At the suggestion of Julie Foster, Director of the Ravalli County Economic Development Authority, the general manager of a successful manufacturing and shipping operation with facilities in the Victor area and in Hamilton, John Huffman, made a presentation to the Hamilton City Council about the difficulties involved in operating a growing business in the valley […]
Studying tick spit
Scientists explore tick salivary glands as tool to study virus transmission and infection Research into ticks in the Bitterroot valley began in earnest around 1900 when Dr. Howard Ricketts began looking into the causes of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. The Bitterroot is now home to one of the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases’ […]
Commissioners, Health Board address conflicts through MOU
The Ravalli County Board of Commissioners have adopted a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ravalli County Board of Health in an effort to delineate their respective responsibilities and duties. Both parties characterize the effort as an attempt to be proactive in addressing areas of conflict with respect to each other’s legal authorities according to […]
Stevensville town council tables bulk of agenda items
With Mayor Brandon Dewey out of town on business, Council President Bob Michalson got a chance to wield the gavel at last week’s Stevensville Town Council meeting. But the ambitious agenda, which included potentially rescinding or amending several resolutions already on the books, completely evaporated once Councilor Jerry Phillips questioned the legality of the process. […]
Lawsuit filed over decision to allow demolition of historic church
Ten property owners in the neighborhood of the St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, located at 411 South 5th Street in Hamilton, have filed a lawsuit challenging the decision by the City of Hamilton Board of Adjustments to grant several variances that would allow the demolition of the existing historic structure and its replacement with […]
Bonney receives national Wildfire Mitigation Award
Byron Bonney, Community Forester with Bitter Root Resource Conservation and Development, was recently named as a recipient of the 2019 Wildfire Mitigation Award (WMA). The award was established in 2014 by the National Association of State Foresters, National Fire Protection Association, USDA Forest Service and the International Association of Fire Chiefs, in response to the […]
County to loan BR Irrigation District $300k for dam repairs
Last week the Ravalli County Commissioners agreed to loan the Bitter Root Irrigation District (BRID) $300,000 to replace some ancient gate valves that serve to control the flow of water from Lake Como through the dam to the irrigators. BRID Manager John Crowley told the commissioners that the two 66-inch valves located at the base […]
DEQ targets Bitterroot for nonpoint pollution prevention funds
Shaun McGrath, the Director of the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, recently announced at the Montana Watershed Coordination Council’s annual conference in Helena that the Bitterroot River watershed had been targeted to receive the bulk of DEQ 319 project grant funding for the next two to three years. This funding, which the state receives under […]
Christensen remains out on bail pending appeal
After being convicted at a jury trial on November 20, 2017 on two counts of negligent homicide, eleven counts of criminal distribution of dangerous drugs and nine counts of criminal endangerment, former Florence doctor Chris Christensen remains free on bail as he pursues an appeal of his conviction in the case. State prosecutors object to […]
Bottom drops out of cardboard recycling
Volunteers at Ravalli County Recycling (RCR), a non-profit recycling center located on Highway 93 north of Hamilton, are still graciously accepting corrugated cardboard, compressing it and baling it for shipment, but it is not certain how long they will be able to continue. Chip Britting, a board member who serves as a liaison for the […]
Trial date set for Robbins Gulch Road lawsuit
A bench trial in Federal District Court in Missoula has been scheduled for March 16, 2020 in a lawsuit filed by two landowners along Robbins Gulch Road seeking to close the road to public traffic. The road is located east of Hwy 93 south of Conner Cutoff and accesses Forest Service land beyond the private […]
Amish community chooses Stevensville area
In the Stevensville area, particularly east of town, readers may have noticed the increased horse-drawn vehicle traffic. That’s just one of the signs of the growing number of Amish families moving into the area. Marcus Hostetler, who lives in the North Burnt Fork area, moved to the Bitterroot with his family in 2015 from St. […]