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Articles from the February 4, 2021 edition


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  • County COVID-19 vaccine distribution hinges on supply

    Roger Dey, BVD|Updated Feb 4, 2021

    With COVID-19 vaccine still in comparatively short supply in Montana, it's unclear when mobile vaccine clinics may be dispatched to Lincoln or other outlying communities in Lewis and Clark County.* (Editors note: The county receives vaccine allocation information Tuesday morning. On the morning of Feb. 2 they had received enough to conduct a mobile vaccine clinic in Lincoln at the Lincoln Fire Hall Feb. 5 for Lewis and Clark County residents. The information wasn't available...

  • Public Health Boards Under the Microscope in Montana Legislature

    Austin Amestoy, UM Legislative News Service University of Montana School of Journalism|Updated Feb 2, 2021

    HELENA -- The COVID-19 pandemic brought a flood of new orders and guidelines from local health departments for businesses across Montana, including particularly tricky ones for owners and employees on mask use. Jim Edwards, the owner of Pattee Creek Market in Missoula said his business adapted, putting up plastic screens and increasing cleaning. But, he said ordering his employees to enforce a mask mandate for his customers crossed a line. "It's not a $12-per-hour checker's...

  • Photos: Banging out donations

    Roger Dey, BVD|Updated Feb 2, 2021

    Jim Oly, who debuted his drumming for Lincoln on Dec. 6 - while dressed as Santa to spread some cheer - kept folks around parts of western Montana entertained with his musical endeavor and offbeat humor during the holidays. He returned to Lincoln for the encore performance as a benefit for the Lincoln Food Bank. During his two hour 'set,' a number of people stopped by, donating about 100 pounds of food, as well as some cash, for the Food Bank. Oly said the effort was in honor...

  • Nature Pick: Fireweed

    Kate Radford and Klara Varga|Updated Feb 2, 2021

    Fireweed, or Chamerion angustifolium, is a native species found throughout Canada and in the vast majority of the United States, except for southeastern states and Texas. A circumboreal plant, it can commonly be found in coniferous and mixed forests, in aspen parklands, and alongside snowberry, thimbleberry and juniper. The name fireweed comes from the plant's ability to quickly establish in areas burned by fire, appearing as soon as three months after a fire, according to...

  • Deputy's Log : Jan. 17 - Jan. 30, 2021

    Senior Deputy Robert Rivera, Lewis and Clark County Sheriffs Office|Updated Feb 2, 2021

    Lewis and Clark County 911 Center received thirty-eight calls for service during the weeks of Jan.17th, 2021 to January 30th, 2021 in the Lincoln area. Deputies performed seven traffic stops. Two of those calls for service generated a case report in the last two weeks: A deputy took a stolen vehicle report in the 400 block of Main St. Monday, Jan. 18. The victim offered a warm place for the suspects to wait for a ride and they ended up leaving with the victim's vehicle. The...

  • Library providing access to digital magazines at no charge

    Kate Radford, Lewis and Clark Library - Lincoln Branch|Updated Feb 2, 2021

    The Lincoln Branch of the Lewis & Clark Library has long offered digital materials for patrons to check out, including ebooks, streaming movies, music, and audiobooks. This week, the library launched access to 130 digital magazine subscriptions at no charge for patrons. These new magazine subscriptions are one of the ways the Montana State Library is investing funds received from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The Montana State Library manages the MontanaLibrary2Go collaborative collection,...

  • Lewis and Clark Library Branches Team-up for a #LoveYourLibraryLEGO® Program!

    News Release, Lewis and Clark Library|Updated Feb 2, 2021

    Helena -Each week during the month of February, the Lewis & Clark Library Branch libraries in Augusta, East Helena, Lincoln, and the Bookmobile will host a LEGO® building contest for students in grades K-8. The contest is designed to help students practice building, exploring, and being creative with LEGOs®. Each week in February, students will be challenged to build a creation based on the weekly theme and then share a photo of the creation with the Library to...

  • Lincoln students take part in BPA competition

    Kate Radford, Contributing Writer|Updated Feb 2, 2021

    Lincoln high school students participated in the Business Professionals of America virtual regional competition Jan. 27. BPA strives to "develop and empower student leaders to discover their passion and change the world," according to their website. Students who participate can explore professional and civic opportunities and learn real-world business skills including finance and management. For the first time, middle school students from Lincoln also participated. Lincoln's...

