County Reaches Agreement With Employees (Posted Wednesday, December
31, 2003 10:27 AM)
The
Valley County Commissioners have approved a Collective Bargaining
Agreement with the Road and Bridge Department employees along with
the Valley County Sheriff's Deputies.
Negotiations have been going on for months between the employees
and the commissioners with the main sticking points the payment of
health insurance premiums. The previous agreement had Valley
County paying 100% of the health insurance premiums for the union
employees while the rest of the county employees only had a portion
of their premiums paid by the county. The new contract has Valley
County paying $335 of the premiums which is the same as the county
pays for other employees. Road and Bridge employees will also see
a pay increase of .15 cents an hour which is retroactive to July
1st. Then on February 1st the pay will increase an extra .40 cents
an hour for a total of a .55 cent an hour increase in pay for Road
and Bridge employees.
The pay for the Sheriff's Deputies is set as a percentage of the
elected officials salary and was not a part of the bargaining agreement.
Glasgow Woman Put Under House Arrest (Posted
Wednesday, December 31, 2003 10:22 AM)
Jamie Aliperto appeared in District Court on
Monday and was ordered by District Court Judge John McKeon to be
put under house arrest for violations conditions of a release that
was previously ordered by District Court.
Earlier this year Aliperto was arrested and was charged with a felony
drug charge. She was then arrested on December 20th
in Glasgow and was charged with a misdemeanor open container violation
which violated her bail order from Judge McKeon on the drug charges.
Aliperto spent nine days in jail while waiting to make an appearance
in District Court. Judge McKeon ordered her to be under house arrest
at her home in Glasgow and gave law enforcement authorities the
right to check her residence at any time. She is also subject to
random drug tests and the only time she will be allowed to leave
her home is to go to work or for medical reasons. She is also ordered
to not have any contact with her husband.
Stenehjem Asks U-S Supreme Court To Review Missouri
River Dispute (Posted Wednesday, December 31, 2003 07:16 AM)
North Dakota's attorney general wants to
take the Missouri River dispute to the U-S Supreme
Court.
Officials in the state of Missouri say they'll
oppose it.
Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem (STEN'-jum)
says he wants the
high court to review a federal appeals court decision that
allows the Army Corps of Engineers to release water from reservoirs
in upstream states, to benefit barge traffic downstream. Stenehjem
says the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals misinterpreted a 1944
flood control act in giving navigation priority over recreation.
The deputy chief of staff for Missouri's attorney
general says a U-S Supreme Court appeal is without merit and Missouri
will
oppose
it. Deputy Paul Wilson says it's an attempt to turn the 1944
flood control act on its head. He says the interests of recreation
are
relatively minor compared to flood control and navigation
interests in the act. (Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press.
All Rights
Reserved.) Former Frazer Teacher Reaches Plea Agreement
(Posted Wednesday, December 31, 2003 07:13 AM)
Former Frazer school teacher Richard Schurke
has reached a plea agreement with the Valley County Attorney regarding
felony sex charges that had been filed against him earlier this
year.
District Court Judge John McKeon will officially sentence Schurke
in March of 2004 and can agree to the plea agreement, make changes
or disregard it completely when he does the sentencing.
Schurke was charged originally with 4 felony counts of sexual intercourse
without consent and 3 misdemeanor counts of endangering the welfare
of children.
As part of the plea agreement, Valley County dismissed 2 of the
felony counts and one misdemeanor. He pleaded guilty to 2 felony
sexual intercourse without consent charges and 2 misdemeanor endangering
the welfare of children charges.
The plea agreement sentences Schurke to 6 months in the Valley
County Jail with all but 45 days suspended on each of the two misdemeanor
charges. The sentences are to run concurrently.
Schurke was sentenced to 8 years in the Montana State Prison on
each of the felony charges with all but 30 days suspended. Those
two sentences are also to run concurrently.
The charges are the result of several incidents that took place
in the Glasgow area between January and May of 2002 when Schurke
was employed as an educator with the Frazer school system. The
case was investigated by the Glasgow Police Department. The maximum
prison sentence on the felony charges was life imprisonment. Schurke
currently lives in Idaho and will be back in Glasgow in March for
his sentencing.
The After Christmas Snowstorm
(Posted Tuesday, December 30, 2003 10:32 PM)
Greg Forrester, Lead Forecaster
National Weather Service Glasgow
Northeast Montana has just endured one of the biggest winter storms
in recent memory. Last Friday morning, December 26, snow moved
north from the Billings area toward the Glasgow area as deep low
pressure system developed in Wyoming. The snow moved into Petroleum,
Garfield, and Phillips Counties during the morning and Southwest
Valley County during the afternoon. The snow reached the Glasgow
area around 6 p.m. Friday evening and spread north to the Canadian
Border during the night. Heavy snow fell across Valley, Phillips,
Garfield, Petroleum Counties Friday night and Saturday morning
while snow overspread the remainder of Northeast Montana. By the
time the sun rose Saturday morning there was around a foot of new
snow across Central and Southern Valley Counties and up to 2 feet
of snow in Southern Phillips County which was hardest hit by the
storm.
North winds between 20 and 40 mph created near blizzard
conditions and snow drift up to 8 feet high. The low pressure system
that was in Wyoming Friday morning, moved northeast to North Dakota
by Saturday morning. The snow and wind continued across Eastern
Montana all day Saturday leaving most highways as either closed
or emergency travel only. As the low pressure system moved into
Manitoba Saturday night, the snow and winds gradually diminished
across the Glasgow area. However, the north winds remained strong
east of Glasgow creating near blizzard conditions along the North
Dakota border that lasted through Sunday Morning.
The storm left 13.7 inches of new snow in Glasgow and raised the
December snow total to 17.8 inches which is a record for the month
of December. The previous record for most snow in December was
16.5 inches in 1929. The storm fell just short of the 24 hour record
of 14.1 inches on April 2, 1940. In Valley County, other snow totals
included 18 inches at Hinsdale, 15 inches at Fort Peck, 12 inches
at the Pine Recreation area and at Nashua, and 7 inches at Baylor.
Phillips County totals included 30 inches at Zortman, 18 inches
at Malta, and 12 inches at the Port of Morgan. South of Fort Peck
Lake, snow totals included 24 inches at Brusett, 14 inches at Flatwillow,
12 inches at Jordan, and 10 inches at Circle. To the east of Valley
County, snow totals were between 4 and 10 inches.
Record
Storm Hits Eastern Montana (Posted Sunday, December 28, 2003 08:03
AM)
One
of the largest winter storms ever hit northeast Montana over the
weekend with
record amounts of snowfall in Glasgow on December 26th and
27th.
According to the National Weather Service the previous record snowfall
for December 26th was 3.6 inches and that was broken this year
with 6.5 inches. The previous record for December 27th was 3.4 inches
and this year the record was shattered with 7.8 inches.
The National Weather Service is also reporting that Glasgow has already
shattered the record for the amount of snow in the month of December.
The previous record was 16.5 inches of snow and through December
28th, Glasgow has already received 17.7 inches.
As of Sunday morning road conditions continue to be hazardous with
MT Highway #191 north and south of Malta continued to be closed
because of treacherous conditions. Emergency travel only warnings
are being issued for many roads throughout eastern Montana. In fact
in southern Montana all major roads in the Glendive, Miles City,
Baker and Forsyth areas are under emergency travel only warnings
from the Montana Department of Transportation.
Here is a local storm report that was issued by the National Weather
Service Saturday evening. It shows some of the extraordinary snow
amounts received in eastern Montana.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GLASGOW MT
642 PM MST SAT DEC 27 2003
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION...
...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST..
