model 75 US Navy N2S-3 Stearman bi-plane (Navy variant of PT-17), also referred to as Kaydet.
“The air station opened in 1942 as the navy sought to expand its training capacity during World War II,” according to Wikipedia. “It was co-located at University of Oklahoma Westheimer Airport.”
In 1944, the station fielded a football team called the “Zoomers.”
Among Charlotte’s highlights while there was the “Swim-To-Tokyo” program in 1944. An injured Naval officer was rehabbing, and the doctor’s suggested that swimming might be the best exercise for his recovery.
Charlotte was among a large group participating in the program, which took place at the local YMCA pool. Each mile swam was the equivalent of 500 miles, on the journey from Oklahoma to Japan. They started out with a half-mile daily swim, increasing the distance by half-mile increments, until they reached two-miles a day.
It took about four weeks to complete the mythical 6,310-mile trip, which totaled 12½-miles in reality. Only five completed the entire journey, three women – including Charlotte and an Olympic swimmer – and two men.
And although she’s sure that she “finished last” among those five, her proclivity in the water resurfaced five decades later.
Another memorable occurrence was when a tornado struck the area in April 1945, causing a base-wide power outage, just before they learned of President Franklin Roosevelt’s death.
“We all got a three-day leave,” recounted Charlotte, who was discharged in October 1945. She met her future husband, James Sanddal while they were both serving at Norman. James was a four-year Navy man, having served on a destroyer tender at Okinawa at war’s end.
After the Navy, Charlotte went to college, earning a master’s degree in social work. The Sanddals came to Montana in 1960, when James was hired as the director of the Training School in Boulder. They adopted four children, while Charlotte worked for the state of Montana (DPHHS) in nursing homes. She retired at the age of 72, and took up swimming at the urging of her friend, Flora Wong.
Sanddal went on the capture dozens of age-group world records, and even more world championships. Her senior competitions have taken her around the globe, competing in places like Calgary, Edmonton and Montreal, Canada; Torina, Italy; Christ Church and Aukland, New Zealand; and Sidney, Australia.
In 2017, she was inducted in to the Helena Sports Hall of Fame.
Charlotte Sanddal's 100th birthday parade through the Downtown Walking Mall on Aug. 13.
Photo by Julie Quinn
This past Aug. 13, Sanddal was vetted with a 100th birthday parade on the walking mall, by friends, relatives, neighbors, coaches and the American Legion. The party culminated with a brief ceremony at Anchor Park by the public library.
She rode in the back seat of a convertible (although she normally still drives herself) while Flora Wong sat up front with chauffeur/neighbor John Zavalney.
“I owe everything to Flora,” Charlotte said, “She’s the one that got me into swimming.” And when yours truly teased her about her youthful sounding voice, she responded, “I’m very lucky.”
Curt Synness, a Navy vet, can be reached at 406-594-2878 or curt52synness@gmail.com. He’s also on Twitter @curtsynness_IR
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2022-09-04T12:22:56Z
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helenair.com
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Stories of Honor: WWII vet and centenarian Charlotte Sanddal served as Naval aviation machinist mate | Local | helenair.com
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DENNIS GAUB Historian
Charles Lindbergh sitting in the back seat with Gov. John E. Erickson and Helena Mayor Percy Witmer on Sept. 6, 1927.
L. H. Jorud, O'Connors Drug Store, Helena
Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis hangs on display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 27, 2018. Lindbergh made the first nonstop solo flight between New York and Paris, taking off from New York on May 17, 1927.
This year marks the 95th anniversary of when Charles Lindbergh electrified the world, and when the most famous person on the planet, the first media-developed hero of the modern era, returned to Montana.
A head and shoulders portrait of Col. Charles Lindbergh wearing a leather flight hat and goggles around his neck. Picture taken sometime between 1925 and 1935.
Unidentified photographer, Montana Historical Society Collection
Lindbergh’s enduring fame resulted from his first-in-history May 1927 solo flight across the Atlantic. He flew The Spirit of St. Louis from New York to Paris, a 3,600-mile trip in 33-1/2 hours. That seems slow today when jets travel from the U.S. to Europe in 10-11 hours, yet this was a little more than two decades after the Wright Brothers’ first flight. What Lindbergh accomplished made him the toast of kings, presidents, business leaders and regular people across the globe.
News of Lindbergh's feat ushered in the modern era of media-driven fame and instant celebrity status for those whose accomplishments captivate the public. Baby Boomers need only think of the Beatles' arrival on American shores in 1964, followed by their appearance on the Ed Sullivan show, to imagine what greeted Lindbergh. Or they can think back to the tragedy of John Kennedy's assassination the year before in Dallas to get a comparable sense of an event so big that all else pales in comparison. Those in that generation can all remember where they were and what they were doing when time seemed to stand still.
Aviator Charles Lindbergh services his plane, "The Spirit of St. Louis," as he prepares for his historic solo flight from New York to Paris in May, 1927.
Almost everyone who was alive in 1927 is gone now, but Lindbergh's instant fame created the template for later events like it.
Lindbergh, then 25, lived 47 more years until his death from cancer in 1974. During his lifetime, people in many U.S. localities, as well as in places in other countries, got ample opportunity to see him close up and from afar. He became a citizen of the world.
Yet, the Treasure State can make as strong a claim on Lindbergh as one of its own as any place on Earth, except three other states. They are his home state of Minnesota; Nebraska, where he learned to fly and which he saw from the air during a 1922 barnstorming tour; and Missouri, the state where St. Louis businessmen financed the plane, named for that city in gratitude, that he used for his transatlantic flight.
Lindbergh first came to Montana as a wing walker and parachute jumper with a barnstorming group, a century ago, in 1922. He and his colleagues performed at fairs in Billings and Lewistown, and he lived in the Magic City for three months. While in Billings, Lindbergh worked as mechanic, fixing car and airplane engines, at a garage owned by Bob and Edward Westover.
Charles A. Lindbergh poses with his plane "The Spirit of St. Louis" in this 1927 photo.
Then, after the 1927 New York-to-Paris flight, Lindbergh embarked on a tour to boost commercial aviation. Flying his Spirit plane, he visited all of the then 48 states. In Montana, he stopped in Butte and Helena, attracting massive crowds in both cities.
He also flew over Great Falls and Missoula, soaring over the latter city en route to his Spokane tour stop. Billings evidently remained dear in his heart because he went hundreds of miles out of his way to fly over the bustling city instead of flying a direct 66 miles from Helena to Butte.
Lindbergh visited Montana again in 1939 when war clouds were building over Europe and Asia. He was on a nationwide tour for the Army to review military aviation facilities. Flying across the Treasure State from west to east, he stopped in Missoula and Billings, where he renewed acquaintances with Bob Westover.
Charles Lindbergh, far right, with five men and women in Butte on Sept. 5, 1927, including Butte Mayor M. Kerr Beadle, third from left, and his wife, second from left; others unidentified. Three of the people wear pins on their clothing which read, "Lindbergh Reception."
Owen Smithers Butte Montana
The famed flyer made numerous under-the-radar trips to Montana from the mid-1960s on. These journeys were prompted by his desire to visit his son, Land, who with his brother Jon had purchased a western Montana ranch. Lindbergh's growing conservation advocacy resulted in his being invited to Helena in February 1972 when he spoke to delegates of Montana’s state constitutional convention. The resulting landmark constitution, ratified by Montana voters that year, contains some of the strongest conservation and environmental protection wording of any state constitution.
Lindbergh's pending arrival in Helena on Sept. 6, 1927, created a buzz equal to his reception a day earlier in Butte. Helena’s advantage was that it, as the site then of the Montana State Fair, gave him a stage that spanned the Treasure State. (The state fair moved to Great Falls in the 1930s and has been held there ever since.)
Fair officials got applause from the Independent Record for their decision to offer free admission to the fairgrounds on the afternoon of Lindbergh's visit. The flyer's visit had been widely advertised, “and for visitors at the fair not to see him would be unthinkable.” Helena’s newspaper predicted a record attendance for the opening day. After all, Paris, London and New York had greeted Lindbergh with throngs, so why shouldn't Helena and Montana show up in force?
Charles Lindbergh standing in the back seat of a convertible automobile, waving to a crowd likely at the Montana State Fair in Helena on Sept. 6, 1927. A photographer with a camera on a tripod is next to the vehicle, as is Gov. John E. Erickson.
The fair board decided to give children preference for grandstand seats on “Lindbergh Day.” Box seats and other seats required to accommodate the reception committee were set aside, and then youngsters below the age of 12 got all grandstand reserved seats. This directive followed the suggestion of Lindbergh's advance man, Milburn Kusterer, who said Lindbergh was especially eager to appear before the younger generation.
As part of Helena's hoopla, Jack Lee wrote a song titled “The Eagle of the Sea.” It was on sale, and the Lee vaudeville troop sang the tune during the program.
“Fair Opens With Seething Mass on Grounds.” That was the IR headline that greeted Lindbergh on his arrival in the capital city. A crowd estimated at more than 6,500 came to the first day of what was then the 25th annual Treasure State exposition.
Lindbergh was scheduled to arrive from Butte at the grounds at 2 p.m. on Sept. 6. Helena residents and visitors were instructed to come to the fairgrounds to see the visitor. They were warned not to gather on roads and streets leading to the airfield at the municipal golf course, or on the field itself. Lindbergh made it a condition of his appearance that the landing field be clear to avoid accidents. If that stipulation wasn't met, Lindbergh said he wouldn't land but would turn back to Butte.
When Lindbergh reached the state fairgrounds, the crowd waiting for him, more than 25,000 people, surpassed expectations. The throng was a cross-section of Montana.
Charles Lindbergh shakes hands with Henry Wright at the Montana State Fair in Helena on Sept. 6, 1927, with Gov. John E. Erickson standing next to them.
R. A. Davidson, Dundas Office Supply Co., Helena
“Civil war veterans, world war veterans, city folk and country folk from every corner of the Treasure State filled the grandstand and bleachers to overflowing and the space immediately surrounding the building was a milling mass of humanity, each endeavoring to edge closer to the stand where the hero of the day would soon appear,” the IR said.
Spectators saw a “silvery plane” approaching from the south, and murmurs of “Lindbergh” rippled through the throng. The plane momentarily disappeared, then it was spotted approaching from the east. The crowd roared as Lindbergh guided his monoplane north of the stands. He circled east, then touched down on the golf course, where Gov. John Erickson and the state’s upper echelon greeted him.
Lindbergh had circled over Helena between noon and 1 p.m., before touching down a few minutes after 2 o’clock. Another plane preceded Lindbergh to Helena; on board were managers of his tour and representatives of the state department of commerce's aeronautics bureau.
“It's Slim. It's the colonel,” one of the men in that plane said when Lindbergh's craft was spotted. As he approached Helena, it looked for a while that he might land on the “I," for Intermountain College, painted on Mount Ascension, as he skimmed tree tops on the slope. When he landed on the golf course airfield, he touched down so lightly that he hardly raised dust. He taxied to a lot enclosed by barbed wire and parked his plane there, where it was guarded by Montana National Guard troops.
"Spirit of St. Louis," a single engine monoplane, parked at the Helena Municipal Golf Course with other airplanes and crowds gathered to see it in 1927. This is the plane flown by Charles Lindbergh on the first trans-Atlantic flight.
Unidentified Photographer
Spectators had to wait a bit to see Lindbergh. Careful as always, he kept the engine running while he made a final check of his plane. People could only see a brown leather helmet inside. Lindbergh pulled down the righthand window, seeming to listen for any sign of engine trouble. Motion picture cameras were clicking, the crowd was cheering, and finally Lindbergh stopped the engine. The grass stopped rushing, and he stepped out, smoothing his hair a bit. He was first introduced to Erickson and Montana congressman Scott Leavitt, then to other dignitaries, among them former Gov. Sam Stewart and Helena Mayor Percy Whitmer. Lindbergh and others got into a large open Packard car and headed to the fairgrounds. Led by the 163rd Regimental Band, what was described as “the largest crowd ever gathered in Montana for any occasion” awaited the toast of the town.
