By Jason Stuart

Ranger-Review Staff Writer

Another Dawson County Fair is in the books, and though turnout for some fair events was down this year, the new fair manager and members of the Fair Board expressed overall satisfaction with the outcome of this year’s fair.

Total attendance over the four days of the fair was dead even with last year. The 2015 fair had 8,380 people pass through the front gate. During this year’s fair, 8,380 people were counted at the gate.

“That’s pretty good overall,” opined Fair Board member Olivia Norlin-Rieger at Monday night’s board meeting, where board members first received the fair numbers.

However, there were some drop offs in attendance to some of the fair’s main events.

For the first time in several years, attendance at Friday’s night show concert was down from the previous year. 

A total of 1,202 people attended this year’s “Hinder” concert, down nearly 400 people from last year’s concert by “Theory of a Deadman,” which attracted 1,596 people. Last year’s concert was the highest attended night show since 1980s rock icons “Warrant” drew 1,648 people in 2007.

Comparatively, however, this year’s concert attendance was still more on par with the last couple of years than those immediately prior to 2013, when attendance to the night show hit its nadir. The 2014 concert drew 1,358 people, while the 2013 concert brought in 873. As low as the 2013 concert appears, it still represented a 115 percent improvement over the previous year.

The one common denominator over the last four years of fair night shows is that they have all featured rock music acts, and despite this year’s attendance dip, fair manager Taycee DeSaye said there is no plan to change that format.

“We plan to continue with rock music,” DeSaye said. “We think that’s kind of our niche. If people want to hear country, they can go to Sidney or they can go to Miles City.”

She added that past experience — especially those rough years prior to 2013 — has shown that the Dawson County Fair is best served by offering something different at its night show than other area fairs offer.

“We’ve tried country music here, and it just hasn’t worked out well for us,” DeSaye said. “So (the Fair Board) agrees we’ll stick with rock and offer something different to our surrounding area.”

As for why attendance to this year’s concert was down, DeSaye cited two factors she said she has heard repeated most often from fairgoers.

One of those factors, according to DeSaye, is the Bakken oil boom bust over the past year and the effects that has had on people’s jobs and the local economy.

“I just think money is tight for people everywhere right now,” she said. “They kind of have to pick where they’re going to spend it.”

The other reason DeSaye said she has heard is that some long-time fans of the band decided they were not interested in attending due to a recent change in the group’s lineup.

“The other reason I heard from people is that for the band Hinder, they had recently changed lead singers, and some people weren’t thrilled that they had a new lead singer,” she said.

Saturday’s PRCA rodeo was very well-attended, however, leading to comments from board members that people were saying it was the most crowded fair rodeo they could recall.

“The rodeo was great,” Norlin-Rieger said. “It was fairly full. I had someone say to me they had to look for a place to sit and they had never had to look before.”

DeSaye echoed those comments.

“It looked so full,” she said of the rodeo. “I don’t remember it looking that full. I think the rodeo was a great turnout.”

In actuality, this year’s rodeo counted just seven more people in attendance over last year, with a count of 1,419. That’s also down slightly from 2014, when 1,500 people attended the rodeo.

Attendance at the Thursday night sled pull — in its third year at the fair — was down slightly from 2015. This year’s paid attendance — which only counts people over 18, as attendance is free for those under that age — was 669. Last year, 683 people paid to attend the tractor pull. In its first year, in 2014, the event drew 1,059 paid attendees.

This was Desaye’s first year as fair manager after taking over for long-time manager Connie Hilger, who retired following last year’s fair. All things considered, DeSaye said she felt the fair went off pretty successfully.

“I think it was great. I feel pretty good about how everything went,” she said. “Some of the vendors were saying they thought the numbers were down, but overall, I felt pretty happy about the way things went, especially considering this was my first fair.”

There were some controversies involving some of the fair exhibits this year, specifically the photography exhibit, and the Fair Board spent the first part of Tuesday’s meeting trying to explain what happened to the exhibit superintendents and apologize to them for it. 

The board unanimously defended DeSaye’s performance during the fair and said she had no direct involvement in the actions which raised the superintendents’ ire. 

In a statement released Tuesday, Fair Board chairman Nathan Stortz asked the public to be patient with them moving forward as they try to overcome the loss of experience they suffered with Hilger’s retirement and the recent retirement of long-time board member Agnes Kinney, pledging that they would learn from whatever mistakes may have been made during this year’s fair and inviting the public to share their ideas on how to improve the fair with the board.

“We tried to offer the same level of entertainment as 2015 on a slightly smaller budget. We are challenged in some areas due to the experience that Agnes and Connie had, and we learned a few things that will help us to better prepare next year,” Stortz said. “2017 starts now, and hopefully next year will be great for all entities — 4-H, ag committee, school exhibits, vendors and grandstands events. We invite the public to comment online as to the things they enjoyed, and remember, there are things going on out here all year.”

Reach Jason Stuart at rrreporter@rangerreview.com.

By Jason Stuart

Ranger-Review Staff Writer

A fallen tree knocked down a string of power lines on Wednesday, cutting power to several city blocks on the west side of the river, including to both of Glendive’s grocery stores.

The outage struck about noon Wednesday after a tree behind Albertson’s came crashing down across the power lines, bringing the lines, poles and transformers crashing down to earth.

“We had three poles and the transformers that went out with (the power lines),” said Montana-Dakota Utilities spokesman Mark Hanson.

According to Hanson, about 120 MDU customers on that side of the river were without power for about 45 minutes until utility crews were able to “sectionalize” the downed lines and redirect power.

One of those customers was Reynold’s Market, which was temporarily forced to close its doors due to the outage.

“We had to shut down and lock the doors up for about an hour,” said Reynold’s store manager Bill Ryan.

Ultimately, however, Ryan said the outage did not affect his store too badly. While they had to throw out some food from the deli “hot case,” overall, the store avoided any large food losses.

“We have good help here, and we all just pulled together and got everything covered up and taken care of,” Ryan said. “And we were kind of lucky it happened when it did, because most of our coolers were going through a defrost cycle anyway.”

In fact, after a visit by District Sanitarian Kevin Pena gave them the go ahead to re-open and begin selling their food again, Ryan said his store benefited from the outage, as Albertson’s remained without power.

“We were pretty busy, obviously,” Ryan said.

Albertson’s was forced to close for some eight hours while MDU crews worked to replace the poles, transformers and power lines behind the store. 

Albertson’s store manager Geri Cullinan noted that the store’s backup generators also failed, forcing her to do something she said she cannot recall being done in the 35 years she has worked there — shutting the store down completely.

“It was pretty bad, we had to shut down completely because the generator had problems too,” Cullinan said. “It was worse than a normal power outage. That’s the first time I can remember us ever having to completely shut down.”

Albertson’s was finally able to open its doors again at about 9:30 p.m., Cullinan said. Despite the lengthy outage, she said that the store’s food losses were “overall, not bad.”

“Actually, we knew right away (the outage) was going to be bad, so we followed protocol and immediately covered everything,” she said. “So we didn’t lose a lot.”

This is the second time in the past year that a fallen tree has downed the power lines behind Albertson’s. A tree also took out the lines during the July 2015 microburst storm which hit Glendive. 

Cullinan said she thinks the tree which fell Wednesday was likely damaged in that storm and was just waiting to fall. Both she and Hanson noted that part of the clean-up from Wednesday’s incident is to cut back some of the trees away from the lines.

Reach Jason Stuart at rrreporter@rangerreview.com.

By Daniel Nolker

For the Ranger-Review

With an increase of pulse crop acres in Montana, a Canada-based pulse crop trading company made West Glendive the site of its newest receiving facility. 