...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0422 PM HEAVY SNOW MALTA 48.36N
107.87W
12/27/2003 18.00 INCH PHILLIPS MT LAW
ENFORCEMENT
5 TO 7 FOOT DRIFTS
0422 PM HEAVY SNOW 5 NNE WINNETT 47.08N
108.32W
12/27/2003 12.00 INCH PETROLEUM MT TRAINED
SPOTTER
4 TO 5 FOOT DRIFTS
0422 PM HEAVY SNOW BRUSETT 47.43N
107.27W
12/27/2003 18.00 INCH GARFIELD MT LAW
ENFORCEMENT
4 TO 5 FOOT DRIFTS
0422 PM HEAVY SNOW JORDAN 47.32N
106.91W
12/27/2003 12.00 INCH GARFIELD MT LAW
ENFORCEMENT
3 TO 4 FOOT DRIFTS
0422 PM HEAVY SNOW 43 ENE JORDAN 47.56N
106.06W
12/27/2003 10.00 INCH MCCONE MT CO-OP
OBSERVER
4 TO 6 FOOT DRIFTS
0422 PM HEAVY SNOW FORT PECK 48.01N
106.45W
12/27/2003 15.00 INCH VALLEY MT NWS EMPLOYEE
0422 PM HEAVY SNOW WOLF POINT 48.09N
105.64W
12/27/2003 6.00 INCH ROOSEVELT MT LAW
ENFORCEMENT
2 FOOT DRIFTS
0422 PM HEAVY SNOW SIDNEY 47.72N
104.16W
12/27/2003 4.00 INCH RICHLAND MT CO-OP
OBSERVER
0422 PM HEAVY SNOW PLENTYWOOD 48.77N
104.56W
12/27/2003 4.00 INCH SHERIDAN MT CO-OP
OBSERVER
0422 PM HEAVY SNOW GLENDIVE 47.11N
104.71W
12/27/2003 3.50 INCH DAWSON MT CO-OP
OBSERVER
0422 PM HEAVY SNOW GLASGOW 48.20N
106.64W
12/27/2003 14.00 INCH VALLEY MT NWS EMPLOYEE
3 TO 4 FOOT DRIFTS
Public Meetings
Address Tentative 2004 Big-Game Hunting Regulations (Posted Saturday,
December 27, 2003 10:10 AM)
Plan to attend one of four public meetings
scheduled in January across northeastern and north-central Montana
to learn about and comment
on proposed hunting regulations for next fall’s big-game seasons.
The meetings will take place in Plentywood on Jan. 5, Glasgow on
Jan. 8, Malta on Jan. 13 and Havre on Jan. 14. All meetings will
run from 7 to 9 p.m. See specific venues at the end of this release.
These meetings are designed to present tentative big-game season
recommendations, approved by the Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission
in December, then take public comments. Those comments, a critical
ingredient of the season-setting process, will be considered as the
tentative regulations are finalized. The Commission will finalize
the regulations at its Feb. 12 meeting in Helena.
Among the changes proposed to hunting regulations in Region 6 are
a limited antlerless mule deer season in hunting districts 620, 621
and 622, a limited doe/fawn antelope season in District 630 and additional
archery hunting opportunities for doe/fawn antelope across the region.
In districts 620, 621 and 622, 100 antlerless mule deer B permits
are being proposed. The permits would be valid in all three hunting
districts and are being recommended because of increasing numbers
of mule deer, says Harold Wentland, Region 6 wildlife manager.
“
We’re finally seeing some increases in a population that’s
been lagging behind the rest of the region for the last few years,” he
says. “We’re getting reports of damage to private land
and want to get a handle on the population increase before it become
a problem.”
Increasing antelope numbers in District 630 are the reason for the
proposal to start a doe/fawn season, with 50 permits.
The general-elk season that was in place during the 2003 big-game
season, generally north of U.S. Highway 2, including McCone and Richland
counties, is again being proposed for areas of Region 6 that are
not managed by special elk permits.
While the number and scope of specific Region 6 quotas is relatively
minor, a number of statewide tentative regulations will affect hunters
in the region. Among those issues of statewide relevance are:
A proposal to establish a 5-year waiting period for successful applicants
of some special elk permits. The waiting period, similar to the 7-year
waiting period that’s currently in place for successful moose,
sheep and goat permit applicants, is designed to provide a more equitable
distribution of limited opportunities for mostly trophy-elk districts.
In Region 6, the proposal would apply to rifle-season either-sex
elk permits in hunting districts 620-20, 621-20, 622-20, 631-20 and
690-21. Those districts are in the Missouri River Breaks and Bear
Paw Mountains.
A proposal to offer up to two doe/fawn antelope licenses (900-30)
to license holders of the multi-region either-sex, archery-only antelope
license (900-00). The additional opportunity would be valid in regions
5, 6 and 7 and would be available over the counter through FWP’s
Automated Licensing System. These additional doe/fawn licenses would
be valid only for archery equipment.
A proposal to open the multi-region archery-only antelope season
(900-00) on Aug. 15, rather than the current early-September opener,
and close the same date as the deer and elk archery season.
A proposal to extend the upland game bird season for pheasants, sharp-tailed
grouse and Hungarian partridge until Jan. 1. The current season extends
through Dec. 15, and the additional two weeks would provide more
hunting opportunity over the holidays.
Enforcement proposals of statewide relevance include making the current
two-way communication regulation more inclusive; defining shotguns
used in weapons restrictions areas as “a shouldered, breech-loaded
or muzzle-loaded firearm with a smooth bore, designed to fire shot
or rifled slugs”; clarifying a sabot as “any projectile
that uses an attached device that acts as a gas check, acts as a
friction-reduction device, or allows a smaller caliber projectile
to be fired from a larger caliber weapon.
Here are the specific locations for the four Region 6 meetings:
Jan. 5 Plentywood Sheridan County Library’s Jubilee Room
Jan. 8 Glasgow Cottonwood Inn
Jan. 13 Malta 1st State Bank, Community Room
Jan. 14 Havre Duck Inn, Olympic Room
If you are unable to attend a meeting, you can send written comments
to: Region 6 Tentative Hunting Regulations, FWP, RR1-4210, Glasgow
MT 59230 or email .
Several Arrested On Drug Charges (Posted Saturday,
December 27, 2003 09:54 AM)
Law enforcement officials made several drug related arrests the
weekend of December 20th.
The evening of December 20th was a busy night as officials arrested
23-year old Jaime Aliperto and charged her with violation of conditions
of her release. Aliperto is currently facing felony drug charges
in District Court. She was arrested in a Glasgow business parking
lot at 8:05 pm and charged with misdemeanor open container. Aliperto
is currently being held in the Valley County Jail until an appearance
in District Court on December 29th. The arrest was made by the
Valley County Sheriff's Department, Glasgow Police Department along
with the Big Muddy River Drug Task Force.
Also arrested December 20th was a 17-year old male Glasgow juvenile.
He has been charged with felony criminal distribution of dangerous
drugs. He was arrested in the same parking lot at 10:45pm. Officials
confiscated his vehicle and searched the vehicle on December 23rd
and have filed other misdemeanor charges against the juvenile.
He will be charged in District Court and officials look to try
him as an adult on the drug charges. He currently is under house
arrest and is being monitored electronically.
The same incident also resulted in the arrest of 18-year old Glasgow
female Falon Laroche. She has been charged with misdemeanor possession
of drug paraphernalia and possession of alcohol by a minor. She
is facing charges in City Court.
That same evening 24-year old Wayne Stiles was arrested and charged
with possession of drug paraphernalia. He has pleaded not guilty
and as of December 24th was still incarcerated in the Valley County
Jail.
It was a busy weekend in the Valley County Jail with 17 males and
6 females incarcerated.
Block Of Bucks Big Success (Posted Tuesday, December
23, 2003 07:09 AM)
The 2004 edition of the Block of Bucks was a huge success with
$14,360.00 donated to help needy children in Valley County purchase
warm winter clothing.
The annual event which is organized by the Glasgow Soroptomists
and the Montana Army National Guard raised over $1000 more than
which was raised last year.
On Friday, National Guardsmen manned the two downtown intersections
throughout the day collecting money from passing traffic. Then
on Saturday the Soroptomists Club organized the huge shopping spree
with over 250 children going shopping for winter clothing.
National Weather Service Winter Outlook Released (Posted Tuesday,
December 23, 2003 06:44 AM)
In its final winter outlook update the (http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/) NOAA
Climate Prediction Center is predicting January, February and March
will bring above average temperatures to much of the western U.