Lindbergh spoke at a Shrine Temple banquet, where Erickson introduced him. The flyer’s address touched on his by then familiar theme that America's cities needed to embrace commercial aviation and take concrete steps to become part of what was sure to become a thriving industry.
“Some of our larger cities have their landing ports five miles or more from the center of town and it requires an hour or more to go this distance,” he said. That obstacle to efficiency needed to be remedied for commercial aviation to progress, he added.
After his hero’s welcome in Helena, Lindbergh flew over Billings, returned to Butte, vacationed at then Elbow Lake (now Lindbergh Lake), flew over Missoula and flew west to Washington state to continue the goodwill tour.
Dennis Gaub, a Glendive native, graduated from Billings West High School and earned his journalism degree from Northwestern University. A veteran Montana journalist, he now has three published books and is working on his fourth, "Lindbergh in Montana," from which this article is excerpted. Special thanks to the Montana Historical Society for providing photos for this story.
Dennis Gaub
Cathie Gaub
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2022-09-04T12:23:02Z
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helenair.com
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'It's the colonel!' Lindbergh's ties to Montana remembered on 95th anniversary of historic flight | State & Regional | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/state-and-regional/its-the-colonel-lindberghs-ties-to-montana-remembered-on-95th-anniversary-of-historic-flight/article_f28de79c-1fb7-5b8d-ad5a-79ba521935fc.html
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https://helenair.com/news/state-and-regional/its-the-colonel-lindberghs-ties-to-montana-remembered-on-95th-anniversary-of-historic-flight/article_f28de79c-1fb7-5b8d-ad5a-79ba521935fc.html
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Called the Lincoln Backcountry, in the early 1960s the U.S. Forest Service saw opportunity for timber. The agency’s plans called for carving roads to access tens of thousands of acres of saw logs — plans that drew opposition from many locals and early wildland advocates, but would provide a boon of jobs to loggers and mills. In March of 1963, bulldozers began to stage at the Indian Meadows Trailhead near Lincoln.
“It would’ve been the end of the wilderness and we would’ve lost one of the greatest treasures in America," said Rick Graetz, longtime writer and photographer of the wilderness and director of the University of Montana's Crown of the Continent & Greater Yellowstone Initiative. One plan even included a road that stretched nearly 150 miles north to Marias Pass through what is now the Bob Marshall Wilderness complex, he said.
Lincoln resident Cecil Garland worked for decades to see the 240,000-acre designation of the Scapegoat Wilderness. He pledged to protect the country he loved as one of the founders of the Lincoln Backcountry Protective Association, which caused boycotts of his store in Lincoln. Despite pressure from the timber industry, Garland and others pushed as citizen advocates and saw the land protected in 1972.
Word reached the now-late Cecil Garland, owner of a local hardware and sporting goods store. His love of the 75,000-acre Lincoln Backcountry had already led him and others to oppose the Forest Service’s plans. He picked up the phone and called Montana’s Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Battin, a call that would spark a decade of advocacy culminating 50 years ago with passage of Public Law 92-395 and permanent protections for the wild landscape.
Becky Garland, daughter of Cecil, says her father grew up in North Carolina and witnessed the degradation of the Great Smoky Mountains.
“When he got here, my dad went into the Lincoln Backcountry and completely fell in love with that,” she said. “He’d kind of seen the ruination of North Carolina and Tennessee, all the river authority dams and cutting, and he certainly didn’t want to see that in this new place he was calling home.
“He knew if the bulldozers got into the backcountry, it wasn’t right and the public needed to know.”
Bordering the Bob Marshall Wilderness to the north, the landscape was covered with vast stands of timber under highpoints such as Red Mountain, Sugarloaf Mountain and the wilderness’s namesake, Scapegoat Mountain. Waterbodies such as Webb and Heart lakes sat deep in the backcountry while winter snowpack fed water into the Blackfoot, Dearborn and Sun rivers.
“What makes the Scapegoat is that mountain itself,” Graetz said of Scapegoat Mountain, recalling camping beneath the three-mile long wall leading up toward the summit. “Those walls just soar up and every once in a while the Air Force would come over and break the sound barrier and you’d just think the whole thing would fall down. It’s just incredible.“
Scapegoat 50th celebration
A two-day celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Scapegoat Wilderness is planned for Sept. 16-17 in Lincoln.
Sponsored by groups including the Lincoln Prosperity Group, Wild Montana and the Wilderness Society, the festival aims to highlight both the place and its history, with events ranging from stories and live music in Hooper Park to backcountry hikes.
On Friday evening from 6-8 p.m., “Scapegoat Stories” will feature panelists.
Saturday offers a variety of events, including “Gateway Hikes” led by volunteers, science talks, a food and beer garden, games, skits and live music. The Wilderness Society will also premier its new documentary film “Protecting the Legacy” about history of the Scapegoat.
More information is available at https://scapegoat50.org/.
Battin would convince the Forest Service to stay road development for 10 days. Locals organized, forming the Lincoln Backcountry Protective Association. Meetings with the Forest Service for the next few years often turned raucous as lines were drawn.
“There was this incredible public hearing when the cat was out of the bag and the public finally knew of this grandiose plan in the Lincoln Backcountry,” said Bill Cunningham, longtime wilderness outfitter and advocate, who was not present but heard from many who were. “The Forest Service had to call this public meeting and 300 people showed up and they were overwhelmingly against it, but that meeting was basically a riot that went into the night. … That kind of turned the whole tide.”
Wildflowers in bloom in the Scapegoat Wilderness.
While many people were involved in the effort, Garland’s store was an easy target for the pro-logging contingent, leading to boycotts. Meanwhile, wilderness advocates would travel from nearby communities to Lincoln to shop and support the store.
“Of course it was very difficult at times,” Becky Garland said. “It was a meeting place for recreationalists and friends and locals, and even though it was difficult, my folks were really good about understanding and listening.”
Graetz recalled experiencing the divide in Lincoln as the push for the Scapegoat gained steam.
“These people thought it was going to end their livelihoods,” he said. “Montana may have been going green, but Lincoln was not going green, and I can remember the tension.”
The northern stretches of the Scapegoat Wilderness looking south from Patrol Mountain.
Montana’s Democratic Sens. Lee Metcalf and Mike Mansfield also got behind the measure. Initially the senators favored a 75,000-acre wilderness, but not to be one-upped, in 1965 backed Battin’s 240,000-acre bill. Becky Garland recalled the phone would ring and it was often a member of the congressional delegation, whom her father was on a first-name basis with.
Yet some members of Congress and Forest Service officials at the time pushed back, sensing a loss of control to the citizen upswell. Regional Forester Neal Rahm lamented the agency taking a backseat, saying, “If lines are to be drawn (for wilderness), we should be drawing them.”
In 1968 Cecil Garland testified before the U.S. Senate, telling the story of a bull elk answering his call from Red Mountain and the realization he had found wilderness. The realization also came with a premonition.
The view from atop Scapegoat Mountain, the namesake mountain of the Scapegoat Wilderness.
Photo courtesy of Rick and Susie Graetz
“But all was not at peace in my heart for I knew that someday, for some unknown reason, man would try to destroy this country as man had altered and destroyed before,” he testified. “That night I made a vow, that whatever the cost, for whatever the reason, I would do all that I could do to keep this country as wild as I had found it.”
Political wrangling kept the legislation in limbo until Aug. 20, 1972, when President Richard Nixon signed the protections into law.
The signing of the Scapegoat bill represented a monumental shift in the way land protections were done as the first citizen-led wilderness effort in the country.
A scenic view of Webb Lake in the Scapegoat Wilderness. The U.S. Congress designated the Scapegoat Wilderness in 1972 with a total of 239,936 acres.
U.S. Forest Service photo by Brandan W. Schulze
“It’s how we’ve gone about our work for the last 50 years,” said Zach Angstead, federal legislative director with Wild Montana. “It’s not just the Forest Service saying ‘This should be wilderness.’ Now it’s the people and the communities invested in the area coming together and saying it.”
Making up the southern edge of the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex, the Scapegoat provides continuity of wildlands important to both recreation and ecology. The nearly 287,000-acre Great Bear Wilderness would be designated in 1978, with the complex now totaling nearly 1.6 million acres.
“The significance of the Scapegoat went well beyond the area itself,” Cunningham said. “It’s part of a greater ecosystem and the fact it’s contiguous, it’s an integral part of the Bob Marshall complex. It magnifies the Bob in a way that I don’t think you can over-emphasize if the logging had occurred.”
For the Forest Service employees charged with managing the Scapegoat and the greater complex, it is a product of coordination aimed at meeting the legal directive of the 1964 Wilderness Act. It is a place where natural processes such as fire may shape the landscape, but the area must be monitored to ensure human impacts do not overly sacrifice its wild character.
“Stewardship is anything but hands-off,” said Rocky Mountain District Ranger Mike Munoz, when asked about the approach to managing land meant to be kept as natural as possible. His district alone has close to 60 head of horses and mules to access the remotest reaches of the complex.
A vista of the Scapegoat Wilderness.
The 50th anniversary offers a chance to reflect on the time the Scapegoat has been protected, while also understanding it as a fraction of its history.
“I see it as a significant milestone,” Munoz said. “We have this opportunity to take this legacy as a gift, and for the public officials that steward this landscape it’s an opportunity to it pass on into the future as a treasure.”
Lincoln District Ranger Rob Gump noted the uptick in outdoor recreation and the fact that places like the Scapegoat will continue to see more people.
"It's available and should be used by folks, but its value and what we want people to see are the wilderness values that it should be," he said.
As more people venture into the wilderness, that also provides an opportunity to grow more advocates, he said.
While the road was difficult and some hard feelings may still remain in Lincoln, Becky Garland hopes the 50th anniversary of the Scapegoat’s designation is an opportunity to learn and celebrate.
“I’m just tickled for 50 years, man it went fast,” she said. “For whatever reason it was just meant to be we’d have the Scapegoat Wilderness be there and part of the complex. I look at it on the map and it still makes me really happy.”
Lincoln Backcountry
Crown Of The Continent & Greater Yellowstone Initiative
Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex
U.s. Rep. Jim Battin
Becky Garland
Lincoln Backcountry Protective Association
Neal Rahm
Zach Angstead
Great Bear Wilderness
Mike Munoz
Rob Gump
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2022-09-04T14:11:21Z
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helenair.com
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Citizen wilderness: 50 years ago advocates succeeded in protecting the Scapegoat | State & Regional | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/state-and-regional/citizen-wilderness-50-years-ago-advocates-succeeded-in-protecting-the-scapegoat/article_8b79b432-cdd1-5ef1-ba0a-05a2c2ff8935.html
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Helena Police officers are on duty in this IR file photo.
Police were called to the 1800 block of 11th Avenue at 3:45 p.m. and were told two women had entered the store and one distracted staff while the other began stealing money from the cash register.
When the staff member confronted the suspect, she pushed the staff member and a struggle occurred, police said.
The staff member was able to get the money back.
The two females fled in a red mini-van with no license plates and damaged rear window, police said. The suspects have not been located. The name of the store was not included in the media briefing sent out by the Helena police.
Helena Police
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2022-09-04T19:19:53Z
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helenair.com
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Attempted robbery results in scuffle in Helena store | Local | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/local/attempted-robbery-results-in-scuffle-in-helena-store/article_fc992c3b-e0cb-5027-a030-3e0ddadb9b2b.html
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https://helenair.com/news/local/attempted-robbery-results-in-scuffle-in-helena-store/article_fc992c3b-e0cb-5027-a030-3e0ddadb9b2b.html
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The Murray fire was reported at 6:53 a.m. and by 1:05 p.m. had burned 55 acres.
