Senator Sam Kitzenberg Web Site

State of Montana Sexual and Violent Offender Web Site

March Obituaries

Mainwaring Review Hearing Postponed (Fri, Mar 29, 2002)

Final School Board Filings (Fri, Mar 29, 2002)

New Legislative Districts Carved For Northeast Montana (Thu, Mar 28, 2002)

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Veneman Announces Drought Disaster Declaration After Discussions with Governor Martz (Thu, Mar 28, 2002)

Panel Endorses Democratic Plans For Great Falls, Northern Montana (Thu, Mar 28, 2002)

Road Grader Going Wrong Direction Where School Bus Crash Occurred (Thu, Mar 28, 2002)

New Website Makes Soils Information Easily Accessible To Public (Wed, Mar 27, 2002)

Two Walk Away From Plane Crash (Wed, Mar 27, 2002)

Glasgow Man To Appear At Sentence Review Hearing (Tue, Mar 26, 2002)

Governor Issues Letter: Amtrak Service Vital To Montana’s Economy

School Bus Swerves To Avoid Grader, Goes In Ditch, Catches Fire (Tue, Mar 26, 2002)

Auditions Open For Movie That Will Be Filmed Partly in Glasgow (Tue, Mar 26, 2002)

Amtrak Ridership Drops (Tue, Mar 26, 2002)

AFL-CIO Releases Their Legislative Report (Fri, Mar 22, 2002)

Precinct Committeeman And Committeewoman Filings Complete (Fri, Mar 22, 2002)

Amtrak Resumes Freight Deliveries On Empire Builder To Hi-Line (Fri, Mar 22, 2002)

Missouri River Group Starts Funding Search To Combat Sedimentation (Fri, Mar 22, 2002)

Final Filings For Primary Election (Thu, Mar 21, 2002)

School Board Filing Deadline Is March 28 (Thu, Mar 21, 2002)

Education Report Card On Legislature Released (Thu, Mar 21, 2002)

Low Water Postpones Fort Peck Dam Test (Thu, Mar 21, 2002)

Commissioners Pass Resolution To Put Economic Funding On Ballot (Wed, Mar 20, 2002)

Long Run Fire Department Responds To Frazer Fire (Wed, Mar 20, 2002)

Border Patrol To Be Reinforced (Wed, Mar 20, 2002)

Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Deadline Is April 18 (Wed, Mar 20, 2002)

Sheriff's Department Arrests 4 (Tue, Mar 19, 2002)

Hatchery Groundbreaking Set For July 6th (Tue, Mar 19, 2002)

Fort Peck Reservoir Under New Management Plan (Mon, Mar 18, 2002)

No Injuries Reported In House Fire (Mon, Mar 18, 2002)

Governor Martz To Hold Capital For a Day in Circle (Mon, Mar 18, 2002)

Former Frazer Teacher Appears In District Court (Mon, Mar 18, 2002)

County Auctions Off Land (Sat, Mar 16, 2002)

School Retirements; Levy Elections Announced (Sat, Mar 16, 2002)

Hatchery Groundbreaking Ceremony Date Set (Fri, Mar 15, 2002)

Green Starts Early At Irle School (Fri, Mar 15, 2002)

Former Frazer Teacher Charged With Theft (Thu, Mar 14, 2002)

Long Run To Host Firefighting Course (Thu, Mar 14, 2002)

Spelling Bee Winners Announced (Thu, Mar 14, 2002)

Native American Census Stats Released (Wed, Mar 13, 2002)

Kitzenberg Among Legislative Members Wanting Special Session (Wed, Mar 13, 2002)

A & S Tribal Industries Announces Expansion (Wed, Mar 13, 2002)

Montana Fish, Wildlife And Parks Region 6 News - Spring (Tue, Mar 12, 2002)

7th Annual Glasgow Kiwanis Club Science Fair Results (Mon, Mar 11, 2002)

DNRC Eastern Land Office Manager Receives National Award (Mon, Mar 11, 2002)

Five Grain Cars Derail In Cut Bank (Mon, Mar 11, 2002)

Poplar Man Pleads Guilty In Strangling Case (Mon, Mar 11, 2002)

January Uneployment Statistics Released For Montana Counties (Sun, Mar 10, 2002)

Amtrak President Resigning; Congress Weighs Passenger Rail Future (Fri, Mar 8, 2002)

Montana Driver Of Tanker Carrying Asphalt Cited (Fri, Mar 8, 2002)

Baker Mayor, Veteran Broadcaster Kelly Coldwell Dead At 58 (Thu, Mar 7, 2002)

Longest Dam Run Expands To Include Triathlon (Wed, Mar 6, 2002)

Final Fort Peck Fisheries Management Plan Available (Wed, Mar 6, 2002)

School District Continues To Battle Declining Enrollment (Wed, Mar 6, 2002)

Fort Peck Fine Arts Council Holds Annual Meeting (Wed, Mar 6, 2002)

Cancellations (Tue, Mar 5, 2002)

Council Discusses Police Cars, Parking, Computers & Dry Prairie (Tue, Mar 5, 2002)

Denver Company Buys Oil & Gas Prperties In Williston Basin (Tue, Mar 5, 2002)

Froid Man Alleged To Have Traded Deer Tags For Fish (Mon, Mar 4, 2002)

Corps' Comment Period Ends With 55,000 Submitted (Sun, Mar 3, 2002)

Missouri River Country Funds Magazine Advertising In Cooperation With Malta Chamber Of Commerce (Sun, Mar 3, 2002)

Amtrack Discontinues Freight Shipments To East Glacier, Wolf Point (Fri, Mar 1, 2002)

Montana Fish, Wildlife And Parks Meeting Regarding 2002 Stocking And Management On Fort Peck Lake (Fri, Mar 1, 2002)

(Stan Ozark, KLTZ) Jonathan Mainwaring will not be appearing in District Court on Thursday for a sentence review hearing.

The hearing has been postponed until April 17th at 1:00pm.

Mainwaring's attorneys requested more time to work out the details of the sentence review hearing.

(Stan Ozark, KLTZ) The filing deadline has passed for those interested in filing for school board positions in Valley County.

School Board elections are set for May 7th. Here are the candidates for the respective school boards in Valley County.
Glasgow
Two-3 year terms available
Eric Grewe
Alec Adolphson
Mark Falcon
Jenny Jennings

One-1 year term available
Mike Dailey

Nashua
Two-3 year terms available
Carol Buichet
Mark Bengochea

Frazer
Two-3 year terms available
Rita Talks Different
Jewel Fourstar
Angie Toce
Phillip Fourstar
Steven Stump Sr.

One-2 year term available
Rosalie Smoker
Jo Beth Johnston

Opheim
Two-3 year terms available
Alice Redfield
Tim Stenglein

(Stan Ozark, KLTZ) The way northeast Montana is represented in the Montana Legislature will be significantly changed after the Montana Districting and Apportionment Commission adopted new lines for legislative districts in northern and eastern Montana.

Valley County will be split into three different house districts for the 2004 election. Currently the county is divided into two house districts and is represented by Jeff Pattison and Karl Waitchies.

With the new districts, the city of Glasgow will be put into a house district with Dodson, Malta and Saco in Phillips County. This new house district will also include Hinsdale and Opheim.

Fort Peck residents will be put in a sprawling new district that will stretch from Hill County all the way to Valley County. Fort Peck will join the entire Fort Belknap Indian Reservation to make this legislative district.

Nashua will be in a legislative district that will include Wolf Point, Poplar and Brockton on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation.

For a better idea how the area will be split up with the new redistricting here are the maps and descriptions of the new legislative lines.

http://leg.state.mt.us/Interim_Committees/Districting_and_Apportionment/WorkPlans/ne300region.jpg

http://leg.state.mt.us/Interim_Committees/Districting_and_Apportionment/WorkPlans/ne300glasgow.jpg

http://leg.state.mt.us/Interim_Committees/Districting_and_Apportionment/WorkPlans/ne300ftpeck.jpg

(Press Release) After extensive discussions with Governor Judy Martz, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman announced Thursday that she has signed an order to extend the 2001 statewide Natural Disaster Determination to include 2002, making low-interest loans and other assistance available to drought-stricken Montana farmers and ranchers.

"We've worked hard to show that the ongoing drought is having a critical impact on Montana producers, and we're pleased that Secretary Veneman has made this determination," Governor Martz says.

Governor Martz and Director Ralph Peck of the Montana Department of Agriculture met with Veneman during a stop by the Secretary in Bozeman. Among other topics, the three leaders discussed the Governor's request that the U.S. Department of Agriculture promptly approve county requests to allow haying and grazing on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands. They also discussed disaster relief provisions in the Farm Bill currently pending in Congress.

"Although some basins have received more snowfall than last year, the drought situation in Montana remains critical," Governor Martz says.

