Search Results

The Dillon City Council will hold a hearing on June 2, 2021 at 6:00 P.M. in the Council Chambers at the City Hall, 125 N. Idaho, Dillon, Montana to take public comment on the proposed increase in water rates described below. The proposed water rate increase is to pay for improvements to the City’s water system, including the replacement of two existing cast-iron transmission mains with 5,500 linear feet of new water transmission main that crosses below the Beaverhead River and replacing approximately 7,000 linear feet of existing water mains in the City (the “Project”). On May 5, 2021, the City Council passed its Resolution No. 1384 of Intention to Increase Water Rates to pay the City’s $3,776,000 Series 2021 Water Revenue Bond to help fund the Project. The City proposes to increase water rates by $12.00 per month for each Equivalent Dwelling Unit (“EDU”) times the EDU multiplier based on water service size as described below. The proposed effective date of the new rates is July 1, 2021. Proposed Water Rate Increase to pay for the Series 2021 Water Revenue Bond: Water Service Size EDU Multiplier Monthly Increase 1/2, 5/8 and 3/4 inch 1.0 $12.00 1 inch 1.79 $21.48 1 1/2 inch 4.00 $48.00 2 inch 7.14 $85.68 3 inch 16.00 $192.00 4 inch 28.57 $342.84 Any person desiring to comment on the proposed rate increase may make their comments in writing and file them with the City Clerk at or prior to the date of the hearing, or appear at the meeting in person or by representative, and be heard for or against the proposed rate increase. At the hearing, and at the times to which the hearing may be adjourned, the Council will consider the propose rate increase and may correct, revise, raise, lower, change or modify the proposed rate increase or any part thereof. For further information regarding the hearing or to review Resolution No. 1384, contact Jani Olsen, City Clerk at City Hall, 125 N. Idaho Street, Dillon, Montana, or by telephone (406) 683-4245. __________________________________ Jani Olsen, City Clerk

Last night’s Dillon City Council meeting started off with Mayor Klakken bringing up a problem with what he described as the Board of Regents wanting to sell Vigilante field for 1.4 million. This property was sold to the city of Dillon in 1940 by the Gilmore and Pittsburg Railroad Company with the intentions of it never being anything other than a park or recreation field. In May of 1999, the City of Dillon sold the property to the Board of Regents and University of MT Western for $1. The Mayor believes they should sell the deed to the High School for what they paid for the property or for a couple dollars more not the 1.4 million. The documents from the original deal and the Mayor’s letter can be found here. Editor's note: SWMT News talked with Roxanne Engellant and Matt Raffety with the University of Montana Western. They discussed with us how they are not looking at selling Vigilante field. This was a step they had to take with the Board of Regents to get other things moving. They stated Vigilante field will be around for a very long time. Val Neeley spoke next in public comments. Val is a huge supporter of the parks system in Dillon. She came in to discuss a major problem the parks are facing, which is people not cleaning up after their pets. Val brought forth a list of problems, along with a list of suggestions on what needs to be done. A simple way to solve it would be to have either no pets allowed with heavy fines or people who own pets to clean up after them. Next up on the agenda was the appointment of the Ward 4 council seat left vacant by Rich Wassell. The two vying for this position were Elaine Spicer and John McGinley. The winning candidate needed five votes from the seating Council Persons. Mr. McGinley was able to garner the five votes needed. Mr. McGinley is your new ward 4 council person. Next was acceptance by Dowl Engineering recommendation to award the bid to Mungus Company for the Idaho Street water line and street repair. The city cannot accept the bid intel May 11th when they are approved for the environmental assessment, but the mayor wanted the council to approve it today, as the cost can increase if they wait too long. The Mayor’s stance on freedom of speech, was discussed next. Regarding a certain building in town with paintings on the building. Mayor Klakken stated, "I am not going to make them paint the building. I am not going to make them take down flags; it is freedom of speech. I am not asking the City Council to get involved in this." Council person O’Rourke asked if people had the right to park a vehicle on city property with a derogatory sign on them. This was responded to with a yes. This exchange takes place at the 1 hour 30-minute mark. The rest of the meeting consisted of reports by board members and directors. You can watch the whole meeting on the video below.