John Piracha, president and CEO of ITC International Inc., said the company provides pulse crop products to 25 to 30 countries, with the Indian subcontinent being their main market. Although they have been sourcing product from Canada for the past 20 years, Glendive is now the focal point for their U.S. operations. 

Since 2011, Montana has been the leader in pulse crop production in the U.S. with over 1 million acres planted in peas and lentils in 2016. Consistently low wheat prices over the past several years coupled with the soil health benefits of pulses in a crop rotation program led to an increase of 216,000 acres in Montana from 2015 to 2016. 

“I see room for good growth in pulse crop production, not only for more acres, but also new pulses and legumes that aren’t currently produced in Montana,” Piracha said. “We want to provide a resource for producers to market their specialty crops to an international customer base.” 

Although there are already grain receiving and shipping facilities in Glendive, Piracha said pulses have specific handling needs that are not the same as wheat and oil seeds. The new facility is intended to be a resource for specialty crop growers to work alongside the elevators that handle the still-dominant small grain market, he added. 

The current grain bins on site can hold 29,000 bushels but more storage and handling capability is planned for the future. Piracha said the goal is to process around 100,000 tons annually through the facility. 

Yard manager Brady Smith said they have already loaded out nine rail cars and expect to continue working consistently as more producers learn about the new facility. 

The facility provides a real benefit to farmers, said Mid-Rivers Communications community resource specialist Kathy McLane. McLane was part of the team who worked to get Piracha established in Dawson County. 

“With local storage and shipping right here in town, producers won’t have to drive hundreds of miles to deliver their specialty crops,” McLane said. 

Although it has been open less than a month, the facility has seen farmers from as far away as Plentywood bringing their pulse crops to the receiving facility. 

McLane added the benefits are not limited to pulse crop growers because ITC International intends to be part of the community. The rich possibilities for community partnerships with the company are encouraging, she said.

Piracha said he would like to thank the community for helping his company get established, and he is looking forward to having a long relationship with the folks in Glendive.

McLane said it would not have been possible without collaboration between local organizations. The network of economic development partners made it all possible.  

“In Dawson County we are so blessed to have talented and passionate leaders like Cathy Kirkpatrick at Dawson County Economic Development Council and Christine Whitlatch at the Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture. Only through joint collaboration with strong community partners could this be possible,” McLane said. 

Kirkpatrick said she looks forward to the possibilities of having the new facility in Glendive. 

“ITC International worked closely with the MT Deptartment of Ag and BNSF Railway to establish a pulse crop transportation facility in Montana and specifically Dawson County. On behalf of DCEDC I would like to welcome John Piracha and ITC International. Dawson County is pleased and optimistic about the vision and economic potential ITC International brings to this region,” Kirkpatrick said.  

Reach Daniel Nolker at dan.nolker@gmail.com.

By Anthony Varriano

Ranger-Review Staff Writer

The Jefferson Elementary School faculty was pretty upbeat after a meeting in the library Wednesday, despite being forced to use port-a-potties and teach no one on what was the first day of classes for the rest of the district. 

This isn’t the first time Jefferson School teachers have lost indoor plumbing. Students and faculty were forced to use portas for a day in February a few years ago due to well issues, but classes were cancelled the next day and plumbing was restored rather quickly.

Kindergarten teacher Amy Hopfauf said she’s just thankful students won’t have to use portable toilets. Water still hadn’t been turned on by print time Friday, but second-year principal Stephen Schreibeis hoped it would be operational by the end of the day or early next week. 

Multiple faculty members said the two weeks without students in classrooms has allowed them ample time to prepare and has united the faculty and staff.

“What it’s really done is given us a unique opportunity to have some extra time for collaboration between the grade levels and with our entire staff that we ordinarily wouldn’t have, and so we’re trying to take advantage of that,” Hopfauf explained.

Schreibeis said the faculty got a big scare when lights and computers flickered during their meeting on Wednesday afternoon, but it was likely a power surge as a result of the transformer near Albertson’s being destroyed.

“It could have been so much worse, so we’re all staying positive,” Schreibeis said. “If we would have had a fire here, it would have been devastating for the whole district.”

Schreibeis said floods have their own devastating aspects, though.

“With a fire, it kind of gets rid of everything, but with this you have to go through the stuff trying to figure out what you can keep and what you can’t.”

The principal realized the  depth of the disaster when he eyed a desk that looked to be in good shape, but after he squeezed the edge of it, water seeped from a seam. At that point he accepted that almost everything in the basement would have to be thrown out.

“I went into it telling Mr. Farber that I was going to throw most the stuff away just in case, but it’s so hard throwing out some stuff …There was some brand new playground equipment down there. Luckily, insurance, though, will pick up some of that,” Schreibeis added.

While teachers are getting an extra couple of weeks to prepare their classrooms, some are doing so without materials they lost to the flood. Teachers tend to pay for classroom decorations out of their own pockets or inherit those materials from retiring teachers. Schreibeis said the district tries to help cover those costs, but there’s only so much money to go around.

“There were things down there that belonged to teachers … We have the list. What’s going to be hard is determining what belongs to teachers,” he explained. “There are some things that will be replaced that are covered by the insurance, and some things will be paid depreciable value. Unfortunately, a lot of those teachers’ things will be paid depreciable value.”

Teachers will also have to find a way to fit the same amount of curriculum into a school year that’s two weeks shorter.

“We don’t have to make anything up in terms of school hours, but we will have to make up all the stuff that they’re missing,” Schreibeis said of Jefferson’s K-2 students. “All the stuff they’d be doing these two weeks we’ll have to fit in.”

Much of that stuff consists of assessments and review of previous material, and multiple faculty members confirmed it cannot be skipped.

“We kind of start with some assessments to see where kids are, and every year is different. With certain groups, sometimes you can bypass certain skills and sometimes you can’t,” second-grade teacher

“I think most of the kids should be pretty jacked that they get two extra weeks of summer, but it has to be pretty strange for parents,” she added. “Some of them are keeping kids home or at daycare, but they’ve been very understanding. There’s not much we can do.”

Librarian Kolette Geiger is thankful for the maintenance and custodial staff.

“When I came into work I realized … the respect I have for our summer help and how they still came in every day without electricity and without plumbing and got this school ready to the best of their ability,” she said.

Schreibeis also received praise from much of his staff for his handling of the situation and said he’ll likely learn even more this year than he did in his first year as principal.

“Stephen’s made it really easy for us,” said first-grade teacher Amy Ree. “He’s done a great job trying to make sure that everything’s where it needs to be before we were here, and he stays really positive so that helps us stay positive.”

Schreibeis said the clean-up has been “slow” but the school “should be on schedule for kids.” The biggest obstacle remaining is flushing the water system and making sure it’s acceptable based on Department of Environmental Quality standards.

Jefferson Elementary students are scheduled to start classes on Sept. 6.

Reach Anthony Varriano at rrsports@rangerreview.com.

By Jamie Ausk Crisafulli

Ranger-Review Staff Writer

Calling all parents of Dawson County High School athletes: The Red Devil Booster Club is looking for your support.

While the Red Devil Booster Club is one of the best high school booster clubs in the state, Club President Terry Hood said individual memberships, particularly those of parents of student athletes, have dwindled in recent years. He wants to see that turn around.

The membership kickoff for the 2016-17 school year is Wednesday, Aug. 31 at 6:30 p.m. in the DCHS cafeteria. The meeting will include a baron of beef dinner provided by Glendive mayor and long-time Red Devil athletics supporter Jerry Jimison. Coaches reports will follow at 7:15 p.m. and a brief business meeting with election of officers will complete the evening.

Everyone is welcome to attend. Dinner is $10.

Membership benefits student athletes

The club was established in 1962 by a small group of residents who wanted to help fund athletics for the high school.

Current active members are a group of sports enthusiasts whose main goal is to raise money to purchase the safest and most up-to-date equipment and uniforms as possible, according Hood.

