Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Sorted by date Results 1034 - 1058 of 1331
Lighting late last Thursday night started a wildfire seven miles northeast of Whitehall. As of Wednesday morning at 11 a .m., the Conrow Fire was reported at 2,727 acres and the containment was at 65 percent. The estimated containment date is Wednesday, September 6. United States Forest Service District Ranger Dave Sabo said on Tuesday there has not been a size increase for the fire in two days. The fire started on private land in Jefferson County within the Whitehall Fire District and has...
Local law enforcement, residents, as well as town and county officials came together last Wednesday night at a special town meeting in Whitehall. A majority of the meeting was a public forum to allow residents to express their concerns and ask questions to law enforcement, including Jefferson County Sheriff Craig Doolittle. Many in the audience spoke about problems associated with meth use. Curtis Smith said that while living in Arkansas and now Whitehall, he has seen a lot of meth problems and if they can get rid of the drug, they could get...
Monday, Aug. 21 7:11 a.m. – alarms, 12 East Legion Avenue, Whitehall 10:51 a.m. – traffic/ reckless, I-90 eastbound, MM 243, Whitehall 11:07 a.m. - suspicious/person/vehicle/circumstance, 2 North Whitehall Street, Whitehall 11:28 a.m. - care for sick/injured, 37 Tatanka Trail, Whitehall 2:54 p.m. - suspicious/person/vehicle/circumstance, Delmoe Lake Road, MM 6, Whitehall 3:24 p.m. - public safety-fire/smoke, I-90 westbound, MM 236, Whitehall 5:58 p.m. – traffic/ reckless, I-90 eastbound, MM 263, Cardwell 9:33 p.m. – traffic stop, North Whiteha...
Area residents came together last week to show support for local law enforcement at a "Back the Blue" event at Legion Park in Downtown Whitehall. Among those in attendance at the Wednesday event was Charles Shank, who discussed his respect for and what the local law enforcement means to him. He said some laws really need to be enforced because certain elements of society don't seem to care about others. Whitehall resident Jeannie Reinschmidt said she left the event very happy and pleased with...
Hi Folks, At our meeting on the 22nd, someone said we had been pretty fortunate in Jefferson County that we hadn’t had any big fires since they were all around us and it was so dry. Thursday we got hit twice. The first fire reported was in the North end near Holmes Gulch. It was just above the base where the air tankers are stationed. It was also very close to Helena, and when it started it was headed toward Helena, so it got a lot of attention very fast. It ended up in the bottom or Holmes Gulch and was contained there within a couple of d...
Editor's Note: This article will also be published in the August 30 edition of the Whitehall Ledger. Slowly dusk fell over the land and the temperature took a noticeable downward turn. To add a bit more intrigue, a slight breeze began to blow. As one, the heads of the eclipse viewers turned to the sky with their 'in' glasses or a box or a welder's mask adorning those heads. It had been a glorious morning wending slowly through the Jefferson Canyon spotting deer crossing the river and a few...
A “Back the Blue” event is scheduled for Wednesday (August 23) evening at 6 p.m. The gathering to support local law enforcement is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Barrick Golden Sunlight Mine Pavilion....
The Town of Whitehall is hosting a special public meeting Wednesday, August 23 with Jefferson County Sheriff Craig Doolittle. The meeting will take place at 7 p.m. at Town Hall. The Whitehall Town Council voted last week to approve the meeting after local residents expressed concern about crime. Town Attorney Ed Guza said to Council last week he would also like the meeting set up with Doolittle to update their current contract. Look for a complete recap of tonight’s meeting online later this week at www.whitehallledger.com....
Hi Folks, At last week’s regular meeting, we signed a contract with the First Boulder Valley Bank for them to provide banking services to the County. We approved Resolution 25-2017 which provides for a loan of about $300,000 from the Metal Mines Account to the South Tax Increment Financing District to cover some infrastructure needs. We also approved Resolution 26-2017 which provides a loan of about $80,000 to the North TIF District for infrastructure needs. We signed MOU’s with the Montana Wool Growers and the Montana Stock Growers for pre...
