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CHINOOK – During the fall of 2022, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks wardens received a 1-800-TIP-MONT call detailing unlawful hunting activity in the Bears Paw Mountains. After an extensive investigation, Michael J. Dess (20), of Havre, and Lane T. Allen (22), of Harlem, had charges filed in Blaine and Hill Counties alleging their involvement in the unlawful take of deer and elk, out of season, in 2021 and 2022. The charges involved the take or attempt to take nine antlered deer and four bull elk, some of which qualify for trophy restitution. Charges included violations of hunting during a closed season, hunting without a license, waste of game, over limits, the use of artificial light, and the unlawful possession of game animals. Dess was charged with 13 misdemeanors and one felony in Blaine County, and 22 misdemeanors and two felonies in Hill County. Allen was charged with 10 misdemeanors and two felonies in Blaine County and nine misdemeanors in Hill County. In January 2024, Dess and Allen entered into plea agreements on separate felony and misdemeanor cases for unlawfully killing elk and deer from roadways, after dark, with the use of artificial light. Dess’s plea agreements in Hill and Blaine Counties resulted in fines and restitution totaling $16,010, and the loss of his privilege to hunt, fish, and trap in the state of Montana and all other states that are members of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact, for a period of 10 years. Allen’s plea agreements in Hill and Blaine Counties resulted in fines and restitution totaling $8,210, and the loss of his privilege to hunt, fish, and trap in the state of Montana and all other states that are members of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact, for a period of 10 years. Region 6 game wardens would like to thank hunters and landowners for their assistance in helping solve this case. A special thank you goes to Blaine County Attorney Kelsie Harwood for prosecuting both cases. Anyone with information about crimes involving fish, wildlife or park regulations are encouraged to visit https://fwp.mt.gov/aboutfwp/enforcement/tip-mont to provide details, call the FWP violation reporting hotline at 1-800-TIP-MONT (1-800-847-6668), or get in touch with their local warden. People providing information may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000.

Lindsey Branch, UMW Sports Information DILLON, Mont. – The Montana Western women's basketball (11-8, 3-3) lost in a top-25 contest tonight with the no. 6 ranked Carroll College (15-3, 6-0) after a late surge proved to be too little too late for the Bulldogs. Shainy Mack and Jordan Sweeney each hit double-digits in the loss, combining for 37 points in the loss. How It Happened Carroll was the first to find the hoop, taking a quick 13-4 lead in the first quarter. With 5:47 on the clock, Sweeney struck on a pair of jumpers to get UMW back on their feet. Isabella Lund followed with a layup that she converted into an and one and the Bulldogs were right back in it. Carroll held a scoring edge over Western and finished by outscoring the Bulldogs 10-4 down the stretch and took a 23-13 lead into the second quarter. The Bulldogs were stone cold in the second quarter, with Carroll outscoring the Bulldogs 23-8 in the second frame alone. As a team, UMW shot 3-12 from the field on their way to a halftime deficit of 46-23. A triple from Kyla Momberg sparked a crucial 10-2 scoring run to kick off the second half. Momberg continued to lead the charge, racking up seven points across three minutes. Despite the impressive run, Carroll's Jamie Pickens would close the quarter with a pair of field goals to take the game to the final frame with the Saints up 65-41. Western held their ground, outscoring Carroll 21-12 in the final frame but it wasn't enough to overcome the hole dug in the second quarter. The Bulldogs would fall by a final score of 77-62. Notables The lack of a scoring presence in the second quarter proved to be the difference maker by the end of the contest. The second quarter saw Carroll overpower Western 23-8 across ten minutes. Carroll's strong presence in the post proved to be a difference maker in the game as the Saints out-rebounded the Bulldogs 34-26. Carroll also had nine boards on the offensive side of the ball. Mack led the Bulldogs with 26 points after she made 7-10 shots from the field. She also added a pair of steals. Sweeney followed with 16 points and three rebounds. Maddy Moy had a season high of 10 rebounds in tonight's game. Up Next Western moves to 11-8 this season with a conference record of 3-3. They are back in action this weekend as they travel to MSU-Northern Saturday Jan. 27 with tip-off at 2p.m. MT.

