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Don’t let an encounter with a harmful algal bloom (HAB) ruin one of the few days of Montana’s short summer. HABs can produce liver and neurotoxins that can sicken humans and even kill pets and livestock if contacted or ingested. Harmful algal blooms happen when cyanobacteria, also known as blue green algae, rapidly grow out of control. These organisms are native to Montana and are naturally found at low, safe densities in many freshwater systems. HABs can form under certain conditions, such as when too many nutrients are available, when winds are low and water is calm, when the sky is clear and sunny, and when the growing season is long or hot. Toxins do not always occur with a HAB, but it’s impossible to tell without taking water quality samples. When in doubt, it’s best to stay out. HABs most often occur in Montana’s reservoirs and lakes, although water users should also be cautious about water flowing immediately downstream of a HAB, or if mats of algae are noticed growing on river bottoms. Common characteristics of HABs include green, blue, or gold coloration and the appearance of grass clippings or paint spilled on the water’s surface. Montanans can submit reports of suspected HABs at: HAB.mt.gov The website also has a map of all other reports submitted, any health advisories or monitoring data associated with that report, and plenty of photos and information so you can educate yourself on what to look for. If you suspect a HAB, submit a report and the State HAB Team will work with the local jurisdiction to monitor the incident. These reports are important for the health and safety of recreators and water users in the state, and they also help state agencies track where nutrient pollution may be an issue. Last summer, 42 out of 64 citizen reports were confirmed to be harmful algal blooms. One of those reports was associated with a dog’s death and subsequent closure of a small subdivision pond in Bozeman. Waters that commonly experience HABs include but are not limited to: Clark Canyon Reservoir (Beaverhead County), Cooney Reservoir (Carbon County), Hebgen and Hyalite Reservoirs (Gallatin County), Beaver Creek Reservoir (Hill County), Canyon Ferry, Hauser Reservoir, and Lake Helena (Lewis and Clark County), Harrison Reservoir (Madison County), and Nevada Creek Reservoir (Powell County). Nutrients, like nitrogen and phosphorus, fuel algae growth. Besides being aware of what HABs look like and the potential health risks, it is also important to understand actions you can take to reduce nutrient pollution in Montana’s waters. Reduce your use of lawn or crop fertilizer. Avoid trampling streamside vegetation when you’re recreating. If you’re lucky enough to live alongside a stream or lake—restore and protect native woody plants, flowers and grasses because they filter pollution and stabilize land. If your home relies on a septic system, have it regularly serviced—even if you don’t live right near a stream or lake. Improperly functioning septic systems can leach bacteria and pollution into groundwater. When in doubt, stay out. Do not drink, swallow, or swim in water that shows signs of a HAB and keep kids and pets or livestock out. Direct contact, ingestion or inhalation of cyanotoxins may irritate the skin, eyes, nose, throat and respiratory system, or cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache or liver and kidney damage. If you suspect a HAB-related illness in a person or animal, including livestock, call Poison Control immediately at 1-800-222-1222. Report a suspected HAB at www.hab.mt.gov , call 1-888-849-2938, or by email to HAB@mt.gov

Governor Greg Gianforte today announced the launch of a website and call center for the state’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) program. The website, arpa.mt.gov, provides information on funding projects and grants under the purview of Montana’s four ARPA commissions: water and sewer, communications, economic stabilization and workforce development, and health and human services. The site also offers information about rental assistance and pandemic-related funding for K-12 education. The site will feature a chat portal and maintain a list of frequently asked questions and answers to help guide Montanans through the process. The State of Montana also launched a call center to ensure individuals are well served and can receive answers to their ARPA-related questions. Montanans may dial 1-844-406-ARPA (2772) to reach the call center. Mike Foster, ARPA program director, is working with commissions and state agencies to establish a smooth, efficient process to provide the governor with recommendations for how to allocate federal ARPA funds. The governor will consider their recommendations and decide how to distribute over $1.5 billion in federal funds in compliance with ARPA, House Bill 632, and Senate Bill 297. The eligible uses of the funds are subject to change based on federal regulations and guidance. Visit the website at arpa.mt.gov .

City of Dillon Planning Board to meet Thursday June 3rd, 2021 at 7 P.M.

