FCT107

Fallon County switches to all-mail ballot with in-person option

Fallon County residents started the election season Oct. 2 when registration started for the Nov. 3 election. Offices said voters will have the option of mailing, dropping off or filling out their ballots in the county building. PHOTO/Brad Mosher

By Brad Mosher

bmosher@countrymedia.net

Fallon County voters have an option to vote in person, according to the officials handling the upcoming November election. “An in-person voting option is what they are calling it,” said Deborah Wyrick, the deputy county clerk and recorder. All ballots will be mailed out Oct. 9 to active voters only. That means new residents will need to make sure they are eligible and on the voting rolls. “In Fallon County there is only one precinct, but we are doing an all-mail ballot with the in-person voting option,” she added. That option will only be available in the office between the hours of 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. For those mailing in ballots, the completed ballots must be put in a security envelope, which is then put inside an outer envelope. “The outer en-

velope has a signature on it,” Wyrick said. “This is the first year that we will have a mail ballot for federal or state elections. In even years, when there is federal and state on the ballot, they are all poll elections in the state of Montana. “With COVID and the governor’s directives, he has allowed us to mail ballots. For Fallon County, we are predominantly an absentee county. We have probably 59 percent of our voters registered as absentee. “So even in a normal election we have a large number of people who vote by mail which is actually an absentee ballot technically.” The in-person voting option is already open for people coming into the office in the county building, she added. “It still requires you to bring the ballot in and the envelopes.” If people forget to bring in their ballot and paperwork

which had been mailed to them, Wyrick said people can still vote. “They would be required to cancel or void their ballot and have one re-issued here in our office. “But, we don’t have the ballots (on hand) to do that for a lot of people. We order probably about ten percent more ballots than we probably have for voters, but that wouldn’t allow for everyone to come in and say they want to void the ballot they left on the kitchen table at home,” she said. There still are important deadlines residents need to meet, including regular voter registration (Oct. 26), and late registration begins Oct. 27. For Wyrick, the most important thing for people to remember is to bring all of their paperwork with them to the office, whether it is to vote, to drop off their vote or to ask questions about the ballot and procedures. “If they want to vote here, it will take no longer than it takes at home. If they haven’t read their voter information pamphlet and they have to read all of it, it could take them a little longer. “The voting process would be whatever it would be normally for them. Then they would have to put it in the secrecy envelope and in the outer envelope and sign it. It may take two minutes (after filling the ballot out) maybe, maximum. “We are going to have a ballot box for them to deposit it into,” Wyrick said. If they haven’t filled out the ballot yet, the

office will send them to a place to do that, then put the ballot in the envelopes and complete everything before putting it in the drop box.” The drop box will be on the front counter. “If they want a (I have voted) sticker. We don’t normally do that,” she added with a chuckle. Because of the COVID pandemic, the office is trying to keep what people touch to a minimum. If people have questions about the ballot, they can call 406-778-7106. “That is the Clerk and Recorders Election office. We can answer questions for them.” In addition, voters can find assistance online by searching for “my voter page Montana” that takes them to the Secretary of State web page for Montana. There, people can check on their voting status, voter registration address and the location or directions to the nearest polling place, according to Wyrick. The site address is https:// app.mt.gov/cgi-bin/voterinfo/ voterinfo.cgi . The page can also be reached by going to sosmt.gov and then to the my voter page, she said. “There is a lot of information to sort through when you go to the sosmt.gov page. It will allow them to put in their personal information – name as it is registered and date of birth. It will bring up your voter information and if you are registered to vote. “If you are inactive, you are not going to get a ballot,” she added.

Montana, Fallon County hit with COVID spikes Staff Report

Fallon County has fifteen positive cases of COVID-19, as of Oct. 6, according to the county health department. It is not alone. The entire state of Montana has been hit with a wave of positives, turning the Treasure State into a pandemic hot spot. The state has reported record numbers of COVID-19 cases, with the latest being Oct. 7, with 733 cases. That broke the previous record of 504 set on Oct. 6 and pushed the state into the more than 16,000 cases. That means the number of active cases in the state has more than doubled in the last two weeks, according to state officials. Two weeks ago, the state reported 2,335 as active cases. According to officials, there have been 2,276 cases reported since Oct. 1. In contrast, the state only reached 500 cases in June. The state has had slightly more than 10,000 people recover from the virus, while just under 5,000 are still classified as active. According to the state, 42 of the state’s 56 counties are now falling under the mask guidelines set by Gov. Steve Bullock earlier in the year. Fallon County has an average daily positive case level of 2.3 with an 82 per 100,000 population in the small rural county. Its trend for cases over the past 14 days has been a dramatic increase. According to the state, Fallon County has had a total of 24 active cases this year, with nine recovered and no confirmed deaths. By comparison, neighboring Carter County has an average daily case load of 0.4 and 34 per 100,000 population. Its 14-day trend is dropping from earlier highs. It has had a confirmed case total of nine this year with one recovered and eight still listed as active. Powder River County has an average daily case rate of 2.1 while 127 per 100,000 population. In that county, the 14-day trend is on a slight descent after an earlier dramatic climb.

To the north, Dawson County has an average of 2.2 daily positive cases and is at 25 per 100,000 population. Its 14-day trend is on the increase again after dropping to very low levels a week ago. Custer County to the west has 1.3 average daily positive cases and is at 12 per 100,000 population and is continuing a long descent over the past two weeks. Along the eastern edge of the state, Richland County has had 141 confirmed cases this year, with two deaths, 71 recovered and 68 still listed as active. Yellowstone hardest hit In the state, Yellowstone County has had the most impact with 3,691 confirmed cases this year and 69 deaths. There are 2,601 listed as recovered, while 1,021 are still listed as active. According to public health officials in Yellowstone County, the dramatic increase in COVID-19 cases has put a strain on local resources. Over the previous three weeks have averaged more than 30 daily COVID infections with a high of 36 infections per day over the past week. That has prompted health officials to say that if the daily infection rate reaches 40 in the final week of October, there will be a more restrictive public health order issued in early November. If it hits 50 daily COVID-19 infects, the public health response will be immediate, according to officials at a press conference Monday. The new restrictions would include group gatherings being limited to just 25 people, regardless of social distancing. It would also limit capacity to just 25 percent in restaurants, bars, casinos and churches. The impact also elevated one Billings area medical facility to be elevated to red status on the county’s COVID-19 dashboard. According to state officials, 45 percent of the 96 people hospitalized in the county are residents of the county. Twenty-eight are in intensive care and 19 were on ventilators, as of Monday. Flathead County has had 1,511 confirmed cases, 19 deaths and 646 listed as recovered. It has 846 active cases listed on the state’s COVID-19 response site.

Masks, cleaning up part of new Wild Game Feed look

Staff Report

The 17th annual Stan Wagner Memorial Game Feed will be held Nov. 14 in the Livestock Barn at the Fallon County Fairgrounds. The game feed recently got approval from the Fallon County Health Department, as long as masking and social distancing is maintained, according to organizer Wendy Wagner. “We are still moving forward. We are just taking extra precautions,” she said. “You have to wear a mask when you come in. There will be hand sanitizers all over. When you come in, you will have to sanitize your hands. Basically, that is what the guidelines are for everybody. “You can set up in your pod and those tables will be six feet apart. You don’t have to wear a mask if you are seated at the table. But, if you are up walking around, you have to have a mask,” she explained. The actual feed will start at 4 p.m. and at 6 p.m. the kids’ games will start, she added. At 8 p.m., the adult games will begin, according to Wagner. The event is a free will donation. “There will be a wash station where the kids games are,” she said. “They will have to watch their hands before they play.” The menu for the game feed won’t be as exotic as in years past, she explained. “We will just have buffalo, steer, antelope and moose.” The biggest change has been adapting to the new COVID-19 guidelines, she said. People can look for updates on the status of the Stanley Wagner Memorial Wild Game Feed event on its Facebook page, she said.

COVID puts hold on Plevna sausage event A Pancake and Sausage Supper has long been a staple as a fundraiser for the Plevna Volunteer Fire Department. But not in 2020. The pandemic has forced some changes. First the supper was canceled. Then the sausage making. “Due to the recent increase in COVID cases in our area, the Plevna Volunteer Fire Department has chosen to cancel sausage making this year, the group announced on its Face-

book page Oct. 1. “Our priority is always the health and safety of our community, and we feel this is how we can best contribute, the Facebook post continued. Just two days earlier, the department had announced “Our sausage has sold out! To try and be fair to everyone that would like some, and had pre-ordered, we will be limiting to 30 pounds per person. Sausage will be sold on a first come first served basis!” on the Facebook page.

Sady Harbaugh and Kyler Afrank crowned as this year’s Homecoming Queen and King.

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October 9, 2020

OBITUARIES Dorothy Anne Howe Pfeifle Gruver, 80

Dorothy Anne Howe Pfeifle Gruver, age 80, of Billings, MT passed away on Sept. 22, 2020 due to Covid-19 that she had contracted at a rehabilitation facility in Billings, MT after hip surgery. She was born April 28,

1940 in Plevna, MT, the daughter of Leonard and Myrtle (Munyon) Howe. Dorothy graduated from Baker High School in Baker, MT in 1958. She married Bernell Pfeifle in September 1958. Dorothy and Bernell owned the Dahlman Motel, Green Acres Club, King Koin Laundry and Pfeifle Construction in Baker, MT. They also lived in Dillon, MT for several years. In 1989, they moved to Las Vegas, NV. Dorothy was always a hard worker. While living in Las Vegas she sold real estate and later worked at Walmart, Physician’s Medical Center and the MGM-Mirage. In February 1995 Bernell passed away. Dorothy married Clair Gruver in 2005. Clair passed away June 2019. In her younger years, she loved to roll-

er skate, bowl, dance, party and gamble. Dorothy is survived by her children, Randy (Kathi) Pfeifle of Billings, MT, Rhonda (Jay) Stewart of Lewistown, MT and Robert (Kolene) Pfeifle of Las Vegas, NV. Dorothy is also survived by seven grandchildren: Ty, Robert, Nicholas, Shaylea, Jayme, Zane and Steven and one great-grandson, Axton. She is survived by one sister, Betty Stroud of Alabama. She is also survived by two sisters-in-law, Esther Howe of Texas and Paulette Ellis of Idaho along with numerous nieces and nephews. Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents, three brothers, three sisters and her husbands. Cremation has already taken place and no services are planned per Dorothy’s wishes.