Lindsey Branch, UMW Sports Information DILLON, Mont. – The Montana Western men's basketball team (9-10, 2-4) fell in a tough conference battle with Carroll College (11-8, 5-1) by a score of 81-74. Western was led by Jalyn Stepney in the loss, totaling 16 points on six made field goals. He also added five rebounds and three assists. How It Happened The first ten minutes of the first half featured a dogfight, with both Western and Carroll trading punches throughout a physical, up-and-down stretch of action.  Leading 17-13 with 9:52 left in the half, the Bulldogs got the ball to Jacksen Burckley who hit a triple that got the Bulldogs out in front by seven. The two teams continued to trade jabs as the two teams would tie the ball game up three times before tying it up for the fourth time just before the half. The two teams remained knotted at 36 heading into the break. A layup from Abi Adedo fueled a short Western spurt, taking a 44-38 lead four minutes into the second half. Jacob Ankeny came up big in a wide-open slam dunk with 15:17 to play, seeing Western to an eight-point advantage. Over the course of the next six minutes, Carroll would chip away at the Bulldog lead and ride a 16-7 run to reclaim the lead at 56-55. Once the Saints found their footing, the Bulldogs were unable to catch up. A slew of turnovers and missed shots plagued the Bulldogs through the final minutes of the contest and Carroll found much success behind the conference-leading guard Andrew Cook. Carroll would claim an 81-74 victory. N otables So far this season, Western is 5-8 in games that have been decided by 10 points or less. Tonight's loss records the first loss in the Straugh Gymnasium this season. Carroll put in work on the boards, totaling 41 team rebounds compared to Western's total of 33. Tonight's game featured a season high in team fouls with 25 total for the Bulldogs. Stepney led the night with 16 points and five rebounds. Adedo and Burckley each tallied 11 points. Up Next Western moves to 9-10 this season with a conference record of 2-4. They are back in action this weekend as they travel to MSU-Northern Saturday Jan. 27 with tip-off at 4p.m. MT.

HELENA – Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has notified the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) of its intent to pursue legal action over the recent listing of wolverines as a threatened species. “In Montana, wolverines continue to do well and inhabit much, if not all, of their available habitat,” said Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Chief of Conservation Policy Quentin Kujala. “We work closely with our neighboring states to ensure the continued conservation of these iconic species. Federal protections in this case will only get in the way of good conservation work.” In its listing notice, the FWS switched course by identifying the lower 48 states as a distinct population segment. This finding comes after the FWS previously found the population of wolverines in the lower 48 was connected to those in Canada. The finding came despite protections in Canada and states like Montana to ensure wolverine conservation. In its listing, the FWS also used climate models from the year 2100 to point to a projected decrease in snowpack to justify its move. This rationale was used despite recent science that shows wolverines are adaptable and able to den and reproduce without snow.   “In the Northern Rockies, wolverines are doing well and states are working closely on monitoring and conservation efforts. This listing is not only unnecessary, it fails to recognize current science,” said FWP Director Dustin Temple.   Wolverines were listed as a threatened species by the FWS in November. The first step in challenging this listing is filing a Notice of Intent to Sue with the FWS. Following this action, the state will file a lawsuit in federal district court.

