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The Lima Fire Department, along with Beaverhead County Sheriff’s Office, the Montana Highway Patrol, and a Clark County Deputy, responded to a single vehicle accident involving a semi-trailer. The vehicle overturned on I-15 mm 6 heading North. The semi was loaded with produce, and dry goods which spilled along the highway. Turney Towing will be on scene throughout the evening, working on clearing the scene of the produce and wreckage. Please use caution. The driver was transported to Barrett Hospital with minor injuries.

Beaverhead County Museum Board of Trustees Meeting Notice of Special Meeting of the Beaverhead County Museum Board of Trustees Agenda Thursday June 1, 2023, 5:00 pm 15 South Montana Street, Dillon, MT 59725 1. Introduction of Guests: 2. Budget Review: Review 2023 – 2024 Budget of Beaverhead County Museum 3. Grand Opening: Train Exhibit 4. Other Business: Public Discussion *Public comment on items of significant public interest not on the agenda and within the jurisdiction of the Beaverhead County Museum Board of Trustees Adjournment:

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is again accepting applications for its Habitat Conservation Lease Program. A habitat conservation lease is a voluntary, incentive-based agreement between FWP and private landowners in which the landowner commits to specific land management practices that protect priority wildlife habitat. In turn, FWP pays landowners a one-time per-acre fee for the lease. These agreements will have a term length of 30 and 40 years. As it has for decades, FWP is still pursuing conservation easements and land purchases where support from landowners, local officials and the community exists. The lease program is an addition to the conservation tools already available to landowners. Last year FWP received few applications for the program and has since made changes to the program to make it more appealing to landowners. These changes included increasing the payment level and providing a new buy-out option for landowners who wish to replace the conservation lease with a permanent conservation easement. A supplemental environmental assessment was completed on the changes to the program earlier this year. It can be found here. The initial focus of the conservation lease program is prairie and pothole wetland habitats, with a priority on sage-grouse core areas and other plains habitats recognized by FWP as high priority for wildlife. In areas critical to sage-grouse, these leases ensure habitat protections to keep populations healthy and allow the bird to remain off the Endangered Species List. The Habitat Conservation Lease Program potentially could protect up to 500,000 acres in the next five years. “Beyond protecting important habitat, this program will also be another tool to help keep family farms and ranches on the landscape, which will ensure our vital open spaces stay that way well into the future,” said FWP Director Hank Worsech. Habitat conservation leases maintain native habitats by protecting them from specific disturbances that would alter their integrity, including tillage, energy development, building construction, and wetland filling or draining. Normal agricultural operations and noxious weed control will not be impacted. Public access also will be part of the lease, but the details would be specific to each agreement. Funding for the conservation lease program includes earmarked Habitat Montana funds, Pittman-Robertson funds and other sources dedicated to specific habitat types (e.g., wetlands). The Habitat Montana funds will be matched by federal funds at a 25/75 ratio, meaning every dollar of Habitat Montana money would be matched by $3 of federal money. More information and applications for the program are available on the FWP at https://fwp.mt.gov/conservation/habitat/habitat-conservation/lease-program. The deadline for applications is July 14.

Hunters have until June 1 to apply for antelope licenses as well as elk and deer B licenses. All applications must be done online or at an FWP office. Don’t wait until the last minute, get it done now. Simply click here. Elk and deer b licenses and archery-only antelope licenses will be drawn mid-June, but general antelope licenses won’t be drawn until later in the summer after biologists do counts and determine the number of licenses to issue. If you haven’t already downloaded the MyFWP mobile app, now is a great time to do so. This convenient app will hold your licenses and permits, as well as your E-tags which can be validated in the field if you harvest an animal. The app works with or without cell service in the field, as long as you’ve downloaded your E-tags to your device. To find out more information on the MyFWP mobile app, click here.

Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park is kicking off its summer interpretive programs next month with talks that highlight the flora, fauna and night skies of Montana’s first state park. The park’s Saturday evening events will each begin at 8 p.m. at the campground amphitheater and last about an hour. Join park ranger Ramona Radonich for the following programs: June 3: Birds of a Feather: See what birds make their home at Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park. Binoculars will be available. June 10: Flower Power: An in-depth discovery of the beauty, structure and survival of wildflowers. June 17: Night Skies at Lewis & Clark Caverns: Stories behind the stars and constellations of Montana’s night sky. June 24: Three Dog Night: A tribute to three cool canines—wolves, coyotes and foxes. In the event of adverse weather, these programs will move to a sheltered area. Notification of a change in location due to weather will be posted on the signboard at the amphitheater entrance 30 minutes before the program starts. Guided hikes are planned for the first two Sundays in June. Bring water, sunscreen and sturdy shoes for some quality time outside. Both hikes will begin at 9 a.m.: June 4: Bird Hike: Meet at the Main Visitor Center before heading afield to watch and listen to the park’s feathered friends. Binoculars will be available. June 11: Flower Hike: Meet at Greer Gulch picnic area for a hike to discover what’s blooming at the caverns. Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park is about 15 miles southeast of Whitehall, along Montana Highway 2. For more information about the park, please visit stateparks.mt.gov/lewis-and-clark-caverns or call 406-287-3541.

A vehicle was traveling southbound on I-15 this afternoon when they suffered a tire blowout. This caused the vehicle to lose control and cross into the path of a semi. The two collided with the vehicle's coming two a stop with the car under the semi trailer. I-15 was temporarily closed while first responders worked on getting the occupants of of the car and getting the scene cleared. Minor injuries were reported for the two occupants in the car.

UMW Press Release: After publicly launching a $13 million fundraising effort earlier this year to fund scholarships, academic programs, and student wellness and athletics facilities, the University of Montana Western has announced the selection of Jeffrey Contracting/R.E. Miller as the general contractor of the new Sports & Activities Complex, anticipated to break ground this August with the goal of having a game-ready field for fall semester 2024. “We are very excited to be at this stage in the Sports & Activities Complex project, which will transform the student experience and provide a campus and community gathering place to be enjoyed by all. I would like to thank everyone for their generosity and contributions to the Experience One Campaign. We wouldn’t be able to do this without the support of our incredible Bulldog Community,” said Montana Western Chancellor, Michael Reid. The civil site plan for the Sports & Activities Complex project is complete and has been reviewed and approved by the City of Dillon and Montana Department of Transportation. The next stage will be working with the project’s engineers, architects, and general contractor for design development and cost estimates. “We are looking forward to working with local contracting business, R.E. Miller, on this project which will also employ the talents of several area subcontractors. The community support in helping us get to this point has been instrumental, and I am excited that we will be breaking ground soon,” said UMW Director of Facility Services, Michael Brown. The Sports & Activities Complex will be constructed on a section of 14 acres of land adjacent to campus that John and Phyllis Erb pledged to the university in 2019. With expanded seating and new amenities, the Complex will significantly enhance the game-day and campus life experience and will aid in recruiting future students. The new Complex will also be available to host local games and events for other community organizations to support the youth of Beaverhead County. Over $11.8 million has already been committed to the $13 million comprehensive campaign, of that, about $4.5 million will be directed to the Complex project. Currently, total funds raised for the Complex project are at $3.6 million. “I’d like to thank our generous donors, and invite everyone to help us cross the finish line for the Experience One Campaign,” said UMW Foundation Executive Director, Roxanne Engellant. “Every gift, no matter the amount, brings us one step closer in achieving our goal in supporting our students and our community.” Approximately $8.5 million is planned to be divided among the other three funding priorities of the Experience One Campaign including substantially increasing support for student scholarships, adding a Wellness Center to the campus to support the mental and physical health of UMW’s students, and investing in the Fund for Experience One to increase experiential learning opportunities for students and faculty. Montana Western hopes to secure the remaining funds needed for the campaign over the next twelve months. For more information about Montana Western’s fundraising efforts or to support the Experience One Campaign, please contact the University of Montana Western Foundation at 406-683-7305, email roxanne.engellant@umwestern.edu, or visit tinyurl.com/X1-campaign. The UMW Foundation will also host a luncheon in the coming weeks to discuss opportunities for subcontractors interested in contributing to the Sports & Activities Complex project via in-kind donations. Please email roxanne.engellant@umwestern.edu for more information.

