Search Results

ASPCA, Madison County Sheriff’s Office partner to support horses after Court Order seizure as part of an investigation into alleged animal cruelty

University of Montana Western Press Release AUSTIN, Texas – The College Sports Communicators (CSC) released the Academic All-America teams Tuesday morning, with Montana Western kicker John Mears earning the prestigious honor for the third time in his career. Mears, a redshirt senior from Belgrade, Mont., was named to the First Team Academic All-America for the third time. This season, he was nearly perfect on extra points, converting 64 of 65 attempts. He also made 12 of 17 field goals, with a season-long 49-yarder at home against Eastern Oregon and Montana Tech. Mears further cemented his place in Montana Western history by breaking the program's career scoring record, reaching his 272nd point against MSU-Northern. The NAIA Academic All-America® program is financially supported by the NAIA national governance structure to assist the College Sports Communicators in handling the awards fulfillment aspects of the 2024-25 NAIA Academic All-America® program.

125 N. Idaho St. City of Dillon, Montana  FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING  January 30, 2025  9:00 A.M.                                                                                                                  ~ AGENDA ~    1.           Approval of January  2025 Claims 2.           Public Comment on Items of Significant Public Interest Not on The Agenda And Within The Jurisdiction of The City 3.           Adjournment   Committee Members: Russ Schwandt, Chairperson Diane Armstrong Mary Jo O’Rourke

University of Montana Western Press Release DILLON, Mont. – The Montana Western men's basketball team (10-9) snapped a four-game losing streak with a hard-fought 69-66 victory over the Montana State University-Northern Lights (6-14) this afternoon. "I'm proud of our guys for their response and finding a way to get a win," Head Coach Pat Jensen said. "We did a great job rebounding and got some really important stops down the stretch." Kyle Gruhler led the Bulldogs with 13 points and eight rebounds, playing a key role in securing the victory. How it Happened The Bulldogs started strong, shooting effectively from beyond the arc. Gruhler and Jalyn Stepney each hit two three-pointers early, giving Western an early advantage. Alan Kane contributed four points and two assists in the first half, helping the Bulldogs maintain a slim three-point lead midway through. The Lights responded with a 6-0 run to take the lead, but timely rebounds and defensive plays by Kolter Merritt kept the game close. A corner three-pointer by Kevin Bethel , followed by an and-one play from Jacob Ankeny , propelled the Bulldogs to a 43-37 lead heading into halftime. The Bulldogs came out firing in the second half. Kevin Bethel and Abi Adedo scored key baskets, and a three-pointer by Jackson Burckley extended the lead to 51-41. The Lights mounted a comeback, tying the game at 54-54 with just over eight minutes remaining. Western responded by ramping up their defensive intensity and dominating the boards. A decisive 11-2 run over the next four minutes secured a lead the Bulldogs would not relinquish, sealing the victory. Notables Gruhler led the game with eight rebounds and scored 13 points. Kane finished with 10 points and a game-high six assists. Ankeny added 12 points and six rebounds. The Bulldogs grabbed 21 offensive rebounds, scoring 20 second-chance points. Up Next The Bulldogs will travel to Great Falls to face University of Providence this Thursday, January 30, with tip-off set for 7 p.m.

University of Montana Western Press Release DILLON, Mont. – The Montana Western women's basketball team (7-12) dropped a close game in overtime to Montana State University Northern (11-9) this afternoon, losing 81-78. Payton Hagy scored a career high 25 points on a career high 10-22 from the field in the loss. How It Happened Hagy and Kenzi Pedersen got the Bulldogs off to a strong start, each scoring five points to fuel an 18-15 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Bulldogs shot 52% from the field in the second half and forced five Skylight turnovers, converting them into five points. However, the Skylights came out of halftime shooting 62% from the field and outscored the Bulldogs by 14 points in the third quarter, taking a 60-54 lead. Western responded with key scoring from Keke Davis and Hagy, sparking a 15-7 run that gave the Bulldogs a 69-67 lead with under a minute to play. Six made free throws by the Skylights down the stretch put them ahead 73-69. With 11 seconds remaining, Isabella Lund sank two free throws to cut the deficit to two. After two missed free throws by MSUN, Lund drove to the basket for a layup, sending the game into overtime. In overtime, the Bulldogs jumped out to an early lead, but the Skylights regained control with a 79-78 lead with two minutes remaining. UMW was held scoreless for the rest of the game, allowing the Skylights to secure the victory. Notables Lund would finish with 15 points, four steals, and six rebounds. Maddy Moy scored nine points, four steals and pulled down five rebounds. Pedersen scored 10 points and dished out six assists The Skylights would finish the game shooting 50% from the field. Up Next The Bulldogs will travel to Great Falls to face #23 University of Providence this Thursday, January 30, with tip-off set for 5 p.m.