Brynley Fitzgerald was selected to the CoSIDA College Division Academic All-District Team, district four for the 2020-21 season. She is the only member of the team selected from the Frontier Conference. District four is made up of schools from Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, and Canada. Players are selected for both their athletic and academic prowess. Fitzgerald, a 5-11 junior from Dillon Mont., earned NAIA Third-Team All-American and first-team all-conference honors this season. She led the Bulldogs in scoring with 387 points (30th in the nation) averaging 16.8 points per game. She 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. She is now eligible for the prestigious CoSIDA Academic All-America Team, which will be announced May 25th. Fitzgerald is the first woman's basketball player selected from Montana Western since Britt Cooper was selected in back-to-back seasons in 2017-18 and 18-19. FULL RELEASE (PDF)

A driver was ejected from their vehicle on sawmill road (05/04/2021). The driver was headed North bound when they lost control of the vehicle and was ejected from it. The driverless Monte Carlo, then proceeded off sawmill road through the fence across both lanes of I-15, and over Hwy 91 coming to rest a few feet before the train tracks. The driver sustained injuries and was transported to the hospital via ambulance. This is developing story and as we receive info, we will update it.

Beaverhead Chamber of Commerce & Agriculture will be holding another RED RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY | SATURDAY, MAY 15 @ 12 NOON – 2:00 pm at BADGER ARCHERY It has been one year since the doors opened in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic. Badger Archery never celebrated a grand opening as expected. So here it is! Also, get a free burger or hotdog - Limited supply, on a first come first serve basis! Downstairs, from 12-2pm, there will be free music by the extremely talented Holly Rumsey. Also, sales reps will be on-hand for many of our products, including PSE, Bear, Rinehart, Rip Cord, Tight Spot, and Black Gold. The reps will have demo product available and are always fun to chat with. The sales specials will continue all day, we will be celebrating by offering all of our in stock archery targets at 15% off and any new bow purchases of $500 and above include a free Badger Archery tumbler. Come on down, celebrate and socialize! We look forward to seeing you.

Board Meeting Agenda | May 13, 2021 9:30am – Jan’s Café in Lima MT 9:30am - Welcome and Introductions of Guests John 9:35am – Approval of the Agenda John 9:40am - Approval of April Meeting Minutes John 9:45am – Approval of Financial Report Bob 10:05am – Executive Director Report Rebecca · Black Tie & Boots Gala Update · Beaverhead Treasure Hunt · Territory Days · Sr. Pro Rodeo Update 10:15am – CVB Report: Rebecca · FY22 Marketing Plan Submitted · FY21 Marketing Plan Expenditures Report on June14-15 · Tbid (Tax Business Increment District) Discussion – Follow-up Plan 10:25am – New Business All 10:30am – Adjournment John Upcoming Board Events: 1. May Board Meeting: May 13 @ 8:30am – Jan’s Café in Lima 2. May Lunch n Learn: U.S. Forest Service – May 20 @ Noon at The Den 3. Black Tie & Boots Gala – May 22 @ The Elks 4. June Board Meeting: June 10 @ 8:30am 5. June Lunch n Learn: Tom Welch & Jeff Welborn – Legislative Update 6. Territory Days – June 18-20! 7. Sr. Pro Rodeo – July 23-25 w/ Dillon History Days

These are the unofficial results from elections held on 05/04/2021. We will update them when they become certified.