Money is raised by selling business and individual memberships and through various fund raisers held throughout the year.

Membership to the club is inexpensive and the benefit to Dawson County High School athletics programs is invaluable. An individual membership can be purchased for just $20. Businesses are $35.

“Every membership counts,” Hood noted.

Last year there were about 120 business members and 110 individual members.

“I just don’t understand why anybody, if they knew what we did and what we do for the kids, why they wouldn’t at least join to be members,” Hood said.

Paying membership dues can be the only thing an individual does to support the club, or they can choose to get more involved by attending monthly meetings during the school year or helping with fund raisers, like selling 50/50 tickets.

The money raised goes directly to athletic programs.

“Sometimes there is need for equipment or new uniforms for a certain sport and, unfortunately, the annual school budgets do not always have funds allocated for that need. This is where the Red Devil booster Club steps in,” Good said.

Coaches fill out request forms and those requests are presented to the Booster Club.

While the club has purchased many items throughout the years, the most visible are likely the team uniforms. Uniforms for the teams are on a five-year rotation. 

“Usually by then most uniforms are worn and torn,” Hood said. “If not for the Red Devil Booster Club stepping in to help, the athletes would have to wear unsafe equipment or the parents themselves would have to purchase the new uniforms.”

The Booster Club has also recently donated money to the DCHS fine arts program and to the Washington Middle School football program.

“We fulfill almost every needs request,” said Hood, adding that in his 11 years as a member he has only seen two requests turned down because they did not meet the requirements of the club.

The club is now a tax-exempt non profit 501(c)3, a status they sought to be able to hold the funding donations for the Oakland Athletic Complex concessions stand. This means that all donations to the club are now tax deductible. Donations for Phase 2 of the concession stand/ticket booth project or for the Red Devil Booster Club in general can be given to Terry Hood at 939-2535.

Hood will also pick up membership fees for anyone who is not able to make the meeting Wednesday.

Reach Jamie Ausk Crisafulli at rreditor@rangerreview.com.

By Jason Stuart

Ranger-Review Staff Writer

This Labor Day weekend, Glendive will be the place to be for geeks, nerds, fanboys, Trekkies and movie, comic book and music fans of all stripes as the Badlands Super Con rolls out the red carpet.

The three-day event is the brainchild of Steve and Christie Bury, owners of Hell Creek Music and More. Christie said the idea for the event had been germinating since the couple bought what is now the Retro Theatre and began hosting music acts there.

“We had talked about doing something like this for a wile, but trying to figure out when was the biggest factor,” Christie said.

She said the couple decided to shoot for Labor Day weekend after getting a very good turnout for a concert at the Retro last Labor Day weekend convinced them that local people would turn out over the holiday.

So in January, the Burys “stuck it out there” via Facebook that they were looking to set up the Super Con to see what kind of response they got. Within a month, she said they knew they had something going.

“When we got serious responses about renting a booth ... we knew it was a go,” Christie said. “There was such a huge response, we figured, OK, there’s definitely a want.”

While vendors and artists were excited from the start about the idea, getting local sponsors on board took a bit of educating on the Burys’ part, as many locals simply weren’t sure what a Super Con was.

“It was mostly about educating,” Christie said. “People were more curious, not negative at all. More of just a question of what it was, because they didn’t understand.”

Ultimately, that education worked, and more than a dozen local businesses jumped in on the act as sponsors. The local Tourism Business Improvement District agreed to give TBID grant funding for the event and the Glendive Chamber of Commerce stepped in to sponsor the Sunday morning parade. Montana State Parks also agreed to schedule their “Movie Under the Stars” night to coincide with the Super Con.

“Our sponsors, we thank them very much for taking a chance on us,” Christie said. “Without them and the TBID and the Chamber and State Parks, this weekend would not have been as big.”

To those who still don’t understand what exactly the Super Con is, it is essentially a “convention” which brings together fans of films, comic books, music and other mass entertainment mediums to interact with each other and with the artists, writers, actors, musicians and other creative people who work in those mediums. 

The movement largely grew out of the Star Trek conventions which began to pop up around the country in the years after the original series ended its brief run in the late 1960s. A couple of decades ago, the San Diego Comic Con was founded, initially serving as a convention for the comic book industry and its fans. Over the years, the San Diego Comic Con has evolved into something much more, becoming a feature showcase for the most popular films and TV shows in the sci-fi, fantasy and comic book genres, and a place where major announcements about upcoming films and the futures of blockbuster franchises are announced.

The Badlands Super Con will only be a reflection of that grand event, and no one should expect Robert Downey, Jr. to swoop in as Iron Man or to see Mark Hamill giving lightsaber lessons, but the event will feature its own collection of musicians, artists and vendors for people to interact with and enjoy.

Part of that enjoyment — and a major feature of any Comic Con-like event — is what’s known as “cos play.” To the uninitiated, cos play is short for “costume play,” and simply means coming to the event dressed up as your favorite Vulcan, Jedi, Disney princess or any film, television series or comic book character you like.

Two of the main events during the Super Con will focus on cos play. There will be a cos play contest beginning at 7 p.m. Saturday night at the Retro. Anyone wishing to enter the contest needs to register by 5 p.m. Saturday. Registration forms are only available at the Hell Creek Music booth in the EPEC.

On Sunday morning at 11 a.m., the Glendive Chamber is sponsoring the Super Con Parade through downtown Glendive. Participation is open to anyone, the only requirement to participate is you must be in costume. To walk or enter a float in the parade, you must register with the Glendive Chamber at the Chamber office on Merrill Avenue.

Whether or not you plan to enter the contest or the parade, Christie encouraged all attendees to get in the spirit of the event.

“We encourage everybody to dress up every day to have fun,” she said. “It’s just fun to dress up and kind of be a kid again.”

On top of having fun, the Burys are hoping the event can be a boon to the local economy by bringing in people from the surrounding area.

“Our goal is to bring additional revenue into the community,” Christie said.

And she has high hopes for just how many people the event will bring in.

“I’m hoping for a least a couple of thousand people,” Christie said. “That would be awesome.”

Entry to the event is $10 at the door per day. Three-day passes are available for $20. The first 200 people to purchase a three-day pass will receive a “schwag bag” and collectible program. 

Most of the events take place at the EPEC, with the exception of the cos play contest, parade and Friday night movie. Christie pointed out that the ticket price covers all events sponsored by Hell Creek Music. Food vendors will be on offer at the EPEC throughout the event. Monte Carlo Pizza will have a booth indoors and there will be two food trucks — Dinner Bell Diner and Anna and Ole’s Viking Vending — in the parking lot. There will also be a beer garden available for adults.

After nearly a year of planning, Christie is anxious to get the event underway, and she is hopeful that local residents are as excited as she is.

“This is nine months in the making, and it just dawned on me that it’s coming to an end. It’s like having my baby, I kid you not,” she said. “And I’m hoping everybody’s excited about it.”

Reach Jason Stuart at rrreporter@rangerreview.com.

By Jason Stuart

Ranger-Review Staff Writer

A West Glendive girl has shown that neighborliness and concern for others are still alive and well amongst local youth.

Jessie Boysun, 10, was out riding her dirt bike on the morning of Monday, Aug. 15, when she heard a cry for help. She was riding on property owned by Herman and Linda Brown just behind her home in Forest Park. Jessie has permission from the Browns to ride on the property. Their own son once had a dirt bike course set up on the empty pasture, and the couple gave Jessie permission to ride there any time she wants.

Fortunately, Jessie happened to be on the Browns’ property riding that morning, as Herman suffered a medical emergency that, had she not been present, could have been much more serious.

“I heard him say ‘help,’ and I was looking around and I saw him lying on the ground with his head on a log,” Jessie said.

