The Dillon Jaycees held their 50th annual Demolition Derby Saturday afternoon at the Beaverhead County Fairgrounds. This year’s derby coincided with the Summer Kickoff Concert featuring rock band Hinder. The Jaycees are also facing the reality that this year’s derby may be the last one held. The County Commissioners have aired concerns over holding the event at the fairgrounds due to liability issues. Despite the concerns the derby seating was almost filled as fans cheered on their favorite driver. Hosting both full size cars and the ever-popular Herby Derby and UTV barrel races no one was to come away from the event underwhelmed. Racers kept the crowd on their seats as they cheered on their favorite driver in all events in the end those drivers and cars who came out on top are: Main Event 1st Gage Hoerning (repeat from last year) 2nd Nicole Hull 3rd Nick Hunter 4th Chance Davis 5th Shane Kraha 6th Levi turner Herby 1st Cody Rustad 2nd Bill Banks 3rd Ryan Clark 4th Tuesday Clark Utv race 1st Chase Maloney Grudge 1st Alex crane Best of show Nicole Hull Best Performance(mad dog) Cody Rustad Click on image for full size

The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT), Helena Sand and Gravel, and Riverside Contracting anticipate working on the following, weather permitting: Week of June 12: The southbound ramps of the northern I 15 interchange will close Monday, June 12 for a few of weeks. Southbound travelers are guided to the southern interchange (Exit 62). Northbound ramps and the northern interchange at Exit 62 will be open. Single-lane closures on the I 15 bridge have been removed and both lanes are open. Final landscaping tasks will take place along Atlantic Street. Atlantic Street detours and temporary traffic lights are removed and have returned to regular traffic patterns. Week of June 19: The southbound ramps of the northern I 15 interchange (Exit 63) will remain closed for a few weeks. Southbound travelers are guided to the southern interchange (Exit 62). Tentatively, crews plan to begin removing the top layer of pavement on Helena Avenue. New pavement will be replaced in the days following removal. Traffic will be reduced to one lane.

Susan McRae, CPA and local business owner, will be the guest speaker at the Dillon Rotary Club meeting on Wednesday, June 14th. 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 or Gary Lorenzen at glorenzen415@loray-llc.com .

A six-run second inning led the Cubs to a 9-1 victory on Friday. The offensive onslaught came from singles by Jase Alvarez and Andrew Bartlome, by Damon Skradski, and a fielder's choice by Cohen Hartman. Dillon got on the board in the first inning. Skradski grounded out, scoring one run. The Cubs scored six runs in the second inning. Alvarez, Hartman, Skradski, and Bartlome each had RBIs in the big inning. Tyler Lagunas was the winning pitcher for the Cubs. The righty allowed three hits and one run over four innings, striking out four. Skradski threw one inning in relief out of the bullpen. McKay Shobe took the loss for Lewistown Redbirds "A". The righty allowed three hits and two runs over three innings, striking out five and walking one. Tate Mangold started the game for Lewistown Redbirds "A". The pitcher surrendered seven runs on five hits over two innings Trenton Moreni went 3-for-3 at the plate to lead the Cubs in hits.

