Over 450 competitors from 32 states participated in the 4-H Shooting Sports National Invitational held June 25-28 in Rapid City, SD. This is the second year Montana 4-H'ers competed in the event.

Montana teams were awarded first place overall in the air rifle and recurve archery classes and second place overall in the compound archery division, said Carolyn Nistler, 4-H shooting sports coordinator. Many Montanans placed as high-scoring individuals as well during the three-day event. Local winners include:

Josh Moore, Victor, second place individual

Randy Phillips, Stevensville, third place individual

Sam Schneider, Stevensville, fifth place individual

Andrew Loucks, Hamilton, seventh place individual

Alex Sorenson, Stevensville

4-H Shooting Sports is Montana's largest youth shooting program, offering projects in air rifle, air pistol, archery, hunting, muzzleloading and shotgun. Over 2,500 4-H'ers and 300 adult leaders currently participate in 4-H Shooting Sports throughout Montana. For more information about 4-H Shooting Sports in Montana, contact your local County Extension Office, or Carolyn Nistler, Coordinator, Montana 4-H Shooting Sports, (406) 994-5733; nistler@montana.edu.

Boylan appointed to Board of Medical Examiners

Governor Brian Schweitzer has appointed Patrick Boylan of Corvallis to the Board of Medical Examiners. Boylan is an engineer for GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals in Hamilton. He graduated from Johns Hopkins University in 1999 with a degree in biomedical engineering. He is a member of the State Forensic Science Advisory Council and served as a board member for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Bitterroot.

Ridgeway Pharmacy makes Entrepreneur Hot 500 list

Ridgeway Pharmacy Ltd., located in Victor, has made Entrepreneur Magazine's Hot 500 list of fastest-growing small businesses across the nation. 19 million businesses were initially evaluated, with only five percent of those meeting the criteria. Refining the list from 95,000 to 500, Ridgeway Pharmacy made the cut at 378.

"It is a tremendous honor to be recognized as one of the Hot 500 businesses in the nation," stated Ridgeway co-founder Jim Cloud. "Our dedication to progressive growth and technological advancement has facilitated our expansion over the last few years, and we are extremely proud to be acknowledged among such a select group of entrepreneurs."

Ridgeway Pharmacy was founded by Jim Cloud and Kyp Curtis in 1998 in Stevensville. First year sales came in at just under $300,000; however, by 2006 Ridgeway had expanded to four locations, employed 35 full time employees and exceeded 20 million in sales. Clients include Blue Cross Blue Shield, the Montana University System and the State of Montana.

A combination of progressive growth, outstanding sales volume and the direct involvement of both Cloud and Curtis caught the attention of Entrepreneur Magazine. Solid business savvy, integrated with a sound technological focus, propelled Ridgeway Pharmacy from a small town company to a nationally recognized leader within the health industry.

"Our goal is to double our sales growth over the next year, while maintaining our roots here in Montana," stated John Pearson, Ridgeway Director of Business Development. "Ridgeway has proven that location is irrelevant, and I hope other Montana businesses can derive a stronger sense of hope and determination from our experience."

Ridgeway Pharmacy is one of the largest independent drug dealers in the Northwest and has expanded into three lines of pharmaceutical services: mail order pharmacy, walk in pharmacy, and compound prescriptions pharmacy. The company has also grown in size, now employing over 35 people and serving customers across the state from its four locations in Victor, Hamilton, Corvallis, and Stevensville. For more information, visit www.ridgewayrx.com.

Entrepreneur Magazine's Hot 500 List hit newsstands August 1.

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