The Glasgow City Council approved the purchase of a 2008 Pierce Enforcer Pumper Fire Truck at a meeting on Monday.

Glasgow Fire Chief Brandon Brunelle told the council that the Pumper Truck would replace a 1988 model Pumper Truck currently in use by the GFD.

With the purchase of the 2008 Pierce Enforcer Pumper, the GFD will now have a lineup of a 1997 Becker Pumper, 2009 Pierce Pumper and the 1997 Ladder Truck.

The cost of the Pumper Truck is $275,000 and with money set aside by the GFD for the purchase of capital equipment providing a down payment of $75,000, the GFD will finance the remaining balance of $200,000.

The Glasgow City Council gave approval to shop locally for the lowest interest rate on the financing for the Pumper Fire Truck.

Your 2020 Scottie Homecoming Royalty:
King—
Colten Fast
Cooper Larson
Aden Zoanni

Queen—
Erika Blake
Rachelle Glaser
Aubre Hartsock

COVID-19 Update for Valley County:

9/22/2020 10:00am
COVID-19 update

Active cases: 5
Recovered cases: 56
Total cases: 61

Case 61: A female aged 50-59 who is isolating at home. This individual is symptomatic and was identified through contact tracing. Her investigation and contact tracing are complete.

Face coverings or masks are recommended in public places at all times, regardless of the number of active cases in Valley County.

SITUATION UPDATE
This is a situation update for 8:00 a.m. Wednesday, September 23, 2020 on COVID-19.
At this time, Roosevelt County has
• 128 active cases
• 115 cases have recovered
• 1 confirmed COVID-19 related death
• 244 total cases of COVID reported since the beginning of the pandemic

September 22nd we have received notification of 1 new positive COVID-19 case. This individual is isolated and recovering at home.
Phillips County
Active Cases: 3
Recovered: 116
Total Cases: 119
Active Hospitalizations: 0 (Total: 3)

The Farm Service Agency would like to remind producers that Wed. Sept. 30th is the deadline to apply for 2021 Non-insurable Crop Disaster Assistance Program for all 2021 annual fall-seeded crops, perennial forage, & grazing. NAP coverage is available only on crops for which Federal Crop Insurance is not available with the exception of pilot programs such as pasture, rangeland, & forage for hayed & grazed crops. If you have any questions, please contact the Valley County Farm Service Agency at 228-4321 prior to September 30, 2020.

Gilbert Mogan and Dedee Hicks were awarded Yard of the Week for the week by the Glasgow City Council. They reside at 1209 3rd Avenue South.

Press Release From Glasgow School District:

On September 21, 2020, the Glasgow School District was notified that a student had tested positive for COVID-19.

The positive test was confirmed on September 21, 2020. According to the Valley County Health Department, the District’s staff and students were in contact with the staff member during the period of possible exposure. However, the student last attended in-class or had person-to-person contact with fellow students/staff at GHS on September 10,2020. Working with the Valley County Health Department, we do not need to close down the school at this time. We will continue to monitor the situation.

If any staff or students are at risk of exposure, the Valley County Health Department will be in contact with that person to determine a safe and appropriate course of action. It is still recommended that any person who feels sick or ill, seek out their medical provider for specific instructions. The School District is in contact with the Health Department and reviewing the Centers for Disease Control guidance to complete cleaning the school and other related facilities. The other steps taken by the School District include temp checks, handwashing stations, sanitization of classrooms, and a deep clean of the room(s). Contact Wade Sundby for details about these measures. School officials will continue to monitor the situation and will provide further information if and when it becomes available.

The Glasgow School District along with the Valley County Health Department will be reaching out to families involved. Please follow the guidelines presented. At this time we will not be closing the school or the district. The classroom(s)/students(s) involved will begin remote learning on Monday, September 21, 2020.

The students will need to contact the teacher(s) at Glasgow High School to begin remote learning. If there are any questions concerning remote learning at GHS, please call Mr. Huntsman 406.228.2485. If there are any other questions please contact Wade
Sundby at the central office 406.228.2406.

Respectfully submitted,
Wade O. Sundby

Superintendent

Here is the resignation letter provided to the Valley County Commissioners:

09/21/2020



Dear Valley County Commissioners,

I am writing this letter to inform you that I plan on resigning from my elected office as Clerk and Recorder/Superintendent of Schools and Election Administrator effective December 2, 2020.

I have decided to dedicate more time to my children and family. Due to relocation, I am unable to fulfill my term as Clerk and recorder.

I have been working for Valley County for the past seven years. I must say, it has been the most educational, rewarding, and worthwhile years of my life. I have gained exceptional experience and a tremendous amount knowledge, that I hope to carry forward in future endeavors.

I cannot begin to express the gratitude I have for everyone who has supported me and instilled their trust by electing me as the County Clerk and Recorder.


Sincerely,

Taryn Aberg

Governor’s Proclamation



I hereby order all flags flown in the state of Montana to be flown at half-staff on Friday, September 18, 2020 until the day of internment to honor Justice of the United States Supreme Court, Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a torch-bearer and a champion of justice and equality. Justice Ginsburg’s peerless work spanned over half a century, and will continue to serve as an inspiration to so many attorneys, activists, and young women who look up to her as their hero, including my own daughters. She devoted herself to safeguarding our democracy, keeping her watch on the bench until the very end of her life.


Dated this 18th day of September, 2020.

STEVE BULLOCK
Governor

The Glasgow School District along with the Valley County Health Department will be reaching out to families involved. Please follow the guidelines presented. At this time we will not be closing the school or the district. The classroom (s) involved will begin remote learning on Monday, September 21, 2020. Mrs. Erickson will be contacting those families involved. If there are questions concerning remote learning please contact Mrs. Erickson at Irle School 406.228.2419. For other questions please contact Wade Sundby at the central office 406.228.2406.

(Pictured - official setting for POW/MIA)

Friday is National POW/MIA Recognition Day, at Thursday night's regular meeting of the American Legion Post 41 and Auxiliary a small ceremony was held to honor them.

MONTANA – Governor Steve Bullock today announced Montana’s unemployment rate continued its downward trend in August, dropping by 0.9 percentage points to 5.6%. Montana’s unemployment rate is well below the national rate of 8.4% for August.

“Montana continues to outperform the national economy in our economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic,” Governor Steve Bullock said. “If we continue to come together to fight this virus, we can keep Montana’s workers and business owners healthy and safe and further our economic recovery.”

Montana has the 7th lowest unemployment rate in the nation. August total employment levels were 713 jobs higher than July. Total employment includes payroll, agricultural, and self-employed workers. Payroll employment increased by 400 jobs in August. The largest gains in payroll jobs occurred in federal government employment due to hiring for the U.S. Census.

The unemployment rate in Valley County is 4 percent compared to 2.9 percent in August of 2019.

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased by 0.4% in August with a broad-based increase in prices across all goods. The index for all items less food and energy, also called core inflation, rose by 0.4%. Although these metrics suggest inflation is higher than in the past year, the increase in the all items less food and energy has increased by only 1.7% over the last twelve months, remaining below the Federal Reserve’s inflation target. Inflation below the target suggests accommodative monetary policy will continue in the upcoming months.

Story from KRTV.COM

Governor Steve Bullock announced Wednesday that the State of Montana will be posting information online about positive COVID-19 cases in schools.

Data will be provided on K-12 and higher education schools in the state, including private institutions, on the Montana Department of Public Health & Human Services website each week.

[L]https://dphhs.mt.gov/Portals/85/publichealth/documents/CDEpi/DiseasesAtoZ/2019-nCoV/School%20cases%209162020%20(003).pdf[EL]

Bullock says it is critically important for the State to be transparent about cases in schools for the safety of families and educators. “Keeping safe and healthy during these times also means that parents and staff have access to information should there be cases of COVID-19 at their kid’s school,” said Bullock. “This is a system that protects student data in small schools while also providing a basic level of information and the transparency and the trust that parents in our community need.”

According to the State, there have been 60 schools in Montana that have had a confirmed case of COVID-19 in either a student or staff member since the beginning of the school year. Bullock also noted that as of Wednesday there had been around 50 K-12 students that have tested positive for the virus during the school year out of the 147,000 students in the state.

For schools that have more than 50 students, the school’s name, number of positive student and staff cases and the county the school is located in will be posted. For schools that have between 11 and 50 students, the number of cases won’t be distinguished between students and staff. Bullock says there will be no reporting on schools that have fewer than 10 students attending in order to protect individual privacy.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Arntzen criticized the action of the governor on social media. Arntzen wrote: “Today’s decision by the Governor goes beyond displaying data at the county level as is currently being done for general COVID-19 case reporting. Montana’s many rural schools have few students and staff... Displaying data for these individual schools will increase the risk of exposing personally identifiable medical information. I again ask the Governor to reverse this decision and display aggregate data only at the county level.”

For the last two months Arntzen and Bullock have been publicly trading verbal jabs over the reopening of schools during COVID and the role of the Governor’s office.

The Superintendent has complained about a lack of communication from the Governor’s Office on the matter and being cut out of decision making regarding schools. The Governor has denied those claims, saying regular opportunities to meet with his staff were available.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18, 2020 – President Donald J. Trump and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced up to an additional $14 billion for agricultural producers who continue to face market disruptions and associated costs because of COVID-19. Signup for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP 2) will begin September 21 and run through December 11, 2020.

“America’s agriculture communities are resilient, but still face many challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. President Trump is once again demonstrating his commitment to ensure America’s farmers and ranchers remain in business to produce the food, fuel, and fiber America needs to thrive,” said Secretary Perdue. “We listened to feedback received from farmers, ranchers and agricultural organizations about the impact of the pandemic on our nations’ farms and ranches, and we developed a program to better meet the needs of those impacted.”

Background:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will use funds being made available from the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Charter Act and CARES Act to support row crops, livestock, specialty crops, dairy, aquaculture and many additional commodities. USDA has incorporated improvements in CFAP 2 based from stakeholder engagement and public feedback to better meet the needs of impacted farmers and ranchers.

Producers can apply for CFAP 2 at USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) county offices. This program provides financial assistance that gives producers the ability to absorb increased marketing costs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Producers will be compensated for ongoing market disruptions and assisted with the associated marketing costs.

CFAP 2 payments will be made for three categories of commodities – Price Trigger Commodities, Flat-rate Crops and Sales Commodities.

Price Trigger Commodities

Price trigger commodities are major commodities that meet a minimum 5-percent price decline over a specified period of time. Eligible price trigger crops include barley, corn, sorghum, soybeans, sunflowers, upland cotton, and all classes of wheat. Payments will be based on 2020 planted acres of the crop, excluding prevented planting and experimental acres. Payments for price trigger crops will be the greater of: 1) the eligible acres multiplied by a payment rate of $15 per acre; or 2) the eligible acres multiplied by a nationwide crop marketing percentage, multiplied by a crop-specific payment rate, and then by the producer’s weighted 2020 Actual Production History (APH) approved yield. If the APH is not available, 85 percent of the 2019 Agriculture Risk Coverage-County Option (ARC-CO) benchmark yield for that crop will be used.

For broilers and eggs, payments will be based on 75 percent of the producers’ 2019 production.

Dairy (cow’s milk) payments will be based on actual milk production from April 1 to Aug. 31, 2020. The milk production for Sept. 1, 2020, to Dec. 31, 2020, will be estimated by FSA.

Eligible beef cattle, hogs and pigs, and lambs and sheep payments will be based on the maximum owned inventory of eligible livestock, excluding breeding stock, on a date selected by the producer, between Apr. 16, 2020, and Aug. 31, 2020.

Flat-rate Crops

Crops that either do not meet the 5-percent price decline trigger or do not have data available to calculate a price change will have payments calculated based on eligible 2020 acres multiplied by $15 per acre. These crops include alfalfa, extra long staple (ELS) cotton, oats, peanuts, rice, hemp, millet, mustard, safflower, sesame, triticale, rapeseed, and several others.

Sales Commodities

Sales commodities include specialty crops; aquaculture; nursery crops and floriculture; other commodities not included in the price trigger and flat-rate categories, including tobacco; goat milk; mink (including pelts); mohair; wool; and other livestock (excluding breeding stock) not included under the price trigger category that were grown for food, fiber, fur, or feathers. Payment calculations will use a sales-based approach, where producers are paid based on five payment gradations associated with their 2019 sales.

Additional commodities are eligible in CFAP 2 that weren’t eligible in the first iteration of the program. If your agricultural operation has been impacted by the pandemic since April 2020, we encourage you to apply for CFAP 2. A complete list of eligible commodities, payment rates and calculations can be found on farmers.gov/cfap.

Eligibility

There is a payment limitation of $250,000 per person or entity for all commodities combined. Applicants who are corporations, limited liability companies, limited partnerships may qualify for additional payment limits when members actively provide personal labor or personal management for the farming operation. In addition, this special payment limitation provision has been expanded to include trusts and estates for both CFAP 1 and 2.

Producers will also have to certify they meet the Adjusted Gross Income limitation of $900,000 unless at least 75 percent or more of their income is derived from farming, ranching or forestry-related activities. Producers must also be in compliance with Highly Erodible Land and Wetland Conservation provisions.

Applying for Assistance

Producers can apply for assistance beginning Sept. 21, 2020. Applications will be accepted through Dec. 11, 2020.

Additional information and application forms can be found at farmers.gov/cfap. Documentation to support the producer’s application and certification may be requested. All other eligibility forms, such as those related to adjusted gross income and payment information, can be downloaded from farmers.gov/cfap/apply. For existing FSA customers, including those who participated in CFAP 1, many documents are likely already on file. Producers should check with FSA county office to see if any of the forms need to be updated.

Customers seeking one-on-one support with the CFAP 2 application process can call 877-508-8364 to speak directly with a USDA employee ready to offer assistance. This is a recommended first step before a producer engages with the team at the FSA county office.

All USDA Service Centers are open for business, including some that are open to visitors to conduct business in person by appointment only. All Service Center visitors wishing to conduct business with FSA, Natural Resources Conservation Service or any other Service Center agency should call ahead and schedule an appointment. Service Centers that are open for appointments will pre-screen visitors based on health concerns or recent travel, and visitors must adhere to social distancing guidelines. Visitors are also required to wear a face covering during their appointment. Our program delivery staff will be in the office, and they will be working with our producers in the office, by phone and using online tools. More information can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus.

Glasgow School District will be distributing our summer food program meals for children beginning Monday,
September 21, 2020. Meals will be distributed at the respective school.

1 breakfast and 1 lunch each day will be distributed to enrolled Glasgow School District students on a free basis regardless of free/reduced/paid status as the district has been temporarily qualified to do so.

The Glasgow School District was approved retroactively to September 1st and you will receive credit to your mealtime account for meals served in September.

This waiver will expire at the end of December 2020.

There will be the option for grab and go meals on Fridays. More information on that will follow. We will start the grab and go meal option on Friday, October 2, 2020.

If you have any questions, please call 406-228-2406.

HELENA, Mont. – The Montana Department of Commerce today launched the 2020 Census State Championship to encourage counties and tribes in Montana to compete for the highest increase in self-response rates to the 2020 Census from now until September 30. With only 15 days left in the 2020 Census count, the Commerce Department and the Montana Complete Count Committee are urging every Montana resident to respond to the 2020 Census before the shortened deadline of September 30.