The University of Montana Western Head Men's & Women's Rodeo Coach Kody Lahaye announced today that he will resign as head rodeo coach after the College National Finals Rodeo Later this June. Lahaye, who just completed his third season as head coach of the Bulldogs, will be stepping away from coaching to support his wife, former Bulldogs Rodeo athlete Justinn (Marshall), as she continues to pursue her career as a medical doctor. Kody's wife will be doing a critical care fellowship at the University of Nebraska. "It has been a very difficult decision to step down as the head coach," Lahaye said. "My wife and I would like to thank the Western family and the community of Dillon as a whole for giving us a second home. I will be moving with my wife to Omaha, Neb., where she will be specializing in the ICU unit at the University of Nebraska. My wife and I have been apart for most of our marriage, and as hard as the decision has been to step away from such a wonderful place, we have decided it is time to spend our lives together. I want to thank all of the amazing student-athletes that I have had the pleasure of working with and getting the opportunity to be a part of their lives. The friends and memories that we have made here will last forever. Thank you again for all of the support from the university, families, and community over the years. Montana Western will always hold a special part in our hearts." This season Lahaye guided both the men's and women's team to second-place finishes in the Big Sky Region and a trip to the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR). He had four regional champions this season. Overall, Lahaye had 16 CNFR qualifiers during his tenure at Montana Western. "Kody has done a tremendous job as the Montana Western rodeo coach," Director of Athletics Bill Wilson said. "Kody and Justinn have had to make a lot of sacrifices over the last three years. Family always comes first. We wish Kody and Justinn the very best." The University of Montana Western will conduct a national search to find its next head rodeo coach.

Chamber Board of Directors Meeting *** New Location*** The Beaverhead Chamber of Commerce & Agriculture will be holding its June Board meeting Thursday, June 10th at 9:30am at The Crossing at Fetty’s in Wisdom. Emails have been sent to Chamber Members in the Big Hole and surrounding area. Please join us to learn more about updates in the Big Hole. Chamber Lunch n’ Learn: Legislative Update with Tom Welch and Jeff Welborn , Thursday, June 17th at 12 Noon at The Den. Join us to learn updates from Helena from our area Representative and Senator. Cost: $18/pp, email: info@beaverheadchamber.org to make your reservation today! Territory Days | June 18-20 in Dillon Montana! Friday, June 18th – After Hours Mixer at Mac’s Last Cast and Henry Plummer Ransom Karaoke at Mac’s Last Cast Saturday, June 19th – Truck n’ Learn and Guns & Hoses Pie Eating Contest – Come celebrate our First Responders and bring the kids to get close to a fire engine, police car, helicopter and Smokey The Bear! Cheer your favorite local hero in the pie eating contest between fire fighters and public safety officers! Territory Days Parade featuring Ramblin’ Rose Drill Team, Robert’s Alpacas, and the Ugly Truck Contests: 1st Prizes for the Dirtiest Truck, Most Dented Truck, and the Ugliest Truck! Enjoy a Street Dance on Center Street from 7pm-11pm, featuring DJ, Adam Hooten! Sunday, June 20th – Sporting Clays/Trap Shootout at Beaverhead Gun Club on Whites Lane south of Dillon. This event is fun for everyone! Happy Father’s Day, now send Dad packing to the Sporting Clays/Trap Shootout! 2-6pm. Beaverhead Treasure Hunt | From Memorial Day to Labor Day , hunt for solid glass cowboy hat paper weights in Beaverhead County Businesses! Once found, its yours to keep, just bring it to the Chamber office at 10 W. Reeder St., Dillon to receive another prize to Shop Local! Sponsored by University of Montana Western Glass Art Program and Beaverhead Chamber of Commerce & Agriculture!

The Dillon Rotarians will conduct their business meeting on Wednesday, June 2, 2021. Visitors are welcome. Anyone interested in learning more about Rotary should come at noon to be a guest for lunch. The Club meets in the Guild Hall of St. James Episcopal Church, 203 East Glendale St. For more information, email Mike Blando at mikeblando0717@gmail.com or Tina Giem at tgiem@barretthospital.org .

The Dillon American Legion Post 20 held their Memorial Day ceremony at Mountain View Cemetery today. Reflecting on how Memorial Day started and the true meaning of what this day represents. Followed by the laying of a wreath on the memorial and a gun salute to those who gave all. The full ceremony can be seen below.

Here is the link to our livestream of the BCHS Class of 2021 graduation ceremonies.

First responders were called out tonight for a single vehicle wreck just outside of Argenta. As of now, Montana Highway Patrol is reporting a single vehicle accident with injuries. As more information becomes available, we will update this story.

Virginia City Montana officially opens over the Memorial Day weekend. The streets of Virginia City came alive this weekend. With Memorial Day considered the unofficial start of summer, the folks of Virginia City know how to get the party started. With events being held throughout the weekend, you have no excuse to say you are bored. After spending a year stuck in your home with everything cancelled or postponed, now is the time to get out and enjoy Southwestern Montana. Check out the weekends events in the gallery below.