Monday, Aug. 14 1:16 a.m. – traffic stop, Hwy 2 East, Three Forks 4:11 a.m. - suspicious/person/vehicle/circumstance, Hwy 2 East, Three Forks 8:57 a.m. - keeping the peace, 38 Curlew Lane, Whitehall 9:43 a.m. – stranded motorist, Hwy 69, MM 20, Cardwell 10:04 a.m. – stranded motorist, Hwy 2 East, Cardwell 10:33 a.m. –care for sick/injured, Hwy 2 East, Three Forks 10:58 a.m. - burglary -forcible (residence), 108 West 3rd Street #2, Whitehall 12:14 p.m. – agency assist, Trail 14, Whitehall 12:49 p.m. – VIN inspection, 43 Curlew Lane, Whitehall 1...
There was recently some good news for the Whitehall Head Start Program. According to Bob Mullen, Jefferson County Commissioner, the Rocky Mountain Development Council Board of Directors and the Head Start Policy Council have voted unanimously to continue the Whitehall Head Start Program for the upcoming school year. Following concerns about filling a teacher position (upon the retirement of Elaine Henningsen) and about enrollment of a sufficient number of students, Mullen reports that “all concerns of the Board and Policy Council have been m...
At last week’s Community Transition Advisory Committee Meeting, Golden Sunlight Mine Manager Dan Banghart reported the production at the mine during July was 2,400 ounces. Banghart added from August 1 to 3 about 1,000 ounces were recovered. Banghart told committee members that the mill performed well, and while underground tonnage exceeded plans, they are still seeing lower grades than budgeted. Banghart reported there were 7,600 tons of third party ore from four suppliers. He said the number would be down to two in August. There are c...
A total solar eclipse will occur on Monday, August 21, 2017. This event has been described as the Great American Eclipse. “Total solar eclipses occur once every one to two years but are only visible from less than half a percent of the Earth’s surface”, said Fred Espenak (a retired astrophysicist from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center). On Monday, August 21st at 10:00 a.m. to Noon Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park is hosting a special event for people to join and watch this incredible event. At 10:00 a.m. Steven Hamilton; Biology and Earth S...
With another Frontier Days under its belt, the Whitehall Chamber of Commerce is already starting to plan for the next big event of 2017. At a Chamber meeting last Thursday, Treasurer Jill Dove discussed preparations being made for the annual Christmas Stroll that is set for December 9. Dove discussed possibly adding a few new events including a quilting show and a ginger bread house contest. She also would like to get more businesses to participate in the Christmas lights contest. Chamber members also discussed next year’s Black Tie Blue Jeans...
Monday, Aug. 7 8:09 a.m. - traffic/ reckless, I-90 eastbound, MM 267, Cardwell 8:17 a.m. – abandoned auto, Boulder Cut-Off Road, Cardwell 9:47 a.m. – trespass, 176 Whiskey Gulch Road, Whitehall 12:58 p.m. – family disturbance, 68 Whitetail Road, Whitehall 1:02 p.m. - public safety-fire/smoke, 409 East Legion Avenue, Whitehall 5:26 p.m. - burglary-forcible (non-residence), 411 East Legion Street, Whitehall 5:58 p.m. – child endangerment, I-90 eastbound, MM 271, Cardwell Tuesday, Aug. 8 3:19 a.m. - suspicious/person/vehicle/circumstance, Hwy 2,...
She thought he would make it. He knew a relapse would cost him his four-year-old daughter and again and again he would tell Judy Kelly, "I love her more than anything else in the world." Ultimately, he went back to using meth and lost custody. "I believe that he was telling the truth, but he just couldn't kick it," Kelly said. Judy Kelly has seen firsthand how devastating parental meth use is to children. "It's hard to see these people fall apart and abandon the kids that love them so much,"...