“This is the final countdown for the 2020 Census,” said Lt. Gov. Mike Cooney, the Chair of the Montana Complete Count Committee. “The counties and tribes that win the 2020 Census State Championship will get not only bragging rights with a trophy to prove it, but will also receive their fair share of federal funding for the next 10 years, accurate representation in the state Legislature, and the knowledge that they contributed to the possibility of Montana regaining a second seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Game on, Montana!”

There will be two winners for counties and two winners for tribal nations based on the percentage increase in self-response rates, as well as for the increase in the number of households that respond to the 2020 Census from today until September 30. To enter the championship, Montana residents who have not yet responded to the 2020 Census can do so at MY2020CENSUS.GOV, by calling 1-844-330-2020 or by mailing in the paper form if they received one. Track each community’s progress here. Valley County rate as of Thursday was only 40.7%.

The U.S. Census Bureau suspended all field operations from March to early May to slow the spread of COVID-19, and then cut short the deadline to September 30 to respond to the Census. As a result, Montana’s self-response rate is below the national average, with 59.2 percent of Montanans having self-responded to the 2020 Census, compared to the national average of 65.9 percent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Even with door-to-door counting by U.S. Census workers, Montana’s overall response rate is below the national average, and tribal nations and rural counties in Montana are at risk of an undercount.

The federal government is responsible for counting all households every 10 years, while the state supports the effort to educate and promote the importance of the Census. In June, Governor Steve Bullock allocated $530,500 to the Montana Department of Commerce to continue Census education and outreach efforts.

The Montana Department of Commerce is using that funding to partner with the Montana Nonprofit Association, Western Native Voice, Forward Montana Foundation and Missoula-based marketing agency Windfall to conduct targeted outreach aimed at low self-responding areas of the state to encourage residents in those areas to fill out the Census.

For every Montanan not counted, the state stands to lose an estimated $20,000 in federal funding over the next decade. Census information is also used to draw local voting and school districts, and it determines whether Montana will receive a second seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

You can track your community’s progress in the 2020 Census State Championship here.

And respond to the 2020 Census today at MY2020CENSUS.GOV , by calling 1-844-330-2020, or by mailing in your paper Census form if you’ve received one.

Wednesday is Hump Day for Glasgow-area businesses. Save your receipts when shopping locally Wednesday & bring them to the Glasgow Area Chamber of Commerce & Agriculture by Friday for your chance at winning $50 in Chamber Big Bucks! Several businesses are also featuring sales.

Along with Hump Day, Alive at Five is back! Join the Glasgow Downtown Association outside of Shippwrecked from 5 – 8p.m. & enjoy live music from the 4th Street Band, pizza & drinks from the Oasis, sweet treats from the Jump-N-Buck Ice Cream Truck, & family fun.

The GDA has worked alongside the Valley County Health Department to help ensure a safe event for our community.

Hiline Today

CHINOOK, Mont. (NMB) – The victim has been identified and the alleged driver is facing charges after a single-vehicle crash in Blaine County on Saturday evening left one person dead.

The Blaine County Sheriff’s Office has identified the victim as 19-year-old Payton Jones of Chinook. Jones was ejected from the front passenger seat of a Ford Crown Victoria that rolled over at least 1.5 times on Saturday night on Redrock Road north of Chinook. He was declared dead at the scene.

The driver, 21-year-old Raja Singh of Chinook, is facing pending charges that include vehicular homicide. Other charges include lack of insurance, failure to give notice, leaving the scene of an accident, expired registration and a seatbelt violation. He was not injured in the crash.

The other occupant of the vehicle, a 17-year-old male from Chinook, who was uninjured, is not facing any charges at this time.

None of the occupants of the vehicle were wearing seatbelts.

The crash remains under investigation, and excessive speed and alcohol are suspected factors.

Glasgow High School graduates who are attending college or trade school are reminded that the application deadline for financial aid from the Glasgow High School Educational Trust is October 15, 2020. All students who have completed one year of college or one semester of trade school, are in good academic standing, are attending full-time, and are showing progress toward the completion of a degree may apply. Students enrolled in on-line or correspondence programs full-time (12 credit minimum) also may be eligible. The application is available on the trust’s website at www.ghsedutrust.org. The site also lists certain other requirements that must be met, such as the inclusion of a student’s signed Financial Aid Acceptance letter (FAFSA) if the student applied for financial aid.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the trust will accept reference letters submitted electronically as long as they include the reference’s email address for verification. Also, if students have difficulty getting paper copies of their official transcripts sent to them, they may request that the institution send them directly by email to daniander@nemont.net.

Applications must be complete and submitted on time to be considered. Students should contact Danielle Anderson at daniander@nemont.net or at 406-230-0153 if they have any questions.

The Glasgow High School Educational Trust was established by the GHS Class of 1938. Since its inception in 1964, it has awarded a total of $2,529,500.00 to 749 different students. Students who receive grants may reapply for up to a total of eight semesters if they continue to meet the eligibility requirements.

Now, more than ever, with so many families facing unprecedented economic pressures, the costs of higher education escalating each year, and student debt at all-time highs, all eligible students should apply for this generous opportunity made possible through the contributions of hundreds of faithful trust supporters.

Notice from Malta Public Schools:

Late Saturday, September 12th, 2020, Malta Elementary School was notified that individuals associated with the District had tested positive for COVID-19.

According to the Phillips County Health Department, some of the District’s staff and students were in contact with these individuals during a period of possible exposure. The individuals last had contact with others in our school on September 9th, 3 days prior to their diagnosis. Since September 10th no staff or students have been exposed to these individuals. If anyone associated with the District is at risk of exposure, the Phillips County Health Department will be in contact with that person to determine a safe and appropriate course of action.

It is still recommended that any person who feels sick or ill seek out their medical provider for specific instructions. The School District is in contact with the Health Department and reviewing the Centers for Disease Control guidance to complete deep cleaning of the school. Due to the timing of this diagnosis Malta Elementary will be closed September 14th and 15th to allow the Phillips County Health Department and the school to complete a thorough contact tracing.

Malta Middle School and Malta High School will still operate with a normal schedule at this time. Contact the elementary office for details about these measures. School officials will continue to monitor the situation and will provide further information if and when it becomes available.

https://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/northwestern-energy-bills-to-decrease-in-october/article_f32a3dda-70d7-5684-9456-70781fa1ee76.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1

NorthWestern Energy customers will see a slight decrease in their monthly bills beginning in October.

Typical residential customers will see a decrease of about $2.34 a month, according to the utility. The rate reduction stems from lower-than-expected costs during a 12-month period ending June 30. Montana’s Public Service Commission will take up the rate reduction sometime in the next year to determine whether the single-year rate decrease is adequate.

State law allows NorthWestern to adjust costs for a previous year, either by increasing rates or cutting them. This year, the adjustment is to the customer’s benefit. The utility over-collected by about $3.5 million for power it expected to purchase from some third party renewable energy sources. That money will be part of the credit NorthWestern proposes.

A year ago, the utility sought a $23.8 million single-year increase to recoup unexpected expenses from the second half of 2018 and first six months of 2018. Replacement power costs for a summer of mechanical problems at Colstrip Power Plant were among the expenses. The average residential customer experienced a rate increase of $37.08 to cover those expenses.

Montana’s utility regulator is about five weeks away from determining whether last year’s increase was appropriate.

Governor’s Proclamation

I hereby order all flags flown in the State of Montana to be flown at half-staff on
Friday, September 11, 2020, in honor of all those who lost their lives on
September 11, 2001 and in observance of Patriot Day and National Day of
Service.

Each year, September 11th reminds us of how much we lost, but also what
brought our nation together in the face of tragedy and what binds us all as
Americans. May this year’s commemoration of 9/11 serve as a reminder that our
strength lies in our unity and of our resilience in the face of adversity.

Story from www.ktvh.com

HELENA — After just two weeks of distribution in Montana, the $400 Lost Wages Assistance Program from the federal government will be ending. The last payment will be for benefit week ending on Sep. 5.

The program was created by an executive order from President Trump to assist individuals who had lost their job as a result of the pandemic. It directed the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide $300 in lost wage assistance to states that made a $100 copay, making the total payment $400. Montana used CARES Act money to cover the state's $100 obligation.

Montana was one of the first states to take advantage of the program, with the Montana Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) issuing the first payments on Aug. 26. The program retroactively covered payments from benefit week ending Aug. 1 through Aug. 19.

A total of six weeks were covered by the program, with jobless Montanans receiving around $59 million in total.

The duration of the Lost Wages Assistance program was dependent on the terms of the President’s Memorandum. DLI says most experts estimated funding would not extend beyond seven weeks.

DLI made nearly 51,000 Unemployment Insurance payments totaling almost $27M for the week of August 31 through September 4.

Message from Garfield County DES on Huff Fire:

Tuesday the Huff Fire reaches 100% containment. This would simply not have been possible without all of the mutual aid received from neighboring areas sending firefighters, EMTS and LEOs. Our school of 154 students fully evacuated in less than 8 minutes. But the next day, they all came back to write their thank yous. And one recommendation involves statues for you all.
List of Responding Fire Departments who sent both wild land and structure engines (if we missed you PLEASE let us know)

Petroleum
Prairie
Dawson/West Glendive
Fallon/Baker
Richland/Sidney
Roosevelt
Fergus/Grass Range/Heath
Custer
Rosebud
McCone/Circle
Wibaux
State of North Dakota

McCone & Prairie Co EMTs who aided in ambulance runs and served on standby

Sheriff Offices who sent personnel to help
Roosevelt
Sheridan
Petroleum
Rosebud
McCone

Federal Agencies:
Bureau of Land Management
US Forest Service
Dept of Natural Resources
US Fish & Wildlife Services
From the bottom of our hearts - THANK YOU
8:46pm 9/8/20 ALM

The Glasgow City Council approved taxes and assessments for Fiscal year 2020/2021 at a regular meeting on Tuesday.

The Council approved assessments for the costs of maintaining and electrical power for 29 Lighting Districts in the City of Glasgow. The amount assessed to those living in the lighting districts is $189,252.07. This is the same amount assessed in the previous fiscal year.

The Council approved $330,475 in assessments for the collection and disposal of garbage in the City of Glasgow. This assessment is used to pay for the collection and disposal of garbage by T & R Trucking. This is the same amount as the previous fiscal year.

The Council approved $506,369.92 in assessments for the cost of street maintenance in the City of Glasgow. This assessment pays for street maintenance and is paid by all property owners in the city. This is an increase of 5% over the previous year.

The Council also approved funding for the General Fund. The General Fund pays for the general operation in the city of Glasgow. This includes the Glasgow Police Department, Glasgow Recreation Department and Glasgow Fire Department.

The Council approved levying 289.41 mills which will generate $1,367,311.76. This is an increase of $14,366.76 over the previous year.

Todd and Wendy Glaser have the Yard of the Week for this week! Todd and Wendy reside at 103 Heather Lane in Glasgow!

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced plans to upgrade the Fort Peck Marina boat ramp.

The existing boat ramp consists of concrete and asphalt. High water over the last few years caused the base material under the asphalt to fail. The planned upgrades include removing the asphalt and extending the concrete an additional 100 feet above the existing concrete and above the high-water mark.

Construction is tentatively scheduled to begin Wednesday and will continue through the month, depending on conditions. Viking Construction of Nashua, Montana received the competitive bid.

The ramp will be closed during construction. Boaters can launch 2.5 miles west at Duck Creek Fishing Access Site or seven miles east at Flat Lake Recreation Area.

All other services at the marina remain open during construction including fuel, bait shop, restaurant and RV park.

For more information, call USACE at (406) 526-3411.

MONTANA – Governor Steve Bullock Thursday evening issued an executive order declaring a state of fire emergency due to extremely hazardous wildland fire conditions throughout Montana.

“Local, state, and federal partners, and the brave men and women on the front lines are working together to take on this fire season and we are prepared to use every resource available to protect Montana lives and property,” said Governor Bullock. “At the same time, I know that Montanans will continue to take this seriously and stay safe, stay informed, and continue to support our firefighters and our communities impacted by fires.”

Many factors including above-average temperatures, unpredictable winds, and low humidity have resulted in extreme fire conditions. On Wednesday, seventeen new fires burned over 100,000 acres. Moderate to severe drought conditions continue to exist throughout most of the Central and Eastern portions of Montana. The hot and abnormally dry conditions are predicted to continue through the middle of September, and under current conditions, new wildland fire starts are likely throughout the state.

This declaration allows Governor Bullock to mobilize additional state resources and the Montana National Guard to combat the fires to protect life, health, and property, and to expend funds to meet the contingencies and needs that may arise from them.

The emergency order also suspends hours of service regulations for drivers of commercial vehicles while providing support to fire suppression activities and temporary fuel permits normally required for vehicles providing supplies to help support response to the emergency. Commercial motor vehicle carriers cannot require or allow fatigued drivers to operate a motor vehicle.

Additionally, the emergency order suspends the brand inspection permit fee requirement and the brand inspection requirement prior to removal, as well as allows the Montana Department of Livestock to issue transportation permits by phone when necessary to cope with the emergency.

In August, Governor Bullock doubled the state’s fire fund, reaching its statutory maximum of $101.5 million or enough to cover nearly five average wildfire seasons. State wildfire suppression costs as of August 30 are estimated to be at $4.5 million.

Posted from Garfield County Disaster and Emergency Services.

Thank you all for patience as we gathered fire intelligence Thursday

Huff Fire is 46,829 acres with 15% containment. Another source for information is here: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7137/

Crews continue to secure the perimeter. Thursday engines responding through mutual aid from surrounding counties were also assigned to several landowners to aid in pulling apart hot spots such as outbuildings, corrals and equipment. The helicopter utilized to fly the fire for mapping was also briefly used to drop more water. Safety of crews remains a top priority- including the need for rest.

Wide variety of weather expected for eastern Montana through Wednesday

Saturday: Hot, highs in the 90s. Cold front will move through Saturday afternoon with southeast winds of 5 to 15 mph becoming northwest at 10 to 20 mph with gusts to 30 mph possible. A Fire Weather Watch is in effect for Southern Petroleum and Southern Garfield Counties for Saturday afternoon and evening. Humidities will drop to near 10 percent in the fire weather watch area, and be in the teens and lower 20s in the rest of NE Montana.

Sunday: Cooler, highs in the 70s to lower 80s. Windy, northwest winds of 15 to 30 mph with higher gusts. Rain will move into the area from Canada on Sunday evening. A lake wind advisory will likely be issued for Sunday.

Monday: Chances of wetting rain through the day, especially west of a line from Glasgow to Miles City. Highs only in the 50s, temperatures likely dropping through the day. Monday evening, temperatures will drop below freezing across NE Montana. Some snow could be mixed in with the rain, especially north of Highway 2.

Tuesday: Rain/Snow moves southward, highs in the 50s.

Wednesday: Warming into the 60s.

Story from KXLH.COM

The Trump campaign, national Republicans and the Montana Republican Party filed suit Wednesday to overturn Gov. Steve Bullock's August order allowing Montana counties to conduct the Nov. 3 election with mail ballots.

