Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
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Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) officials announced March 17th the state now has 19 total confirmed cases of COVID-19 virus variant strains. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notified DPHHS of 11 additional variant cases that match two California variant strains and a New York variant strain. These cases involve specimens of Montana residents that were submitted for testing dating back from January to early March 2021. These 11 cases are from Beaverhead, Cascade, Glacier, Hill, Jefferson, Madison,...
At this time last year, the world went into lockdown in fear of COVID-19. We didn't know what the virus could do, would do, or where we would be in a year. For the residents of Meadowlark Manor, it has been a long year. Because of COVID-19, the Manor shut its doors to visitors – the family and friends of the residents – and the residents were only permitted off the premises for medical appointments. The residents were allowed visitors outside on their patio in the warmer months and family mem...
Three hundred Pfizer vaccines will be distributed at Whitehall High School March 23rd from 9am - 3pm. Please show up 30 minutes to 1 hour prior to your appointment if your appointment is at 10am or later. We have more vaccinators than the schedule can reflect, so we will be proceeding more rapidly than indicated. Walk-ins will not be allowed, but same-day appointments might be available. If you would like to be placed on a standby list for this clinic if you are not over 60 years old, call 406-299-0561, and leave a message with your name and...
During the March Town Council meeting a bombshell was dropped on Council members and the attending audience; but with good news backing it. The town of Whitehall had not paid their taxes to the IRS for years 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019, Town Treasurer Allissa Christensen, along with independent contractor Todd Watkins, relayed to the Council. The taxes owed amounted to $27,250.41; however, the penalties of the unpaid taxes tallied to $46,618.59. The good news was that the money had not been stolen or misplaced but remained in the Town’s c...
Three hundred (300) doses of the Pfizer vaccine will be administered to local residents Tuesday, March 23rd as a coordinated effort between Josh Morris, owner of the Elkhorn Pharmacy and Whitehall Drug, the Jefferson County Rural Ambulance District, and Whitehall Schools. “Phase 1B+” eligible individuals (age 60+) will be able to receive the vaccine. These vaccines are being made available through the Elkhorn Pharmacy/Whitehall Drug as a federal distribution point and not through the Jefferson County Health Department, so county of res...
At the March 2nd meeting of the Jefferson County Commissioners, the Whitehall School Board presented a letter from their attorney, as well as verbal dissertation from Board Chair Gina Ossello, in regard to the Jefferson County Health Board. The Board, Ossello stated, has been “operating behind closed doors” and has overstepped their bounds on several occasions, including the recent Jefferson County mask mandate. Below is the letter Ossello read to the commissioners; a letter from the Board’s attorney, Bea Kaleva was also presented. That lette...
As of March 1, 2021, Reed’s Animal Rescue in Whitehall will no longer be accepting rescued animals. After more than ten years as an in-home rescue, Patti and Jerry Reed decided the rescue is no longer viable financially. “We love what we do, but we just can’t afford it any longer,” Patti Reed said, with a tiny black lab puppy, a rescue, curled up in her lap. Reed explained that, after second mortgaging their home to fund the rescue, the decision had to be made. In one recent fiscal year the vet bills alone, Reed said, surmounted $9,000, while t...
University of Montana researchers and their partners have discovered a slimy strategy used by bacteria to defeat antibiotics and other drugs used to combat infections afflicting people with cystic fibrosis. The research was published Feb. 23 in the journal Cell Reports. Cystic fibrosis is a life-threatening disease that causes persistent lung infections and limits a person’s ability to breathe over time. A common strain of bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, often thrives in the lungs of people with cystic fibrosis, as well as in wounds from b...
Whitehall Public Transportation services are still running. Services have been slow due to the pandemic but we will always do our best to get you there! Hours are 9am through 5pm Monday – Friday. We do ask for a 24-hour notice to better service our community. Services include trips to Butte for medical appointment, shopping, dialysis and cancer treatments. Trips to other towns can be scheduled and will be provided as resources allow. Tuesdays are still free Whitehall Local Shopping day beginning at 10:30am. Call today to see when and where o...
The U.S. has hit a plateau in coronavirus cases and deaths that signal a “potential shift in the trajectory of the pandemic,” the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned states on Monday not to loosen restrictions and get in front of the progress the country has made since it hit a monumental 300,000 cases a day in January, the worst point of the pandemic so far. Over the last week, the daily number of cases and deaths, on average, has risen by about 2% compared to the week prior, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky sai...
As you have likely heard, following the rescinding of the statewide mask mandate in Montana, the Jefferson County Health Board has issued a new replacement mask mandate, requiring our students, faculty, and administration to maintain masking throughout the school day and at school events. It is important to the School Board that we implement policies that are representative of the needs of the community, and that our actions reflect the will of those that we serve. As such, as new developments surrounding the pandemic arise, we have been...
Thursday, February 11th wasn't just one of the most frigid days of the year, but it was also one of the busiest for the Whitehall Volunteer Fire Department. The day started with a serious vehicle accident on I-90 which blocked traffic for several hours and spurred a multi-community search and rescue mission for a lost Labrador involved in the accident. At 8:25 a.m. on Thursday the Whitehall VFD was dispatched to mile marker 237 Eastbound, as a semi had jack-knifed due to weather conditions....