A fire started Monday morning northwest of Helena between Drummond and Helmville, officials said, adding it was posing access issues.
The Murray fire was reported at 6:53 a.m. and by 1:05 p.m. had burned 55 acres, according to mtfireinfo.org. There was no containment reported nor had the cause of the blaze been determined.
“… it’s burning pretty good,” Lincoln Volunteer Fire Rescue posted on its Facebook page. “It's in some rough country and there will be a lot of aircraft on it as it's not accessible by fire rigs. It will be quite visible.
They said the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation was handling
According to mtfireinfo.org, there are now 59 active fires burning in Montana and there have been 1,703 fires so far this year. Twenty of them started this week and 79,276 acres have burned overall.
There were 717 fires, or 48%, caused by humans; there were 406, or 31% that were natural and 305, or 21%, that remain of undetermined cause.
Lincoln Volunteer Fire Rescue
Wildfire prompts evacuations near Canyon Ferry Dam
The Lewis and Clark County Sheriff's Office reported evacuations were occurring as of 11:30 p.m.
Volunteer fire departments knock down Birdseye wildfire
A wildfire that torched about 3 acres in the Birdseye area near Helena Tuesday afternoon is contained, according to Birdseye Volunteer Fire Chief Kyle Sturgill-Simon.
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2022-09-05T21:19:51Z
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helenair.com
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Fire reported Monday northwest of Helena near Helmville | Local | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/local/fire-reported-monday-northwest-of-helena-near-helmville/article_6e4b5cb0-d446-58b6-862d-f898e5092a3c.html
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https://helenair.com/news/local/fire-reported-monday-northwest-of-helena-near-helmville/article_6e4b5cb0-d446-58b6-862d-f898e5092a3c.html
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Montana VA will have a virtual female veterans town hall at 5 p.m. Friday.
To join the conversation, veterans can call 833-560-2071 or livestream the town hall at www.access.live/MontanaVAWomenVets or from Montana VA’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/VAMontana).
The town hall will spotlight all the services available to Montana’s women veterans and provide a chance to ask questions, MTVAHCS Executive Director Dr. Judy Hayman said in an email.
Montana VA serves more than 4,000 female veterans. Each Montana VA primary care provider has national credentials specifically to provide women’s health care, and Montana VA has programs specifically to support female veterans.
The town hall will provide an overview of health care services and resources, including information on reproductive and fertility services, breast and cervical cancer screenings, services for survivors of military sexual assault and intimate partner violence, and resources and services for transgender veterans.
Montana VA serves over 47,000 enrolled veterans across Montana with a staff of 1,400 at 18 sites of care statewide.
Montana VA information, updates, and events are available on the Montana VA website (https://www.va.gov/montana-health-care) and Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/VAMontana).
Montana Va
PACT Act clears Senate
Over the last week, Montana U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, who heads the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, was one of the most vocal backers of the legislation.
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2022-09-07T01:25:51Z
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helenair.com
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Montana VA to host online female veterans town hall Friday | Local | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/local/montana-va-to-host-online-female-veterans-town-hall-friday/article_baace79a-cc17-57a1-803e-b4b0107ad8a3.html
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https://helenair.com/news/local/montana-va-to-host-online-female-veterans-town-hall-friday/article_baace79a-cc17-57a1-803e-b4b0107ad8a3.html
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St. Peter's Health announced Tuesday it purchased Creative Horizons Learning Center, a Helena child care center at 3430 Ptarmigan Lane.
St. Peter's Health said Tuesday it has purchased Creative Horizons Learning Center, a Helena child care facility, to expand its operations and to help more employees in need of child care.
The center is at 3430 Ptarmagin Lane, near the health system's North Clinic and Physical Rehabilitation North Clinic. The purchase price was not disclosed.
The early childhood learning and development center will be called Peter’s Place North, and all 17 of the former Creative Horizons staff members were invited to continue to work at this location.
St. Peter’s said it “welcomed” all 55 children now receiving care at Creative Horizons to attend Pete’s Place until they are old enough to attend kindergarten. This fall, the health system intends to open more classrooms at the new facility after renovations are complete, opening 45 child care spots for its employees.
Outgoing Creative Horizons Learning Center owner Ann Lynch selected St. Peter's to assume ownership of her center upon retirement after a 35-year career serving area families.
She said St. Peter’s shared her priority to continue her legacy of offering high-quality child care.
"The similarities between Pete's Place and Creative Horizons make this a natural transition, and I couldn't be more pleased with how they're taking care of my families and staff," Lynch said in a news release.
Hospital officials said they are also talking with its board of directors and local contractors about an expansion of Pete’s Place, the existing on-campus child care facility, and said St. Peter's was recently awarded $1 million from the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) for Phase 1 of its proposed expansion of its existing Pete’s Place.
A 2021 Harvard Business Review survey of 2,500 working parents found that 20% had to leave work or reduce their work hours solely due to a lack of child care.
St. Peter’s CEO Wade Johnson said St. Peter’s is making a strategic decision to invest in child care for many reasons, most notably to improve the health and well-being of its 1,700 staff and the greater Helena community.
"We know from listening to our team members that access to high quality child care is a challenge in our community, and St. Peter’s is committed to being part of the solution,” he said in a news release.
“Not only will expanding child care options help us recruit and retain staff, the peace of mind we can offer because our employees know their children are safe and well cared for is very important to us as a people-first organization,” he said.
St. Peter's has operated the on-site, employee-only child care center on its main campus near the Regional Medical Center since 1986.
Officials said they will provide more information on future expansion once they determine a final project scope and time frame.
Johnson said by expanding Creative Horizons and investing in Pete’s Place, St. Peter’s was not only addressing the needs of its employees, but also increasing the availability of child care at other community-based providers as St. Pete’s staff transfers their care.
“Many of our employees have spouses who work for other organizations locally, or who might even consider going back to work if quality child care was available,” he said.
“We see this as a positive for our staff and our community in terms of addressing both the child care and workforce shortages.”
Creative Horizons and Pete's Place both participate in the DPHHS Stars to Quality Program, a quality-rating improvement system that supports early childhood education programs. St. Peter’s also recently began leading the local Early Childhood Coalition, which is focused on addressing early childhood programming in Lewis and Clark County.
St. Peter's Heallth
Creative Horizons Learning Center
State Department Of Public Health And Human Services
Wade Johnson
Ann Lynch
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2022-09-07T01:26:03Z
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helenair.com
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St. Peter's increases child care capacity with purchase of Creative Horizons | Local | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/local/st-peters-increases-child-care-capacity-with-purchase-of-creative-horizons/article_e9fca48f-669d-59cf-b28f-6f920d74d36c.html
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https://helenair.com/news/local/st-peters-increases-child-care-capacity-with-purchase-of-creative-horizons/article_e9fca48f-669d-59cf-b28f-6f920d74d36c.html
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The Arrastra fire is burning on the west end of the Lincoln Ranger District in the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest.
The National Forest reported on social media that the Arrastra fire northwest of Helena was initially called in at 1.5 acres. The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation estimated the size at 10 acres as of 5:50 p.m.
The cause has yet to be determined, and there is no estimate for the percentage of containment.
Eight aircraft, four engines and one initial attack crew are responding, the National Forest reported.
“The fire is highly visible from Highway 200,” the National Forest said in a statement. “Please avoid the area if possible to make space for fire personnel responding.”
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2022-09-07T01:26:09Z
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helenair.com
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Wildfire reported on Lincoln Ranger District northwest of Helena | Local | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/local/wildfire-reported-on-lincoln-ranger-district-northwest-of-helena/article_49be8372-65c0-5cbd-a31a-cd042a13adbe.html
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https://helenair.com/news/local/wildfire-reported-on-lincoln-ranger-district-northwest-of-helena/article_49be8372-65c0-5cbd-a31a-cd042a13adbe.html
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Bill D’Alton poses for a portrait at his office in Billings on Sept. 1.
BILLINGS — Bill D'Alton has not raised a dime in his bid for the Montana Supreme Court, but that's intentional.
This election cycle, candidates squaring off in the premiere state Supreme Court race — which isn't D'Alton's contest — have raised more than a quarter million dollars and outside spending has pushed well past six figures. But the general practice attorney sees money in judicial races as a problem, not an asset, he said in a recent interview at his westside Billings law firm.
"I'm not taking a dime," D'Alton said. "Why do people give money? Because they want something. I don't think that's good for the judicial system."
Without statewide recognition or a campaign war chest, D'Alton has a big hurdle this election in overcoming incumbent Jim Rice, the state Supreme Court's longest-serving justice. Neither Rice nor his challenger made a splash of their campaigns in the primary; with only two candidates, both were securely set to advance to the general election.
Labor Day is seen as the unofficial kickoff for campaigns to ramp up for the general election in November. As of late August, D'Alton, 59, had so far worn down his shoe leather in knocking doors in Billings, but plans to touch down in Missoula, Great Falls and Helena in the near future.
D'Alton said abortion access is "by far" the No. 1 issue raised by people he's met at their doorsteps. While judicial candidates are barred from commenting on how they would rule on a case, D'Alton said last week the state Supreme Court's precedent preserving abortion access "is the law."
D'Alton filed for the office the day before the deadline in the nonpartisan race. He saw Rice had no challenger in his re-election bid and, at least in part, wanted to ensure voters had a choice.
But D'Alton said his candidacy isn't just a formality.
"I thought I could just bring a different view to how to judge cases up there rather than the view of certain justices now," D'Alton said. "I'm not going to sit here and criticize them. I'm not going to do that. It's just my philosophy would be different in protecting the rights of Montanans coming from a private practice."
D'Alton has been practicing law in Montana for 27 years and has kept some of the same clients for decades. His current cases includes employment disputes, age discrimination, estates, and a couple DUIs. Originally from Connecticut, his first courtroom experience came as a public defender in Yellowstone County in the '90s, before moving into civil practice and later opening his own firm in 2008.
D'Alton said he would push for better access to courts, which means advocating for more funding for more judges to process the docket that is spilling over in cities like Billings. He would also support eliminating immunity exemptions for police, prosecutors and public officials that he believes stops individuals from seeking accountability in areas like wrongful incarcerations.
Along with refusing money for his campaign, D'Alton's pitch to potential voters includes another pledge: If elected, he would only sit on the bench for one eight-year term. He thinks it would be healthy to see some new thinking on the court every eight years and does not believe a court with such turnover would be any more inclined to disregard precedent.
"I think if you're following the law, and you get the facts, the precedent is gonna stay safe and solid, if it's strong," he said.
On the matter of precedent, abortion access has the potential to be a driving factor in this year's midterms, and Montana's Supreme Court races are no exception.
While federal protections to abortion access were overturned with the U.S. Supreme Court's Dobbs decision earlier this year, Montana's 1999 decision by the state Supreme Court known as Armstrong provided a sturdier protection under the state Constitution's right to privacy. The ruling is currently being challenged in the state's Supreme Court by Republican officials.
D'Alton, adhering to the Judicial Code of Conduct's rules barring candidates from commenting on how they may rule on any topic that may come before them, declined to say how he would decide in the case before the Montana Supreme Court. He did, however, offer his thoughts on the standing precedent.
"Armstrong is the law," he said. "… So that is staying until something changes. I mean, I think (opponents to abortion access) would have to undo the Montana Constitution.
"But with that said, will I be up there and listen to the arguments objectively? Sure I will," he added. "But we do have the Armstrong precedent."