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Helena, asked a judge to block Bullock's Aug. 6 order and declare it unconstitutional.

Bullock issued the order under his emergency powers during the coronavirus pandemic, and at the request of Montana county election officials, many of whom said they feared they could not safely or efficiently conduct the election with traditional polling stations. The order gave counties the option to conduct the election by mail or with polling stations on Election Day.

The Governor provided the following statement in regards to the lawsuit:
“This template lawsuit appears to be part of a pattern of lawsuits across the country by Republican party operatives to limit access to voting during the pandemic. Voting by mail in Montana is safe, secure, and was requested by a bipartisan coalition of Montana election officials seeking to reduce the risk of COVID-19 and keep Montanans safe and healthy. This is the same directive that the Republican President of the Senate and Republican Speaker of the House said was the right thing to do for the June primary. Today, we have many more active cases of COVID-19 than we did back in June.”

Julia Doyle with the campaign for Senator Steve Daines, Bullock's incumbent rival for this year's Montana Senate race, responded to the lawsuit with a statement claiming Bullock made the mail ballot order for personal reasons:

"Governor Bullock has obvious personal interest in changing election laws in Montana - he is the last person who should be making unilateral decisions that put into question the integrity of Montana's elections."

As of Wednesday, about 40 counties have announced that they intend to go to all-mail ballots, including seven of the eight most populous counties. Ballots would be mailed to all registered voters in those counties on Oct. 9. However, voters would still have the option of dropping their ballot off in person, at county election offices or drop-boxes.

Doris Leader of Nashua, who chairs the Valley County Community Foundation, has announced the recipients of the Clarence and Charlotte Fuhrman Scholarships for 2020. The three recipients are doing undergraduate work at Montana universities.

Kiauna Barstad is a 2017 Glasgow High School graduate. In her fourth year at Rocky Mountain College, she studies biology and psychology for her majors with chemistry minor. Her parents are Bruce Barstad and Kelly Barstad of Glasgow.

Bethany Lacock Legare will begin her third year at the University of Montana, studying physical therapy. The 2014 Hinsdale High School graduate is the daughter of Steve and LaMae Lacock of Hinsdale.

Garrett Lloyd begins his second year at Montana State University studying mechanical engineering. He is a 2019 Glasgow High School graduate and the son of Duane and Ellen Lloyd of Glasgow.

The Fuhrmans farmed near Opheim and provided the scholarship to benefit graduates from all of the high schools in Valley County. Among the requirements are a three-year residence in Valley County, graduation from a Valley County high school, home school or GED, participation in school and civic organizations, completion of at least one year of study beyond high school and a 2.8 scholastic average.

The first Fuhrman scholarships were awarded in 2011. Since then, 23 students have received over $28,150. More information is available through the VCCF website, www.valleycountycf.net. A notice of the 2021 application due date will be available next spring through local media and the website.

MONTANA – Governor Steve Bullock today announced that the state has secured Federal Management Assistance Grants (FMAG) from FEMA to assist with costs associated with fighting the Huff Fire burning in Garfield County, the Bobcat Fire burning in Musselshell and Yellowstone Counties, and the Snider and Rice Fires burning in Rosebud County.

“I’m grateful to all of the incredible folks who stepped up quickly and diligently yesterday to work to contain the threatening wildfires we saw emerge around our state from gusty winds and warm temperatures,” said Governor Bullock. “As firefighters continue to work around the clock to keep Montanans and their property safe, we ask that Montanans take seriously warnings and evacuation orders from local officials and follow all precautions.”

Yesterday Montana’s Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) submitted the requests for firefighting assistance, with two of those requests approved yesterday evening and the third this morning by FEMA. The FMAG makes FEMA funding available to pay 75 percent of the state’s eligible firefighting costs. Eligible costs include materials and supplies, mobilization and demobilization, equipment use, and expenses for field camps. Additionally, each FMAG is eligible for over $450,000 in federal mitigation funding.

The Huff Fire, which started on September 2, has burned over 30,000 acres and threatened over 900 structures, including a school and hospital. The Bobcat Fire, which started on September 2, has burned over 20,000 acres and threatened between 500-700 homes and a coal mine. The Snider and Rice Fires have burned over 48,000 acres and threatened over 1,050 structures.

This news released by the Nashua School on September 2nd:

The Nashua School will be resuming our distance learning model beginning 9/3 and continuing to 9/10. All extra-curricular activities and events have been cancelled during this time.

This closure has been necessitated because a Health Department mandated quarantine was not adhered to. This resulted in our staff and students potentially being exposed to the COVID-19 virus inside our school. I would like to reiterate to our parents/guardians that we do not have a confirmed positive case in our school. This is precautionary action to ensure the health and safety of our students.

The Nashua School administration and school board representatives worked in conjunction with the Valley County Health Department to determine the best course of action for our school to take to ensure the health and safety of our students and staff.

The Nashua School will resume extra-curricular activities on 9/11 and school will resume in person on 9/14.

This story was posted on social media from the 34th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade. Mayhew is a graduate of Nashua High School:

34th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade

Yesterday, we recognized the service and sacrifice of Sgt. 1st Class Elmer Mayhew and Sgt. Jared Fossek, Soldiers with Delta Company, 1-189th GSAB Vigilante_Javelin. Both Soldiers were presented the Purple Heart medal and received this distinction for their injuries sustained during rocket attacks on March 14, 2020, while stationed at Camp Taji, Iraq. Please help us in thanking them for their service.

The GHS Art Club is painting windows for Homecoming 2020 as a fundraiser. The goal is to have them done the week of September 21st with Homecoming on October 2nd & 3rd.

The students will bring their ideas to you to decide what design you want. The cost is small windows $50 each and large windows $100 each. Any questions and to get on the list, call GHS Art Teacher-Cat McIntyre at 406-671-0659. Show your Scottie Pride!!

The following information was released from the Valley County Health Department at 11:54 a.m. on Tuesday, September 1, 2020:

Valley County COVID-19 update:

Active cases: 9
Recovered cases: 37
Total cases: 46

Case 41: A female aged 10-19 who is not hospitalized. The investigation and contact tracing are ongoing.

Case 42: A female aged 60-69 who is not hospitalized. The investigation and contact tracing are ongoing.

Case 43: A female aged 30-39 who is not hospitalized. The investigation and contact tracing are ongoing.

Case 44: A male aged 30-39 who is not hospitalized. The investigation and contact tracing are ongoing.

Case 45: A female aged 10-19 who is not hospitalized. The investigation and contact tracing are ongoing.

Case 46: A male aged 40-49 who is not hospitalized. The investigation and contact tracing are ongoing.

Face coverings or masks are recommended in public places at all times, regardless of the number of active cases in Valley County.

The Yard of the Week for this week belongs to Mike and Jan Kaiser at 640 5th Avenue South in Glasgow!

HELENA – Thursday morning, eleven student officers will graduate after successfully completing 20 weeks of training, and will begin careers as Montana Highway Patrol Troopers. Members of the press are invited to attend Thursday’s graduation ceremony for MHP Class #68. A roster is below. Attorney General Tim Fox is scheduled to address the graduates.

Name: Mickey Doherty
Hometown: Butte
Initial Station: Bozeman

Name: Christopher George
Hometown: Glasgow
Initial Station: Glasgow

Name: Tori Harris
Hometown: Pensacola, Florida
Initial Station: Kalispell

Name: Jacob Jukkala
Hometown: Fernandina Beach, Florida
Initial Station: Great Falls

Name: Andrew McFarland
Hometown: Susanville, California
Initial Station: Hamilton

Name: Noah Pacheco
Hometown: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Initial Station: Havre

Name: Jacob Patton
Hometown: Shreveport, Louisiana
Initial Station: Bozeman

Name: Thomas Renz
Hometown: Butte
Initial Station: Butte

Name: Zachary Sommerfeld
Hometown: Sidney
Initial Station: Sidney

Name: Mary Strumpfer
Hometown: Seeley Lake
Initial Station: Seeley Lake

Name: Nicholas Wade
Hometown: Lebanon Township, New Jersey
Initial Station: Dillon

Immediately following the graduation ceremony, three Captains will be promoted:
Justin Braun: Captain Braun will be promoted to District VI Commander in Kalispell.
Conner Smith: Captain Smith will be promoted to Administrative Captain at Headquarters.
Derek Werner: Captain Werner will be promoted to District VIII Commander in Havre.

A Glasgow man died in a crash in Valley County on Sunday morning.

Valley County Sheriff Tom Boyer identified the man as 36-year old Daniel Rogenes.

Montana Highway Patrol received a call about the crash at 7:33 a.m.

A 1999 Ford Ranger was traveling southbound on Highway 24 south just past the Milk River Bridge when the vehicle exited the roadway on the right hand side. The driver overcorrected and began to slide-slip to the right.

The vehicle rolled off the roadway, went into the ditch and continued to roll, MHP reports.

The driver was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected in the crash.

The 36-year-old driver died at the scene.

Valley County COVID-19 update
8/29/2020 at 11:15am

Active cases: 3
Recovered cases: 37
Total cases: 40

Case 40: A male aged 20-29 who is not hospitalized and is isolating at home. This individual is symptomatic and contracted the virus from an unknown source. The investigation and contact tracing are complete.

Face coverings or masks are recommended in public places at all times, regardless of the number of active cases in Valley County.

Valley County Commissioners vote to move Valley County to Stage 1 Fire Restrictions:

Stage I Fire Restrictions will go into effect with a portion of the Lewistown Fire Restriction area, beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Friday August 28, 2020. These restrictions apply to all private, state, and BLM-managed lands in Valley County. These restrictions will remain in effect until rescinded.

Under Stage I, the following acts are prohibited:

• Building, maintaining, attending or using a fire or campfire, except within an established metal fire ring in a developed recreation site

• Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren ore cleared of all flammable materials.

Exemptions to the above prohibitions are allowed for persons using a fire solely fueled by liquid petroleum or LPG; for federal, state or local officer, or member of an organized law enforcement, recuse or firefighting force in the performance of an official duty; or persons with a permit or written authorization allowing the otherwise prohibited act or omission.

In area where campfires are permitted, people should have a shovel and water on hand to extinguish them completely-the fire is out when coals are cold to the touch. Additionally, folks should take precautions such as avoiding parking in tall dry grass or driving OHV’s in areas where dry grass can be ignited by hot exhaust. It only takes one spark to start a wildfire.
For up-to-date fire restrictions information, please go to www.firerestrictions.us and click on the Lewistown Area link.

Valley County COVID-19 update:

8/27/2020 at 10:45am

Active cases: 2
Recovered cases: 37
Total cases: 39

Starting Friday, August 28, 2020 - The Fort Peck Tribes will go to back into Phase 2. What this means is :

Curfew - 12:00 AM - 5:00 AM

All households are being asked to manintain a 6 feet distance when not in public, no gatherings of 30 or more people, essentially travel for medical appointments and supplies.

Casinos - Open from 9:00 AM - 11:30 PM with restrictions in place
Basketball hoops reinstated

Use of hand sanitizer is strongly encouraged

The Willow Creek road will be closed from the Stone House road to the Ridge Road starting Monday August 31st until further notice.

Alternative routes will be TC Access road to Ridge Road or Stone House road to Ridge Road.

Any questions feel free to call the valley county road department @406-263-1477

The Valley County Sheriff’s Office has told KltzMix-93 that a train struck a pickup at the Montfort Railroad Crossing near Vandalia. The call came into dispatch at 9:16am according to Valley County Undersheriff Chris Richter.

Richter said the driver of the vehicle was transported to Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital. The Glasgow Courier is reporting the driver of the pickup suffered minor injuries.

The Courier also reports the driver was traveling northbound on Montfort Road and failed to yield for the train. The train traveling eastbound struck the rear left side of the vehicle and sent the vehicle into the northeast ditch.

The Montana Highway Patrol in investigating the incident.

The Nashua Public School sent out a message on social media today regarding a contact to a positive COVID-19 case.

Glasgow School Superintendent Wade Sundby told Kltz/Mix-93 that 77 students have chosen the distance learning platform for the current school year.

Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic the Glasgow School District gave all students in the school district the option of going back to the classroom or staying home and using an on-line platform.

The 77 students represent almost 10% of the student population based on enrollment numbers from the previous school year.

Here are the number of students from each school in the district:

Irle School- 45 students
Glasgow Middle School: 15
Glasgow High School: 17

Tuesday, August 25, PCHD has no newly confirmed cases of COVID-19.
2 individuals have met the criteria to be considered recovered.
Our 2nd hospitalized case was finally able to go home today!
But...we now have one new active hospitalization of a Phillips County resident.

Phillips County
Active Cases: 4
Recovered: 105
Total Cases: 109
Active Hospitalizations: 1 (Total: 3)

Smoke from wildfires burning in the western United States is causing air quality to be unhealthy in eastern Montana according to the Montana DEQ. The DEQ reporting station in Malta is reporting unhealthy air at 6am this morning.

Glasgow School Superintendent Wade Sundby provided details on the school food program for those who will use the remote learning track for this school year.

We had reported that the Hill Fire in south Valley County was contained but the BLM is reporting there are still 98 people assigned to the fire with containment at 68%.

This weeks Yard of the Week in the City of Glasgow belongs to Paul and Barb Etchart at 1006 Valley View!

The Theo and Alyce Beck Foundation Trust has announced its 2020 scholarship recipients. There was a total of eighteen scholarships awarded.

Teagan Fossum, daughter of Steve and Janel Fossum, in her junior year at University of Mary majoring in Nursing.

Brett Glaser, son to Todd and Wendy Glaser, in his sophomore year at Carroll College majoring in Exercise Science.

Katherine Kaiser, daughter of Mike and Jan Keiser, in her sophomore year at Colorado State University majoring in Landscape Architecture with a minor in Construction Management.

Jesi Kennedy, daughter of Lori Badger, in her junior year at Montana Tech majoring in Cellular and Molecular Biology with a minor in Chemistry.

Kaylee King, daughter of Casey King and Jody Simpson, in her junior year at University of North Dakota majoring in Psychology.

Khloe Krumwiede, daughter of Bryan and Dena-Marie Krumwiede, in her final year at University of North Dakota majoring in Biology Pre-Chiropratic.

Bryce Legare, son of Robert and Lisa Legare, in his junior year at Montana State University majoring in Accounting with a minor in Finance.

Garrett Lloyd, son of Duane and Ellen Lloyd, in his sophomore year at Montana State University majoring in Mechanical Engineering.

Ellis McKeon, son of Andrew McKean and Lih-An Yang, in his sophomore year at University of Montana majoring in Cognitive Neuroscience.

Merlin McKeon, son of Andrew McKeon and Lih-An Yang, in his sophomore year at Montana State University majoring in Financial Engineering.

Alexus Nistler, daughter of Doug and Lynnelle Nistler, in her sophomore year at Montana State University Billings, majoring in Health and Human Performance.

Elizabeth Page, daughter of Matt and Angie Page, in her sophomore year at University of Mary majoring in Biomechanics.

Jacob Page, son of Greg and Jill page, in graduate school at University of Montana majoring in Accounting.

Alexandra Pehlke, daughter of Mike and Jessica Pehlke, in her sophomore year at The University of Montana Western majoring in Elementary Education with a minor in English.

