News

By Jeanette Hunter Winter sunrise takes a while to crawl down into icy Gibbons Pass, but the rising cacophony will assure you you’ve come to the right place. 2020 marks the thirteenth year for the Darby Dog Derby (DDD), hosted by the Bitterroot Mushers. Whatever the weather, it’s a magnificent backdrop for the 2-day gathering. […]

Ravalli County Commissioner Chris Hoffman announced last week that he does not intend to seek reelection in 2020. He said that, while it is not without some regret that he has decided not to seek a third term, it is the right time to begin the next chapter for himself and his family. Hoffman cited […]

The Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission denied a request from Stevensville resident Jim Crews to exclude hovercraft from the definition of a vessel and exempt hovercraft from the 20 mph limit on motorized craft on the Clark Fork and Bitterroot Rivers. The commission received the petition in October of 2019 and dismissed it at […]

Newly elected Stevensville Town Council member Bob Michalson was selected to serve as Council President at the January 9 Town Council meeting. Michalson served previously on the council and as president before resigning because of what he claimed were on-going illegal activities by Mayor Brandon Dewey. None of the legal complaints lodged with the Town […]

Four Ravalli County Deputy Attorneys have filed a suit in District Court against Ravalli County over unpaid wages. The attorneys allege that their Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) payments have been withheld illegally. They argue that they should have been receiving the same COLA increase as every other county employee who is not bound under […]

The Ravalli County Commissioners denied the request for an extension of the Preliminary Plat Approval granted to the Granstdale Addition major subdivision in 2011. One of the largest subdivisions ever approved by the county, the Grantsdale Addition proposed the creation of 181 lots on 67 acres at the intersection of Skalkaho Road and Grantsdale Cut-Off. […]

  There probably isn’t a ranch in the Bitterroot Valley that doesn’t have a squeeze chute in their corral system. Most were painted bright red. Built to handle cattle in an efficient and humane manner while doctoring, branding, pregnancy testing or artificially inseminating cattle, these red squeeze chutes could, and can, be found on almost […]

The Bitterroot Public Library in Hamilton is gathering petition signatures to place an additional three-mill levy on the June ballot. The request comes as the library seeks funding to support its operating expenses and allow it to continue serving a growing population in the Bitterroot Valley.  “The library board and I have not taken the […]

The Lone Rock School District Board seeks voter input on priorities for a proposed General Fund operations levy this spring. A Fact Sheet and Survey was mailed to Lone Rock District voters this week, with information about projects identified by the Board, seeking voter input. Completed survey forms need to be returned in the stamped […]

John Ellington is the Town of Stevensville’s newest police officer, having started work on December 17, 2019. Ellington is a veteran, having served in the U.S. Marine Corps infantry, serving in combat in Afghanistan. Following his five years in the Marines, Ellington attended Police Academy and then took a job as a County Sheriff’s Deputy […]

The Daly Hospital Foundation Board of Directors recently voted to disburse $500,000 from its investment earnings and targeted fundraising campaign to help Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital (MDMH) purchase a new DaVinci Robotics System for the Surgery Center.   Tom Grymes is the Treasurer for the Foundation with responsibilities to oversee the investment accounts. He said, […]

The Stevensville High School ‘We the People’  program is holding a community hearing on Thursday, January 9 at 6 p.m. in the Stevensville Multi-Purpose Choir Room. The program is in its third year and has now had over 45 students compete in this 30-year program sponsored by the Center for Civic Education. The purpose of […]