The University of Montana Western Football team has released the 2021 schedule - a 11 game slate featuring ten Frontier Conference games and a non-conference contest. FULL SCHEDULE The Bulldogs will open the season Aug 28 at home against the 2020-21 Frontier Conference Co-Champion Carroll College, It will be the Bulldogs first game in 651 days as they opted out of the 2020-21 season. Their next two games will be on the road against Eastern Oregon and Dickinson State. The Bulldogs haven't won in La Grande since 2015 and last played the DSU Bluehawks in 2016. UMW will return home briefly to host MSU-Northern for homecoming (Sept.18) before heading back on the road for four of the next five games. The Bulldogs will then close the season at home against Montana Tech (Nov. 6) and Rocky Mountain College (Nov. 13) The Bulldogs will play Carroll College, MSU-Northern, Southern Oregon, Montana Tech and Rocky Mountain College at Vigilante Field and will travel to Eastern Oregon, Dickinson State, Montana Tech, Rocky Mountain College, The College of Idaho, and MSU-Northern. Montana Western reports for fall camp in early August with a fall scrimmage set for Aug 21 at Vigilante Field. All home games will be broadcast on the Bulldogs Sports Network For the latest on Montana Western Athletics, follow the Bulldogs on social media on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Governor Greg Gianforte today announced two measures to address the state’s severe workforce shortage and incentivize Montanans to reenter the labor force. The State of Montana will launch a return-to-work bonus program, utilizing federal funds authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act. Return-to-work bonuses will be paid to unemployed individuals who rejoin the labor force and accept and maintain steady employment for at least one month. The governor also announced the State of Montana will end its participation in federal pandemic-related unemployment benefit programs and transition to pre-pandemic unemployment insurance (UI) eligibility and benefits by the end of June. “Montana is open for business again, but I hear from too many employers throughout our state who can’t find workers. Nearly every sector in our economy faces a labor shortage,” Gov. Gianforte said. “Incentives matter,” Gov. Gianforte continued, “and the vast expansion of federal unemployment benefits is now doing more harm than good. We need to incentivize Montanans to reenter the workforce. Our return-to-work bonus and the return to pre-pandemic unemployment programs will help get more Montanans back to work.” Across Montana, employers struggle to find workers, particularly in the health care, construction, manufacturing, and hospitality and leisure industries. Returning to pre-pandemic unemployment eligibility and offering return-to-work incentives will encourage workers to reenter the workforce and help ease a critical labor shortage across Montana. “Montana’s unemployment rate is at just 3.8% – near pre-pandemic lows – and statewide there are record numbers of new job postings each week. But today, despite an influx of new residents into Montana over the last year, our labor force is some 10,000 workers smaller than it was before the pandemic,” Commissioner of Labor and Industry Laurie Esau said. “Our labor shortage doesn’t just affect employers and business owners. Employees who are forced to work longer shifts, serve more customers or clients, and take on more duties have been paying the price.” Montana will be the first state in the nation to fully opt out of the federal unemployment benefit programs enacted since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Requirements that unemployment insurance claimants actively seek work and be “able and available” for work will be reinstated effective June 27, as well. Specifically, Montana’s Department of Labor & Industry announced the following changes to the unemployment insurance (UI) program: Starting June 27, 2021, claimants who have exhausted their traditional UI benefits but had continued to receive them through the federal Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program will no longer be eligible for UI payments. Beginning June 27, 2021 Montana will no longer be issuing supplemental $300 weekly payments to claimants under the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) program. Beginning June 27, 2021, Montana will no longer participate in the federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program. PUA presently provides benefits to the self-employed, the underemployed, independent contractors, and individuals who have been unable to work due to health or COVID-19 affected reasons. Starting June 27, 2021, Montana will no longer participate in the Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation (MEUC) program, which offers supplemental payments to individuals who had both traditional W-2 income as well as self-employment income. Requirements that claimants be able to work, available for work, and actively seeking work in order to be considered eligible for benefits will be reinstated effective June 27, 2021. These requirements had previously been suspended under emergency rule-making authority in March of last year. More information about work-search and “able & available” requirements is available in the UI Claimants handbook. Unemployment insurance claimants will be receiving information soon about how these changes affect them individually. Until then, claimants with questions about their future eligibility are encouraged to visit MontanaWorks.gov or contact the Department of Labor & Industry at 406-444-2545. Claimants receiving Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) should contact 406-444-3382. The Return-to-Work Bonus initiative will offer $1,200 payments to individuals receiving unemployment benefits as of May 4, 2021, who subsequently accept employment and complete at least four paid weeks of work. Individuals eligible for the bonus will be contacted by the Department of Labor and Industry and informed of their eligibility, as well as more information about how to ensure they receive the payment after they complete four weeks of employment. For More Information: A summary of the changes to be implemented to Montana’s Unemployment Insurance program can be viewed here . More information about Montana’s labor shortage is available here . More information about the governor’s proposed Return-to-Work Bonuses can be found here.

