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April 13, 2012 12:39 AM
HELENA- Mountain lion hunters in the Bitterroot are fighting with deer and elk hunters over hunting quotas.
The Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks Commission approved an increased mountain lion quota on Thursday.
Bitterroot mountain lion hunter Chuck Pyles says the increased quota will decimate the population.
"Keep...
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April 5, 2012 6:02 PM
HAMILTON- Dusty roads might be the key to solving the future for railroads in the Bitterroot, as Ravalli County commissioners try find the remaining money to complete a special funding package.
Ravalli County commissioners haven't exactly checked the sofa cushions yet. But they are squeezing for every nickel and...
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April 2, 2012 9:21 AM
HAMILTON- Montana Rail Link and Ravalli County leaders say they have reached a "tentative" agreement to fund continued operations of the Bitterroot Branch Line for the rest of the year and now everyone is waiting on Stevensville to come up with its share of the money.
Last week it...
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March 28, 2012 6:21 PM
HAMILTON- Ravalli County commissioners say they're still willing to kick in county money to keep Montana Rail Link's Bitterroot branch line operating for another year. But commissioners are firm in their position that the money would only be paid to cover any remaining losses at the end of the year....
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March 23, 2012 9:16 AM
HELENA- Stevensville superintendent Kent Kultgen has accepted the job as Helena School District's new Superintendent.
He was offered the job on Wednesday night after the Helena School Board voted 5-4 to offer him the position.
Kultgen has 21 years of experience in education in Montana. He has worked...
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March 10, 2012 8:16 PM
HAMILTON- The Bitterroot Spring Thaw Fair kicked off Saturday by encouraging some Spring cleaning and it was out with the old and in with the new on items ranging from furniture to food at the third annual event.
Over 60 local artisans offered handcrafted goods with vendors saying the...
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February 8, 2012 10:51 PM
MISSOULA- It's just an idea at this point and time is short, but Ravalli County leaders are exploring the idea of applying for a federal grant to keep rail service rolling to the Bitterroot.
Montana Rail Link (MRL) has filed papers with the federal government showing its "intent to...
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February 2, 2012 12:08 AM
HAMILTON- A Bitterroot Valley couple has set their sights on a daunting adventure and they are looking for help from the community to help make their trip come to fruition.
Charlie Capp and Lorie Hoffman are a couple hoping to embark on the journey of a lifetime. Charlie says...
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November 18, 2011 3:36 PM
MISSOULA- Folks can now cut down Christmas trees in the Bitterroot National Forest, as long as they have a permit. Christmas tree permits are on sale for $5 and there's a limit of three trees per family.
There are a few guidelines being offered up for cutting down that...
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November 13, 2011 7:40 PM
HAMILTON- A new monument is coming to the Bitterroot Valley in hopes of commemorating those who died and survived fighting for our country.
Stones at the front of the monument represent each of the five military branches and soon names will appear on the granite stones next to the...
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September 19, 2011 3:21 PM
HAMILTON- The Saddle Complex fire is holding at a little over 32,300 acres as it continues to burn in southern Ravalli County and neighboring Lemhi County Idaho.
Left over moisture from the storm on Thursday night and high relative humidity has been helping to keep the fire smoldering and...
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September 15, 2011 1:06 PM
HAMILTON- The Saddle Complex fires have now burned over 32,000 acres in the Southern Bitterroot Valley and adjacent Lemhi County Idaho. Over 235 people are still assigned to the blazes along with 11 engines and three helicopters.
Fire managers report that the fire is still torching trees, but is...
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August 29, 2011 1:05 PM
HAMILTON- A public meeting has been set for Tuesday morning to discuss the ongoing efforts to battle the Saddle Complex fries that are burning in southern Ravalli County along the Idaho border.
The blazes have burned nearly 24,000 acres in the Bitterroot and Salmon-Challis national forests and continue to...