Fallon County Times

Miriam Ruth Capra, 90

Miriam (Grandma Gus) Ruth (Scoles) Capra passed away at the age of 90, at the Powder River Manor surrounded by her family on Sept. 26, 2020. She was born on July 2, 1930 in Baker, MT to Alvy Merle (A.M) and Leona Elizabeth (Brownson) Scoles. She and her seven siblings grew up on the family farm near Baker, MT. Miriam attended Baker High School and boarded with her Uncle Aaron and Aunt Myrtle Brownson during those years. After graduation, she attended and graduated from Nursing School at Holy Rosary in Miles City, MT. She interned in Warm Springs, MT before returning to Baker. During the summer of 1952, she stayed with a friend and fellow nurse, Linda Trucano at Boyes, MT. While attending a local spring dance at Hammond, Miriam met Lawrence Capra. They were married on Oct. 18, 1952. After a honeymoon to California, they made their home at the Capra Ranch in Boyes, where she remained for the next 68 years. To this union Lawrence and Miriam raised five children, Michael John, Louise Marie, Rose Ann, Laurie Leona and Anthony Louis Capra. Miriam worked hard on the ranch raising, kids, sheep, cattle and hay. She would start her day feeding her family breakfast, spend the rest of the morning either in the lambing shed, or in the fields farming. She spent many hours on a swather during the summer. She would come in and prepare lunch for the family and back outside she went to continue

whatever tasks needed to be done until supper time. She continued this routine for most of her life. Miriam could cook a delicious meal for a shearing crew of 20 or more and make it look easy. For 30 years they attended the Montana Wool Growers Convention and Montana Ram Sale. In preparation for the sale you would find her working hard feeding, trimming and blocking rams getting them ready to sell. Over the years her nurse training wasn’t wasted, she was the neighborhood nurse. She tended illness and injuries to not only her family, but the neighbors as well. She would help with emergencies, administering allergy shots as well as cuts and bruises. While she may not have used sutures, she was quite skilled with butterfly bandages, tape and splints. Miriam was a nurse at heart and was always happy to be unselfishly caring for others. Miriam never let her nursing license lapse. In the summer of 1988 she dusted it off, took refresher classes in Miles City and donned her nursing uniform to work in the Powder River Manor. She worked caring for the residents of the Manor from September 1988 to July 1997 to help out when the ranch was suffering from the economic downturn. She was active with 4-H and was able to take club members to Alberta Canada. In 1984, Rose Ann took her on a once in a lifetime trip to Los Angeles, for the Summer Olympic Games. Miriam was also a member of the Boyes Community Club. She dedicated herself to the unconditional loving care of Anthony for the first 16 years of his life until he moved to the Black Hills Workshop in Rapid City, SD. She also traveled to Minneapolis for medical visits with Anthony, to see Specialists for his epilepsy. She was especially proud of the art work that Anthony did at the Black Hills Workshop. She was able to travel around South Dakota for some of his art shows. Miriam was a very talented artist. She did not share her artwork, she did it for her own enjoyment. She did pass on that talent to her children and grandchildren! She enjoyed reading and her hands

were hardly ever idle as she also loved to crochet. Miriam had her first heart attack in the fall of 2009. She proved to all of us what a fierce warrior she was every time she faced a health crisis over the next ten years. In 2019 her health started declining and she needed more care, she moved into the loving care of Judy’s Place, in Belle Fourche, SD until she had a stroke that she was not able to overcome. Miriam is survived by her husband, Lawrence Capra of Boyes, MT, children: Mike (Connie) Capra of Boyes, MT, Louise (Wayne) Talcott of Broadus, MT, Rose Ann (Pat) Olson of Saco, MT, Laurie (Jay) Hostetter of Gillette, WY and Anthony Capra of Rapid City, SD, grandchildren and great-grandchildren: John (Megan), Louis and Logan Capra; Lacy (Dan), Gracee and Karter Buckley; Lanesa (Mike Godbout) Denae and Tevin Statzer; Leslie, Angelina (Michael Hanley) and Francheska Bannan, Latrisha (BJ Playle), Leighton (Kaylin Wheeler) and Ashley Bilbrey; Zebulun Olson, Leah (Brock) Strouf; Jaymie (Tom), Jaycee, Taylen, Trayley Lambert, Crystal (Chance), Case, and Callie Huntrods, Trevor (Joanna), Cameron and Logan Hostetter, her brother Robert Scoles of Billings, MT, and numerous nieces and nephews. Miriam was preceded in death by her parents, A.M. and Leona Scoles, siblings: Dorothy, Walter, Bonita, Lloyd, David, and Florence. Grandson-in-laws: Boyd Bannan and Judd Bilbrey. Grandma Gus will be carried to her final resting place by all of her grandchildren. Visitation was Oct. 2, 2020 at Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home in Broadus. Funeral services were held Oct. 3, 2020 at the Boyes Club Hall and Interment followed in the Boyes Cemetery. Memorials may be given to the Lawrence and Miriam Capra 4-H Endowment Fund, The Montana 4-H Foundation at 111 Taylor Hall/PO Box 173580 Bozeman, MT 59717. Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting: www.stevensonandsons.com.

October 9, 2020

Fallon County Times

10 YEARS AGO Friday, October 8, 2010 --

Department of Justice Fire Prevention officials hired Richard Griffith to demolish the back of Baker Lake Theater. The demolition action commenced Oct. 6. Michael Rinaldi, RS, Baker Sanitarian, will oversee the cleanup operation. . .U.S. Air Force is proposing to greatly expand their training air space. The expansion will be from 9,000 square miles to 36,000 square miles. There will be a public hearing Oct. 11 in Baker for people to comment on the proposed expansion. . .Fallon County Commissioners have approved the final plans for the construction of new grandstands at the Fallon County Fairgrounds with a completion date of July 1, 2011. . .Baker Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture hosted its 20th annual Teacher Appreciation dinner Sept. 29. Mike Smith of Glendive was guest speaker. . .Two young men from Japan visited Baker for a month this summer. Their host families were Mark and Kim Ridenhower and Eric and Kori Kary.

20 YEARS AGO Thursday, October 13, 2000 --

Baker Fair Board announced this week that a two year contract has been signed with Wild West Carnival, owned by Jeff Carter. . .Fallon County Economic Group is taking the town meeting to Ekalaka Oct. 17. . .National Boss Day is Oct. 16. . .Third Annual October Breast Cancer Tea will be held Oct. 15 at the American Lutheran Church. . .Miles Community College standouts Kirby Nemitz and Scott Rieger of lsmay and Andy Selle of Baker are having a great fall season rodeoing in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association for the MCC Pioneers who are members of the Big Sky Region. . .Millennium Project people conducted a brief meeting Oct. 6. The $13,000 grant for the outdoor amphitheater has not yet been received. It’s hoped that time can be found this fall to pour more of the cement walkway, weather permitting. . .Helen Jensen, her sister Elphie Wood and her brothers Gordon and Rolph Tunby spent three weeks in Norway. They visited the Tunby family farm that has been in the family over 300 years. . .Myron Allerdings was last week’s winner of the Football Contest. . .County Commissioner Don Rieger reported at the Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture meeting that he had just attended the MACD Convention. There he learned that the distribution method for gas and oil severance taxes has been completely changed. Previously, these taxes were collected and distributed by the counties. Now all funds will go to the Dept. of Revenue for distribution. With the new distribution formula, the Fallon Medical Complex will be losing approximately $400,000

FILES OF THE TIMES

in revenue a year.

30 YEARS AGO

Thursday, October 11, 1990 --

This week is National School Lunch Week. School cooks honored include Baker school system head cook Frances Bertsch. She is joined by Loretta Schell, Karen Allerdings and Anna Miller. Peggy Vennes and Janice Ehret are cooks for the Plevna School. . .Russ Newell is a contender in the Billings Gazette’s “Radio Hero Election”. The morning radio DJ who wins ,the contest will receive $1,000 for a non-profit organization. . .National Newspaper Week was observed at the Fallon County Times with an open house Oct. 12. Staff at the Fallon County Times includes Darlene Hornung, Nancy Schillinger, Pat Wiman, Susan Newell, Tammy O’Donnell and Carleen Susa. . .Askin Playday was held Sept. 30 at the Askin Arena. . .Frank and Lorraine Cunningham celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at the home of Russ and Virginia Culver Oct. 5. . .Over 400 people helped celebrate Randash Motors’ new paved lot Oct. 2. They viewed 1991 Chrysler cars and trucks and enjoyed free hamburgers and hot dogs. . .Mayor Dean Keirle signed a Red Ribbon Week proclamation last week. The week is a nationwide effort to fight drugs in America. Baker High School Student Council vice president Julie Bublitz, president Mary Mahon and school nurse Jeri Obye watched as the Mayor signed the proclamation.

40 YEARS AGO Thursday, October 9, 1980 --

Mike Reynolds, assistant principal of Baker High School, is pictured looking over one of the three doors that was badly damaged during a recent break-in. The burglars tried to gain access to the vault and were unable to get in. . .A new school policy regarding the length of the school day on all Fridays has been put into effect on a trial basis in Baker Public Schools. From now on the school day will end at 2:52 p m. . .Alice Newell was hostess to the Quarter Century Pinochle Club Saturday evening. Winners were Alvina Morton, Gordon Olson, Marion Hanson and Ed-

gar Boucher. Stasia Corey won traveling. . .Jonna Hecker was elected president of the Lucky Lassies 4-H Club. . .Mr and Mrs. Robert Justice and family have moved to Glendive. . .Barb Neumann has been selected from thousands of submitted high school music students to participate in the annual Macy’s Day Parade and concert in Carnegie Hall. Barb is the daughter of Bob and Mikell Neumann. . .Three students make All-State Band - Rhonda Pfeifle, Kelly Mahon and Barb Neumann.

50 YEARS AGO Thursday, October 8, 1970 --

Fallon County’s official population in the 1970 census was 4,050, up 1.3 percent from the 1960 figure of 3,997. . .Thursday evening started off the Baker High School homecoming activities. Bev Breitbach, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Howard Breitbach, was escorted to the place of honor by Mike Lawler and was crowned queen. . .Rev. Robert L. Hempel, minister of the Baker Community Church, was elected as moderator of the Eastern Association of the Montana Conference of the United Church of Christ at its fall meeting in Circle Saturday. . .Baker Locker Plant is now under the management of Glenn Rost as of Sept. 21.