As the summer heat gives way to fall, the political implications of the other Supreme Court race, in which Justice Ingrid Gustafson seeks to fend off Republican Public Service Commission president James Brown, will likely continue to draw more attention than D'Alton's bid against Rice.
D'Alton claimed 59,000 votes in the June primary to Rice's 181,000. Nearly 15,000 people who cast votes in the Gustafson-Brown race didn't even check a box in the Rice-D'Alton race.
But D'Alton said his campaign is just getting into mid-season form. Without fundraising, he has loaned his efforts more than $3,000, and one of two videos posted to Youtube this week had garnered more than 27,000 views.
"We can do a lot on social media without a lot of money," he said. "I'm just out there meeting people, knocking on doors, going door to door. It's tough work, but people appreciate it. So hopefully word of mouth just keeps going and going and going."
Bill D'alton
Supreme Court Election
Montana Armstrong
Montana 2022 Election
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2022-09-07T01:26:16Z
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helenair.com
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Billings attorney says SupCo bid aims to bring 'different view' | 406 Politics | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/billings-attorney-says-supco-bid-aims-to-bring-different-view/article_90be62b2-59ba-5c15-97d0-9693be56ff6e.html
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GUY ALSENTZER
Clean water and healthy landscapes are the lifeblood of southwest Montana. Water flows through our wetlands, creeks, reservoirs and rivers, providing drinking water for Montanans and critical habitat for wild trout and arctic grayling. Vibrant, healthy public lands and forests also protect wildlife, support rural traditions, and maintain our way of life. These natural amenities are the backbone of our local economies and should be protected as such.
Unfortunately, southwest Montana’s public lands and waters may now be under greater threat of industrial oil and gas development. That’s because there are stipulations in the new Inflation Reduction Act requiring the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to hold quarterly oil and gas lease sales and offer huge amounts of public lands for leasing each year. In southwest Montana – where nearly 90% of public lands across the Big Hole, Beaverhead and Centennial valleys are currently open to leasing despite the area largely having little to no potential for oil and gas production – this means putting our public lands at harmful and unnecessary risk, unless important steps are taken to protect this treasured landscape.
Speculative leasing in southwest Montana isn’t an abstract threat. Oil and gas companies have nominated thousands of acres in both the Big Hole and Beaverhead watersheds which were temporarily deferred only after public outcry. And corporate speculators have still managed to lock up leases in the Tendoy Mountains.
The Tendoys are critical winter range habitat and a migratory corridor for elk, mule deer and bighorn sheep. The Tendoy feeder streams and wetlands fill our rivers and recharge groundwater, providing vital habitat for the native Westslope Cutthroat. If built out, a Tendoy lease could produce thousands of gallons of toxic and contaminated wastewater, polluting finite water resources and threatening the area’s sensitive wildlife.
The Tendoy lease is a prime example of how the broken oil and gas leasing system leaves valuable southwest Montana landscapes vulnerable to nonsensical industrial development. Even when leases are not developed, public lands are still prevented from being managed for other valuable uses, like outdoor recreation and wildlife habitat.
Public land management should match the values of our landscapes and those who depend on it, yet the current BLM plan for the area, known as a Resource Management Plan (RMP), fails to do so. The outdated 2006 RMP for southwest Montana still permits and encourages oil and gas leasing in some of our most treasured watersheds, preventing the BLM from responsibly managing public resources for the community's benefit.
Let’s look at the facts. Hunting and angling in Beaverhead County generates over $167 million in local economic activity and supports over 1,400 jobs. It is also home to nearly 500 family farms and ranching businesses, which generated $147 million in revenue just last year. Hunting, fishing, farming and ranching are bedrock traditions of our communities.
Yet today, the scale is tipped towards incentivizing oil and gas development. Recently, BLM began updating its management strategies to identify where leasing on public lands no longer makes sense. BLM should do so again in southwest Montana. Fortunately, there is already broad support from local businesses and community members for the BLM to better protect these landscapes, water, and existing uses. A coalition of concerned citizens, landowners, small businesses, and watershed and conservation groups sent a letter to the Bureau seeking needed updates, but so far the BLM has failed to act.
With the recent mandate of even more oil and gas leasing to occur on our public lands over the next decade, it’s more critical now than ever to protect our state’s iconic wild places. It’s time for the BLM and Montana’s State Director to revisit outdated and inadequate management plans in Montana to better protect our water resources, lands, wildlife, and special places for current and future generations.
Guy Alsentzer, executive director of Upper Missouri Waterkeeper, can be reached at 406-570-2202. Upper Missouri Waterkeeper is dedicated to protecting and improving fishable, swimmable, drinkable water throughout the 25,000 square miles of Montana’s Upper Missouri River Basin.
Southwest Montana
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2022-09-07T14:49:42Z
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helenair.com
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Guy Alsentzer: Oil and water don't mix in SW Montana | Columnists | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/opinion/columnists/guy-alsentzer-oil-and-water-dont-mix-in-sw-montana/article_35ea3a56-4d78-59e4-b7d0-aa62c8f432fa.html
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https://helenair.com/opinion/columnists/guy-alsentzer-oil-and-water-dont-mix-in-sw-montana/article_35ea3a56-4d78-59e4-b7d0-aa62c8f432fa.html
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I was pleased to see Bob Pyfer's excellent discussion of the values that come to bear in any discussion of abortion. He points out that there is no resolution to the question of which value, divinity of human life, or the importance and obligation of people to make their own reproductive decisions, is the greater, and should be codified into law. He points out the futility of trying to resolve a value judgement by political means.
Perhaps the question of whether man is essentially a mystical entity or mainly a biological one is similarly hard to resolve. As a physician who spent a whole career in Helena, delivered many babies, and still maintains an active interest in the biology of how all this happens; I say that we are a biological entity. Arthur T. Hertig and John Rock are two pioneering human embryologists who wrote in the 1950s and '60s. They estimated, and it was later confirmed, that only one in three fertilized human ova that implants in the uterine lining grows into mid-pregnancy. More are lost later, so you can say that Mother Nature already aborts about three-fourths of pregnancies. She is brutal, but maybe it is necessary. Between my birth, and if I live long, my death, the human race will quadruple in size. That has never happened before and cannot happen again. Can you imagine this planet with 32 billion people?
In a better world, perhaps there would be no unwanted pregnancies, but if there are, the people involved should decide the outcome.
James W. Crichton, M.D.,
James W. Crichton
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2022-09-07T17:56:36Z
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helenair.com
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Those involved in unwanted pregnancies should decide the outcome | Letters | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/opinion/letters/those-involved-in-unwanted-pregnancies-should-decide-the-outcome/article_b46fdd9f-4fcc-5378-a390-5cc4078aa28f.html
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https://helenair.com/opinion/letters/those-involved-in-unwanted-pregnancies-should-decide-the-outcome/article_b46fdd9f-4fcc-5378-a390-5cc4078aa28f.html
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The driver of the truck that struck and killed a 10-year-old Helena girl on Canyon Ferry Road in June has been charged with misdemeanor careless driving involving death or serious injury.
The Lewis and Clark County Attorney's Office filed the complaint against Brian Lane Robo Tuesday in Lewis and Clark County Justice Court. The defendant's age and town of residence were not immediately available.
On June 9 around 4:50 p.m., emergency responders were dispatched to the intersection of Canyon Ferry Road and Bannack Drive for a report of a vehicle crash.
A witness told authorities that a girl identified as 10-year-old Addalyn Rose Selvig was riding her bike with a peer in the area at the time. The two children stopped on the left side of Bannack Drive and stood in a ditch to allow a vehicle to make a left turn off Canyon Ferry Road, according to court reports.
The witness stated another vehicle was approaching the turning vehicle at a high speed. This vehicle avoided hitting the turning vehicle by entering the ditch where the children were standing with their bikes. The vehicle struck Selvig but missed the other child, who let go of his bike to move.
Robo did not appear to be under the influence of any intoxicants, and he consented to having his blood drawn, said officials. Toxicology tests conducted by the Montana State Crime Laboratory confirmed that Robo was not under the influence of any drugs or alcohol. The investigation confirmed that Robo was not using his phone prior to or during the accident, nor was he speeding, stated authorities.
The investigation concluded that Robo didn’t operate his vehicle in a careful manner because he didn’t stop far enough away from the car in front of him.
“Because of his inattentiveness, (Robo) had insufficient time to react to changes in the course and speed of travel of other vehicles on the road,” a trooper wrote in court documents. “Because (Robo) did not maintain sufficient distance, he was unable to stop his vehicle safely and caused the death of the 10-year-old girl.”
Canyon Ferry Road
Brian Lane Robo
County seeks state speed limit review of Canyon Ferry Road
Lewis and Clark County commissioners have requested the Montana Department of Transportation do a traffic evaluation and speed study, citing the recent traffic fatality of a 10-year-old girl.
How to help family of Helena girl fatally struck by truck
Donation accounts have been set up to aid the family of Addalyn Rose Selvig, the 10-year-old Helena girl who died June 9 when a pickup truck s…
More details released in crash that killed Helena girl, 10
The Montana Highway Patrol released more details Saturday on the crash that killed a 10-year-old Helena girl when she was hit by a truck as sh…
Officials identify Helena girl struck and killed along Canyon Ferry Road
Officials released the name of the 10-year-old Helena girl who was struck and killed by a vehicle Thursday along Canyon Ferry Road.
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2022-09-07T23:18:10Z
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helenair.com
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Driver charged in death of Helena girl struck by truck in June | Crime & Courts | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/driver-charged-in-death-of-helena-girl-struck-by-truck-in-june/article_975f3870-9436-5aa3-b9b4-c5deaf2de450.html
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https://helenair.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/driver-charged-in-death-of-helena-girl-struck-by-truck-in-june/article_975f3870-9436-5aa3-b9b4-c5deaf2de450.html
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The Ursus fire is burning on the south side of Rapid Creek at the base of Ursus Hill.
Two fires northwest of Helena showed little growth Wednesday, and officials said a lightning-caused fire in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area reported Aug. 25 is now at more than 1,800 acres.
The Ursus fire is burning on the south side of Rapid Creek at the base of Ursus Hill, about 1.5 miles up the Rapid Creek drainage. The fire is on the Spotted Bear Ranger District, the U.S. Forest Service said on Facebook.
Officials said fire activity picked up significantly during the afternoon of Sept. 5. An Infrared Mapping flight reported it at 23 acres at 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 5. By 6 p.m., the fire was estimated at 1,580 acres.
An Infrared Mapping flight estimated the fire at 1,824 acres at 2:43 p.m. on Sept. 6, the U.S. Forest Service said. It is spreading to the east; it has crossed the Continental Divide near Observation Pass and a few spots have been observed on Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest.
The Ursus fire has reached the 2012 Elbow Pass burn scar, which should act as a buffer to slow the spread, fire officials said.
The Spotted Bear Ranger District will implement a strategy to protect the Danaher and Basin Administrative Cabin sites, and to prevent the spread.
Personnel were placed into the area on Sept. 2 and were joined by two smokejumpers from Missoula on Sept. 6. They have begun structure protection operations by installing sprinklers and wrapping buildings at the Danaher Administrative Site.
Work progresses on fighting the Murray fire southwest of Helmville.
Elsewhere, the Murray fire 12 miles southwest of Helmville remained at 53 acres, while the Arrastra fire a few miles northeast was listed at 10.5 acres.
The Murray fire, under the command of the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, was reported 6 a.m. Monday.
Officials said firefighters worked with local landowners to improve access for crews and heavy equipment to the fire. Aviation resources worked with smokejumpers and a hotshot crew to establish control lines.
The Arrastra fire, on the west end of the Lincoln Ranger District in the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest, was reported 2:55 p.m. Tuesday.