With criminal activity on the rise, local residents voiced concerns at the Whitehall Town Council meeting on Monday night. Town Attorney Ed Guza said he would like to set up a meeting with Jefferson County Sheriff Craig Doolittle to update the current contract and to hammer out issues with the increase in crime around town. One resident that attended the meeting said, “Our little town isn’t our little town anymore, they (criminals) are breaking into homes during the day. It isn’t just at night anymore.” Jefferson County Commissioner Leonard Wor...
The Community Beacon of Hope Inc. is no longer operating in the Town of Whitehall. According to Deputy Town of Whitehall Attorney Elizabeth Musick, CBOH was provided a notice of termination of their lease Monday. Musick stated the ambulance service was unable to cure the breach of their lease agreement with the Town. CBOH was informed last week they had until August 8 at 5 p.m. to pay a $6,000 lump sum pursuant to Section 5 of their lease agreement. The payment was due August 1. Musick said Tuesday morning CBOH has surrendered the equipment...
In the past several weeks, there have been multiple reports of mail thefts in Whitehall and the surrounding area. Between July 24 and 27 alone, there were three reports of postal thefts made to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. Jeremy Leder, an inspector for the United State Postal Service, recently offered several tips for residents to deter the theft of mail. Leder said one of the biggest things not to do is leave mail in a box, especially if someone is expecting something of value like...
Students and teachers in Whitehall will be returning to school at the end of the month. At a school board meeting last week, Superintendent John Sullivan said teachers would be reporting Monday, August 28 and the first day of students will be August 30. Sullivan said they hired 13 employees over the summer and only have two open positions. The district is still looking for an elementary counselor and a middle school volleyball coach. The new hires include four new teachers. Kelly Leo was hired as a science teacher, Elizabeth Clarkson was hired...
Monday, July 31 4:30 a.m. - animal problem- road killed I-90 eastbound, MM 252, Whitehall 8:09 a.m. - public safety-fire/smoke, 2 Wapiti Road, Whitehall 1:30 p.m. - suspicious/person/vehicle/circumstance, 106 North Jefferson Street, Whitehall 2:40 p.m. - VIN inspection, 511 1st Street West, Whitehall 5:08 p.m. - suspicious/person/vehicle/circumstance, 770 Hwy 2 East, Cardwell 9:23 p.m. – agency assist, 660 Hwy 359, Cardwell 10:44 p.m. – traffic stop, North Whitehall Street, Whitehall Tuesday, Aug. 1 12:17 a.m. – traffic stop, I-90 eastb...
The Jefferson County Commissioners voted Thursday, August 3 to implement Stage 1 Fire Restrictions. The Stage 1 restrictions include no building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire or campfire unless noted in an exemption. Fireworks are also prohibited. 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 or cleared of all flammable materials is also prohibited. FWP According to Montana FWP, properties in many southwest Montana...
Hi Folks, We didn’t have our regular meeting last week, but we did end up having two Special Meetings. One of the meetings was to approve Resolution 24-2017 which puts all of Jefferson County’s private lands under Stage One Fire Restrictions. The following acts or uses are prohibited on all private lands in Jefferson County: a. Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire or campfire unless noted in the exemptions. b. Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site or while stopped in an area at least th...
The Town of Whitehall has informed Community Beacon of Hope Inc. they have until August 8 at 5 p.m. to pay their rent for the ambulance barn. A letter from Deputy Town Attorney Elizabeth Musick states the contracted ambulance service has failed to pay their rent pursuant to Section 5 of their lease agreement. A lump sum payment of $6,000 was due Aug. 1. “Pursuant to Section XX11 of the Lease Agreement, you have seven days in which to cure this breach. Therefore, if you fail to provide payment in full to the Town of Whitehall on or before A...
A week from today spectators and participants from across Southwest Montana will be making their way to Twin Bridges for the Madison County Fair. The popular annual event will run from August 9 to 13 at the Madison County Fairgrounds. The theme of the 2017 event is "Living our Western Heritage". Some of major events scheduled for Wednesday, August 9 include a 4H/FFA Market Sheep Show from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., the 4H Cat show which starts at 1 p.m., the 4H Dog show scheduled for 4 p.m. and Madison...