Jessie swung quickly into action, running out to the street to try to flag down a passing vehicle in the hopes that someone would have a cell phone and could call 911. She quickly succeeded in flagging down two teenage girls who were passing by, and they called 911. All three then went back to where Brown was and stayed by his side until the ambulance arrived.

Jessie said she didn’t think too much about the situation when it happened and that she was simply frightened for the well-being of the neighbor who had been so kind and accommodating to her and wanted to help somehow.

“I was scared and I was just trying to help him,” she said.

Jessie’s mother, Jeana Boysun, said by the time she found out what was going on that day and got to the site, the ambulance was already on scene and the EMTs had Brown secured on a stretcher. She said she could not be prouder of her daughter’s actions.

“I’m very proud of her,” Jeana said. “She did an awesome job and she was quick-thinking. Flagging someone down isn’t an easy thing to do, especially for a 10-year-old.”

While the Boysuns have not had a chance to speak to Herman since the incident, Jeana said his wife, Linda, stopped by their house that very night to deliver Jessie a “thank you” note.

“Linda was pretty grateful, it seemed,” she said.

Linda Brown is very appreciative of Boysun’s actions.

“I think what she did was very heroic and I sure appreciate what she did,” she said.

Jeana is hopeful that other youngsters will take her daughter’s example to heart and that Jessie’s actions that day might inspire others.

“Doing stuff like that, maybe other kids will see something like that going on and maybe they’ll do the same,” she said.

Reach Jason Stuart at rrreporter@rangerreview.com.

By Anthony Varriano

Ranger-Review Staff Writer

You might be under the impression that sexual and violent offenders aren’t allowed to live with children or with each other, but that’s not always the case. Sexual and violent offenders are required to register with the Sexual or Violent Offender Registry for life, updating their address periodically and whenever it changes, but the level at which they’re designated determines their residential restrictions.

Two registered sex offenders reportedly live together raising a 10-year-old girl near a public school — a living arrangement that’s been approved by Montana Probation and Parole. While one offender was recently convicted, the other has been a registered sex offender for 11 years, and both are designated as low-risk offenders.

There are three tiers of sexual and violent offenders, and only level three offenders are not allowed to live within 300 feet of schools, parks, playgrounds, daycares and other places children frequent unless sentencing orders otherwise designate at conviction.

Level three offenders tend to be sexually violent predators and must submit their address verification in person every 90 days. Level one sexual offenders are at low risk to repeat a sexual offense and must update their residential information every year, while level two offenders are described as moderately risky and must update their registration every 180 days. 

Sue Drivdahl of Glendive’s Probation and Parole Office said sexual and violent offenders’ living situations are approved by both a sex offender treatment provider and the offender’s probation officer.

Since there are no sex offender treatment providers in Glendive, all 27 offenders have to travel to either North Dakota or Miles City. Alice Hougardy, a Montana Sexual Offender Treatment Association  provider in Miles City, has served all of Eastern Montana since 2012, with clients from Wolf Point, Sidney, Miles City and Glendive.

“Just because someone has been designated a sex offender, that does not mean they cannot parent,” Hougardy said. “When people hear the designation ‘sex offender,’ they immediately think of the guy in the van down by the river luring children, and we know that is not the case.”

Hougardy and other offender treatment providers use a psycho-sexual evaluation to get information about offenders’ pasts, which helps them determine a risk level and whether the offender goes to prison or stays within the community. A treatment program tends to run three years, Hougardy said, and offenders have to follow program rules similar to probation, which could include being chaperoned when in the presence of children.

“There are sex offenders in every town in Montana, so people need to realize that they’re everywhere and not just concentrated in certain areas,” she said.

According to the Montana Sexual and Violent Offender Registry, there are 49 offenders living in Dawson County. Custer County is home to 63, and Richland County has 68 sexual or violent offenders within its borders.

According to Homefacts.com, Dawson County has slightly fewer sexual or violent offenders per capita than many surrounding counties, with 32.14 offenders per 10,000 residents. Wibaux County has 44.49 offenders per capita, Richland County is home to 42.16 offenders per capita, and McCone County houses 33.19 offenders per 10,000 residents. Roosevelt County has the highest concentration of offenders in the state with 70.63 per 10,000 residents.

In Glendive, there are two sexual offenders living less than a block from Whipkey Park. Three violent offenders live just west of Eyer Park on West Bell Street. Another sexual offender is within three blocks of Lloyd Square Park — right across the street from the high school. 

Four sexual and/or violent offenders live within a two block radius of Lincoln Elementary School, one sexual offender is a block from Washington Middle School, while the closest violent offender to Jefferson Elementary is well north of the school but non-compliant, meaning the individual’s address verification is overdue.

Offenders with no tier designation or level one designation can petition the Court to be removed from the registry after 10 years, and level two offenders can petition after 25 years of registration.

Visit MSOTA.org for more information on sexual offender treatment and resources. The Montana sexual or violent offender registry can be accessed at http://app.doj.mt.gov/apps/svow/default.aspx.

By Anthony Varriano

Ranger-Review Staff Writer

The Glendive City Council approved seven resolutions that set taxes for citizens in the upcoming year, among a laundry list of other new business items at City Hall, Tuesday night.

While nearly 20 votes and two public hearings took place — one on the preliminary budget for the next fiscal year and another on setting mills for city employees’ premium contributions for group health benefits — no one from the public spoke for or against either of the proposals, speeding things along.

The City Council adopted the final budget for 2016-17, approved tax levies of 197.06 mills ($1,386,951) for the next fiscal year, and approved tax levies for citizens relying on city streetlights, street cleaning and repairs to sidewalks, curbs and gutters.

Of the 197.06 mills, 183 mills cover general purposes, liability insurance, Montana Public Employee Retirement, hospitalization, police pension and firemen’s relief. The remaining 14.06 mills were approved to cover a part of city employees’ medical benefits and was required due to an increase in employees, said  the city’s Director of Operations Kevin Dorwart.

In all, mills increased by 1.64 ($12,426.28), which Dorwart called “a rather small amount.”

The City Council also accepted multiple resignations and approved requests to advertise for open positions. Dan Roznowski, who has been with Glendive Public Works for two years, reportedly took a job in Sidney and is moving to Savage, Public Works Director Jack Rice informed. The council approved a request to advertise for the public works utility worker position.

The Glendive Police Department also lost Josh Krielus and KariLyn Gifford. Chief Brad Mitchell was given word to advertise for the patrolman and lieutenant positions. 

“It’s really tough for us to wait, because there are a lot of agencies around the area that will want to hire at the same time,” he explained. “I’ve got a good crew, but I’ve got a very young crew … I think we need to fill the upper management positions to help further the young officers and take some of the work off the administration.”

The Glendive Fire Department might be getting two new, part-time, part-paid firefighters, as the council approved the hiring of Shane Macioroski and Ian Francis, pending the passing of their background checks and fire department testing. Both work full time for Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, and Fire Chief George Lane said the department isn’t even close to filling all of its available positions.

“We have room for 30, and the highest I’ve seen is 24,” he said. “We have 10 right now … so anyone looking to help their community should apply.”

The council also revised and approved its revisions of ordinance 02-2016 governing parking in certain privately owned lots in Glendive for a first reading that’s open to the public on Sept. 20. Those lots include the Casitas Del Rio mobile home park, the Glendive Plaza (Albertson’s), West Plaza Shopping Center and the city-leased parking lot on the 100 block of North Merrill Avenue.

The parking ordinance limits the lots to cars and trucks less than one ton, unless you are unloading, in which case you have 30 minutes to park. It sets the absolute limit for parking in the lots at five days and disallows trailers of any type.

The council also approved a pair of two-year, tentative agreements with the police and dispatchers union, AFSCME 853, and the firefighters union, IAFF 2242. 