The University of Montana Western’s Theatre Department is pleased to present “The Queerville Murders” to be performed every Wednesday throughout the month of February as part of the 2023-24 Bank of Commerce Performing Arts Series. Egad! A gruesome murder has been committed! We know the victim, and there are many suspects to consider, but the culprit remains unknown. Never fear, a queer detective is on the case and they look fabulous. The only catch is, they haven’t received a script, and the cast must guide them through each clue as they improvise their way to the truth. Who killed who? And with what weapon! Will our detective discover the truth? Find out in this actor’s nightmare that explores passionate love, unrequited desires, and deadly betrayals. This UMW Drama Club production is mostly improv-based. The characters have a pre-rehearsed murder mystery ready to perform, but the lead detective has no clue what is happening and they have to improv their way through the story to figure out who is the killer.  Performances will be held at the University of Montana Western’s Small Auditorium located on the third floor of Main Hall at 7:30 p.m. on February 7, 14, 21, and 28. This production is rated R and recommended for mature audiences. To purchase tickets, please visit the BOC Performing Arts Series Box Office webpage ( www.umwestern.edu/bank-of-commerce-performing-arts-series/box-office/ ). Tickets are $15 for general admission, $10 for senior and military, and free for UMW students who present their Bulldog Cards.  For more information on the BOC Performing Arts Series, visit  www.umwestern.edu/bank-of-commerce-performing-arts-series/  or contact Visiting Assistant Professor of Theatre, Stephen Seder:  stephen.seder@umwestern.edu  or 406-683-7038.

The Beaverhead County Courthouse was the place to be on January 24, 2024, as spellers took to the makeshift stage to showcase their spelling capabilities. Dr Laura Strauss was the pronouncer who would give the kids their word and help them by using it in a sentence if they asked for it. Jamie Flynn, Dr. Katrina Kennett, and Deborah McCabe would donate their time as judges with Sharon Anderson taking notes of the spelling of the words as secretary.   The first round would see around six students fail to misspell their word. The second round would take out even more competitors as it came to an end. By the third round you would have your top four spellers. To be crowned the Spelling Bee champion the person would have to spell their first word correctly and the other three would have to misspell their word. After this the person would then have to spell another word correctly. The third round would see Rayne Kindberg get her first word right while the other three misspelled their word. Rayne would then miss her second word.  In the fourth round Ean Field would spell their first word correctly and the other three contestants missed their word.  Ean would then take on his second word to spell it correctly with the other three spellers being runner ups.   Congratulations Ean on winning the Beaverhead County 2024 Spelling Bee.

BOZEMAN – Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, in partnership with Montana State University (MSU), have brought on new staff and students in preparation for this year’s field season to study rainbow and brown trout declines and fish health concerns in the Jefferson Basin. FWP recently hired a new fisheries technician based in Dillon to support efforts in the Big Hole, Beaverhead, Ruby and Madison rivers, including upcoming studies with MSU. That work will include three PhD students and support staff who will begin studies on recreational use, adult trout mortality and juvenile trout recruitment in 2024 on the four rivers. FWP and MSU staff and students are meeting regularly to prepare for the upcoming field seasons. FWP staff will continue to provide regular updates on these projects through news releases and public meetings. “We’re looking forward to beginning this important field season this spring,” said Mike Duncan, FWP’s fisheries program manager in southwestern Montana. “We’re grateful for the partnerships that will make these studies possible as we work toward solutions to the issues we’re seeing for fish in the Jefferson Basin.” Fish health update In the Big Hole and Beaverhead rivers, FWP staff and anglers have observed clinically diseased adult fish with apparent increasing frequency in recent years. FWP has conducted health assessments in those rivers. However, disease in fish is a complex interaction among the fish host, potential pathogens and environment, which poses challenges in determining the primary cause of fish health issues. FWP staff have detected the parasite that causes proliferative kidney disease in the Big Hole River and many other rivers across Montana using molecular testing methods. However, staff have yet to see the disease manifest itself in fish in the river. It is also unclear whether the observed fungal infections or lesions are the primary cause or secondary effects of another disease. Thus far, testing has not identified any bacteria or viruses that are common fish pathogens.   Tissue from diseased fish are being examined at a cellular level by pathologists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS). Results will be available this winter and will help determine the next steps in health assessments. Further testing for potential fungi, bacteria or viruses using alternative culture methods and technologically advanced molecular testing will occur this spring, summer and fall in adult and juvenile fish collected from the Big Hole and Beaverhead rivers.  In the meantime, FWP has convened a workgroup with experts from across the country to better understand risk factors and underlying stressors influencing fish health at individual and population levels in these rivers. The workgroup will develop a proactive monitoring approach to characterize the relative contribution of potential stressors, including water quantity and quality, climate, and angling pressure that will be implemented this spring. FWP’s partners include fish health experts, histopathologists, water quality specialists, microbiologists, fish physiologists and fish biologists with FWP, MSU, USFWS, USGS, Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab at Washington State University and the USGS Montana Cooperative Fishery Research Unit. For more information about FWP’s response to trout declines in the Big Hole, Beaverhead and Ruby rivers, visit bit.ly/3Scbf9X .