60 YEARS AGO

Thursday, October 6, 1960 --

Eilek’s Ready Wear opened formally last weekend setting a new high in Baker in modern distinguished interiors in the business district. . .A community-wide open house and coffee are being held this afternoon, Oct. 6, at the Fallon County Library, formerly the Baker Library. The efforts of many individuals and organizations have gone into achieving this new status and into taking great steps toward improvement of our library. . .Art Slagel of Fairview arrived Monday to take over as Midland Coal and Lumber Company manager for Matt Gappa who is retiring after 32 years of service with the company. . .Sixteen boys left Saturday for a weekend Boy Scout trip to the Air Base in Rapid City. The jaunt for Troop 57 was led by Edgar Justesen. Accompanying him were Rex Farstveet, Sam Durham, Jerry Smeltzer and Duane Rindy.

70 YEARS AGO

Thursday, October 12, 1950 --

Lack of storage and box cars in addition to the lateness of the crops and adverse weather combine to take away from some farmers the harvest they expected. A great deal of grain is being dumped on the ground and a great deal is being lost in the fields. . .Baker Furniture installed an automatic elevator hoist last Friday. This enables them to unload and store merchandise easily. . .Leonard Has-

kell gives demonstrations of the use of a geiger counter at Commercial Club Friday night, and Rep. Wesley D’Ewart speaks to the group. . .Mason and Star members are holding a masquerade hospital benefit at Green Acres. Music will be furnished by Fritz Bruggeman and his orchestra.

80 YEARS AGO Thursday, October 10, 1940 --

At the district convention of the Royal Neighbors of America held Saturday at Wibaux, Audrey Hansen, Vera Wolenetz, Dorothy VanHook, Ada Crow, Lenice Wright and Mary Smola attended from Baker. . .Andrew Wenz, son of John Wenz, enlisted in the Army in Great Falls two weeks ago and now has been transferred to his station in San Francisco. . .Mrs. O. R. Blanchard left for Moline, IL, this morning to attend the 65th wedding anniversary of her parents. A family reunion will be held when all ten of the couple’s children will be present.

90 YEARS AGO Thursday, October 9, 1930 --

Probably the largest crowd which the city has entertained in some time will be on hand in Baker Saturday to attend the widely advertised car auction which the Burns Bros. of Baker and Ford dealer of Plevna have arranged. More than $10,000 worth of new and used cars will be auctioned. . .Ray Sutton and Ray Holder left Sunday for Racine, WI, to get the Holder household furniture. The Holders will have charge of the Vincellette farm. . .According to word received here, Edward Flasted pledged Sigma Chi fraternity at MSC, and Mary Lyma pledged Alpha Omicton Phi at MSC.

100 YEARS AGO Thursday, October 7, 1920 --

Baker High School, playing its first football game of the season, easily defeated Bowman on the latter’s field by the score of 44 to 0. . . Ed. DeWitt has sold the Baker Auto Co. to Ward Wells of Willard, who will take possession Oct. 15. . .James Hubbard, who lives 30 miles south of Baker, lost his house by fire Monday. The building and everything in it was entirely destroyed, the loss is partly covered by $400 insurance. . .C. V. Crosby sold his ice plant to Robert Burns last week and is thinking of going west for the winter. . .Ex-service men take notice. Applications for Victory medals can be made through Lawrence Busch or Denzil Young by the applicant’s presenting his discharge papers. . . Only through a kind Providence a great many accidents did not happen last Monday that might have happened when the gas was shut off without notice and all gas users are unanimous in requesting notification before it is turned off again.

UPCOMING EVENTS

October - Breast Cancer Awareness Month Oct. 8 - O’Fallon Community Choir rehearsals, 7:30 p.m., Lutheran Church. Oct. 11 - Changed For Life Church services, 10 a.m., Baker Senior Center. Oct. 12 - Columbus Day; Celebrate Recovery, 6-8 p.m., snacks provided, Compass Coffee; American Legion Auxiliary, 6:30 p.m., American Legion; Hospital Helpers. Oct. 13 - Grief Support Gathering, 12 p.m., Stevenson Funeral Home; Overeaters Anonymous, 6:30 p.m., American Lutheran Church; Friends of Library, 5 p.m., library basement; School Board, 6 p.m., high school boardroom. Oct. 14 - Baker CowBelles; City Council, 7 p.m., Fallon County courtroom. Oct. 15 - Free Business Development, by appointment, call 406-748-2990. Oct. 18 - Changed For Life Church services, 10 a.m., Baker Senior Center. Oct. 19 - Celebrate Recovery, 6-8 p.m., snacks provided, Compass Coffee; Fair Board meeting, 6 p.m., Fallon County Fairgrounds exhibit hall; Oct. 20 - Overeaters Anonymous, 6:30 p.m., American Lutheran Church. Oct. 21 - City Council, 7 p.m., Fallon County courtroom; Knights of Columbus,

8 p.m., St. John’s Catholic Church basement. Oct. 22 - Multiple Sclerosis Support Group, 7 p.m., Holy Rosary conference room 2, call Diana 406-232-1458 or Nicole 232-5698. Oct. 25 - Changed For Life Church services, 10 a.m., Baker Senior Center.

•HOPE, do you feel alcohol is causing problems, we can help, Tuesdays at 7 p.m. at the American Lutheran Church. •District Court is in session the first Tuesday of the first full week of the month and as often as business warrants. Interested persons are welcome to check a specific schedule at the office of the Clerk of District Court. •O’Fallon Historical Museum: Open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m-noon & 1-4 p.m. •Fallon County Library hours: Monday through Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; closed Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays. •Driver Licensing Schedule, every Tuesday, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., 1 p.m.-3:30 p.m., courthouse.

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October 9, 2020

The Spartan Scroll

Fallon County Times

News from the Baker Schools

Kamryn Miller, Jayden Hastig, Kredance Uecker and Ayden Renner

Ophelia Nacey and Ryann Gorder

2020 Homecoming crowning By Hannah Goerndt

On Oct. 5, in the high school gymnasium, parents and audience members were spread out at COVID-friendly distances in order to attend the coronation ceremony this year. Homecoming candidates anxiously waited in suspense, to see who would be crowned the king and queen for this 2020 Homecoming event. Hostesses Peyton Janeway and Hannah Goerndt introduced the candidates, along with the first grade crown bearers. Danica Croy, the daughter of Shad and Stephanie Croy, entered with the king’s crown while her partner, Davin Skogen, the son of Aaron and Marissa Skogen, brought in the queen’s crown. First to enter was Logan Graham, son of Darin and Johnna Graham who escorted Sophia Dulin, daughter of Jason and Lisa Dulin and Lori Henry. Following after was Sady Harbaugh, daughter of Trent and Donna Harbaugh and Kelly Thatcher, with her escort Avery Uecker, son of Shawn and Edee Uecker. Next up was Mya Hadley, daughter of Jeff and Josi Hadley, who was escorted by Kyler Afrank, son of

Jer and Tina Afrank. Last to enter was Konner Flint, son of Klint and Brenda Flint, who escorted Macy Varner, daughter of Gye and Chayni Varner. The gentlemen were first to step forward at center stage to see who would be awarded the honor of Homecoming King. Hostess Hannah Goerndt then placed the crown upon Kyler Afrank, the chosen king. When it came to crowning the queen, the girls waited eagerly to find out who had been given this honor. After much anticipation, Kyler placed the crown on Sady Harbaugh, awarding her as the 2020 Homecoming Queen. Students were able to live-stream the ceremony from their classrooms and were all excited to see the final outcome for Homecoming King and Queen. Though these circumstances were abnormal compared to past traditions, candidates were happy to be honored and have close family able to attend the coronation ceremony. Students will continue to make the most of each opportunity and enjoy the rest of this week’s festivities!

Lilly Klauzer and Bryleigh Arnold

Students problem solve in creative ways By Sophia Dulin

Students at Longfellow are working on solving their problems in unique ways. With help from a little guy named Kelso the frog, younger students were able to explore their feelings this past week. Using the model of “Kelso’s Choices,” students get advice on how to solve their own small problems. Kelso explains that they should try to

use two of these options before they go to an adult for help. Students also learn to recognize the difference between a problem they can solve and one that they could use a little assistance on. If the problem is too big or really scary (dangerous, illegal, harmful) they should take it straight to an adult. The 6th grade class used one recommended method this past week in a fun and exciting

way! They were able to remind themselves of the importance of choices while being creative in the process. They students had a blast and really worked hard on this activity! Other classes will be making posters, brochures, PowerPoints and songs to practice these coping techniques. Hopefully students find this new way of managing problems to be helpful and come up with some great work along the way!

Spartans vs. Huntley Project Red Devils

The Baker Spartans traveled to Huntley on Oct. 2 and were eager to take on the Red Devils. The Spartans put up a strong fight, but sadly were defeated 40-6 at the end of the night. The first quarter had zero action on the scoreboard from both ends of the field. Huntley Project was able to maintain a lead for both the second and

third quarter. By the fourth quarter, the Spartans held their own until the end of the game. In the last quarter, Donnie Steen scored a 5 yard run, but the PAT was unsuccessful. Offensively, the Spartans rushed 28/108 yards. Avery Uecker rushed 14/72 yards. For receiving Garrett Lesh was 4/87 yards. For passing, Jaxson Tronstad threw 7-21/119

yards. Defensively, Avery Uecker had 5 tackles, Tarin DeGrand had 1 quarterback sack, and Quinn Griffith had 1 fumble recovery. The Spartans will take on the Shepherd Mustangs at home on Friday, Oct. 9. This is also Homecoming night, so come out and support the Spartans and bring along some school spirit!

Baker School Menu Breakfast

Lunch

Monday: Donut, egg, fruit, milk Tuesday: Mini bagel, bacon, fruit, milk Wednesday: Slider, cheese stick, fruit, milk Thursday: No School Friday: No School

Monday: Sandwich, carrots, fruit, milk Tuesday: Burrito, lettuce, fruit, milk Wednesday: Corn dog, smiles, fruit, milk Thursday: No School Friday: No School

Re-Imagining Rural Oct. 13th from 6 - 8 p.m.

We are excited to be offering a series of virtual statewide gatherings called Re-Imagining Rural that is designed to Sharing ideas from bring people together who are participating towns and Q&A passionate about creating vibrant, with speakers. robust rural places, growing local capacity and who are eager to learn, connect and lead local change. Each session includes a speaker followed with a guided local discussion centered Fallon County on developing and incorporating fresh Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall ideas in our communities.

