Advancing her initiatives as Montana’s first lady, Susan Gianforte today announced the statewide launch of the Imagination Library of Montana in partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. The non-profit program boosts early childhood literacy by providing free high-quality, age-appropriate books to Montana children. “Literacy is critical for our kids and their development. When parents read to their kids or when a child reads, it engages them, it fires their imagination, and sparks their curiosity,” First Lady Susan Gianforte said. “I’m proud of the partnership we’ve developed with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and local organizations throughout Montana. Working together, we’ll make sure all our youngest kids have access to reading resources so they can dream, grow, and reach their full potential.” Dolly Parton said, “I’m so excited to be launching my Imagination Library statewide in Montana! I want to send my very special thanks to First Lady Susan Gianforte for her partnership in making this amazing gift available to children and families across the state.” Through the partnership, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library will provide a free book each month to any Montana child, ages 0 to 5 years old, who is registered with the organization. A child may be registered at imaginationlibrary.com . The partnership will assist programs already in place while also expanding programs statewide to every zip code in all of Montana’s 56 counties. Since launching in 1995, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has become the preeminent early childhood book-gifting program in the world. The flagship program of The Dollywood Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, has gifted over 200 million free books in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and The Republic of Ireland. This is achieved through funding shared by The Dollywood Foundation and Local Program Partners. The Imagination Library mails more than 2 million high-quality, age-appropriate books each month to enrolled children from birth to age five. Dolly envisioned creating a lifelong love of reading and inspiring children to Dream More, Learn More, Care More and Be More. The program has been widely researched, and results demonstrate its positive impact on early childhood development and literacy skills. Penguin Random House is the exclusive publisher for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Boosting literacy to empower more Montana children and promoting and expanding access to STEM education, particularly for girls and students in our rural communities, are the first lady’s chief initiatives. For more information, or to register a child, please visit imaginationlibrary.com .

Every time you go onto social media the local pages are flooded with air duct cleaning posts. Are they legit or scams? We decided to find out. Ok what got me started on this is the fact this scammer was using my last name. So, I decided to connect with my long-lost relative Brian. Looking at his profile almost every post was just a few days old. His profile intro states he went to Butte High School, and he lives in Butte. He also worked at United HomeCare, but he is originally from Jacksonville, North Carolina. I have looked at a lot of these profiles and they are pretty much an exact cut and paste of this. I commented on his post for duct cleaning in your local area and he messaged me right away. First off, he wanted my zip code. My thought and reply was, ok you just messaged me from a Dillon Community page you should know my zip code. Brian's Response "Sir we actually we confirm from every customer because we don't want any sort of miscommitment. Sometimes customer forgets to change their location." Hmmmmm very bot like. So I told him Dillon, not Montana just Dillon. My house was 1300 sqft. He got back to me with a quick response and price on all they would clean. Also, I was lucky they had an opening on June 7th and I could get all the services he mentioned at a reduced rate of $399. I asked for the name and location of Brian's company, and he stated US Duct Solutions. They are in Dillon according to Brian. I Googled it no business in Dillon with that name. So, I asked for an address so I could just stop by and set up an appointment in person. Brian's response "Sir it's a small business. We are operating it from our home. We books online appointments" So, I asked for his bonding and insurance info like he stated they had in the ad. Again, Brian's response. "Sir we are bonded and insured, you don't have to worry about that. Once the technician will be at your place he will show you each and every thing. If you are satisfied you can let the technician in, otherwise you can send him." Again, I asked for a local number since I will be letting them into my house, the least he could do is provide that to me so I could talk to him. It's been over 30 minutes with no response. In this day and age of technology scammers are everywhere and they are constantly evolving from phone scams to text scam to the ever-present Facebook scams. Before you hire anyone or give anyone your bank info do a little research. Each day you see how someone was duped out of their life savings, but it is easy to make a mistake and click a link or fall for a phone scam. Just don't fall for the ever-present duct cleaners that have invaded every page on Facebook.