The fire is burning in dead and down timber north of Helmville by Trapper Mountain. Seven DNRC and U.S. Forest Service engines and two USFS hand crew modules are committed to the fire. No structures are threatened at this time but there are structures within 1 mile of the fire.
The cause of both fires has yet to be determined.
Spotted Bear Ranger District
Arrastra
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2022-09-08T01:37:06Z
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helenair.com
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Ursus fire roars through Bob Marshall Wilderness in Spotted Bear Ranger District | Local | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/local/ursus-fire-roars-through-bob-marshall-wilderness-in-spotted-bear-ranger-district/article_14991086-4917-5ce7-a4af-768059de1ef8.html
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https://helenair.com/news/local/ursus-fire-roars-through-bob-marshall-wilderness-in-spotted-bear-ranger-district/article_14991086-4917-5ce7-a4af-768059de1ef8.html
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‘East of the East Side’: Tony Leskovar’s journey from peasant to concert bassoonist in Paris and Butte
Tony Leskovar with bassoon, Zubick photographer, circa 1965, Butte
"East of the East Side" book cover
Tony Leskovar in his band uniform, his wife Annie, his sister-in-law Anna, and his sons Eddy and Babe, 1924 at the Columbia Gardens for a Butte Mines Band concert.
Butte Symphony program page, Tony Leskovar, 1922
Tony Leskovar, conductor of the Butte Symphony, 1921
At the age of 16, Slovenian peasant Anton "Tony" Leskovar left his rural Austrian family farm in Ptujska Gora, and struck out for the nearby city of Ljubljana 80 miles away– his heart set on studying music. The year was 1903.
The youngest of three surviving children, he’d fallen in love with music, playing harmonica at the local Catholic church.
His musical quest would take him to the heart of some of the world’s hot spots as history unfolded.
Tony, it seems, had a knack for landing on his feet.
His story and his adventures on the way to Butte, America, are captured in "East of the East Side" Christy Leskovar’s latest nonfiction book tracing her family’s history.
She will be speaking and sharing excerpts from her book:
6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 21, at Boulder Library;
4:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept.22, at the Montana Historical Society; and
1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, at East Helena Library.
An engineer by training, Leskovar abandoned her career shortly after writing her first book, “One Night in a Bad Inn,” that she published in 2007. She also wrote a follow-up book, “Finding the Bad Inn.”
She became fascinated with uncovering her family’s genealogy and history, and in her latest book has meticulously recreated her grandfather Tony’s life.
When Tony struck out to follow his passion for music, he quickly found work at a cooperative store and earned enough money to pay his tuition at a state music conservatory, where he earned a certificate in music.
Ljubljana was one of the centers of music in the Austro-Hungarian Empire and classical musicians were treated like pop stars now, said Leskovar in a phone interview from her home in Las Vegas.
Everything was looking up in Tony’s career. After the Ljubljana orchestra he performed with disbanded, he headed to Zurich and Paris, playing in the opera house orchestras.
It was a glorious time to be a young, talented musician in Paris in 1914. The city was a vibrant international hub of culture.
That was until the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, and Austria declared war on Serbia in retaliation.
Suddenly, Tony is a military-age man stuck behind enemy lines having to flee Paris, at a time when all bank accounts were frozen.
“Tony’s really in a pickle,” said Leskovar. “He would smoke cigarettes to quell his appetite because he didn’t have any money for food. It got pretty bad.
“He’s being questioned by the French police.
Somewhere along the way, a Swiss opera singer helped him and he made his way to Bordeaux and caught a ship to the United States.
He arrived with five francs, or $1 in his pocket.
“He starts getting musical gigs right away,” said Leskovar.
Through a series of adventures and lucky breaks, he eventually makes his way to Helena, where he is working for an orchestra accompanying silent movies.
From there, he’s recruited for the Smelter Band in East Helena. And yes, there really was a Smelter Band in East Helena.
“There is a lot of Helena and East Helena history in the book,” said Leskovar, and her relatives are at the heart of it.
Soon after arriving in the area, Tony will cross paths with Joe and Caroline Lozar, his future in-laws, and their spitfire daughter, Annie. She grows up to be a formidable young woman – raised in the Lozars’ East Helena saloon, the old Rock Hut, which was a haven for rough-and-ready smeltermen.
The erudite Tony, used to the finer life in Paris, must have had to be quick to adapt to his ever-changing landscape and job options once he landed in Montana.
He will later be recruited to join the symphony orchestra in Butte.
Into the rough-and-tumble mix of living in the wild west, fellow Slovenian Joe Lozar suddenly gets gold fever, although he already has a thriving saloon and grocery business in East Helena.
Lozar will wind up going up against one of the most powerful men in Montana politics, John S. Neill, who ran the Helena Independent newspaper and was the bagman for Copper King William Andrews Clark in Clark’s efforts to buy off the Montana legislature.
Lozar sues Neill, accusing him of claim jumping on one of Lozar’s mining claims.
In other words, Leskovar’s relatives have landed themselves feet first in the thick of some of Montana’s hottest and most contentious history.
Leskovar will talk about a lot of Helena and East Helena history that she stumbled upon while writing her family’s history.
“Helena has some great stories,” she said, but regrettably they’re not that well known.
The book is a true story, she said. She included an extraordinary amount of family and historical detail to set the story in a cultural and historical context.
And she put an extraordinary amount of effort into tracking down her family’s story – traveling to Slovenia, Vienna, Helena and Butte and devoting eight years to the enterprise.
“I want you to get to know the people, but also what it was like to live back then.”
What: Christy Leskovar author talk: ‘East of the East Side’
When and Where: 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 21, at Boulder Community Library, 202 S. Main St., Boulder
When and Where: 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22, at the Montana Historical Society, 225 N. Roberts St., Helena.
1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, at East Helena Library, 16 E. Main St., East Helena.
Tony Leskovar
Joe Lozar
John S. Neill
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2022-09-08T15:00:48Z
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helenair.com
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‘East of the East Side’: Tony Leskovar’s journey from peasant to concert bassoonist in Paris and Butte | Local | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/local/east-of-the-east-side-tony-leskovar-s-journey-from-peasant-to-concert-bassoonist-in/article_c3e1d837-8463-5cb5-8974-bee2459d9d64.html
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https://helenair.com/news/local/east-of-the-east-side-tony-leskovar-s-journey-from-peasant-to-concert-bassoonist-in/article_c3e1d837-8463-5cb5-8974-bee2459d9d64.html
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Jadin Van Steenvort, behavior health specialist for St. Peter's Health, poses for a photo with the hospital's crisis response team vehicle.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
St. Peter’s Health Mobile Crisis Response Team (MCRT) has been making strides in the Helena community, responding to about 650 mental health emergency calls since it was created in November 2020.
“There’s multiple reasons we’re important. One of the things we’ve done is we’ve helped educate our law enforcement on mental health and how to interact with mental health,” said Jadin VanSteenvort, behavioral health specialist and member of the MCRT. “Our law enforcement has always been really good about that, but they’ve gotten way better in these last two years since we started this program. We all made sure after wherever we go and whatever we do, we talk with the officers about what’s going on and what we’re looking at. We’re not ever expecting (law enforcement) to do our job, but the more they know about what they’re looking for, the more they know when to call us in.”
MCRT partners with officers and deputies, and the team is called in when needed after a location is secured by first responders. VanSteenvort noted how they can be called for assistance by EMTs, the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff's Office, the Helena Police Department and the East Helena Police Department.
Lewis and Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton noted the impact MCRT has had on his department.
“Peace officers are not licensed psychologists. There’s an issue of mental health emergencies or people in crisis rising in our state,” said Dutton. “The crisis response team improves the quality of life for people with mental illness and for peace officers.”
Dutton noted the sheriff's office receives a crisis intervention team (CIT) class, which is a 40-hour course. The Helena Police Department (HPD) goes through this course as well, said HPD Lt. Randy Ranalli. This course focuses mainly on de-escalation. There are also smaller courses related to that subject that law enforcement can take.
“There was something missing before MCRT,” said Dutton. “The system of mental health care continuum shows that the emergency room and jail are the worst places for people struggling with mental health crises. I have high praise for the emergency room, but it is the most expensive option.”
MCRT is working to destigmatize the perception around mental health care and receiving help in general.
“One of the main focuses of the mobile crisis unit is that we are able to assist and help the patient in the community, preventing the patient from coming to the hospital if it is not really necessary,” said Gianluca Piscarelli, director of behavioral health at St. Peter’s Health. “At the same time, we’re trying to decriminalize mental health so the stigma of having a person seen as a criminal because law enforcement is responding to the call even though they are not a criminal. It’s just mental health, so having the mobile crisis unit helping, preventing them from getting in the police car and preventing them from being escorted to the hospital is our main goal.”
The MCRT has three fully operational members and another starting this month.
“We go through a month of training where we do hospital training for a week, and then three weeks of shadowing, ride-alongs and help in the emergency room,” said VanSteenvort.
The MCRT works in 12-hour shifts with half an hour overlaps to brief the new shift member. The team will soon have two members splitting their weekly shifts for nights and two members splitting their weekly shifts for days.
No two days are alike on their shifts. Some days they’re helping people find housing. Some days they’re in the heart of a mental health crisis.
“I’ve been called to a scene a few times where people are survivors of someone who has died by suicide, and I’ve sat with the survivors for as long as they need -- two, three, four hours at times,” said VanSteenvort. “I help that person process what they just went through. In that situation, I know the fact that (CRT) was there and present and helped that person take a really bad day, and it’s traumatic, but making it not as lasting traumatic.”
Helena’s MCRT is funded by a $400,000 Lewis and Clark County grant, according to previous KTVH reporting. At the end of the year, the grant funds will be up.
“We will for sure be funded till the end of the year, and then of course, we are open to the fund being renewed, but it is a little bit uncertain. We won’t know until December,” said Piscarelli. “(Needing funding) isn’t an anomaly. Every program funded by grants is renewable, but it will need some discussion.”
While the future of the program is uncertain, St. Peter’s Health is looking for ways to keep this program around in the Helena community.
“We are proud to provide this important service in response to a critical community need, and we continue to seek sustainable funding sources for the program," said Katie Gallagher, a spokesperson for St. Peter’s Health.
St. Peter’s isn’t the only one hoping the MCRT program is sustained.
“We need more mental health funding. I think CRT is a blessing, and I hope it continues,” said Dutton.
"Mental health is a very important and very difficult topic to deal with Montana being rural and smaller with not as many resources," said Ranalli. "The impact (of MCRT) on a numbers basis I don't know, but the impact of the program has been within the community and for our department getting people lifelines and freeing up our officers to handle other types of calls for services. It is an important service. It takes a community to support mental health."
To learn more about St. Peter’s Health Mobile Crisis Response Team, go to YouTube.com and search "Mobile Crisis Response Team St. Peter's Health."
“Our focus has really been to be able to provide the right type of mental health care at the right place and at the right time,” said Gallagher. “The mobile crisis response team is one piece of the puzzle when you look at the entire spectrum of mental health care at St. Pete's.”
Gallagher went on to list other pieces of the puzzle that create the full picture of St. Peter’s mental health care services. At the preventive stage, she said primary care offices use depression screening tools called PHQ9s. There are behavioral health professionals located in the building of the primary care center for people who do score high on a PHQ9. There’s also a psychiatry department to provide in-patient care for mental health if needed.
“It's OK to ask for help when you need help because everyone has those days when they need a little extra,” said VanSteenvort. “(MCRT) is happy to facilitate talking to and connecting people to therapists in the community, so it doesn’t have to be a huge crisis for us to help people.”
