Sorted by date Results 1388 - 1412 of 3543

The Big Sandy Food Bank raffle of 1/2 a pig was awarded to Dusty Alderdice after Deb Louvar drew Dusty's ticket as the winner. The Food Bank partnered with Triangle Communications after they were selected, along with several other programs in the area, to receive the meat to raffle off or to distribute among their recipients. Triangle Communications provided posters and tickets and the community showed their support by buying raffle tickets. The raffle raised $2,030 through ticket sales, with an...
Outdoor Range Management Tour at Lost Lake Ranch County Extension is sponsoring an outdoor range management class at the Lost Lake Ranch on Tuesday, June 8 from 1:00-4:00 p.m. Dr. Jeff Mosley will address a variety of topics including range monitoring and rotational grazing options. We will also have a question-and-answer session where Jeff will be available to answer range management questions. Dr. Jeff Mosley is the Montana State University (MSU) Extension Range Management Specialist and a professor in the MSU Department of Animal and Range...
WEST GLACIER, Mont. [May 7, 2021] – Shuttle services at Glacier National Park will be available to visitors this year after not operating due to COVID-19 restrictions during the 2020 season. Shuttles will be running from July 1st through Labor Day Weekend with limited capacity and stops. In order to fulfill COVID-19 restrictions, a “Ticket-to-Ride” will be required to board the park’s shuttle. A Ticket-to-Ride is $1 (non-refundable) and 75% of tickets for the entire shuttle season may be purchased on Recreation.gov beginning June 1st at 8 am...

Big Sandy High School senior, Katherine Bold with Chouteau County Conservation District Chairman, Henry Nagamori. Katherine is the 2021 recipient of the CCCD Henry Nagamori Ag Scholarship and daughter of Lawrence and Anna Bold of Big Sandy, MT. Katherine is registered to attend Carroll College in Helena, MT this fall to pursue a double major in biochemistry and molecular biology. The scholarship is in its third year and open to all graduating seniors attending a Chouteau County high school who...
It’s been a year since we acknowledge the Big Medical Center, but it was for the entire staff what it year. They did an excellent job during the pandemic. I was looking forward to visiting with the staff and the residence but found myself ill when I was supposed to interview. I sent my phone (it has a recording option) and asked Lisa Sipler to ask a few questions for me. Pam Gasvoda is the longest-employed employee at 33 years. “It’s amazing.” She would fill in a few shifts when her children were little. But those years are not include...

The 5th Coal Mine Coulee Cross-Country Dirt Bike Race will take place this Saturday, May 8th, at Austin Genereux's ranch off of Coal Mine Road just north of town. First held in 2017, the race will likely attract between 175 and 200 racers from all over Montana and the surrounding states. When I asked about the race itself, Austin explained the difference between the Coal Mine Coulee race and a motocross event: "It's a cross-country dirt bike race. Motocross is a race around a track usually...

BIG SANDY- Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will host a public meeting on grizzly bear awareness, including how to minimize conflict, on Wednesday, May 5, at 6 p.m. at the Big Sandy Senior Center. The event is open to the public, and area landowners are encouraged to attend. The meeting will follow the Choteau County/Senior Center recommendations for Covid-19 precautions, and seating may be limited. Please do not attend if you are having any flu or cold-like symptoms. During the last several...

Emily Cox moved from a larger city. But she loves it here. Emily lives on the edge of town with her mother and step-father, Karin and Ron Baumann. She said smiling, "I can look at the mountains and a lot of cows." Emily moved here to recover from COVID-19. "It's been a blessing in disguise because it has pushed me to live healthier." She spent 13 days in the hospital with nine days in ICU with a feeding tube and bi-pap. There were 80 beds in her ICU in one large room that only had cloth...
As we begin spring management of our horticultural landscapes, here are a few reminders for the month of May. • Graft fruit trees from mid -April to early May. • Abort crab apple fruit with ethephon or naphthaleneacetic acid. • Prune lilacs right after bloom. • Stems cut off clean are a sign of rabbit damage. Stems cut off ragged are a sign of deer damage. • Electric fence smeared with peanut butter and molasses can deter deer. • Keep raspberry walkway clear of suckers. • Destroy tent caterpillars. • Plant peas and lettuce when soil temperatur...

A special short season of soccer will be held for Big Sandy’s young athletes running from the last week of April into May. The local soccer season typically takes place place in the fall, with practices and games against teams from neighboring towns. Last fall, the season was cancelled due to the Covid lockdowns. The decision to hold a short make-up season for students was made after the league organizer, Rachel Baumgarn, began receiving requests for soccer from area students. “It’s mainl...

Finally, something a little closer to our normal. Camelot was held April 24, 2021, at the Big Sandy High School gym. The Rotary's District Governor, Sandy Mundahl, attend the banquet. Sheri Moore, president of Rotary, wrote to me, "(she)couldn't believe the outpouring of support for our community, what an amazing banquet we had, and the amount of people we had attending. She was excited to see all the projects we had completed or are working on. She had no idea this was what our banquet would...
Darin Ray was found guilty of four felonies of aggravated assault by accountablity. His sentencing was held on April 20th. In the Minute Entry, the Montana District Court in Chouteau County reads, “The court sentences the defendant on Count I to a six-year deferred imposition of sentence with a $5000 fine. On Count II, a 6-year deferred imposition of sentence with a $5000 to run concurrent with Count I. On Count III, a 6-year deferred imposition of sentence with a $5000 fine to run consecutive to Counts I and II. On Count IV, a six-year d...

