Bitterroot Star - February 15, 2023

BEETLES: The story of the man behind Ravalli County’s bugs

profession of creating European mounts through the harnessed power of beetles. To understand this journey, one has to look back at a life lived for the love and preservation of the natural world. Haas started work with Montana State University (MSU) in the wildlife prep room, under the supervision of Philip Wright, while he was going to school for a wildlife biology degree. After that, he would go on a several year adventure that would change his life.

Haas joined the U.S. Peace Corps, and found his way to St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the late 80’s and early 90’s. The series of islands in the Caribbean would become a proving ground of adventure for the young biologist. During his time there he would act as a wildlife environmental specialist, natural resource developer and provide environmental education. He would go on to write a review on the environmental problems of 23 islands, 16 of which he was physically on. He would write many other works while down there, including a book on the St. Vincent parrot, which is an endangered species endemic only to the main island.

During his 26 months on the islands, Haas found and lost love, was ridiculed for being white among fercely religious and superstitious black slave descendant locals, stranded on desert islands for days, chased and swatted by little old local women with brooms made from mistletoe to drive dark spirits from him, the discoverer of scientifcally unrecognized species and much more.

Upon returning to the states, Haas found that the department from which he graduated had seen several break ins to the animal behavior laboratories. The situation had grown so bad that the beetle colony, established in 1980 by Wright, had been moved of campus. That colony was responsible for the numerous skeletal museum quality exhibits and presentations at the school. The beetles were used to clean the bones of dead animals to allow them to be studied with high levels of accuracy, and minimal warpage or shrinkage. Haas bought the colony after the program was going bankrupt, and started working in Missoula, carrying on the work for hunters. He eventually moved twice more, ending up in his present location in 2006.

Fortunately, Haas informs that he lost his sense of taste and smell some time ago. Haas says, “People tell me, ‘I guess you’re in the right line of work.’” His wife, however, hates the smell. “She makes me strip down before I go back inside the house,” said Haas.

Haas’s colony originated in Africa. However, they have now had a local Montana variety mixed into the gene pool, which are a hardier sort. His over 10 million beetles can clean a deer skull in just under two days if it is alone in a tray. Haas will do up to 60 skulls at a time. Most are completely fesh free after almost a week. In the wild, the beetles would have a life cycle of over 10 months. Haas explains that he doesn’t believe his beetles ever make it more than four. “They literally just burn out,” said Haas.

Trying to expand, Haas has been attempting to build a new building on his property for over 16 years. Under normal circumstances it may not have taken so long, but his beetles are a force to be reckoned with. They can, and will, devour more than just dead fesh. His two-centimeter-long beetles and larvae will eat through most traditional construction materials in short order. The only things he has found to be resistant are stainless steel,

concrete and fberglass. The relentless insects have a fondness for drywall and can fnd their way through most cracks and crevices. Their dung is also high in ammonia and can even corrode stainless steel. Trying to explain the sheer force of nature of these beetles has made fnding a contractor to stick with the project very difcult. On top of that, funding is limited and often has a short window. Aligning all these aspects has made expanding difcult.

Another issue threatening his business has been the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) among ungulate populations. The Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has threatened to shut him down several times. However, he has stayed on top of the very limited CWD research there is, to ensure none of his processes aid in the spread of the disease. He even used to make compost with his beetle dung, but now packages it and sends it to the local biohazard-level dump. His new building will have to take special precautions into consideration for this as well. A room to house these beetles would need to have good climate control as well, because they are very sensitive to the cold. Despite these hurdles, Haas expects to get a new building started this spring and plans to do much of the work himself.

Before even placing a skull into the beetle room, Haas has his customers, located in 43 states, do a lot of the

I have had many people say they were so happy they were able to preserve their son’s or daughter’s frst hunt, and that makes it all worthwhile. Unfortunately, we are losing more hunters than we are gaining. Mainly through the loss of access to public lands.” He went on to talk about numerous issues that are detrimental to the continuation of hunting culture. Haas does all he can to help keep

it alive and show respect to those who helped earn him that right. For wounded warriors, he will clean anything for $5. For any active or retired military, he will give 20% of.

Haas is the owner of Big Sky Beetle Works, located at 5189 Hwy 93S, Florence. He can be reached on his phone at (406) 777-3638, or by email at beetleman@montana.com.

preprocessing, including eye and brain removal as these are toxic to the beetles. This helps mitigate any CWD spread. After fnishing a skull through the beetles, Haas will degrease them and put them through a hydrogen peroxide bath to whiten them.