"At a Montana Drought Advisory Committee meeting last week, we learned that cattle numbers in the state have declined by between 250,000 and 400,000 head since early 2001. Many of these reductions are occurring because ranchers cannot find enough feed, or don't expect to have enough forage to maintain the size of their herds."

Allowing ranchers to graze animals and harvest hay from CRP lands would enable them to delay grazing on native grasslands, which are less susceptible to injury if they can be grazed later in the season, Peck notes.

Moisture is particularly short in north-central and central Montana, says Peck. In some basins in central Montana, watershed managers have reported that irrigators can expect to pay maintenance fees and electricity-demand changes even though they will receive no irrigation water this year.

Governor Martz and Director Peck also discussed with Secretary Veneman the need for continued federal marketing programs to help producers take advantage of markets overseas.

Secretary Veneman traveled to Bozeman to meet with staff members of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development office, which held regional meetings this week. Governor Martz had previously met with Secretary Veneman in Washington, D.C. in late February.

Governor Martz and Director Peck have worked with Montana's congressional delegation on drought issues, and have written letters to key members of the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives, who will decide whether to include disaster assistance provisions in the Farm Bill. The Senate version of the Farm Bill includes $2.4 billion in natural disaster assistance nationwide, while the House version contains none. A conference committee made up of lawmakers from both bodies is meeting to resolve differences in the bills. The committee has set early April as a target for a final vote on the measure.

At last week's drought advisory meeting, Lieutenant Governor Karl Ohs, who chairs the committee, urged county commissioners, watershed administrators, farmers, ranchers and others to write letters to the conference members, providing them with detailed information on the economic impacts of the three-year-long drought.

"Recently, several eastern states also have begun feeling the effects of a lack moisture," said Governor Martz. "Lawmakers from those states may be new allies in our efforts to gain national attention for the problems of drought, and to spur Congress to act on drought relief."

Panel Endorses Democratic Plans For Great Falls, Northern Montana (Thu, Mar 28, 2002)

(AP)The commission in charge of redrawing Montana's legislative districts has tentatively approved plans, backed by Democrats, for redrawing borders for Great Falls and northern Montana.

The five-member Districting and Apportionment Commission adopted the plans on a series of 3-to-2 votes, prompting criticism from its two Republican members. The plans endorsed yesterday greatly alter the districts in Great Falls and Cascade County, as well as Glasgow and Valley and Phillips County. They also create three new House districts designed to have a majority of Indian voters. The districts would take effect in 2004 and remain for 10 years.

Yesterday's meeting in Billings is the first time the panel has voted on actual district borders. It will hold future votes in May, June and September on the remaining regions of the state.

KLTZ/Mix-93 has obtained links to the redistricting maps, which you will find below:

http://leg.state.mt.us/Interim_Committees/Districting_and_Apportionment/WorkPlans/ne300region.jpg

http://leg.state.mt.us/Interim_Committees/Districting_and_Apportionment/WorkPlans/ne300glasgow.jpg

http://leg.state.mt.us/Interim_Committees/Districting_and_Apportionment/WorkPlans/ne300ftpeck.jpg

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

(AP) The Montana Highway Patrol says a Phillips County road grader plowing snow on a narrow, gravel road about ten miles south of Dodson was going the wrong way when it collided with a northbound Dodson school bus. Patrol Sergeant Mark Bosch says the southbound grader was on the wrong side of the road in a low, dense fog and did not have a flashing beacon, although the headlights were on.

The crash occurred about 7:30 Tuesday morning. Twenty students, all from southern Phillips County, were treated at the county hospital in Malta and four of those were later taken to Northern Montana Hospital in Havre. All of the students were released by last night.

Grader driver 61-year-old Jack Munsinger and 50-year-old bus driver Don Wilkes were treated and released from the Fort Belknap Health Center. The bus rolled after hitting the grader, which also rolled off the other side of the road. (Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

(Press Release) The Montana Natural Resource Information System (NRIS), in cooperation with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announces the availability of detailed NRCS soil survey data on a web site developed by the two groups.

The new website, at http://nris.state.mt.us/nrcs/soils, provides comprehensive links to data and data tools for people interested in using the NRCS Soil Survey Geographic and National Soil Information System data.

Visitors to the website can download mapping, data interpretation and reporting tools to utilize this detailed information.

"While this information has been gathered for decades, it was formerly not very accessible to the public. Now, by visiting this website, private landowners can easily access maps and reports to help them manage their lands," said Jim Hill, NRIS Director.

Historically, soil survey publications were printed documents with limited distribution due to costs associated with preparation and publication. More recently, due to coordinated national efforts, the NRCS has made significant progress in developing electronic data organization and access methods to encourage more widespread use of this valuable information.

Soil maps can be used to determine the suitability and potential of soils in a given location for specific uses and can also be used to plan the management needed for those uses. The Montana Natural Resource Information System (NRIS) was established seventeen years ago by the Legislature. NRIS, a division of the State Library, acts as a clearinghouse for natural resource information.

For more information about the soil survey website, contact Hill at (406) 444-5355, or Catherine Maynard, NRCS Resource Analyst at (406) 444-4546.

(Stan Ozark, KLTZ) Two men walked away from a fiery airplane crash in northern McCone County Monday morning according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

A Glasgow man and a man from Glendive were hunting coyotes Monday morning when a shotgun malfunctioned in the airplane and dishcharged an unknown number of times into the right wing of the aircraft. The shots caused enough damage that the aircraft became uncontrollable and the pilot was forced to crash land.

The NTSB and the FAA are investigating the accident but have said the crash was not pilot error.

The aircraft burned completely but the NTSB is not sure whether the plane caught fire in the air or on the ground.

Both men were taken to the hospital in Glasgow with minor injuries.

(Stan Ozark, KLTZ) Jonathon Mainwaring will be appearing in State District Court on Friday for a sentence review hearing.

Mainwaring currently is incarcerated at the Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge serving a sentence on the conviction of mitigated deliberate homicide in the beating death of Glasgow resident Randy DeTienne.

His attorneys have requested the sentence review because it is their belief that Mainwaring has completed all of the treatment plans and programming conditions imposed by the sentence. According to the court documents, Mainwaring has also maintained clear conduct while incarcerated at the Montana State Prison.

Mainwaring was sentenced in April of 2000 to 30 years with the Montana Department of Corrections with 20 of those years suspended. Judge John McKeon had also made a strong recommendation that Mainwaring not be placed in the state prison.

Department of Corrections officials ignored the Judge's recommendations and placed Mainwaring in Deer Lodge.

In October of 2001 at a parole hearing the Montana Board of Pardons and Parole recommended that Mainwaring be placed in a pre-release center. But again the Department of Corrections disagreed with that recommendation and continued to incarcerate Mainwaring at Deer Lodge.

Mainwaring has been incarcerated at the Montana State Prison since October of 2000.

The sentence review hearing is set for 10am on Friday in the courtroom of the Valley County Courthouse.

(Press Release) Recently, Amtrak announced that the company would be cutting baggage check and shipping services on its Empire Builder Route in East Glacier and Wolf Point. As a vital connection to many points along the Hi-Line, Northern Montana and beyond, this decision will have a profound effect not only on the local economies of these two cities but across the state as well.

I have recently written to Mr. George Warrington, President of Amtrak, urging the company to reconsider this decision. In my letter I noted that “In an already depressed area of the country, Amtrak is cutting part of the ‘life line’ to the rest of the world. Many residents in these two Montana cities derive their business, leisure and social interaction from the benefits that Amtrak provides, and this deals a serious blow to a part of Montana that is already suffering.”

Small and large businesses alike will, and have already begun to feel, the affects that this reduced service has caused. Entire communities feel the effects if these cutbacks and economic development is stagnate.

In a letter to Montana’s congressional delegation, I encouraged Senator Burns, Senator Baucus and Congressman Rehberg to work with Amtrak to find a better solution. “You are well aware of the difficulty and economic hardship that this will cause our residents of Northern Montana, and the effect on Glacier Park tourism by eliminating service to Whitefish and East Glacier. This could mean a loss of over $8.6 million to Montana in Amtrak employee salaries and tourism along. This does not take into account other business and personal traffic that is conducted on this route by and for Montanans.”

Efficient and timely transportation of goods and services is vital to economic development. The elimination of services by Amtrak will cause tremendous strain on the State of Montana’s efforts to assist communities in their local economic development initiatives, and I urge Amtrak - working with Montana’s congressional delegation - to reconsider this decision.

JUDY MARTZ GOVERNOR

Attached Letters
March 4, 2002
Mr. George D. Warrington, President Amtrak National Railroad Passenger Corporation 60 Massachusetts Ave, NE Washington, DC 20002

Dear Mr. Warrington:

It is with great dismay that I learned of Amtrak’s intentions of cutting baggage check and shipping service on its Empire Builder Route in East Glacier and Wolf Point, Montana. In an already depressed area of the country, Amtrak is cutting part of a “life line” to the rest of the world.

