The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
Sorted by date Results 1 - 11 of 11
Flooding has caused severe damage in Lewis & Clark County recently. Farms and ranches suffering severe damage may be eligible for assistance under the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) administered by the Lewis & Clark County Farm Service Agency (FSA) Office if the damage: will be so costly to rehabilitate that Federal assistance is or will be needed to return the land to productive agricultural use (and generally $1,000 or more) is unusual and is not the type that would...
After a quick trip to Missoula last Wednesday, Quinton Grantier headed back to Lincoln on Highway 200 . He was only a couple miles outside of Bonner when his dog, Junebug, jumped into his lap. As he tried to push her back into his truck's backseat, Grantier briefly took his eyes off the road. Ahead of him, another pickup was stopped, waiting to turn in to the Marco Flats Fishing Access. When Grantier looked up, he saw the other pickup but didn't have time to respond. "I hit...
The Blackfoot Valley Dispatch scored six awards in this year's annual Montana Newspaper Association Better Newspaper Contest. The BVD, a Division 1 publication with a circulation of less than 1250, picked up awards for news coverage, writing, page design and photography. Hope Quay earned the top honor for the paper with the papers only first place award. Her piece, "Swan Renaissance," detailing last year's return of a nesting pair of trumpeter swans to Smith Lake and their suc...
Chris was a "pensioner," as they called retired people back in the 1950's. He lived in a little cabin at our place, and died when I was eight or ten years old. I spent a lot of time with Chris, sitting at his creaky table while he sat in his easy chair. He had taken a liking to me, or maybe he was just lonesome, as he lived a solitary life. When his pension check arrived he would walk the half mile to Helmville, always in a well ironed, immaculate suit, and go to one of the...
Just a few months ago, work on Rick Freeland's dream of a non-profit fitness and recreation center for Lincoln had just begun. Now, Freeland and his wife Patti have converted the dated mid-century building that once housed the First Bank of Lincoln into a sleek and modern gym facility. "I think we started work on March 10th," said Freeland, who opened the doors to the Power House in early June. It's a project he's been dreaming about for 20 years. Assisted by Patti, their...
Last week, the Trust for Public Lands held the last of three meetings aimed at designing a local trail system that makes walking and biking around Lincoln safer and more appealing. The trail planning effort stemmed from the LOR Foundation grant that also funded Envision Lincoln, and though it's a separate process, it's tied tightly to the vision for the community that was established in those meetings. As the Envision Lincoln organizational meetings drew to close, two of the t...
A Lewis and Clark County Deputy who stopped to check on two vehicles pulled onto the side of the road arrested a Lincoln woman late Thursday night, after discovering drugs and paraphernalia in her car. According to court documents, deputies charged Michelle Candace King, 37, with one felony count of possession of methamphetamine, two misdemeanor counts of possession of drug paraphernalia and one misdemeanor count of possession of marijuana. During the encounter, the second...
For two months this spring Lewis and Clark County road crews dealt with two rounds of flooding that took a toll on county roads. Although the water has subsided, County Public Works Director Eric Griffin told the BVD the damage it left behind and the time spent dealing with it will affect road maintenance projects throughout the county for the rest of the year. Recently, Griffin has been fielding calls from the Lincoln area residents concerned about roads being graded without...
As I stood at the confluence of the Clark Fork and Blackfoot rivers recently, I was again reminded of how lucky I am to live in Montana with its abundance of outdoor opportunities. A wonderful part of my job as director of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is traveling around the state to enjoy public lands and check in on the resources we steward. Earlier this summer, it was my pleasure to participate in the dedication at the grand opening of the Confluence at Milltown State...
Tales of two fiddles The Irish proverb "The older the fiddle, the sweeter the tune" may not always be used to refer to the musical instrument, but Barb Pearson's pair of antique violins prove it to be true. Pearson's primary fiddle was built at a factory in Dresden, Germany in 1906. It belonged to her grandfather Archie Frame of Big Sandy. Pearson said her grandfather traded eggs to a neighboring rancher for the violin, and that it had probably been originally ordered from...
When Patty and Bob Weatherston saw the Three Bears Motel listed for sale in a Craigslist ad, they saw both a business opportunity and a chance to move to a town they love. "For 30 years we've been coming up and visiting friends who have a cabin. We just loved it so much we didn't want to go back home," Patty said. "We found this opportunity and it's been great." The Weatherstons moved to Lincoln from Helena and took over ownership of the motel from Louanne and Kevin Minear at...