The Montana Western Men’s Rodeo Team is just under a week away from the start of the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) that is set to be held in Casper, Wyo. from June 11 through 17. The Bulldogs will now send five athletes to compete as a team at the rodeo, with Trevor Kay unable to compete due to an injury. Schedules for each athlete are listed below. Championship round is on Saturday, June 17 at 7:00 p.m. if an athlete qualifies. All performances will be streaming on the ESPN app, June 13-17 at 7 p.m. MT daily. Daily results will be posted here as the week continues. Position Draw Brett Bartholomew, Tie Down Roping. Go 1 – Monday, June 12 Slack 7:00 a.m. Go 2 – Tuesday, June 13 Slack 7:00 a.m. Go 3 – Thursday, June 15 Performance 7:00 p.m. Ty Christensen, Team Roping and Tie Down Roping. Team Roping Go 1 – Monday, June 12 Slack 7:00 a.m. Go 2 – Tuesday, June 13 Slack 7:00 a.m. Go 3 – Thursday, June 15 Performance 7:00 p.m. Tie Down Roping Go 1 – Monday, June 12 Slack 7:00 a.m. Go 2 – Tuesday, June 13 Slack 7:00 a.m. Go 3 – Thursday, June 15 Performance 7:00 p.m. Carson Klingler, Saddle Bronc Riding. Go 1 – Sunday, June 11 Matinee 1:00 p.m. Go 2 – Tuesday, June 13 Slack 7:00 a.m. Go 3 – Wednesday, June 14 Performance 7:00 p.m. Gavin Knutson, Bull Riding. Go 1 – Sunday, June 11 Matinee 1:00 p.m. Go 2 – Tuesday, June 13 Slack 7:00 a.m. Go 3 – Friday, June 16 Performance 7:00 p.m. Jhet Murphy, Team Roping and Calf Roping. Steer Wrestling Go 1 – Monday, June 12 Slack 7:00 a.m. Go 2 – Tuesday, June 13 Slack 7:00 a.m. Go 3 – Wednesday, June 14 Performance 7:00 p.m. Team Roping Go 1 – Monday, June 12 Slack 7:00 a.m. Go 2 – Tuesday, June 13 Slack 7:00 a.m. Go 3 – Thursday, June 15 Performance 7:00 p.m. Click here to view the full schedule for the week.

The Dillon Friends of the Library would like to remind you of the ongoing campaign for much-needed improvements to the Dillon Public Library. We will have several fund-raising events over the summer, the first of which is BOOKS and BREWS Pint Night at the Beaverhead Brewing Company Friday, June 16th from 5:00 to 8:00 pm. Join us for a fun night of literary trivia and and great locally brewed beverages. Friends merchandise, membership information, and updates on building improvements will be available. Please join us to find out how you can help us preserve the past and build the future at the Dillon Public Library. Call 683-6807 or 683-4454 if you have any questions.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will kick off the biennial hunting season-setting process earlier to allow for more public engagement and greater transparency. Public involvement will begin in June and end in November. In the past, public involvement happened primarily in December and January. FWP will conduct scoping meetings around the state from June 15 to July 15. FWP staff will look to hunters to provide broad input on regulation changes they’d like to see. Staff will also look for feedback on a few specific proposals. These scoping meetings are more formal than in past years and will replace the public meetings FWP used to hold to present and discuss tentative regulations. However, these scoping meetings are not the same as public comment meetings. FWP staff will listen at the scoping meetings and capture the general themes and then use the information to develop draft regulations, which will be released for public comment in October. FWP will hold additional public meetings in early November to answer questions about the draft regulation proposals. Comment on the draft regulation proposals will be collected through the FWP website during the fall public commenting period. The final decision on regulations will come at the December Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting. Hunting regulation changes are done every other year. This new process will give the public a better understanding of where regulation changes are coming from, how FWP is engaging the public, and what changes are being suggested by individual commissioners. The earlier start to the process will also result in the availability of hunting regulations at the beginning of the license year – March 1. Scoping meeting schedule: Region 1 Thompson Falls, June 27, 6 p.m., Thompson Falls High School (601 Golf St.) Eureka, June 28, 6 p.m., Timbers Lodge (101 Julian Dr.) Kalispell, June 29, 6 p.m., FWP Region 1 Office, with a virtual option (490 N. Meridian Rd.) Libby, July 6, 6 p.m., KW Maki Theater (724 Louisiana Ave.) Region 2 Philipsburg, June 15, 6 p.m., Granite County Museum (135 S. Sansome St.) Deer Lodge, June 19, 6 p.m., Powell County Community Center (416 Cottonwood Ave) Anaconda, June 20, 6 p.m., Metcalf Senior Center (115 Pennsylvania) Drummond, June 21, 6 p.m., Drummond Community Center (52 East Broad St.) Superior, June 26, 6 p.m., Superior High School Multi-purpose room (410 Arizona Ave.) Missoula, June 27, 6 p.m., FWP Region 2 Conference Room, with a virtual option (3201 Spurgin Rd.) Ovando, June 28, 6 p.m., Ovando School Gym (108 Birch St.) Lincoln, July 11, 6 p.m., Lincoln Community Hall (404 Main St.) Hamilton, July 12, 6 p.m., Bitterroot River Inn (139 Bitterroot Plaza Dr) Seeley Lake, July 13, 6 p.m., Seeley Lake Community Foundation (3150 MT-83) Region 3 Whitehall, June 19, 6 p.m., Community Center (11 N Division St.) Bozeman, June 20, 6 p.m., FWP large conference room, with a virtual option (1400 S. 19th Ave.) Helena, June 21, 6 p.m., Montana WILD (2668 Broadwater Ave.) Butte, June 21, 6 p.m., FWP’s Butte Area Resource Office (1820 Meadowlark Lane) Dillon, June 22, 6 p.m., SAR building (1000 Hwy. 41) Livingston, June 27, 6 p.m., Livingston Civic Center (229 River Dr.) Region 4 Augusta, June 15, 7 p.m., Youth Center (132 Main St.) Great Falls, June 20, 7 p.m., FWP Region 4 Headquarters, with a virtual option (4600 Giant Springs Rd.) Conrad, June 22, 7 p.m., Pondera Shooting Sports Complex (972 Granite Rd.) Lewistown, June 26, 7 p.m., Yogo Inn (211 E Main St.) Stanford, June 28, 7 p.m., Stanford City Hall (102 Central Ave) Region 5 Billings, June 21, 6 p.m., FWP Region 5 Public Meeting Room, with virtual option (2300 Lake Elmo Dr.) Roundup, June 22, 6 p.m., Musselshell County Senior Center (610 2nd St. W) Big Timber, June 29, 5:30 p.m., Big Timber Carnegie Library (314 McLeod St.) Region 6 Malta, June 20, 6 p.m., Malta High School Cafeteria (1 South 9th St. W) Havre, June 22, 6 p.m., Best Western Great Northern Inn (1345 1st St.) Plentywood, June 27, 6 p.m., Sheridan County Library Jubilee Room (100 W Laurel Ave.) Glasgow, June 29, 6 p.m., Cottonwood Inn, with a virtual option (54250 U.S. Hwy 2) Region 7 Miles City, July 6, 6 p.m., FWP Region 7 Office, with a virtual option (352 I-94 Business Loop) Glendive, July 11, 6 p.m., Dawson Community College (room to be determined)