Flooding on the Ruby River has inundated Alder Bridge Fishing Access Site, and the site has been closed temporarily for public safety. Recent rain and snow runoff have raised water levels in many areas. Flooding poses hazards to recreationists, including colder water temperatures, unseen obstacles and reduced access. Alder Bridge Fishing Access Site will reopen as conditions allow. For updates on restrictions and closures of Montana waterbodies and lands managed by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, visit fwp.mt.gov/news/current-closures-restrictions .

Press release from the Dillon Police Department: What did the mother buffalo say when the baby buffalo ran away, “Bison”. On June 1, 2023 at 7:27am the Dillon Police received a complaint about a baby buffalo laying in a yard at Legget St and Johnson St, in Dillon, MT. Dillon Police Officers, Beaverhead County Sheriff Deputies, Montana Live Stock Inspector and Montana Game Wardens responded to the area. It was determined that the baby buffalo is a domesticated animal not a wild buffalo. The buffalo was captured without injury by the officers and deputies. The buffalo was reunited immediately with the owner. Dillon City Ordinance: 6.08.010 Keeping of Livestock Prohibited Except for Domestic Chickens Keeping of livestock in the City of Dillon is prohibited except for domestic chickens as described in this chapter or as provided in Title 17 - Zoning. Enc Ord 454 October 4, 2017 Unfortunately, the Yellowstone film crew or Kevin Costner were not on scene. Remember, when you come across wild animals anytime of the year, if you care leave them there. Jeremy Alvarez Chief of Police, Dillon Police Department

Notice of Public Meeting Notice is hereby given of the East Bench Irrigation District Regular Board meeting Tuesday, June 6, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. The Board will meet at the District office. Call to Order New Business Old Business Pay Bills

As part of the President’s Investing in America agenda, the Bureau of Land Management will invest $26.9 million from the Inflation Reduction Act for the protection and conservation of important wildlife habitats, watersheds and recreational opportunities on public lands in Montana. This funding will be focused in three landscape areas called the Blackfoot-Clark Fork, Hi-Line Sagebrush Anchor, and the Missouri Headwaters Restoration Landscapes. This funding is part of the BLM’s announcement to invest $161 million in ecosystem restoration and resilience on the nation’s public lands. The work will focus on 21 “Restoration Landscapes” across 11 western states, restoring wildlife habitat and clean water on public lands and strengthening communities and local economies. These investments follow the release of the Department’s restoration and resilience framework to leverage historic investments in climate and conservation to achieve landscape-level outcomes across the nation. The Department is implementing more than $2 billion in investments to restore our nation’s lands and waters, which in turn is helping to meet the conservation goals set through the America the Beautiful initiative. "Our staff is excited about the opportunity this investment provides to make a meaningful impact on public lands in Montana" said Sonya Germann, the BLM Montana/Dakotas State Director. "This will allow us to work with a variety of important partners to conduct major restoration efforts on three large landscapes we know are important to the residents of the Treasure State." At the Blackfoot-Clark Fork Landscape Restoration Landscape, forest watersheds, lands with associated treaty rights and aboriginal connections, and places for outdoor recreation come together where these two storied rivers merge. Big game, grizzly bears, Canada lynx and bull trout habitat have all felt effects of former industrial logging and the growing pressures of climate change. Restoration here, in young to medium-age forests, decommissioning legacy roads, and repairing perennial streams will put people to work creating healthy forestland and wildlife habitat on the edge of one of the state’s largest cities, and ensure that the Blackfoot’s tributaries deliver clear, cold water to one of the state’s most beloved rivers. Some of the largest intact grasslands left in North America support numerous at-risk grassland bird species, hold priority habitat for greater sage-grouse and critical winter and migration habitat for elk, deer and pronghorn. The short-grass prairie of the Hi-Line Sagebrush Anchor Restoration Landscape is an extremely popular destination for hunting, fishing and bird watching. As drought continues, restoration investments will improve mesic and woody draw habitats; increase native plant diversity and remove encroaching conifers and anthropogenic features that threaten sage-grouse survival. Bridging two of the West’s iconic landscapes – the Greater Yellowstone and the Crown of the Continent – the Missouri Headwaters Landscape Restoration Landscape encompasses high-elevation mountain ranges, expansive sage-steppe and large, productive valleys that serve as a stronghold for wildlife that have disappeared from much of their historic range. This unique ecosystem is home to grizzly bear, westslope cutthroat, Arctic grayling, pronghorn, Greater sage-grouse and whitebark pine. Sagebrush grasslands anchor ecological systems and support multi-generational family ranches intermixed with public land as well as support vital recreational economies. Investments in restoration today will ensure these systems support people and wildlife alike into the future. Efforts in these restoration landscapes will improve the health of public lands that are being significantly degraded by invasive species, unprecedented wildfire events, unregulated use, and climate change. With these investments, landscapes will be better able to provide clean water, habitat for fish and wildlife, opportunities for recreation, and will be more resilient to wildfire and drought. Resilient public lands are critical to the BLM’s ability to manage for multiple use and sustained yield. Once-in-a-generation funding from the Inflation Reduction Act will be directed to landscapes where concentrated, strategic investment through partnership can make the most difference for communities and public resources under the BLM’s management. President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is growing the American economy from the bottom up and middle out – from rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure, investing in nature-based solutions, and driving over $470 billion in private sector manufacturing and clean energy investments in the United States, to creating good paying jobs and building a clean energy economy that will combat climate change and make our communities more resilient. The funding announced today complements the $506,250 of funding these areas have received from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Learn more about the BLM’s restoration landscapes at BLM’s StoryMap .