Many residents in these two Montana cities derive their business, leisure, and social interaction
from the benefits that Amtrak provides, and this deals a serious blow to a part of Montana that is already suffering.

I strongly urge that you reassess your decision to cut service to these cities. Please feel free to contact me or my staff if you have any questions, or if you would like to discuss this further.
Sincerely,

JUDY MARTZ Governor
Montana Congressional DelegationMarch 7, 2002
The Honorable Dennis Rehberg
U.S. House of Representatives
The Honorable Conrad Burns United States Senate
The Honorable Max Baucus United States Senate

Dear Max, Conrad, and Denny:
The recent announcement of the Administration budget contains less than the $1.2 billion needed for Amtrak next year. Because of this, Amtrak says that they will be forced to eliminate many long routes, possibly including the last interstate rail service along the Hi-Line in Montana known as the Empire Builder.

You are well aware of the difficulty and economic hardship that this will cause our residents of Northern Montana, and the effect on Glacier Park tourism by eliminating service to Whitefish and East Glacier. This could mean a loss of over $8.6 million to Montana in Amtrak employee salaries and tourism alone. This does not take into account other business and personal traffic that is conducted on this route by and for Montanans.

Because of this, I am asking that you work to ensure that the Amtrak route across Northern Montana is not eliminated, and that service is continued.
If you have any questions, please contact my office.

Sincerely,

JUDY MARTZ Governor

School Bus Swerves To Avoid Grader, Goes In Ditch, Catches Fire (Tue, Mar 26, 2002)

(AP) In north-central Montana a Dodson school bus went in the ditch, overturned and its engine caught fire this morning. This was after the bus swerved, trying to avoid colliding with a road grader that was plowing snow.

A Highway Patrol officer says the two did collide, and the grader also went in the ditch, on the opposite side of the road. It happened about 7:40 this morning on a gravel road south of Dodson.

Twenty-one children were on the bus, heading to school at Dodson. All 21 were taken to a Malta hospital, but Dodson School Superintendent Dollyann Willcutt says none of the injuries appear to be serious. The bus driver and the grader operator were also taken to the hospital for observation.

Students on the bus ranged in age from elementary through high school. Willcutt says older children helped younger kids get out of the bus. (Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

(AP) If you want your kid to be in the movies, here's an opportunity.

There's a casting call to play a leading role in a movie that will be filmed in Great Falls and surrounding areas. Called "North Fork," it's a story set in Montana in the 1950's. A Bozeman casting director -- Tina Buckingham -- is looking for a boy or twins, ages seven to ten, for the movie.

Auditions for the part of the orphan boy will be held Wednesday in Great Falls. To set up an appointment, call Tina at 586-9758. Filming in Great Falls and Glasgow is scheduled for the end of April. (Copyright 2002 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

(AP) Passenger travel on Amtrak's Empire Builder dropped sharply across Montana last year.

Amtrak has 12 stations across Montana's northern tier, and the state Transportation Deparment says tey had fewer than 118,000 boardings and de-boardings in 2001. That was down 13 percent from the previous year and is the lowest annual figure since 1997. Seven stations hit five-year lows.

Amtrak said in February that it would eliminate 18 long-distance routes - including the Empire Builder - unless Congress provides 1.2 billion dollars for fiscal 2003.

Meanwhile, a group is coordinating a fight to save Amtrak passenger service in North Dakota.

Two years ago, Ramsey County Commissioner Joe Belford put together a group to keep Amtrak from rerouting its Empire Builder passenger train around northeastern North Dakota because of flooding. Officials got together enough money and interest to keep the track open.

Belford is making a similar effort now, to keep Amtrak from closing down the Empire Builder. He says he hopes to get other states involved. He plans to collect resolutions from communities around the state and forward them to the governor's office and to Congress. (Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

(Stan Ozark, KLTZ) The Montana AFL-CIO has released their final report on the 2001 Legislative Session.

After every legislative session the union prepares a scorecard on how every legislator voted on certain issues in that legislative session.

Here are their rankings for legislators from Valley County:
State Senator Sam Kitzenberg- 70%
State RepresentativeJeff Pattison- 9%
State Representative Karl Waitsches- 9%

(Stan Ozark, KLTZ) The Republican and Democratic parties have completed their filings for precinct committeeman and committeewoman posts in Valley County.

These positions are mostly ceremonial and involve little or no work.
Here are the Republican filings:
Precinct #1-Becky Erickson and Charles Wilson
Precinct #2-Lloyd Eide and Ione Brownson
Precinct #3-Erin Glennie
Precinct #4-Darin Johnson
Precinct#7- William Silver
 
Here are the Democratic filings:
Precinct #3-Stan Ozark and Virginia Bortas
Precinct #4-Art Buen and Pat Hill
Precinct #8-Jerry Arnold

(AP) Amtrak's Empire Builder has resumed freight deliveries to Hi-Line businesses, after a monthlong suspension.     

Amtrak says it has resumed the service on a case-by-case basis, after pressure from Hi-Line businesses, shippers and Senator Max Baucus.     

Flower shops in Malta, Glasgow and Wolf Point rely on the Empire Builder for a daily supply of fresh flowers. Since deliveries were suspended, many businesses have had to drive long distances each day to resupply.     

However, the long-term future of the rail line is still uncertain. Amtrak says it will abandon the line on October First, unless it receives one billion dollars of federal money for its budget. Amtrak says official notices will be posted at Hi-Line stations next week, six months before the service may close. (Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

(AP)The next job for a new Missouri River group is to get federal funding to alleviate sedimentation along the river. About ten million dollars a year for five years has been authorized for South Dakota to improve the river.     

But Howard Paul of the Missouri River Sedimentation Action Coalition says there's a big difference between authorization and appropriation. He says the coalition needs a full-time staff person who could lobby on the federal level.     

Paul says the group needs to persuade Congress that sedimentation is a problem. (Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)     

(Stan Ozark, KLTZ) Thursday was the deadline for filing for political office in Valley County. There will be several contested races in the June 4th primary election along with some interesting races shaping up for the November General Election.

Political Filings for Valley County

Montana Legislature House District #95
R-Jeff Pattison
D-Burt Johnston

Montana Legislature House District #96
R-Karl Waitchies
D-Ron Gilbertson

Valley County Commissioner
R-Don Fast
R-Ron Reddig
D-Duane Sibley
D-Gene Hartsock
D-Dave Pippin

Valley County/Sheriff Coroner
R-Glenn Meier
R-Jayni Anderson
D-Dave Watson
D-Vernon Buerkle

Valley County Treasurer
D-Jenny Reinhardt

Valley County Clerk and Recorder
D-Lynn Nyquist
D-Edith Scott

Valley County Attorney
R-Ken Oster

Valley County Administrator
D-Stan Ozark
D-William Murch
R-Darin Johnson

Valley County Justice of the Peace
NP-Linda Mogan Hartsock

(Stan Ozark, KLTZ) The filing deadline is approaching for school board elections throughout Valley County.

The Glasgow School District has three openings on the board and three candidates. Alec Adolphson and Mark Falcon have filed for the two-3 year terms available and Mike Dailey has filed for a 1-year term.

The Nashua School District has two-3 year terms open and as of Thursday Mark Bengochea was the only candidate to file. Bengochea is an incumbent on the board.

Hinsdale has two-3 year terms available and Joe See and Sharon Swanson have filed for those seats on the school board in Hinsdale.

In Opheim there are two-3 year terms open and the two incumbents have both filed for re-election, Alice Redfield and Tim Stenglein.

In the Frazer School District there are two candidates for the one-2 year term available, Rita Talks Different and Rosalie Smoker. There are two-3 year terms available and the two candidates are Jewel Fourstar and Phillip Fourstar.

The filing deadline is Thursday, March 28th.

(Stan Ozark, KLTZ ) The Montana Education Association and the Montana Federation of Teachers have released their report card from the 2001 Montana Legislature.

The report analyzes the votes of all 150 legislators on education issues from the last legislative session.

Republican State Senator Sam Kitzenberg received a 100% ranking from the MEA/MFT for his votes on education issues. Kitzenberg is one 8 Senators to receive a perfect rating from the teachers group. Kitzenberg is a member of the MEA/MFT and teaches at the Glasgow High School.

The other members of the local legislative delegation didn't fare as well in the rankings from the teachers union.

State Representative Karl Waitschies a Republican from Peerless received a 19% score from the group while Representative Jeff Pattison received a 10% score. Only one other legislator received a lower score than Pattison.

(AP) For the second year in a row, low water is causing postponement of a test to measure combined flows of the powerhouses and spillways at Fort Peck Dam. The U-S Army Corps of Engineers says the snowpack's unlikely to provide the runoff needed to raise Fort Peck Lake high enough for the testing.