Mobile Crisis Response Team
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2022-09-08T15:00:55Z
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helenair.com
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Helena's Mobile Crisis Response Team working to 'decriminalize' mental health response | Local | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/local/helenas-mobile-crisis-response-team-working-to-decriminalize-mental-health-response/article_ffb8f7c0-c65f-562d-819f-e1792f85f943.html
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https://helenair.com/news/local/helenas-mobile-crisis-response-team-working-to-decriminalize-mental-health-response/article_ffb8f7c0-c65f-562d-819f-e1792f85f943.html
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We are faced with important decisions in November as to who will represent us in various government institutions. The ONLY WAY we can project our core values forward is through our elected representatives.
One of the most important political races in this state is for a seat on the Montana Supreme Court - incumbent Ingrid Guftason versus James Brown. Jim is a clear conservative choice. I have personally known Jim Brown for 10-plus years. He is a fourth-generation Montanan and practicing attorney in Montana for 17 years, representing farmers, ranchers and small businesses around the state, i.e. he is a “grass roots” Montanan. Jim stands for those foundational values our country and state were built on, a Constitutionalist who believes in the law as it was written and not a convenient interpretation. He is also a strong defender of the Second Amendment and law enforcement.
Jim is the sitting president of the PSC; he oversees our energy policy, manages 31 people and a $5 million budget. His background gives him both the micro and a macro vision necessary to serve ALL Montanans.
Please join me in voting for James Brown.
Doug Tapper,
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2022-09-08T15:01:16Z
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helenair.com
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James Brown is a clear conservative choice | Letters | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/opinion/letters/james-brown-is-a-clear-conservative-choice/article_7ef2ed19-ce15-5202-a584-6bb2798f45a9.html
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https://helenair.com/opinion/letters/james-brown-is-a-clear-conservative-choice/article_7ef2ed19-ce15-5202-a584-6bb2798f45a9.html
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In the early 1960s American automobile manufacturers confronted a challenge to their market share. Small, economic and less expensive vehicles arrived from Germany, Italy, France and Japan. The Big Three automakers pushed back, first by encouraging consumers to “Buy American,” then by reminding consumers to remain loyal to the proven brands. They ignored consumer preferences for smaller, fuel efficient vehicles. Despite calls for loyalty the failure of the automotive industry to respond resulted in massive market share losses. Loyalty to the brand only works if the brand is responsive to consumer demand.
The same is true in politics. Political parties can appeal to voter loyalty but if the party is out of step with voter issues, calls for loyalty will not produce votes.
The Montana Republican Party is facing this dilemma this election cycle. They are talking about issues which are not reflective of voter opinions and are offering candidates who have no expertise to successfully fill the offices they are running for. They are saying: “Be Loyal to the Brand.”
Look at just one example, the race for the PSC’s Fifth District, which includes Helena and Kalispell. Most people don’t know all of the nuances of what the PSC does. The PSC regulates public utility rates where the entity has a monopoly to assure that the public is treated fairly in acquiring essential services and the utility can continue to provide the needed service.
The Democratic candidate, John Repke of Whitefish, is a business professional with an MBA in finance and a long career in business, financial services, education and management. He is obviously qualified and capable of both understanding the businesses he would regulate upon election, and the understanding to the protect the public and assure that the rates set are consistent with the public’s abilities to pay and the utility’s ability to continue to be financially healthy.
Is this true of the Republican candidate, Ann Bukecek of Kalispell? She is a trained physician, an anti-vaxxer, an anti-abortion advocate and a pro-gun advocate. Her one experience in public service was on the Flathead County Board of Health. During her service, she never had a motion seconded by her other board members and was criticized for neither reading nor understanding the financial statements of the board. Apparently she never met a financial record she could understand. Instead of participating in board discussions, when actions were taken she did not agree with, she would abstain from voting and then boycott the meeting, protesting the board’s actions.
Now she is running for the PSC. That is a full-time position and one of the highest paid positions in state government. Yet, it is fairly clear that Ann Bukecek will not be exercising her own decisions about rates and structures. She has already said as much to her own patients. It has been reported that she has told patients that she will still conduct a full medical practice in Kalispell if elected to the PSC. So instead of doing one job well she plans on doing two poorly, perhaps.
If elected, how will Ms. Bukecek analyze the information needed to do her job? It is likely the complex rate and balance sheet information may be far beyond her understanding and abilities. If so, isn’t it likely someone, probably with ties to the Republican Party and potentially also with ties to the regulated utilities, will be telling her how to cast her vote?
The question is who do you want to be casting votes to protect your interests in fair rates and structures? A person knowledgeable about finance, services and management or a person not actually sitting on the commission, who will tell the elected commissioner how to vote? This is the choice offered to voters by the Republican Party.
This is an insult to all voters, especially those who might vote Republican. The party is backing a candidate incapable of carrying out the functions of the position she is seeking.
In this instance, if you are looking for someone with skills and abilities to serve in the important position on the Public Service Commission representing District Five, there is only one choice. John Repke.
Ronald Waterman,
Ronald Waterman
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2022-09-08T15:01:29Z
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helenair.com
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Republican Party is promoting loyalty to the brand | Letters | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/opinion/letters/republican-party-is-promoting-loyalty-to-the-brand/article_a45f3c19-2245-5000-a6b4-9b62cd61a7c6.html
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https://helenair.com/opinion/letters/republican-party-is-promoting-loyalty-to-the-brand/article_a45f3c19-2245-5000-a6b4-9b62cd61a7c6.html
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The IR recently reported a lawsuit filed against the Public Schools and a teacher about mishandling a student. This emotionally disturbed student was scratching other students in a music class. Responding to correct the behavior, the teacher allowed the situation to escalate enough to have laid hands on the student to forcefully remove him from the classroom, leaving red marks on the child.
The public schools are increasingly intolerant of “hands-on” behavior amongst both children and adults for good reasons. During that same time, the schools have witnessed an increase in children identified as needing more intensive behavioral/learning support to prepare at-risk children to cope effectively into adulthood. As a former teacher, it should be of no surprise that many of us saw an increase in disrespectful behaviors partly due to those modeled by state and national “leaders” since the 2016 election campaign.
As much as we expect superhuman powers from teachers, remember their limitations. Specialists (music and PE teachers) aren’t typically trained in or even apprised of identified anti-social behaviors; they aren’t a part of the team that determines interventions. Volatile students should always be accompanied by an aide who has the knowledge and training to avoid conflict.
I hope the very best for this teacher who, with his name and picture sprawled on the front page of the IR, has had irreparable harm done to his career, self-esteem and reputation. The amount of reporting of alleged crimes is unfair to those accused, and your disclaimer of “all citizens are considered innocent until proven guilty” falls on deaf ears. It smacks of tabloid reporting and we deserve better; certainly, this teacher requires better reporting by you.
Rob Freistadt,
Rob Freistadt
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2022-09-08T15:01:37Z
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helenair.com
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Teacher charged with assault was treated unfairly | Letters | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/opinion/letters/teacher-charged-with-assault-was-treated-unfairly/article_66404d9a-22b5-513f-98e5-49d9da57d153.html
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https://helenair.com/opinion/letters/teacher-charged-with-assault-was-treated-unfairly/article_66404d9a-22b5-513f-98e5-49d9da57d153.html
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This year the Scapegoat Wilderness marks its 50th anniversary. The 240,000-acre wilderness makes up the southern portion of 1.6-million acre Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex and includes some great backcountry hiking and backpacking. Some of the most well-known locations include Scapegoat Mountain, Webb and Heart lakes and Red Mountain.
But beyond the beauty of the landscape, the Scapegoat has a fascinating and important history that continues to have reverberations in land management policy today.
This week, Tom Kuglin shares his reporting behind a three-part series on the past, present and future of the Scapegoat wilderness.
Scapegoat Mountain
Ninety special licenses for an archery-only deer hunt in the community of Roundup will go on sale on a first-come first-served basis starting at 5 a.m. on Oct. 5.
'You could never exhaust it': Yellowstone historian reflects on 45-year career
“We protect the nature, but we also protect cultural resources,” Lee Whittlesey said. “We protect the history.”
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2022-09-08T15:01:52Z
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helenair.com
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50 years later: The past, present and future of the Scapegoat Wilderness | Montana Untamed | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/outdoors/50-years-later-the-past-present-and-future-of-the-scapegoat-wilderness/article_0bd1fe63-cb4a-5c57-8db1-3981968f596d.html
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https://helenair.com/outdoors/50-years-later-the-past-present-and-future-of-the-scapegoat-wilderness/article_0bd1fe63-cb4a-5c57-8db1-3981968f596d.html
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Jason Martinson
A 43-year-old man from Lincoln is being charged with felony burglary and felony tampering with or fabricating physical evidence after allegedly breaking into his partner’s house and breaking her phone.
On Aug. 29, a deputy was dispatched for a report of a possible domestic disturbance.
Jason Michael Martinson left the scene by vehicle. The deputy drove by Martinson’s vehicle and conducted a traffic stop to speak with him.
Martinson told authorities he got into an argument with his partner. He said he broke into the bathroom where his partner was hiding and took her phone. He said he threw the phone into the yard to prevent her from taking videos and then left, said officials.
The deputy detained Martinson and drove to the address to speak with his partner. She stated that Martinson tried to come inside her house through the back door that was locked. She locked it because they had argued earlier, according to court reports.
She said she asked Martinson to leave and thought he had left. She said she heard someone break in through the front door and try to get into the bathroom, which was locked.
Court records say Martinson broke the door to gain entry, and the door hit his partner, causing her mild pain. She said she feared Martinson would cause more pain upon entry, but he allegedly took her phone and threw it outside, cracking the screen.
According to court documents, the phone contained a video of Martinson's partner asking him to leave before she went into the bathroom. She also had another video of Martinson breaking into the bathroom, said authorities.
Martinson was arrested and booked into the Lewis and Clark County Detention Center.
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2022-09-08T18:42:56Z
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helenair.com
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Lincoln man accused of breaking into home | | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/lincoln-man-accused-of-breaking-into-home/article_56ec9010-91b6-5387-807a-8834a297ae8a.html
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https://helenair.com/lincoln-man-accused-of-breaking-into-home/article_56ec9010-91b6-5387-807a-8834a297ae8a.html
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Newly appointed Helena city commissioner aims to 'protect and preserve'
Helena City Commissioner Andy Shirtliff, left, is sworn in by Municipal Court Judge Anne Peterson. Shirtliff was appointed to fill the seat vacated by late City Commissioner Eric Feaver.
"Protect and preserve."
It is a phrase Andy Shirtliff used in an interview shortly after his appointment to the Helena City Commission to describe his hopes for historic buildings in town, but he gets the sense it applies to his new position as well.
Shirtliff was picked by his fellow commissioners to replace Eric Feaver, who at age 77 died of natural causes in June, and will fill that role until Jan. 1, 2024. He would not commit to running for the seat during the 2023 election and said he wants to "focus on the job at hand."
Feaver received more votes than any other city commission candidate during the 2021 election, and Shirtliff said he appreciates the size of the shoes he intends to fill.
"I work for the people of Helena, and we have to face the problems at hand with an eye on the future," he said. "I will respect the voters' wishes who elected Eric. He was the top vote-getter last year."
As a member of the Montana Federation of Public Employees, the union Feaver helped establish, Shirtliff said he admired his predecessor and largely sees important city issues the same way Feaver did.
"There are things that I will respect what Eric was trying to do. Nonmotorized transportation is one of them. Housing is another," Shirtliff said.
Amelia Remley and Zoey Marzo present the app they created to prevent obesity to judge Andy Shirtliff as part of the 2018 Montana App Challenge.
Erin Loranger
City Commissioner Sean Logan spent the bulk of the appointment process advocating for former Helena Police Chief Troy McGee. But when Logan saw Shirtliff was the commission's pick, he made the motion to appoint Shirtliff and voted in favor of the appointment.