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks today announced new investments to research and monitor trout population declines in southwest Montana. The department is also proposing temporary angling restrictions on the Big Hole, Beaverhead and Ruby Rivers to the Fish and Wildlife Commission. “Trout populations in many streams in southwest Montana have seen decline in recent years, and research continues to point to perennially low stream flows and high water temperatures as contributing factors,” said Eileen Ryce, fisheries division administrator for FWP. “Though we don’t yet know all we’d like to about what’s happening in some of our most iconic rivers in southwest Montana, we can say that it starts with the amount of water in the river over the course of a year, and how warm that water is.” High temperatures and low flows cause stress on fish, which in turns makes them more susceptible to disease impacts. Additionally, it makes recruitment from year to year more of a struggle. “Coldwater fish like brown and rainbow trout really struggle in low, warm flows, particularly when this happens during spawning or after the eggs hatch,” Ryce said. To limit additional stress on trout, FWP is marshalling resources to assess the impacts of angling on some of the rivers in southwest Montana. The new, in-depth effort will look closely at mortality and any performance or behavioral responses. With the investment, FWP will also assess what is known about the contributions fish and habitat in tributary streams make to the mainstem waters and how those impact population numbers. “FWP is committed to bringing more resources to bear to protect trout and get to the bottom of population declines in southwest Montana,” said Quentin Kujala, chief of conservation policy for FWP. In the short term, FWP is proposing new angling restrictions on the Big Hole, Beaverhead and Ruby rivers to the Fish and Wildlife Commission at its June 8 meeting. Broadly, these restrictions would limit angling during the brown trout spawning season, as well as limit take in some stretches of water. (To see these regulation proposals, click here .) Some of the proposals deliberately establish regulation differences across multiple stretches to aid our comparative assessment of impacts. Underlying these new and additional efforts, FWP will continue fish monitoring efforts around the region, which include sampling of dead and dying fish, as well as streamflow and temperature monitoring. FWP will also continue to look for opportunities to improve aquatic habitat and secure instream flow around the region. “We have great partners around southwest Montana in our agriculture community,” Kujala said. “Late summer flows in many of our rivers are already dependent on irrigators leaving water in the rivers for the sake of the aquatic habitat.” To comment on the proposed regulation changes, attend the June 8 commission meeting in person at FWP headquarters in Helena, or at any FWP regional office in the state. You can also attend virtually by signing up by noon on June 7, just click here .