Location for Baker, MT:

Fallon County

Times

For your Printing Needs

406-778-3344

Lady Spartans Vs. Ekalaka Bulldogs By Macy Varner

The Baker Lady Spartans conquered the Ekalaka Bulldogs on Oct. 3. Varsity - (25-15) (25-8) (24-26) (25-18) Sady Harbaugh led in serving with 6 aces, she also had 6 kills. Emily Shumaker had 4 aces, 2 kills, and 1 dig. Camryn Collins had 4 kills and 1 dig. Harlee Graham had 1 dig. Mya Hadley had 3 aces, 3 kills and 1 assist. Peyton Janeway had 2 aces, 9 kills, and 2 digs. Rilee Petersen excelled in setting with 17 assists, she also had 1 ace, and 4 kills. JV - (25-3) (25-13) (25-7)

SCHOOL BUS / TRAFFIC

Alex Williams led in serving with 3 aces. She also has 4 digs. Anika Ploeger had 1 dig. Eve Uecker also led in serving with 3 aces. She had 6 kills, and 6 digs. Faith Hansen had 2 kills. Hallie Flint had 2 digs. Kaytlynn Gaub had 2 aces, 3 kills, 16 assists, and 3 digs. Makayla Gallegos had 4 kills and 2 digs. Mallory Varner had 1 dig. Mckenna Griffith had 2 aces, 3 kills, and 1 dig. Saraya Afrank had 2 aces, 4 kills, 1 assist, and 1 dig. Lady Spartans Vs. Miles City Cowgirls For their Homecoming game Oct. 5, the ladies went up against the Miles City Cowgirls once again. This time was quite a thrill, as the Lady

See LADY SPARTAN VOLLEYBALL Page 5

NOTICE

At some point next week the City of Baker will begin installing a storm drain along George Ave. Their starting point will be at the intersection of George Ave and 1st St. West, which will initially shut down through traffic on 1st St. West for about a week. During this time busses will load and unload in front of Lincoln Elementary. Busses will have their “STOP ARM” extended and their lights activated. Traffic will NOT be allowed to pass and/or drive around them on either side of the street. Please be mindful of this temporary change and please make sure NOT to pass any bus that has their “STOP ARM” extended and/or their lights flashing.

a project? Decks • siDing • Roofing Pole BaRns • kitchen & BathRoom RemoDels

Come in early and get your estimates.

Open

Monday - Friday

7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Saturday 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Fallon County Times

LADY SPARTAN VOLLEYBALL

FROM PAGE 4

Spartans declared victory in 3 games! Varsity - (25-18)(25-21)(25-23) Rilee Pettersen helped her team have a successful night wil 11 assists, 5 digs, 3 kills, 3 aces, and 2 blocks. Peyton Janeway added 6 kills, 3 digs, 1 block, and 1 ace. Emily Shumaker contributed 5 aces, 1 kill, 1 block, and 1 dig. Sady Harbaugh had 5 kills and 1 ace. Camryn Collins had 1 kill, 1 block, and 1 dig. Harlee Graham had 1 kill and 1 dig. Macy Varner and Anika Ploeger both had 1 dig. Mya Hadley had 1 block. Alex Williams had 1 ace. JV - (21-25)(21-25)(4-15) Saraya Afrank brought her team 5 kills, 1 assist, and 1 dig. McKenna Griffith had an even 1 ace, 1 kill, 1 block, 1 assist, and 1 dig. Makala Gallegos had 2 kills and 2 blocks. Eve Uecker had 2 digs, 1 ace and 1 kill. Kaytlynn Gaub had 3 digs, 2 assists, and 1 ace. Faith Hansen had 1 kill, 1 block, and 1 assist. Hallie Flint had 2 digs. Alex Williams had 1 ace and 1 dig. Anika Ploeger had 1 kill and 1 dig. Braelynn Lovec had 1 kill. Kacee Moore had 1 assist. C-Squad - (18-25) (22-25) (15-9) (15-9) (8-15) Mallory Varner contributed fully for her team with 9 digs, 3 aces, and 3 kills. Saraya Afrank helped out with 7 digs, 5 kills, and 3 aces. Karissa Afrank had 5 digs, 2 aces, and 2 assists. Briley Gorder brought 2 aces, 2 kills, 2 blocks, and 2 digs. Jessica Stark had 5 kills and 1 dig. Kaytlynn Gaub had 16 assists, 7 digs, 3 kills, and 1 ace. Raquel Tronstad had 2 kills and 1 dig. Tyaisha Dietz had 5 digs. Teja Dietz had 2 digs.

October 9, 2020

5

Baker grad selected as new public works director By Brad Mosher

bmosher@countrymedia.net

The City Council has gone local for its new public works director. Rod Morris, who has a local consulting firm, will be taking over as the new Public Works Director for the City of Baker by mid-October. He was selected at a recent city council meeting to replace former director Luke Holstine in the position. Morris grew up in the area and has recently returned after working in the Bakken oilfields in North Dakota. He also is a former member of the city council, serving from 1992 until 2010. Morris had been working in the Dickinson and Killdeer area of the Bakken but the slowdown of the oil industry and the oilfields allowed him to come back to Baker, where his family had stayed. “I’ve been working for Denbury for about a year, but then the slow-

down came and I got laid off. Then this came up and I thought that I would take a shot at it,” Morris explained. “I was a rig consultant for Denbury and those are usually the first ones to go anyway.” Morris knew his predecessor in the new position, Holstine, but didn’t have a chance to discuss the job with him before he applied. Morris graduated in 1974 from Baker High School and went to Black Hills State University in Spearfish, SD for several years. “Then I transferred to the University of Montana for two more years. Then I got cold feet and made it back to Baker.” The former business major returned to Baker and started working for Shell Oil in 1985. It was while he was working for Shell that Morris decided to run for a city council seat. “Some friends thought that I should run. I thought that I would give it a try.” “I am glad I did I grew a lot and

learned a lot. I loved Baker and I wanted to do my part I guess,” he added. He stayed with Shell until it was bought out in 1999 by Encore Operating. I continued on with Encore and it was sold to Denbury in 2010. “After working for about a year with Denbury, I decided to venture out,” he said. “There was a lot of opportunity in the Bakken.... and more money.” That meant that Morris had to leave his family in Baker while going to work in the Killdeer area of North Dakota. Morris worked for Whiting Oil and Gas as a rig supervisor, overseeing the crews working on the drilling rigs. “I’ve supervised two or three rigs at the same time and usually the crews were about two to five people,” he explained. He moved to XGO Energy for several years before returning home to work for Denbury in Baker. “It was time to come home after nine

years (in the Bakken),” he said. “It is kind of nice to come back home and get caught up. I had been coming back on weekends for the most part,” he explained. “Supervising can be pretty stressful. I could regroup for a day, then it was time to go back.” Morris said he was looking forward to his new position, starting Oct. 15, for the city. He does admit that things in Baker have changed quite a bit during the time that he was working in the Bakken. However, Morris said he wants to bring a team philosophy to the department when he starts. “We are all in this thing together. I’ll welcome all their input on everything and have open communication.” He also said that he is ready to go to work and one of the first projects will be street improvements on George Avenue. “It definitely is going to be a learning process,” he added

CougarTracks

Newsfromthe PlevnaSchool

Sophia Schumacher filling out the virtual scantron

Sophia Schumacher serving

Virtual FFA Fall Districts

By Jenna Paul

On Sept. 28, Plevna FFA Members competed in Virtual Livestock and Range Competitions. Members on the Livestock Team included: Jenna Paul, Maddi Butori, Whitney Thielen, Sophia Schumacher, Kalob Bollinger, Jaeda Paul and Tristan Buerkle. Their overall team placing was 6th. Dacy Buerkle and Sophia Schumacher were the only members to compete in the Range CDE. Sophia Schumacher placed 5th; Dacy Buerkle placed 7th. As a team of two they placed 3rd. Congratulations to all of those who competed virtually!

Third grade science

By Dacy Buerkle Billie Jo Miller diving for the ball

Plevna Lady volleyball By Dacy Buerkle

On Sept. 25, the Plevna Lady Cougars traveled to Circle for a volleyball game. The junior high girls began with the first three matches. The girls worked hard to finish with scores of 13-25 in the first match, the second match was 12-25, and the third match ended at 3-15. The varsity game followed; the score of the first match was 5-25, followed by 7-25, and finally 8-25 leaving the Wildcats with the win. On Sept. 26, the Lady Cougars traveled to Terry to compete against the Terriers. The junior high team start off the evening with a riveting first match. Unfortunately, the Lady Cougar Cubs lost 21-25. The following two matches were 15-25 and 11-15. Our varsity team took to the courts next with the first match ending 12-25. The second match was higher scoring, with the final score being 19-25. The girls ended the game with a final match score of 16-25.

Mrs. Benner’s third grade class has kept busy with a new and interesting science subject. The students recently visited the garden to learn about how plants are living, and what they need to survive. The third graders also learned about summer crops and fall crops. The students discovered that plants have life cycles and certain plants grow in different seasons. The class was also able to look at plant slides under the microscope. Overall, they had a fun time learning about plants in science!

The kindergarteners listening to Mr. Kleppelid talk about stamps.

Kindergarten visit to the Plevna Post Office By Sophia Schumacher

On Sept. 28, the kindergarten class visited the Plevna Post Office to learn more about the jobs in their community. Postmaster Kevin Kleppelid showed the kindergarteners how to properly stamp an envelope, and how to cancel the postage stamp. Mr. Kleppelid allowed all of the kindergarteners to cancel an envelope with the kill bar stamp, leaving marks called killer bars. The kindergarteners left their visit to the Post Office with more knowledge about the Post Office system and a new envelope.

6

October 9, 2020

CLASSIFIEDS Call BoB HerBst 406-978-2233

N or t hwes t Real Es t ate Bob Herbst Box 1511 • Baker, MT 59313 406-778-2995 www.bakermtrealestate.com

HELP WANTED Baker, MT

IMMEDIATE OPENING! Wanting to work in a fun relaxed homelike setting? Superior Care Villa may be the place for you! Part-time cook position. Will cook for 24 - 30 people. Must be able to read and follow a recipe. 7 a.m. - 3 p.m. with every other weekend.

Full-time night caregiver position. 6 p.m. - 6 a.m. with every other weekend. $1.50 differential for night shift.