As you know, on February 12, 2021, the statewide mask mandate expired. Masks have been proven to reduce the incidence of disease, protect others and ourselves from COVID-19. "Correct and consistent mask use is a critical step everyone can take to prevent getting and spreading COVID-19. Masks work best when everyone wears them" CDC. Masking is an important non-pharmaceutical intervention we need to adhere to as we work to distribute vaccine. Jefferson County has just begun its vaccination...
The Department of Environmental Quality is seeking public comment to aid the development of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement to analyze the potential environmental impacts from a proposed tailings reprocessing project at the Golden Sunlight Mine. The Golden Sunlight Mine is located approximately five miles northeast of Whitehall, MT in Jefferson County. The project, an amendment to the current operating permit, would allow Golden Sunlight to excavate and reprocess tailings and extend the life of the mine by up to 12 years. Golden...
The United Nations’ health agency has listed the COVID-19 vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and drugmaker AstraZeneca for emergency use, days after a panel of experts recommended the use of the products in settings where variants of the coronavirus are circulating. A statement by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday said it had approved the relatively inexpensive shot produced by AstraZeneca-SKBio (South Korea) and the Serum Institute of India. “We now have all the pieces in place for the rapid distribution of vac...
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new research on FEbruary 10, 2021 that found wearing a cloth mask over a surgical mask offers more protection against the coronavirus, as does tying knots on the ear loops of surgical masks. Those findings prompted new guidance on how to improve mask fit at a time of concern over fast-spreading variants of the virus. For optimal protection, the CDC says to make sure the mask fits snugly against your face and to choose a mask with at least t...
Governor Greg Gianforte issued two new directives and an executive order on Friday, February 12, 2021. The first directive rescinds and replaces all prior directives implementing Executive Order 2-2021, which the governor issued on January 13, 2021. Consistent with the governor’s announcement on February 10, the new directive allows the statewide mask mandate to expire. Local jurisdictions may still choose to implement their own mask requirements. “Since January 5th, I have provided a clear, consistent path to rescinding the mask man...
When the snow falls there are only two ways to handle it - plow it or play in it! Jayce Gilstrap (corner) chose the best option! CORNER PHOTO COURTESY OF TRESSA GILSTRAP...
Around 12:40 p.m. on Monday, January 25th a vehicle accidentally rammed through the center beam of the awning and high centered on a boulder before pummeling the front steel door of Whitehall Drug. Thankfully no one was seriously injured. Employees said it sounded like a bomb went off inside the building and that they were so glad no one was near the door when the car pushed through. Whitehall resident Donna Weldon, who was in the building at the time and made a last minute purchase decision -...
Montana Pro Rodeo Circuit can weigh anywhere between 1200 and 1800 pounds; Kaleb Barrett weighs about 170. Yet he looks them in the eye with the utmost confidence, ready to spar at any given minute. Barrett, a 2002 graduate of Whitehall High School, is a warrior, an all-around impressive individual who has called Whitehall his hometown for as long as he can remember, and this past weekend he put his best foot forward and took the bulls at the Montana PRC head on – as a professional b...
Governor Greg Gianforte announced Tuesday, January 19, 2021 that Montana is moving into Phase 1B of the COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan. In Phase 1B, COVID-19 vaccines are available to Montanans 70 years of age and older, 16 to 69 years of age with a high-risk medical condition, and Native Americans and other persons of color who may be at elevated risk for COVID-19 complications. “Focusing on the most vulnerable Montanans in our vaccine distribution will save lives. Thanks to the hard work of our local health jurisdictions and health c...
With the Whitehall Ledger under new ownership, you'll be seeing a lot of changes, big and small, over the course of the next few weeks. From the owner to the office, the front page of the paper to the services offered, the Ledger is getting a bit of a facelift. The first, most obvious change you have probably already noticed - the top banner of the Ledger has changed. "I liked the look and feel of the purple and gold Ledger header, but I wanted to move the header towards something less logo...
HELENA - Members of the House and Senate kicked off the 2021 Legislature in person at the state Capitol on Monday, formally convening and electing leadership for what may be a turbulent 90-day session during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lawmakers took their oaths of office on the House and Senate floors, observed by crowded galleries of family members, friends and members of the public. Republicans in the Senate and House partially complied with mask guidelines that have been stressed by public...
Hunter Flynn of Whitehall, MT, has been named to Dickinson State University's (DSU) Dean's List for the 2020 fall semester. At the end of each regular semester, the University recognizes those students named to the Dean's List. Eligible students must have completed a minimum of 12 credit hours with a term GPA of 3.5 or above. Outstanding academic work placed 321 students, or 23.46 percent of eligible undergraduates, on the Dean's or President's list following the fall 2020 semester. "We are...
Those looking to start 2021 off on the right foot will be able to do so with a First Day Hike planned for January 1 at Lewis and Clark Caverns near Whitehall. On Jan. 1, Montana State Parks is hosting hikes across the state. The event is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. The hike is open to all ages and is family-friendly. THE HIKE Join Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park staff to experience "The Off-Switch": A moderate guided hike to observe our most quiet season. When it seems, all life has been turned...