The Dillon Rotarians will conduct their business meeting on Wednesday, May 5, 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 .

Press release from University of MT Western: Michael Reid has been selected as the new Chancellor for the University of Montana Western and brings with him over 30 years of experience in higher education administration. Reid currently serves as the Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance at the University of Montana Western and as the Chief Fiscal Officer for Helena College. “The search advisory committee and the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education are pleased to announce the hiring of Michael Reid for the Chancellor position at Montana Western,” said Search Advisory Committee Chair and OCHE Deputy Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Tyler Trevor. “We feel that Mike will continue to move the university forward and that his wealth of administrative and financial experience, combined with a focus on data-driven decision making, will further support the students, faculty and staff at UMW and continue to build upon the success of the university’s Experience One program.” Reid started with the Montana University System in March 2013 and has been at the University of Montana Western since July 2018. His educational background includes both an MBA and a BA in Finance from Utah State University. Over his 30 years of administrative experience, he has served for 20 of them as a Vice President/Chancellor for Administration and Finance at institutions including Pueblo Community College, Mansfield University of Pennsylvania, Angelo State University, The University of Montana, and Sierra Nevada College. Although his background in higher education administration has often been centered on university operations and finances, Reid also has significant experience in facility master planning, capital construction, strategic planning, institutional forecasting and modeling, auxiliary operations and events management. “I’m excited, and humbled, to be entrusted with this responsibility at the University of Montana Western. Over the past few years, both Montana Western and the welcoming town of Dillon have been incredible places to call home with inspiring students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community support. I am enthusiastic about the opportunities ahead of us and look forward to working with everyone in continuing the legacy that is UMW and building on the solid foundation that has already been established,” said Reid. Reid and his wife, Shauna, are passionate about the outdoors and take frequent advantage of the incredible surroundings and activities available in the Dillon area. Effective as of May 3, 2021, Reid’s appointment will be brought before the Montana Board of Regents for approval at its regularly scheduled meeting later in May. He succeeds Beth Weatherby, who is retiring after leading the university for the past 6.5 years.

City of Dillon will hold a public hearing on budget amendments for fiscal year 2020-2021. This will be Wednesday May 5, at 6:45 P.M. at City Hall. Regular City Council will be held after this at 7 P.M. An agenda of the meeting can be seen below.