The Beaverhead County Courthouse will play host for the 2025 Beaverhead County Spelling Bee. Elementary and middle school spellers from around the county on will convene on Wednesday, January 29 at 1:30p in the courtroom upstairs in the Courthouse. Students from all the grade schools, plus those from Dillon Middle School, Lima and local home schools will contend for a trip to the Treasure State Spelling Bee on March 7th in Bozeman. County Superintendent of Schools Mike Miller is serving as the director for this year’s contest. “The six rural schools, Lima’s Elementary School, the area home ‘schoolers’, and the schools here in Dillon have all been invited to send spellers to challenge for a trip to Bozeman in March,” said Miller. “We may have as many as 30 area spellers entered in the contest this year, although some schools may choose not to take part.” Trophies for the top two spellers and certificates for all participants will be presented at the conclusion of the event along with donations from local financial institutions to help defray the costs for travel to Bozeman. Three local judges (Jamie Flynn, Deborah McCabe, and Dr. Katrina Kennett) have volunteered, and Deb Sporich, the famous ‘Deb from the Bookstore’ will be pronouncing the words. The Treasure State Spelling Bee, now in its 60th year, is conducted along the rules of the Scripps National Spelling Bee organization which furnishes the spelling list used at local and state spelling bees. “At least one speller from each county can be entered in the state bee, while counties with much larger population are allowed more spellers. But it is expected that 60 spellers will converge on the campus of Montana State University at the Strand Ballroom for this year’s contest,” reported Miller. Only students from schools which are enrolled in the National Scripps organization are eligible to participate in the state bee, although registration is not required for the county bee. The Montana Television Network sponsors the event and local journalists will serve as judges at the Treasure State Bee in Bozeman.

DILLON, MT  – The Montana Department of Transportation (MDOT) held both in-person and virtual meetings on Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday to discuss the upcoming construction plans for the MT-41 Stone Creek North project. The meetings took place at the University of Montana Western (UMW) and provided an opportunity for the public to learn about the project and ask questions. The MT-41 project will begin where MT-41 crosses over Stone Creek and continue past Beaverhead Rock, ending just before Point of Rock Cemetery. The projected start date for the construction is set for 2027. MDOT plans to implement several improvements, including: Realigning the roadway north of the Beaverhead River. Reducing the vertical grade (steepness) of hills. Adding 8-foot shoulders to the roadway. Installing shoulder rumble strips and replacing centerline rumble strips. Flattening steep slopes along the road. Replacing the Stone Creek Bridge with a concrete box culvert. Replacing the Beaverhead River Bridge with a new structure. Upgrading guardrails and drainage systems. Constructing wildlife barrier fencing near the Beaverhead River bridge. This project aims to enhance safety on a section of roadway originally paved in 1959 and last improved in 1988, with a chip seal applied in 2011. The roadway is considered narrow by today’s standards and experiences significant semi and heavy traffic. Currently, the project is in its final design phase, and MDOT is beginning the right-of-way acquisition phase, which involves approximately 45 acres and impacts around 17 individuals. The department hopes to finalize engineering designs by 2025 and commence construction in 2027. During the meetings, attendees had the opportunity to hear from engineers regarding plans to widen the road, traffic control during construction, and what to expect as the project progresses. Biologists also discussed plans to install a taller bridge to aid wildlife, mitigate work near sensitive wildlife areas, and manage construction around both the Beaverhead River and Stone Creek. For those interested in staying informed about the project, MDOT encourages individuals to reach out to Brandon Coates at brandon@rbci.net . If you would like to register for the final virtual meeting for today 01/22 you can here .