The department heads also gave their reports, with Rice saying the city went through its “500 tons of cold mix quite rapidly doing alley and street repairs,” and that Glendive’s water samples came in well under the Environmental Protection Agency’s regulations for lead and copper. Also, painting of curbs has been completed just before much of the temporary, summer help takes off this month.

Recreation department head Dean Svenvold said the pool is closed and the splash park could remain that way unless temperatures increase. 

He reported that 262 children will be participating the city’s soccer program, and that they’re working on preparing the fields for play. 

The Boys and Girls Club will hold a Block Party on Bell Street on Saturday, and Bell Street Bridge Day follows on Sunday at Eyer Park, Mayor Jerry Jimison informed. The event will honor first responders on the 15th anniversary of 9/11.

Reach Anthony Varriano at rrsports@rangerreview.com.

By Cindy Mullet

Ranger-Review Staff Writer

Glendive’s newest AmeriCorps VISTA was a little skeptical about moving to a small town in Eastern Montana, but Community GATE’s job description convinced her to give it a try.

Kahdesha Chiles said she lived in a small town in Nebraska from the ages 8 to 19 and didn’t like it. Small towns where everyone knows everyone’s business are great for parents with small children, but sometimes offer few options for young adults.

“I did some research looking for places that are good for young people. Glendive was not on the list,” she noted.

But of all the positions she was offered, the Glendive one fit her skills and interests most closely and that, along with encouragement from her mother, tipped the scales for Glendive.

“Mom encouraged me to take it,” she said, “and if Mom’s behind it…”

The other VISTA positions offered less direct contact with people. In Glendive, her primary responsibility will be to help establish a Sober Living program, and she will live in the Prairie Development Center where the program will be based.

“I’m passionate about people, about helping others. What better changes can I bring than living with people and working one on one with them?” she asked.

While Chiles didn’t officially start her VISTA term until Aug. 22, she arrived in Glendive Aug. 11 and in her first days at the PDC had an experience that tested her patience and professionalism, she said.

It was not a pleasant experience, but she felt good about the way she was able to handle it. Facing such challenges will help her grow as an adult, she noted.

Chiles has a degree in psychology and wants to be a life coach. Helping to develop a Sober Living program will use her training and skills. In the beginning she will be working to find funding, set up a Sober Living Facebook page and put together a Power Point to explain the program but eventually will work directly with the participants.

“I have lots of ideas,” she said, adding that as a young adult she can bring a different perspective to the table.

Living above her office workplace is convenient. If she has something on her mind, it’s a short walk to the office. Walking downstairs to go to work will also be especially nice in the winter, she added.

While Chiles’ primary work will be with Sober Living, she is also eager to explore other Community GATE projects and see how she can help with them. She is impressed with Community GATE leaders Bruce Smith and Peggy Iba and their vision for the community

Chiles arrived in Glendive right at fair time and had a quick introduction to how that community involvement plays out. Her second day in Glendive found her out at the fair helping in the 4-H food booth.

“I heard free food and I was there,” she noted, adding that it was a good way to get a feel for the community.

She is also looking forward to being involved with the planning for the upcoming harvest fest and junkapalooza, she said.

While last week was only week two of her VISTA term and she is still in orientation phase, she has experienced so much it feels like week 100. Time seems to fly by, she said.

Even though she was apprehensive about small town life, Chiles has appreciated the warmth and kindness she has experienced from people in the community and is looking forward to learning to know more people and do what she can to make Glendive a better community.

“I’m sure people will see me around,” she said, adding that while Sober Living is her primary focus she is happy to be involved with other community projects.

Reach Cindy Mullet at
crmullet@midrivers.com

Dawson County High School will celebrate its homecoming week starting Monday.

Students decorated the halls of the high school on Friday, and a schedule of events follows.

Monday, Sept. 12th

Students will get a few extra minutes of sleep since they won’t have to change out of pajamas for class. 

Tuesday, Sept. 13th

Black is the color of choice for students’ wardrobe on Tuesday, with elementary pep assemblies being held at Jefferson and Lincoln Schools at 1:15 and 2:15 p.m., respectively.

Wednesday, Sept. 14th

DCHS students are asked to dress patriotically, as it’s “America Day” at the high school.

The pep assembly and coronation will be held at 1 p.m. in the DCHS gymnasium, with the bed races to follow.

Thursday, Sept. 15th

Students are asked to wear red on Thursday and attend the Lady Devils’ homecoming volleyball matches against Sidney. Freshmen play at 4 p.m. and junior varsity goes at 5:30 p.m. The varsity tips at 7 p.m. in the DCHS gymnasium.

Friday, Sept. 16th

Each high school class chose a category for dressing up on game day. The seniors will, of course, wear togas. Juniors will dress as their favorite sports figures. Sophomores will dress as superheroes, and freshmen will dress as twins.

The high school will be released early at 1:23 p.m. The parade beings at 3 p.m. and will start from the high school and head south on Merrill Avenue.

The football game against the Fergus Golden Eagles kicks off at 7 p.m. at Perham Field.

A dance will follow the football game at 11:45 p.m. in the DCHS cafeteria.

By Daniel Nolker

For the Ranger-Review

The Easton Axis arrow hissed through the air and thudded deep into the center ring of the square foam target. Mark Goyette held his PSE compound bow outstretched for a moment after releasing and studied the shot. Pleased with the result, he eased the bow back down and knocked another arrow onto his custom-made bowstring. 

Nearby, Jordan Viegut took his own practice shot with an ultra-traditional recurve bow and feather-fletched arrows. Without sights, he relied on instinct and hours of practice

“I can only shoot a quarter the distance Mark can, but this should still get the job done,” Viegut said.

Equipped with tools from the distant ends of the archery spectrum both men agreed that the close proximity required to harvest an animal makes bow hunting more challenging and exhilarating than any other outdoor pursuit. To add to the challenge, Goyette and Viegut have prepared for one of the most daunting deer hunts in the region and possibly anywhere. 

Restricted to archery hunting only, Makoshika State Park offers a unique challenge to deer hunters beyond what is already a difficult task. As Montana’s largest state park, Makoshika encompasses 11,538 acres. Much of the park beyond the switchbacks is open to archery hunting for deer and that area is where Goyette and Viegut both set their sights.

Bow hunting for mule deer in Makoshika is not a new pursuit. Surely the name itself – “bad earth” or “bad land” in Lakota – partly came from frustrated hunters watching their wary and elusive quarry bounding out of sight into a steep coulee. 

Originally from Great Falls and new principal of Washington Middle School, Goyette said he is returning to hunt at Makoshika after a hiatus since 1999. Hunting during his three years at Dawson Community College, he was captivated by the challenging and unique experience.  

“Some of the biggest deer I’ve ever seen were in Makoshika, but it can be a frustrating place to hunt for a lot of people. The terrain is rugged and there isn’t a lot of cover. The majority of the time, the deer see you before you see them,” Goyette said. 

Viegut, Dawson County Schools curriculum director and originally from Wisconsin, will be hunting Makoshika for the first time this year and he too was drawn to the rugged badlands of Makoshika because it presents unique challenges. 

“In Wisconsin, tree stand hunting is the primary method because you are never exposed like here. The deer definitely know this country better than we do, so as a hunter who is always trying to develop new skills, techniques and perspectives, Makoshika is like a test area for those things,” Viegut said. 

Also, since the deer see hikers all year, they are educated and know how far away they need to be to stay out of range, he added. 

Goyette said the best strategy to harvest deer in Makoshika is to intercept them as they are moving from bedding to feeding areas. By staying in cover and waiting for the deer to walk within range, hunters are less likely to be spotted before they can take the shot.

“I’ve always been a spot and stalk guy because I’m primarily an elk hunter. Sitting still for too long isn’t necessarily something I’m used to. But out here if the deer see you first, you are in trouble. They are smart where they bed, always having multiple escape routes. It seems like they can just vanish and you never see them again.”