The tests are part of a U-S Fish and Wildlife Service proposal to modify water levels on the entire Missouri River. The service says the change is needed to help three endangered species. They are the least tern and the piping plover, both shore birds, and a fish, the pallid sturgeon. (Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

(Stan Ozark, KLTZ) The Valley County Commissioners have passed a resolution that will put a ballot measure on the June 4th primary election ballot which would provide funding for economic development in Valley County.

The Two Rivers Growth Econonomic Development compiled 250 signatures of Valley County voters indicating their desire for this mill levy election.

If passed by the voters of Valley County this measure would provide for $52,390 for economic development. The commissioners would then contract out with a development group to conduct the legwork on economic development.

This measure will affect all voters in Valley County and if passed would go on your November tax statements.

Long Run Fire Department Responds To Frazer Fire (Wed, Mar 20, 2002)

(Tip from Mike Boyer) Long Run Fire Department was called to a fire in Frazer Tuesday around 11:00am.

A shop building was completely destroyed but no injuries were reported. The building was located on the corner on Main Street in Frazer.

The Frazer Fire Department responded with one truck and 3 firefighters, and Long Run responded with 2 trucks and 4 firefighters.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

(AP) The U-S Border Patrol says the Spokane sector -- which includes northwestern Montana -- will have 40 additional agents by the end of September. Nine of the new agents will be assigned to the Border Patrol station at Eureka. The Eureka and Whitefish Border Patrol stations patrol about 90 miles of international border, from the Idaho state line to the Continental Divide.

Congress has authorized an additional 245 agents along the U-S-Canadian border. Agents will be drawn from elsewhere in the United States to fill the 40 positions in the Spokane sector.

The Border Patrol says it's hiring about two-thousand new agents this year. All new agents begin on the U-S border with Mexico. As they gain experience, they have the opportunity to bid for positions throughout the United States. (Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

(FSA Press Release) The Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) was published in the Federal Register on March 19, 2002. This will close the sign up for application of coverage for all crops for 2002 in 30 days. The deadline is April 18, 2002.

NAP is an ongoing program that provides financial assistance to producers for non insurable crop losses and prevented planting as a result of natural disasters.

The Farm Service Agency will be taking NAP applications for the 2002 crop year for perennial, annual and fall seeded crops until April 18, 2002. Eligible acreage for NAP would include crops for which catastrophic federal crop insurance is not available. Examples of NAP crops would include grasses, winter rye and annually seeded crops such as barley hay, oats hay and mustard.

Effective for the 2002 and succeeding crop years, the exclusion of unseeded forage on State and Federal Lands as an eligible crop has been removed.

NAP assistance will be provided to individual producers without any requirement of an area loss. A service fee of $100 per crop will be required, not to exceed $300 per county to be eligible for payment.

Production for the 2001 crop year for eligible acreage must be reported by July 15, 2002, to be eligible for payment. This applies especially to producers who have applications on file or plan to apply for the 2002 crop year NAP program.

If you have any questions, please contact the Valley County Farm Service Agency at 228-4321.

(Stan Ozark, KLTZ) The Valley County Sheriffs Department is reporting that on March 12, at approximately 9:00pm, a traffic stop of two vehicles, one in Glasgow on Highway 2 East, the other approximately, one mile west of Glasgow, resulted in the seizure of two vehicles, currency , and suspected illegal narcotics.

The incident resulted in the arrest of four individuals. Arrested were:

35 year old Theresa Walker of Harlem, Montana. Walker was charged with Criminal Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, a misdemeanor; Criminal Possession of dangerous Drugs, a felony; Criminal Possession of Dangerous Drugs with Intent to Distribute, a felony.

62 year old Newton Cantrell of Wolf Point, Montana. Newton Cantrell was charged with Conspiracy to Possession of Dangerous Drugs With Intent to Distribute.

56 year old Donna Cantrell of Poplar, Montana. Donna Cantrell was charged with Conspiracy to Possession of Dangerous Drugs With Intent to Distribute.

The investigation was conducted by the Valley County Sheriff's Office and the Big Muddy River Drug Task Force with assistance from several other law enforcement entities in northeast Montana.

(Stan Ozark,KLTZ) The groundbreaking date has been set for the Fort Peck Warm Water Fish Hatchery. The United States Army Corps of Engineers told Kltz/Klan that July 6th at 2pm the groundbreaking ceremony will take place.

Montana's entire congressional delegation has committed to attend including Senator Max Baucus, Senator Conrad Burns and Congressman Denny Rehberg. Other dignitaries that will be asked to speak include Governor Martz, the Director of the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks and State Senator Sam Kitzenberg.

The $20 million dollar hatchery was authorized by the 2001 Montana Legislature and is being funded by the federal government.

The hatchery is scheduled to be completed in 2005 and survey work has already been completed on the site of the hatchery next to the dredge cuts at Fort Peck Lake.

(Stan Ozark, KLTZ) Fort Peck Reservoir has a new and more aggressive fisheries management plan in place to guide Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks over the next 10 years.

Personnel from the department have worked a year and a half putting the plan together. This involved meetings, public input, writing and rewriting before the final plan was signed by the department director last month.

The new plan focuses on walleye, with the majority of the public requesting that this species be the primary management objective.

Rather than the current minimum of 1.5 million walleye fingerling stocked annually, the minimum number would increase to 2 million until the new Fort Peck Fish Hatchery is on line in 2005. Bill Wiedenheft the regional fisheries manager in Glasgow told Kltz/Klan that FWP will go out of state to find more walleye fingerlings until the new hatchery is ready to produce. The current hatchery system can produce only 2 million fingerlings so the department will have to rely on North Dakota and South Dakota for additional walleye fingerlings.

Wiedenheft did say though that to make sure the lake isn't overstocked with walleye, biologists plan to continue to monitor the overall size of the fish and their condition.

Local anglers recently have been upset over the poor fishing conditions at Fort Peck and have complained that the department isn't doing enough to stock the lake with walleye. The local Walleye's Unlimited Chapter released catch rates for several walleye tournaments this past year that show anglers catching only one walleye every 14 hours in one tournament while another tournament showed a walleye being caught every 13 hours.

This new management plan calls for working toward a catch rate of 0.5 walleyes per man/hour of fishing for walleyes caught.

The new management plan also calls for annual public updates on the status of the Fort Peck fishery. That public meeting is scheduled from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 23, at the Vets Club in Glasgow.

(Stan Ozark, KLTZ) The Glasgow Fire Department responded to a house fire Monday morning at 4am. According to Fire Chief Ed Stein 2 trucks responded to the fire on 3rd Avenue South at a home owned by Gary Diesen.

Stein told Kltz/Klan that the cause of the fire was electrical and the ensuing fire damaged most of the basement and came very close to moving to the upstairs portion of the home. He also said there was plenty of smoke damage to the home.

There were no injuries reported and the Fire Department had the trucks back at the fire hall at 7am.

(State of Montana Press Release) Governor Judy Martz has announced that her seventh Capital For a Day will be held in Circle on March 20, 2002. As a part of this event, Governor Martz will proclaim Circle as the Official Capital for the State of Montana.

“We are excited about traveling to McCone County to address local ideas, issues and concerns,” said Governor Martz, “We have an incredible opportunity in this state to bring government to individual communities. This not only helps the residents of Circle, but it also helps us to gain information about local community issues. This is especially true when we travel to Eastern Montana.”

As a part of the day’s activities, the Governor will travel to the local school, and will meet with area businesses.
Lieutenant Governor Ohs and members of the Governor’s cabinet will also participate in the program throughout the day, so that constituents who have concerns or issues to raise with regard to a particular agency will have time to discuss their problems one-on-one.

“We have been pleased with the success of this event in our past sites of Laurel, Hamilton, Sidney, Havre, Roundup, and Townsend,” Governor Martz said. “Montana is such a diverse state, and we need to understand the impacts of the decisions we make in Helena at every level and in every community.”

The public is encouraged to participate in Circle’s Capital For a Day activities.

Schedule AttachedTentative Schedule
Circle Capitol For a Day
March 20, 2002
10:30 a.m.
Welcome and Opening
Coffee and donuts with the public at Schmidt’s Banquet Room

11:00 a.m.
Citizens meet with cabinet members for individual issues
Schmidt’s Banquet Room
School Visit
Governor Judy Martz
Noon
Lunch
Schmidt’s Banquet Room
1:30 p.m.
Meeting with elected officials to discuss local issues
Schmidt’s Banquet Room
2:30 p.m.
Business Visits
Governor Martz, Lieutenant Governor Ohs and Cabinet
3:30 p.m.
Plane Departs

(Stan Ozark, KLTZ) Former Frazer teacher Shane Kennedy made his initial appearance in District Court today on charges of felony theft and felony forgery.

Kennedy appeared without an attorney and told Judge John McKeon that he had no money to hire one. McKeon appointed a public defender to represent Kennedy.

Kennedy is being charged with the theft of over $15,000 in funds from the Frazer High School Extracurricular/Activity over a period ranging from October of 2000 to January of 2002.