From the Dillon Police Department On January 2, 2024 a victim reported having their wallet stolen from SWMTF-YMCA. Three suspects were identified and charged with theft on January 2, 2024. On January 4, 2024 a second victim came forward reporting similar information. On January 5, 2024 Nathaniel German, and Ethan Smart Shelton of Dillon, MT were arrested by Officer Codie Plotner, with the Dillon Police for the following offenses. A juvenile was charged with the same offense, in relation to the case. The charges are Identity Theft- No economic benefit gained or attempted/economic benefit $1500-$5000- 1st Offense Felony. Theft- Unauthorized control over property-1st Offense.

The University of Montana Western Department of Biology is proud to announce that senior Kylee Pittman has been accepted into the University of Utah School of Dentistry. Growing up in Glen, Montana, Pittman has aspired to become a dentist since she was four years old. Her dream is now quickly becoming a reality as she will begin dentistry school this fall due to a combination of hard work, focus, determination, and exceptional academic performance. Her accomplishments became more impressive upon recently receiving offers from multiple dental schools across the country. In addition to the time she dedicates to her studies, Pittman also works as a dental assistant at Dillon Family Dental and volunteers in multiple ways for her community. She also presented original research on equine clinical dental anatomy at a national meeting of the American Association for Anatomy in Washington, D.C., in March 2023. Pittman is the sixth UMW Biology student to recently be accepted into a professional school program. Emily Mooty (Class of 2024), was accepted into the Colorado State University School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Cory Lewis (Class of 2023), is currently a veterinary student at Arizona School of Veterinary Medicine, Natalie Denning (Class of 2023), is currently a dental student at Oregon Health and Science University School of Dentistry, Sierra Cahill (Class of 2019), is currently a veterinary student at Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine, and Matt Lesofski (Class of 2021), is currently a physician assistant student at Rocky Mountain College. For more information about the University of Montana Western’s academic programs and campus, visit www.umwestern.edu or call 877-683-7331.

Lindsey Branch, UMW Sports Information DILLON, Mont. –  The Montana Western head rodeo coach JT Robbins  announced the Bulldogs' 2024 spring rodeo schedule on Tuesday morning. This year's spring schedule includes five rodeos that will be spread across three weekends.  The first rodeo to kick off the season will be at Montana State University for the MSU Spring Rodeos #1 and #2 from April 11 through the 14. The weekend will see four days of rodeo action with four public performances. Tickets go on sale for the event on February 9th at 10:00am. Last year, the Bulldog men made the Brick Breeden home after they took the top finish in the second rodeo and had numerous Bulldogs take first place in various events. Following the weekend in Bozeman, the Bulldogs will travel out to Miles City, Mont. where they will compete in the Miles Community College Rodeos #1 and #2. The spring season will then culminate in the final rodeo that will be hosted by the University of Montana. This year's final rodeo will be held in Hamilton, Mont. at the Ravalli County Fairgrounds.  The 2024 College National Finals Rodeo will be held June 9-15 this year if there are Bulldogs that qualify. Last year, the Bulldogs sent five men to compete in the rodeo.