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August 25, 2011 12:29 PM
DARBY- The Saddle Creek fire that jumped from Idaho into southern Ravalli County earlier this week has grown slightly, and at last check was burning over 21,150 acres.
Nearly 175 personnel are battling the blaze which blew up by 17,000 cares on Monday and is consuming acres on the...
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August 11, 2011 11:25 AM
HAMILTON- Lightning continues to be the number one cause of fire in Western Montana this summer, with half-a-dozen more fires on the Upper Bitterroot being blamed on thunderstorms.
Bitterroot National Forest reported the additional lightning-caused fires Thursday morning, saying all were burning in various locations above the West Fork...
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July 24, 2011 4:41 PM
HAMILTON- Visitors from around the world are in the Bitterroot National Forest from July 24th-26th as part of the International Seminar on Protected Area Management.
The 25 visitors will be staying at Magruder Ranger Station located on the West Fork Ranger District. They will discuss numerous issues including wilderness...
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June 28, 2011 8:08 PM
HAMILTON- Ravalli County Commissioners want to hear from the public about their encounters with wolves in the Bitterroot, as well as what they lost as a result.
The Commissioners are working to compile as many first-hand testimony from those people who personally lost something because of a wolf.
...
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June 7, 2011 11:50 PM
FLORENCE - The rising Bitterroot River is capping on the edge of flood stage and swelling over its banks as Monday's heavy rains combined with mountain snowmelt, adding even more inches to the already high water.
The sound of a culvert filling with water along Tie Chute Lane woke...
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May 25, 2011 2:45 PM
HAMILTON- Several campgrounds and roads on the Bitterroot National Forest will be closed this Memorial Day Weekend due to high water and runoff.
The Bitterroot National Forest is advising motorists and recreationists who are planning to get an early jump start on summer and get outside during the upcoming...
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May 5, 2011 11:19 AM
HAMILTON- A prescribed burn is set to take place Thursday just west of the Sam Billings Memorial Campground. The burn location is north of the West Fork Ranger District and approximately 225 acres are set to be burned.
Forest officials expect smoke to be visible in the area and...
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May 1, 2011 8:10 PM
BILLINGS- A Billings teacher is one of 85 in the country to receive a Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.
Courtney Niemeyer, a first grade teacher at Bitterroot Elementary School, received the award for math teaching excellence. The White House press office announced the winners on...
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April 22, 2011 6:23 PM
MISSOULA- A local man is facing a felony theft charge for allegedly stealing two jewelry items worth more than $9,000 and then trying to sell one of those items back to its owner.
Read the full story.
MISSOULA- The Missoula Police Department is still looking for the public's...
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April 12, 2011 10:33 AM
HAMILTON- Forest officials say that a tip from the public helped them to identify the people who are responsible for the recent vandalism at Lake Como.
Vandals overturned numerous picnic tables back on March 25th, destroying at least one and damaging several others. The damage was discovered by an...
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March 28, 2011 12:55 PM
HAMILTON- A new federally-prepared report suggests hunting wolves is the "preferred alternative" for rebuilding elk herds along the West Fork of the Bitterroot River.
That's one of the recommendations in the new Draft Environmental Assessment released by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Monday morning. The agency has been...
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March 15, 2011 10:56 AM
MISSOULA- Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials that brucellosis exposure was not detected in blood drawn from 43 elk in the East Fork and West Fork of the Bitterroot Valley last month.
The tested elk are part of a three-year study to evaluate factors affecting elk survival in the...
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March 13, 2011 6:44 PM
Damage from the Mountain Pine Beetle is all over Montana.
The Bitteroot National Forest has come up with a plan to protect popular campgrounds and high-use recreation areas but first, they're asking for the public's opinion.
The Forest plans to use an insecticide and a pheromone to protect...
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March 13, 2011 1:43 PM
HAMILTON- The Bitterroot National Forest is inviting the public to comment on proposed plans to protect trees in popular campgrounds and high-use recreation areas from the mountain pine beetle.