Deann Rasmusan, daughter of Terry and Mandy Rasmusan, in her junior year at Minot State University majoring in Communication Disorders with a minor in Psychology.

Micah Tweten, daughter of Paul and Tana Tweten, in her sophomore year at Montana State University Northern majoring in Nursing.

Alexa Shipp, daughter of Cam and Kim Shipp, in her final year at Montana State University Billings majoring in Elementary Education.

Nicole Williams, daughter of Ryan and Janet Williams, her in final year at Montana State University majoring in Nursing.

The Theo and Alyce Beck Foundation Trust was set up to create income for two purposes. 1. To benefit people who would better themselves through higher education. These scholarships are for Valley County Graduates who are past their first year of education. 2. To help fund projects to promote better living in Valley County through non-profit organizations.

Theo and Alyce Beck were Northeast Montana people who cared about their communities they lived in, whether it was Baylor where their lives began and where they farmed, or Glasgow where Alyce spent her retired years after Theo passed away.

Alyce was active in 4-H and Homemakers Club as well as entering plants, sewing projects and homemade baked goods in the Northeast Montana Fair.

The is the eleventh year that the Theo and Alyce Beck Foundation Trust has awarded scholarships.

Glasgow is raising money for a new swimming pool and Oakleigh Bietz wanted to help. She put together lemonade stand and donated all the money raised to the effort to build a new pool! $220!

A new swimming pool for Glasgow is estimated to cost $2.775 million and nearly $1 million has been raised to date.

Oakleigh is pictured with Jory Casterline of the GRD!

The following are allowances for the mask directive from the Governor as well as our local Health Department:

Students, staff, volunteers, and visitors are not required to wear a mask under this provision when:

consuming food or drink;

engaged in physical activity;

communicating with someone who is hearing impaired;

giving a speech, lecture, class presentation, course lesson, or
performance when separated by at least six feet of distance from the gathering, class, or audience;

identifying themselves;

receiving medical attention; or

precluded from safely using a face-covering due to a medical or developmental condition. The superintendent, building principal, or their designee shall request documentation from a care provider when considering an exception to this provision for medical or developmental reasons. The School District will comply with all applicable disability and discrimination laws when implementing this provision.

Teachers may allow students to remove their masks if students are seated at their desks in a classroom and six feet of distance is strictly maintained between each of the students. If a teacher is working one on one with a student, both teacher and student must wear a mask. If students are working in small groups, the students must be wearing masks.

3. Face Covering Requirements for Certain Organized Outdoor Activities
• Except as provided in section 4 of the Directive, for any organized outdoor activity where social distancing is not possible or is not observed, sponsors shall require and take reasonable measures to ensure that all persons attending an organized outdoor activity wear a face covering that covers their mouth and nose at all times.

• This section applies only where the nature of the organized outdoor activity makes it impracticable for all attendees to maintain at least six feet of physical distance from each other or any organized outdoor activity where attendees are not observing at least six feet of physical distance from others.

• At all outdoor gatherings of 50 or more people, whether or not it constitutes an organized outdoor activity, all individuals except those covered by section 4 of this Directive are required to wear face coverings while in attendance where it is impracticable to maintain six feet of physical distance at all times, or whether attendees are not observing at least six feet of physical distance from others.

Thank you for your support as we begin the school year!

Valley County Health Department releases latest COVID numbers for Valley County

Valley County COVID-19
Active cases: 3
Recovered cases: 34
Total cases: 37

Valley County COVID-19 Update

Active cases: 5
Recovered cases: 32
Total Cases: 37

Case 37: A female aged 20-29 who is not hospitalized and is isolating at home. This individual is symptomatic and was identified through contact tracing. The investigation and contact tracing for this individual are complete.

The Valley County Long Run Fire Department was called to a grass fire Friday afternoon east of Glasgow. While finishing up on the first call, they were requested from Roosevelt County for mutual aid to another grass fire by Oswego.

While crews responded to the Oswego fire they were paged out for another fire south of the Pines off Hill Ranch Road. The Oswego fire is out but the Hill Ranch Road fire is still smoldering. There are several resources on scene and will continue battling the blaze.

Montana's unemployment rate dropped in July, but there was an increase in new unemployment applications filed last week, officials said.

The state's unemployment rate was 6.4% in July, down from the 7.2% in June as the state continued to rebound from the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, state officials said Friday. Montana has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the U.S., well below the national unemployment rate of 10.2%.

The unemployment rate in Valley County was 4.2% with 168 people filing for unemployment in July. The unemployment rate in Valley County was at 7.5% in April during the peak of the COVID-19 shutdown.

The unemployed rate in Phillips County was 5.5%, Roosevelt County 7.3% and 2.9% in Daniels County.

An increase in hiring was led by the leisure and hospitality sectors, which added 1,400 jobs in July, followed by education and health services, which added 900 jobs.

But unemployment in Montana remains higher than pre-pandemic levels, with about 18,000 fewer jobs.

"More Montanans are returning to work and we're continuing to provide relief to those who need it most by supporting key industries and businesses to ensure the state stays on the path toward economic recovery," Gov. Steve Bullock said. "This public health emergency is far from over and we must continue to prioritize the health and safety of all Montanans to ensure our economy stays on the right track."

While July's unemployment figures indicate improvement, the number of new applications for unemployment assistance in Montana rose during the second week of August, figures from the U.S. Department of Labor show.

Over 1,800 Montana residents filed for unemployment during the week ending Aug. 15, an increase of 11% from the previous week. The increase comes as the state announced it would provide $400 in additional weekly unemployment assistance, after the $600 weekly payments created under federal coronavirus relief plans ended in late July.

At least 137,000 Montanans have been unemployed at some point since the beginning of the pandemic in March, representing 30% of the total workforce in Montana that is eligible for unemployment benefits.

8/21/2020
Valley County COVID-19 case update:

Active: 6
Recovered: 30
Total: 36

In these uncertain times, something wonderful remains certain: the commitment of the Glasgow High School Educational Trust and its hundreds of supporters to fulfill its mission. That mission, adopted by the founders of the trust in 1964, is to help Glasgow High School graduates pay for college or trade school. Those visionaries, who began with a few hundred dollars and big dreams, laid the foundation and did the hard work to build an organization that would someday significantly impact their community, which they so deeply loved.

Today, with assets of cash, stock, and real estate valued over $9.5 million dollars, the trust is in a position to use its earnings on that corpus to do exactly what it was intended to do. It recently awarded $204,000.00 for the 2020-2021 academic year to 34 students who successfully completed the application process. These gifts bring the total dollar value of all gifts from the trust since its inception to an astounding $2,529,500.00 and the total number of students who have received financial aid to 749. Many of these students have received multiple awards over their courses of study.

All Glasgow High School graduates who have completed one year of college or one semester of trade school, are in good academic standing, attending full-time (12 credit minimum) either online or on campus, and showing steady progress toward completion of a degree or certification are encouraged to apply. The application, which lists additional requirements that must be met, is available at www.ghsedutrust.org.

The gifts are awarded through a semi-annual application process administered by the trustees. Students may apply for both semesters of an academic year by the summer deadline of July 1st of each year or may apply for the spring semester only by the fall deadline of October 15th of each year. The application must be complete and submitted on time. Students may reapply for additional aid for a total of eight semesters if they continue to meet all of the eligibility requirements.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the trust will allow applicants to complete certain requirements through online and electronic signature transmittal. If an applicant has any questions about the process or requirements, she/he should contact Danielle Anderson at (406) 228-4203 for clarification.

Financial need has always been a primary consideration; therefore, the trust has established levels of giving to meet students’ diverse needs, and it distributes the funds available accordingly.

In addition to the gifts made to students, the trust also purchases equipment and programs for Glasgow High School that cannot be financed within the school’s regular budget. Every department of GHS is eligible to request items from the trust, and, historically, every department, and thereby every student, has benefitted from the trust’s purchases. Many of these resources also benefit the general public when it uses the facilities at GHS or attends events there. To date, the trust has awarded $250,629.06 to Glasgow High School for such improvements.

The trust has two gift naming opportunities (i.e., named in honor, in recognition, or in memory of an individual, family, organization, or event). The first, an outright donation of cash or other revenue source of $500 or more, is eligible for a one-time naming. The second, an outright or cumulative donation, or other revenue source of $10,000 or more, is eligible for an ongoing naming opportunity on a regular basis. All donations are tax deductible, and no gift is too small.

The Glasgow High School Educational Trust is pleased to announce awards to the following 34 students (who attend 18 different schools) for the 2020-2021 academic year in honor, recognition, or memory of the name(s) that follow(s) theirs:

First-time Recipients: Kaden Fossum, City College MSU Billings, IMO Richard “Dick” and Mary Lou Alley Wagenhals (fall semester), IMO Ronald A. Combs (spring semester); Brett Glaser, Carroll College, IMO James “Jim” A. Parke (fall semester), IMO Aaron “Chappy” Chatten (spring semester); Katherine Kaiser, Colorado State University, IMO Ardis Parke Fuhrman (fall semester), IMO Robert “Bob” E. Rennick, Jr. (spring semester); Emily Kolstad, Dickinson State University, IHO Bill and Peggy Pattison Endowment (both semesters); Garrett Lloyd, MSU-Bozeman, IRO Herb and Lucille Friedl Family (fall semester), IMO Donald “Don” J. Baker (spring semester); Ellis McKean, University of Montana, IHO Carl L. Dix (fall semester), IHO Gayle Wagenhals-Sage (spring semester); Merlin McKean, MSU-Bozeman, IMO James “Jamie” K. Fewer (fall semester), IMO Harry Rybock (spring semester); Cordelia Nickels, MSU-Billings, IHO Community Support of Women’s Resource Center (fall semester), IHO Stan Andersen Family (spring semester); Alexus Nistler, MSU-Billings, IMO L. J. and Jean Baker (fall semester), IMO Vern and Edna Richardson (spring semester); Elizabeth Page, University of Mary, IMO Audrey and Arthur Parke (fall semester), IRO Glenn R. and Carolee Grina Wallem (spring semester); Alexandra Pehlke, UM-Western, IMO Dean Rusher (fall semester), IHO Beryl Pehlke (spring semester); Micah Tweten, MSU-Northern, IMO Lila Moen Sanders and IHO Phyllis Moen Sanguine (fall semester), IMO Maxine Fiedler (spring semester); Brooke Westby, Carroll College, IRO Stannebein Family (fall semester), IMO Hovland Family(spring semester).

Second-time Recipients: Alexander Fransen, Dickinson State University, IMO Leonard H. and Kathryn L. Langen (both semesters); McKenna Gagne, Minot State University, IHO Charlotte Bruce, (both semesters); Bailee Holstein, MSU-Northern, IRO Beatrice Trites and Family (both semesters); Anthony Kaiser, University of North Dakota, IMO Leonard A. and Margery A. Bollinger (both semesters); Jesi Kennedy, Montana Tech-University of Montana, IHO Dorothy Kolstad (both semesters); Kaylee King, University of North Dakota, IRO Tom and Flora Coghlan Family (both semesters); Madison Knodel, MSU-Bozeman, IMO O. E. and Lois Wilson Markle (both semesters); Sophia Koessl, MSU-Bozeman, IHO Sever and Esther Knkerud (both semesters); Sarah Law, Pima Medical Institute, IHO Everett and Elizabeth Breigenzer (both semesters); Bryce Legare, MSU-Bozeman, IHO James and Ailene Dokken Olk Family (both semesters); Benjamin Phillips, North Dakota State University, IMO Cecil and Chloe Toftness (both semesters); Deann Rasmusan, Minot State University, IMO Harold H. and Irene W. Smith (both semesters); Alexis Stahl, MSU-Billings, IRO Willard and Charlotte Bruce Family(both semesters).

Third-time Recipients: Kiauna Barstad, Rocky Mountain College, IMO Dr. Nancy Lee Etchart (both semesters); Luke Breigenzer, MSU-Bozeman, IMO Lois Wilson Markle (both semesters); Teagan Fossum, University of Mary, IMO James F. and Anne Hoffman (both semesters); Khloe Krumwiede, University of North Dakota, IMO Marsha Cotton Hall (both semesters); Jordan Kulczyk, Presentation College, IMO Verda Hoffarth Stewart (both semesters); Rachel Mickelson, Utah State University, IRO Ione & Phyllis Kleppin (both semesters); Taylor Padden, MSU-Bozeman, IMO Wallace Johnson (both semesters).

Fourth-time Recipient: Alexa Shipp, MSU-Billings, IMO Karen D. Newton (fall semester).

The trust also purchased the following equipment for Glasgow High School:
3 Dell G5 15 laptops for the Industrial Education Technology Department, IMO Horace O. and Emma C. Gamas.

Additional information about the trust including how to make a donation or contact trustees, featured articles on trust donors, and historical photos are all posted on the trust’s website at www.ghsedutrust.org.

Phillips County Health Department confirmed 5 additional positive COVID-19 cases Wednesday.
4 individuals have met the criteria to be considered recovered.
We have 2 total hospitalizations, one who was released Wednesday, and the other is still actively hospitalized.

Phillips County
Active Cases: 31
Recovered: 73
Total Cases: 104
Total Hospitalizations: 2 (1 Active)

Each year, members of the Montana Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association have the opportunity to nominate dedicated and deserving colleagues for awards. MSPOA recognizes officers for lifetime achievement in law enforcement, on-going contribution to the profession, agency and community, and for specific incidents. Due to COVID-19, the annual awards banquet was cancelled. In place of the annual banquet, MSPOA board members traveled the state and gave out awards at the recipients’ home agency.

All of the award recipients are public officials dedicated and committed to being the professional and honorable law enforcement officers and civil servants the citizens of Montana expect.

The award recipients are:

Distinguished Career Award
Sherri Turner from the Valley County Sheriff’s Office
Sherri has been the administrative assistant for the Valley County Sheriff’s Office for over 32 years. Sherri is deserving of the MSPOA Distinguished Career Award after a full career in public service.
She has worked for and served seven different Sheriffs, which is not an easy task. Sherri not only kept all of the gears spinning at the local level in Valley County, but was always willing to assist on a statewide level as well. According to many of the Sheriffs who Sherri worked for, the title administrative assistant does not do justice to all of the duties and projects that Sherri took on and often ended up spearheading from behind the scenes. She is a strategic thinker and fiscally conscientious on behalf of the citizens of Valley County. Throughout her career, Sherri performed her duties with integrity, diligence and transparency.

Deputy of the Year Award
Sgt. Eric Gilbertson from the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office

Detention Officer of the Year Award
Detention Officer Danya-Dee (DD) Webb from the Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office

Medal of Merit Award
Deputy Thaddeus Smith from the Granite County Sheriff’s Office

Purple Heart Award
Retired Deputy Alan Guderjahn from the Phillips County Sheriff’s Office

Distinguished Career Award
Sgt. Robert “Bob” Parcell from the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office

Valley County COVID-19 case update:

Active: 7
Recovered: 29
Total: 36

HELENA (AP) — Federal regulators have approved Montana's plan to provide an additional $400 per week in assistance to people receiving unemployment benefits due to COVID-19 related impacts, the Department of Labor and Industry said Wednesday.