UMW Press Release: The Chancellor’s Leadership Scholars Award is a four-year, full-tuition scholarship awarded to exceptional students residing in the state of Montana who will be attending the University of Montana Western in the fall. Montana Western is proud to announce the five following high school seniors as the 2023-24 award recipients: Megan Ehinger A graduate of Chester-Joplin-Inverness school, Megan would like to thank her teachers for their encouragement and guidance. While taking a combination of in-person and online classes, she was able to maintain her GPA and complete four dual enrollment courses. Megan plans to major in psychology with a minor in business. In her free time, Megan enjoys reading, drawing, playing video games, and spending time with friends and family. “I want to pursue a degree in psychology at Montana Western so that I can help people overcome challenges and provide them with the tools to achieve their goals in life,” Megan said. Elizabeth Fulbright When Elizabeth Fulbright arrives at the University of Montana Western, she will be returning home.  Born in Dillon, Elizabeth grew up in Lewistown, Montana.   During her time at Fergus High School, she served as Student Body President, an FCCLA State Officer, a Drum Major and competed in volleyball and cross country.  Elizabeth plans to major in mathematics education. “My goal as a future educator is to inspire and motivate my students. I have always enjoyed helping others and I am excited for the upcoming opportunities at Montana Western,” said Elizabeth. Nicolas Macdonald In May 2023, Nicolas will be graduating as salutatorian from Beaverhead County High School. As an incoming UMW student, he plans to major in business with minors in glass and visual arts. Currently, Nicolas is a member of the National Honors Society, Academic Olympics, and a co-founder of the Robotics Club. Through the Robotics Club, he hosted a workshop teaching middle school students how robots are constructed and programmed. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with family and friends, designing 3-D animations, and woodworking. He looks forward to exploring the glass and art programs at Montana Western. “I have always been a person who likes to help others. Typically, it was in the form of simple things like homework or class projects, but in recent years I have been able to make a bigger impact through volunteering,” said Nicolas. Isabella Montalvo Isabella Montalvo will be graduating from Terry High School as co-valedictorian this spring. She is excited to join the Montana Western community to obtain a degree in environmental sustainability and visual arts. Interactions between people and the environment have always fascinated Isabella and she hopes by minoring in visual arts she can share valuable information about the environment through her photography. Isabella enjoys botany, computer games, volleyball, drawing, and learning trivia in her free time. “I strongly believe that when people cannot communicate with words, arts and visuals are a perfect alternative,” said Isabella. Allison Sprague Allison will graduate from Belgrade High and maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout all four years of high school. She participated in cheerleading, soccer, and the National Honors Society. In her last season, Allison was a varsity starter, captain, and an all-state recipient. She also volunteered in a fourth-grade classroom once a week and led lessons in grammar and spelling. She plans to join the education program at Montana Western to fulfill her dream of becoming a teacher. Allison enjoys painting, reading, and building Lego sets in her free time. “I have always admired my teachers for their dedication to learning and I hope to continue their tradition by becoming a teacher through Montana Western’s education program,” said Allison. “Congratulations to the recipients of this scholarship that recognizes leadership, community service, and academic excellence. We are excited to welcome you to campus this fall,” said Montana Western Chancellor, Michael Reid.