S., as well as the central and northern Plains and much of Alaska,
and below average temperatures to the Southeast from eastern Texas
through the Carolinas, including much of Florida. Precipitation
is likely to be above average in the Pacific Northwest and western
and central Texas, and below average over the Southwest, Florida
and the Lower Missouri Valley.
When considering the season as a whole, the remaining parts of
the nation, including the Northeast, can expect equal chances of
above-, below- or near-normal temperatures and precipitation. However,
within the three-month period, variable and changing jet stream
patterns are likely to continue bringing periods of storminess
and swings of temperature extremes, as seen in the Northeast thus
far.
NOAA forecasters expect the existing multi-year drought conditions
in much of the interior West and parts of the Central Plains to
continue, with the best chances for some improvement from the Northern
Rockies westward to the Northern Cascades. In many areas, especially
Arizona, New Mexico, and the western Great Plains, drought will
likely persist and contribute to lingering, long-term water shortages.
Persistent rains and saturated ground in parts of the Northeast
and mid-Atlantic raise the concern for flooding potential.
|
|
Here’s what you can expect:
The U.S. 2004 winter outlook update for January through March calls
for warmer-than-average conditions along the northern tier of the
country from Washington eastward to Michigan, throughout the remainder
of the West including Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona and New
Mexico, and in the inter-mountain states and central Great Plains
to Iowa and Nebraska. Above average temperatures are also anticipated
over most of Alaska. Cooler-than-average temperatures are expected
across eastern Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia,
northern and central Florida, and the Carolinas. For other parts
of the nation, January - March will have equal chances of above-,
below-, or near-normal temperatures.
Precipitation during January through March is likely to be above
average in Oregon, Washington, and northern Idaho, as well as in
much of western and central Texas. Drier-than-average conditions
are favored in Arizona and nearby parts of each surrounding state,
as well as in Nebraska, Kansas, eastern Iowa and northwest Missouri,
and in Florida and southernmost parts of Georgia through Louisiana.
The remainder of the country has equal chances of above-, below-,
or near-normal precipitation during the period.
“
December 2003 shows us just how variable winter patterns can be,” said
Edward O’Lenic, meteorologist at the NOAA Climate Prediction
Center. “It is important for people to pay close attention
to local, daily weather forecasts so they can prepare for various
precipitation types and temperature swings.”
NOAA will issue its spring outlook in March 2004. Fort Peck Paleontology, Inc. Announces 1st Peck’s Rex™ Cast
Skeleton Exhibit Sale (Posted Tuesday, December 23, 2003 06:27 AM)
In October
2003, Fort Peck Paleontology, Inc. (FPPI) of Fort Peck, Montana received the
final signed contract
from the Maryland Science Center (MSC) of Baltimore, Maryland for the sale
of a PECK’S REX™ cast skeleton plus several single element cast exhibits
from PECK’S REX™. The sale of the exhibit is the first for FPPI,
and occurred at a crucial juncture for the organization.
PECK’S REX™ is a Tyrannosaurus rex discovered in the badlands of
Northeastern Montana in 1997. Found on Federal property, the fossil was soon
excavated and taken to the newly formed dinosaur field station facility at Fort
Peck. There it has been prepared, molded and cast, and recreated to it’s
former formidable self in skeletal form. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers owns
the property at the site of excavation, and has also authorized the use of
the large building where the fossil is stored.
FPPI took the first big step in creating the cast replica of PECK’S REX™ in
June 2002 when they hired Todd M. Hoelmer, a free lance fossil preparator highly
experienced in both fossil preparation and casting. “I was very anxious
to see the first cast of the skull from PECK’S REX™ come together,” Todd
said; “I was the first to see the skull of PECK’S REX™ the
way it would have looked 67 million years ago.”
Since the first skull was finished in May of 2003, progress of the rest of
the skeleton preparation has been moving at a rapid pace. The reason for this
is
the goal to create a full cast skeleton exhibit by May 2004. To help complete
this task, FPPI hired Chris M. Morrow in April of 2003. Chris also has had
experience in fossil preparation and casting. Both Todd and Chris have taken
on the project
full force to meet the deadline. They are not alone in this endeavor; several
others, some volunteers from Glasgow, Fort Peck and even surrounding counties
have jumped on board to help complete the project. This has been a group effort
from the beginning. Local support has been tremendous, and is the key source
of funding and labor for the preparation of PECK’S REX™.
In May 2003, a visiting MSC employee was given a tour of the Fort Peck Field
Station where work on PECK’S REX™ is being conducted. He was very
impressed with both the quality of the fossils and the high quality of the replicas
being produced. He mentioned that his organization, the Maryland Science Center,
was designing a new museum and might be interested in some casts of PECK’S
REX™. When he left, there was some enthusiasm in his comments and the signs
of a potential partnership. He returned to the MSC and told them about PECK’S
REX™ and the project underway at the Fort Peck facility. Based on his initial
impression of FPPI’s project, it came to be that MSC negotiated a contract
for the purchase of a complete PECK’S REX™ Skeleton Exhibit.
The completion of this contract is a welcome accomplishment for FPPI. The costs
of running a preparation facility and adding a molding and casting department
are extremely high. “Local support of the Fort Peck Field Station has born
the burden of most of the project over the years. With the new goal of FPPI to
create a full cast of PECK’S REX™, enthusiasm again is running high
and things are full-speed ahead”, says John Rabenberg, President of Fort
Peck Paleontology.
With this contract, FPPI will have the funds to see a full cast of PECK’S
REX™ come together. Additional staff is being hired to ensure the project
deadline will be met.
FPPI has also made available single element casts of PECK’S REX™ to
the public for purchase. The casts are made directly from the original fossils,
and the result is an excellent reproduction. They make for great hands-on educational
materials, and would also make a unique gift for the dinosaur enthusiast. FPPI
offers a color catalog of available replicas from their Gift Shop. Email them
at fppi@nemontel.net to request a catalog.
The Maryland Science Center is currently undergoing an extensive renovation
and renewal. When complete next Spring, the Science Center will be virtually
all
new with new entryways, expanded food offerings, a new gallery dedicated to
traveling exhibits, and a core collection of permanent exhibits including a
dinosaur hall,
an exhibit focusing on the human body, and a gallery housing the best of hands-on
exhibits from across the country. The Science Center will essentially be all
new and intends to have something for all visitors from infants to kids, to
adults of all ages. The new Science Center will be more than an update of the
existing
facility—it will be a re-launch as a premier Inner Harbor destination.
To learn more about PECK’S REX™,
Fort Peck Paleontology, and the work going on at the Dinosaur Field
Station; you can visit
them at www.fort peck.com. The website for the Maryland Science
Center is www.mdsci.org.
Block Of Blucks Set For Friday (Posted Thursday,
December 18, 2003 07:41 AM)
The annual Block of Bucks fundraiser
for needy children in the Glasgow area is set
for Friday
in the
two
downtown
intersections.
The Glasgow Soroptimists and the Montana Army National Guard
are again spearheading this years Block of Bucks which is a holiday
tradition in Valley County.
Last year over $13,313 was raised and used to buy children's
winter clothing during the holiday season. Over 200 children
have signed
up to take part in this years program and all will go shopping
on Saturday in Glasgow businesses.
The Block of Bucks has already gotten a nice start with fundraising
with a donation from the Glasgow Middle School and High School
Student Councils who have donated $1400 to the program. This
money was raised with their Remembrance Tree program. Speed Reduction Near Nashua Denied (Posted Wednesday,
December 17, 2003 04:16 PM)
The Montana Department of Transportation has denied a request
from the Valley County Commissioners to reduce the speed on U.S.
Highway #2 at the intersection that leads into the community of
Nashua.
The current speed limit is 70 mph and the Commissioners had asked
the MDT to either reduce the speed near the intersection or at
lease post signs that there is slow incoming traffic into the intersection
on Highway #2.
MDT denied the request and in a written letter to Valley County
said that reducing the speed limit will not have any measurable
effect on traffic speed on Highway #2 near the intersection at
Nashua. MDT also noted that their hasn't been any major motor
accidents in that intersection in the last three years.
The Nashua School District has approached Valley County about concerns
with slow moving school buses that turn onto Highway
#2 at the intersection and traffic that is moving at 70mph or faster.