Memorial Day weekend is upon us, that means it's the unofficial start of the summer and things are happening. Because it is a 3 day weekend we will also include Monday's happenings as well. Friday, May 28th Great Harvest is Raising Dough! Swing by the Great Harvest in Dillon, MT, May 26 - 28 from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.! The sales will benefit the Great Harvest Scholarship Recipients. Come by and meet our new bakery owners here for training. We are featuring our Bacon Cheddar Beer Bread & Buns (Made with beer from the Beaverhead Brewing Co.), Red White & Blueberry Bread, Rhubarb Streusel Teacakes & Muffins, Frosted Sugar Cookies, Biscuits, Toffee Bars, and all your favorites! We will be offering our full sandwich lineup. This months special is the Turkey Chile Cheddar Melt sandwich. You can now order the full menu online. https://www.opendining.net/menu/5e18f65e4f5ee963157b23e4 ... CURBSIDE PICKUP IS AVAILABLE Tai Chi Elks Lodge Dillon, MT 9:30 AM MDT – 10:20 AM MDT Free Tai Chi classes continue. Please practice social distancing. Spring Art Walk @ Montana Hair Co. w/ LAC & Vibrant Lives 5 PM MDT – 7 PM MDT We are so excited to share a new kind of art this art walk...Healing!!!! Come out and bring the whole family to get FREE snow cones and meet some amazing people we have in our community!! We are back in action and bringing a whole new year of fun events to Dillon!!!! See you all there!!! Dan Henry at Ruby Valley Brew 5 PM MDT – 8 PM MDT Summer is finally settling in and the Ruby Valley area is alive with summer fun and that includes live music at Ruby Valley Brew in Sheridan, Montana. The Brewery will be welcoming back Dan Henry at his One Man Dan Band May 28th from 5-8pm for an evening of rocking live music, cold local brewed beer, hot pizza, and plenty of good time to be had. "Hiking Jefferson County" On Friday, May 28th, Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park will host the free talk entitled “Hiking Jefferson County” at 8:00 PM in the park’s campground amphitheater. It will be presented by Vaia Errett, a local volunteer and hiking enthusiast. This talk will lead you through Jefferson County - into the hideaways of the Elkhorn Mountains, the granite knuckles of the Boulder Mountains, the southern sagebrush hills, two state parks (Lewis & Clark Caverns and Elkhorn) - and the overlooked routes and trailheads in-between. Follow from rambling creek to high peak, from wooded gulch to the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail. There is a favorite for everyone. This is the first presentation in Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park’s annual Friday Summer Speakers Series, which introduces a new speaker each Friday at 8:00 PM throughout the summer. Vaia Errett will hatch any pretext to hike a trail. Always eager to roam beyond familiar turf, she has recently found herself drawn to the detail closer to home. For the past 3 years, Vaia has served as one of 7 volunteers on the Jefferson County Parks, Trails, and Recreation Commission. She lives in Whitehall. What: "Hiking Jefferson County" with Vaia Errett When: May, 28th at 8:00 PM Where: Campground amphitheater at Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park Fool's Gold at the Gravel Bar!!! Live music is back in Ennis! Come on out a listen to some new tunes and some old ones. Get great food, beer and drinks at both the Burnt Tree Brewery and the Gravel Bar. We are playing at the outside stage.... Dalton Lemburg Live at Mac’s Last Cast 9 P.M. Come to Mac’s Last Cast to check out some live music and enjoy some drinks! Max Hay Live in Dillon 6 PM MDT Fine food, warm music, a thoughtful wine selection, and nationally recognized regional beers on tap, make The Den a must see destination this Friday. Arrive early if you're particular about your table. Music starts at 6! Please, no rattlesnakes. Silver Bow Drive In Playing May 28th, 29th, & 30th: Playing May 28th, 29th, & 30th Side one: Cruella Rated PG-13 Runtime 2 hr 15 min Side two: Mortal Kombat Rated R Runtime 1 hr 50 min Gates open at 8:00 pm. Shows start at dusk (about 9:15 pm) Tickets are $6 ages four and up. Ages three and under are free. Cash only BIG Sky Cinema Cruella 4 & 6:45 P.M. A Quiet Place II 4:15 & 7 P.M. Saturday, May 29th THE TRADITION CONTINUES: The Virginia City, MT KICKOFF parade is Saturday May 29th 2021 at HIGH NOON... The famous duck race is after the parade at the VC Depot parking lot with prizes given to the winners and to those walking the famous historic boardwalks. Come have fun with your family and come support the businesses that keep Montana’s Heritage buildings standing!!! Music by Joel Corda The Bale of Hay Saloon Virginia City, MT Join us for music by Joel Corda and enjoy some of our delicious food & drinks while you listen to this fantastic musician! Sunday, May 30th Beaverhead County Highschool Graduation We will be livestreaming this on both our Facebook Page as well as our YouTube page . If you have a graduate in your life, we will be recording the messages in our studio at 34 N Idaho then we will put them together in an opener we will play before the graduation. Cost would be $15 for a 30 to 45 second video in front of our green screens we will then put a picture of BCHS in behind you. We will need to do this on Friday we will be open tell 8 P.M. so we can get as many done as possible. call 406-660-7041 for more information. Monday, May 31st American Legion Post 20 Memorial Day event will be held at the Mountain View Cemetary starting at 11 a.m. White Hat Coalition Parade will begin lining up at noon in front of the Beaverhead County High School Parade begins at 12:30. 18th Annual veterans Memorial Flag Rising, dedication of the new flag poles will begin at approximately 1 p.m. at the Kiwianis Memorial Park. Have a safe Memorial Day, a huge thank you to all who have served this country and for those who paid the ultimate price. We will try to cover as many of these events as possible. As always if you have an event you would like on our calendar feel free to email us at southwesternmtnews@gmail.com or swing by our office and drop off a poster.