Wisdom Community Center - 105 Years Old and Counting… Serena Stevenson & Dennis Havig, May 1st In the early 1900s Wisdom residents had a dream of a civic center. To that end, William Montgomery donated land that was later traded for the land that the Community Center is located on today. In fact, William Montgomery was called the father of the community building in a 1917 article in the Big Hole Basin News. Montgomery was quoted as saying. “I want this town to have a place where cattlemen and buyers can meet and talk over market conditions without interruptions. And I want to see a place where good and pure entertainment can be given the young folks. I will give the lots upon which the building may be erected and will do everything in my power to see such a place in Wisdom.” Just so you know, in 1916 the only place to meet was a bar or someone’s home. In January of 1916 members of the Big Hole Basin Stockman’s Association including President Shaw, Ben Stevenson, and Wm Montgomery and others joined forces with RA Hathaway from the Big Hole Basin News to develop a community building facility. The Wisdom Masons, Odd Fellows, the Excelsior Club or Women's Club also joined in the effort. The Montgomery property was traded with JP Lossl for the current site of the community building. The original name was the Wisdom Library Association formed in 1916. Hathaway was on the school board and knew that with the construction of the new brick Wisdom School house the old school building would be for sale. On March 2, 1916 the Wisdom Library Association purchased the “old Wisdom School” for $500 and quickly moved it to the current location to take advantage of ice and snow so the building could be skidded into place with teams of horses. CW Francis charged $76 to move the school to its current location, with the help of numerous locals who supplied horse teams. Kathy Wise our Big Hole Breezes Historical contributor went to kindergarten there. The records are incomplete, but it appears from unsigned notes in the community building that the first Wisdom School from 1882 was in the river bottom below the Wisdom airport. The south half of the Wisdom Community Center building that we use today is likely the second school building from 1886 to 1915. The third school building was the old brick school opened in 1915 which closed and was torn down in 1988. The current school which opened in 1989 is the fourth. In 1951 the Wisdom Community Center built two rooms and leased them to the American Legion and the Women’s club. Between 1916 and today the name has changed 4 times, the board chose to stick with the 1950 name “the Wisdom Community Center”. The Wisdom Community Center is now a non-profit corporation. And just like in 1916, we still need a community building. Over the last year efforts have been made to update the center. The WCC board and volunteers have been busy trying to keep the physical building usable. With the help of the Beaverhead Foundation, the buildings foundation under the west wall has been repaired, and the support columns under the north half of the building were also fixed. The bathrooms were remodeled, and the floors upgraded. United Way of Beaverhead county paid to replace the rug in the Women's club. The two north rooms were also repainted. This was all accomplished in part by grant money from the Federal Cares Act of 2020 to non-profits. That grant got them through the last year and they have asked our local representatives in the Montana house and senate if they could help us in 2021. David & Janice Scott scored a paint donation from the Sherwin Williams paint store in Butte for the Legion Room and the Women’s Club Room / Library. The wood floors in the Legion Room, and the new carpet in the Women’s club Room are truly beautiful and show a dedication to work very well done. David Scott caulked all the seams on the walls before painting and the walls are now restored to their original beauty. David went to Sherwin Williams and they were able to exactly match the trim stain. New chimney covers were ordered from Amazon and painted to match the original ones that had worn out. Janice Scott beamed as she told me how happy she felt in being a part of this project. She stated that what everyone seemed to enjoy most was the rebirth of the old place, you take something old and worn out, you work together, and you make it new again. It is like putting new life back into the old place, and the community. Clearly the Covid pandemic has reduced usage of the building thus revenues are near zero except for a few meetings and memorials from generous people in the community. But we still need a place to meet, a place to vote, a place pray, a place to celebrate and a place to morn. Anna Stevenson, President of the WCC along with other board members are looking for new ways to use the community center. It seems that as our community shrinks so does the need for the building. In early August there is a plan to have a flea market in Wisdom and maybe use part of the community building for that event. The hope is that government and private entities start holding in person meetings again and will consider the WCC for these events. There are other suggestions like an art show, community potlucks and the return of the gun show. The Board will keep working to keep the WCC building alive and stable, but they need your help to do so. So, if you are planning a get together, meeting, family reunion, funeral, party, or dance consider the Wisdom Community Center. There are three separate rooms of various sizes, a fully stocked kitchen, tables and chairs, a stage, sound system and projector, and a piano. Also included in the Women’s Club Room is a library containing original printed editions of the Big Hole Breezes and other area papers, along with many historical books. The Library can be accessed, and the building can be booked, by calling Anna Stevenson at 689-3260 or 689-3418. Catering is also available for your event from local businesses in the area. Donations can be sent to - Wisdom Community Center or WCC, PO Box 66, Wisdom, MT 59761. The Wisdom Community Center has been a fixture in Wisdom for over a 100 years thanks to the vision and hard work of generations of people in this valley. With a little luck and continued hard work it will serve another 100 years of future generations in the Big Hole Valley. Lastly, we need to say thank you so much to the many people who built and have kept this building available for all of us to use. Thank you, Tom Healy, Dusty Hosko, David & Janice Scott, Anna Stevenson, Diane & Dennis Havig, Kathy & Dean Wise, Melody Mitchel, and all board members and volunteers past and present. We appreciate you!