UMW Sports Press Release Montana Western Athletic Director Michael Feuling has announced he has accepted Lindsay Woolley’s resignation as Women’s Basketball Head Coach after 11 seasons to pursue another professional opportunity. “There are no words to describe what Coach Woolley has meant to myself, our student-athletes, alumni, Montana Western and the city of Dillon, it is why this is a bittersweet time.” Michael Feuling said. “I would like to thank Coach Woolley for all that he has done here at Montana Western. Lindsay has cemented himself as one of the best coaches in the women’s game and we have been fortunate to have him for as long as we have.” Woolley became the seventh head coach of the Montana Western women's basketball program prior to the 2012-2013 season. He recently completed his 11th season at the helm of the Montana Western women’s basketball program, leading the Bulldogs to a 215-129 (.625) all-time record. He was named the NAIA National Coach of the Year in 2019 and has led the Bulldogs to six NAIA national tournament appearances, including a National Championship win in 2019. Woolley has coached ten players who have become first, second, third team or honorable mention All-Americans, two Frontier Conference Players of the Year, two Frontier Conference Defensive Players of the Year, 25 all-conference selections, 32 Daktronics Scholar-Athletes, 80 academic all-conference selections, three CoSIDA academic all-district selections and one CoSIDA Academic All-American. “Working at UMW for the last 11 years has been an extremely fulfilling and rewarding experience that I will be forever grateful for.” Woolley said in a statement. “I would like to thank Mark Durham and Chancellor Dick Storey for giving me the opportunity to lead this program 11 years ago. Thank you to each and every one of my former and current players and staff who were the backbone of the success we achieved over the years. I would also like to thank our current administration led by Chancellor Mike Reid and Director of Athletics Michael Feuling who have continued to support our program and student-athletes. As coaches, we constantly ask our players to challenge themselves and get out of their comfort zone to become the best versions of themselves and when this opportunity arose, I couldn’t pass it up without feeling hypocritical. With the support of my amazing wife and son, I am excited for this new challenge and chapter in our lives. I will miss this community and all of the people who have supported our players and my family. Thank you to the community of Dillon and go Dawgs!” “Winning a National Championship back in 2019 and the successes over the years, Woolley has turned Montana Western Women’s Basketball into a prominent program in the NAIA and the nation.” Feuling continued. “He has established a culture of high-level character and talented student-athletes that have represented the program and the university to the fullest, the program has produced several alumni that have gone on to be great leaders and members of their communities. Lindsay will be missed and I am sad to see coach go, but I am excited to see how he will continue to impact the ever-growing game of women’s basketball. His wife Megan and his son Avery are two of the biggest Bulldog fans out there and I want to thank them for all the time and dedication they put into the program over these years. Because of Coach Woolley, the future is and will remain bright for Bulldog Women’s Basketball for years to come.” Assistant Coach Britt Cooper will serve as the interim head coach, while a search for Coach Woolley’s replacement will begin immediately.