The Commissioners noted that the sight lines are diminished
as you turn onto Highway #2 and that an accident is bound
to happen with the slow moving traffic into the intersection.
MDT is planning a major construction project on that stretch of
highway in 2005 and they have refused to either add either
a slower speed limit or a passing lane near the community of Nashua.
The Commissioners plan to send a letter of protest to the
District Office of the Montana Department of Transportation. Public Land Auction Goes Well For County (Posted
Wednesday, December 17, 2003 04:02 PM)
The Valley County Commissioners on Monday in a public auction
sold 3680 acres of county owned land to Sterling Carroll for $184,083.
The auction held Monday morning in the lobby of the Valley County
Courthouse. The land is currently being leased by Carroll and was
sold for just over $50 an acre which the commissioners said was
the appraised price.
The commissioners said they were pleased with the sale and said
that the land can now go back on the tax rolls. They also said
that they will have another land sale next year and hope to continue
the sales until all of the county owned land is put back in private
hands. Three Arrested On South Side (Posted Wednesday,
December 17, 2003 04:01 PM)
The Glasgow Police Department arrested
three individuals early Tuesday morning on
Glasgow's south
side.
Arrested
were 22-year
Patrick Follet who was detained on a warrant for revocation of
probation in District Court. He was still incarcerated at the Valley
County Jail on Tuesday afternoon.
Also arrested was 20-year old Robert White who was detained
on a warrant from City Court for failure to comply with conditions
of a court order in City Court. His bond was set at $295 and he
was still in jail as of Tuesday afternoon.
20-year old Lionel White was also arrested on a warrant out of
City Court for failure to pay his court fines in a timely manner.
His bond was set at $130 and he posted that bond and was released
Tuesday morning.
All three were arrested at or near 439 6th Avenue South in Glasgow.
During the arrest the Glasgow Police Department also handed out
two misdemeanor citations to 18-year old Elissa Stingley and 18-year
old Misty Sugg for illegal possession of alcohol under the age
of 21. Deer damage season approved for portion
of Valley, Daniels counties (Posted Wednesday, December 17, 2003
03:59 PM)
Fish, Wildlife & Parks has approved
a game-damage season to reduce numbers of antlerless white-tailed
and mule deer in a portion
of northern Valley and Daniels counties in northeastern Montana.
The special season will open on Monday, Dec. 22 and extend through
Sunday, Jan. 18 and includes a rectangle of country that has been
covered by deep and drifted snow since late October. The season
boundaries are State Route 24 on the west, the Canadian border
on the north, Route 251 (R-Y Trail) and Route 511 on the east and
the Fort Peck Indian Reservation on the south. The area is within
Hunting District 640.
Hunters will be able to use any unused Deer A license or Deer B
permit that was valid in any hunting district in Montana during
the 2003 deer season. An additional 200 damage-hunt B licenses
will be sold on a first-come basis starting Monday, Dec. 22 and
are available at any FWP regional office or license agent in the
state. Each eligible hunter can purchase up to two of these additional
licenses, which cost $8 for residents and $75 for non-residents.
Only antlerless mule deer and white-tailed deer may be harvested
in this season.
Hunters who participate in this damage season are urged to contact
landowners who are suffering damage to hay and agricultural crops.
A list of landowners who have game damage and who want hunters
directed to their properties is available by calling FWP’s
Region 6 headquarters in Glasgow at 228-3700 or visiting the office
on Highway 2 West in Glasgow.
Fish, Wildlife & Parks is managing three other game-damage
seasons in Region 6. Those hunts, which will end 1⁄2 hour
after sunset on Dec. 31, are for white-tailed deer in the eastern
half of the region and for mule deer and elk in the Bear Paw Mountains
south of Havre and Chinook. No additional licenses are available
for these hunts.
All hunters who participate in late-season damage hunts must possess
a 2003 Conservation License and if they are born after Jan. 1,
1985, must show proof of completion of a hunter education course.
All normal big-game regulations apply to this late season, including
the requirements to wear hunter orange, obtain landowner permission
and properly validate licenses and tag carcasses.
Spearing Season For Fort Peck Lake Trout,
Salmon Starts March 1 (Posted Wednesday, December 17, 2003 03:50
PM)
Lake trout and chinook salmon on Fort Peck
Lake will be legal targets for winter spear fishermen, but they’ll
have to wait until March 1, 2004 to do it.
The 2003 Legislature added lake trout and chinook to the list of
species that are legal to spear on Fort Peck. The Fish, Wildlife & Parks
Commission approved the rule back in October, but the new opportunity
is part of the 2004-2007 fishing regulations, which won’t
take effect until March 1.
The spearing provision allows anglers to take chinook salmon and
lake trout by spear or gig annually from Dec. 1 through March 31
starting next year.
The issue confused some anglers because the legislation’s
effective date is Oct. 1, 2003. However, enabling language in the
law requires the FWP Commission to approve the change before it
becomes part of the standard fishing regulations, effective March
1. That date is also the beginning of the new license year for
Montana anglers and hunters.
Look for copies of the 2004-2007 fishing regulations to be available
at license agents sometime in mid February.
Doug Smith Receives FWP’s ‘Outstanding Citizen’ Award
(Posted Tuesday, December 16, 2003 07:10 AM)
|
Lifelong
Dagmar resident Doug Smith has received Fish, Wildlife & Parks’ “Outstanding
Citizen Contributor” award for his work promoting
state parks and recreational access in northeastern Montana.
The recognition was granted by FWP’s Parks Division at a meeting in Butte
earlier this month. Parks Division administrator Doug Monger presented the award,
citing Smith’s tireless efforts to create a state park in Region 6 and
find public river access on the Missouri River.
Smith has become a leading advocate
in locating and developing public recreation access in
northeastern Montana, says Woody Baxter, FWP’s parks
manager in Region 6.
|
Since contacting
Baxter in early 2001, Smith has volunteered hundreds of hours
and dollars
in travel expenses in order to reveal the many impressive and
little-known recreation sites in the region. Smith has also acted
as a liaison,
introducing Baxter to private landowners and public agency personnel
who have the similar goal of providing more recreational access
to the public.
Smith’s specific achievements and accomplishments that
were recognized by FWP include:
Member of the Region 6 State Park Search Committee
Nominated Brush Lake as a potential state park. The site was
recommended by the search committee to FWP’s director and
Parks Division administrator.
Member of Travel Montana’s Missouri River Country as well
as a sub-committee addressing recreational access on the lower
Missouri River
Member of the Lower Missouri River Access Committee, a cooperative
citizen/government agency committee addressing the acquisition
and development of public access sites on the Missouri River between
Fort Peck Dam and the North Dakota border
Baxter says Smith has also been instrumental in facilitating
communication between a Sheridan County landowner and FWP in
the process of negotiating
the acquisition of land for the region’s first state park.
“
The deep respect Doug has established with the local community
and his easy-going nature has helped build bridges between FWP
and folks in the Plentywood area,” says Baxter. Scott Thompson Is New Culbertson Fwp Wildlife Biologist (Posted
Tuesday, December 16, 2003 07:08 AM)
|
For Scott Thompson, the path to Culbertson led through the
Rocky Mountain Front and the prairies of Phillips County.
Thompson is the new Fish, Wildlife & Parks’ wildlife biologist based
in Culbertson. He replaces Ray Mule’, who held the post for 18 years before
being promoted to Region 5 wildlife manager in Billings.
A native of Butte, Thompson is a recent graduate of Montana State University,
where he studied animal and range science. His Master’s degree research
was evaluating the impact of browsing animals on vegetation.
While this is Thompson’s first permanent position with FWP, he worked seasonally
on projects in conjunction with the department, first helping snag the hair of
grizzly bears along the Rocky Mountain Front for a study that will estimate bear
populations using DNA analysis. His second position was a brief stint working
with sage grouse in southern Phillips County. |
From his home office in Culbertson, Thompson
will work as management biologist covering all of Sheridan and
Roosevelt counties and much
of Daniels, McCone and Richland counties. The job includes evaluating
wildlife populations and habitat, recommending hunting season revisions
and working with landowners to enhance habitat and hunting opportunities
and minimize game damage.