UMW Sports Press Release: - Head Coach Katie Lovett has announced the hiring of Bulldog Volleyball alumni Madison Richtmyer as the new Assistant Volleyball Coach. Richtmyer joins the Bulldogs from Whitehall, Mont. where she most recently served as the Head Volleyball Coach at Whitehall High School. She led the Trojans as the head varsity coach for the last two seasons and made an appearance in the district tournament. She has also coached in the Mountain One Volleyball Club organization. “We were fortunate to bring Coach Richtmyer into the Whitehall coaching staff on the coattails of her collegiate career at Western. Her experience as a player was of great benefit to our high school program. Now, I am very happy for her to come full circle and return to her alma mater as an experienced coach (though I am sad to see her leave our coaching ranks here). She will be a great addition to the Bulldogs’ team.” Whitehall Athletic Director Brian Beebe stated. Richtmyer began her collegiate career at Montana Western in 2016. She played in a total of 55 games as a setter, totaling 598 assists, 268 digs, and averaged 4.4 assists per set across her career. Prior to becoming a Bulldog, Richtmyer was a 2016 graduate of Helena High School where she was a two-time second team all-conference selection and a second team all-state selection. “I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Coach Richtmyer as she has launched her coaching career in Whitehall. She has a solid knowledge of the game and she pushes her athletes to achieve at their highest possible level. I know she will do a fantastic job for the Bulldogs and I look forward to watching her career flourish.” Beebe continued. “I have known Madison since I coached her my first season here at Western. She has always had a great mind for the game and she was able to grow her knowledge from a coaching viewpoint during her time as a club coach and the head coach at Whitehall. She brings great experience and has a lot of knowledge of the Montana volleyball community. With Madison being a Western graduate, and being a part of the Dillon community for a long time, she will be a great asset in fostering the growing volleyball culture in southwest Montana. As well as, helping grow our community outreach and alumni relations.” Head Coach Katie Lovett said.

The Stone Creek Raceway was the place to be this weekend for motocross racers and fans. Three days of racing kept racers busy and spectators happy. Starting Friday, May 19 and running through Sunday the series hosted races all weekend long. Featuring all classes of motorcycles from pit bikes to 50cc and up. The racetrack just right off the Stone Creek Road tested riders' skill as well as giving them some incredible views of the area. As they raced for series points. Dillon was round 3 & 4 in the series. A few mobile food vendors kept the crowd hydrated and fed, and a group of race organizers and volunteers helped keep everything flowing smoothly from directing traffic, keeping the dust down, to making sure racers stayed on the track. You can find all the race results here. Click on image for full size

It was a busy day in downtown Dillon as citizens and organizations took to the streets to help clean up in time for summer. Downtown Dillon Cleanup Day was the idea of the Dillon Merchants Association. They came up with a way to do community service to the town as well as help getting it cleaned up for summer. Ron Carroll proposed the idea to Mayor McGinly and director of operation Todd Hazelbaker on having the city join in on the cleanup. The city provided garbage bags, vests, and cones for the cleanup. The mayor drove around on a side by side with his two little helpers and delivered water to those who were working and thirsty. Along with City Council members Diane Armstrong and Stephen Sievert who also took part in today’s cleanup. Some people helping with the cleanup noticed many old flyers and pamphlets that had been scattered throughout the town as they cleaned. A good reminder if you place flyers or pamphlets on people’s vehicles they just end up as trash in the town. With a couple hours of hard labor by business owners, members of our community, miscellaneous organizations, along with cadets from the Montana Youth Challenge Dillon looks a little less run down and a lot more inviting for those who drive through the town. The cleanup was followed up with a BBQ at the Elks Lodge with the food being donated by Town and Country Foods, Judy Siring of Farmers Union, Reeser’s.

Press release from The Dillon Police Department: On May 20, 2023, at 8:38, Dillon Police responded to a report of two vicious animals, upon arrival, the dogs attempted to attack the officer, who subsequently used his service pistol to defend himself and fatally shot the dog. The full report can be seen below.