Lindsey Branch, UMW Sports Information AUSTIN, Texas –  The College Sports Communicators (CSC) released the Academic All-America teams Tuesday morning. Two Bulldogs earned their name on the 25-man list. Montana Western kicker  John Mears  was named First Team Academic All-America for the second time in his career. Tanner Harrell also earned First Team Academic All-American honors, a first in his career. Mears is the second athlete in Montana Western history to achieve a first team selection and the third to earn Academic All-America honors. Mears, a redshirt junior kicker from Belgrade, Mont., earned his second First Team Academic All-America honor in his career. This season, Mears was 49 for 51 on PATs. He was also 10 for 13 on field goals this season with a career long field goal of 50-yards made on the road at Arizona Christian. Mears was the second-highest scorer for the Bulldogs, accumulating a total of 79 points this season. Harrell, a redshirt senior defensive lineman from Shepherd, Mont., earned his spot on the list for the first time in his career. Harrell totaled 30 tackles this season, with eight tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. Harrell rewrote the record book after his career total of 41 tackles for loss (TFL) broke the Montana Western career TFL record. Harrell and Mears' honors add to the Montana Western total of five Bulldogs in school history who have been named First Team Academic All-American. The NAIA Academic All-America® program is financially supported by the NAIA national governance structure to assist the College Sports Communicators with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2023-24 NAIA Academic All-America® program.

From Carolyn Van Slyke We have five seniors who attended All Star Honor Choir at the University of Montana this weekend. Please congratulate on the honor of participating  when you see them today.  Hannah Carlisle Mary Huxtable Lacey Pape Ronnie Porter Audrey Zeren

The University of Montana Western is pleased to announce the speakers and schedule for “TEDx: University of Montana Western” to be held in the Beier Auditorium on Saturday, March 23, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. on the UMW campus in Dillon, Montana. 17 speakers will present during four sessions on a wide range of topics throughout the day. Session One: Rob Thomas, Ph.D.:   How to Inspire a Passion for Learning Erik Guzik, Ph.D.:   The Originality of Machines: A Discussion of the Striking Novelty of Generative AI Jarred Kvamme, MS:   Disentangling the Genome with Artificial Intelligence Spruce Shoenemann, Ph.D.:   What Will the Climate Be Like for Our Kids?  Session Two: Marybeth Wilson PT, DPT:  Why Pain is All in Your Head Amber Jordan:  Food Fight: The Hidden Impact of Food Rules on Workplace Culture Diana Pallin, MD:  Obesity Medicine is the Science of Hope Aleisha Shirley PT, DPT:  Solid in the Saddle: How science can make you a better horseback rider  Session Three: Kyra Wood, OTD:   Montana Female Veterans: Cultural Considerations Dev Seacrest, Ph.D.:   Building a Mathematical Community to Support All Learners Sophia Etier, MA:   Lost Montana: The Path from Remembrance to Inclusive Heritage Nathan Boll, MS, MA:   A Life Less Ordinary: Navigating Nontraditional Education Session Four: Callie Triller & Melissa Winger:   Building Your Own Village: The Story of the Early Childhood Coalition of Beaverhead County Katy Wright, MEd:   Lowering the Case For Reading: A Sound Approach Nathaniel Freeman, MFA:  “What’s Up with That Kid?” Trauma-Informed Pedagogy Yasmin Arlette Acosta-Myers, MS:   A Cultural Odyssey through Intercultural Experiential Education To view the full schedule of events and biographies for each speaker, please visit the TEDx: University of Montana Western website:  https://www.umwestern.edu/tedx-umw/ .  Members of the public are invited to attend, but participation is limited to 100 audience members. Those who wish to attend must enter an audience lottery by submitting an online application no later than Wednesday, February 7, 2024. The application is available at:  https://www.umwestern.edu/tedx-umw/attend/ . TEDx: University of Montana Western will provide a multidisciplinary forum for academic minds to gather and exchange ideas worth sharing. Speakers selected to present at TEDx University of Montana Western are directly connected to the local community or have topics that support Montana Western’s mission and values. The event showcases a diverse spectrum of academic perspectives while providing a venue for speakers to submit their research to the global TED network. For more information, please contact Lead Organizer and UMW Visiting Assistant Professor of Theatre, Stephen Alan Seder:  stephen.seder@umwestern.edu  or 406-683-7038.