Competitive pay with benefits. Call Michelle Shumaker 406-778-3201 or 406-891-0185 or stop by and pick up an application

HELP WANTED: CDL Drivers wanted for agriculture business located in southeast Montana. Must have CD L. Must be willing to haul livestock, gravel, equipment, livestock feed and hay. Compensation package will be based on experience. Start immediately. Send cover letter and resume to crosswlesh@ outlook.com. 41-42c ____________________________ HELP WANTED: The City of Baker, Montana is accepting applications for one full-time employee in the Department of Public Works (Laborer/Equipment Operator). The applicant must possess the skills necessary to operate and maintain heavy equipment as well as perform strenuous labor under, at times, adverse weather conditions. A valid Montana Commercial Vehicle Endorsement and a negative drug test result from the applicant will be required prior to an official offer employment. Application form and a copy of the job description may be obtained at the City Office at 10 West Fallon Avenue in Baker. Completed applications may be returned to the above location or mailed to: City of Baker, P.O. Box 1512, Baker, MT 59313. Open until filled. The City of Baker is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. 40-41c

SERVICES TRUCKING SERVICE: Available to haul cattle, livestock feed, hay, equipment and gravel. Modern equipment. Competitive rates. Cattle savvy drivers. Russell Creek LLC, Ekalaka, MT. Call Bret at 406851-1768. 41-42c

WANTED WANT TO PURCHASE: Minerals and other oil/gas interests. Send details to: P.O. Box 13557, Denver, CO 80201. 36-38p

FOR RENT STORAGE UNITS FOR RENT: Baker South Storage has units for rent. 1 – 5x10, 1 – 10x15, 4 - 15x20. Call Shawn 406-480-2980. 41tfnc ____________________________ FOR RENT: Three bedroom, one bath, washer/dryer, AC. Very convenient location. Utility shed, chainlink fence. Smoke free, security deposit. Call 406-891-3470. 39-42p

FOR SALE HOUSE FOR SALE: Four bdrm, two bath. Oak floors in two bedrooms and living room. Two storage

rooms, two lots close to schools, large garage with off street parking. 713 S. 2nd St. W. Call 406-5803419. 40-43p ____________________________ FOR SALE: 4450 J.D. with 158 grapple loader, one owner, hydro shift, updated 138 AC, air ride seat, 5,990 hours, $26,000 firm, book is $35,000. Call 406-772-5634, over noon hour or evenings. 40-41c ____________________________ FOR SALE: 2007 Ford E250. A used yet dependable van used to deliver weekly newspapers. Mileage of 296K reflective of traveling between newspaper offices. Van is located behind Bowman County Pioneer, 18 S. Main, St., Bowman, ND, asking $950. (no phone calls). 39-42c

NOTICE NOTICE: Baker, MT. Gun Show, Nov. 6, 7, 8, 2020. Thee Garage, 50 - 8’ tables - $30. Free admission. Open to the public.Friday 3-7 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Sunday 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Contact Rick Stark, home 406-778-2428, cell 406-9782428. 41-45c ____________________________ NOTICE: Bowman, ND Gun Show Oct. 23, 24, 25, 2020, 4 Seasons Pavilion. 100 - 8’ tables - $30. Open to the public Friday 3 - 7 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Sunday 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Free Admission. Contact Rick Stark, home 406-778-2428; cell 406-978-2428. 38-43c

LEGALS Darcy L. Wassmann, PC Attorney at Law P.O. Box 1136 Baker, MT 59313 Telephone: 406-778-2422 Facsimile: 406-778-3466 darcywassmann@midrivers.com Attorney for the Co-Personal Representatives Montana Sixteenth Judicial District Court, Fallon County In the Matter of the Estate of GARY BRUCE, Deceased Case No. DP 2020-20 Hon. Nickolas C. Murnion NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned has been appointed Co-Personal Representatives of the above-named estate. All persons having claims against the Decedent are required to present their claims within four months after the date of the first publication of this notice or said claims will be forever barred. Claims must be mailed to Troy A. Bruce and Lori L. Kesinger, Co-Personal Representatives, return receipt requested c/o Darcy L.

Wassmann, P.C., Attorney at Law, P.O. Box 1136, Baker, Montana 59313, or filed with the Clerk of the above Court. Dated this 8th day of September, 2020. s/Troy A. Bruce s/Lori L. Kesinger 39-41c MNAXLP ____________________________ CALL FOR BIDS Fallon County P.O. Box 846 Baker, MT 59313-0846 Notice is hereby given; that the Board of County Commissioners of Fallon County, MT, on the 13th day of October, 2020 at One Thirty o’clock (1:30) p.m., in their office at the county court house will receive sealed bids for one or more new; Diesel Powered, Articulated Frame AWD Motor Grader(s) A detailed list of specifications may be obtained by contacting the Fallon County Commissioners Office at the courthouse in Baker, 10 West Fallon Avenue, P.O. Box 846, Baker, MT 59313 or phone 406-778-8182. No bid will be considered unless, accompanied by a bid bond, in the amount of not less than ten (10) percent of the total bid. Bid will be presented in a sealed envelope containing a complete copy of the bid and specifications clearly marked. 2021 Motor Grader Bid Documents The Board of County Commissioners reserves the right to reject any or all bids, to waive irregularities, or to accept any bid they deem to be in the best interest of Fallon County. Dated this 21st day of September 2020 Fallon County Board Of County Commissioners Deb Ranum, Chairman 39-41c MNAXLP ____________________________ Hon. Nickolas C. Murnion District Judge 16th Judicial District, Dept. 2 P.O. Box 107 Forsyth, Montana 59327 406-327-6109 MONTANA SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, FALLON COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF A.B. YOUTH IN NEED OF CARE. Honorable Nickolas C. Murnion Cause Numbers: DN-2018-06, DN 2018-04, DN 2018-05, and DN 2018-07 AMENDED SUMMONS/ CITATION FOR PUBLICATION TO: Jeret Wayne Bennett and Tandy Nichole Bennett YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that a Petition for Termination of Parental Rights and Permanent Legal Custody (the “Petition”) regarding A.B. the child who is the subject of the above-captioned proceedings brought pursuant to Title 41, Chapter 3 of the Montana Code Annotated, has been filed in Cause No. DN-2018-06 in Montana Sixteenth Judicial District Court, in Fallon County, by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, Child and Family Services Division (CFS), located at 10 West Fallon, Baker, Fallon County, Montana. The Petition requests that CFS be granted the following relief: Termination of Parental Rights and Permanent Legal Custody. A copy of the Petition is filed with the Clerk of District Court for Fallon County, 406-778-7114, and is hereby served upon you at this time. The child who the subject of the proceeding and date of birth is: A.B. was born on January 14, 2016 in Nevada. The child’s father is Jeret Wayne Bennett and other names he has used include: Jeret Bennett. The child’s mother is Tandy Nichole Bennett and other names she has used include: Tandy Bennett.

FALLON COUNTY EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY: We are seeking a Staff Nurse for our Public Health department to support our growing services and clientele. This full-time position performs a variety of activities which protect and promote the health of our citizens. Provides a variety of skilled nursing services in venues including client homes, the Public Health office, public schools, and Fallon County Detention Center. We offer competitive wages and excellent benefit package, including a Monday – Friday schedule and 10 paid holidays. Closing Date: This recruitment will remain open until filled. First review of applications will be on Monday, November 02, 2020. Applications and a complete job description are available at the Human Resources office, 10 W. Fallon Avenue, Baker, Montana or online at falloncounty.net. Submit applications and a copy of current nursing license (resumes optional) to: Human Resources Manager, PO Box 846, Baker, Montana, 59313. Questions may be directed to Kim Cuppy 406-778-2824 or Julie Straub 406-778-8164.

Fallon County Times

The deadline to place classified advertising is 2 p.m. every Tuesday for that week’s publication. Call The Times today (406) 778-3344 NOW THEREFORE, YOU ARE HEREBY DIRECTED to appear at the hearing regarding the Petition that is set on the 10th day of November, 2020 at 10:30 o’clock a.m., at the Fallon County Courthouse located at 10 West Fallon, Baker, Fallon County, Montana, then and there to show cause, if any you may have, why CFS should not be granted the relief requested in the Petition. NOTICE: Your failure to appear at the hearing will constitutes a denial of interest in the child, which denial may result, without further notice of this proceeding or any subsequent proceeding, in judgment by default being entered for the relief requested in the Petition. You have a right to be represented by an attorney in these proceedings. If you are unable to afford an attorney, the Court will have an attorney appointed to represent you. WITNESS my hand and the Seal of this Court this 28th day of September, 2020. (SEAL) s/Jeraldine Newell, Clerk of District Court 40-42c MNAXLP ____________________________ Hon. Nickolas C. Murnion District Judge 16th Judicial District, Dept. 2 P.O. Box 107 Forsyth, Montana 59327 406-327-6109 MONTANA SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, FALLON COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF Ju.B. YOUTH IN NEED OF CARE. Honorable Nickolas C. Murnion Cause Numbers: DN-2018-05, Companion Cause Numbers: DN 2018-04, DN 2018-06, and DN 2018-07 AMENDED SUMMONS/ CITATION FOR PUBLICATION TO: Jeret Wayne Bennett and Tandy Nichole Bennett YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that a Petition for Termination of Parental Rights and Permanent Legal Custody (the “Petition”) regarding Ju.B. the child who is the subject of the above-captioned proceedings brought pursuant to Title 41, Chapter 3 of the Montana Code Annotated, has been filed in Cause No. DN-2018-05 in Montana Sixteenth Judicial District Court, in Fallon County, by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, Child and Family Services Division (CFS), located at 10 West Fallon, Baker, Fallon County, Montana. The Petition requests that CFS be granted the following relief: Termination of Parental Rights and Permanent Legal Custody. A copy of the Petition is filed with the Clerk of District Court for Fallon County, 406-778-7114, and is hereby served upon you at this time. The child who the subject of the proceeding and date of birth is: Ju.B. was born on June 8, 2017, in Oregon. The child’s father is Jeret Wayne Bennett and other names he has used include: Jeret Bennett. The child’s mother is Tandy Nichole Bennett and other names she has used include: Tandy Bennett. NOW THEREFORE, YOU ARE HEREBY DIRECTED to appear at the hearing regarding the Petition that is set on the 10th day of November, 2020 at 10:30 o’clock a.m., at the Fallon County Courthouse located at 10 West Fallon, Baker, Fallon County, Montana, then and there to show cause, if any you may have, why CFS should not be granted the relief requested in the Petition. NOTICE: Your failure to appear at the hearing will consti-