He resigned from his teaching job in January and has admitted to the crimes. Kennedy told Kltz/Klan that he plans to plead guilty when he next appears in court on March 29th.

Kennedy was released on his own recognizance and will continue to live in Wolf Point where he works for Will's Office World.

(Stan Ozark, KLTZ) Valley County auctioned some of its grazing land in the lobby ofthe courthouse Wednesday morning. Six parces were sold, all on a single bid of the minimum price, to the ranchers whohad been leasing the land from the county.

The commissioners have made it a policy to get out of the land owning business and plan to have all county owned land sold in the next 10 years.

A total of 1,980 acres of land were sold for $86,065, which averages to a price of $43.48 per acre.

(Stan Ozark, KLTZ) The Glasgow School Board met in regular session on March 13th and accepted the retirements of three long-time educators.

Irle School Principal Dennis Idler along with Middle School teacher Charlie Plant and 5th grade teacher Curt Brayko have all accepted the retirement incentive package offered by the school district. Idler will be retiring after 37 years, Plant with 39 and Brayko with 25 years.

The school board also passed resolutions which will have the school district put two levy elections on the May 7th ballot. The board will be asking district voters to pass a $68,000 technology depreciation levy along with a $39,000 general fund levy.

The Glasgow school enrollment will be down 47 students next year which means a funding shortfall of $250,083. If the district voters pass the two levys the board will find it easier to balance the school budget next year. At Wednesday's meeting the board discussed using some of the general fund levy funds for infrastructure improvements at the three school buildings.

(Stan Ozark, KLTZ) The groundbreaking date has been set for the Fort Peck Warm Water Fish Hatchery. According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the groundbreaking will occur at 2p.m. on Saturday, July 6th.

We'll have more to report on this story next week.

(Tim Phillips, KLTZ) At Irle School in Glasgow this past week, students were encouraged to read as much as they could. For every 5 minutes of reading, students would receive a segment: of an extremely long green reading worm! The goal was to have the worm (part of which is pictured above Mr. Idler) reach from Mrs. Pehlke's kindergarten room down the halls to the lunch room. If students could do that, then Mr. Idler offered to die his hair green. The kids put in extra effort and surpassed the goal easily; Mr. Idler not only died his hair green, he had a green mustache too! (Unless they had green milk for lunch on Friday.) Click on the picture to the left for a larger view.

Dennis Idler, principal at Irle School, celebating the end of Reading Week and the beginning of St. Patty's Day weekend.

Kennedy, who was the manager of the Extracurricular/Activity fund account is charged with failing to deposit funds into the account and for using those funds for his own purpose. He is also charged with altering two checks belonging to the school by naming himself as payee.

According to court documents Kennedy admitted to the Frazer School Board Chairman on January 9, 2002 that he had taken $13,000 from the activity fund. He had been in charge of the fund since January of 2000. Kennedy also admitted to taking approximately $4,000 in receipts from the pop machine fund which were intended for the Student Council.

He has admitted to a gambling problem and stated that as the reason for the embezzlement.

Kennedy resigned from his teaching position in January of 2002.

He makes his initial appearance in District Court on March 18th. If convicted of both charges Kennedy could face up to 30 years in prison and a fine of $100,000.

(Press Release) The Valley County Long Run Fire Department will host the second of two wildland firefighting courses presented by the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation this weekend at the Long-Run Fire Hall in Glasgow.

The two-day Intermediate Wildland class will be held on Saturday and Sunday, March 16th and 17th.

The class is open to all area firefighters who have completed the prerequisite Basic Wildland Class. The Intermediate course stresses firefighter safety and rural fire scene management.

(Press Release) A total of 49 kids competed in the Valley County Spelling Bee held Tuesday in Opheim. The winners included Jesse Lawson of Glasgow (8th grade, 1st place), John Big Leggins of Frazer (8th grade, 2nd place), Mark Molvig of Glasgow (8th grade, 3rd place). Jesse will now go on to the State Spelling Bee in Billings on April 6th.

(Helena-AP) The American Indian population in Montana is much younger than the rest of the state, less prone to be married and live in larger households that are more likely to be headed by a single parent.

That's the latest word from the U-S Census Bureau. Experts say the Indian emphasis on children and dependence on relatives produce the bigger households, but poverty on Montana's reservations tear marriages apart. Richard Sattler, who teaches Native American

Studies at the University of Montana say poverty underlies many of the statistics. A state welfare official says Indians make up just seven percent of Montana's population, but they represent 42 percent of the state's welfare cases.

Walter Fleming, who teaches Native American studies at Montana State University-Bozeman, says single-parent households among Indians are not the same as among non-Indians. He says Indians have a strong support system created by extended families, and children may be considered members of three or four households. (Copyright 2002 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

(Helena-AP) Three state senators who want a special legislative session to fix funding shortages in the state health department have promised to vote against any tax increase if other legislators will endorse the special session.

The pledge came this weekend in a letter from Senators John Cobb of Augusta, a Republican; and two Democrats, Mignon Waterman of Helena, and Mike Halligan of Missoula. They said all they want from the special session is four-point-one million dollars in state money, plus a transfer of one-point-nine million in federal funds. They say that's how much is needed to keep health care, child support enforcement and welfare programs operating at their current level.

The state Department of Public Health and Human Services has been hit with a series of unexpected cost increases and budget shortfalls since the 2001 Legislature adjourned.

If the Legislature is to call itself into a special session, 76 members - one more than half of the 150 - must vote in favor. So far, 31 have voted in favor, and 42 - all Republicans - have Bohlinger of Billings and Sam Kitzenberg of Glasgow - have joined 28 Democrats in voting in favor. (Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

A & S Tribal Industries Announces Expansion (Wed, Mar 13, 2002)

(Press Release) The Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes announced today a major expansion of their tribal owned metal fabrication plant by purchasing almost $500,000.00 in new equipment that will enable the company to manufacture component parts for the public and private sectors.

"This is a huge deal for us," said Leonard J. Smith, Chief Executive Officer of the company. "Purchasing and installing the CNC Lathe and CNC Mill equipment enables us to diversify our capabilities into machining metal components." Smith said with the new capabilities and competitive machining rates they can maximize the use of the new equipment 24 hours a day. "We are located in a HUB Zone, providing us with government set-aside opportunities as well as a huge private sector market," said Smith.

The expansion is welcome news on the Fort Peck Reservation where unemployment averages 50 percent. "Without local and national corporations working with us, we would not have been able to leverage the federal funds to buy the equipment," continued Smith. "Burlington Northern Santa Fe Foundation, Valley Electric Cooperative, Nemont Telephone Cooperative and MDU Resources Foundation awarded us private sector matching funds that secured over $400,000.00 in U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration funding."

Richard A. Russack, President of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Foundation, said he is pleased about the new business possibilities for the Fort Peck Reservation. "We are always interested in ways we can help jump start rural-based economies" said Russack. "Our railroad moves goods for customers in and out of northeastern Montana and we are supportive of business development that will create good paying jobs for people living in those communities."

John Rogers, Montana director for the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration said the program used by the Assiniboine and Sioux tribes is available to all businesses in the state. "The bottom line with these funds is that they are used to create new jobs in Montana and industry must be an active partner in contributing non-federal funds toward the project. We have worked with the Tribes in supporting business, lending and industrial projects across the state and our commitment is stronger than ever."

A&S Tribal Industries employed approximately 140 workers during the past year. "The catalyst for this expansion was the willingness of government and industry to come together to benefit a rural economy, said Smith, "and without that cooperation this project would have been much harder to achieve."

(FWP Press Release)
WILDLIFE DIVISON
Glasgow
The Status of Sage Grouse in Region 6
Several members of Montana’s 25 member Sage Grouse Technical Committee (SGTC) have expressed concern about the status of sage grouse in our state. Six comments were received during three Region 6 Hearings (Havre, Malta & Glasgow) held in January to gather public input on the 2002 tentative seasons. Two people were in favor of restricting the sage grouse bag limit, two people were in favor of further restricting the sage grouse season, one wanted to leave the bag limit as is and one did not want the current season changed. It was apparent the concern of most SGTC and hearing respondents were the petitions to list sage grouse as threatened and endangered (T&E), not the health of sage grouse populations in Montana. The fear was the impact a T&E listing would have on public grazing privileges and private property rights. They wanted to further restrict hunting to placate the petitioning interests, and to show the US Fish & Wildlife Service that something was being done.

Sage grouse are not threatened or endangered in Region 6. Sage grouse have been surveyed in spring on 10 leks on the Brazil Creek Block Survey Area in south Valley County since 1989. Total numbers of males counted in spring 2001 were the highest ever (280) during this 13-year period, and were 33 % above the long-term average (210).

In the past three years an intensive campaign has been undertaken to locate all sage grouse leks in Region 6. This effort has involved all regional enforcement and wildlife field people. Bureau of Land Management, Department of Natural Resources & Conservation and Fort Belknap Indian Reservation personnel also assisted. About 50 % of the sage grouse habitat has been searched. A total of 128 leks averaging 29 males each have been located in McCone, Valley, Phillips and Blaine Counties.