Several times a day visitors, stick their heads into the soon-to-be-opened "Black Granary: The Bakery," at the end of Main Street in Big Sandy to ask if there are any pastries to buy or when the shop will finally open. The simple answer is "soon." Mary Merrill hopes to start serving customers with pastries and coffee beginning with a soft opening on May 5th. Mary will be waiting to officially open at a later date once the lease has been completed. " I will close for family things. I have kids...
The recent school board meeting held on April 20th had 35 guests present. Chairman Glen Terry reminding everyone, “School Board meetings are held in public but are not public meetings.” There was plenty of discussions, even by zoom, as everyone present could speak to anything on the agenda. The report on the Building Maintenance Projects revealed that a small section of asphalt sidewalk would be removed. Also, the breaker box was placed in the high school in 1956 and needs updating. Insulation and heating bids have been received for the bus...
1. Why did we see high populations of grasshoppers in Montana in 2020? Favorable weather conditions have promoted grasshopper pest populations. In 2019, a cool wet spring delayed hatching which resulted in high percentage hatch survival rates. In addition, vegetation was highly productive in 2019 especially sweet clover. As a result, grasshopper populations grew without being noticed or managed. 2. Why should I be concerned in 2021? A dry summer in 2020 and an open fall promoted a high egg lay which will result in large hatches this spring. If...
Do you find yourself falling short of drinking water during the day? You know you should but it just does not happen. Many of us could increase our water intake. But why? What is the purpose of water in our bodies? - Water fuels muscles to keep them working by transporting oxygen, fat and glucose. Muscles contain 75 percent water so a lot of water is required to maintain and even gain additional muscle. - Water maintains good blood volume which helps cushion and lubricate joints and assists with cardiovascular health. - Water helps fight off...

Students at FE Miley Elementary School experienced hands-on instruction for Earth Day this week when they took part in a community cleanup effort organized by the teachers. Several weeks in advance, the Elementary School teachers planned the basics of the day and divided the eastern side of town into areas for each class to engage in clean up. The original plan was for the students to go out primarily in the afternoon, but high winds and the cold weather prompted a change in plans. The majority...
Our town’s schools are excellent. This is product of our hard working teachers and administration. It is also directly linked to the efforts of the dedicated members of our school board. With the current school board election already in process, we sought out the four candidates and asked them questions we feel the voters would care about. Here are their responses: Why are you running for school board? Kelly Rutledge: I’m a current member of the board. I want to keep doing what’s best for the kids. Whatever is best for the kids is what...
I was visiting another service organization representative who said he had great admiration for the Rotary members and the amount of service they do for our community. To date, they have raised and given to the community through various projects $675,000 in the last 36 years. This Saturday, April 24, is the Big Sandy Rotary Banquet. This is how they have raised all of their funds. If you would like to buy a ticket for the meal, you may purchase one at First Bank. It costs $100 for two Prime Rib dinners, including salads and desserts. There are...
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has adopted 988 as a new three-digit number to be used nationwide to reach the National Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Crisis Lifeline, starting July 16, 2022. Until then, customers must continue to dial 1-800-273-TALK to reach the Lifeline. For 988 to work properly in our area code, and in several other area codes and states around the country, 10-digit local dialing needs to be implemented. What is Changing? All telephone customers may begin dialing 10 digits (area code + telephone number)...
5 Montana Drought Series for Livestock Producers in Havre Montana State University Ranch Management Systems Team in collaboration with local MSU Extension agents have put together a series of workshops to address potential strategies to reduce the effects of drought in 2021. The 2021 Montana Drought Series has put together a tour of talks in 5 locations across the state where drought is most prominent. The topics featured include; Cattle Management During Drought, Range Conditions and Grazing During Drought, Forage Management Options During...

This year Earth Day falls on Thursday, April 22nd. There isn't much celebration for the Holiday here in Big Sandy. Here in God's Country. Here in the middle of farm and ranch country. I get it. People living in the city surrounded by cement don't have much earth around them to influence them, even if it's just a tiny patch of green in their backyards. I can understand why they would want a day to express the importance of the earth, the importance of nature because they see too little of it. On...

Big Sandy High School will be competing in the Spring Music Festival online next week after missing the event last year entirely due to the lockdowns. This year, the Montana High School Association (MHSA) decided that all of the state music festivals would be done digitally, due to concerns over the potential spread of the COVID virus. This decision was a bit of a disappointment for the students and staff who see the festival as a major component of performing arts at the high school level....

Budding musicians in the Big Sandy area have a new resource to learn and grow through the teaching and experience of several local entertainers. The "School of Rock" set out to "give the kids a little bit of music education that is popular music based, not that there's anything wrong with classical music. We just know a little bit about popular music, because we have been playing it forever," explains Chris Meyers who is heading up the School of Rock effort with the help of his father, Larry Mey...

This year at the FE Miley Elementary school, because of Autism awareness month, students will be learning why and how to be kind. They made a rainbow of seven colors representing all seven classes. They used each student's handprint, and the high school art department will paint the words "In a world where you can become anything, be kind" above the rainbow. Every year 1 in 54 births is diagnosed with Autism. Often nationwide, students on the spectrum are bullied. But Cat Lopez,...