The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
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The coronavirus pandemic continues to take a toll on long-standing community events. The Pete Sitch Memorial Basketball Tournament, which usually takes place in Lincoln in mid-March, has been canceled for the second year in a row due to COVID-19. “We spoke with the Health Department and a few people at the school. It was just not going to be able to happen, unfortunately,” said Dave Sitch, one of the tournament organizers. The tournament, which began in 1988 in honor of Pet...
Look What's Law: Governor Signs Bill Reducing COVID-19 Liability, Rolls Back Mask Mandate Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte has signed into law a major COVID-19 liability bill, which soared through the Montana Legislature during its first month. Senate Bill 65, sponsored by Sen. Steve Fitzpatrick, R-Great Falls, greatly reduces the extent to which businesses, healthcare professionals, and manufacturers of personal protective equipment are liable for harm related to COVID-19. The...
Casey Olson has been on a drill rig since 1991. Back then, Olson worked at a mineral exploration company, and though the work was “break-back,” learning the equipment wasn’t too difficult. Fast forward thirty years later, he’s now running Rabco Services as an independent well drilling contractor in Columbia Falls and Olson says the technology is rapidly outpacing the knowledge of new workers, which are hard enough to find as it is. “We’re trying to target younger guys, we ta...
February 22, 2021 marks the 10th Anniversary of the opening of the new building at Parker Medical Center! The Parker Medical Center was created by and is sustained by the people of Lincoln. The people of Lincoln, Montana have a long history of seeking medical services for the Lincoln area as exhibited by the ad placed in a newspaper that brought Dr. Elmer Smith from New York to Lincoln in 1957. That good doctor served Lincoln for twenty-five years until he retired at the age o...
Lewis and Clark County 911 Center received forty-three calls for service during the weeks of January 31st, 2021 to February 13th, 2021 in the Lincoln area. Deputies performed five traffic stops. Five of those calls for service generated a case report in the last two weeks: A deputy responded to a report of a vicious dog Friday, Feb. 5, in the 300 block of Third Ave. The complainant witnessed a dog attack one of their chickens and kill it inside the chicken coop. The dog...
SEELEY LAKE – In response to public feedback, the Lolo National Forest is extending the public comment period for the North Fork Blackfoot River Native Fish Restoration Project for an additional 30 days or through March 12, 2021. Located in the Scapegoat Wilderness on the Seeley Lake and Lincoln Ranger Districts in Powell and Lewis and Clark counties, the project would authorize Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) to implement fish management and stocking actions within t...
The Lincoln Lynx played hard and never hung their heads in another lopsided match-up with the visiting Victor Pirates Friday. Starting out with cold shooting, per usual, the Lynx got better as the quarters rolled by. But the home team had their hands full with junior Carson Varner from Victor, a three-sport athlete, football QB and probable all-conference forward who averages more than 20 points per game. Encouraging the fans, Teegan Tybo let a three-point arc swish the net...
If you think of Prospectors as lumbering, pudgy old gold panners, think again. The visiting Lady Prospectors of Granite County High School were quick, wily and nimble on the basketball court Saturday night. With enough players to field two complete squads, Granite never had to tire out their starting five, while the Lincoln Lady Lynx barely had five starters and one eighth grade lady, Krymzen Dempster, as a back up. Though they were out-numbered, the five Lady Lynx starters...
This past week, as if we need to be reminded, brought about three feet of snow and sub-zero temperatures we haven’t seen in a really long time (probably last year, but it still feels like a really long time). What it also brought were lots of really cool random acts of kindness throughout our little town, and a reminder for me that Lincoln really is the “Last Best Place.” Lincoln truly is a very special place, both in my heart and my daily life. The town and the people in it...
The Montana Legislature is leveling one of the most aggressive attacks on public hunters we've ever seen under the guise of protecting gun rights. HJ 5, sponsored by Rep. Brad Tschida, R-Lolo, states that taxing firearms is unconstitutional, and unenforceable. Apparently, Rep. Tschida and supporters of this measure don't like Montana's abundant wildlife, the habitat that supports it and the world-class hunting we all enjoy. That's because we've had a tax on firearms for 84 yea...
Critical Thinking is the OBJECTIVE analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgement. It is a core academic skill and arguably a core life skill as well. Unfortunately, critical thinking is too often replaced with emotional reasoning (cognitive distortion where a person concludes that their emotional reaction proves something is true, regardless of evidence proving otherwise). The current threat to our Supreme Court institution perfectly illustrates this kind of replacement thinking. Calls for ‘court p...
Lincoln - Stephen Reinert Copenhaver, successfully retired farmer, dies at 90. His peaceful passing on Feb. 6, 2021, left a legacy of love and an example for living and loving life. Steve is survived by his sister, Joyce (John) Rounds; sisters-in-law, Joyce (Wayne) Copenhaver, and Agnus (Art) Thomsheck; children, John Copenhaver (Antonia "Toni" Cuvelier) of Humble, Texas, Susan Murphy (Rick Foreman) of Lincoln, Mont., Bob (Alice) Copenhaver of Brady, Mont., and Deb (Ron)...
Governor Greg Gianforte last week announced his order allowing the statewide mask mandate that has been in place since July 15 to expire, but a mask order remains in effect for Lewis and Clark County. Under Executive Order 2-2021, Gianforte encouraged Montanans to continue to wear masks but highlighted personal responsibility as the best tool to combat the spread of COVID-19. However, state law allows local jurisdictions to enforce health directives that are stricter than thos...
The Lincoln Loggers Wrestling Club has seen many successes since it started in 2016, placing twice as a team at State Little Guy Wrestling competitions, taking home the 2017 first place trophy for small teams. This year, the Loggers are looking to build on those successes with the purchase of new mats and uniforms with the help of several community partners. Mats are a significant expense for the wrestling club, with 6-foot by 30-foot mats costing an estimated $765 each. The...
The Upper Blackfoot Valley Historical Society received a grant from the Lincoln Valley Community Foundation in January to continue reconstruction of the Matt King house. The Lincoln Valley Community Foundation is run through the Montana Community Foundation, and grants are issued to local nonprofits. The $8,800 grant award to the UBVHS will be used to complete the roof on the Matt King house. Any grant funds leftover after the roof is completed will be utilized to complete...
A public access easement agreement approved by the Lewis and Clark County Commission during the Feb. 5 Lincoln Government Day brought an end to questions about access to National Forest land using Stonewall Creek Road. Concerns about use of the road emerged in 2018 following the installation of two gates on the road where they crossed onto private property in the Parlin Park area three and a half miles northwest of Lincoln. Crystal Ness, the county development services...