Studies have indicated for every breeding male on leks two females will be nesting. In Montana, nest success runs about 65 % and brood sizes average 2.5 chicks by the end of August. These figure were applied to the total of 3,658 sage grouse males observed on the 128 leks in spring 2001. In August 2001, an estimate of 22,865 sage grouse were on the ground in the area surveyed. Only half the sage grouse habitat in Region 6 has been searched for leks. Figures from the Belknap Indian Reservation indicate 414 males on 12 leks, and an additional 2,562 sage grouse in the fall population.

Harvest surveys for 1996 – 2000 indicate an average of 1,735 sage grouse harvested annually in Region 6. This amounts to 8 % of the estimated sage grouse population of 22,865, and only 15 % of the 11,891 young-of-the-year. Once again, only half the regional sage grouse habitat has been searched.

A sage grouse research project was started in south Phillips County in 2001. A total of 65 breeding hens were fitted with radio transmitters. These birds were relocated following the 2001 sage grouse season. As a result of drought conditions brood survival in Phillips County was poor. In spite of the scarcity of young birds, hunters took only two of the radioed hens.

That represents a harvest rate of only 3 %. Incidentally, predators took none of the radioed hens in 2001.

Sage grouse populations are healthy and productive in Region 6, and the impact of hunting is minimal.

Statewide Sage Grouse PerspectiveIn 1996 the Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission responded to public concern for what was perceived as diminishing sage grouse populations. The Commission decreased the season length from 106 days to 62 days, the bag limit from 4 birds to 2 birds per day, and the possession limit from 4 times the daily bag to 3 times the daily bag. This action was taken to serve as an indication that the Commission did hear the concerns of the public and was willing to restrict hunting even though the state’s sage grouse population had been expanding since 1994.

Statewide the population continued to expand through the spring of 2001 similar to what is reported for Region 6 above. In response to expanding populations the Commission increased the bag limit to 3 birds per day, but reduced the possession limit to 2 times the daily bag. The possession limit was decreased to prevent hunters from stockpiling birds.
Statewide hunter harvest has leveled out at approximately 8,000 birds per year, which is believed to be less than 10 % of the fall population. The Wildlife Division believes that hunting has a low impact on sage grouse given the size of the population and its distribution across Montana.

Biologically, the current season is very conservative and does not pose a threat to the viability of the state’s sage grouse population. Mule Deer Population Trends in Region 6Overall, mule deer numbers in Region 6 in 2001 rebounded considerably from the lows observed in the mid-1990’s. Aerial counts done in late winter/early spring on 11 survey areas indicated that numbers were still slightly below average, but were much higher than lows seen in 1998.

Total numbers of mule deer observed in 2001 were similar to those observed in 2000. For all eleven survey areas combined, the total number of mule deer observed in 2001 (2,241) was slightly lower than in 2000 (2,286), and was only 10 % below the long-term average of 2,503. This was in spite of the fact that survey conditions were poor in the spring of 2001. The total number of mule deer observed in 2001 was 88 % above the 1,189 observed in 1998.

Fawn/adult ratios were good in 2001 with an average of 54/100 for all survey areas combined. Seven areas had ratios above 60/100, and none were below 30/100. Fawn recruitment into the population has been high now for four years running.

The number of mule deer bucks in the population across Region 6 has also been increasing. High numbers of bucks were observed in the population during aerial surveys in December & January following the 2000 hunting season. The average number of bucks per 100 does after the 2000 season ranged from 23 in the western part of the region to 32 in the east.

Overall, bucks per 100 does averaged 28 regionwide following the 2000 season. The 2001 post-season surveys indicate similar results, but survey conditions were poor due to a lack of snow cover and persistent high winds.

In 2001 the number of mule deer checked at the Havre Check Station increased 22 % over the number checked in 2000.

There was a perception among hunters from some parts of Region 6 that there were fewer older bucks available during the 2001 season. The age distribution of bucks checked indicates otherwise. Eighty-one percent of all mule deer checked were antlered bucks. In 2001, 54 % of the antlered bucks checked were 3 years old and older (46 % in 2000), and 25 % were 4 years old and older (21 % in 2000). Typically, antlers with 4 points and a brow tine on each side are characteristic of bucks 3 years old and older. In 2001, 3 year old and older bucks exhibited antlers with fewer than the typical number of points, were less heavy in mass and had shorter main beams. This was the result of drought conditions in many parts of Region 6, and the lack of good, green nutritious forage. Under these conditions, the last thing that receives nutrition during the growing season is the antlers. Physiologically, a buck builds body condition before he produces large antlers.
It appears that mule deer numbers across Region 6 are much improved from the lows of the recent past, and continue to trend upward. The outlook in the eastern end of the region is good with average moisture (forage) conditions and no winter so far. It is likely mule deer numbers will continue to increase barring any extremely harsh winter conditions. It remains to be seen what effect the drought in the western end of the region this past summer will have on mule deer numbers. Deer in drought areas likely entered the winter in poorer than normal condition. Anything approaching a normal or severe winter could result in poor mule deer condition and reduced recruitment of fawns into the population. Spring surveys in April will tell the story.

Culbertson
White-tailed Deer Population Status in Region 6, Midwinter 2002
White-tailed deer populations in Region 6 are running the gamut from low to high depending on the area. On the Milk River bottom from Havre to Saco, whitetail numbers were reduced substantially from last year due to an outbreak of EHD (epizootic hemorrhagic disease). Biologists in Havre and Malta estimate whitetail mortality rates of 50-65% in some areas. An aerial survey done on the Milk River bottom in December 2001 between Malta and Dodson showed whitetails to be down approximately 65%. In northern Phillips and Blaine counties, however, the disease did not as severely impact white-tailed deer populations. This may be because EHD is more prevalent in river bottom areas where the biting flies and gnats that spread the virus are more abundant.

In the central portion of the Region whitetails are doing very well. Whitetails in the Milk River bottom in the Glasgow area appear to be slightly above average. A survey done between Hinsdale and Glasgow counted 1,134 whitetails, which was the highest number counted since 1996, and just above the average of 1,084. Although there was some EHD mortality in the Glasgow area, it doesn’t seem to have seriously affected overall whitetail numbers.

In the far northeast corner of the Region, whitetails are still substantially below average, but have rebounded considerably from the very low numbers seen after last winter. Surveys in the Froid-Medicine Lake-Dagmar area showed whitetail numbers to be 22% above last year. However, numbers are still 32% below the long-term average. In the Redstone-Whitetail area numbers are 50% below last year, but 2001 was the highest number counted on record (22 years). Numbers are only slightly below the long-term average. This is a wintering ground, and it is likely that whitetails were not concentrated on the survey area this year because of the extremely mild, open winter. It is also possible that last year’s record high count may have been due to whitetails moving into the area from the east, which was buried under an early November snow and ice storm.

Malta
Change in Missouri River Breaks Elk Hunting District Boundaries
Elk hunters will notice that HDs 621 and 623 have been combined into one HD (621) in the 2002 Big Game Regulations this year. This change was recommended to the FWP Commission by biologists and was supported by the majority of public comment collected during season setting meetings this winter.

Prior to 1981, this area was all HD 621, but it was split apart in an attempt to micromanage elk in this area based on herd units. At the time this HD was split apart, biologists estimated that there were only 300 elk in this area. Last winter, 1402 elk were counted during the total coverage elk population survey in HDs 621 and 623. It is also obvious that groups of elk are constantly moving back and forth across the boundary between HD 621 and 623.

For years archery hunters have enjoyed the option to hunt elk in both HDs 621 and 623 and now rifle hunters will have the same opportunity. The goal of combining these HDs back into one unit is to provide elk rifle hunters with more opportunities to harvest elk, potentially increase elk rifle hunter success, make hunting regulations less confusing, and allow for more stable elk rifle permit quotas in this area. Since there is an abundance of secure elk hiding cover throughout this HD, it is very unlikely that elk will concentrate in any specific area. It is also evident that hunters will disperse throughout a HD to avoid competition with other hunters and go where the elk are.

Havre
Bighorn Sheep Trapping
Twenty bighorn sheep were captured in the Missouri River Breaks south of Chinook in HD 680 for release into the Hells Canyon on February 12. For several years biologists in Idaho and Oregon had been requesting Missouri River Breaks sheep for transplant into Hells Canyon, which borders these two states. The habitat in this area is similar to the Missouri River Breaks, which will help these sheep adapt to their new surroundings quicker. A decision was made to capture and remove some sheep from HD 680 after FWP biologists counted 373 sheep during a population survey last August.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks hired a private contractor to capture these animals in conjunction with other wildlife capture and/or radio-collaring projects across the state. The capture crew utilized a helicopter and hand-held net gun to locate and capture the sheep, which were then transported in the helicopter to where the ground crew was set up. The ground crew included FWP personnel and biologists from Idaho and Oregon. Two wildlife veterinarians were also present. Sheep were aged, given antibiotics, and had blood samples taken. The crew from Idaho and Oregon also attached radio-collars so the sheep could be tracked after the release to determine the success of the transplant.