The University of Montana Western ranks number one in Montana for “Most Affordable Colleges and Universities by State” by UniversityHQ.org. University Headquarters is an industry-leading, independent educational organization that offers an all-in-one source for information on colleges, entrance requirements and career paths. While the primary criterion was the lowest tuition cost, University Headquarters also looked at other aspects that made the school special, unique and beneficial to students. The survey excluded community colleges and four-year colleges that did not offer multiple bachelor’s degree programs. The rankings list features the two most affordable universities in each state. The University of Montana Western ranked first in Montana, followed by Montana State University Billings. UMW offers an in-state tuition of $5,747 and an out-of-state tuition of $17,209, per year, with tuition discount opportunities for Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) students. To view the full list of universities, visit universityhq.org . The fields of academic study at Montana Western include Biology, Business and Technology, Environmental Sciences, Education, English, Equine Studies, Health and Human Performance, Fine Arts, Mathematics, and History, Philosophy, and Social Sciences. Students at the University of Montana Western enjoy a tight-knit community atmosphere and small class sizes where they work closely with peers and professors alike. Montana Western focuses on serving students, achieving academic excellence, and promoting experiential education. The 20-acre campus is an excellent choice for students to take advantage of the immersive learning opportunities offered by the nation’s only Experience One program, where they can build on critical and creative thinking skills to prepare for real-world job and graduate school opportunities. With Experience One, students at Montana Western take one course at a time for 18 days, take a short break and then move on to their next course. By utilizing block scheduling combined with immersive learning, UMW is the only public four year university in the country to employ this model that is focused on student success. For more information about Experience One and the University of Montana Western, or to schedule a visit, call 877-683-7331 or visit www.umwestern.edu .

The City of Dillon will hold a Public Hearing on water rate increases, Wednesday, June 2, 2021 at 6:00pm. Followed by the regular Council Meeting Wednesday, June 2, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. The agenda and packet are on the City of Dillon website. 2021-06-02 Reg Packet.pdf (dillonmt.org)

Sheridan hosted their first cruise on main tonight, organized by Ruby Valley Brew. Held every Thursday night throughout the summer, the event encourages participants to shine up a cherished ride and bring it down to main street. Tonight's event saw around 12 cars, from early muscle cars to modern exotics. In addition to the cars and motorcycles, vendors are strongly encouraged to come and participate. This year organizers have added an awards ceremony that will be held on September 11th at the Kenny Steiner Memorial. Awards will be for most attended, furthest traveled, and most cars entered. This event will be held every Thursday night from 6 to 8 p.m. on the Main Street of Sheridan. If you are looking for something to do, take the short drive in your prized ride, shine it up, show it off, and enjoy a beer from Ruby Valley Brew and a slice of Bread Zepplin Pizza.