Thompson says he’s excited by the diversity of opportunities
in his district.
“
The area is unique in that so much of the land is privately owned,” he
says. “That puts a real premium on working with landowners,
making sure that their concerns are being met. Ray did a great
job with that and I’m hoping to continue that relationship.”
The area is one of the “birdiest” in Montana, with
abundant pheasants, sharp-tailed grouse and Hungarian partridge
in addition to prime prairie-pothole waterfowl habitat. Add white-tailed
and mule deer, antelope, occasional elk, furbearers and river-bottom
populations of wild turkeys and Thompson expects to stay busy.
An avid hunter, Thompson is married to the former Jill St. John,
who grew up in Opheim.
“
The community has been great, really welcoming” says Thompson. “It’s
a great place to work.” Glasgow Police Officer Charged With Misdemeanor
Family Member Assault (Posted Monday, December 15, 2003 09:58 AM)
A Glasgow Police Officer has been charged with misdemeanor
Partner/Family Member Assault after an incident that occurred in
the early morning hours of November 27th.
According to the police report, the Glasgow Police Department was
called to the home of Patrolman Collin Kemmis after Kemmis's wife
called the police department to report an incident that had occurred
between her and Kemmis. Glasgow Police Chief Lynn Erickson then
interviewed Kemmis's wife and made the decision to bring in an
outside investigator to investigate the incident. Former Wolf Point
Police Chief Ron Kemp was assigned to the case and interviewed
the wife the morning of November 27th. Kemp then recommended that
Kemmis be charged with misdemeanor partner/family member assault.
Kemmis was arraigned in City Court on November 27th and pleaded
not-guilty to the charge on December 3rd.
Kemmis's wife was also granted a temporary restraining order against
him that is in effect until December 19th when a hearing will be
held to determine if the restraining order should become permanent.
The case is currently pending in City Court and City Attorney Dave
Gorton has recused himself from the case and Dan O'Brien a prosecutor
from Phillips County has been assigned the case.
Kemmis was hired by the Glasgow Police Department in January of
2003 and graduated from the Montana
Law Enforcement Academy on
December 5th and currently is on active duty with the Glasgow Police
Department.
Bredette Man Receives National Weather Service Award (Posted Monday,
December 15, 2003 07:03 AM) Axel Larsen, of Bredette, Mont., recently received the John Campanius
Holm Award, a national honor for his dedication to observing and
reporting weather for more than 37 years. The award was presented
on Nov. 19, by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's
(NOAA) National Weather Service (NWS) at a ceremony at the Sherman
Inn in Wolf Point. NOAA is an agency of the U.S. Department of
Commerce.
Julie Adolphson, meteorologist in charge at the NOAA's National
Weather Service office in Glasgow, presented the award to Larsen.
"
We are thrilled to recognize Axel Larsen as one of the nations
top cooperative weather observers," said Adolphson. "His
accurate and timely weather reports have played a critical role
in defining the climate and rainfall patterns of northeast Montana.
His observations have been important to our forecast process and
we appreciate his support of the National Weather Service forecast
and warning programs."
Vickie Nadolski, NWS Western Region director, said, "The Cooperative
Weather Observer Program is a nationwide network of 11,000 volunteers,
who record temperature
and precipitation each day. The information collected by Mr. Larson and other
weather observers become part of the nation's historical weather and climate
archive."
The Holm Award is one of the most prestigious awards presented each year by the
NOAA's National Weather Service. Larsen's award was only one of 19 Holm Awards
presented nationally this year. "This is a great honor and we salute his
years of service to the agency," added Nadolski.
Larsen has dutifully recorded climatic readings on NWS forms since September
1966, continuing a tradition of weather observations that started at the Bredette
location in December on 1939. He is a non-paid COOP observer who has been providing
an accurate and invaluable service to his local community and his country for
37 years.
Over the years, Larsen has successfully operated his large ranching and farming
business on his own, along with his various other community obligations, and
still finds time to keep his weather records up to date. Like so many dedicated
COOP observers, he takes his weather observations seriously and with the utmost
professionalism. When modernization efforts brought electronic temperature equipment
to his station, he requested that the old thermometers be left in place as a
backup. His observations noted that on occasions in adverse weather conditions
when the newer technology was inoperative, he would brave the weather and manually
take the maximum and minimum temperature observation using the old backups.
Adolphson said over the years, when Larsen has been asked to take on a new responsibility,
the reply has always been "yes." For example, Larsen was asked to send
his observation reports to the Glasgow NWS office on a daily basis via a telephone
reporting system. He accepted the new challenge with the understanding that
his
daily reports were for forecast verification, which would ultimately help to
improve services to his community.
"
Mr. Larsen's commitment, dedication and professionalism have been proven time
and again throughout a long career as a COOP observer. He has unselfishly volunteered
his time and dedication to the National Weather Service, to the public, to his
neighbors and that service can only be described as outstanding," Adolphson
said.
NOAA's National Weather Service (NWS) is the primary source of weather and flood
forecasts and warnings for the United States and its territories. The NWS operates
the most advanced weather and flood warning and forecast system in the world,
helping to protect lives and property and enhance the national economy.
The Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction
and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental
stewardship of the nation's coastal and marine resources.
Reconstruction Project Planned For Mt 24 South Of Opheim (Posted
Monday, December 15, 2003 06:57 AM)
The
Montana Department of Transportation is planning a reconstruction
project on a section of MT 24 beginning at milepost 45.3 and
proceeding 0.3 miles to milepost 45.6, approximately 5 miles south
of Opheim,
Valley County.
The project will include earthwork to cut down
a hill north of the county road intersection, new striping, drainage
pipe modification and a finished roadway width of 28 feet.
The project will improve the sight distance at the county road
intersection
and enhance the safety for the traveling public. New right
of way
will be required. T
he department anticipates the work to begin
in the 2004 construction season, depending on completion
of design and availability of funds. For more information on this
project
please contact Ray Mengel, District Administrator PO Box
890,
Glendive, MT 59330-0890, phone (406) 233-3600 or (888) 689-5296.
For TTY
(800) 335-7592. Skywarn Recognition Day Held December 5th (Posted Monday, December
15, 2003 06:56 AM)
Skywarn Recognition Day 2003, occurred on December 5th and started
off with a steady stream of contacts for the Valley Amateur Radio
Club. A total of 9 ham radio operators and two people interested
in becoming ham radio operations, got together at the National
Weather Service in Glasgow to participate in the annual event.
This is the third year that the club has participated in the 24
hour long event, which started at 5 p.m. on Friday, and finished
on Saturday. By 8 p.m. Friday night, they had talked to people
as far away as Texas and Arkansas. Things slowed down overnight,
giving the group a chance to catch a few winks, but by 7:45 a.m.
they had so many contacts, that Sam Moore, K7SAM, didn’t
even get a chance to eat breakfast. He spoke to over 54 people
within an hour, including those caught in a major winter storm
in New Hampshire, and our neighbors to the north in Canada. The
freezing rain that hit overnight didn't create any problems on
their antenna, but it did keep a few other interested hams from
making the trek to Glasgow.
There were fewer technical difficulties this year, thanks to better
equipment (a computer screen went out on them last year) which
was donated by the Francis Mahon Deaconess Hospital Foundation.
Overall, the group made contact with 44 out of approximately 110
other National Weather Service offices, and were contacted by an
additional 348 amateur radio operators who were participating from
their own homes. That was a 63% increase in individual contacts
from the previous year.
Club President George Asleson, KA7BFU, said that, “Everyone
that has worked on this project is pleased with the results, and
the contacts we had this year were great. It keeps getting better
every year.” The club is a service organization to exchange
ideas and to provide emergency communications to local, state and
federal agencies. Members include volunteers from Phillips, Valley
and Daniels County. The club started after an Amtrak train derailed
near Saco in the late 1980's. Communications were a big problem
during that event, and the group got together to help agencies
in the future in case something similar would ever occur.