Sixteen of the captured sheep were ewes and 4 were yearling rams. Most of the ewes ranged from 2 - 5 years old and all the sheep appeared to be in good health. All of the animals were safely released in Idaho, although one young ram promptly swam across the Snake River into Oregon.

Since bighorn sheep are very susceptible to various viral and bacterial diseases, especially when at high population densities, the FWP Commission also increased the either-sex and adult-ewe sheep licenses in HD 680 at the recommendation of biologists. Bighorn sheep die-offs occur frequently throughout the west and in 1998 a die-off killed approximately 75% of the sheep in the Little Rocky Mountains. Bighorn sheep in the Missouri River Breaks south of Malta (HD 622) also appear to be having disease related problems affecting lamb production and/or survival. The primary objective of removing sheep in HD 680 by capture and hunting is to slow the growth of this sheep population to prevent a die-off from occurring and to maintain this sheep population at a healthy level compatible with the available habitat.

Parks Division
Potential State Park(s) for R-6
Due to the commendable volunteer efforts of 12 citizens who live within the Region Six area, a list of potential state parks sites will be on the Directors and Park Administrator’s desk by July 1st of this year. Since their initial meeting in September of 2001, the R-6 State Parks Search Committee has brainstormed ideas, conducted on-site visits, and is currently prioritizing sites that will hopefully become part of Montana’s State Park system.

Of course, the real work will begin when the Director gives us the go ahead. Depending on which potential site(s) will be selected, the acquisition and initial development could be a long process.

But, most importantly, it looks like the only FWP Region in the state with out a state park is getting closer in achieving a bona fide State Park!

Fisheries Division
Havre
Drought is a big concern for this area. Many fisheries in the area are lost and many are desperate if we continue to receive limited precipitation. There are a few isolated ponds with good to fair water levels but they are few and far between. Ice fishing in the Havre area has been relatively slow as secure ice showed up around mid-January. Bear Paw Lake, Beaver Creek Reservoir and Bailey Reservoir constitute the only fishing available in this area. Good moisture in the upcoming months is desperately needed.

Glasgow
Lower Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers Pallid Sturgeon Project
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks’ river crew dedicated considerable time during 2001 evaluating recent stockings of hatchery-produced pallid sturgeon. A total of 780 and 680 juvenile pallid sturgeon were stocked into the Missouri (below Fort Peck Dam) and Yellowstone rivers during 1998 and 2000, respectively. These fish were produced from wild adult pallid sturgeon captured at the confluence of the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers. Recent stocking efforts are one component of a recovery plan aimed at restoring pallid sturgeon to these rivers, which were federally listed as an endangered species in 1990. It is suspected pallid sturgeon have not reproduced naturally in the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers for at least the past thirty years.

The river crew drifted nets at several locations in the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers in the spring and again in August attempting to recapture these stocked pallids. Over 500 net drifts were completed, but only five hatchery-produced juvenile pallid sturgeon were sampled. These results indicate that stocked pallids may not be surviving as well as hoped. FWP biologists are working cooperatively with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to increase the number of juvenile pallids stocked into these river reaches. Currently, there are several thousand yearling pallid sturgeon at the Miles City State Fish Hatchery that are slated to be stocked into the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers this coming summer.Fort Peck Flow

Modification Project
Suppressed water temperature and low turbidity in the 200 mile reach of Missouri river below Fort Peck Dam is the impetus for the Fort Peck flow modification project. Proposed flow modifications include the release of water via the spillway to enhance the river’s water temperature and turbidity, as well as creating a spring pulse to provide spawning cues and enhance spawning conditions for pallid sturgeon and other native fish species. This past year was the first year of the study and will provide baseline or pre-spill release information. Components of the monitoring program include measuring water temperatures and turbidity at several locations, examining movements of pallid sturgeon and other native species, quantifying larval fish production, and examining food habits of piscivorous fish species. This project is a cooperative effort between MT Fish, Wildlife & Parks and the U.S. Geological Survey and is funded by the Army Corps of Engineers.
Project accomplishments during 2001 included: 1) the deployment of 29 continuous-recording water temperature loggers throughout the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers; 2) surgical implantation of radio transmitters into 29 shovelnose sturgeon, 16 blue suckers, and 19 paddlefish; and 3) the collection of 1,078 larval fish samples from six sites including the Missouri River above the spillway, in the spillway channel, Wolf Point, Nohly, and the Yellowstone and Milk rivers. No pallid sturgeon were located in the Fort Peck Dam tailwater to implant with transmitters. Project efforts during 2002 will focus on these same components of the study.

Lower Milk River Fish Study
The Fort Belknap Water Rights Compact includes the possibility of developing an off-stream storage reservoir. Water to fill this reservoir would be diverted from the Milk River during peak flows in the spring. This would likely result in reduced flows in the lower 120 miles of the Milk at a time when native fish species are migrating from the Missouri River into the Milk River to spawn. The Bureau of Reclamation funded this two-year study to better characterize the native fishery in the lower Milk River. Very low flows during 2001 made sampling difficult. Flows were negligible during most of May and part of June, and were well below average the remainder of the spring. Because of this, it appeared that few native species migrated up the Milk River to spawn this year.

Enforcement Division
Glasgow
Another hunting season has come and gone for the enforcement division of Region 6. This past season saw some changes from the previous year. The enforcement team is currently working well together and has developed good relationships with other agencies crucial to the department. We would like to thank the private landowners, sportsmen, BLM, Region 6 Indian Reservations, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Wildlife Refuges, and respective police and sheriff's departments for there help and cooperation with the department. We are currently working with the Bear Paw and Hinsdale Elk Working Groups to maintain populations at levels not detrimental to the landowners.

Protecting our resource is a vital part of our job. We have a keen interest in protecting the region and proving the best recreational opportunities to all. With the season comes a few who abuse the resource. Some of the infractions successfully investigated this year have been: a residency/loan/transfer case from hunters on the Medicine Lake - National Wildlife Refuge, a group of non-resident hunters from Minnesota illegally killing deer near Circle, shooting of decoy's throughout the region, non-resident waterfowl hunters in the Malta area, non-residents from Florida posing as residents for a number of years in the Malta area and a variety of over limits throughout the region.

A mild winter, poor ice conditions and low water levels throughout the region are issues that will make recreating difficult for the public and make our jobs more challenging. We ask that you have patience and call if you have any questions.

A reminder to all who see unethical and unlawful behavior. The TIP-MONT program is a successful program due to the dedicated public. Anyone who has information concerning violations is encouraged to call the TIP-MONT (1-800-847-6668) hot line. You are eligible for a cash reward and may remain anonymous.
As March settles in, we are preparing for our normal springtime tasks across the region. Be safe and enjoy recreating this upcoming spring.

Conservation Education
Glasgow
The Bitter Creek Mule Deer school project hit the classrooms in Glasgow, Opheim and Hinsdale again this year. The program is offered to middle school students and visits to these schools occur four times a year. The curriculum centers around deer biology, game damage, habitat, trapping procedures, duties of wildlife biologists and the importance of the four-year study being done by Wildlife Biologist Pat Gunderson. Each student is tracking one of the collared mule deer on the study area. Each student will track his or her deer for a one-year period. The students are provided locations of the deer twice during the winter months and once during the summer months. The BLM provides the maps for the students free of charge.

Construction is to begin this spring on the youth fishing pond to be built at Sullivan Park. $30,600 was awarded by a department grant to begin the construction. An additional $10,000 CTAP grant was awarded last year to the project. Many community entities will provide volunteer work to progress the building of the pond. Once the pond is built, fishing clinics to teach young anglers will be provided. Volunteer angler education instructors will be needed to conduct the fishing clinics. Please consider becoming a volunteer instructor as it will be necessary for the success of the program. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer angler education instructor, please contact the Glasgow FWP office at 228-3700. Tentative plans are to provide a short training session for all volunteers before the clinics will be provided.

Do you have a child interested in Hunter or Bowhunter Education class? Call the office and get your child on the list. Classes are provided by volunteer instructors and should be offered in Glasgow this spring and possibly this summer. Once a class is scheduled you will be contacted as to a time and place for the class.

A meeting room is available to all clubs pertaining to natural resources at the Region 6 headquarters. The room is free of charge to these clubs. If interested, please call the office for availability.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks held its annual meeting for the public at the Cottonwood Inn in Glasgow on February 25th. The Region 6 department managers presented a brief update on the progress regarding the 6-year plan. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Director, Jeff Hagener, conclude the night briefly discussing issues the department is addressing and answering questions from the public.