  • Lynx stands tall against Drummond

    Connie McAfferty, Contributing Writer|Updated Feb 2, 2021

    When it's time to separate the men from the boys you never know who is actually going to show up. Character, integrity and grit are not worn on shoulders like Boy Scout badges; they emerge amidst trials and struggles. Six scrappy young men at Lincoln High School are showing our town what courage, fortitude and dedication look like on the field of competition when they roll out on the basketball court to face taller, older and more numerous opponents every time they have a...

  • Op-Ed: Expanding access to affordable health care

    Sen. Cary Smith - R, SD 27 Billings Senate Majority Leader|Updated Feb 2, 2021

    If the past year's challenges posed by the pandemic have taught us anything, it's that Montanans in all corners of the state need increased, more affordable access to health care, and my bill moving through the state legislature will do just that. I'm sponsoring Senate Bill 101 to authorize Direct Patient Care in state law and expand access to affordable health care for Montanans all across the state. Direct Patient Care is a system where patients pay their doctors directly...

  • Community support helps Lincoln Community Hall

    Susan Howsmon, Lincoln Community Hall|Updated Feb 2, 2021

    The Lincoln Community Hall wishes to thank all who have returned their membership 2021 letters and encourage other citizens to consider joining the Hall if you have not already done so. The Hall relies on community support to maintain the building and ensure its availability for a multitude of community events. Due to its status as a 501c3, all donations, which include memberships, are tax deductible. Rental fees are generally less than comparable event locations in other west...

  • Letter: This bill is dangerous for Montanans

    Updated Feb 2, 2021

    Sportsmen Beware. SB-143 Montana voters passed I-161 in 2010 to limit guaranteed outfitter tags. The current legislature (sponsor Jason Ellsworth (R) SD 43) has introduced SB-143 which negates I-161 thus bypassing the will of Montana voters. This Bill proposes to double the number of guaranteed outfitter licenses thus reducing non-outfitted non-residents. States which provide unrestricted landowner tags like proposed in this bill have experienced significant loss of public...

  • Letter: All about politics

    Updated Feb 2, 2021

    Letter to the Editor: Dr. Neimeir made several good points in his letter in response to Liz's, but the one that I feel compelled to echo, endorse, and shout from the top of Dalton Mountain is "make no mistake . . . it's all about politics." My Poli-Sci 101 textbook described "politics" as the means by which power is distributed and redistributed in any society. Politics is the machinery that produces power over people and resources. At its core, politics is about who has...

  • Commentary: Another bill to weigh in on Outfitter bill would forever change Montana hunting

    Tom Pulcherz, Montana Wildlife Federation|Updated Feb 2, 2021

    Do you hunt with out of state family and friends? Do you hunt private lands without an outfitter or guide? Have you been applying for a Missouri River Breaks or Elkhorns bull tag for every single year? If so, you better pay attention. SB 143, sponsored by Sen. Jason Ellsworth, R-Hamilton, would turn the vast majority of non-resident big game licenses offered in Montana to "outfitter sponsored" tags favoring hunters with money who use outfitters. It would also create landowner...

  • Losing control

    Tammy Jordan|Updated Feb 2, 2021

    This week I thought I would write about control, and if you know me, this is kind of a funny topic. For those who don't know me, the reason this is especially humorous is that it's being written by a known, in-denial, reforming, control freak. It just so happens that over the last week, there have been a lot of discussions by various people in my life about the area of control (control of events, people, things, etc.) and it prompted something within me to take on the topic....

  • Lattin takes new position with Pintler Ranger District

    Roger Dey, BVD|Updated Feb 2, 2021

    The Lincoln Ranger District is losing another familiar face in February as Natural Resource Specialist Josh Lattin moves on to a similar position with the Pintler Ranger District on the Beaverhead-Deer Lodge National Forest. Lattin, who has managed the Lincoln Ranger District's recreations program since the late spring of 2014, is set to begin work in Philipsburg Feb. 16. Although he would like to stay in Lincoln, Lattin said he applied for the new job to help advance his...

  • Gianforte gives State of the State Address, House advances abortion bills; debate on 'sanctuary' cities gets heated

    Austin Amestoy, Legislative News Service UM School of Journalism|Updated Feb 2, 2021

    Gov. Gianforte Promises a "Montana Comeback" in First State of the State Address Gov. Greg Gianforte, the first Republican governor in 16 years in Montana, praised a "resilient" Montana and outlined his plans for tax relief, job growth and addiction recovery support in his State of the State address at the Montana State Capitol Thursday, Jan. 28. Gianforte spoke to more than a hundred state representatives, senators and guests in the House chamber, and opened with praise for...