The Skywarn program is a nationwide program that involves tens
of thousands of volunteers who report weather conditions to the
National Weather Service. The ham radio operators are especially
critical to severe weather operations, as they can give the NWS
live reports of tornadoes, straight-line wind damage, and devastating
floods. They were especially crucial in May of this year when the
mid-western states were hit with several tornado outbreaks within
a one week period.
|
|
|
Sam Moore (K7SAM), throws his hands up with trying to get
his microphone to work while attempting to contacting the National
Hurricane Center. |
Loren Nichols (AA7MT) works the high band radio frequencies
searching for other National Weather Service Offices to contact. |
The Ham Radio antenna and the NWS WSR-88D radar created an
excellent photo op cold, clear day, just hours before a freezing
rain event hit northeast Montana. |
Hi-Line Man Lands 32 Years In Prison For Selling
Pot, Meth (Posted Friday, December 12, 2003 08:22 AM) (Great Falls-AP)
-- Federal prosecutors call him the biggest drug dealer
on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. And James Cantrell Senior
says he expects to die in prison. He is 63; and yesterday a federal
judge sentenced Cantrell to 32 years behind bars.
The Wolf Point
man headed a drug ring that is said to have distributed more
than 60 pounds
of meth and 135 pounds of marijuana along the
Hi-Line for at least the past four years. Cantrell, his wife,
Donna Shawl
Cantrell, and 18 others from Fort Belknap, Wolf Point and
Poplar were arrested in two large busts in March. All were accused
of taking part in a network of drug deals masterminded by the
Cantrells.
The Cantrells were found guilty of conspiracy to distribute
meth
and various other drug-related charges.
Most others were
found guilty, or have changed their pleas to guilty, and await
sentencing.
(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) School Board Notes (Posted Friday, December 12,
2003 07:09 AM)
The Glasgow School Board voted Wednesday evening to purchase two
new yellow Blue Bird school buses to replace two aging buses. The
buses will be used for regular school routes and should arrive
early next year. The school district paid $58,201 for each bus
and received a $3500 trade in allowance for the two buses that
were traded in.
In other school business the board is set to begin the new Accuscan
meal tracker program the first day of school in January. This new
program will computerize the school lunch and breakfast program
and paper lunch tickets will no longer be used by students.
The board also agreed to alleviate a class size program in the
junior high level. Currently some classes most notably the shop
classes are overloaded with too many students and the board will
take action on this problem.
The good news though is that enrollment continues to climb in the
school district. The enrollment count as of December 5th was 795
which compares with 772 last year.
Wolf Point Man Faces 17 Charges (Posted Wednesday, December 10,
2003 04:12 PM)
A Wolf Point man is facing 17 criminal charges in State District
Court as the result of several burglaries and acts of vandalism
that occurred in October and November of 2002 in north Valley County.
Durand Zoanni is free on $5000 bond after making an initial appearance
in Justice Court in Shelby, Montana last month. In October the
Valley County Sheriffs Department issued a warrant for Zoanni's
arrest but believed that he was living in Canada. After putting
the warrant on the law enforcement teletype Canadian authorities
contacted the Sheriff's Department and said they would be on the
lookout for Zoanni. He was finally detained on November 28th as
we was trying to re-enter the United States at the Sweetgrass Border
Crossing north of Shelby. He was held in the Toole County Jail
until he made his appearance in Justice Court and then posted $5000
bond and was released.
He is set to make an appearance in District Court in Glasgow on
December 15th.
Zoanni is facing 6 felony burglary charges, 2 felony aggravated
burglary charges, 1 felony criminal mischief charge, 5 misdemeanor
criminal mischief charges, 2 misdemeanor theft charges and 1 criminal
mischief by accountability charge. The charges are the result of
a crime spree that took place in north Valley County on October
10th of 2002 and November 9th of 2002. Zoanni and three juvenile
accomplices from the Wolf Point area robbed and vandalized 5 residences
and the North Bench Community Hall during this period.
Two of the accomplices were under the age of 18 at the time of
the alleged incidents but Ronald L. Kemp of Wolf Point was over
the age of 18 and is facing 5 felony burglary charges along with
3 criminal mischief charges and a criminal mischief by accountability
charge. Kemp will also appear in State District Court in Glasgow
on those charges filed by the Valley County Attorney.
Havre Check Station Indicates Above-Average Season (Posted Wednesday,
December 10, 2003 07:20 AM)
Despite lower activity than normal the final weekend of the 2003
season, biologists at the Havre game-check station checked about
the same number of mule deer and white-tailed deer as last year.
Wildlife biologist Al Rosgaard, who manages the station on U.S.
Highway 2 east of Havre, says the number of deer checked from late
October through Thanksgiving Day was on pace to exceed last year’s
total. But a slow final weekend pushed the total close to last
year’s number. Rosgaard and his crew counted 506 mule deer
this year, compared to 515 in the 2002 season. The total number
of white-tailed deer was 185 this season, compared to 180 last
year.
The proportion of bucks in the total was high. Rosgaard says 70
percent of mule deer checked were antlered bucks, and about half
of those were 3 years old or older. About 52 percent of the white-tailed
deer were bucks.
“
Antler growth was very good this year,” says Rosgaard, “and
large racks were abundant. Most hunters were happy with the bucks
they harvested.”
Rosgaard isn’t sure why the final weekend of this year’s
season was relatively slow. “In the final weekend of the
2002 season, we counted about 150 mule deer. This year we counted
100 mule deer in the last two days of the season,” which
ended Sunday, Nov. 30.
Widespread publicity about the detour around
the damaged Milk River bridge farther east on Highway 2 may have
discouraged some hunters from visiting Region 6. Other factors
may have been weather and good hunting conditions elsewhere in
the state.
Despite the fairly slow final days of the season, Rosgaard says
the 2003 deer season was one of the highest in the last decade.
“
Both last year and this year were highs,” he says. “We’re
seeing some pretty consistent increases in deer from lows in the
early 1990s.”
The number of antelope checked at the station was more than 10
percent above last year. Rosgaard says 610 antelope were checked
in 2003, compared to 547 last year. He credits more antlerless
permits as well as good production of fawns this year for the increase.
Three Valley County Officers Graduate From Law
Enforcement Academy (Posted Wednesday, December 10, 2003 07:18
AM)
Three law enforcement officers in Valley County graduated from
the Montana Law Enforcement Academy in Helena on December 5th.
Glasgow Police Officer Collin Kemmis along with Valley County Sheriffs
Deputies Mary Jo Anderson and Kevin James took part in the graduation
ceremonies on December 5th.
Glasgow Police Chief Lynn Erickson and Valley County Sheriff Glenn
Meier were in Helena for the ceremony and Meier was the guest speaker
for graduation. Meier graduated from the academy in 1976 as an
officer with the Montana Department of Livestock and he spoke on
the changes in law enforcement over the past 28 years. He also
spoke of the different training techniques currently used
at the academy compared to when he graduated in 1976.
All law enforcement officers in Montana have to graduate from the
academy to become certified officers and they have to graduate
within a year of their employment with their particular agency.
The academy is a 12-week course that is conducted in Helena.
Northrop Grumman Establishes Partnership With
A&S Tribal Industries Of Poplar (Posted Saturday, December 6, 2003
01:40 PM)
Northrop Grumman Corporation's Electronic Systems
sector and A&S
Tribal Industries, Inc. (ASTI) have announced the formation of
a new defense
electronics
manufacturing partnership under the auspices of the U.S. Department
of Defense's Mentor Protege program. Established in 1975, A&S Tribal Industries is a U.S. government
certified small disadvantaged business owned by the Fort Peck Tribes.
Located in Poplar, Mont., ASTI has 72 employees engaged in metal
parts fabrication, tooling and assembly work.
Northrop Grumman
has mentored small companies under the Defense Department's Mentor-Protege
program since 1992 and currently has over 20 active mentor-protege
agreements across the corporation.
Under this latest agreement,
Northrop Grumman will provide engineering, manufacturing and business
management training and development support to ASTI, while the
two firms work together to identify opportunities to utilize ASTI's
manufacturing expertise to support Northrop Grumman's current and
future procurement needs.