A grant from the Federal Emergency Management Administration will cover $300 of the new weekly payments. The other $100 will come from Montana's coronavirus relief funding, the department said.

The Lost Wage Assistance Payments were established after a program that provided an additional $600 weekly payment expired in late July. President Donald Trump signed an executive order suggesting a $400 payment, with states paying 25%. Later, federal officials said the states could meet that $100 requirement with the first $100 of their typical weekly payments.

With the new grant and the coronavirus relief funding, Montana's weekly unemployment payments will range from about $560 to $950.

Half of the states have applied for or say they plan to apply for the FEMA grants.

Montana is the only state so far that reports it is adding the extra $100, according to a tally by The Associated Press.

The first week that the additional payments are available is the week ending Aug. 1. state officials said.

Important notice to all residents of Glasgow:

Just an update on the Weedy Lots program from the Public Works Office:

As of August 18th, 2020 the City of Glasgow, Public Works Department has issued 58 Nuisance Weeds letters. Of the 58 weedy lot letters, 55 have been cleaned up and 3 and still in the waiting period before the next phase. We have issued only two (2) Work Orders to have the nuisance weeds removed.

The new Nuisance Weeds Ordinance will be deployed soon. While the majority of the wording remains, there was some major changes made. For example:
Section 10-20: Nuisance Weeds Defined: We have added wording to better define the issue. We have added “and any other untended vegetation creating a potential fire hazard, visual or physical obstruction for pedestrians or vehicles, potential for spread of said vegetation or unsightly conditions” was added to the definition of section.

Section 10-23: Notice Procedure: We have set the dates from April 30th until September 30th as the time in which this ordinance will be enforced. It also states that owners will receive only one violation notice per year, and the city will remove or cut the weeds again as needed without any additional notice to the owner.

Section 10-25: Cost of Removal: This section has changed significantly. The cost has been increased for removal to a fee of $250 for the first time of removal, and increasing $250 for each subsequent removal.

The City of Glasgow is being vigilant in enforcing weedy lots. They appreciate any and all feedback on this matter. Working together we can keep Glasgow a beautiful place to live.

Story from Williston Herald

The process of obtaining individual water crossing permits for the Keystone XL pipeline has begun, with a joint public notice published by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer’s Omaha District, the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy.

Keystone XL crosses the Missouri River in Montana downstream of the Fort Peck spillway, where it would be trenched across federal property that is administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which means it requires a Section 408 permit.

That permit had originally been granted under Nationwide Permit No. 12, a system whereby the agency ensures that plans meet certain, preset criteria, and then adds specific conditions as needed. A Ninth District judge in April ruled that reliance on that type of permitting system did not provide an adequate “hard look” at the risks to the pallid sturgeon or the American burying beetle, as required by the National Environmental Policy Act.

TC Energy subsequently filed an application for the individual permit it will need to finish construction of the line in July, according to the published notice of pending permit, which lays out the project’s details as well as invites public comments. The notice is online in its entirety at https://bit.ly/3aDaOy3.

Mike Lash, public information officer for the US Army Corps of Engineers, told the Williston Herald that the agency will take public comments on the matter through Sept. 13.

After that, there will be a series of four public hearings, the dates of which are not yet set, but will likely land somewhere between the end of September and early October. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, these hearings will be conducted virtually, by telephone. Each hearing will require a 30-day notice. That puts the project on a 120-day timeline to complete this process, which would mean the earliest the company could get approval is in mid to late December.

Written comments may be sent now through the end of Sept. 13 to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, South Dakota Regulatory Office, 28563 Powerhouse Road, Room 118, Pierre, SD 57501. They can also be emailed to nwo-kxl-pn@usace.army.mil. Phone comments may be left via voicemail to 402-995-2027. When leaving a comment, you must clearly state your name, and the comment, for it to be added to the formal record.

TC Energy in its July earnings call said it does not anticipate changing its 2023 completion date. It is continuing to fight the matter in court, even as it pursues lengthier state and federal permitting processes.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration updated the permits for the existing Keystone pipeline to increase its capacity from 590,000 barrels per day to 760,000.

TC Energy, formerly Transcanada, first proposed Keystone XL in 2008 to carry up to 830,000 barrels of crude oil per day to Nebraska. From there, it could access existing pipelines for shipment to the Gulf of Mexico.

The Obama administration twice rejected the pipeline, citing the potential to worsen climate change, but Donald Trump invited the company to resubmit its application after he was elected President of the United States and rapidly green-lighted the project.

The pipeline has since been mired in litigation from environmental groups that oppose fossil fuel in general and by tribal groups that oppose the pipeline’s route under the Missouri River at a point they believe is too near their reservation and could jeopardize the tribe’s water quality.

The Glasgow City Council has approved a resolution determining the salaries and compensation of elected officials and appointed city officers and all other city employees for fiscal year 2020-2021.

Fort Peck Tribes return back to Phase 1, 8/17/2020 for 14 days after the Fort Peck Tribal Board of Health votes 7-0 during today’s meeting with all twelve TEB, implementing phase 1 restrictions, as announced by TEB Councilman, Jestin Dupree’s post on Facebook.

Phase 1 Restrictions:
Curfew 10pm-5am
No Travel to Hotspots in Montana or Out of state - 14 Day self-quarantine if person does travel
Essential Workers Only, Determined by Program Director
No More Than 10 people can gather in a public place
Tribal Casinos Closed
Basketball Hoops removed
All Tribal buildings closed to the public
Tribal Operating Hours are: 10am-2pm

Following the State of Montana’s recommendation to wear a mask when in public places, Fort Peck Tribes have also went on record to support this recommendation

Fort Peck Tribal Health Board members consist of:
TEB Board members Kaci Wallette, Dana Buckles, Vice-Chair Charles Headdress, Carla Payne, RN, Larry Burshia, Ray Whitetailfeather, Dr. Kermit Smith.

GLASGOW, MT – In the wake of growing COVID-19 cases in Valley County and increases in community spread, the Glasgow Downtown Association (GDA) has opted to cancel the “Alive at Five” event scheduled for Wednesday, August 19.

Discussions with county health officials helped to lead to the decision. Worries of complicating the reopening of local schools also weighed heavily on committee members. It’s the hope of GDA that the September 16 event will still be possible.

“Hump Day,” a promotion of the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture, will still be running this Wednesday. We encourage you to shop with participating businesses and, upon making a purchase, drop your receipt(s) off at the Chamber office by noon on Friday, August 21. A drawing will follow and one lucky individual will receive $50 in Chamber Big Bucks.

GDA thanks you for your understanding as we attempt to appropriately navigate the current situation.

This weeks Yard of the Week belongs to Carol and JR Bruhn at 110 Lomond in Glasgow!

MONTANA – Governor Steve Bullock today announced that the fire fund has doubled to its statutory maximum and that the state of Montana is well equipped to manage the uncertainty ahead created by the pandemic due to sufficient budget reserves of over $600 million.

“Because we headed into this pandemic in an historically strong position and because we were careful stewards of taxpayer dollars, Montana is in an enviable financial position as other states weather budget challenges,” said Governor Bullock. “Montanans can rest assured that we are well equipped to handle two concurrent challenges with a fire fund that can cover nearly five average wildfire seasons and the reserves to sustain critical services and manage through the pandemic.”

On August 15, $46.7 million was transferred from the general fund to the fire suppression fund, putting the fire fund at its statutory maximum of $101.5 million, or 4% of fiscal year 2021 appropriations, for the first time in history. With prudent fiscal management, responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars, and lower than expected Medicaid costs, state agencies under Governor Bullock finished the fiscal year under budget, allowing for the transfer to the fire fund.

The fire fund now contains enough money to cover nearly five average years of state fire suppression costs. The ten-year average fire suppression cost is $21.1 million. In 2013, Governor Bullock proposed and passed House Bill 354 to change the way wildfires are paid for by the state, which seeks to dedicate dollars to the fire suppression fund in advance of wildfire season. This legislation included that reversions by state agencies in excess of 0.5% of total general fund be transferred to the fire fund.

The Budget Stabilization Reserve remains at its statutory maximum, which is $114.2 million or 4.5% of fiscal year appropriations. This represents the second year in a row that the Budget Stabilization Reserve has been funded to its statutory cap and it is available to sustain the budget should revenue collections or expenditures vary from projections.

The balances of the general fund, the fire fund, and the Budget Stabilization Reserve total $620 million as we begin fiscal year 2021, leaving Montana well equipped to manage the uncertainty ahead created by the pandemic.

“While none of us could have anticipated a global pandemic as we wrapped up the 2019 legislative session, we did anticipate the unexpected could come our way. We took the right steps to make sure our budget is in good shape and left money in the bank for unforeseen circumstances,” Governor Bullock continued.

Additionally, Fitch Ratings recently affirmed Montana’s general obligation bond rating of AA+ and declared Montana’s outlook as stable.
“Montana's 'AA+' rating is based on its diversifying economic base, solid growth prospects, low liability position and conservative financial practices,” said Fitch Ratings in its rating action commentary. “The state's consistently conservative approach to fiscal management has enabled it to maintain steady operating performance, address spending priorities for education, health care and infrastructure, and build formal reserves. These strengths leave the state well positioned to manage through the current downturn and future economic cycles, providing support for the Stable Outlook.”

Clay Berger, Valley County Board of Health Chairman has requested a special meeting to be held Mon. Aug. 17th at 5:15p.m. The public may attend in person - masks are required & attendance is limited to the room allowing for 6’ of separation - or by phone at 571-748-4021 pin 2672541#.

The Hinsdale School will restart school on Wednesday, August 26th. Students will also attend school on Thursday and Friday of that same week.

The week of August 31st to September 4th will have students attend school M-TH.
Friday, September 4th, will be a make up day with students doing remote, off-site learning.

The pattern of having remote, off-site Fridays will continue through the month of September with older students participating in classes by Google Meet in the mornings, and younger students receiving take home packets.

A Google Meet class schedule will be provided for both parents and students at a later date. Classes such as Music, Art, and PE will not have classes on Friday. Core classes will be held in the mornings only with teachers being available for on-line 'office hours' in the after noon to help students.

Students can also set up appointments to meet at school to receive individualized, additional help on Fridays at the school.

Expect in the future more information to be shared weekly on Facebook, emails, KLTZ, and the school's website.

Valley County: 31 cases of COVID-19
Active: 12
Recovered: 19

Case 24: A female in her 40s who is not hospitalized and is isolating at home. The investigation and contact tracing are complete. This individual is symptomatic with the source of her infection unknown.

Case 25: A female in her 50s who is not hospitalized and is isolating at home. The investigation and contact tracing are complete. This individual is symptomatic with the source of her infection unknown.

Case 26: A female in her 30s who is not hospitalized and is isolating at home. The investigation and contact tracing are complete. This individual is symptomatic with the source of her infection unknown.

Case 27: A male in his 40s who is not hospitalized and is isolating at home. The investigation and contact tracing are complete. This individual is symptomatic and was identified through contact tracing.

Case 28: A male aged 10-19 who is not hospitalized and is isolating at home. The investigation and contact tracing are complete. This individual is symptomatic and was identified through contact tracing.

Case 29: A male aged 10-19 who is not hospitalized and is isolating at home. The investigation and contact tracing are complete. This individual is symptomatic and was identified through contact tracing.

Case 30: A female in her 60s who is not hospitalized and is isolating at home. The investigation and contact tracing are complete. This individual is symptomatic and was identified through contact tracing.

Case 31: A female in her 40s who is not hospitalized and is isolating at home. The investigation and contact tracing have begun. This individual was identified through contact tracing.


Valley County has reached 60 people identified as close contacts to these COVID-19 positive persons this week. Several of our now positive persons attended mass community events – derby, weddings, and live band events – over the past week. This may be where someone contracted the virus, or where someone unknowingly spread the virus throughout the crowd.

Everybody breaths and everybody can breath this virus, become infected, and spread it to others.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to threaten in-person voting, U.S. Senator Jon Tester is pushing back on the U.S. Postal Service’s (USPS) attempts to disenfranchise Montanans this November by not automatically considering election mail to be First Class mail – a move that could slow down vote by mail by multiple days and significantly increase costs for states. President Trump said today that he opposed emergency funding for the USPS and election operations because it would make it easier for Americans to vote by mail.

Tester joined a group of his colleagues in a letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy urging the USPS to reverse this and any other action that makes it harder or more expensive for Montanans to vote by mail.

“Since you assumed the role of Postmaster General, there have been disturbing reports regarding changes at USPS that are causing significant delays in the delivery of mail,” wrote Tester and his colleagues. “Under normal circumstances, delayed mail is a major problem – during a pandemic in the middle of a presidential election, it is catastrophic. Instead of taking steps to increase your agency’s ability to deliver for the American people, you are implementing policy changes that make matters worse, and the Postal Service is reportedly considering changes that would increase costs for states at a time when millions of Americans are relying on voting by mail to exercise their right to vote.”

According to news reports, the USPS has told state election officials that it will not automatically consider election mail as First Class mail, a shift from past elections that will cause further delays to election mail. The policy change would disenfranchise voters, increasing concerns that voters would not receiving their ballot by election day or causing them to be returned after the deadline. This is especially dangerous in states like Montana, which require ballots to be returned – not postmarked – by election day.

Changing the First Class mail policy would also increase cost for Montana and other states that cover the cost of return postage for ballots and who are already facing budget shortfalls because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

DeJoy also recently reorganized top leadership at the USPS and has reportedly undertaken other policy changes that will lead to slower and less reliable mail delivery.

“As Postmaster General, you have a duty to our democracy to ensure the timely delivery of election mail,” Tester and his colleagues continued. “Millions of Americans’ right to vote depends on your ability to get the job done. We urge you not to increase costs for election officials, and to direct all Postal Service employees to continue to prioritize delivery of election mail.”

Tester has prioritized making sure the USPS has the resources it needs to continue its vital mail delivery services during the pandemic. He recently introduced bipartisan legislation to provide $25 billion in emergency assistance to help the agency recoup pandemic related losses and other operational expenses, and has pushed Senate leadership to make significant emergency investments in the USPS a part of any new coronavirus aid package, as well as to provide support and protective equipment for the agency's employees.

OTTAWA -- Canadian and U.S. officials have agreed to keep the border between the two countries closed to non-essential travel for another month. This comes as both countries are still working to stop the spread of COVID-19, and as tensions continue to flare between Canadians and prospective American visitors.

The current extension of the cross-border agreement expires on August 21, though as the spread of COVID-19 continues in both countries, the restrictions on recreational travel will remain in place until at least Sept. 21. The ban on discretionary travel was first introduced in March and has been extended each month since.

“We are extending the reciprocal restrictions at the Canada-US border for another 30 days, till Sept. 21, 2020. We will continue to do what’s necessary to keep our communities safe,” tweeted Public Safety Minister Bill Blair.

The agreement, as it stands, exempts the flow of trade and commerce, as well as temporary foreign workers and vital health-care workers such as nurses who live and work on opposite sides of the border. Tourists and cross-border visits remain prohibited.

This is the fifth renewal of the border restrictions since the coronavirus pandemic was declared.

