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Articles from the September 17, 2020 edition


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  • BULLOCK ANNOUNCES COVID-19 RESPONSE PROTOCOLS FOR SCHOOLS

    News Release, State of Montana|Updated Sep 17, 2020

    Gov. Steve Bullock announced outbreak response protocols for Montana’s K-12 schools Thursday, sept. 10. The protocols include information on COVID-19 symptoms, when to call for emergency care, determining close contacts, when to quarantine, isolate and recommend testing, and when to allow, screening symptomatic students and staff for testing or isolation, and guidance on athletics and extracurricular activities. The protocol are based on an outbreak response plan developed by Rhode Island and includes best practices from...

  • Upper Blackfoot Chronicles

    Updated Sep 17, 2020

    A Wonderful Trip Suggested For the benefit of those who would enjoy the wonderful Montana out-of-doors to the limit, the Rod and Gun Club sug-gests a motor and fishing trip of a hundred miles, outside the area of the Helena National Forest, which embraces imposing stretches of country south and southwest of the capital, and a great tract east of the Missouri River to the Big Belt Mountains. The suggestion for a full day's trip has the Big Blackfoot country as the objective,...

  • From My Perspective: The Change of Seasons

    Tammy Jordan|Updated Sep 17, 2020

    Where I grew up in Southern Cal-ifornia, I remember learning about seasons in elementary school. The teacher had it up on a bulletin board. Winter began in December and end-ed in February. March through May was springtime, June through August brought the heat of summer, and Sep-tember through November equaled fall. Honestly, in Southern California, I feel like seasons are more of a myth than a reality, but it was some-thing we all learned about in school nonetheless. When I...

  • Photos: Hazy days

    Roger Dey, BVD|Updated Sep 17, 2020

    The Montana Department of Environmental Quality wildfire smoke outlook for Sunday showed that Seeley Lake reported air quality levels as 'unhealthy for sensitive groups" at 11:30 a.m.,while Helena showed moderate air quality. An unofficial observation by the BVD indicated visibility in Lincoln dropped to about two miles by 4 p.m. Sunday. Based on the DEQ's visibility range, used to determine the smoke index values for local areas, air quality in the Lincoln Valley dropped...

  • Correction: Mail-in ballots

    Roger Dey|Updated Sep 17, 2020

    Last week’s story in our print edition regarding the county’s mail-in voting decision included an indirect quote from Lincoln Post Master Zach Muse regarding ballot postmarks that was inaccurate. During the Government Day meeting Muse urged people to mail their ballots in by Oct. 31 at the latest. In explaining the time it takes for a ballot to go through the U.S. Mail, he made a comment that sounded like “it’s not postmarked.” Although it sounded like a clear statement, we should have confirmed with him that what... Full story

  • Some fans allowed at school events following Sept. 3 County Health Board decision

    Roger Dey, BVD|Updated Sep 17, 2020

    Lincoln Public Schools released new guidelines for attendance at sporting events Sept. 10, a week after the Lewis and Clark Board of Health approved an amendment to exclude youth activities from the health order limiting gatherings to 250 people. Under the guidelines, a limited number of spectators are now allowed at both volleyball and football games. Volleyball games held in the gym can now have up to 50 spectators, while football games can have up to 125. Lincoln Schools At... Full story

  • Teacher Feature - Stephanie Burns

    Kate Radford|Updated Sep 17, 2020

    Stephanie Burns joins Lincoln Public Schools as the new 4th grade teacher this year. She graduated from Montana State University Bozeman with a bachelors degree in Elementary Education and a specialization in early childhood education. "This is my second year teaching my own class," said Burns. "Before that, I was an assistant teacher for two and a half years." Burns taught at Lakeside Elementary as well as at a private school in Miami and is looking forward to getting back in...

  • Deputy's Log: Sept. 6-12

    Senior Deputy Robert Rivera, Lewis and Clark County Sheriffs Office|Updated Sep 17, 2020

    Lewis and Clark County 911 Center received thirty-seven calls for service during the week of Sept. 6 to Sept. 12, 2020. Deputies performed four traffic stops in the Lincoln area. Two of those calls generated a case report last week: Deputies responded to a report of a deceased male Sept.8 in the 400 block of Stemple Pass Rd. The incident was not suspicious in nature, but the death investigation is still active through the cor-oner's division. A deputy responded to a report of...

  • LC County Commission appoints new Treasurer/Clerk & Recorder

    News Release, Lewis and Clark County|Updated Sep 17, 2020

    HELENA – Yesterday the Board of County Commissioners appointed Amy Reeves as the new Lewis and Clark County Treasurer/Clerk & Recorder. The appointment comes after the retirement announcement of current Treasurer/Clerk & Recorder Paulette DeHart. DeHart's official resignation date is September 25, 2020. The BoCC received twelve applications, advancing four applicants to an open, panel-style interview on September 8. Reeves has been an employee of the office's...

  • Letter: 'Displays' versus 'Monuments'

    Updated Sep 17, 2020

    The work of the 2019 legislative session has come full circle on two bills vetted in the Senate State Administration Veterans' Affairs Committee which I chaired. One was SB275 (Senator Olzewski-R) and HB524 (Representative Weatherwax-D) that brought attention to needs for recognition of two different subjects. SB275 gave five years to raise $165,000 to commemorate our first woman governor, Judy Martz. HB524 requested a tribal monument with a flag circle on capitol grounds and...