Lindsey Branch, UMW Sports Information DILLON, Mont. – After helping Montana Western to a pair of wins this past week, Jordan Sweeney has been selected as this week's Erck Hotels Women's Basketball Player of the Week. Sweeney averaged a double-double of 17.5 points and 10 assists in wins at Montana Tech and at home versus Rocky Mountain. The senior guard shot 60 percent from the field and was 5 of 10 from beyond the arc while grabbing 6.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. In the win at Montana Tech, Sweeney finished with 19 points by shooting 8 of 12 from the field and adding seven assists. She followed with 16 points and 13 assists – the most by a Frontier player this season – in the win over Rocky. Sweeney earns the award for the first time this season despite leading the Frontier Conference in points per game with 19.6 and assists per game with 6.2. She also leads the Frontier in free throw percentage as she shoots 90.0 percent from charity stripe.

January 24th, 2024   7:15 P.M. SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA     PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE   1.          Discuss/Approve City vs County Lawsuit Settlement   2.         PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEMS OF SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC INTEREST NOT ON THE  AGENDA AND WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THE CITY 3.         ADJOURNMENT PLEASE NOTE : The City of Dillon understands that citizens have the right under the Montana Constitution to observe and participate in local governmental affairs by personally attending all public meetings of the Dillon City Council and other City boards and committees.  This meeting is open to the public as normal. 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 .  Please mute your mic until you desire to comment.  Any problems or questions, call City Hall at 683-4245.

Amelia Pflieger-Currey - 1st place dramatic solo and 1st place dramatic theatre Cayenne McCabe - 1st place humorous solo and 1st place dramatic theatre Alexie Navarrette - 2nd place dramatic solo Brooke Freeman - 2nd place dramatic theatre and 3rd place humorous theatre Ellamay Bellis - 2nd place dramatic theatre and 3rd place humorous theatre Emily Lopez - 2nd place dramatic theatre Kaycee Pilon - 3rd place dramatic solo Leah Kenealy - 6th place humorous solo Lexie Lopez - 2nd place dramatic theatre Lilla Guiberson - 7th place impromptu Every group contributed to our team win this weekend.  In order to win as a team, you need score enough in sweeps.  Points are totaled by place wins and how many participants you have in each event.  For example, 1st place scores 10 points, 2nd scores 8 points, 3rd scores 6 points, 4th scores 4 points, 5th scores 2 points and 6-8 score 1 point.  Extra points are given for having multiple participants in the same event.   The more events you have the greater the chance of scoring more points. There are 4 rounds at divisionals.  Each round is scored and the the top 8 move on to the final round.  The top 12 in each event advance to state.  There will be 24 competitors in each event at state.  The East side will bring some tough competition.  State is designed a bit differently.  It's a two-day event. There are 4 rounds on Friday and 3 rounds on Saturday.  It will be harder to advance but our team is solid, passionate and ready to bring home some more hardware. We had 8 entries in drama with multiple kids being double entered (in more than one event).  As you can see above, we placed high in all drama events.  We outscored Corvallis by 2 points.  They also had 8 entries in drama but did not place high enough to score more points.  Their coach did try and add a random entry in classical drama to earn some more points, which is a bit shady, but it didn't end up helping him. Corvallis has been the powerhouse in drama for a while now and it felt good to dethrone them. There were 13 teams in attendance with 161 competitors (179 entries in 17 events).