Sorted by date Results 3067 - 3091 of 3543
Local boater training and certification for Tiber and Canyon Ferry Reservoirs can now be done online at musselresponse.mt.gov. The online training course provides participants with information about the invasive mussel threat, how to appropriately clean, drain and dry your watercraft and why it’s important for everyone to take responsibility in protecting Montana’s waterbodies. This year in Montana, watercraft owners can be certified as local boaters at both Tiber and Canyon Ferry to allow them to bypass decontamination stations at the res...
An Open House for the new Jeff Reichelt Memorial Library was held from 2-6 on Tuesday, April 11, 2017. Nearly 200 people browsed through the spacious facility, enjoying refreshments provided by the local "Friends of the Library" ladies, while looking at the beautiful display of books, tapes, artwork, furniture and more. Several festive balloon bouquets given by Judy (Bush) Pleskac in memory of her mother, Louise Bush, a former Big Sandy librarian, adorned the stacks. Keith Ballantyne, architect...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 18, 2017 Contact: Jon Ebelt, Public Information Officer, DPHHS, (406) 444-0936 Chuck Council, Communications Specialist, DPHHS, (406) 444-4391 State and local public health officials are reminding Montanans to be aware of the risk for exposure to rabies as summer approaches. Encounters between humans and wild animals often increase in spring and summer months because of the time spent hiking and engaging in other outdoor activities. From 2010 to 2016, 141 animals submitted for testing to the Montana Department of...
Butte, Mont. – April 21, 2017 – NorthWestern Energy is reminding its customers that the deadline to apply for financial help with energy bills through the Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) is Thursday, April 30, 2017. The federally funded assistance from LIEAP is available to utility customers who may not be able to heat their homes in the winter months. LIEAP payments to qualifying customers reduce the amount those customers pay in utility bills during the winter heating season. Eligibility for LIEAP is based on household size and...
Those who have had to give up and return to shore due to poor boating conditions know it can be a tough decision. “When spring is in the air, snowmelt creates high water in our streams and rivers and high expectations for some good boating or rafting,” said Liz Lodman, the boat education coordinator for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. The combination of high water and high expectations can be deadly when it turns out that the conditions are too extreme for safe boating. “It can be hard to put safety ahead of adventure when you’ve spent hours p...
Mayor Stiles attended the School Board meeting on April11, 2017. The meeting was important for him as the School Board voted on whether or not to put a new pool to a vote this spring. The City of Big Sandy and the School Board have invested lots of time and Rotary has funded a study regarding a new pool. “The Tuesday meeting went well,” said Mayor Stiles. “There were lots of people, and lots of questions were asked. The Board voted to put the pool to a vote of the people.” That election is going to be a mail in ballot. Ballots will go out on...
The Big Sandy band and choir performed at District Music Festival in Havre on April 7th. They performed well and received Excellent and Superior ratings from the adjudicators. There were 18 entries from Big Sandy made up of solos, duets, trios, and quartets that performed on Saturday, April 8th and all did very well. The high school choir and 5 soloists are going to State Music Festival in Missoula on May 5th and 6th. The soloists are: Dakota Terry-Clarinet, Sophia Reichelt-Vocal, Bailey Gasvoda...
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and participating land owners will open some Block Management Areas (BMAs) for spring turkey hunting along the Milk River and one area south of Zortman. Twelve areas will be open for the spring turkey season, beginning April 8, and running through May 21. Most of the properties are located along the Milk River between Hinsdale and Nashua. One additional property is located just south of Zortman in Goslin Flats, which is a portion of the Square Butte BMA. "The...
Dave Louvar, owner of The Grocery Store has seen many changes in buying habits since he has owned the store in Big Sandy. Whether those changes are good or bad depends on your point of view according to Louvar. "You used to need a great meat department and that has changed drastically. Now you need only a small meat department but with choice cuts of meat in it," Louvar said. Louvar continued, "Roast beef was on the table three days a week. Now days a lot of people don't even know how to cook...
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Bowhunter Education course dates have been set for the first courses in the Havre area for this year. There will be a regular youth classroom course starting April 24, and an adult online “field day” course on April 29. Starting in 2017, the purchase of a Montana bow and arrow license will be required prior to applying for any archery-only permit. To purchase a bow and arrow license, an individual must meet one of the following requirements: • show completion of a bowhunter education course • show proof of purch...
A permitting system is now available through Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to allow people to train hunting dogs in open fields and in proximity to wild nesting birds. Montana law prohibits the training of hunting dogs within one mile of nesting birds, wildlife management areas or game preserve without a permit. However, until now no clear permitting process was in place. “Hopefully this permitting process will provide clarity for people looking to train their bird dogs around wild birds,” said Ken McDonald, FWP wildlife division adm...
Warmer temperatures and melted ice mean the annual walleye spawning operation on Fort Peck Reservoir getting into full swing. According to Heath Headley, Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks’ Fort Peck biologist, agency staff and volunteers are again trapping fish and taking eggs from areas in the upper Big Dry Arm of the reservoir. “The reservoir is about 2.5 feet higher than last year,” Headley said, “but we will continue to focus the operation near Nelson Creek.” FWP staff have been working on setting up spawning barges, holding p...