Grasshopper Valley Volunteer Fire Department invites you to join them for the Annual 4th of July Pancake Breakfast Fund Raiser. The Fire and EMS volunteers have put in countless hours of training and preparing for emergencies in the area. In conjunction with the breakfast, the Grasshopper Valley Ladies Club will again hold their bake sale and there will be a Silent Auction. Proceeds will benefit GVVFD and donations are appreciated. Please join us from 8-11am at the Fire Station in Polaris to support the Grasshopper Valley Volunteer Fire Department, get to know our volunteers and celebrate Independence Day.

Game wardens with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks are seeking information on signs that were stolen from two FWP sites near Whitehall. Between December and April, signs were stolen from Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park and Limespur Fishing Access Site. Some were general traffic signs, and others displayed information specific to the sites. Anyone with possible information about these thefts is encouraged to visit myfwp.mt.gov/fwpPub/tipmont to provide details or call the FWP violation reporting hot line at 1-800-TIP-MONT. They can also contact the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office at 406-225-4075. Informants may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000.

Thursday June 1st, 2023 at 7:00 P.M. City Council Chambers Planning Board Meeting AGENDA A. Call Meeting to Order B. Review and Approval of Minutes from the April 13 th , 2023 Regular Meeting C. Update of the Beaver Pride 3 Subdivision Project D. Discussion/Recommendation of Tully Springs Subdivision Project E. Discussion of Legislature Actions F. Discuss Updating Growth Policy G. Public Comment on items of significant public interest not on the agenda and within the jurisdiction of the Planning Board. H. 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

The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT), Helena Sand and Gravel, and Riverside Contracting anticipate working on the following, weather dependent: Week of May 29: Construction activities will pause for Memorial Day and resume on Tuesday, May 30th. Bridge work continues over the Beaverhead River. Traffic is reduced to one lane in each direction on Interstate 15 (I 15). Concrete work occurs in the median of East Helena Avenue and on the east side of Atlantic Street, south of Sebree Street. Week of June 5: Bridge work continues over the Beaverhead River. Traffic is reduced to one lane in each direction on I 15. Concrete work wraps up in the median of East Helena Avenue and continues on the east side of Atlantic Street, south of Orr Street. Be prepared for delays before you leave, download MDT’s mobile app “MDT 511” or visit 511mt.net and check your route. If you're driving and want to check in, pull safely off the road and dial 511. Tune in to local radio stations and watch for variable message signs along the route.

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.