Although there is always a chance of killing a giant out there, Goyette said his expectations for this season in Makoshika will be enjoying the outdoors during the best time of year. 

For Viegut, the proximity and majesty of the park make it a special place to hunt. 

“Having this in your backyard, that’s why it’s so special. You get to be outside and in the park. Makoshika outside of a hunting day is great, so everything beyond that is gravy,” Viegut said. “Put on a heavy flannel, grab your bow and step into the woods. Just take a walk.”

Two hurt in separate ATV collisions

(Editor’s note: This story is the corrected version of a story that was printed on the front page of the Sept. 15 Ranger-Review.)

By Anthony Varriano

Ranger-Review Staff Writer

Correction: Austin Meek, 10, was injured in an ATV accident four miles north of Glendive driving a Polaris Ranger side-by-side ATV on Saturday at about 6:30 p.m. The collision occurred on the Meek’s ranch, Austin’s stepmother Stephanie Meek said.

“It’s an unfortunate thing to occur, but it’s not uncommon for ranch kids to be driving those types of vehicles at a younger age,” she said.

Meek was treated at Glendive Medical Center before being airlifted to Billings and then to Salt Lake City, according to posthope.org/austinmeek, a website providing updates on Meek’s status and raising donations to cover his medical expenses.

GMC discovered Meek had a broken pelvis and flew him to Billings, but his blood pressure was not stable, indicating internal injuries. In Salt Lake City, exploratory surgery found Meek had severed small and large intestines. He was placed in a medically induced coma on Saturday night to allow swelling to go down.

Monday, Meeks’ blood pressure was stable, and he’s awaiting an MRI and CT scan, but his aunt, Sheyenne Roesler Doyle, said they don’t know when that will happen.

“They are worried that the hardware that they put into his pelvis will ruin his MRI scan,” she explained. “So we’re waiting.”

Doyle reported that Meek is coming out of his coma slowly, is staying awake for moments, and can squeeze his hands.

A benefit for Meek will be held Sunday, Sept. 25 at the Eastern Plains Events Center. Look for more information in an upcoming issue of the Ranger-Review.

A second ATV occurred Saturday evening. The individual injured during a police pursuit in Glendive’s South Side on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. remains unknown. 

Glendive Police Department Captain Jake Feist said Officer James Ellis was attempting to initiate a traffic stop of an ATV that passed a vehicle at the intersection of South Sargent Avenue and East Barry Street without stopping at the stop sign. A short pursuit ensued that ended when the ATV collided with individual at the corner of South Anderson Avenue and East Raymond Street.

David Rodas, who was identified as the driver of the ATV, was arrested and charged with felony criminal endangerment, felony fleeing or eluding, and operating a vehicle while privilege to do so is suspended or revoked, a misdemeanor. 

“There may be more charges pending,” Feist said.

Rodas recently appeared before Dawson County Seventh Judicial District Court Judge Richard Simonton for an arraignment. He was released after posting a $5,000 bond.

Reach Anthony Varriano at rrsports@rangerreview.com.

By Jason Stuart

Ranger-Review Staff Writer

A private plane was forced to make a rather unusual emergency landing in Glendive on Wednesday.

Larry Blakesley, of Belgrade, Mont., was en route from Aitkin, Minn., back to Belgrade. Blakesley said he was planning to land at the Dawson Community Airport to “get some fuel and carry on,” but during his descent the plane ran out of fuel and the engine sputtered out.

Blakesley made a mayday call to the airport after the engine quit, informing them he would have to make an emergency landing away from the airport. Air traffic controllers tried to direct him to land along Belle Prairie Road, but Blakesley said that proved impractical, so he touched down on Interstate 94.

“I wanted to try and land on the service road out here, but there were obstructions, so I put it down on the interstate,” he said.

Dawson County Undersherriff Katie Mills said the sheriff’s office got the emergency call at about 12:30 p.m., but at that point, Blakesley was already on his way down to land on the interstate, meaning there was no time for law enforcement or emergency responders to cordon off a place for him to land. Blakesley made the landing with traffic flowing freely on the interstate, and Mills said “he almost did” hit a vehicle during the landing.

“He got lucky,” Mills said.

During the landing, Blakesley did clip a power line. He also hit a highway sign with a wing while taxiing down the interstate. He ultimately taxied the plane off the interstate and into the Runnings parking lot.

Blakesley said he just miscalculated the amount of fuel he needed to get from Aitkin to Glendive. 

Mills was a little more critical.

“Basically, he didn’t plan his trip, and he tried to push it to Glendive and he didn’t make it,” she said.

Blakesley has not been charged with anything in the aftermath, though Mills said he can expect to be billed for the damage to the power line and the highway sign. The investigation of the incident has been turned over to the Federal Aviation Administration, though Mills will continue to work with the agency during the investigation.

The plane was taxied from Runnings all the way back to the airport, with law enforcement and emergency responders providing an escort to clear a way for the plane to make it down the roads.

Blakesley said just after the incident that he had never had to make an emergency landing before. However, even though his engine quit, he said he was never terribly worried or frightened and knew exactly what he needed to do to bring the plane down safely.

“You just got to deal with whatever the issue is in front of you,” Blakesley said.

Reach Jason Stuart at rrreporter@rangerreview.com.

By Jason Stuart

Ranger-Review Staff Writer

The City of Glendive looks ready to forge ahead with a proposal from the Montana Department of Transportation to reconfigure Merrill Avenue from a four-lane to a three-lane road.

The city Streets Committee made the recommendation on Wednesday that the full council vote to approve the proposal at their Sept. 20 meeting.

Committee chairman Councilman Gerald Reichert said that after reading through the MDT study on Merrill, he came to the conclusion that reconfiguring the street to three lanes “seemed to be the best alternative to me.” Reichert added that during a recent trip to Bismarck, N.D., he noticed one of the main thoroughfares in the city’s downtown had been changed from a four-lane to a three-lane street. Reichert said the very busy street appeared to move traffic just as effectively as it had in the past, adding “what struck me immediately was how open that street was.”

Glendive Chamber of Commerce executive director Christine Whitlatch voiced her support for changing Merrill’s layout, suggesting it would serve to benefit downtown businesses by providing a more open, inviting retail environment for shoppers.

“I think the three-lane, from a retail perspective, would be a plus,” Whitlatch said.

Dawson County Health Department nurse Jen Fladager, representing Building Active Glendive and the Dawson  County Healthy Communities Coalition, espoused her opinion that reconfiguring Merrill could lead to “greater utilization” of the Merrill corridor by pedestrians and cyclists, leading to a higher number of locals getting good exercise. From a public health perspective, Fladager said changing the street “would be a great boon to the community.”

Kevin Myhre, a former city manager and chief of police from Lewistown, offered his opinion to the committee as well, noting that the main road through Lewistown had once been four lanes but had been reduced to three and that the community as a whole has welcomed the change.

“We’ve always been very happy with it in Lewistown,” Myhre said. “It’s amazing how much traffic it really moves.”

Glendive Mayor Jerry Jimison agreed.

“I’ve read through it and I agree with MDT’s recommendations, and I believe this is the first step towards making downtown Glendive safer ... And I see no way, shape or form where it’s going to hinder traffic,” Jimison said.

Reichert raised the point of an informal poll recently run on a local social media page which was overwhelmingly against changing Merrill. However, committee members concluded that the poll was in no way scientific and that it is primarily a lack of education about what the reconfiguration would really do driving any opposition to it. 

No one spoke against the plan during Wednesday’s meeting.

Councilwoman Avis Anderson said the biggest hurdle the city will have to clear is educating the general public about the facts and benefits regarding changing Merrill from a four-lane to a three-lane road.