Submitted by Mel Rice – Public Relations Sunday Morning at 12:15 a.m., the Beaverhead Search and Rescue was paged out to look for a lost party in the Crystal Park area. A 53 year old gentleman and his 16 year old son had been reported missing from a day trip to Crystal Park. The lost party is from Anaconda. The incident actually started the day before. The reporting party called the Sheriff’s office at 7:52 p.m. Saturday evening and reported the two individuals had not returned home. A Sheriff’s deputy was dispatched to the Scenic By-Way from the Grasshopper end of the highway. A Highway Patrol Trooper was also dispatched from the Wise River end. Searches at either end of the byway did not produce the lost individuals or their vehicle. The Dillon deputy found car tracks going around the road closure barrier just below Elkhorn Hot Springs. Upon further investigation the deputy, while following the tracks, became stuck in a snow bank. After digging for two hours and finally getting some help from one of the Grasshopper Volunteer Firemen, he got out and returned to Dillon. At that time the Beaverhead Search and Rescue was called out to aid in the search. Tara Remely, Alex Dunn, Lawrence Morrisroe, and Mel Rice responded to the call out. Rice acted as the IC while Dunn, Remely, and Morrisroe were deployed to the Scenic By-Way with a side by side and snowmobile. The side by side and sled ventured up the By-Way behind the closure gate. The side x side had been stuck twice and was about 300 yards short of the Price Creek Campground. They had found nothing. At that point the sled went on into Crystal Park and over to Moose Park. Nothing was located and it was determined the Nisson car the party was driving would not have been able to make it that far. There were no tracks from a car in the area. It was also determined a car of that nature would not have been able to advance beyond the road closure barrier on the Wise River end of the By-Way… Therefore, the S&R members terminated the search in the area and returned to Dillon, arriving back in town at 6:10 a.m. At this point the Sheriff’s office called individuals in Anaconda and was informed the individuals were home. Approximately 36 man hours were spent during the search. "Your Beaverhead Search and Rescue would like to remind the public that the Scenic By-Way is closed to car and truck traffic until such time as the road barricades are opened. Please honor the closure until such time as it is formally opened. There is still quite a bit of snow up on top".

Today at 3 P.M. Western finished up the third and final graduation ceremony those receiving degrees in Modern History, Psychology, Anthropology and Sociology, English, Visual Arts, Interdisciplinary Social Science, Mathematics, Environmental Science, Environmental Interpretation, Environmental Sustainability, Biology, Ecology, and Associate of Arts/Science majors were honored. Commencement Speaker for the ceremony was Joe Morstein you can view the whole ceremony here.

Ceremony II: Saturday, May 1 at 10:00 a.m. - Education majors Commencement Speaker Dr. David Yarlott Dr. David Yarlott, currently President of Little Big Horn College, is Korean and Crow and grew up in Crow Agency, Mont., before attending college as a first-generation student in the early 1980’s. Yarlott went on to earn three degrees from the University of Montana. While attending graduate school at MSU, Yarlott was offered an opportunity to teach at Little Big Horn College and went on to become the college’s president in 2002. Priorities of his tenure as president included expansion of infrastructure, while emphasizing green technology, consistent with his value of “being kinder to the earth.” Yarlott was a founder of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium Athletic Commission, on the board of the World Indigenous Games, Chair of the Governing Board of Trustees for the American Indian College Fund, and Commissioner for the Northwest Commission on College and University Accreditation. We will be livestreaming ceremony 3 at 3 P.M. today

Western will be holding three commencements instead of the traditional one. The hope is this will allow graduates to attend in person as well as family members. Today ceremony 1 was held those receiving degrees in Business, Health and Human Performance/Kinesiology, and Natural Horsemanship/Equine Studies majors got to hear from Mike Ferretti, CEO of Great Harvest. The next two ceremonies will be held tomorrow at 10 A.M. and 3 P.M. we will be live streaming them as well.

