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BILLINGS – At her parole hearing April 21, Seeley Lake woman Becky Lynn Richards admitted she shot her husband Jim after 25 years of maintaining her innocence. The Montana Board of Pardons and Parole denied her parole and said she would be eligible for parole again in three years. On March 5, 1992 Richards reported that her husband Jim had committed suicide. Jim died from a gunshot wound to the head. Law enforcement initially ruled it a suicide based on Richards' story. However, seven months aft...
SEELEY LAKE – The reality of wildfires burning more frequently with higher intensity and across larger areas was the hot topic Thursday, April 27 during the Era of Megafires event in Seeley Lake. Guest speaker Dr. Paul Hessburg shared the story about why he feels megafires (fires larger than 100,000 acres) are happening. Instead of fear, his mission was to incite a call to action and a feeling of power to change the way wildfires affect people's homes, neighborhoods, towns and the landscapes tha...
MISSOULA - Seeley-Swan High School (SSHS) senior Gavin Mercado and junior Cameron Haines were recognized as two of Missoula County Public Schools (MCPS) Most Inspiring Students at a banquet April 20. They were a part of a group that teachers and school staff recognized for excelling despite incredible odds. The Most Inspiring Students Banquet has been held for the past six years. Award recipients were nominated because they serve as examples of perseverance, determination and as role models for...
GREENOUGH – It is calving season in the Blackfoot. Sunset School students had the opportunity to learn about the calving and ranch operations at the Paws Up Ranch from Ranch Manager Kyle Kelley and his wife Leigh on April 26. Students took a hay ride through the 'fresh' calving area where the calves are less than one week old, toured the calving barn and bottle fed a calf and lamb. This is the second year Sunset School has visited the Kelleys whose daughter Claire attends Sunset School. Leigh o...
SEELEY LAKE – A quick “Thank You” to our church family for all the food, cards and visits. Also, we want to thank the community of Seeley Lake and my neighbors for being here for Jon and I. What a caring and thoughtful community we have. God has my life in His hands. Blessings to all of you....
Now that winter is ending, we Montanans are putting away our skis and snowshoes. We’re preparing to kayak, camp and hike in our public lands. Our summer recreation plans could change. The assault on our public lands continues. This session, the Republican controlled Montana Legislature passed a destructive resolution. It aims to open wilderness study areas to grazing, timber harvesting and mineral development. House Joint Resolution (HJ) 9 asks the President and Congress to develop plans to manage some of our most valuable public lands for n...
Not sure if I had this in my last column so thought I would tell you about my neighbor across the street. He went out early one morning to get his pickup and there stood a moose. I’m not sure who scared each other the worse but he said the moose took off running. Pretty unlikable to happen but it is so. Well as we all know the bears are out and coming out. Remember to put your garbage where it is safe from the bears! Someone didn’t and the small bear got in the garbage and the man shot the little bear. Pretty stupid thing to do in my opi...
SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Ranger District is planning to conduct prescribed burning this spring if weather, fuel and air quality conditions allow for safe and effective operations. The project areas include two locations, both adjacent to Seeley Lake. One is located just south of Seeley Lake within the Horseshoe West Project Area. The Horseshoe West Project Area has approximately 1,100 acres of understory prescribed burning that could come into prescription this spring. The prescribed under-burn objectives include: enhance soil...
SEELEY LAKE – The Missoula County Public Schools (MCPS) Board of Trustees recognized trustee Debbie Dupree for her 15 years of service at their April 25 board meeting at Seeley-Swan High School (SSHS). They also took public comment that included a request for drivers’ education in Seeley Lake. MCPS Board Chair Marcia Holland and MCPS Superintendent Mark Thane recognized Dupree for her service on the board on behalf of the board, the community and the students of SSHS. She received a gift from the board and everyone in attendance enjoyed cak...
The 2017 Montana State Legislative session generated a lot of coverage from both local and national media on bicycles using our state roadways. Much of this press shone a negative spotlight on our state: HB-267, the Safe Passing Bill, which would have required drivers to provide cyclists a minimum of three feet when passing was defeated in the Senate with Senate President Scott Sales garnering national headlines for his disparaging comments about cyclists. Senator Sales generated even more controversy when he attached an amendment to SB-363, a...
A glorious little flower found early in the spring among the sage and bunchgrass is the yellow fritillary or yellow bell, Fritillaria pudica. It's a member of the Lily Family (Liliaceae) and it blooms in the grasslands and ponderosa pine country. You can tell it's in the Lily Family because the veins on its leaves all run parallel and its flower parts are in threes - three petals and three sepals. But the sepals, which in most plant families are green, leafy structures that protect the flower in...