As of June 9, foreign nationals who are immediate family members of either Canadian citizens or permanent residents can enter Canada to be reunited, under a limited exemption to the current border restrictions. This has allowed both foreign and cross-border Canada-U.S. families to reunite under certain stipulations, including having to remain in Canada for at least 15 days.

While those eligible to cross the border for this reason include parents, spouses, common-law partners, dependent children and their children, many other families remain separated by the border restrictions including non-married couples. Those in this predicament continue to push for a further loosening of the rules in order to see their loved ones.

While the restrictions have been in place for months, that hasn’t stopped some Americans from coming into Canada, which has led to numerous instances of confrontations between locals and visitors with U.S. license plates, as well as other expressions of frustration.

Some have legitimately boarded flights from the U.S. to Canada —which is permitted with restrictions like quarantining on arrival—though thousands of others have tried less-legitimate routes, or tried to cross over to come shopping or sightseeing.

The tensions aren’t exclusive to American visitors. Even some cross-province travel has irked locals, both in the Atlantic Canada bubble, and out West, where British Columbia Premier John Horgan suggested those with out-of-province license plates on their vehicles consider taking public transit or riding a bicycle if they're feeling harassed.

The Glasgow City Council approved ballot language on Wednesday that will put to the voters the legality of raising chickens in the city limits of Glasgow.

Voters in the city limits of Glasgow will vote on this question:

Do you support allowing property owners to maintain six (6) domestic chicken hens, withing the incorporated Glasgow City limits, subject to the regulation by the Official Code of the City of Glasgow?

Only voters in the city limits of Glasgow will receive this question on their ballot for the November 3rd General Election.

Event or Activity Plans are due prior to being held within Valley County. This is for businesses having an event that is in addition to their usual business activity or for someone planning a wedding at any location.

It will help everyone to think of all of the COVID-19 prevention measures that should be considered and the responsibility of holding a gathering of any size. Smaller events may not require a plan, but we still ask that everyone get in touch with the Health Department.

We have a fill-able form that only takes seconds to complete.

Call VCHD at 228-6261 to have information sent via mail, email, fax or in person.

OMAHA, Neb. --
Releases from Fort Peck dam will be increased from 9,000 cubic feet per second to as much as 11,000 cfs to address conditions immediately downstream of the dam.

Releases will begin increasing on Aug. 14, or once planned maintenance projects at the Fort Peck power house are completed.

Releases were reduced to allow planned maintenance and scheduled to remain at 9,000 cfs through August. However, the lower releases were impacting irrigation intakes.

“We will increase the flows to provide some relief without negatively impacting the other authorized purposes,” said John Remus, chief of the Corps’ Missouri River Water Management Division.

The increased releases from Fort Peck dam will not have an effect on system storage or releases from downstream projects, nor will system releases from Gavins Point dam be changed.

The stored runoff from 2020 will be evacuated from the system before the start of the 2021 runoff season.

“We spoke with those who were impacted by the lower releases from Fort Peck dam. They understand that increased releases are not a long-term solution and their systems and facilities will need adjustments to operate with lower releases,” said Remus.

Story from https://www.ktvh.com/news/montana-news/bullock-says-re-opening-schools-must-require-masks-in-hard-hit-counties

HELENA — Gov. Steve Bullock Wednesday ordered all Montana public and private school buildings to require face masks, in counties with four or more active Covid-19 cases, as he said “encouraging” face masks at re-opened schools won’t be enough.

Bullock issued the new directive as he implored Montanans to follow public-health recommendations to stop the spread of Covid-19. The state reported 175 new cases Wednesday, one of the highest daily counts in Montana so far.

He also announced several new business-assistance programs, including grants for live-entertainment venues and businesses near the east entrances of Glacier National Park and second grants for businesses that have already received one from the state.

And, finally, Bullock said the state is working on a new unemployment system that will give those out of work an additional $400 a week, to replace the $600 a week in federal funds that expired at the end of July.

Congress has not approved any funds for that money, but Bullock said he’ll use cash from the earlier federal Cares Act to finance it for now.

The governor began his Capitol news conference by saying a local official had asked when the state could advance to “Phase 3” of re-opening Montana’s economy after Covid-19 shutdowns, which is basically no restrictions on businesses, gatherings, and other activity.

He said only two things could lead to that end: A vaccine, which is months away, or learning how best to live with the virus – which, he said, Montanans “clearly” haven’t done.

“Learning to live with the virus … isn’t ignoring it, or denying it, or thinking it will magically disappear,” he said.

Bullock said he’s heard of many cases of Montanans ignoring public-health officials’ orders to quarantine, after they’ve tested positive for Covid-19, or not following basic social-distancing guidelines.

He pointed to north-central Montana’s Phillips County, which has gone from no cases to 68 cases in a week, stemming from an adult sports activity and subsequent outings to a bar and other locales.

Phillips County had 15 new cases reported Wednesday, while Yellowstone County had 75 and rural Rosebud and Big Horn counties had 24 and 16, respectively.

The state has now reported 5,268 total cases since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak and 80 deaths.

Bullock said as schools prepare to re-open this fall, they are more likely to be successful in staying open if they require face coverings for those in school buildings.

While many schools are still considering that requirement or whether to encourage face masks, Bullock said “strongly encouraging” won’t be enough, and that he is expanding his earlier face-mask directive for public buildings and places of business to include all schools in counties with four or more active Covid-19 cases.

Twenty-seven Montana counties were at that threshold Wednesday, including all eight of the state’s most populous counties

The new grants for live-entertainment venues will be for 25 percent of the business’ 2019 gross revenue, with a maximum of $500,000 each. The grants for businesses near the east Glacier Park entrances will be for the same percentage of revenue, up to $40,000 per business.

Press Release From Phillips County Health Department:

Today, August 11, 2020, we have received confirmation of an additional 21 lab-confirmed positive COVID-19 cases. All of these individuals are isolated and recovering at home. We have 9 individuals who have met the criteria to be recovered.

Unfortunately, we have 1 individual who is currently hospitalized. Our thoughts and prayers go out to them and their family. We hope for them to get back on the road to recovery.

Phillips County
Active Cases: 64
Total Cases: 73
Active Hospitalizations: 1
Recovered: 9

Story From Billings Gazette:

A Roosevelt County man charged with deliberate homicide in the strangulation death of his girlfriend is asking the Montana Supreme Court to take the death penalty off the table.

The case against Clovis Christopher Geno was filed in February by Roosevelt County Attorney Austin Knudsen. Knudsen is the Republican nominee for the Montana Attorney General’s race this fall.

Geno is accused of fatally strangling Ramona Hilton Naramore at their Culbertson apartment sometime between Jan. 25 and Jan. 26. Neighbors told investigators that Geno had a history of physically abusing his girlfriend and noted she expressed fear of him and sometimes had visible injuries, charges state.

Defense attorneys for Geno have twice asked the lower court to strike the death penalty as a possible sentence and twice been denied. District Judge David Cybulski is hearing the case.

On Friday Geno’s attorneys filed a petition for a writ of supervisory control, a legal tool in Montana that allows the Montana Supreme Court to step in when asked in cases where the lower court is proceeding under a mistake of law. The writs are issued only when the normal appeals process is found to be inadequate.

Geno’s attorneys, Greg Rapkoch and Alisha Backus of the Office of the State Public Defender, say Knudsen did not follow the proper legal process to seek the death penalty and the lower court must be corrected.

"There are few, if any, graver constitutional questions or injustices of statewide importance than an impermissible capital prosecution,” the attorneys wrote.

Specifically, the defense argues that Knudsen failed to make clear what aggravating fact or facts qualify the case as a death penalty case.

Knudsen also failed to file a special notice of intent to seek the death penalty within 60 days of arraignment, the defense attorneys said.

Knudsen did note he intended to seek the death penalty in charging documents, but defense attorneys argue that wasn’t enough to comply with the state’s rules for death penalty cases.

He also filed a “Notice of Evidence of Death Penalty Aggravating Factors,” but he did so past the deadline, or 64 days after arraignment. Defense attorneys argue the filing was still not sufficient to comply with the rules.

Geno’s attorneys said that the requirements for death penalty cases are necessary because they put the Office of the Public Defender on notice that qualified counsel needs to be appointed.

The state has specific requirements for defense attorneys in death penalty cases, including having a certain amount of legal education on capital punishment, experience in homicide cases, and having a limited workload that allows for enough time to be spent on the client facing the death penalty.

Early on in the case, Cybulski, the district court judge, issued a gag order barring attorneys from making extra-judicial statements to the media.

Defense attorneys had asked for the order, citing concerns that their client get a fair trial and noting that Knudsen had been posting about the case publicly on his personal Facebook page.

The order was issued March 6, and Geno was arraigned March 11.

Attorney General Tim Fox is listed as a party in the petition, but the office is not assisting in the case, as it sometimes does with death penalty or other cases.

A spokesman for the Department of Justice said it's routine for defense counsel to list the attorney general's office on all filings before the Montana Supreme Court, regardless of whether the office is helping to prosecute.

Spokesman John Barnes said the office was unaware that Knudsen was seeking the death penalty in the case until Monday.

In 2015, a Montana district court judge ruled that the drug scheduled to be used in executions, pentobarbital, did not meet the legal standard for lethal injection. The order effectively put a hold on executions in the state.

Two men are currently in Montana State Prison awaiting execution.

A Valley County man was the victim of a motorcycle accident on Montana Highway 24 South on Monday afternoon.

Valley County Sheriff Tom Boyer told Kltz/Mix 93 that Charles Patrick Dunn died Monday afternoon as the result of the accident. Dunn was 66 years of age according to Sheriff Boyer.

Message from Phillips County Health Department in Malta:

Monday, we received confirmation of an additional 7 lab-confirmed positive COVID-19 cases, bringing the total active case count to 52. These individuals are isolated and recovering at home. Phillips County Health Department is working to identify any close contacts. You will be notified by PCHD if you are a close contact and will be given further instructions.
If you are experiencing any symptoms such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, headache, congestion, nausea/diarrhea, loss of taste or smell, or body aches, call your healthcare provider.

Phillips County
Active Cases: 52
Active Hospitalizations: 0
Recovered: 0

The state has changed the way reporting is done regarding covid-19 cases. There WILL be a delay! For the most up to date information, refer to our Facebook page. The map will eventually get caught as we get cases entered. Thank you for understanding!

The U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers is advising people to stay away from a large downed cottonwood tree near the horseshoe pits and playground at Kiwanis Park. A wild honeybee colony is being relocated into a hive box.

Facebook link

Valley View Home would like to inform you that we had to unfortunately place our residents on temporary isolation restrictions until a further investigation is completed so that we are certain there is no possible exposure to the COVID-19.

We can say that none of our staff and residents have been tested positive for the virus. Our staff will be doing everything they can in order to keep our residents comfortable under this temporary situation. We will not be allowing entrance door visits during this restriction.

Please don’t hesitate to call if you have any further questions.

The Yard of the Week this week belongs to Ken and Delores Farquhar at 940 3rd Avenue South in Glasgow!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 8/10/2020 4:00pm
VALLEY COUNTY COVID-19 UPDATE

(Valley County, Montana): Valley County Public Health Department and Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital confirm 5 new positive cases of COVID-19 in Valley County.
Valley County has 8 active cases as of August 10th, 2020 at 4:00pm. Valley County has had 23 cases total, with 15 cases recovered.
Case 19: A female in her 20s who is not hospitalized and is isolating at home. The investigation is ongoing and contact tracing has begun. This individual was named as a contact to a positive case and is symptomatic.
Case 20: A male in his 30s who is not hospitalized and is isolating at home. The investigation is ongoing and contact tracing has begun. The individual was named as a contact to a positive case and is symptomatic.
Case 21: A female in her 20s who is not hospitalized and is isolating at home. The investigation is ongoing and contact tracing has begun. The individual is symptomatic.
Case 22: A female in her 20s who is not hospitalized and is isolating at home. The investigation is ongoing and contact tracing has begun. The individual is symptomatic.
Case 23: A male in his 20s who is not hospitalized and is isolating at home. The investigation is ongoing and contact tracing has begun. The individual is symptomatic.

As there are currently four or more active COVID-19 cases, masks are MANDATORY in Valley County.

The U.S. Census Bureau is ending all counting efforts for the 2020 census on Sept. 30, a month sooner than previously announced, the bureau's director confirmed last week in a statement. That includes critical door-knocking efforts and collecting responses online, over the phone and by mail.

The latest updates to the bureau's plans are part of efforts to "accelerate the completion of data collection and apportionment counts by our statutory deadline of December 31, 2020, as required by law and directed by the Secretary of Commerce" who oversees the bureau, Director Steven Dillingham said in the written statement posted on the bureau's website.

These last-minute changes to the constitutionally mandated count of every person living in the U.S. threaten the accuracy of population numbers used to determine the distribution of political representation and federal funding for the next decade.

With roughly 4 out of 10 households nationwide yet to be counted, and already delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, the bureau now has less than two months left to try to reach people of color, immigrants, renters, rural residents and other members of historically undercounted groups who are not likely to fill out a census form on their own.

The response rate in Montana lags behind many other states and the national rate of return is 63.2% compared to a 56.8% return rate in Montana.

In Valley County the rate of return is just 39.3% compared to 29.6% in Phillips County and 33.6% in Roosevelt County. Montana's more populous counties are doing much better with Yellowstone at 70.7% and Missoula County at 67.8%.

In Glasgow the return rate is 62.1% while Fort Peck is 66.9%, Nashua 46.5% and Opheim 32.1%.

Governor Steve Bullock last week issued a directive to ensure all eligible Montanans can safely vote in the 2020 November general election by allowing counties to expand voting by mail and early voting. Whether or not they provide mail ballots, all counties will be required to offer in person voting opportunities and take precautions to ensure Montanans have the option to register or vote safely.

“I am in agreement with our bipartisan election administrators – who are the ones on the ground with the first-hand knowledge of how to successfully conduct an election – that we must protect Montanans’ right to vote, while protecting the public’s health,” Governor Bullock said. “Locally elected officials best understand the voting needs of their communities, and taking this action now ensures they will have the time to make the right decisions for their localities. With this approach we can protect that fundamental right to vote, while easing crowding and pressure on voting on Election Day.”

The directive permits counties, at their discretion, to expand access to voting by mail and early voting. Counties that opt to vote by mail will still require counties to allow in person voting. All counties must ensure appropriate social distancing to provide safe voting and voter registration for all Montanans.

The Valley County Commissioners are expected to make a decision on vote by mail this week.

For the primary election, county election administrators adeptly managed the change in procedures and held a safe election marked by an increase in voter turnout compared to previous primary elections. In July, the bipartisan Montana Association of Clerk and Recorders and Election Administrators as well as the Montana Association of Counties requested that Governor Bullock again give counties the option to conduct a mail ballot election in November. Their request stressed the ethical concerns with following standard election procedures, which would produce serious risks for voters and poll workers alike—effectively forcing Montanans to choose between their safety and the right to vote. The election administrators also stressed the chaos that could follow if polling locations are closed at the last minute or if counties are forced to consolidate polling locations in response to outbreaks.

