Mineral County, MT

MISSOULA, Mont. — Gov. Greg Gianforte is scheduled to tour Superior Meats in Mineral County on Wednesday. The plant received a $150,000 grant for its automated packaging equipment and composting system. The governor says increasing meat processing capacity and growing value-added ag opportunities in Montana are central elements of the his Montana Comeback Plan.

Slower than a herd of snails traveling through peanut butter. At the speed of a glacier. More sluggish than a one-legged dog on tranquilizers. You get it. Something, or someone, takes f-o-r-e-v-e-r. The Cedar Creek interpretive sign project initiated by the Mineral County Museum and Historical Society is one of those projects. “This [sign] project has been years in the making, I would estimate 15 years,” said Debra Regan, who is a member of the MCMHS but was involved with this project long before she retired from the Forest Service. “In 2020, prior to my retirement, my supervisor asked me...

4/27/22 Civil Service, River Street, Superior, Deputy completed civil service. Suspicious Activity, Pine Street, St. Regis, Deputies responded. Assist Motorist, I-90 MM 75, Transferred call to MHP. Animal Complaint, South Seven Mile Road, St. Regis, Deputies responded. Trespass, Cedar Creek Road, Superior, Deputy responded. 4/28/22 Trespass, Cedar Creek Road, Superior, Deputy responded. Controlled Burn, Diamond Match Road, Superior, Dispatch took information about a controlled burn. Traffic Stop, 2nd Street, Superior, Deputy issued warnings. Civil Service, Mullan Gulch Road, St. Regis, Deputy attempted civil service, negative contact. Motor Vehicle Theft, 4th Avenue, Superior, Deputy responded. Suspicious Activity, Second Creek Road, Superior, Transferred call...

Hensley for sheriff Regarding the sheriff's race; one candidate is the outstanding choice and that is our current undersheriff, Lanny Hensley. Under Montana law, undersheriffs serve at the pleasure of the sheriff. This means that they can be removed from that position at any time. Lanny Hensley was appointed by Sheriff Tom Rummel in 2012 and has remained undersheriff because he is trustworthy, works well with the public and is very good at managing the Sheriff's Office. He is the ONLY candidate who has both patrol duty and administrative experience as a Montana peace officer. Some of the other...

At their April meeting, the board of the Mineral County Community Foundation made decisions on their 2022 scholarship awards. This year, the board had students from all three school districts and chose to award all eight applicants. The scholarship of $1,500, awarded to a student with exemplary community volunteerism, was awarded to Baylee Pruitt of St Regis, with $500 scholarships awarded to the other students. Selections are made based on community service, leadership qualities, scholastic achievement, extracurricular activities and overall character. The following are the aspirations of these students, in their own words: Baylee Pruitt, St Regis: “My choice to go into...

Early childhood education and daycare options are a big need in Beaverhead County, and a local group is hoping to get a grant to expand area offerings. Callie Triller with the Early Childhood Coalition of Beaverhead County discussed the potential grant and how it could help families across the county at a commission meeting May 2.

Since December of 2021 the Superior Volunteer Fire Department has been getting acquainted with its brand-new Quick Response Unit. Made up solely of dedicated volunteers to serve the Superior area and the I-90 corridor, this team of medical personnel and emergency response drivers has worked diligently the past several months to form this life saving group and also earn a special state recognition in pediatric care. Heather Pecora is the Medical Manager of the QRU team. Her and her husband Josh, moved to Mineral County almost three years ago from Utah. She said, “While we lived there, we were both...

Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority Chair Dave Strohmaier and colleagues opined recently that expanding rail service will create greater connectivity in Montana (Hiawatha rail route will better connect rural Montana). They presented a good history of Montana rail. My house was built on the old Tarkio Post Office/Community Center that was accessible by trolly car to Missoula, Mineral and possibly Sanders county residents. Automobiles, airplanes and recreational vehicles have been and still are Amtrak’s major competitors in Montana and nationally. They are the reasons why the Hiawatha line was dropped and the Hi-Line has continuous operating losses. With our $30 trillion national...

After 20 minutes of reading the scholarship applications, Jeff Crews, Alberton School Superintendent, looked up at the committee and said, “This is going to be impossible. All of these are exceptional and deserving of the award.” Crews and other members of the Mineral County DUI Task Force were reading applications from seniors of the three schools in the county deciding on which one from each school would be the recipient of the $500 scholarship. Ernie Ornelas, Task Force Coordinator, said that as long as he has been doing this, he has never read such competitive applications. Stephanie Quick, Secretary, Laurie...