SWAN VALLEY - All 31 Swan Valley Elementary (SVE) School kindergarten through eighth grade students participated in a Science Fair held April 26. It was the culminating activity resulting from the Swan Valley Community Foundation (SVCF) grant SVE received this school year. The funds enabled the students to visit the Insectarium in Missoula, Mont., the Planetarium at the University of Montana and hosted the Mr. G science show. The students were also able to work with the We Are Montana in the...
SWAN VALLEY – Swan Valley Elementary School's (SVES) third through fifth grade class hosted a Poetry Slam April 28 in honor of National Poetry Month. Each student chose one or two poems to share with the rest of the SVES students and members of the community. During the month of April the students wrote one poem per day. Teacher Erica Carroll said she had been to poetry slams in the past and thought it would be a fun way to showcase the students' work. A poetry slam is a competition at which p...
SEELEY LAKE – The Seeley Lake Trailblazers 4-H Club hosted a dinner and silent auction to celebrate the club's 25 years of service to the community. Sophomore Trailblazer Nicole Williams organized the event as a part of her teen leadership project. The goal was to give back to the community and thank them for their support. Williams decided to host the spaghetti feed and dessert auction fundraiser in conjunction with the 25-year celebration. They set a budget of $250 for the event. "The money t...
SEELEY LAKE – Seeley Lake resident Juan de Santa Anna is known in the valley for his photography – portraits, weddings, group events, landscapes. He said he is passionate about photography but he is just as passionate about fly fishing. His wife Randi de Santa Anna includes among her passions hiking, wildflowers and just being out in nature. Together they have found a way to infuse their passions into their employment. The result is Four Season Forays. Four Season Forays offers day and hal...
Goal: Six Point Construction Inc. of Potomac is owned by longtime Potomac residents Bob and Crystal Cheff. The goal of Six Point Construction Inc. is two fold: to provide for family and to build the most affordable and cost effective projects for their customers. History: Bob is a self-proclaimed "hands on" owner who prefers to do as much as possible himself. "Of course there are parts that I sub [contract] out, like concrete, plumbing and electrical," he said. In 2005, Bob and his best friend...
RONAN – Swan Valley Warhawk Rose Mercer broke the Swan Valley Elementary School triple jump record March 31 at the first meet of the season in Ronan, Mont. She jumped 28 feet, 10.75 inches beating the record set by Trinity Hamilton in the early 1990s by nearly two inches. Mercer had tried triple jump a couple times last year for the first time and she said she was not very good. With the help of assistant coach Dana Conley, she earned the fourth place spot and competed at the Meet of C...
GREAT FALLS - The Seeley-Swan Blackhawks headed over the mountains to challenge athletes from more than two dozen Class A, B and C schools April 29. The Lady Blackhawks took third while the Boys took fourth. Earlier in the week the Blackhawks’ top athletes participated in the Russ Pilcher Top 10 in Missoula. To make the cut, athletes had to rank in the top ten of all schools, across all classes, in western Montana. Alex Bohlman, Cera Strumpfer and the Boys and Girls 4x400 relay teams rose to the challenge at the Top 10. Bohlman placed first i...
SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley-Swan Blackhawks did not let the threatening clouds douse their game April 25 at Double Arrow Golf Course. The Boys finished with a score of 252, ten strokes ahead of Big Fork and Thompson Falls who were tied in second. All five Blackhawks finished in the top 15. Malachi Nicholas led the Blackhawks shooting just five over par with a 77, his best score of the season. Malachi tied for first place with Bigfork's Colton Stodgill for individual scores. Malachi and Stodgill...
SWAN VALLEY – For more than 20 years the Swan Valley AARP has sponsored the biennial Speech Contest for local students. On April 26, Swan Valley Elementary School (SVES) students gave their speeches for their fellow students, community members and AARP judges. Supervising teacher Susan Bracha felt all of the students did an amazing job and was proud of each one. Thirteen fifth through eighth grade students chose one of three categories for their speech: an original speech, a memorized speech or...
Death Notice – Steven Johnstone SEELEY LAKE – Missoula County Sheriff’s Office Deputies responded to a call Saturday April 22 at the Wolf Ridge Apartments. Steven Johnstone was found dead in his apartment. Deputy Mike Sunderland said, “He died of natural causes. Nothing was deemed suspicious.” Movie Night at the Seeley Lake Fire Hall May 6 SEELEY LAKE – The Missoula County Sheriff’s Office and Seeley Lake Rural Fire District invite youth and families to the Seeley Lake Fire Hall May 6 starting at 6:30 p.m. Tacos will be served before the fe...