The option to provide mail ballots while expanding early voting will protect Montanans’ right to vote, while protecting the public’s health. The CDC has recognized that in person voting on election day increases the risk of transmitting COVID-19, and has urged states to use voting methods that reduce crowd size. Many Montana election workers are over the age of 60 and are often in close proximity to each other, large crowds, and interact with paper, pens, and other items that could be infected and exchanged frequently.

Governor Bullock’s Directive contains three central components:

Counties may choose to send mail ballots and expand early voting for the November 3, 2020 general election.
Counties are encouraged to publicize available options and to work with nonprofit organizations to ensure that all Montanans will have access to a ballot, whether in person, early, or by mail.
All counties must establish, implement, and enforce social distancing policies at polling locations, designated drop-off locations, or other public-facing portions of facilities involved in voting.
The Directive largely mirrors the June 2020 primary Directive, but also reflects feedback from the bipartisan group of county election administrators, who studied the June 2020 primary. The Directive encourages election administrators to publicize mail and early voting options, to make options available to voters early, and to work with local nonprofit organizations to facilitate voting on reservations in particular. Based on county election administrators’ feedback, the directive also requests that the Secretary of State’s Office include designated place of deposit locations on voters’ “My Voter Page” profiles in addition to available polling places and recommends that Automark or Expressvote technology be made available at polling locations from Oct. 2 through election day.

Additionally, the Directive provides expanded timelines for voter registration, ballot distribution, and early voting opportunities. The Directive extends the close of regular voter registration until 10 days before the election to minimize the need for in-person registration or lines. County election administrators will be able to make ballots available from Oct. 2 until the end of the election. Mail-in ballots will be sent on Oct. 9 and no postage will be required to return ballots by mail.

Finally, the Directive requires that counties, regardless of their voting procedures, implement social distancing guidelines to make voter registration and voting safer for all Montanans and reduce spreading COVID-19 within communities. As CDC guidelines provide, counties must ensure a minimum of six feet of distancing between individuals at polling locations, designated drop-off locations, or public-facing portions of facilities involved in voting.

Update From Valley County Health Department from 8/8/2020 @ 9:30pm

We have been notified of 10 more contacts to positive case #18. These individuals are all between the ages of 10-19. The investigation is ongoing and contact tracing will resume on 8/9/2020. Please ensure that your children are wearing masks and following social distancing guidelines.

8/8/2020 6:00 pm
Valley County - positive COVID-19 case update
Total -- 18
Active -- 7
Recovered -- 11

Case 18: A male aged 10-19 who is not hospitalized and is isolating at home. Contact tracing is complete. This individual was symptomatic. Suspected exposure is through community contact.

Saturday August 8, 2020:

Phillips County Health Department has been notified of an additional 16 lab-confirmed positive COVID-19 cases. All cases are isolated and recovering at home. Also, our one hospitalized case is now recovering at home.

PCHD is asking everyone to do their part. If you have been told to quarantine, you NEED to do so. With the large spike of cases in Phillips County, contact tracing is becoming difficult and the only way to slow the spread and lessen the impact on our healthcare resources, is to follow our guidelines. This includes following the mask mandate, maintaining social distance, avoiding large gatherings and cancelling any events over 50 people.

Phillips County
Total Active Cases: 44
Active Hospitalizations: 0
Recovered: 0

From Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital -
8-8-2020 3:00 pm

Valley County now has 17 positive COVID-19 cases total with 6 active and 11 recovered.

Case 16: A female in her 30s who is not hospitalized and is isolating at home. The investigation is ongoing and contact tracing has begun. This individual is symptomatic. Suspected exposure is through community contact.

Case 17: A female aged 10-19 who is not hospitalized and is isolating at home. The investigation is ongoing and contact tracing has begun. The individual was named as a contact to a positive case and became symptomatic during quarantine.

KLTZ will air the U.S. senate debate at 6 p.m. this Saturday, August 8th.

Ron Davis, Chair, Greater Montana Foundation and Keith Teske, Chair, Montana Broadcasters Association, announced today that the two groups will hold a Senatorial debate between candidates Governor Steve Bullock and US Senator Steve Daines, on Saturday, August 8. The debate will be virtual, due to concerns about the Covid-19 virus and conducted on the Zoom platform. Recorded live earlier in the day, the debate will be broadcast on statewide radio and TV stations at six o’clock pm Saturday.

Teske and Davis stated: “We believe we are providing a real service to Montana citizens at a time when candidates are not able to hold events or travel around the state meeting people, as they usually do. A well-informed electorate is a bedrock of democracy and this debate will help educate Montanans about each candidate, their views and where they agree or disagree.”

Ron Davis, GMF Board Chair and President of Butte Broadcasting will serve as moderator. Panelists are Mike Dennison, Montana Television Network; Maritsa Georgiou, NBC Montana; Troy Shockley, KCAP, The Montana Radio Company, and Ben Wineman, Cowles Media. Questions will not be available in advance nor solicited from the public. Panelists will decide on the questions.

Panelists’ Backgrounds:
Mike Dennison, the chief political reporter for the Montana Television Network, based in Helena. He has been covering politics full-time in Montana for 28 years, with MTN, and earlier as a news reporter.
Maritsa Georgiou is an evening anchor at NBC Montana, with politics as one of her broadcast specialties. Her grandfather worked for E.B.Craney at KXLF Radio in Butte and she was awarded the 2019 E.B. Craney award as Television Broadcaster of the Year by Montana Broadcasters Association.

Troy Shockley is an award-winning news director and talk show host at KCAP and the Montana Radio Company. Earlier, he spent 20 years in the newspaper industry.

Ben Wineman, is an evening news anchor for Cowles Montana Media Company for KTMF/KWYB/KFBB/KULR and named runner-uo for Broadcaster of the Year 2020, by Montana Broadcasters Association.

Davis and Teske encouraged all Montanans to take advantage of the opportunity to view and to listen to this important debate between the candidates for the US Senate. They applauded the longtime relationship between GMF and MBA. The two organizations partner on the annual “EB” awards for excellence in broadcasting, which helps build better broadcasting for Montana. During election years, GMF helps fund debates which usually take place at MBA’s annual convention.

The EBs are named for pioneer broadcaster, E. B. Craney, who established the Greater Montana Foundation in 1958. Its initial focus on improving commercial broadcasting in the state has expanded to include a mission of “encouraging communications, with an emphasis on electronic media, on issues, trends and values of importance to present and future generations of Montanans, ” with grants awarded to the University of Montana Radio and TV school, Montana PBS, Montana NPR and a wide variety of documentaries, films, broadcasts and podcasts.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 8/6/2020
VALLEY COUNTY COVID-19 UPDATE

(Valley County, Montana): Valley County Public Health Department and Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital confirm the 15th positive case of COVID-19 in Valley County.

Valley County has four (4) active cases as of August 6th, 2020 at 4:30pm. Valley County has had 15 cases total, with 11 cases recovered.

Case 15: A male in his 30s tested positive who is not hospitalized and is isolating at home. Exposure is suspected due to travel. The investigation is ongoing and contact tracing has begun. The individual is symptomatic.

As there are currently four or more active COVID-19 cases, masks are MANDATORY in Valley County.

MASKS REQUIRED IN VALLEY COUNTY:

As per the Governor’s Directive on July 15, 2020:.

• Except as provided in section 4 of this Directive, all businesses, government offices, or other persons responsible for indoor spaces open to the public shall require and take reasonable measures to ensure that all employees, contractors, volunteers, customers, or other members of the public wear a face covering that covers their mouth and nose at all times while entering or remaining in any indoor spaces open to the public.

• Face coverings shall be provided for all employees and volunteers.

• All points of entry open to the public shall have a clearly visible sign posted stating: “Mask or face covering use required for ages five and older.”

• The provisions of this Directive apply only to counties in which there are four or more confirmed and active COVID-19 cases, and only during the time in which there are four or more active cases. However, Montanans in counties with three or fewer active cases are strongly encouraged to wear face coverings.

For additional information and printable masks required posters you can access the Governor’s Mask Directive online at:
https://covid19.mt.gov/Masks-and-Face-Coverings

(Press release from Glasgow Supt. Wade Sundby)

The first day of school for the Glasgow School District will be August 26, 2020.

Glasgow School District will be having in-class instruction Monday - Thursday. If a student needs additional help or is deemed "non-proficient in a class" they will attend on Friday.

We will follow the usual start and end time for the school day as in previous years Monday - Thursday. On Friday we will run an 8-period schedule at GMS and GHS ending @ 1:45 pm. This day will be remote or in-person depending on the student, parent, and teacher. Teachers will be in the buildings. We will run on the red/white schedule 4 periods a day (M-T) and 8 periods on Friday.

Irle School:
K-3 Monday - Thursday 8:35 am - 3:15 pm
K-3 Friday 8:35 am - 1:30 pm

4-5 Monday - Thursday 8:10 am - 3:15 pm
4-5 Friday 8:10 am - 1:40 pm

GMS:
Monday-Thursday 8:10 am - 3:29 pm
Friday 8:10 am - 1:45 pm

GHS:
Monday -Thursday 8:10 am - 3:25 pm
Friday 8:10 am - 1:45 pm

Classes will run Monday through Thursday. Friday will be a day our non-proficient students attend in-person class. All other students needing additional support will set up a time during their scheduled class period to meet with their teachers.

Glasgow School District will require masks for the safety of our students and staff K-12.

Parents will have the option to opt-out of in-class instruction further information will be provided next week.

We will continue to provide you with information as it develops.

Thank you!

Wade O. Sundby

Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital sincerely apologizes for the delay in results from the community surveillance testing that occurred on July 15th (at the Fairgrounds and Downtown testing sites).

At this time laboratories are overwhelmed with tests, resulting in longer than anticipated processing time. At the time of testing we predicted receiving results in 14-20 days. We have now exceeded that timeline.

Test results will be mailed out the day that they are received, and any positive results will also promptly receive a phone call from the Valley County Health Department.

Again, we apologize and thank you for your patience and understanding.

The Fort Peck Fine Arts Council & Busted Knuckle Brewery are teaming up for Brews For A Cause Wed. Aug. 5th, from 5 - 8p.m.

The event is geared to help raise funds for the new stage floor at the Fort Peck Summer Theatre.

Sean Bergstrom & Seth Morehouse will be there with the Berg House food truck at 5:30p.m.

$1 per pint of BKB beer or wine will be donated towards the new stage floor.

Don’t forget to wear your mask!

The Feda Scholarship for the Trades will assist three 2020 Valley County graduates with their studies this fall, one focusing on welding and two on power line construction and maintenance. Doris Leader of Nashua, chair of the Valley County Community Foundation, which administers the scholarship endowment, announced the awards.

Recipient Mack Winchester will study welding at MSU-Northern in Havre. He is a Nashua High School graduate and the son of Denise Winchester.

Glasgow High School graduates Kobe Sibley and Trevor Shipp will study power line construction and maintenance at the Mitchell Technical Institute in Mitchell, SD. Sibley is the son of John and McKenzie Kalinski and Shipp the son of Cam and Kim Shipp.

Audrey and Gerry Feda of Glasgow established the scholarship with an endowment to the Foundation in 2007. It benefits graduates of Valley County high schools who pursue an education in the trades and previous recipients who continue their studies in the trades.

Earnings from the endowment fund the annual awards, with the first scholarship given in 2009. Since then, 27 students have received a total of $41,500. Previous recipients have pursued many different careers, including radiology technology, respiratory care, agronomy, diesel and computer technology and aviation mechanics.

Applications for 2021 scholarships will be available in the spring. Notice of requirements and the application deadline are given through the VCCF website: www.valleycountycf.net , local media and high school guidance counselors.

The Glasgow School Board will meet on Thursday at 9am to make a decision regarding school reopening for this fall.

Brandon and Somer Hoerster were selected as the Yard of the Week by Glasgow City Council member Todd Young. The yard is located at 735 9th Street North in Glasgow.

The Glasgow City Council has voted to implement a wage matrix for all employees of the City of Glasgow. This new matrix is based on a federal wage matrix and provides for an annual increase in pay for all city employees.

All city employees started off with an increase in pay effective July 1st.
Examples of new hourly pay rates for city employees:

A newly hired officer in the Glasgow Police Department will start with a wage of $22.78.

The Glasgow Police Chief has a wage of $30.02 per hour which is an increase of 31 cents per hour from last year.

Employees in the City Street Department will see their wages increase to $22.67 per hour which is a bump of .65 cents per hour compared to last year.

Employees in the City Water Department will see a .65 cent increase per hour as well which will boost their hourly wage to $23.02 per hour.

The supervisor of the City Street Department has a wage of $23.58 per hour while the supervisor at the City Cemetery will be paid $23.40 per hour.

The City Court Judge has a wage of $25.38 per hour but it should be noted this is a part-time position.

The Public Works Director is the highest paid position in the city with an hourly wage of $34.87 per hour while the City Clerk/Treasurer has a wage of $27.71 per hour.

The wage matrix implemented by the City Council is a 2 year plan and employees will see another bump in pay next fiscal year to fully implement the wage matrix.

MONTANA – Governor Steve Bullock and the Montana Department of Agriculture (MDA) today announced that over $7.5 million in grant funding has been awarded through the Montana Meat Processing Infrastructure Grant (MMPIG) programs. The grants are designed to aid small and medium-sized meat processors in responding to the COVID-19 crisis through the adaptation and advancement of meat processing infrastructure and capacity in Montana.

“The impacts of COVID-19 have highlighted how fragile the nation’s supply chain can be, especially when it comes to meat processing,” said Governor Steve Bullock. “It’s crucial that our producers have viable options for getting their meat to market. Investing in meat processing infrastructure will help our Montana producers, strengthen local food systems, and bolster food security for Montanans in communities across the state from Plains to Circle.”

The grant program received incredible interest which reflects the necessity for increased in-state meat processing capacity. Strengthening infrastructure and capacity will increase market options for Montana’s cattle, hog and poultry producers and protect consumers from supply chain disruption. Businesses received funding for equipment and infrastructure, such as additional cooler or freezer space, slaughter floor enhancements, and other business adaptation and diversification activities that will increase processing and/or storage capacity related to local meat processing.

Funding for the MMPIG was derived from the state’s allocation of federal relief dollars made available through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, with a maximum award of $150,000. Over 60 businesses received funding. The Montana Department of Agriculture and Department of Livestock worked in conjunction to ensure projects adhered to meat processing rules and regulations. A list of recipients is included with this release.

The Montana Department of Agriculture’s mission is to protect producers and consumers, and to enhance and develop agriculture and allied industries. For more information on the Montana Department of Agriculture, visit agr.mt.gov.

Montana Meat Processing Infrastructure Grant Recipients

406 Processing – Great Falls, MT
$120,428 to assist with equipment purchases to increase cold storage and processing capacity.

4th Avenue Meat Market – Billings, MT
$150,000 to assist with equipment purchases to increase cold storage and processing capacity.

5D Processing – Choteau, MT
$54,500 to assist with equipment purchases to increase cold storage and processing capacity.

Amsterdam Meat Shop – Belgrade, MT
$138,140 to assist with equipment purchases and facility modifications to increase cold storage and processing capacity.

Auggie’s Processing Plant – Broadus, MT
$145,000 to assist with equipment purchases and construction of a new processing facility.