4/20/22 Assist Motorist, I-90 EB MM 16, Dispatch contacted local tow company for assistance. Controlled Burn, Terrace Court, Superior, Dispatch took information about a controlled burn. VIN Inspection, Maple Street, Superior, Deputy responded. Found Animal, I-90 EB MM 33, Dispatch contacted local dog helper who picked up the animal. Child Welfare, Railroad Avenue, Alberton, Deputies responded. Traffic Complaint, I-90 WB MM 32, Transferred call to MHP. Mental Health Issue, Main Street, St. Regis, Deputy responded. Suspicious Activity, River George Road, Superior, Deputy responded. Road Hazard, I-90 WB MM 75, Deputy responded. Traffic Complaint, MT Highway 135, St. Regis, Transferred call to...

The closest the average citizen gets involved with democratic processes of America is usually earning their “I voted” sticker each election year. And for most Montanans, the ins and outs of government and representatives is unchartered territory. But for one young Mineral County native, he’s just returning home to the Treasure State after spending the last four months in Washington D.C., working on Sen. Steve Daines’ internship team. A 2018 St. Regis graduate, Connor Dunlap shared, “As you could imagine life in D.C. is a lot different from the town I grew up in. People end up being taken back...

It is my privilege to write this letter of support for Sergeant Ryan Funke for Mineral County Sheriff. I have known Sergeant Funke since he moved to our county and have been honored to work closely with him in various roles throughout the community. In this time I have built a wonderful working relationship with him that I find rare in our community. As a member of the community and school district, in the capacity of a mental health specialist, a school counselor, an emergency medical technician, a coach, an aunt and a community member; I have encountered many law...

There are plenty of local athletes who could lay claim to the unofficial “best overall athlete” in the Sanders and Mineral County areas. And there are a lot of reasons some sports fans would have a different favorite than others. But as the 2022 high school track and field season passes the midway point, one athlete is clearly having a year worthy of the speculative title. This past weekend at the Seeley-Swan Invitational, which is held in Missoula, Hot Springs’ standout and all-state athlete Katelyn Christensen placed in five events, including a thrilling first-place finish in the 200 meters run, where she finished...

The Mineral County Chamber of Commerce and the St. Regis Community Council are hosting three forums for voters to hear the candidates running for office. The dates and locations are as follows: • Wednesday, May 4 - Superior - High School Multi-purpose Room • Thursday, May 5 - St. Regis - St. Regis Senior Center • Monday, May 9 - Alberton – Alberton School Cafeteria All forums start at 7 p.m. - doors open at 6:30 p.m. Refreshments will be served. Questions are being sent out that will be asked the night of the forums via email so that candidates can prepare these answers in...

NOTICE FOR PUBLIC HEARING The Mineral County Commissioners will hold a public hearing on April 29, 2022 at 10:00 A.M. in the Commissioner's Meeting Room at 300 River St., Superior, MT 59872, in conjunction with Mineral County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC) for the purpose of obtaining public comments regarding the needs and priorities existing in Mineral County for public facilities, infrastructure, affordable housing, economic development and community revitalization, and particularly as those needs affect low and moderate income persons. For those municipalities, sewer and/or water districts, and organizations considering applications for funding to the Montana Community Development Block Grant...

The mission statement for Mineral Community Hospital reads: “Our mission is to improve the health and quality of life of our community. The facility in Superior is a critical access hospital and one of the largest employers in the county. 2020 marked their 100th year of being in service and 2022 is their 4th year at their present location of 1208 Sixth Avenue East. The hospital is governed by a board of directors and by now residents should have received a ballot to vote for three of the positions. All five candidates were asked the same question: What will...

4/13/22 Traffic Stop, MT Highway 135, St. Regis, Deputy issued warnings. Traffic Stop, MT Highway 135, St. Regis, Deputy issued warnings. Medical Assistance Required, 2nd Avenue, Superior, Superior EMS and Superior QRU responded. Traffic Complaint, I-90 WB MM 66, Transferred call to MHP. Controlled Burn, Johnson Creek, Superior, Dispatch took information about Forest Service performing controlled burns. Property Found, River Street, Superior, Deputy responded. Welfare Check, Main Street, St. Regis, Deputy responded. Civil Standby, Mill Creek Road, St. Regis, Deputy responded. Civil Attempt, Cougar Meadow Drive, St. Regis, Deputy attempted civil service, negative contact. Theft, Mill Creek Road, St. Regis, Deputy...