tutes a denial of interest in the child, which denial may result, without further notice of this proceeding or any subsequent proceeding, in judgment by default being entered for the relief requested in the Petition. You have a right to be represented by an attorney in these proceedings. If you are unable to afford an attorney, the Court will have an attorney appointed to represent you. WITNESS my hand and the Seal of this Court this 28th day of September, 2020. (SEAL) s/Jeraldine Newell, Clerk of District Court 40-42c MNAXLP ___________________________ Hon. Nickolas C. Murnion District Judge 16th Judicial District, Dept. 2 P.O. Box 107 Forsyth, Montana 59327 406-327-6109 MONTANA SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, FALLON COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF L.B. YOUTH IN NEED OF CARE. Honorable Nickolas C. Murnion Cause Numbers: DN-2018-07, Companion Cause Numbers: DN 2018-04, DN 2018-05, and DN 2018-06 AMENDED SUMMONS/ CITATION FOR PUBLICATION TO: Jeret Wayne Bennett and Tandy Nichole Bennett YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that a Petition for Termination of Parental Rights and Permanent Legal Custody (the “Petition”) regarding L.B. the child who is the subject of the above-captioned proceedings brought pursuant to Title 41, Chapter 3 of the Montana Code Annotated, has been filed in Cause No. DN-2018-0, in Montana Sixteenth Judicial District Court, in Fallon County, by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, Child and Family Services Division (CFS), located at 10 West Fallon, Baker, Fallon County, Montana. The Petition requests that CFS be granted the following relief: Termination of Parental Rights and Permanent Legal Custody. A copy of the Petition is filed with the Clerk of District Court for Fallon County, 406-778-7114, and is hereby served upon you at this time. The child who the subject of the proceeding and date of birth is: L.B. was born on April 2, 2014, in Wyoming. The child’s father is Jeret Wayne Bennett and other names he has used include: Jeret Bennett. The child’s mother is Tandy Nichole Bennett and other names she has used include: Tandy Bennett. NOW THEREFORE, YOU ARE HEREBY DIRECTED to appear at the hearing regarding the Petition that is set on the 10th day of November, 2020 at 10:30 o’clock a.m., at the Fallon County Courthouse located at 10 West Fallon, Baker, Fallon County, Montana, then and there to show cause, if any you may have, why CFS should not be granted the relief requested in the Petition. NOTICE: Your failure to appear at the hearing will constitutes a denial of interest in the child, which denial may result, without further notice of this proceeding or any subsequent proceeding, in judgment by default being entered for the relief requested in the Petition. You have a right to be represented by an attorney in these proceedings. If you are unable to afford an attorney, the Court will have an attorney appointed to represent you. WITNESS my hand and the Seal

of this Court this 28th day of September, 2020. (SEAL) s/Jeraldine Newell, Clerk of District Court 40-42c MNAXLP ____________________________ Hon. Nickolas C. Murnion District Judge 16th Judicial District, Dept. 2 P.O. Box 107 Forsyth, Montana 59327 406-327-6109 MONTANA SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, FALLON COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF J.K.B. YOUTH IN NEED OF CARE. Honorable Nickolas C. Murnion Cause Numbers: DN-2018-04, Companion Cause Numbers: DN 2018-05, DN 2018-06, and DN 2018-07 AMENDED SUMMONS/ CITATION FOR PUBLICATION TO: Jeret Wayne Bennett and Tandy Nichole Bennett YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that a Petition for Termination of Parental Rights and Permanent Legal Custody (the “Petition”) regarding J.K.B. the child who is the subject of the above-captioned proceedings brought pursuant to Title 41, Chapter 3 of the Montana Code Annotated, has been filed in Cause No. DN-2018-04 in Montana Sixteenth Judicial District Court, in Fallon County, by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, Child and Family Services Division (CFS), located at 10 West Fallon, Baker, Fallon County, Montana. The Petition requests that CFS be granted the following relief: Termination of Parental Rights and Permanent Legal Custody. A copy of the Petition is filed with the Clerk of District Court for Fallon County, 406-778-7114, and is hereby served upon you at this time. The child who the subject of the proceeding and date of birth is: J.K.B. was born on August 28, 2018 in Montana. The child’s father is Jeret Wayne Bennett and other names he has used include: Jeret Bennett. The child’s mother is Tandy Nichole Bennett and other names she has used include: Tandy Bennett. NOW THEREFORE, YOU ARE HEREBY DIRECTED to appear at the hearing regarding the Petition that is set on the 10th day of November, 2020 at 10:30 o’clock a.m., at the Fallon County Courthouse located at 10 West Fallon, Baker, Fallon County, Montana, then and there to show cause, if any you may have, why CFS should not be granted the relief requested in the Petition. NOTICE: Your failure to appear at the hearing will constitutes a denial of interest in the child, which denial may result, without further notice of this proceeding or any subsequent proceeding, in judgment by default being entered for the relief requested in the Petition. You have a right to be represented by an attorney in these proceedings. If you are unable to afford an attorney, the Court will have an attorney appointed to represent you. WITNESS my hand and the Seal of this Court this 28th day of September, 2020. (SEAL) s/Jeraldine Newell, Clerk of District Court 40-42c MNAXLP ____________________________ LEGAL NOTICE United States Postal Service Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation 1. Publication Title: Fallon County

See CLASSIFIEDS Page 7

MONTANA STATEWIDE CLASSIFIEDS REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS. Separate sealed bids for updating the Pre-Disaster Mitigation Plan (PDM) will be received by Stillwater County Disaster and Emergency Services (DES), PO Box 1287, Columbus, MT 59019 until 5:00 pm on November 16, 2020. Stillwater County Disaster and Emergency Services in cooperation with Musselshell, Big Horn, Sweet Grass, Golden Valley, Rosebud, Treasure and Wheatland Counties are soliciting bids for a project to update the Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) Plan. This update will include a total of eight (8) counties. Scope of work includes the following: Review current plan for each county; review and analyze natural and manmade hazards; engage the public in each county to develop the updated PDM; these meeting will include first responders, government officials, community groups, nonprofits, private businesses and Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) representatives. Further, evaluate potential hazards and disasters; recommend and prioritize hazard mitigation measures; determine necessary updates to existing plan(s); ensuring that revisions are consistent with state and FEMA requirements and develop a schedule for all eight counties for hosting community meetings. Successful contractor is required to attend all community and government meetings. All proposals must be signed and shall not exceed ten (10) pages. Proposals must include letter of transmittal, statement of qualifications and experience, staffing and project management, history of the firm, work to be performed, references, fees and schedule. Project must be finalized and approved no later than December 31, 2021. For questions or complete copy of the RFP, contact Bill Pronovost, (406) 322-8015, wpronovost@stillwatercountymt. gov or Carol Arkell, (406) 322-8060, carkell@stillwatercountymt.gov. _______________________________________________________________________________ If you are reading this ad, you can see that classified advertising works! Reach over 400,000 readers in Montana and beyond to promote your product, service, event and business. To get results, contact this newspaper, or the Montana Newspaper Association at email stacy@mtnewspapers.com or member@mtnewspapers.com. 25 words for the small investment of $149.

October 9, 2020

Fallon County Times

CLASSIFIEDS

FROM PAGE 6

Times 2. Publication Number: 184-940 3. Filing Date: 10/01/2020 4. Issue Frequency: Weekly 5. Number of Issues Published Annually: 52 6. Annual Subscription Price: $52 Trade Area, $72 outside Trade Area 7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication (Not printer) (Street, city, county, state, and ZIP+4): 115 S Main St., P.O. Box 679 Baker, MT 59313 Contact Person: Tina Rost Telephone: 406-778-3344 8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher (Not printer): Same as above. 9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor (Do not leave blank): Publisher: Tina Rost, same as above. Editor: same as above. Managing Editor: same as above. 10. Owner Full Name: Steve Hungerford, P.O. Box 670 Salem, OR 97308 Hod Kosman, Kosman Investments LLC, P.O. Box 2308 Scottsbluff, NE 69363-2308 Dr. James Massey Jr., 230975 County Rd “J”, Scottsbluff, NE 69361 SWG Investments, 1515 SW 5th Ave Ste 600 Portland, OR 97201-5449. 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or Other Securities: None 13. Publication Title: Fallon County Times 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data : 18 September, 2020 15. Extent and Nature of Circulation: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months/ No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: a. Total Number of Copies (Net press run): 1200/1200 b. Paid Circulation (By Mail and Outside the Mail) (1) Mailed Outside-County Paid Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541. (Include paid distribution above nominal rate, advertiser’s proof copies, and exchange copies) 242/167 (2) Mailed In-County Paid Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541 (Include paid distribution above nominal rate, advertiser’s proof copies, and exchange copies) 405/477 (3) Paid Distribution Outside the Mails Including Sales Through Deal-

ers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other Paid Distribution Outside USPS 137/140 (4) Paid Distribution by Other Classes of Mail Through the USPS (eg. First-Class Mail) n/a/ n/a c. Total Paid Distribution [Sum of 15b. (1), (2), (3), and (4)] 785/784 d. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution (By Mail and Outside the Mail) (1) Free or Nominal Rate Outside-County Copies Included on PS Form 3541 12/12 (2) Free or Nominal Rate In-County Copies Included on Form 3541 2/2 (3) Free or Nominal Rate Copies Mailed at Other Classes Through the USPS (eg. First-Class Mail) n/a/ n/a (4) Free or Nominal Rate Distributions Outside the Mail (Carriers or other means) n/a n/a e. Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution (Sum of 15d(1), (2), (3) and (4)) 14/14 f. Total Distribution (Sum of 15c and 15e) 799/798 g. Copies not Distributed (See Instructions to Publishers #4 (page #3) 401/402 h. Total (Sum of 15f and g) 1200/1200 i. Percent Paid (15c divided by 15f times 100) 98%/98% 16. Extent and Nature of Circulation: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months/ No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: a. Paid Electronic Copies: 42/43 b. Total Paid Print Copies (15c) + Paid Electronic Copies (16a): 827/827 c. Total Print Distribution (15f) + Paid Electronic Copies (16a): 841/841 d. Percent Paid (Both Print and Electronic Copies: 98%/98% 17. Publication of Statement of Ownership: Publication required. Will be printed in the 09 October 2020 issue of this publication. 18. Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager, or Owner: /s/ Tina Rost Date: 25 September, 2020 I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions (including civil penalties). 40p MNAXLP

Baker Beautification Committee announces transformations to Flag Service The Baker Beautification Committee is a volunteer committee that provides some community-based services to the broader Baker community. One service the Baker Beautification Committee takes immense pride in is the Flag Service, which for years entailed posting flags on federally-recognized holidays. Not wanting to be limited to just these holidays, as well as wanting to promote and support the diversity of our community and nation, the committee has made a few changes to its flag service. First, to commemorate the end of slavery, Juneteenth (June 19) has been added to observe the end of slavery as slavery did not truly end in the United States until June 19, 1865, nearly two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln. Additionally,

the committee has added the commemoration of Indigenous People’s Day to October 12, 2020, the day that Columbus Day is also commemorated. The committee is excited to announce that the flag service for this day going forward, will involve posting tribal nation flags of tribal nations in Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota in addition to American flags normally posted for Columbus Day. The tribal nation flags will be posted on Main Street to start and may expand from there. With the celebration of Indigenous People’s Day, it is about acknowledging and celebrating all tribal nations, with Baker’s commemoration highlighting those tribal nations whose traditional territories are in Montana and/or regional to the area in/near Baker. Asked what this meant to her, Shanny Spang Gion, SMART/EMEDA

7

Executive Director, stated, “Commemorating this day provides an opportunity for inclusion that can help people, like myself, but especially Indigenous youth and their families who live here, feel welcome and represented in the community. To have even just a small piece of my cultural identity reflected in Baker though posting of my tribes’ flags, means a great deal to me.” The Flag Service is operated on a volunteer basis and the Baker Beautification Committee would like to thank everyone who has volunteered their time to help, including making flag poles, hanging brackets, and offering their time to post flags. The Baker Beatification Committee is always looking for volunteers and if you are interested, please call the SMART office at 406-778-2020.