“I really think you’re going to have to do a good job educating people,” Anderson said. “I think you’re going to need ... to have some stuff to prepare people for this.”

If the full council approves the proposal this Tuesday night, Jimison said MDT will immediately get the project “into the hopper, which will make this happen in five years.” 

The city accepted a MDT proposal last year to reconfigure Towne Street to a three-lane road from the bridge to its intersection with Merrill, with an estimated start date of 2018 for that project.

Reach Jason Stuart at rrreporter@rangerreview.com.

By Jason Stuart

Ranger-Review Staff Writer

The City of Glendive appears prepared to let go of a Community Development Block Grant given to the city two years ago to help fund repairs to the now defunct Makoshika Estates senior living facility.

After discussing the matter at their meeting Wednesday, the city Finance, Utilities, Property and Recreation Committee recommended the city send back the $450,000 CDBG grant it was awarded by the state in 2014 for the Makoshika Estates project. The full city council will vote on the matter at the Sept. 20 meeting.

City Director of Operations Kevin Dorwart told the committee members that the Montana Department of Commerce recently sent a letter to the city asking that they make a decision about what they wanted to do with the grant award in the wake of Makoshika Estates closing for good earlier this year.

Dorwart said the city’s options at this point were essentially down to turning the award back to the state or finding another low-income housing project to use it on. Since the grant was a CDBG housing grant, it could only be used for another low-income housing project similar to Makoshika Estates.

However, Dorwart noted that neither of Makoshika Estates’ managing partners – Action for Eastern Montana and the Dawson County Economic Development Council – had any interest in trying to amend the grant award to use it on a different housing project, adding that “you can’t get much of a building for $450,000.”

“You could request to amend the award to do a different project with a different housing facility, but I don’t know who our partner would be,” Dorwart said.

When asked what the state’s opinion was, Dorwart added that turning the grant award back to the state was “probably what the Department of Commerce wants to see.”

Councilman Gerald Reichert asked if turning the award back could negatively impact the city’s ability to secure future CDBG grants, especially since the project it had been awarded for ended in failure.

Dorwart said it wouldn’t, noting that the city only acted as a pass through for the CDBG grant to the Makoshika Estates partners, since CDBG grants can only be awarded to municipal governments. Furthermore, he added that the city has not received any of the actual money yet and had nothing to do with Makoshika Estates’ failure.

“I would say no (the city will not be affected). There was no failure on the part of the city because the city did what we said we were going to do, which is being willing to help,” Dorwart said. “(The Department of Commerce) understands what happened. I think the city fulfilled what we said we would do.”

Reach Jason Stuart at rrreporter@rangerreview.com.

By Jason Stuart

Ranger-Review Staff Writer

Thursday marks the first official day of fall, and already around Eastern Montana, the leaves of cottonwoods and other deciduous trees are marking the transition of seasons. And while Montana may not jump to the forefront of discussion like New England or the Great Lakes region when it comes to where to go to see fall colors, that doesn’t mean that there’s not plenty of eye-pleasing fall beauty to take in, if you know where to look.

Brenda Maas, executive director of Visit Southeast Montana, said when looking for fall colors in Eastern Montana, the best bet is to “follow the water,” where cottonwoods and other deciduous trees grow in thick stands along river valleys and creek beds. With that in mind, Maas provided a list of five drives in Eastern Montana which provide some of the best locations for fall color enthusiasts to check out the colors of the season.

1. Highway 3 — Billings to Lavina. If you’re in Billings and are in no hurry to get back to Glendive, this is the first leg of a much longer route which will take you along two major river valleys, with plenty of chances to see fall colors along the way.

2. Highway 12 — Lavina to Miles City. The second leg of the journey begun above, this route follows the valley of the Musselshell River from Lavina to Melstone, which has healthy groves of cottonwoods growing along it. The highway then turns south towards Roundup, bringing the north side of the Yellowstone River valley into view.

3. Highway 47 — Custer to Hardin; then Highway 313 — Hardin to Fort Smith. This route follows the length of the Bighorn River from its confluence with the Yellowstone to the Yellowtail Dam. Maas listed this route as her personal favorite for taking in fall colors in Eastern Montana, noting the particular grandeur of the panoramic views of prairie, fall colors and mountains melding together.

4. Tongue River Road. Maas described this drive as a “more adventurous route,” since it will mean leaving paved roads for a considerable stretch of the journey. The Tongue River Road (Highway 332) connects with Highway 59 about 10 miles south of Miles City. A few miles beyond the intersection, the blacktop gives way to gravel for the rest of the way down to Ashland. The road follows the Tongue River the whole way, providing spectacular, solitary views of fall colors against a backdrop of redrock-capped rolling hills and buttes. Also be on the lookout for the horse and buggies of the small Amish community which lives along the road just north of Ashland. Once in Ashland, you can make a loop of the trip by following Highway 212 west to Highway 39. Take Highway 39 north back to I-94. More fall colors can be found along the rugged creek beds between Colstrip and the interstate.

5. “Cartersville Road” (Rosebud County Road 201) — Forsyth to Miles City. Another “adventurous” route, as it is mostly gravel road, this route hugs the north bank of the Yellowstone between Forsyth and Miles City.

While yellow may be the dominant fall color in Montana when it comes to leaf color, Maas said wherever you’re out driving or exploring this fall, keep in mind that the native prairie grasses put on their own fall display.

“Honestly, one thing that’s important to remember is that prairies in the fall have their own beauty. They have a red and orange tint to them,” Maas said.

She added that the best times of the day to see the changing colors of the prairie stand out are early in the morning and late in the evening, noting that with the right light and a clear, blue sky, the colors of the prairie grass can really come alive. Sprinkle in the colors from the changing leaves and Maas said while it may be a different character from what “leaf peepers” are seeing in New England, it is no less grand or beautiful.

“The reds and the oranges that you see, you might have to look a little bit closer, but the prairie plants that are out there, they have their own color, you just have to get out of your car and look,” she said.

Reach Jason Stuart at rrreporter@rangerreview.com.

By Jason Stuart

Ranger-Review Staff Writer

Investment in infrastructure will once again be the hottest issue when the Montana Legislature convenes this coming January, and supporters of Makoshika State Park are looking to get out in front of that issue by building a solid case for why funding for park improvements should be included as part of whatever infrastructure bill comes out of the next session.

Dawson County Economic Development executive director Cathy Kirkpatrick is heading up a committee which the DCEDC has put together to develop a “business plan” for bringing potable water to the Makoshika campground. Also on the committee are interim Makoshika manager Tom Shoush, Glendive Chamber of Commerce director Christine Whitlatch, Friends of Makoshika president Jim Swanson and Beth Epley, executive director of the Eastern Plains Economic Development Corporation.

Kirkpatrick said the idea behind the business plan is to have a thorough analysis of the potential economic benefits of having potable water in Makoshika. In doing so, the hope is that state legislators will begin to see not only the current economic value of the park, but the increased economic potential it could have if the state invested in it.

“It’s all about putting it together as a development project,” Kirkpatrick said. “So it’s not just about the water, it’s about what we could develop if we had the water. So what we want to focus on is the value to the community.”

The committee is working closely with Montana State Parks and the University of Montana’s Institute of Tourism to develop the business plan. 

Kirkpatrick said by using solid economic data, the picture of Makoshika’s immense economic value to not only Glendive, but the region and state as a whole, will begin to come into focus in a way lawmakers can easily understand.

“We’re showing the value (of Makoshika) to the community, and we’re showing the value to the region and to the entire state of Montana,” she said. “So we’re really trying to tell a good story about how investment in Makoshika is going to have value to the entire state.”

Kirkpatrick noted that a soon-to-be state legislator is actually the impetus behind the development of the Makoshika business plan. She said presumptive state senator-elect Steve Heimbauch is the one who requested the development of the business plan “to help him better understand what is needed and the value of putting money into the park.” 