The Montana Board of Housing has invited eight affordable rental properties in seven communities to move forward with housing tax credit applications. During the meeting this week, the Board listened to presentations from developers and interested community members seeking the opportunity to submit their full applications for federal tax credits, the nation’s largest source of funding to develop affordable homes. The properties chosen by the Board to submit a competitive application for tax credits are: Big Sky (Riverview Apartments), Billings (Tapestry Apartments), Dillon (Bicentennial Apartments), Great Falls (Baatz Apartments), Great Falls (Carter Commons), Hardin (Hardin Senior Housing), Kalispell (Junegrass Place) and Libby (Cabinet Apartments). “Access to affordable homes are vital for our communities to strengthen and grow,” said Montana Housing Executive Director Cheryl Cohen. “It is crucial that we continue to support our housing partners, so they can build quality, safe and affordable homes for individuals and families across the state.” This year, developers presented 13 new or rehabilitation projects. Montana will receive $28.8 million in federal tax credits for 2022. At least four projects will be awarded the credits in October and will be ready to break ground by spring of 2022. Federal tax credits allocated by the Board will fund the construction or rehabilitation of approximately 220 rental units each year. This supports the creation of more than 520 jobs, about $23 million in local wages, and more than $2 million in new taxes and revenues for local governments.

In coordination with the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) and the City of Dillon, the University of Montana Western campus area facing Atlantic Street will be under construction this summer to enhance the safety and access to the campus and to allow for the MDT to resurface the street next summer. Main Hall and Roe House While enhancing the safety and access to the campus has been a long-time goal for Montana Western, in large part, the timing to initiate and complete this project this summer came from the MDT’s desire to resurface Atlantic Street next summer and their willingness to fund a portion of the overall project. The existing elevated sidewalk and retaining wall present significant safety concerns and the project will allow for the merging of a new road surface with updated access points and sidewalks along Atlantic Street that are ADA compliant and handicap accessible. “With the MDT willing to fund a portion of the project, this is an exciting opportunity for the campus, and the city, to address some of the challenges that have faced us in the past when looking at renovating this border of our campus running along a high-traffic area,” said UMW Chancellor Michael Reid. “We would like to thank both the MDT and the City of Dillon for their collaborative efforts in making these improvements a reality.” To be completed by mid-August this summer, the new UMW sidewalks and sloped lawn will be in place so that the MDT can then resurface Atlantic Street, which is planned to take place in the summer of 2022. The first step in the process this spring is the removal of approximately 18 trees (primarily ash trees) along the sidewalk frontage. It was necessary to remove these trees as the campus lawn will be sloped down gradually to be level with the street to provide ADA-compliant access and to allow the new sidewalk to be level with the street. Once the sloping of the grounds and the majority of the project is completed, new landscape features will be added, including the planting of new trees on the campus in the areas that have been renovated. Please be aware that the project will also include the demolition of the majority of the current sidewalk, retaining wall and railings along Atlantic Street this summer. There may also be road closures or detours as the project is in progress. Montana Western would like to thank the Dillon community for their patience with the project and we look forward to providing safer access to the campus once the project is completed. For more information, please email UMW Director of Facilities, Michael Brown: michael.brown@umwestern.edu.

The fishing closure on the lower Ruby River has been lifted as river flows have rebounded. The closure was in place from the confluence with the Beaverhead River to Duncan District Road crossing. As of May 24, daily mean flows on the river have exceeded 20 cubic feet per second for seven consecutive days, triggering the reopening of the closed section of the river. Closures and restrictions of this nature are designed to protect fish that become more susceptible to disease and mortality when conditions such as low flows combine with additional stressors.

University of Montana Western's junior forward Brynley Fitzgerald has been selected to the 2020-21 Academic All-America® NAIA Women’s Basketball Teams recognized by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Fitzgerald becomes the first women's basketball player to be named to the CoSIDA Academic All-American team, earning second-team honors after being named to the All-District Team earlier this month . On the court, the Dillon, Mont. native led the Frontier Conference in total scoring (422 points) and points per game (16.88) in 2020-21. She was second in 3-point field goals made per game (2.52), third in steals per game (2.04), and fourth in total rebounds (143). Earning First-Team All-Conference and Third-Team All-American honors. Fitzgerald scored a career-high 37 points in a game vs. Carroll in January which was the most points scored in a single game by anyone in the conference this season. She shot 43.8 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from the 3-point range. She averaged 5.8 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.9 assists per game. In the classroom, Fitzgerald boasts a perfect 4.0 GPA and was named to the Frontier Academic All-Conference Team. In Addition to her CoSIDA Academic Awards, she has also been nominated for the NAIA DaktronicsScholar-Athlete award to be announced later this summer. Fitzgerald joins former Bulldog cross country athlete Mindy Kaufman as the only Montana Western student-athletes to be named CoSIDA Academic All-Americans.