Final Rural Initiative virtual session set for Oct. 13 Staff Report

The final Rural Initiatives session will give people a chance to review what has been covered in two earlier teleconference discussions on the changing role of rural communities when it starts Oct. 13 at 6 p.m. in the Exhibit Hall at the Fallon County Fairgrounds. According to Beth Epley of the Eastern Plains Economic Development Corporation, the series started with researcher Ben Winchester talking by computer from his home to people scattered throughout Montana and continued two weeks later with two women discussing ways to work as small communities to literally save their towns. But there were more than a dozen other communities also connected for the Reimagining Rural discussion. “This was a joint effort between Eastern Plains and Montana State Fallon and Carter County Extension,” Epley explained. Winchester is a senior research fellow with the University of Minnesota Extension’s Center for Community Vitality. Part of his presentation was on what he calls a “brain gain” of people between the ages of 30 and 49 years old in rural areas and the social and economic opportunities that creates in the rural regions of the Midwest. A trained rural sociologist, Winchester admits that he has been studying small towns in the Midwest for more than 20 years. He explained that each town needs to have certain essential services to survive and grow, but there are some things that can be spread around between the smaller communities in a region. He also provided a few warnings, saying that the communities need to involve the newcomers and not be afraid of making some changes. “Don’t try and rebuild it the way it was,” he said. A town or community may have been dying for a reason, Winchester explained. One successful example for communities to remember is the use of co-operatives he told the people watching from remote locations. “Thank god for co-ops,” he said. “Co-ops are the way forward. Why that works is that they answer to their local shareholders.” The second session stressed more community power coming

from starting small. Becky McCray promotes the Idea Friendly method for helping to save small towns and says it can be as simple as cleaning your own sidewalk. She was one of the two guest speakers in the distance meeting that was live-streamed into the Exhibit Hall on the Fallon County Fairgrounds. McCray uses something as simple as cleaning sidewalks as a way to make a difference in the rural communities. McCray admits and even stresses that the changes have to come in small steps. “You have to start with tiny, easy-to-do steps. That’s how we get things moving,” she explains in her online presentations. The “Idea Friendly” premise is to first gather a crowd, then build connections and then start taking small steps. According to McCray, the same things that make rural communities challenging can also be turned into positives. However, the communities need to be looking forward to spark a revolution of renewal locally, she explains. According to Epley, both of the two earlier sessions were recorded and can be found online. “There is a Reimagining Rural MT facebook group. If you go to that group, you will be able to see it (sessions) first hand.” The final session will review some of the material and ideas covered in the first two events, Epley added.

es Fallon County Tim

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44 • • Call 406-778-33

8

October 9, 2020

Fallon County Times

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October 9, 2020

Fallon County Times

9

City sets new mill levies Russian fishing trip cancelled by Covid-19 for 2021 as budget leads to Plevna adventures shows dramatic drop Staff Report

The final mill levy for the new fiscal year was recently adopted by the City Council, reflecting the drop in the economy caused by the pandemic and a downturn in oil revenues. The new total mill levy in the City of Baker budget was set at 209.06 mills, a drop from the previous year, although the general fund will get a slight increase for the upcoming budget. In 2019, the mill levy for the city was set at 210.92 mills for the year, according to the financial resolution. A year later, the general fund will have a slight increase from the 2019 total of 203.17 mills. The new total for the general fund is 205.74 mills. That is an increase of 2.57 mills. In Resolution 698, the City Council approved mill levies of 203.17 for the general fund and 7.75 mills for the permissive medical fund to give the city a total of 210.92 mills. The new budget document reduces the permissive medical fund allotment to 3.32 mills, cutting the amount by more than half from the previous year. The permissive medical fund is for the health insurance of the city employees. “When you have got less employees, you have got less insurance,” the city clerk and treasurer, Kevin Dukart, said. The city has four less fulltime employees than it had a year ago. The new financial resolution (#714) recently approved by the city council showcased a dramatic drop in funding. In 2020, the total estimated appropriations of $1,993,735 million is broken down into

$1.45 million going to the general fund. In 2019, the total estimated appropriations of $3,322,086 million is broken down into $1.8 million going to the general fund. In the 2019 financial resolution, the next largest appropriations was a total of $719,300 for the Disaster and Emergency fund, one of the final fund related to damages caused by the tornado which struck the city several years ago. In the new budget document, that amount dropped to $101,300. According to the city clerk and treasurer, that dramatic drop reflected that the funding for the tornado damage is nearly complete. “That was all grant money to redo some infrastructure that was damaged by the tornado,” Dukart explained. “That is almost done. There really won’t be any disaster funds when we are done.” In 2019, the Oil and Gas Severance fund had $426,566 for the third largest appropriation estimate in the funding. A year later, the total dropped to $246,753 – a loss of nearly $180,000. “That funding comes from a reserve. We are actually getting some revenue, but not nearly what we had,” Dukart said. In the 2019 resolution, Street Maintenance fund had fourth highest appropriations total in the new final operation budget with $119,781. In the new funding resolution, it has fallen to $31,000, a loss of nearly $89,000. The 2020 resolution came after the state of Montana gave the city certified taxable valuation information from it Department of Revenue.

STAR PHOTO/Alan Charles “Plevna is in the heart of eastern Montana paradise, where the prairie stretches on forever, where game of all kinds is plentiful, where the people are friendly, and where gates are open to those who come looking.”

By Alan Charles, Star Outdoors Columnist

“So let me tell you how I got here,” the fellow tells us. I was camped with several friends at a little reservoir near Baker, and we had just returned from hiking for sharptailed grouse. This fellow from Bozeman came walking by our camp, trailed by his two dogs, one a young pointer, the other an older female yellow lab. It turned out that the visitor and I had met before. He was currently working as a senior staffer at one of the major Montana conservation organizations. “I have scrimped and saved for several years to pay for a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Russia, to fish on the X-River. This was the year it was supposed to happen. And then, Covid-19 wiped out all those plans. So, my wife asked, what now, where do you plan to go? “It took me several minutes,” he said, but then I told her, “Plevna.” ‘Plevna?’ she said. ‘Where in the heck is Plevna?’

And I told her, “Plevna is in the heart of eastern Montana paradise, where the prairie stretches on forever, where game of all kinds is plentiful, where the people are friendly, and where gates are open to those who come looking.” We certainly could not disagree. We had camped near the little lake for three days. We caught northern pike to 27”, walleye to 17”, and yellow perch from 9-11”. We flushed sharptailed grouse and pheasants in the morning, and dropped passing doves in the evening. Over the past several weeks, we had talked with ranchers who were gathering cattle, working the calves to pre-condition them for weaning, pregnancy testing the cows, and positioning them all in preparation for fall sales. We talked with a couple of young ranch brothers, one of whom was pounding fenceposts while the other was moving hay bales, though what he was really doing, he confessed, “was breaking equipment, which is what I do

best.” In what I consider to be one of those great moments of cowboy logic, he told us, “I don’t kill badgers, even though I know a lot of people do, mostly justifying it on the fact that a horse might step in a badger hole. I always figured, I’d rather deal with one badger hole than 300 gopher holes.” Who says ranchers aren’t conservationists?!! So, we sat there, that night, my friends and I, enjoying an evening campfire safely contained in an approved fire ring, watching a squadron of pelicans slide silently onto the surface of the quiet little lake. I thought about all the many little “Plevnas” that serve as seasonal outposts for many thousands of Montana hunters and anglers. The name is irrelevant. It is the place that draws us like moths to a lamp. It is the Ekalakas and Winnets, the Melstones and Brockways, the Plentywoods and Froids. Those little circles marked on the maps and the Montana Gazeteer, where we gather, for a week or a day, and flush out in all directions, pursuing the prairie, and chasing the wind. Maybe we visit the store, and buy ice or bacon, worms or beer. Perhaps we stop at the café, and buy a burger, or make a phone call. No matter how big or small, we can always meet someone, ask for directions, strike up a conversation, and who knows where that might go? Montana. September. Prairie Time. No poetry, no lyrics, can actually capture the symphony that plays out, each day, across this grand stage of sage and wind, where the horizon stretches beyond the sunset, where the sprinkle of stars lights a landscape of scarlet emptiness, illuminating those little towns like Plevna, Ismay, Terry, Ingomar, Wibaux, and more, beacons of eastern Montana friendship and opportunity. Maybe next year, a fishing trip to Russia may be in that fellow’s cards. But this year, he’s lucky to be spending two weeks in eastern Montana, stalking mule deer and antelope with his bow, and flushing game birds with his dogs.