"At that point, it seemed like the right thing to do, to get behind our colleague," Logan said. "I think he'll do just fine."
Logan said the city commission received a fair number of emails from residents who called for their local elected officials to replace Feaver with someone who would vote how Feaver would have voted, but he does not see it that way.
"Eric was one of a kind," Logan said. "To know how he would have voted on any given topic is impossible, but I do think there is commonality between the two of them in some respects."
One of those is their adeptness at talking to people. Logan said he and Feaver saw the world differently, but Feaver was always willing to talk it out, typically over beer.
"I found Shirtliff to be a person you can talk to," he said. "With a legislative body like Helena's City Commission, if you can talk to people, then you've got something."
But at the end of the day, Shirtliff is his own man.
"Andy is going to do Andy," Logan said.
The 42-year-old Shirtliff said he has his own list of goals he would like to help the city achieve, including streamlining its business licensing and permitting process, something he helped do at the state level during his tenure with the Montana Small Business Administration.
"I work with businesses on a daily basis, and I see that some businesses are struggling with working with the city whether it was a large construction firm or if it was a small startup or a restaurant looking to relocate here," he said. "According to studies -- they've done surveys for years here in Helena -- the two top things people really want more of is retail, food. And to hear that there's been some roadblocks for one reason or another, I want to help streamline that process."
He said there is "a lot of work to be done," including getting up to speed on local governance.
Logan said despite his more than 20 years of experience working for the Helena Fire Department, it still took him time to get his city commissioner feet under him, and Shirtliff will likely be no different.
"He is going to bring ideas he feels represent the wishes of Helena residents, and it's a perspective we will learn about over time," Logan said. "It will take him some time to understand those things that are important to him."
Shirtliff said he will lean on the city staff's knowledge throughout his time on the commission.
"I don't pretend to know everything," he said. "There is a lot of talented people with a lot of experience in city government, and it will be an honor to learn from those folks."
Shirtliff said he recently spoke with Feaver's widow, Ellen Feaver. She told him that during her late husband's time on the city commission, he was the happiest he had ever been.
"It was an honor for him to serve his community, and it is for me," Shirtliff said. "I want to make people proud."
Eric Feaver
Ellen Feaver
Helena names new director of parks and rec.
Doug Smith of Greenbelt, Maryland, will take control of the department Sep. 19.
Remembering Eric Feaver: Community celebrates life of a 'fighter'
Hundreds gathered in Helena's mansion district Thursday evening for the funeral of Eric Feaver.
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2022-09-08T18:42:57Z
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helenair.com
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Newly appointed Helena city commissioner aims to 'protect and preserve' | Local | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/local/newly-appointed-helena-city-commissioner-aims-to-protect-and-preserve/article_bfe2e2cd-78e4-5fdb-befc-0520573d85f5.html
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https://helenair.com/news/local/newly-appointed-helena-city-commissioner-aims-to-protect-and-preserve/article_bfe2e2cd-78e4-5fdb-befc-0520573d85f5.html
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exclusive topical alert top story
The Montana State Hospital is in Warm Springs.
A former employee at the state-run psychiatric hospital used a different name on her job application, meaning a background check that should have raised a red flag on her employment history didn't, according to the state health department.
The facility's "inadvertent" employment of Larissa Mack, a former psychiatric technician who spent five years at the facility, ultimately cost the Montana State Hospital nearly $90,000 in a settlement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General.
A spokesperson for the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services said Thursday that Mack used a different last name on her application in 2016 than the one that identifies her on the List of Excluded Individuals and Entities kept by the Office of Inspector General. In 2021, Mack applied for a different job at the state hospital, this time with the name registered on the OIG's exclusion list, department spokesperson Jon Ebelt said.
Ebelt said Montana State Hospital does check the OIG's exclusion list for all aliases, but relies on the candidate to disclose all aliases when they apply for a job. The exclusion list does allow employers to verify the individual's social security numbers, but Ebelt said the initial search is name-based, meaning someone could subvert the inquiry by applying with a different last name, or, for example, using their maiden name.
Still, Ebelt said state hospital background check forms ask the candidates directly if they have been excluded by the OIG from working in a health care setting that receives federal funding.
"We believe we are doing everything we can to prevent situations like this from occurring," Ebelt said Thursday. "We believe this to be an isolated incident."
In January, the state health department checked all current Montana State Hospital employees against the exclusion list and confirmed no additional employees were on the list, Ebelt said.
Records available online with the OIG show Mack's registered nursing license had been terminated in Washington State in 2009. Public licensing records with that state outline an incident in 2007 in which Mack appeared intoxicated at work and a blood test revealed several drugs in her system. The licensing commission there only revoked her nursing license after she failed to comply with a substance-use disorder program.
Ebelt said Thursday Mack's listing with the OIG was the only reason for her termination from the state hospital and that the department took "immediate" action after uncovering her listing. Roughly a month after her employment ended, the state health department self-reported the finding to the OIG.
It's unclear if Mack intentionally misled the state hospital on her application. Mack did not return a call Wednesday seeking comment.
The Montana State News Bureau obtained the state hospital's settlement with the OIG through a Freedom of Information Act request.
Of the $89,233.26 the state hospital agreed to pay the OIG, $59,488.84 is restitution for federal funds paid to the state hospital for services Mack provided. The remaining amount is a monetary penalty for employing someone on the exclusion list.
The Montana State Hospital no longer receives federal reimbursement dollars for its services. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services pulled its agreement with the state hospital in April after deeming the facility had failed to maintain basic health and safety standards. The facility, which is considered a societal "safety net" for patients with severe mental illness who have nowhere else to go, had received roughly $7 million in federal reimbursement funding each year routed through the state general fund.
The state hospital ended the latest fiscal year $17 million over budget, largely due to a heavy reliance on contract staff as compounding recruitment and retention issues persist. The state health department is currently working with a consulting firm to assess the state hospital and other state-run health care facilities, but has not committed to seeking reaccreditation for federal reimbursement funding.
Montana State Hospital
Larissa Mack
Spratt Unit
State hospital inadvertently employed unauthorized worker, paid $90K to federal gov
The employee's exclusion to work at in a health care setting is a new dimension in the staffing issues that have plagued the Montana State Hospital.
'Management' top reason DPHHS facility employees considering an exit
A spokesperson for DPHHS said Friday the survey results provide specific objectives to address moving forward.
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2022-09-08T21:59:28Z
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helenair.com
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DPHHS: State hospital worker bypassed background check by using different name | 406 Politics | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/dphhs-state-hospital-worker-bypassed-background-check-by-using-different-name/article_49bc0ff3-c54d-5f96-a9b2-d8c97ac91527.html
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https://helenair.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/dphhs-state-hospital-worker-bypassed-background-check-by-using-different-name/article_49bc0ff3-c54d-5f96-a9b2-d8c97ac91527.html
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The Colstrip plants are pictured in this file photo.
James Woodcock, for the Independent Record
A proposed committee bill setting up an advisory council to help guide the development of nuclear power in Montana imploded Wednesday, and was replaced by a proposal that critics said added partisanship, was rushed and omitted ratemaking provisions that would protect the public.
Advocates of the new bill, which would have to be approved by the 2023 Legislature, said the failed proposal was a “nuclear plan killer” that would hamper efforts to bring clean, efficient nuclear power to Montana.
The study of nuclear power was the result of Senate Joint Resolution 3, passed in the 2021 legislative session. Carried by Sen. Terry Gauthier, R-Helena, SJ-3 notes the closure of coal-fired power plants will result in negative impacts on the Colstrip community and coal-fired boilers could be replaced by a small nuclear reactor that would provide clean, well-paying jobs. He said it can then use the existing infrastructure to produce and distribute clean, affordable electricity safely and without carbon emissions.
The Energy and Telecommunications Interim Committee met for what was supposed to be its last meeting of the interim to hammer out a proposal that would be considered by the 2023 Legislature for a nuclear advisory council to help guide nuclear development in Montana.
The council will be attached to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality for administrative purposes.
However, a new proposal, known as PD0008, was introduced Wednesday and approved by five Republicans and one Democrat, forcing the committee to meet again Sept. 16 to allow public comment and a vote by the panel.
The proposal first considered by the interim committee was known as PD0007. Under this proposal, the advisory council would have a total of four legislators, with an equal number from each political party and at least one from each chamber to be picked by party leadership. Others on the committee would be picked by the council and include experts in the field of nuclear science, public health and power.
PD0008 would have leadership pick two members from different parties, and the governor would appoint four members from the majority party and three from the minority. It also has experts. Both committees call for nine members.
In both cases, the committees would not be formed until there is a company wanting to invest in a project with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality A. The company would pay the entire costs of the committee. Gauthier said he did not expect any action to occur for at least three or four years.
Sen. Terry Gauthier, R-Helena
PD0007 had a section regarding nuclear power and ratemaking standards that Gauthier said was a “nuclear plan killer” and not necessary. Gauthier said he had major issues with the bill draft that he would not be able to support, such as giving the committee duties that the Public Service Commission already performs.
Rep. Steve Galloway, R-Great Falls, said state regulations are just a redundancy of laws already under the purview of the Nuclear Regulatory Agency.
“Most states have found it’s just best to stay out of a lot of it, because you don’t override them anyway,” he said. “They are the ones who regulate it from start to finish.”
Gauthier asked for a couple of minutes to caucus. Upon returning to the meeting, Galloway asked to introduce a substitute draft.
What was proposed is now known as PD0008.
Sen. Mary McNally, D-Billings
Chair Sen. Mary McNally, D-Billings, said the idea for a committee bill came late in the interim, in the committee’s last meeting.
“It was just an idea,” she said, adding it had two parts: an advisory panel and ratepayer protections. She said the initial draft did not get out to everyone and this committee does not usually do bills.
“At the last minute we are taking a run at something here I think is pretty complicated,” McNally said.
“I feel like this is the 11th hour and we don’t have anything that all of us are comfortable with,” she said.
McNally said work to do it right could be done during the next legislative session.
She said if the advisory council proposal is moving forward, it needs to have good framework, it needs to have consumer protection, and she wanted her thoughts to be part of the record.
Galloway said PD0008 was a simpler version that doesn’t get into the weeds.
Sen. Janet Ellis, D-Helena, said PD0008 was not sufficiently noticed.
McNally agreed.
“I don’t feel any of this is ready for prime time,” she said.
The committee decided to post the new bill online to gather public comment and meet via Zoom Sept. 16.
Rep. Andrea Olsen, D-Missoula, said PD0008 sidestepped issues regarding cost.
She asked who will make sure Montana ratepayers are not held hostage to the cost.
Gauthier responded to comments that Montana ratepayers would be stuck with the bill, saying it was too early to know how much a small nuclear reactor facility would cost.
But he said ratepayers would not bear the whole costs of a reactor, adding there will be investors. He also said the Public Service Commission would have some oversight of the rates, like it does for other utilities. He asked that artist renderings of a small nuclear reactor facility be included in SJ-3. He said after the meeting the facility will likely be on about 35 acres and no bigger than a Home Depot.
Rep. Katie Sullivan, D-Missoula, was the lone Democrat on the panel who supported PD0008, but added she would have voted for PD0007 as well.
She said both plans were backup plans to help the state, and as nuclear power possibly develops she would like to see the ratepayer protection portion return on Sept. 16. She said she would like to see the bill move forward.
If approved by the state Legislature, the bill would have to go through committees in the next session and be approved by the state House, Senate and governor.