  • Jr Hi Lynx open football season on a shaky start

    Connie McCafferty|Updated Sep 17, 2020

    It took a big bus to bring the combined Power-Dutton-Brady Titans and their coaches to Lincoln on Friday, Sept. 11 to face the seven brave members of the Lincoln Lynx junior high squad in their first six-man football gridiron match of the fall. The score at half time, 0 - 14, showed nerves shaking out of the local Lynx as the young men were finding their game faces after two weeks of practice; practices long on hitting dummies but short on actual scrimmage against real live...

  • Guest Opinion: Two kinds of persons under the Constitution

    Karen Frank-Plumlee, Lincoln|Updated Sep 17, 2020

    The preamble to our US Constitution reads: "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."  It has become clear since the US Supreme Court ruling on Citizens United that there are two kinds of...

  • Bear sign a sign to be bear aware

    Roger Dey, BVD|Updated Sep 17, 2020

    A very large pile of bear poop, laden with chokecherry pits, appeared on Stemple Pass Road near the Community River Park late last week. Although there's no indication whether it was left by a grizzly or a black bear, it served as a reminder that both species of bear frequent the Lincoln area. Lincoln Game Warden Ezra Schwalm hadn't had any reports of a bear in the area, but knows they're around. "They're gonna be active right now," he said. With the first day of fall just...

  • Lincoln Fire aids in tamping down small blaze east of divide

    Roger Dey|Updated Sep 17, 2020

    LINCOLN – Lincoln Fire Rescue joined several agencies in the fight against a fire near mile marker 105 on Highway 200, north of Bowman's Corner. The Panama Fire began at about 4 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 10 and spread quickly, burning an estimated 100-plus acres of mostly grass by 4:15. Firefighters, aided by a DNRC helicopter, stopped the fire at 228 acres. Firefighters from the Helena DNRC, Lincoln Fire Rescue, Wolf Creek and Augusta Volunteer Fire Departments and the U.S....

  • Two killed in small airplane crash near Seeley Lake

    Roger Dey|Updated Sep 17, 2020

    SEELEY LAKE – An airplane crash Saturday night, Sept. 12 north of Seeley Lake left two people dead and one hospitalized. Wayne D. Cahoon, 59, of Seeley lake and Charles E. Wolff, 67 of Green Valley Ariz. died when the Single engineCessna 172 went down north of the Seeley Lake Airport. A passenger, identified in a GoFundMe page as Christian Cahoon, survived but was badly injured and ultimately taken to a hospital in Washington. According to the Missoula County Sheriff ’s office, a possible plane crash north of Seeley Lake...

  • Letter: Addressing shocked response to 'Vote Wisely' ad

    Updated Sep 17, 2020

    I want to address Liz Cain's letter with a dose of reality. Just because you don’t agree with the ad in question, and just because you personally find it offensive, does not make it wrong and you right. It was an advertisement. They are printed all the time. Generally people who don’t agree with them see them and just move on. I believe a lot of people in our community have done just that when they saw the ad from the Frank-Plumlees. What I will agree with you on is the fact that there is a huge divisiveness in our...

  • Letter: Supports Gianforte

    Updated Sep 17, 2020

    Dear Editor, I am writing in support of Greg Gianforte for Governor. I believe Greg understands the dire economic position our state is in, and has a game plan for recovery. Before the plandemic (not a typo), Montana ranked 49th in the nation in household income, as reported by Prospera. We barely had an economy going into 2020. Our current governor had no business shutting down our businesses. I believe Greg would never hobble our ability to prosper. Greg believes in school choice. Greg also appreciates religious and...

  • Letter: Mail-in voting process explained by County elections office

    Updated Sep 17, 2020

    The Lewis and Clark County elections is hearing from people who are concerned about the security of the upcoming election. It can be hard to get accurate information about how elections work; conversations happen at the national level, but elections are administered locally with different laws in each state. Adding to this confusion, we know from our election security training that foreign entities are deliberately spreading disinformation about our elections through social... Full story

  • Photos: Rods on Main

    Updated Sep 17, 2020

    Classic vehicles lined Lincoln's main Street Saturday, Sept. 12. The Lambkins Rod Run and Wilderness Car Show The Lambkins Rod Run is now it in it's 19th year, after a year off in 2017Held on the same weekend as the Wilderness Car Show that began in 2012, the separate events are among the last shows of the season in Montana and saw a large number of classic cars to Lincoln every September. This year saw a larger than normal turnout, since many other car shows and events were...

  • Lincoln School deals with spring learning gaps, adapts distance learning techniques

    Kate Radford|Updated Sep 17, 2020

    As school starts up this fall, teachers work to meet student needs and assess which gaps in learning are from COVID closures last spring and which are from summer slide. Many students, particularly in younger grades, come back from summer break having experienced what's called "summer slide," a loss in knowledge and skills, particularly in reading and math. Studies show that this knowledge loss can be cumulative over grade levels as students start a little bit further behind... Full story