By Michael Howell The Ravalli County Commissioners have instituted a burn permit program that may take a load off the 911 emergency dispatch center. The online permit program may be accessed on the internet at www.burnpermit.mt.gov. Once registered a person may activate the permit on any day they decide to burn during the open burning […]
Archives for February 24, 2015
Landowner wants changes at Stevi river access site
By Michael Howell Owners of the Fort Owen Ranch near Stevensville, Roy and Lori Capp, have some liability and security concerns related to the river access site which is located on their property north of the Stevensville bridge. Accompanied by Senator Fred Thomas, the couple met last weekend with Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and […]
Stevensville celebrates graduation rate
Stevensville Schools held a Graduation Matters assembly for the entire K-12 student body last week to celebrate Stevensville’s increased rate of graduation and to get younger students to make a pledge to graduate. High School Principal Brian Gum, who heads the Graduation Matters team at Stevensville, thanked school board members, business partners, teachers and students […]
Woodside bike/pedestrian bridge: the final deal
The final glitch in the funding for the proposed Woodside bicycle/pedestrian bridge across the Bitterroot River at the Woodside crossing was resolved last week when the Ravalli County Commissioners approved using $6,000 in contingency funds to match $38,000 in Community Transportation Enhancement Program (CTEP) funds. The total project cost is estimated at $900,000. The commissioners […]
Temporary workers to be hired in county road department
By Michael Howell The Ravalli County Commissioners approved enough funding to pay for hiring four temporary workers in the Road and Bridge Department through the end of this fiscal year and expressed their aim to provide further funding for the FY 2016 budget to keep the temps working for the rest of the summer and […]
Tester pushes for reauthorization of Secure Rural Schools funding
Before the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) Act was introduced in 2000, rural counties and schools received 25% of the revenues generated from timber sales from national forests. When approved in 2000, the law allowed counties with federal timber lands to choose between the 25 percent payment they once received from federal timber receipts or an […]
Rewarding the rich while punishing the poor
By Brian Schweitzer, Former Governor of Montana, Georgetown Lake, Anaconda Recently, AFP (Americans For Prosperity) conducted a sham public meeting in Dillon to condemn extending healthcare coverage to people in Montana who make less than $16,000. AFP is bankrolled by the Koch Brothers. The money spent to provide this healthcare would come 100% from the […]
Big Sky Health is Montana answer for healthcare
We recently introduced our Big Sky Health package, which was developed over two years to address our state’s most serious healthcare concerns. Montanans have spoken loud and clear, for years, that they don’t want to accept overreaching federal healthcare programs like Obamacare. Instead, Montanans want a solution that works for our state’s unique population. Our […]
Re: Montana Health Care
Boy, was I excited when I read the headline in our local newspaper “Big Sky Health Plan is a Montana Answer.” Reading further, I found out that it’s a Republican proposal that will carefully utilize limited federal funds that have been previously wasted. This in contrast to those important disbursements needed to assist military budgets, […]
Punches start landing
Last week I said the atmosphere felt like two boxers circling each other… this week the blows started landing. Committee hearings, sometimes contentious, hallways filled with passionate folks ready to plead their views. Legislators looking somewhat ‘stunned’ and committee chairs trying to give everyone a few moments to testify. At 9:45pm the House Education committee […]
Mayor wants more authority
For the last few months a number of items have been placed on the Town Council Agenda. The common thread to most of the items is an increase in the Mayor’s authority and a reduction in the authority of the Town Council. Since the Mayor rarely states why any of the proposed changes are a […]
Commissioners headed where?
I had an epiphany – As the season of Easter approaches, those within the Christian realm will hear sermons and or at least think about life after death – what happens when physical existence ceases and where does the “soul” go – Heaven, Hell or ??? The seasons keep passing for us Bitterrooters and our […]