Sen. Mary Mcnally
Sen. Janet Ellis
Rep. Katie Sullivan
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2022-09-08T21:59:34Z
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helenair.com
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Montana nuclear power advisory council plan changed at '11th hour' | 406 Politics | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/montana-nuclear-power-advisory-council-plan-changed-at-11th-hour/article_21a9c93a-e173-56e6-b617-e442da13fb81.html
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https://helenair.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/montana-nuclear-power-advisory-council-plan-changed-at-11th-hour/article_21a9c93a-e173-56e6-b617-e442da13fb81.html
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9/11 observance slated for Sunday at Montana Capitol
Shawn Baldwin, AP file
Attorney General Austin Knudsen will be hosting a ceremony at 11 a.m. Sunday in the rotunda of the Montana State Capitol to commemorate the 21st anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Knudsen will deliver remarks and the Montana Highway Patrol Honor Guard will be in attendance, along with other law enforcement and first responders. The public may attend.
Also, the Montana Military Museum invites the public to visit the museum at historic Fort William Henry Harrison to view the small exhibit display commemorating 9/11. The museum is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursdays and special hours upon request.
On display is the Special 9/11 Commemoration Flag containing all the names of those who were lost on that fateful day. A Book of Remembrances is available for signing.
'It was chaotic' Helena man recalls when Pentagon was hit on 9/11
John Metzger said he wanted to write a simple letter to Osama bin Laden shortly after a jetliner hit the Pentagon where Metzger was working on…
'Get out of the building' John Driscoll recalls day that changed the world
Twenty years ago this morning, Army Col. John Driscoll, had completed delivering a package in the Pentagon and was working his way back to his…
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2022-09-09T00:52:49Z
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helenair.com
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9/11 observance slated for Sunday at Montana Capitol | Local | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/local/9-11-observance-slated-for-sunday-at-montana-capitol/article_a4e2106f-e9a6-5477-8744-c1b02c6d81f1.html
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https://helenair.com/news/local/9-11-observance-slated-for-sunday-at-montana-capitol/article_a4e2106f-e9a6-5477-8744-c1b02c6d81f1.html
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Carroll College’s Math in the Mountains class and members of the Montana Department of Commerce’s Research and Information Services Bureau.
Carroll College’s Math and Data Science Department is collaborating with the Montana Department of Commerce's Research and Information Services (RIS) Bureau to address growing issues throughout Montana and Helena: population growth and housing planning.
Together, they will build population and housing projection models to help forecast and plan for future community development and the planning of land-use throughout Montana.
“The students and I are very excited to work on this project for the Montana Department of Commerce,” said Dr. Kelly Cline, Carroll College math and data science professor. “This project is a very valuable learning opportunity, which will allow our students to put their math and data science skills to work in the real world, while helping out the state.”
The collaboration is through Carroll’s Math in the Mountains program, which is “an interdisciplinary course in which students engage in a hands-on learning experience using mathematical modeling to understand current major societal issues of local and national interest,” wrote Carroll.
As of now, Montana is one of the few states in the U.S. that doesn’t build data models to forecast population, mostly due to a shortage in staff. The Math in the Mountains program will work with Commerce to establish a base model for forecasting Montana’s population. Eventually, the vision is to include other trends such as ethnicity, age, housing unit numbers, business startups and community development planning.
Carroll math students will be acting consultants to Commerce’s RIS Bureau, analyzing data records for patterns and more. At the conclusion of the project, students will present and provide a formal written report of the results. This opportunity allows real-world experience in problem solving with data for the students.
“I am thrilled to be partnering with the Carroll Math in the Mountains class to develop more sophisticated population and economic forecasts at various geographic levels,” said Commerce’s Research and Information Services (RIS) Bureau Chief Mary Craigle. “This is a win-win, since it extends the RIS Bureau’s capabilities and provides a creative math challenge for the students.”
Previous community partnerships with the Math in the Mountains program included analyzing inventory data for Helena Food Share, initiating a more efficient scheduling system for physical therapists at St. Peter’s Health, and also analyzing membership and visitation data for Helena’s ExplorationWorks science museum.
The final results from the Commerce and the Math in the Mountains collaboration will be available to anyone on the Commerce’s Census and Economic Information Center’s website. The project itself will run until December of 2024.
“Commerce is proud to partner with the talented instructors and students at Carroll College on this project,” said Montana Department of Commerce Director Scott Osterman. “The information gathered from our collaboration will enable Montana communities to look ahead and determine their next steps for enhanced economic growth and development.”
Montana Department Of Commerce
Kelly Cline
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2022-09-09T00:52:55Z
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helenair.com
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Carroll partners with state to build housing and population projection models | Education | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/local/education/carroll-partners-with-state-to-build-housing-and-population-projection-models/article_d7130cfa-83cb-51f8-a6ab-b79c1469cdb9.html
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https://helenair.com/news/local/education/carroll-partners-with-state-to-build-housing-and-population-projection-models/article_d7130cfa-83cb-51f8-a6ab-b79c1469cdb9.html
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A helicopter drops water on the Murray fire.
The lightning-caused fire started 6 a.m. Sept. 5 in thick brush area that was hard to access. As of Wednesday the fire was reported at 55 acres. On Thursday, officials reported improving access for crews and heavy equipment to the fire.
The fire, on Bureau of Land Management property under the protection of the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC), was 0% contained.
There were 195 personnel at the scene, DNRC officials said.
“The fire crews did an excellent job of holding the line and minimizing fire growth during the high winds and temperatures experienced yesterday,” Heath Gerber, County Assist Team field operations chief, said in an online posting.
“We continue to make incremental progress on the Murray fire due to the diligent work of our crew and team,” he said.
A spike camp was set up to decrease travel times and ensure adequate resources to continue to establish control lines and limit fire growth.
The cooler temperatures are expected to produce favorable conditions for fire containment in the coming days.
The Arrastra fire northeast of the Murray fire, discovered 2:55 p.m. Sept. 6, was reported to have burned 12 acres as of Thursday afternoon. It was listed as being sparked by natural causes and was at 10.5 acres Wednesday. It is in the west end of the Lincoln Ranger District in the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest.
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2022-09-09T03:33:43Z
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helenair.com
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Murray fire now 65 acres, firefighters hope cooler weather helps them get upper hand | Local | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/news/local/murray-fire-now-65-acres-firefighters-hope-cooler-weather-helps-them-get-upper-hand/article_7c9aeaec-c420-55ec-bfcf-41760cf72505.html
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https://helenair.com/news/local/murray-fire-now-65-acres-firefighters-hope-cooler-weather-helps-them-get-upper-hand/article_7c9aeaec-c420-55ec-bfcf-41760cf72505.html
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I served on the Flathead County Board of Health as a member for three appointed terms, as a member, chair of multiple committees, vice chair and chair. Dr. Annie and I overlapped in my last two years. I understand that she tendered her resignation early in her third year.
In the normal course, decision issues were presented by the Health Officer, Staff and outside experts, including appellate representatives. Most decisions were by consensus…that is, until Dr. Annie Bukacek became a member in January 2020.
Largely limited to COVID issues, she insisted on her own views, and actively proselyted outside the boundaries of Board meetings for which she was rebuked by the assigned Deputy County Attorney. She preached and did not listen. She opposed testimony of medical experts in immunology and virology and substituted her own anti-vax views. She organized protests and demonstrations against sound public health policy, then lied about her participation which is proven by video evidence that is available on the Internet.
I believe that most members of the Board during her tenure would state that Dr. Annie Bukacek was a truly disruptive influence.
The Public Service Commission requires a technical background in the issues that come before it. I do not believe that Dr. Bukacek’s education, professional experience, and performance on the Board of Health qualify her for a position on the Public Service Commission.
Bill Burg,
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2022-09-09T15:52:50Z
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helenair.com
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Dr. Bukacek not qualified for PSC | Letters | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/opinion/letters/dr-bukacek-not-qualified-for-psc/article_e1a169fe-5dee-5900-8a67-7cae8e756d7f.html
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https://helenair.com/opinion/letters/dr-bukacek-not-qualified-for-psc/article_e1a169fe-5dee-5900-8a67-7cae8e756d7f.html
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As election season is upon us I am writing concerning the race in State Senate District 41, which stretches from south central Helena up through the central valley area to Lincoln Road.
We have an excellent candidate, Dave Galt, who would be a credit to his constituents in our State Legislature. He in now a retired state employee who had a remarkable career in that he started as a Surveyor's Aide and worked his way up to being the Director of the Montana Dept. of Transportation.
Thus Dave would completely be able to identify with the needs of our numerous state employees, besides having an understanding of policy from the Executive Branch.
Since retirement he has worked as an advocate for the Montana Sheriffs and Peace Association, the Association of Montana Public Retired Employees and in the energy industry with the Montana Petroleum Association.
Dave has a remarkably wide range of life experiences which would be of great benefit in the challenging job of representing his district in our upcoming 2023 Legislative Session.
I would strongly encourage you to vote for Dave Galt in Senate District 41 on election day, November 8.
Tom Rasmussen,
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2022-09-09T15:52:59Z
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helenair.com
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Vote for Galt in SD 41 | Letters | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/opinion/letters/vote-for-galt-in-sd-41/article_9142da8e-c445-5c35-81ce-2f4f3e0b8ee5.html
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https://helenair.com/opinion/letters/vote-for-galt-in-sd-41/article_9142da8e-c445-5c35-81ce-2f4f3e0b8ee5.html
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Senator Daines, Governor Gianforte, Attorney Knudsen, and Congressman Rosendale recently held a press conference in Bozeman. Their issue was the trafficking of fentanyl from the “southern border.”
According to them, a total of 96 Montanans have died since 2021 from this illicit drug. This is bad, but worse things should command their attention, even though they have nothing to do with the “southern border.”
Since its inception in 2019, about 3,025 unvaccinated Montanans have died from COVID. That’s the equivalent of the total populations of the counties of Wibaux, Golden Valley, Treasure, and Petroleum or all the citizens of Montana City.
Since 2021 through Aug. 15, 2022, a total of about 508 Montanans have died by suicide. Suicide does not discriminate by race, sex, age, or ethnicity.
May we count on our four Solons to hold a press conference about these issues during which they will reveal their plans to address them? Or, is that asking too much since these concerns have nothing to do with the “southern border”?
John C. Board,
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2022-09-09T15:53:05Z
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helenair.com
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Worse things should command leaders' attention | Letters | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/opinion/letters/worse-things-should-command-leaders-attention/article_80ee7c51-0023-5819-b7cf-c80d63bd11b7.html
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https://helenair.com/opinion/letters/worse-things-should-command-leaders-attention/article_80ee7c51-0023-5819-b7cf-c80d63bd11b7.html
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A 61-year-old Helena man is being charged with felony tampering with physical evidence and misdemeanor theft after he allegedly stole wood panels and painted over their identifying stamps.
On Sept. 1, a deputy was dispatched for a report of tampering with evidence. It was reported that Thomas Charles Byrne had painted over the identifying stamps on stolen waferboards.
The report of the building materials being stolen came in on Aug. 27. The waferboards on the defendant's property matched the waferboards that were missing, said authorities.
The owner of the waferboards provided an invoice for 312 pieces of 19/32 waferboard for a total price of $16,520.40, with each board costing around $52.95. There were 11 new pieces of waferboard on Byrne's property, costing about $582.45 in allegedly stolen materials.
The deputy observed that the waferboards were spread out and a coat of paint had been applied over the stamps on the boards, said officials. Byrne was unable to provide an explanation for the strips of paint on the waferboards.
Byrne was arrested on Sept. 1 and booked into Lewis and Clark County Detention Center.
Thomas Charles Byrne
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2022-09-09T22:36:37Z
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helenair.com
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Helena man accused of stealing wood panels | | helenair.com
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https://helenair.com/helena-man-accused-of-stealing-wood-panels/article_9735d6a5-16ec-53f9-b703-87ec5834127f.html
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https://helenair.com/helena-man-accused-of-stealing-wood-panels/article_9735d6a5-16ec-53f9-b703-87ec5834127f.html
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