Glasgow will host Region 6 Hunter/Bowhunter Safety instructors for its regional meeting on March 30th at the Cottonwood Inn. Interested instructors should contact the Glasgow office at 228-3700 if they have plans on attending.

(Dr. Charles Wilson) The 7th Annual Glasgow Kiwanis Science was held Saturday March 9th and Monday March 11, 2002 at the Glasgow Middle School. 45 students presented 31 projects from grades 5 to 8, which were judged by 7 teams of judges. Students could present projects alone, or as a team of two. Projects were to demonstrate the scientific method by performing an experiment comparing things. A different format was followed this year to try to accommodate different scheduling conflicts so that students could be judged on either Saturday or Monday. 19 of the students were from 5th grade, representing 31% of the 5th grade students; 16 were from the 6th grade representing 26%; 7 students were 7th grade, and 3 were 8th graders. There were also 4 Technology exhibits presented by the Computer club, which were judged separately.

Judges were from the Kiwanis Club, National Weather Service, Corps of Engineers, Fish Wildlife and Parks, Hospital, Library, local Businesses and Schools: Tom Salem, Glen Monson, John Fahlgren, Beth McNulty, Fred Coghlan, Barry Chalmers, Emory Robotham, Gary Wageman, Ken Jansa, Mark Calamar, Della Berg, Jennifer Reinhardt, Dave Pippin, Dr. Sam Espeland, Dr. Joe Reyling, Todd Glaser, Dave Secora, Randy Holom, and Julie Adolphson. Dr. Charles Wilson was fair coordinator. Judging was difficult since there were so many excellent projects exhibited. The top finishers were:

5th Grade First Place: Ethan Lee – Slow or Fast, Which Will Last (do batteries last longer when used intermittently)?
5th Grade Second Place: Clark Moorman – How Do different Roof Shingles Compare?
5th Grade Third Place: Nicole Nelson – Whose mouth contains more bacteria (human or dog)?
6th Grade First Place: Cassie Volk and Cassie Lannen – Which Brand of Paper Towel works best?
6th Grade Second Place: Kyle Enebo – What best prevents Apple Slices from browning?
6th Grade Third Place: Ben Wilson – How does weight affect a Mouse-trap Car?
7th Grade First Place: Ted Storkson and Jim Kountz – How do magnets affect electronic items?
7th Grade Second Place: Steven Unger – Where do homemade crystals form best?
8th Grade First Place: Brianne Saxbury and Denise Enebo – Borrow a pencil – borrow a germ?
8th Grade Second Place: Melissa Dale – How does Temperature affect Air Pressure?

Also participating from the 5th Grade were Mikaela Herman (Which Stain Remover Works Best?), Teara Bilbruck and Kyra Flatow (How does Chlorine bleach affect our Jeans?), Sara Storkson (Changing corn starch from solid to liquid), Corey Smith (Hovercraft Flying on Air), Sarah Fisher and Beth Swanson (How much Vitamin C is in different juices?), Keegan Jensen (Which ear plugs protect the best?), Tess Fahlgren and Becky Rogenes (Keep it Clean), Danny Hagfeldt and Calvin Kemmis (Measuring the weight of Gasses), Loni Fogle and Brittne Wersal (No more carpet stains), Emilee Morehouse (How does food coloring affect Ice cubes melting?), and Jori Guttenberg (What cleans a copper penny the best?)

Other 6th Grade participants were Travis Croy (How does color affect melting ice?), Kyla Wall and Janelle Johnson (Is there mold on YOUR Bread?), Jason Compton and Marcus Lee (Which bar soap lasts the longest?), Nathan Dale (Do Video Games affect your Heartrate?), Whitney Kliewer and Trisha Loewen (How does music affect Heartrate?), Ileena Berkshire and Gabbrial Sharp (Will beans and peas grow in salted earth?), Jenni James (Comparing the power of suggestion), and Sheree Chalmers (How different water affects plant growth).

Other 7th Grade participants were Britni Alsberg and Sara Ann Wiens (Which drink stains teeth the most?), and Anthony Miller and Dillon Johnson (Which food groups are affected most by microwave radiation?)

Thanks also go to school personnel, teachers, and parents for their support. The Kiwanis Club awarded ribbons and certificates. The first place winners in each grade received $50 in Glasgow Chamber “Big Bucks” courtesy the Kiwanis Club, and second place received $25 in “Big Bucks”, shared if a team. The school system will take 21 selected projects to a regional Science and Engineering Fair to be held at Havre March 25th. The top finishers in each grade will present their projects as the program at the regular Kiwanis Club meeting at noon at the Cottonwood Inn on Wednesday March 27th.

(Press Release) Dwayne Andrews, a long time Montana Department of Natural Resources & Conservation (DNRC) employee and current Area Manager of DNRC’s Eastern Land Office, was recently recognized for his efforts associated with the Knowlton Travel Management Plan.

As a member of the southeastern Montana Resource Advisory Council (RAC), Andrews was one of three Montanans to receive the prestigious Public Land Professional of the Year award. The award is presented annually by the Public Lands Foundation, a Virginia-based, non-profit, non-government, all-volunteer organization dedicated to enhancing the ecological balance of all BLM-managed public lands, according to information on the foundation’s webpage.

Andrews was honored due to his untiring efforts associated with a comprehensive travel management plan in eastern Montana, known as the Knowlton Travel Management Plan. Andrews worked in his official capacity as the DNRC representative to the RAC.

“The Knowlton Travel Management Plan was a special effort by the southeastern Montana Resource Advisory Council (RAC) and the Miles City Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM),” Andrews explained. “Agencies typically develop resource plans and present it to the public through a formal and sometimes rigid process. The concept employed for this effort however, was significantly different. The RAC and BLM felt the final product would be more acceptable to the users of the land if they were involved with plan development from the beginning. The final travel management plan represents input from a wide and diverse group of individuals. All parties reached a unified agreement and the users and the involved agencies accepted the final product before it was formally presented to the BLM. It was the community and local involvement that was the catalyst for the final product and its success.”

When asked about the significance of the award, Andrews stated, “Recognition of our efforts simply supports the process and results achieved by everyone that gave their time and commitment to a new way of doing business.”

Two other eastern Montana gentlemen were also recipients of the award along with Andrews. Those men are Roundup rancher, Bill Milton, and David Squires, a natural resource specialist with the BLM’s Miles City Field Office. These gentlemen were also involved in the development of the management plan.

The Knowlton Travel Management Plan is a comprehensive plan that addresses increasing traffic, trespassing on private land, damage to highly erodible land and fragile vegetation, the rapid creation of two track trails and subsequent patrolling difficulty, mapping and land designation between federal, state, county, and private lands in eastern Montana.

“Our success was due mainly to our approach of bringing in all the interested parties at the forefront of the planning process rather than after the plan was drafted or adopted. Because of this, we have a plan that is comprehensive, addressing all concerns and issues. That’s why this plan is a success, because it works,” Andrews explained.

“This honor is an example of the dedication and professionalism of DNRC employees. Dwayne worked diligently on this plan. He performed admirable, not only in his official capacity, but also for the people of eastern Montana. This plan is a credit to not only him but to all those that participated in the project. This project will benefit all Montanan’s now and in the future,” explained DNRC Director, Bud Clinch.

Andrews, Milton and Squires were presented the awards on February 28 in the BLM Director’s Office in Washington, D.C.

(Cut Bank-AP) -- Five grain cars derailed near the Harvest States grain elevator in Cut Bank on Sunday, temporarily closing one of two railway tracks but causing no injury and minimal damage. Officials say the derailed cars should be removed sometime today.

A Burlington Northern-Santa Fe Railway spokesman says an automatic switching mechanism caused the derailment yesterday afternoon and employees are trying to determine why the parked cars began rolling. The five empty grain cars, which were being temporarily stored in Cut Bank, were grouped together and not attached to any other train cars.

Train traffic continued on the second track, and there was minimal damage to the train cars and the track. The derailment blocked vehicle traffic at Cut Bank's main railroad crossing all afternoon and evening, but cars could cross at two other intersections. (Copyright 2002 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

(Great Falls-AP) A Poplar man has pleaded guilty in federal court at Great Falls to strangling a man on the Fort Peck Reservation in September.

Thirty-five-year-old Richard Melbourne faces second-degree murder charges in the death of James Dean Shy Face, also of Poplar. Shy Face's body was found about seven miles southeast of Poplar, near the Missouri River. Fort Peck tribal police and the F-B-I investigated the death.

Melbourne had pleaded innocent in January. He has been in the Cascade County regional jail since his arrest in December. He could be given life in prison at his sentencing on June 27th. (Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

(Press Release) The January, 2002, unemployment statistics have been released for Montana. Below is the breakdown of Valley County and the surrounding area.

For more information on other counties in Montana, visit the Department of Labor county statistics page.

(Washington-AP) Amtrak officials confirm the resignation of the railroad'