The University of Montana Western has been granted nearly $15 million by the Montana State Legislature to undertake major upgrades to the campus’s facilities. These include a $12 million renovation of Block Hall, $2.4 million to replace the central campus boiler, and $450,000 to replace numerous roofs. “Please join me in thanking Senator Jeff Welborn and Representative Tom Welch for their support of this project,” said Montana Western Chancellor, Dr. Beth Weatherby. “Senator Welborn has been a tireless Bulldog this session in his efforts to get Block Hall done. I am so grateful to Jeff and Tom and to Commissioner Christian and his team for their advocacy in Helena for Montana Western. These funds will provide our students, faculty and staff with the top-quality facilities that they deserve.” The news was announced on April 29th at the close of the 67th Legislative Session in Helena, known as “sine die,” wrapping up 80 days of legislative action. Sine die, meaning “without day” in Latin, indicates that the 2021 legislative body has adjourned without appointing a day to assemble again. The Block Hall renovation will receive $4.8 million from HB 632, the vehicle which appropriates the federal stimulus and COVID recovery funds Montana is receiving as part of the American Rescue Plan Act and $7.2 million from HB 14, the Long-Range Building Bonding Program. HB 5, the Long-Range Building Appropriations bill, includes the funding Montana Western will receive for the central boiler and roof replacement projects. Constructed in 1969, Block Hall requires renovation in order to accommodate the university’s growing science programs and bring the building up to modern safety and air quality codes. Upon completion, the building will offer updated classroom and lab facilities to all Montana Western students for courses in both general studies and specialized science programs.

A list of events happening for the weekend of 04/30/2021 thru 05/02/2021. Friday 04/30/2021 124th Annual Commencement - The University of Montana Western will celebrate its 124th Annual Commencement Ceremony in-person and online on Friday, April 30, and Saturday, May 1, 2021. To ensure the health and safety of the community and guests, this year’s Commencement will be divided into three ceremonies. A graduate’s ceremony is designated by their degree and major. Ceremony I: Friday, April 30 at 3:00 p.m.– Business, Health and Human Performance/Kinesiology, and Natural Horsemanship/Equine Studies majors Ceremony II: Saturday, May 1 at 10:00 a.m.– Education majors Ceremony III: Saturday, May 1 at 3:00 p.m.– Modern History, Psychology, Anthropology and Sociology, English, Visual Arts, Interdisciplinary Social Science, Mathematics, Environmental Science, Environmental Interpretation, Environmental Sustainability, Biology, Ecology, and Associate of Arts/Science majors In-person attendance is limited to four pre-invited guests per graduate, but all are invited to watch the live stream of each ceremony by visiting the Southwestern Montana News Facebook page. Visit the link below on the day of the ceremony to watch the live stream: https://www.facebook.com/Southwesternmtnews Each graduate may have up to 4 guests attend. Guests will be sitting in assigned seating in Straugh Gym that is socially distanced. All people in Straugh Gym during the ceremony are expected to wear a mask or other face protectant like a face shield and remain socially distanced. Guests showing any sort of symptoms like ​fever, sore throat,​ etc., should remain home and take advantage of our live stream services. For more information about Commencement, please contact the Montana Western Registrar’s Office by calling 406-683-7371. Sing Into Spring - Let's SING INTO SPRING with some Rock & Country Roll. This is a family event hosted by Cory Birkenbuel. Featuring music by Steve Ingram, Mary Allen, Verna Love, River Deliso, Keri Wendt, Billy Christensen, Tom McEldry, Joel Longie, Joe Begin, Justin Stanchfield Light Buffet, Deserts & Drinks at 6PM Cash bar and ATM avalaible Frontier Events Center $15 Admission at the door, kids no charge. Big Sky Cinema - "We're back!" Reopening Friday, April 30th. Popular local band, "Fully Cooked" will perform their best in our lobby during ticket sales. playing Godzilla VS Kong at 4 P.m. and 6:45 P.M. also playing Raya The Last Dragon 4:15 P.M. and 7 P.M. Saturday 05/01/2021 Emporium406 Grand Re-Opening - You are cordially invited to join us at Emporium406 on Saturday, May 1st, as we celebrate our Grand Re-Opening at our new downtown location at 34 North Idaho Street, Suite #3 in Dillon. We will have complimentary refreshments, in-store drawings and lots of new and amazing merchandise! A RANDOM THOUGHT Art Exhibit - Come meet the artists creating this beautiful exhibit (displayed May 1-June 12) and enjoy an evening with friends We are bringing Weekend Rundown back as more things start happening, we will again have it every Friday morning. As always if you have an event send us an email at southwesternmtnews@gmail.com so we can put it in the Weekend Rundown. If you have a poster for your event stop by 34 N. Idaho Suite B we will hang it up for you.