Heimbauch said he made the request for two reasons. One, he said he needs to better understand the issue himself and know there was a real plan in place for the water line project, and second, he said if the project really has economic value to the state, he needs to have that in black and white to show his fellow legislators, especially given that the fight over infrastructure funding is apt to be contentious, he noted.

“I’m going to have to sell it to the rest of the Senate, so I need to know what I’m talking about,” Heimbauch said of his request for the business plan. “What we need to be able to do is be able to sell them on the idea, and that’s why I think we need to have our ducks in a row about how we’re going to do it and how it’s going to produce (economic value).”

For a sample of the kind of economic impact Makoshika already has for Glendive, Kirkpatrick pointed out some data provided to her by Shoush on overnight campers in Makoshika. 

So far this year, approximately 4,000 people have camped overnight in Makoshika, and it is estimated that, on average, overnight campers spend about $144 per person per day in the community, which would equate to over a half million dollars in direct economic impact. As solid of an economic impact as that is, State Parks officials have long bemoaned how many overnight campers Makoshika misses out on because they bypass it once they learn the campground has no potable water.

Parks officials are adamant that bringing water to the Makoshika campground and redeveloping it would greatly increase overnight camping in the park. That would benefit not only Glendive, but the surrounding area as well, Kirkpatrick said, and part of developing the business plan is to show that and get people and elected officials from outside of Dawson County to support investing in Makoshika as well.

“When we do this business plan, we want to make sure that all the counties around us understand the impact to them as well, so we’ll be reaching out to all the counties,” she said.

The committee will ultimately cast an even wider net than that. 

Kirkpatrick said once the business plan is complete, they will send it to the Montana Infrastructure Coalition “to be part of the bill they’ll be presenting.” She said they also plan to invite legislators from around the state to come to Makoshika for a meeting to go over the business plan sometime after the general election in November.

If all goes well, Kirkpatrick is hopeful that legislators and other stakeholders will begin to understand the untapped economic potential of Makoshika and how funding infrastructure improvements in it wouldn’t be spending state funding on something frivolous, but instead making an investment which could pay enormous economic dividends for the community and the state.

“I think Makoshika park has been overlooked as a huge piece of our economy,” she said. “Agriculture is still number one and probably always will be, but Makoshika could be the second most important part of our economy for Dawson County. The energy kind of ebbs and flows, but it would be constant.”

Reach Jason Stuart at rrreporter@rangerreview.com.

By Jason Stuart

Ranger-Review Staff Writer

Four lane roads within the City of Glendive will soon be, for the most part, a thing of the past.

The Glendive City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to approve a proposal by the Montana Department of Transportation to reconfigure Merrill Avenue from a four-lane street to a three-lane street.

The vote came quietly, with no further discussion by the council. No members of the public made any comment either for or against the proposal.

With the city’s acceptance of the proposal, both of Glendive’s major four-lane streets  are slated for reconfiguration from four lanes to three. The council already approved last year a proposal to reconfigure Towne Street to three lanes from the bridge to its intersection with Merrill.

The Towne Street project is currently slated for 2019 and will be tied in with the reconstruction of North Meade Avenue, according to MDT District 4 Administrator Shane Mintz. As for when the Merrill project can expect to get underway, Mintz said “there’s so many variables” that he can’t give a concrete estimate.

“I haven’t given (the city) an exact date, and I can’t,” he said.

Mintz added that his best guess is that the project will be done within five to seven years. He said the plan is to tie in the reconfiguration project to “some kind of pavement preservation project,” meaning the street will be getting a fresh pavement overlay as well when the project gets underway.

Once reconfigured, Merrill will have two thru traffic lanes and a center left-turn lane. The street will retain its width, so it will also allow space for bicycle lanes, pedestrian walkways, and more parking space along it. Crosswalks and intersections will also be updated to enhance safety, including a complete reworking of the intersection of Merrill and Douglas. 

Mintz pointed out that one of the most attractive features of going to that kind of configuration is the safety aspect, as it provides a safer thoroughfare for all who use it — motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.

“From a traffic standpoint, it’s safer, there’s no doubt about it,” he said.

Speaking to some of the grumbling against the proposal he has heard, Mintz said he thinks most of it stems from “a preference thing of what folks are used to.” He said the best suggestion he could give people to assuage their concerns about the proposal would be for them to request a copy of the traffic study MDT performed on Merrill from the city and read through it.

For instance, Mintz said one of the more common arguments made against going to the three-lane configuration — that the traffic volume would be more than it could handle and would slow traffic — is nowhere close to the reality, and the traffic study bears that out.

Mintz also noted that some people have made comparisons to the three-lane configurations which Miles City went to on Haynes Avenue or that Sidney went to with its Main Street. However, he noted that there are “some differences” between those streets and Merrill. Haynes Avenue in Miles City, for instance, averages about 5,000 more vehicles per day than Merrill, and Mintz said that’s still not enough to warrant a four-lane road. He added what can sometimes make traffic on that street seem slow is all the side streets entering from both sides of the road. That wouldn’t be the case with Merrill, he noted, since there are few streets entering it from the railroad tracks side.

The bottom line, Mintz said, is traffic should flow just fine on Merrill in a three-lane configuration, with enhanced safety for all street users.

“In terms of volume, I think Merrill could triple and still function very well as a three lane,” he said. “The volumes aren’t anywhere close to warranting a four lane.”

Reach Jason Stuart at rrreporter@rangerreview.com.

By Jason Stuart

Ranger-Review Staff Writer

Two people perished this week as a result of two separate single-vehicle crashes on Interstate 94. In both cases, the victims were not wearing their seat belt and were ejected from the vehicle.

On Thursday, Donald Haun, a 59-year-old man from Billings, was killed after the vehicle he was riding in crashed just outside of Glendive.

According to the Montana Highway Patrol dispatch center, the crash occurred at approximately 2:14 p.m. near mile marker 207. The vehicle, a Chevrolet Express van, was eastbound when the driver lost control and swerved into the roadside ditch. The driver overcorrected, sending the van careening across the eastbound lanes into the median. Once entering the median, the vehicle began to roll, at which point Haun, who was not wearing his seat belt, was ejected. The van finally came to rest upside down in the median.

The MHP stated that the driver of the vehicle, a 34-year-old man also from Billings, fell asleep at the wheel. Speed is also a suspected factor in the crash. However, the driver, whose name has not been released, was wearing his seat belt and suffered only minor injuries. He was transported to Glendive Medical Center for treatment.

Haun was also transported to GMC, but was pronounced dead on arrival. The accident remains under investigation.

Earlier this week, a woman died from injuries sustained in a single-vehicle accident just outside of Fallon in Prairie County on Friday, Sept. 16.

Alexandra “Lexi” Rudh, 27, of Grand Forks, N.D., died on Sunday at St. Vincent Healthcare in Billings from the injuries she sustained in the crash.

According to the MHP, Rudh, a native of Missoula, was travelling westbound on I-94 last Friday in a 2013 Cadillac SRX when she lost control. The vehicle drifted towards the median and she overcorrected to the right, crossing both lanes of traffic and going into the ditch. At that point, the vehicle struck a Montana Department of Transportation fence, then overturned several times, rolling right across Old Highway 10 before finally coming to rest in a ditch.

Rudh was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the vehicle. She was initially transported to Prairie Community Hospital before being moved to St. Vincent.

The accident remains under investigation, but the MHP strongly suspects texting while driving was a factor. According to witnesses, Rudh was observed passing them holding her cell phone above the wheel of her car. Speed is another suspected factor, as witnesses reported Rudh passing them going in excess of 85 mph.

Reach Jason Stuart at rrreporter@rangerreview.com.