The Annual Colt Challenge and Sale, hosted by the University of Montana Western and the Montana Center for Horsemanship, will take place March 28 and 29, 2025, at the Montana Center for Horsemanship in Dillon, Montana. Students and colts compete in a series of events that demonstrate their wide range of abilities on the first day, and the following day, a public auction features the colts for sale, with all proceeds reinvested in the program to provide scholarships to Natural Horsemanship majors at the University of Montana Western. This year we will also host our inaugural Alumni Horse Sale where past colt sale students will have the opportunity to showcase their horsemanship skills and their post-graduation accomplishments.  There will be six alumni horses ranging from 3-11 years old. We are thrilled to showcase older horses and give buyers an opportunity to purchase horses with extra real-world experience.  Schedule of Events:Friday, March 28 Colt Challenge: 9:00 a.m. Saturday, March 30 Preview: 10:00 a.m. Lunch: 11:30 a.m.  Sale: 1:00 p.m. Each colt receives approximately 90 days of Natural Horsemanship training from equine students in the Natural Horsemanship/Equine Studies Bachelor of Science Degree program at Montana Western, under the guidance and leadership of the  MCH Natural Horsemanship instructors . This year’s event will showcase 18 quality colts donated by some of the finest ranches in the region. The young horses are familiarized with all settings inside and out. They are also exposed to a variety of situations including working with cattle and ropes, loading and unloading from trailers, and many other scenarios a horse and rider might encounter in ranch-work or recreational riding. Simultaneously, both students and instructors develop an in-depth feel for each horse, enabling them to accurately convey this knowledge to potential buyers. The horses and students are featured on  Facebook  leading up to the main event with information about the colts including their color, conformation, personalities, and skills. More information about the 2025 Colt Challenge and Sale, including the  sale catalog , is available on the University of Montana Western  website . Those interested in attending the auction can do so in  person, online, or by phone . To bid online, participants must pre-register at least one day prior to the sale. To pre-register, please visit  bid.northernlivestockvideo.com  and click “Get Approved to Bid.” Participants can then bid online via desktop by visiting  www.northernlivestockvideo.com  the day of the sale or by downloading the Northern Livestock Auction mobile app. To bid by phone, pre-register by calling Northern Livestock Video Auction at 866-616-5035 before the sale day to obtain a bid number. Bidders can then phone in the day of the sale by calling 406-245-0889. The sale order will be posted on Friday, March 28 by 5:00 p.m. on the Montana Western Colt Challenge and Sale  website  and  Facebook  page. The Annual Colt Challenge and Sale corporate sponsors include CHS Inc., New Generation Supplements, Rocky Mountain Supply, and Zinpro Performance Minerals in partnership with the University of Montana Western and the Montana Center for Horsemanship. Saturday’s complimentary lunch is sponsored by Beaverhead Motors and Bryan and Marcia Mussard of Reminisce Angus. Thank you to Stockman Bank for sponsoring this year’s saddle for the Colt Challenge winner. We wish to thank our sponsors for their generous support of the event and the students in the program. The  Equine Studies Department  at the University of Montana Western offers the nation’s only Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Horsemanship with options in management, psychology, science and instruction, and was ranked among the “Best Equestrian Colleges” by ThoughtCo.com . The Montana Center for Horsemanship  is the first and only equine center in the United States that is devoted expressly to promoting natural horsemanship. With its stables, arenas, riding areas, and instructors, the center serves as the primary facility and progressive teaching resource for Montana Western’s Natural Horsemanship BS curriculum. The MCH teaches the ‘La Cense Method,’ which was developed under William Kriegel, owner of Haras de la Cense in France. Mr. Kriegel is also co-founder of MCH, and he has been involved in Natural Horsemanship for many years. The La Cense Method is a progressive, step-by-step process that blends the best of traditional horsemanship training with the art of training and riding horses—all in a manner that works with a horse’s behavior, instincts, and personality. Taking a positive and respectful approach, the La Cense Method gradually builds trust, and frees the horses to be confident in all they are asked to perform. For more information about the Colt Challenge and Sale, please contact Head Natural Horsemanship Instructor, Eric Hoffmann:  eric.hoffmann@umwestern.edu  or 406-925-1499.

BEAVERHEAD COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL SPECIAL BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING Interviews with Superintendent/Principal Finalists Schedule Room 106 January 28, 2025   AGENDA   1.  CALL TO ORDER 1.1        Call to order 1.2        Determine a Quorum as being present. 1.3        Pledge of Allegiance - _________________________ 2.  INTRODUCTION OF VISITORS 2.1        Casey Elliott, Dillon Tribune 2.2        BFT Representative 2.3       Student Council 3.   PUBLIC COMMENT/COMMUNICATION 3.1       4.     Interviews with Superintendent/Principal Finalists Schedule 1pm - Ator (in person) 2pm - Lagge (in person) 3pm - Patterson (in person) 4pm - Rutledge (zoom) Facilities Manager Jack Bergeson will lead a facility tour for each in-person finalist immediately following the conclusion of their interview.   5.     ACTION ITEMS (Motion, Second, & Vote 5.1        Discussion and potential action on superintendent/principal finalist interviews - executive (closed) session possible in accordance with Section 2-3-203(3), MCA for the limited purpose of employment reference checks where board chair determine that individual privacy rights clearly exceed the merits of public disclosure. Trustee deliberation and possible vote to authorize MTSBA to make offer of employment to finalist on behalf of the District.                          6.   ADJORNMENT AND NEXT BOARD MEETING 6.1       Next Board of Trustees meeting will be February 10, 2025, at 7:00pm.