Bainville Meats – Bainville, MT
$144,583 to assist with equipment purchases to increase cold storage and processing capacity.

BCH Discount Meats – Great Falls, MT
$87,160 to assist with equipment purchases and facility modifications to increase processing capacity.

Bear Paw Meats – Chinook, MT
$103,585 to assist with equipment purchases and facility modifications to increase processing capacity.

Beaverhead Meats – Dillon, MT
$90,000 to assist with equipment purchases to increase cold storage capacity and upgrade waste management infrastructure and sanitization processes.

Big Sandy Meat Shop – Malta, MT
$150,000 to assist with equipment purchases and facility modifications to achieve federal inspection certification.

Biiluuke Strong – Hardin, MT
$115,129 to assist with equipment purchases to increase cold storage and processing capacity.

Black Dog Farm – Livingston, MT
$88,046 to assist with construction of a poultry processing facility.

Butcher Block Specialties – Miles City, MT
$100,000 to assist with equipment purchases to increase cold storage and processing capacity.

C&C Meat Processing – Browning, MT
$150,000 to assist with equipment purchases, slaughter floor installation and facility modifications for increased cold storage and processing capacity.

Castle Mountain Grocery – White Sulphur Springs, MT
$149,872 to assist with equipment purchases and facility modifications to increase cold storage and processing capacity.

Christiaens Meats – Valier, MT
$33,974 to assist with equipment purchases to increase processing capacity.

Clark Fork Custom Meats – Plains, MT
$140,000 to assist with equipment purchases and facility modifications to increase cold storage and processing capacity.

Cordova Farms – Choteau, MT
$140,273 to assist with the purchase of a Plant in Box shipping container poultry processing facility.

Cowboy Meat Company – Forsyth, MT
$150,000 to assist with equipment purchases to increase cold storage and processing capacity.

Craig’s Meat Processing – Sidney, MT
$150,000 to assist with equipment purchases and facility modifications to increase cold storage and processing capacity.

Dabucha’s Outdoors – Shelby, MT
$150,000 to assist with equipment purchases, slaughter floor expansion and facility modifications to increase cold storage and processing capacity.

Diamond D Bar Processing – Geraldine, MT
$97,896 to assist with the equipment purchases and facility modifications to increase cold storage and processing capacity.

Eastern Montana Meats – Sidney, MT
$150,000 to assist with equipment purchases and construction of a new facility.

Farm-to-Market Pork – Kalispell, MT
$140,000 to assist with equipment purchases and facility modifications to increase cold storage and expand processing capacity to include beef as well as pork.

Feddes Family Meats – Manhattan, MT
$147,490 to assist with and equipment purchases and facility modifications to increase cold storage and processing capacity.

Hilger Meats – Lewistown, MT
$139,711 to assist with equipment purchases, slaughter floor installation and facility modifications to increase cold storage and processing capacity.

Judith Mountain Meats – Lewistown, MT
$61,878 to assist with equipment purchases to increase cold storage and processing capacity.

L and S Meat Processing – Lima, MT
$99,065 to assist with equipment purchases to increase cold storage and processing capacity.

K & S Meat – Helena, MT
$145,830 to assist with the construction of a new facility for increased cold storage capacity and the purchase of a mobile slaughter truck for increased processing capacity.

Lazy BK Ranch – Hamilton, MT
$41,900 to assist with equipment purchases and the completion of processing facility.

Living River Farms – Stevensville, MT
$140,000 to assist with equipment purchases and the construction of a poultry processing facility.

Lolo Locker – Missoula, MT
$150,000 to assist with equipment purchases to increase cold storage and processing capacity.

Lower Valley Processing – Kalispell, MT
$150,000 to assist with equipment purchases and facility modifications to increase cold storage and processing capacity.

M3 Meats – Sidney, Mt
$125,259 to assist with equipment purchases to increase cold storage and processing capacity.

Matt’s Butcher Shop & Deli – Livingston, MT
$140,000 to assist with equipment purchases to increase cold storage and processing capacity.

Miles Community College – Miles City, Mt
$117,397 to assist with training and educating Montana residents about meat processing.

Millers Custom Processing – Red Lodge, MT
$104,671 to assist with equipment purchases and facility upgrades to increase cold storage and processing capacity.

Milligan Canyon Meats – Three Forks, MT
$45,000 to assist with equipment purchases to increase cold storage and processing capacity.

Mission Mountain Food Enterprise Center – Ronan, MT
$72,500 to assist with equipment purchases to increase processing capacity.

Montana Marbled Meats – Polson, MT
$150,000 to assist with equipment purchases to increase cold storage and processing capacity.

North American Foods of Montana – Hamilton, MT
$115,000 to assist with equipment purchases to increase cold storage capacity.

North West Montana Veterans Stand Down – Kalispell, MT
$63,443 to assist with equipment purchases and facility modifications to increase capacity for repackaging and distributing meat donations to veterans and their families.

Pekovitch Meats – Malta, MT
$150,000 to assist with equipment purchases, slaughter floor installation and facility modifications to increase cold storage and processing capacity.

Pioneer Meats – Big Timber, MT
$140,000 to assist with equipment purchases and renovation of an existing processing facility to increase domestic animal processing and cold storage capacity.

Powder River Meat Company – Terry, MT
$116,000 to assist with equipment purchases and facility modifications to reopen facility.

Project Meats – Billings, MT
$50,000 to assist with facility upgrades and construction of an additional facility.

Ranchland Packing– Butte, MT
$140,000 to assist with equipment purchases and facility modifications to increase cold storage and processing capacity.

Rawhide Meats – White Sulphur Springs, MT
$150,000 to assist with equipment purchases and facility modifications to increase cold storage and processing capacity.

Round Butte Custom Cuts – Ronan, Mt
$136,477 to assist with equipment purchases and mobile slaughter unit to increase cold storage and processing capacity.

Ryan Grocery & Processing – Jordan, MT
$116,939 to equipment purchases and facility modifications to increase cold storage and processing capacity.

S Ranch Meats – Hardin, MT
$150,000 to assist with equipment purchases for a new processing facility.

School House Meats (Missoula Schools) – Missoula, MT
$150,000 to assist with equipment purchases to increase processing capacity.

Superior Meats – Superior, MT
$140,000 to assist with equipment purchases and facility modifications to increase processing capacity.

T and A Ranch – Cascade, MT
$150,000 to assist with construction of a new processing facility.

T&G Processing – Circle, MT
$148,105 to assist with equipment purchases, slaughter floor installation and facility modifications to increase cold storage and processing capacity.

The Butcher Block – Great Falls, MT
$150,000 to assist with equipment purchases, slaughter floor installation and facility modifications to increase cold storage and processing capacity.

Treasure Trail Meat Processing – Glasgow, MT
$150,000 to assist with equipment purchases and facility modifications to increase cold storage and processing capacity.

Triple T Specialty Meats – Glendive, MT
$150,000 to assist with equipment purchases and facility modifications to increase cold storage and processing capacity.

Uncle Sweetie’s Processing – Jordan, MT
$94,472 to assist with equipment purchases and facility modifications to increase cold storage and processing capacity.

Vandevanter Meats – Columbia Falls, MT
$150,000 to assist with equipment purchases to increase cold storage and processing capacity.

Western Meat & Sausage Block – Butte, MT
$71,201 to assist with equipment purchases to increase processing capacity.

Western Wildlife Art Taxidermy and Processing – Forsyth, MT
$133,500 to assist with equipment purchases to covert taxidermy storage facility to a processing facility.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has identified some of the plant species in bags of unsolicited seeds arriving in mailboxes across the United States. Officials have warned the shipments of mystery seeds, which appear to have originated in China, could be invasive plant species.

So far, however, the species appear to be innocuous. At least 14 of the seed species had been identified as of July 29, according to Deputy Administrator Osama El-Lissy of the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. They includes mustard, cabbage and morning glory as well as herbs like mint, sage, rosemary and lavender. He said hibiscus and roses were also found.

CBS News confirmed that residents in all 50 states have reported receiving the suspicious packages of seeds. The USDA said if you receive the packets of seeds, do not plant them and contact your state plant regulatory official.

Although the species identified so far are harmless, plant experts have warned that seeds from other parts of the world could damage crops.

State agriculture officials in Virginia warned, "Invasive species wreak havoc on the environment, displace or destroy native plants and insects and severely damage crops. Taking steps to prevent their introduction is the most effective method of reducing both the risk of invasive species infestations and the cost to control and mitigate those infestations."

Texas Department of Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller urged people to be cautious. "It could be a bacteria. It could be another virus, some kind of invasive species," Miller told CBS Dallas-Fort Worth.

Robin Pruisner, a state seed control official at the Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship in Iowa, told Reuters that she has heard reports of a coating of possible insecticide or fungicide on the seeds, which could prove especially harmful to crops.

The Agriculture Department has said the packages are most likely part of a "brushing" scam, in which a seller sends unsolicited items to someone and then posts false positive customer reviews to boost sales.

"Brushing scams involving seed packets in international mail shipments are not uncommon," the USDA said. "U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has intercepted similar seed shipments in recent years."

Phylissia Clark of the Better Business Bureau told CBS DFW that if you are a victim of brushing, "your identity has been compromised."

"Somebody knows enough about you to create a profile online and use you to manipulate systems," Clark said.

The seeds typically arrive in white packages displaying Chinese lettering and the words "China Post." The USDA continues to investigate.

(Valley County, Montana): Valley County Public Health Department and Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital confirm the ninth, tenth, and eleventh (9th, 10th, and 11th) positive cases of COVID-19 in Valley County.

Valley County has Six (6) active cases as of July 29th, 2020 at 4pm. Valley County has had eleven (11) cases total, with five (5) cases recovered.

Case #9 A female in her 50s who is not symptomatic and will isolate at home. This case was identified
through contact to a positive and contact tracing is complete.

Case #10 A male in his 70s who is not symptomatic and is isolating at home. This case was identified
through contact to a positive and contact tracing is complete.

Case #11 A female in her 60s who is not symptomatic and is isolating at home. This case was identified
through contact to a positive. The investigation is ongoing and contact tracing has begun.

As there are currently four or more active COVID-19 cases, masks are now MANDATORY In Valley County.

MASKS NOW REQUIRED IN VALLEY COUNTY
As per the Governor's Directive on July 15, 2020:
• Except as provided in section 4 of this Directive, all businesses, government offices, or other persons responsible for
indoor spaces open to the public shall require and take reasonable measures to ensure that all employees, contractors, volunteers, customers, or other members of the public wear a face covering that covers their mouth and nose at all times while entering or remaining in any indoor spaces open to the public.
• Face coverings shall be provided for all employees and volunteers.
• All points of entry open to the public shall have a clearly visible sign posted stating: "Mask or face covering use required for ages five and older."
• The provisions of this Directive apply only to counties in which there are four or more confirmed and active COVID-19 cases. and only during the time in which there are four or more active cases. However, Montanans in counties with three or fewer active cases are strongly encouraged to wear face coverings.

For additional information and printable masks required posters you can access the Governor's Mask Directive online at: https://covid19.mt.gov/Masks-and-Face-Coverings

Story from Billings Gazette

A train collided with a semi-truck Tuesday morning in Roosevelt County, killing the driver.

According to the Montana Highway Patrol, a Freightliner truck was driving eastbound on U.S. Highway 2 near Brockton. At a crossing near BIA Route 1, a train struck the vehicle on the driver’s side, killing the driver. There were no other reported injuries.

MHP reported the driver to be a 24-year-old man from Sidney. The crash is still under investigation at this time.

In May, a 65-year-old man from Sidney died on impact after an Amtrak passenger train struck a tractor near Bainville. The collision derailed the train, injuring four on board the train.

Tuesday’s report marks the 105th death on Montana’s roads for 2020, 20 of which have occurred on its interstates.

Story from Krtv.com

County election officials have asked Gov. Steve Bullock to decide by Aug. 10 whether they can conduct an all-mail ballot for the November general election, saying they must make that call soon, for planning purposes.

The top election official in Lewis and Clark County also told MTN News Tuesday she’d be recommending an all-mail Nov. 3 ballot for her county – and indicated that other counties are seeing the same coronavirus-related problems as she does, with having polling stations.

“We have five polling stations that are not available, out of 18, and we have several that have said, `it depends,’” said Audrey McCue, election administrator for Lewis and Clark County in Helena. “We can’t plan an event of that scale with an `it depends.’”

Counties around the state also are saying they doubt they can get enough election judges to staff polling stations, because of concerns about Covid-19 infection, she added.

Bullock, who declared a state of emergency in late March to battle the coronavirus pandemic, has the power to supersede state election law during the emergency and allow counties to choose all-mail ballots for the statewide election.

He made that call for the primary election and Montana had a record turnout on June 2, surpassing the old primary-election high by 90,000 voters.

Bullock’s office told MTN News he’ll consult with election and health officials and political leaders from both parties before deciding what to do for the general election, which is 14 weeks away.

County election officials formally asked Bullock on Friday to allow them to choose whether to conduct an all-mail ballot for the general election -- and asked that he make that decision by Aug. 10, which is 85 days before the election.

This general election is one of the biggest elections in Montana in the past two decades. Voters will be choosing a new governor, attorney general, U.S. House representative, state auditor and secretary of state, and will decide one of the top U.S. Senate races in the country: Bullock vs. Republican U.S. Sen. Steve Daines.

They’ll also be voting on the next president, in a contest that some see as tightening, between President Trump and his Democratic challenger, Joe Biden.

Historically, general elections in presidential years draw at least 200,000 more voters in Montana than the primary election. If that margin holds this year, turnout for the general election would top 80 percent.

President Trump and some GOP officials nationwide have criticized mail voting and are fighting efforts to increase it, sometimes alleging that it’s more prone to voter fraud.

But Montana county election officials said all-mail voting here has many security measures and that any suggestion that it’s more susceptible to fraud “is demonstrably false in Montana.”

The Montana Republican Party said Tuesday that going to all-mail voting in November would “limit options for Montanans who prefer to vote in-person on election day,” and that they should have the option to go to the polls.

McCue said county election officials would like to know now whether they’ll have the power to choose an all-mail election or one with polling stations.

Either course involves detailed, extensive plans, and the counties want to be able to plan for one option, rather than two, she said.

“If we are looking at a mail ballot election, that means more envelopes, that means increased capacity to process mail ballots, that means looking at if postage if covered or not on return envelopes,” she said. “And those are things that take time to plan for.”

Montana allows any voter to request absentee ballots, which are mailed, and about 70 percent of Montana voters choose that option. McCue noted that if her county chose to go to all-mail ballots, they’d still need to print one-third more ballots sooner and get them in the mail on Oct. 9.
If counties are required to keep polls open, they need to get started on recruiting and training more election judges, finding additional polling spots, and notifying voters of any changes, McCue added.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/11Tk5RFYkbzRmCh9qihwMd6i8mteCHG7w4RoQiOhwvlQ/edit

Valley County's eighth positive COVID-19 case has now been confirmed by the Valley County Health Department and FMDH.

Case 8 is a female in her 70s who is not hospitalized and is isolating at home. The investigation is ongoing and contact tracing has begun. Exposure is from an unknown source. This individual is symptomatic.

This is the third active case in the county with five previous cases now classified as "recovered."