125 N. Idaho St. City of Dillon, Montana Thursday June 8th, 2023 at 7:00 P.M. City Council Chambers Special Planning Board Meeting AGENDA A. Call Meeting to Order B. Presentation by Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores C. Public Comment on items of significant public interest not on the agenda and within the jurisdiction of the Planning Board. D. Adjournment Zoom link is available. Join the meeting with Zoom ID: 770-316-6528, allowing permission for mic and camera (if using a computer go to https://zoom.us/j/7703166528 ) and use Passcode 4245 . Planning Board Members: Don Hand, Bill Shafer, Larry Volkening, Dan Nye

First responders were called out Tuesday morning around 10 A.M. for a single vehicle wreck on I-15 Southbound MM 51. A semi just passed through the canyon and veered off the road. The semi then continued through the fence and the field next to the highway. The semi travelled about 75 yards more before hitting the shoulder of a service road and coming to rest on its side. First responders and others on scene used ladders to remove the driver from the cab of the semi. The driver was up and moving around talking to first responders on scene and did not ask for an ambulance transport to the hospital.

In a joint decision with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and following a draft environmental assessment, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) has issued a decision notice to move forward with an Arctic grayling conservation project in the Centennial Valley’s Upper Red Rock Lake. The primary winter habitat for grayling in the Centennial Valley is in Upper Red Rock Lake in the Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge. High winter mortality of grayling in the lake during periods of low dissolved oxygen has been identified as the primary limiting factor for grayling in the Centennial Valley. The USFWS and FWP are proposing to improve over-winter habitat for grayling in Upper Red Rock Lake, which will ensure long-term, self-sustaining persistence of grayling. The proposed action, which includes installing a pipeline from Shambow Pond to Upper Red Rock Lake, would increase dissolved oxygen levels in deeper portions of the lake where grayling live during the winter. This will help improve grayling winter survival and maintain existing grayling genetic variation. A draft environmental assessment was made available through the USFWS for a public review and comment period from Feb. 28 through March 28. The decision notice can be found at bit.ly/3MYC7Xk . The environmental assessment and other supporting information can be found at fws.gov/refuge/red-rock-lakes/library .

DVFD responded to 14 calls during the month of May 2023. 05-02 Southside Blvd Smoke Alarm 05-03 Southside Blvd Gas Odor 05-04 I-15 MM 85 Grass Fire 05-04 Landfill Fire 05-05 Landfill Fire reignite. 05-06 525 Barnett Public Assist 05-06 I-15 MM 41 MVA 05-08 I-15 MM 77 MVA 05-17 Fox Farm Rd Lightning strike 05-17 Hwy 278 Smoke Call (Controlled Burn) 05-19 Southside Blvd Fire Alarm 05-21 MVA Hwy 41 MM 4 05-26 Bannack Park Fire Alarm 05-30 Redfield Ln (TB) Structure Fire (Mutual Aid) We had firefighters train on vehicle fires and electric vehicle fires, RT-130 which is the annual wildland refresher as well as Engine Boss Basics. We were fortunate to be able to practice a live fire & fire behavior on an acquired structure. We had 16 firefighters from Dillon as well as firefighters from Lima, Butte and Sheridan. We also trained with a few EMT’s from BEMS on a firefighter down scenario. DVFD would like to thank everyone for their continued support.

The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT), Helena Sand and Gravel, and Riverside Contracting anticipate working on the following, weather permitting: Week of June 5: Atlantic Street traffic will be detoured around Reeder Street and Sebree Street beginning Monday, June 5. Bridge work over the railroad is complete. Traffic has returned to its normal pattern. Work on the Blacktail Deer Creek bridge has begun and is expected to be completed by the end of the week. I 15 bridge work continues over the Beaverhead River. Traffic is reduced to one lane in each direction on I 15. Concrete work is nearing completion south of Orr Street. Week of June 12: The southbound ramps of the northern I 15 interchange will close Monday, June 12 for a couple of weeks. To help guide southbound travelers, signage will be installed directly on I 15 and in town. Northbound ramps will be open as well as the interchange at Exit 62. Final landscaping tasks will take place along Atlantic Street.