Real estate professionals Chance Bernall and Mary Ann Nichols will be the guest speakers at the Dillon Rotary Club meeting on Wednesday, May 24th. They will be discussing historical data, present market conditions and the future outlook for local and national real estate. Visitors are welcome to attend, and anyone interested in learning more about the Rotary organization is invited to be a guest for lunch. The Rotary Club meets in the Guild Hall of St. James Episcopal Church, located at 203 East Glendale Street. For more information about the Rotary Club, email Matthew Fullerton at matthewfullerton@me.com

The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT), Helena Sand and Gravel, and Riverside Contracting anticipate working on the following, weather dependent: Week of May 22: Bridge work continues over the Beaverhead River. Traffic is reduced to one lane in each direction on Interstate 15 (I 15). Work is wrapping up on the bridge over the railroad. Concrete work occurs on the east side of Atlantic Street between Helena Avenue and Sebree Street. Week of May 29: Construction activities will pause for the Memorial Day holiday weekend and resume on Tuesday, May 30th. Bridge work continues over the Beaverhead River. Traffic is reduced to one lane in each direction on I 15. Concrete work occurs in the median of East Helena Avenue. Concrete work continues on the east side of Atlantic Street south of Sebree Street.

UMW Sports Press Release: The Bulldog Men’s Rodeo Team finished second overall in the team standings in the NIRA Big Sky Region. With the second-place finish, they qualify as a team to compete at the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) set to be held in Casper, Wyo. from June 11 through 17. “Obviously, our goal was to get the team to the CNFR, now we focus on what we can do to put ourselves in the best spot to compete there and bring home some hardware.” Head Coach JT Robbins said. Robbins, voted the 2022-23 Big Sky Region Coach of the Year, is in his second year at the helm of the Montana Western Rodeo Team. “We are taking a very balanced team consisting of some great individuals. I am really looking forward to it.” Robbins continued. “We have a good group of guys that all get along. We know how to have fun, but we also know how to be serious and get better. JT lined up lots of good practice cattle this season that made it easy for us to get better with quality practices. I am excited to get home and rope with different people that can help me in different ways and keep pushing me to get better every day heading into the Finals.” Senior Brett Bartholomew said. The Bulldogs will send six individuals to compete at the CNFR in just under one month. Entries Brett Bartholomew, a senior from Filer, Idaho, competed this season in tie down roping and team roping. Though qualifying for the CNFR back in 2020, he was unable to compete due to the cancelation of the finals. Bartholomew will now make his first appearance at the CNFR after he finished fifth in the region in tie down roping. Ty Christensen, a senior from Plain City, Utah, makes his first appearance at the CNFR after he competed in team roping and tie down roping this season. Christensen transferred to Montana Western this season after stints at Weber State and Casper College. He finished this season fifth in the Big Sky Region in the Men's All-Around, second in team roping, and seventh in tie down roping. Trevor Kay, a sophomore bareback rider from Chester, Idaho, makes his second trip to the CNFR. He enters the finals as the No. 1 rider in the nation. He finished on top of the average standings in eight of the ten rodeos this season. Last season, he finished 15th in Casper last season. Carson Klingler, a sophomore saddle bronc rider from Rexburg, Idaho, makes his second appearance at the CNFR for the Bulldogs. He finished 15th last year in Casper, Wyo. Klingler qualified after he overtook the third-place spot in his final ride at the regional finals in Missoula back on April 29. Gavin Knutson, a freshman from Polson, Mont., makes his first appearance at the CNFR this year. He competed this season in bull riding, tie down roping, and in team roping. Knutson enters the CNFR as the third ranked bull rider in the nation. He won the NIRA Big Sky Region title in bull riding and earned 645 points on the season. Jhet Murphy, a junior from Helena, Mont., makes his debut at the CNFR. A transfer from Laramie Community College, Murphy finished a successful first year as a Bulldog. He finished second in the NIRA Big Sky Region in the Men's All-Around standings, second overall in team roping, fifth overall in steer wrestling, and 15th in the tie down roping.