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October 9, 2020

Fallon County Times

SMART Schools Challenge program is accepting project proposals Project Proposals due Dec. 15, 2020 The SMART Schools Challenge program is once again accepting project proposals for the 2020/2021 year, and this year brings some exciting new changes. The SMART Schools Challenge is a friendly competition to encourage Montana’s K-12 schools to integrate lessons and projects relating to resource conservation, efficiency and healthy environments. This year, schools may choose from eight different student-driven project categories (see below). SMART Schools (which stands for “Saving Money and School Resources Today”) is administered by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality. As with previous years, schools can select which challenge category to participate in. At the end of this year’s challenge, ten winners will be selected, and each will receive a $2,000 award. Teachers can use this money for their classrooms or project continuation. Schools that participate in the 2020-2021 SMART Schools Challenge will have the opportunity to sign up for the new bonus challenge and could potentially win an additional award. The bonus challenge is a fun way for schools to continue the chal-

lenge by coming up with a new SMART Schools name and logo. One winner will receive $1,000 and their logo will be used as the new SMART Schools name and logo in the 2021-2022 school year. You can find more information, and the project proposal registration form at: http://deq.mt.gov/energy/eec/ smartschools Please submit project proposals by Dec. 15, 2020 to: SMARTSchools@mt.gov Project Categories Upcycling Upcycling is converting and reusing a product into a useful product or item of value. Upcycling is not the same as recycling, which is considered “downcycling.” Main elements are: •May be incorporated into an art project •Students may assist in the production of art or classroom projects that re-purpose waste materials •Taking an item that is no longer in use and giving it a new life or a different function Alternative Transportation Alternative transportation projects focus on commuting to and from schools or field trips in other ways besides driving with the use of fossil fuels (biking, walking, carpooling, taking public transpor-

tation). Main elements are: •District use of Clean School Buses •Walking or Biking School Bus Program •Students help track the reduction of harmful gas emissions. This can be done in a variety of ways depending on the age of the students •Research alternative modes of transportation that do not burn fossil fuels Energy Efficiency Energy efficiency means using less energy to perform the same tasks, reducing energy waste. Energy efficiency brings a variety of benefits: reduced greenhouse gas emissions, reduced demand for energy imports and lowering costs, thus making funds available for other things (like school supplies, building maintenance, playground equipment, etc.). Main elements include: •Learn behavior changes that will help reduce energy consumption (turning off lights, unplugging devices, etc.) •Expose students to energy efficiency in the classroom using science, technology, engineering or math lesson plans •Provide hands-on learning in the classroom or outside the classroom with energy efficiency projects and

NOTICE OF AN EARLY VOTE/ MAIL BALLOT GENERAL ELECTION ELECTION DAY- NOVEMBER 3, 2020

energy reduction awareness •Research topics that focus on energy efficiency and eliminating energy waste Renewable Energy Renewable energy projects incorporate energy sources that are harvested from resources that can be replenished on a human timescale. Examples include: wind, rain, sunlight, water, and geothermal heat. Main elements are: •Expose students to renewable energy in the classroom using science, technology, engineering or math lesson plans •Provide real-time data display to demonstrate the reduction of fossil fuels with the production of renewable energy •Research renewable energy sources Indoor Air Quality Indoor air quality is the quality of air within the school building and building annexes. Many different factors can affect indoor air quality such as: cleaning products, damp conditions, insulation, Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC), building infrastructure, and radon. *Indoor air quality must include radon component to qualify. •Expose students to the effects of air quality from infrastructure and HVAC filter replacement or upgrades. This can be done using media such as daily announcements, newsletters and classroom lessons •Class lesson plans expose students to indoor air quality

•Students assist in research and testing of their school’s indoor air quality •Students research and test their school for Radon •Students research and encourage school personnel to use green cleaning products •Students research and encourage their schools to reduce the amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are released inside of the school building and annexes Sustainable Agriculture Sustainable agriculture is gardening or farming to meet the needs of a school or community without compromising the soil, water, air and climate, while promoting biodiversity for future generations. Main elements are: •Composting food waste and using compost to improve soil health •The use of rainwater catchment or other wastewater treatment for garden irrigation or sustainability practices •Schools partnering with local farms to provide students with local produce in the cafeteria (e.g., Farmto-School program) •Expose students to sustainable agriculture lesson plans in the classroom and outside of the classroom •Research farming practices that focus more on biodiversity and less on monoculture Industrial Processes/Public Infrastructure Industrial infrastructure refers to systems or services that a commu-

We hold a regular weekly cattle and feeder cattle sale every Wednesday.

Per Montana Governor Steve Bullock’s Executive Orders 2-2020 and 3-2020 Montana Counties may opt to conduct their November 3, 2020 General Election as a Early Vote/ Mail Ballot Election.

The Election Administrator of Fallon County will be conducting the November 3, 2020 General Election by mail.

All eligible registered voters will receive General Election Ballots in the mail.

General Election Ballots are mailed out on October 9, 2020. Ballots are available for early voting in the Election Administrator/Clerk & Recorder Office on October 2, 2020.

To verify that you are registered to vote, you may call 406-778-7106 to verify your voting status whether active or inactive, or go to My Voter page at www.falloncounty.net, click Departments, Elections, My Voter Page. This will show if you are an Active or Inactive Status. If you are inactive you need to update your voter registration card. Please call our office at 406-778-7106 or visit our web page at www.falloncounty.net for a fillable card, print and send to Election Administrator P.O. Box 846 Baker 59313.

Special Sales as advertised. Give us a call to visit about your marketing plans.

C & D Yards • Baker, Montana

Open between 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Tuesday. Your cattle will be delivered to Lemmon Livestock on Tuesday evening and will be sold on Wednesday.

Cattle will be on feed & water and a brand inspector on site

Wed. Oct. 14- Special All Breeds Calf Sale Thurs. Oct. 29- Special Weigh-Up Cow, Bull Hfrett Thurs. Oct. 15- Special Weigh-Up Cow, Bull Hfrett Wed. Nov. 4 - Special All Breeds Calf Sale Wed. Oct. 21- Special All Breeds Calf Sale Thurs. Nov. 5- Special Weigh-Up Cow, Bull Hfrett Thurs. Oct. 22- Special Weigh-Up Cow, Bull Hfrett Wed. Nov. 11 - Special All Breeds Calf Sale Thurs. Nov. 12- Special Weigh-Up Cow, Bull Hfrett Wed. Oct. 28- Special All Breeds Calf Sale You can now reach us on the Internet at www.lemmonlivestock.com If you have livestock to consign or would like us to stop at your ranch, please call Lemmon Livestock at 605-374-3877 or 800-822-8853 Paul Huffman Owner/Manager 605-374-5675 or cell 605-645-2493 C & D Yards Baker, Montana 406-778-3282 Curt Williams Baker Field Rep. 406-978-2520

The close of regular voter registration deadline for the November 3, 2020 Mail Ballot General Election, is extended to October 26, 2020. By completing a new voter registration form, voting status would change to active; at which time a General Election Ballot would be mailed out.

Fallon County Times Business Directory Tri-State Chiropractic Center Dr. Charles F. Whitney 111 4th St. NW PO Box 176 Bowman, ND 58623

701-523-3239 Guns N Things LLC 305 N. Merrill Ave. Glendive, MT

406-377-3969 Ernie Huether e-mail: eh7mm@mcn.net

Guns & Reloading Equipment

Fallon County Times 115 S. Main 406-778-3344

If you are being emotionally or physically hurt, call 406-978-9262 for free and confidential help 24 hours a day.

Thee Body Shop 406-778-2263

Auto Body Repair & Refinishing Windshield Repair & Replacement Reflex Spray-In Bedliners Mobile Soda Blasting

24 Hour Towing • 406-853-6722 111 Pleisner St. (1/4 mile east of Baker)

nity or country relies on to function properly. Examples of industrial infrastructure include water supplies, power plants, waste management and transportation systems (roads and railroads). Main elements include: •Expose students to lesson plans and/or hands-on projects that focus on industrial infrastructure •Students conduct a research project on one or more facets of industrial infrastructure Living Classroom A living classroom focuses on concepts of hands-on activities, while utilizing school gardens, aquaponic systems and ecological tools (GPS, measuring PH and temperature, species sampling, etc.) to educate students about environmental stewardship and healthy eating habits. Main elements include: •Provide students with garden-based education and hands-on activities •Expose students to aquaponic systems, and garden harvests that will be used in the cafeteria •Integrate hands-on botany lessons in the classroom •Research projects related to environmental stewardship Important Dates •Project proposal registration due: Dec. 15, 2020 •Mid - challenge progress update via Zoom: March 1-5, 2021 •Final reports (video presentation) due: May 10, 2021 •Winners announced: May 17, 2021

Spring Creek Supply Mike and Cindy Stark (406) 588-3861

October 9, 2020

Fallon County Times

Governor Bullock announces 45 School, Community Infrastructure Projects now underway

Delivering local assistance program funds $21.5 million in critical infrastructure Governor Steve Bullock announced on Oct. 6, that 45 critical infrastructure projects totaling $21.5 million are now shovel ready and under contract with the Montana Department of Commerce to receive funding through the Delivering Local Assistance program. “From Yaak to Sidney and Cut Bank to Baker, long overdue infrastructure projects across the state are now underway,” Governor Bullock said. “These 45 projects will fix leaking school roofs, replace obsolete boilers, install HVAC systems and repair crumbling public buildings. Thanks to a bipartisan coalition of legislators who agreed with me that making sustainable investments in our communities is key to economic growth, these projects are now full-steam ahead.” Delivering Local Assistance was part of an historic $400 million infrastructure package proposed by Governor Bullock and passed by the 2019 Legislature. It’s a onetime program administered by the Montana Department of Commerce meant to support schools and local governments impacted by the growth or decline of natural resource

development. Twenty-eight awards totaling $11.36 million were made to schools while 17 awards totaling $10.13 million were made to local governments. Still, the need for infrastructure funding through Delivering Local Assistance far outpaced the Department’s $21.5 million allocation. An astounding 191 applications requesting $83 million for infrastructure projects were requested in early 2020. Every project application demonstrated a vital need, but because of funding restrictions Delivering Local Assistance funds the most critically needed projects. Fallon County was awarded the following: Plevna School District #55, School District Project $69,801, Rehabilitate controls on boiler plant; install digital controls in 16 classrooms, install controls for HVAC in gym area. City of Baker, Water Project $750,000, Replace or rehabilitate water mains in the downtown area due to numerous breaks and inoperable valves. See a full list of awards to schools and local governments here: https://comdev.mt.gov/ Programs-and-Boards/Delivering-Local-Assistance

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Villa Happenings

hop Day BarbSeuprerS ior Care at the

Villa

Please fill in the OVAL and WRITE IN Brian O’ Connor Hello, I am Brian O’ Connor and I am running as a write-in candidate for Fallon County Commissioner. I have 30+ years working in the oilfield, managing a business and my own farm and ranch operation. I am running for Fallon County Commissioner because it has always been a dream of mine and I feel my combination of skills and experience has taught me a lot about business and making fair decisions and I feel that I work well with others, which would help me to work with and for the people of Fallon County. If I missed any of you while out campaigning, please feel free to contact me at 406-978-2599. Please remember to fill in the oval and place the sticker I handed out while campaigning on the line OR write in Brian O’ Connor. I would appreciate your vote on November 3rd. THANK YOU! Paid for by Brian O’ Connor, P.O Box 361, Baker MT, 59313

Circle R Steel, LLC 406-772-5660 “Proud supporters of 4-H Youth”

Fallon County Veterinary Service, P.C. 406-778-3532 “Proud supporters of our area youth”

Rachel’s Accounting 406-778-3189 Proud to support our 4-H youth

Bank of Baker Member FDIC 406-778-3382 “4-H helps build tomorrow’s leaders.”

Baker Body Shop 406-778-2024 Our youth ~ tomorrow’s leaders

406-778-3816 We salute our area 4-H members

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October 9, 2020

Fallon County Times