Erik Sietsema was in "The Mountaineer" last week sharing a wonderful Easter story. Sietsema is the sky pilot of the Big Sandy Church of God and for the past few years he and his great team have taken over the Food Bank. They are serving more than ever and are in need of help as well as groceries to help people around here who need help. The Big Sandy Food Bank is serving a huge number of people. They are helping 77 people and that is 18 families. "We are doing more than we ever have," said...
Great Falls, MT (April 3, 2017) Montana Farmers Union was pleased to join Governor Steve Bullock in Helena on Friday for the signing of HB342. The bill, sponsored by Ross Fitzgerald(R) of House District 17 and championed by MFU, adds agritourism to the list of Montana recreational activities in which participants assume liability for the inherent risk of those activities. The bill passed the house 78-18 on February 10, passed the senate 43-6 on March 16 and signed into law by the governor on March 31. MFU has tried in previous legislative...
"The Mountaineer" has featured stories before about Tina Rodewald and her Prairie Blossoms Floral. Those stories come out around Easter and are about the only time we think about Tina, her daughter-in-law Traci and their flowers. It is easy to forget about Prairie Blossoms because they don't have a store front. However, they are a full service flower shop and are just another business in our town that makes Big Sandy great! Tina's fresh flowers can always be found in a flower case in The...
“There is a balm in Gilead To heal the sin sick soul.” That old American spiritual was most important to early day ranchers and homesteaders alike coming into this new place now called North Central Montana. With Easter just around the corner, it is a fitting time to see why those old timers named the lowly cottonwood trees “Balm of Gilead Trees”. It is their perfume and perfect for Easter although it is too early to really get a good whiff of them Easter Week. Those old timers travelled up Beaver Creek,. Clear Creek and Big Sandy Creek on picn...
SHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! The Easter Bunny is coming to the Big Sandy Airport on Saturday, April 15, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. The Easter Bunny has been coming to Big Sandy for over 50 years. Those first years the Easter Bunny hid actual hardboiled colored eggs, candy and fruit. Now the Easter Bunny hides special prizes and candy around the fields of the airport in Big Sandy. When all the children arrive they are divided into 5 age groups from infant through 5th grade. Once the children are in their respective groups they are taken by a Rotarian to an...
Big Sandy High School and the F.E. Miley School will be holding Emergency Evacuation Drills on Wednesday, April 12. Local and County Law Enforcement will be assisting with these drills. The high school evacuation will take place in the morning followed by the elementary in the afternoon. Community members are being made aware of these events so no one will be alarmed by the use of fire department equipment, law enforce vehicles, and special tactics uniforms and dress. The students at both buildings met with Law Enforcement in the fall, so they...
By Robert Lucke Whoa partners and sashay yourselves down to the new Big Sandy Library on April 11 to celebrate with an open house from 2 to 5 on that day. If you have not had a chance to view this beautiful addition to our main street, now is a good time to do it and be served refreshments at the same time. Head librarian Stephanie Overbay said that the open house is a great time to visit the new library but it is open and perfect for all sorts of activities during the week as well. There are...
On April 11, 2017 at 7:00 PM the Big Sandy Board of Trustees will meet to make a final decision whether or not to run a special bond election for the purpose of building a new swimming pool. The potential of this project has been a joint effort between the Town of Big Sandy and Big Sandy schools. There have been many public meetings over the course of the past year soliciting input from the community and the time has come for the trustees to make a final decision. Below is the information on how a $2,300,000 bond would affect taxpayers in our...
Included in this week's "Mountaineer" is a story about bears coming out of hibernation. We front paged this story for two reasons. First, it has a dandy picture of some grizzly bears coming out of hibernation that we wanted to share with you. But even more important there are many grizzlies especially, who are denning up along the Front Range and some even out on the prairie so those of us who live along rivers that have their sources in those areas should be on the lookout for grizzly bears in...
By Robert Lucke Everyone going to Glacier National Park wants to see a grizzly bear or at least a moose or an elk. But few people know about the rare abundance of harlequin ducks that can be seen in the early spring on upper McDonald Creek from about the Lake McDonald Falls to Avalanche campground. These amazing small ducks get their name harlequin because they are brightly spotted and look for all the world like they are dressed in a clown costume. The Glacier National Park colony of...
Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks is seeking public comment on a draft management plan for the Fresno Reservoir Wildlife Management Area (WMA). The comment period will run from March 29, 2017 through April 27, 2017. The Fresno Reservoir WMA is located in Hill County just upstream of Fresno Reservoir. The WMA is on Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) property, but is managed by FWP under a joint management agreement between FWP and BOR. The management plan identifies the objectives for wildlife habitat, weed management, infrastructure, and public...
(StatePoint) For homeowners looking to create a more inviting outdoor living space, it all starts with a beautiful lawn. But without the right routines and tools, achieving and maintaining a top-quality yard can be time consuming. One of the best ways to save time and get the lawn you want is to invest in better lawn care tools. Now is a great time to take stock of the tools in your garage. “If you’re spending more time than you’d like maintaining your lawn, you might consider some key equipment upgrades,” says Jamie Briggs, product manager at...
"The Mountaineer" in the last several months has had front page stories by a number of people about the good and bad of National Heritage Areas. In reviewing the National Heritage Area being proposed for our part of Montana, we notice that the area has been made smaller. Towns that ought to be concerned yet include Belt, Ulm, Cascade, Sun River, Fort Shaw, Great Falls, Fort Benton, Monarch, Neihart and Vaughn. Those communities will be directly impacted by the National Heritage Area according...