"We look forward to leveraging ASTI's
extensive experience as a Defense Department supplier to become
a valued contributor of a wide range of manufactured materials
and components for our various defense electronics and systems," said
Katie Gray, vice president of Procurement and Materials for the
Electronic Systems sector. "Northrop Grumman has a proud history
of mentoring small companies, both informally and formally, through
programs sponsored by various U.S. government agencies."
In
a recent ceremony at Fort Peck Community College in Poplar, officials
of Northrop Grumman and ASTI signed a formal mentor-protege agreement,
witnessed by Montana Gov. Judy Martz and Fort Peck Tribal Chairman
Arlyn Headdress. Katie Gray represented Northrop Grumman and Leonard
Smith, chief executive officer, represented ASTI.
Established in
1991, the Department of Defense Mentor-Protege program provides
large, prime contractors incentives to assist small disadvantaged
businesses in enhancing their capabilities; increase the overall
participation of small disadvantaged businesses in the procurement
process; and foster long-term business relationships between small
disadvantaged businesses and prime contractors.
"This mentor-protege
agreement represents a 'win-win-win' for the Department of Defense,
Northrop Grumman and A&S Tribal Industries," said Smith. "The
U.S. government can be assured of receiving top-value, top-quality
products from the partnership forged by Northrop Grumman and ASTI.
The benefits to the Montana economy will also be significant in
terms of developing and growing high-quality manufacturing jobs
as well as increasing business prospects for ASTI and other area
companies."
Northrop Grumman officials said they plan to
work closely with Fort Peck Community College to develop a training
curriculum intended to enhance the skills and capabilities of
ASTI
employees. Technical training internships at various Electronic
Systems sector facilities are also planned for select ASTI personnel.
Northrop Grumman's Electronic Systems sector,
headquartered in Baltimore, Md., is a world leader in the design,
development,
manufacture and support of defense and commercial electronics
and systems including
airborne radar, navigation systems, electronic countermeasures,
precision weapons, airspace management systems, communications
systems, space systems, marine and naval systems, government
systems and logistics services. FWP Will Direct Hunters
To Landowners With Game Damage (Posted Friday, December 5, 2003
06:24 AM)
Landowners who are either suffering damage
or anticipate having damage to agricultural crops caused by white-tailed
deer are
encouraged to call the Glasgow Fish, Wildlife & Parks office
and add their names to a list that will direct hunters to their
properties.
Fish, Wildlife & Parks authorized a special game-damage hunt
for antlerless whitetails in the eastern half of Region 6 from
Dec. 1-31, and wants to act as a broker to link interested hunters
with landowners who would like deer numbers reduced.
“
We’re more interested in having hunters harvest deer now
than issuing kill permits to landowners or having department staff
kill deer later in the winter,” says Harold Wentland, regional
wildlife manager. “And we’d like to direct hunters
to landowners who would like help.”
The damage season extends from roughly Saco eastward to the North
Dakota border, north to the Canadian line and south including much
of McCone and Richland counties. Specific hunting districts where
the damage season is underway are: 670, 630, 631, 632, 640, 641,
650, 651 and 652. Only antlerless whitetails are legal in the season,
which ends a half-hour after sunset on Wed., Dec. 31.
Call FWP’s Glasgow office at 228-3700 if you’re a landowner
who would like additional hunting. Hunters can also call that number
to get a roster of landowners who are looking for antlerless whitetail
harvest.
Native Americans Want Expanded Gambling Opportunities (Posted
Friday, December 5, 2003 06:18 AM) (Helena-AP) -- Representatives from six of Montana's seven Indian
reservations say they want the expanded gambling opportunities
envisioned by federal law. But they say the state refuses to allow
them.
Charlene Alden is gaming manager for the Northern Cheyenne
Indian Reservation. She says her tribe wants to have more video
gambling machines and higher maximum winnings.
Pete Lamere chairs
the gaming committee on the Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation. He
says, if they want to pay out five-thousand or ten-thousand dollars,
that should be left to the tribes.
State law limits maximum payouts
of 800-dollars -- although some tribal-state compacts allow
twice that amount. State officials say the tribes want games legalized
on reservations that are not legal under state law -- such
as
slot machines and blackjack.
Gambling Control Administrator Gene
Huntington
says that's a legislative decision, and not subject to negotiations.
(Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material
may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.) Milk River Bridge Reopens (Posted Friday, December
5, 2003 06:16 AM) (Havre-AP) -- The Milk River Bridge on U-S Highway
Two, between Havre and Chinook, reopened for traffic today, after
emergency repairs.
The bridge collapsed November 18th, during an
accident involving two tractor-trailers. A bulldozer being hauled
on one of the trailers severed a support beam on the bridge.
The temporary repairs involved removing the collapsed western half
of the bridge, and replacing it with one supported by a steel
foundation
and girders.
The bridge deck is wood, covered with asphalt
instead of concrete. The contractor -- Tamietti Construction of
Great
Falls -- worked 20-hour days every day but Thanksgiving to get
the new
span erected. The temporary span is for use until a new, permanent
bridge can be built. The state Transportation Department anticipates
that happening next summer. The only restriction on the temporary
bridge will be a 45 mile-per-hour speed limit. (Copyright 2003
Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.) Almost
All Businesses Pass Selling To Minors Test (Posted Friday, December
5, 2003 06:01 AM) Law enforcement officials throughout Valley County
last week conducted a series of undercover operations to check
if local businesses were selling alcohol to minors. With assistance
from the Big Muddy River Drug Task Force a total of 29 businesses
including bars, grocery stores and convenience stores were tested
with an undercover agent to see if the employee would sell the
alcohol to the minor. Only one business in the county sold the
alcohol and that was in Glasgow at the Albertson's store where
36 year old Richard Helmick was charged with unlawful transaction
with a minor.
Last November the same check was conducted and there were 11 businesses
that were charged with selling alcohol to a minor. Both the Glasgow
Police Department and the Valley County Sheriff's Department were
very happy with the results this year.
Linda Alley
Linda Alley, age 96, passed away December 23,
2003 of natural causes at the Valley View Home in Glasgow, MT.
Funeral services are planned for Monday, December 29 at 2:00pm
at the First United Methodist Church in Glasgow. Burial will
be in Highland Cemetary in Glasgow. Bell Mortuary in Glagow is
in charge of arrangements.
Linda was born November 12, 1907 in Rugby, North
Dakota to Albert and Naphie Dunn. She was second to the oldest
of seven children--all are deceased. She wnet to school in Ross
and Stanley, ND. She married Charles Alley in Stanley, ND and
they moved to Glasgow, MT where they opened a used furniture
store on Second Ave. North. When Fort Peck Dam came about, they
were told they must move to make room for another business within
the month, so they quickly had a building started at the Sam's
Supper Club location, moving there before the roof was even on
in February with two small childre, Mary Lou and Richard. Linda
and Charles operated the furniture store for many years. Linda
was a very active lady. She worked in the Methodist Church Ladies
Aid in all their projects. She loved belonging to the Rebekah
Lodge and Degree of Honor Lodge. She loved to play cards, bingo
, and was a great fisherman. She worked as a clerk at the Valley
County Fair in the needlework department for close to thirty
years. She also did great needlework herself, She led the exercise
class at the Senior Citizens until she was 90 years old. Her
hearing problem limited her activities. Linda was preceded in
death by her parents, her siblings, her husband Charles Alley,
son Richard Alley and Daughter Mary Lou Wagenhals.
Survivors include grandchildren Gayle Sage of
Poplar, MT and Dana Wagenhals of Bilings, MT; 4 great grandchildren,
Chad Wagenhals, Britt Beeghly, Jenni Wagenhals, Marissa Sage;
many nieces and nephews in the Glasgow and Detroit, MI area.
Margaret Sarah Rees
Margaret Sarah Rees, age 75, passed away December
15, 2003 of natural causes at Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital
in Glasgow. Funeral services are planned for Thursday, December
18th at 11:00am at the Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Nashua.
Burial will be at the VFW Cemetery in Circle. Bell Mortuary in
in charge of arrangements.
Margaret was born in northern McCone County on
June 18, 1928 to Earl and Ruth Lingle. She attended Illmont elementary
school in northern McCone County, and then high school in Frazer
and Poplar. She had a passion for learning that never seemed
to be quenched and passed this love onto her children and grandchildren.