Forest Supervisor Julie King sent out a scoping letter back in December first announcing the plan and a second letter...
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February 16, 2011 5:40 PM
MISSOULA - Hunters seeking a bull elk can no longer freely hunt up the West Fork of the Bitterroot unless they draw a permit.
The Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission recently adopted a change to Hunting District 250, allowing the harvest of 25 brow-tined bull permits for the...
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February 7, 2011 2:49 PM
HAMILTON - A local woman has been charged with attempted murder for allegedly stabbing her husband in the chest.
Prosecutors say Corinne Carson is also facing an assault with a weapon charge in connection with the incident which happened on January 17th at the Carson's home on Skalkaho Highway....
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February 7, 2011 1:06 PM
MISSOULA - Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials are starting up a study later this week that will take a look at just what is affecting elk calf survival in the East and West Forks of the Bitterroot Valley.
The number of elk calves surviving from birth through their...
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January 24, 2011 1:18 PM
HAMILTON - The Bitterroot National Forest is seeking volunteers to serve as camp hosts this summer. The Forest has many developed campgrounds located in beautiful settings.
Campground hosts play an important role in assisting with the management of these areas and working directly with the public.
Camp hosts...
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January 21, 2011 12:39 AM
STEVENSVILLE - Some rural Stevensville residents are passionate about their livelihood and say elk and wolves are interfering with it.
More than 70 landowners showed up to a Thursday night meeting at the American Legion on Burnt Fork Road, hosted by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, to talk about...
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January 20, 2011 10:44 AM
MISSOULA - A Bitteroot Valley woman has pleaded guilty to using a credit card that she found in a bathroom. Penny Fenstermaker is facing a federal charge of wire fraud and identity theft.
She found a wallet in a bathroom on the University of Montana campus back in October,...
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January 13, 2011 2:04 PM
HAMILTON - Montana, unlike other states, does not have government enforced recycling mandates, so how a community chooses or does not choose to recycle is left up to them.
A non-profit called Ravalli County Recycling recently formed in Hamilton and are currently taking most recyclables at the Ravalli County...
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January 13, 2011 12:28 PM
HAMILTON - It's time for the dogs to hit the trail once again in the Bitterroot. The third annual Bitterroot Mountain Mushers ‘Darby Dog Derby is set to take place on Saturday and Sunday.
The event, which is put on by the Bitterroot National Foreast, is open to the...
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December 13, 2010 8:50 AM
HAMILTON - The Safeway grocery store in the Bitterroot is sitting pretty after receiving a sizable make-over.
Store Manager Kathy Street says the building, which was built in 1965, needed some cosmetic updates and added that customers couldn't be more excited about the changes.
The ribbon cutting ceremony...
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November 4, 2010 12:40 PM
HAMILTON - The public is invited to attend a ribbon cutting ceremony this Tuesday, November 9, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. at the Sula Community Center.
The ceremony will serve as the official opening of the newly rehabilitated East Fork Bitterroot Road.
Funding for the $4.3 million project was...
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October 4, 2010 11:25 PM
HELENA - Montana wildlife officials are proposing that hunters shoot 12 endangered gray wolves in an area where elk numbers are declining.
The proposal goes before Montana's Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission on Thursday for initial approval.
Officials would ask the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for permission...
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September 28, 2010 1:57 PM
HAMITLON - The Stevensville Ranger District is planning to carry out a 27 acre prescribed burn this on Tuesday afternoon.
The burn is scheduled to begin around 3:30 p.m. in the Bear Creek area off Forest Road 1327, approximately seven miles south of Stevensville.
Forest officials say that...
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July 25, 2010 6:11 PM
NEAR CORVALLIS - Around 110 firefighters from Montana, Idaho and Utah are working to contain a growing wildfire which is burning outside of Hamilton.
The Dominic Point fire, discovered on Sunday, is located 12 miles northeast of Hamilton and two miles west of Willow Mountain Lookout. GPS mapping performed...
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