Margaret married Harold Rees on March 2, 1946 in Wolf Point.
They set up home in Prairie Elk for several years before eventually
moving to northern McCone county and settling in at the Rees
Ranch in 1956. Margaret had a natural talent for sewing. She
owned a fabric shop and did custom sewing for many years. While
in Prairie Elk she became a charter member of the Prairie Elk
Homemakers Club and was very involved in the local 4-H chapter.
She dedicated several years of her life as a leader in range
management. She was inducted into the range management and 4-H
hall of fame for all her years of hard work and service. Margaret
and Harold moved into Nashua in 1985. Margaret cooked at the
Home Cafe and later Bergies. She loved visiting with customers
and would know their life story before they left. She was dearly
loved by friends and will be greatly missed. Margaret touched
all she knew with her loving nature and kind words. She often
talked about her times at prairie elk and how much she loved
it there. She felt that a small part of her heart was always
there. She enjoyed visiting with friends and family, crocheting,
learning about history, and listening to country music videos
in tv. Margaret was preceded in death by her parents; Earl and
Ruth, a brother Bert; a sister Eleanor; her son Ray; and her
husband Harold.
\Survivors in clude two daughters; Bonnie and
husband Gary Meyer of Fort Peck; and Donna and her husband John
Rorvik of Nashua; a son Randy Rees and wife Carolyn of Fort Peck;
nine grandchildren and three great grandchildren; four sister;
Elise Belzer of Nashua; Jennie Kawasaki of Wolf Point; Ella Curtiss
of Circle; and Cecil Loges of Vida; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Lawrence Barnard "Bill" Kemp
Lawrence Barnard "Bill" Kemp, age 75,
passed away of cancer on Thursday, December 11 at the Frances
Mahon Deaconess Hospital in Glasgow. Services will be held at
11 a.m. on Wednesday, December 17 at the LDS Church in Glasgow.
Interment will follow at the Highland Cemetery.Bell Mortuary
is in charge of arrangements.
Bill was born February 12, 1928 in Glasgow, the
son of Roland and Marie Kemp. He was raised in Glasgow, left
for a short period of time and returned to spend his adult life
in his hometown. In April of 1946, Bill joined the Army. He was
stationed in Japan after World War II. At the end of his tour
of duty, he joined the Army Reserve. He was called back to active
duty and served in Korea during the Korean War. On October 9,
1948, he married Evelyn Wagner in Circle, MT. They made their
home in Glasgow. They have three children. Bill worked for many
years at Newton Motors as a body man and painter in their auto
body shop. In the early 1950's, he painted houses at Fort Peck
and the Glasgow Air Force Base. Later he worked for Avoco and
Tumpane at the base. In 1987, he retired from Valley View Home
as their maintenance man. Always needing something to do, he
became the maintenance man for the LDS churches in Glasgow, Wolf
Point and Poplar. He fully retired in 2001. He enjoyed hunting,
fishing, camping and his grandchildren. He recently became involved
in the raising of buffalo. Bill taught Hunter Safety classes
to the majority of youngsters in Glasgow from 1962 until the
mid 1980's. He was a very active member of the Church of the
Latter Day Saints in Glasgow. He served as branch president,
district president, and high priest leader. His favorite duty
was working in the genealogy center at the chruch. Bill was a
friend to many and enjoyed helping others. Many people have benefited
from his knowledge of the outdoors and his everyday experiences
during his lifetime. He was preceded in death by his father,
Roland Kemp; mother, Marie Hitt, stepfather, Bob Hitt; one brother
and one sister.
Survivors include: His wife, Evelyn Kemp; daughter
and son-in-law Howard and Jennifer Reinhardt and their children,
Stephanie Hollar and her husband Rett and their children, Tony
Reinhardt and wife Alisa and their children, and Nathan Reinhardt;
son and daughter-in-law Robert and Bonnie Kemp and their sons,
Robert Jr. and Bryon Kemp; son and daughter-in-law Ronald and
Margaret Kemp and their children, Michael Kemp and Wife Shelley,
Natasha Kemp and son, Jeffery and Ronald Jr. Kemp. He has five
great grandchildren.
Fredrick William Leader
Fredrick William Leader, age 77, passed away
of natural causes Wednesday, December 3rd, 2003 at the Valley
View Nursing Home in Glasgow, MT. Services will be Monday, December
8th at 10a.m. at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church with Reverand Martin
Mock officiating. Interment will be at the Nashua City Cemetary.
Bell Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.
Fredrick was born September 14, 1926 in Archer,
Montana to William & Sophia (Laverdure) Leader. Fred attended
a one room school house in Archer and Redstone MT. until the
10th grade. He joined the Service in 1944 and served as an MP
in the Pacific Theatre following WWII. He came back to Redstone
and worked in the area up until his marriage. Fredrick married
Vivian Frances LaFoy of Gray, Saskatchewan, Canada on October
24, 1953 at Big Beaver. They moved to Nashua in the fall of 1957
where they raised four children. Fred worked at the Grain Elevator
in Nashua for 30 some years. Fred was a member of Our Redeemer
Lutheran Church, the American Legion, Sons of Norway, Senior
Citizens & the Lions Club. He was an active Justice of the
Peace for many years also. Fred enjoyed taking care of his kids,
grandkids, gardening and helping others through his carpentry
work. He loved dedication his time to the community.
Survivors include: Children, Juanita Scott
and Arlin of Oxnard, California; Rick and Doris Leader of Nashua;
Julaine and Joey Reynen of Culbertson; Karleen and Scott Fossum
of Glasgow; Brother; Leonard Leader of Malta; Sisters; Sami Bedwell
of Aberdeen, SD.; Bernice Bensen and Agnes Wilson of Plentywood;
12 Grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren; Joe Boyum, Kristine
and her son Devin and Angela (Scott) Lopez and her daughter Samantha
Lopez, Russell Leader, Curtis Leader, and Nicholas Leader, Jake
Reynen, Janae Reynen, and Ashley Fossum, Shelby Fossum, Chase
Fossum, and Keely Fossum.
Bernice Marie Nickels
Bernice Marie Nickels, 71, passed away at Billings
Deaconess Hospital on December 3rd from natural causes. Services
will be Monday, December 8th at Our Redeemers Lutheran Church
at 2pm with Pastor Bruce Plummer officiating. Interment will
be at the Nashua City Cemetery. Bell Mortuary in Glasgow is in
charge of arrangements.
Bernice was born in Golden Valley, North Dakota.
She came to the Fort Peck area at the age of 3, her father worked
on the Fort Peck Dam Construction. She attended schools in Fort
Peck and graduated from Nashua High School. She loved gardening,
playing cards, cooking and baking, bowling and was a charter
member of the Bad Land Biddies Homemakers Club. Bernice married
on March 13, 1951 to Russell Nickels in Wolf Point.
Survivors include: husband, Rusty of Nashua; son,
Kenny Nickels of Nashua; daughters, Penny Stephenson of Glasgow,
Vicki Nickels of Denver, Terri Harper and Donald of Havre; brothers,
Calvin Bunk of Glasgow, Allen Bunk of Nashua and Raymond Bunk
of Mt. Vernon, Washington; 7 grandchildren, Mindy, Russell, Beau
and Stephanie Stephenson, Travis Rorvik, Chelsea Harper and Sean
Harper; numerous nieces and nephews.
Clara Leonora Isakson
Clara Leonora Isakson, 85, died of natural causes on December 3 at Frances
Mahon Deaconess Hospital in Glasgow. Services will be at 11 a.m. on Friday,
December 5th at the First Lutheran Church in Glasgow with Reverend Martin
Mock officiating, with burial in Highland Cemetery. Bell Mortuary is in charge
of arrangements.
Clara was born in Fortuna, North Dakota, and went to school there, graduating
from Fortuna High School. She came to the Baylor Community to cook and keep
house for Uncle Stindmo. She married Peter Isakson and they farmed and ranched,
buying land in the area. She retired in 1967 and moved to Glasgow. Clara taught
Sunday school and vacation Bible school. She and Peter were foster parents
also. Peter died in 1982 in Glasgow
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