After facing beetle die backs, strange beetle drops in activity, funding concerns, trying to keep his prices low, problems in settling construction and much more, Haas still strives to keep his business going. “I told myself I would do it, and I will,” said Haas, who would love to see one of his sons take over the business one day. His dream is for it to really take of and fund the rest of his life, as well as pay for his kids’ school. “My parents did that for me and I would like to do it for my boys, too.”

When asked why he does what he does, dealing with the smell, the bugs and the rotting carcasses, Haas explained, “It’s all about preserving the memories of a young person’s frst hunt.

Yogi Bear is a 4 year old Siberian husky mix. He’s a gorgeous boy who is wellbehaved. He doesn’t get along with others pups. He loves to play in the snow! His ADOPTION FEES are PAID!!

Despite what most people would expect, the hungry beetle larva are actually the workhorses behind most of the fesh removal.

Thought they eat ferociously, the beetles and beetle larvae will only devour dead material. they hardily consume most building materials, and any dead and decaying matter, but can be held in the hand for long periods of time, according to Gary Haas.

New vaccine against Sudan Virus shows promise in animal trials

by Michael Howell

A National Institutes of Health research group with extensive experience studying ebolavirus countermeasures has successfully developed a vaccine against Sudan virus (SUDV) based on the licensed Ebola virus (EBOV) vaccine. SUDV, identified in 1976, is one of the four viruses known to cause human Ebolavirus disease. The new vaccine, VSV-SUDV, completely protected cynomolgus macaques against a lethal SUDV challenge. The findings were published in the journal The Lancet Microbe. [DOI: 10.1016/S26665247(23)00001-0 (2023)]

SUDV is distinct from and less common than EBOV, but similarly deadly. A recent four-month SUDV outbreak in Uganda that ended on Jan. 11, 2023, caused 142 confirmed cases and 55 deaths. No treatment or vaccine for SUDV disease is licensed, although candidates are in clinical and preclinical trials. One of these candidates is VSV-SUDV, developed and tested by scientists at NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in Hamilton.

Dr. Andrea Marzi, lead author of the study published in The Lancet Microbe, said that there were two aims to the latest study.

“One was to test if our Sudan Virus vaccine would protect from disease and lethality,” said Dr. Marzi. “The second was to investigate if a previous vaccination to the Ebolavirus Vaccine, which is different but is also an ebolavirus, would have any benefit or contrasting effect on vaccination and protection with our vaccine.” The reason for the second aim,” she said, “was Uganda, where there was an Ebola outbreak before and now there is a Sudan Virus outbreak. So, we want to know if we go in and vaccinate people with the Sudan vaccine or the Ebola Vaccine what the effect is on the infection.”

The live attenuated vector vaccine uses genetically engineered

vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), an animal virus that primarily affects cattle, to express a SUDV protein as a single-dose vaccine. The researchers developed VSV-SUDV using techniques that led to Ervebo, the VSV-EBOV vaccine that the European Medicines Agency and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved in 2019 as the first vaccine for the prevention of Ebola virus disease. In the current studies, the investigators replaced the key EBOV protein in Ervebo with the comparable protein from SUDV.

Next, the researchers tested the safety and efficacy of VSV-SUDV in macaques. The study involved 11 animals, each of which had previously received the EBOV vaccine and then rested for nine months.

Six macaques were vaccinated with VSV-SUDV and five control animals were vaccinated with VSV-MARV, a vaccine candidate in development for Marburg virus. After 28 days, during which no animals showed adverse effects from the vaccines, they were challenged with a lethal dose of SUDV. None of the animals vaccinated with VSV-SUDV showed any signs of disease, but four of the five control animals developed clinical signs of Sudan virus disease.

According to Dr.Marzi, the surviving control animal, which responded similarly to the vaccinated animals, surprised the scientists and might indicate some cross-protective immune responses in this animal. She said future studies should support or disprove this finding.

The fact that four control animals got sick demonstrates that pre-existing immunity to EBOV and VSV-EBOV has limited effect on protection from SUDV. But the main take-away from the study is that the Sudan Virus Vaccine prevents the disease in animals.

Dr. Marzi began working with Dr. Heinz Feldmann, the developer of the VSV used in the first Ebola Virus Vaccine, at Canada’s National

Microbiology Laboratory. She followed him to Montana when he relocated to Rocky Mountain Laboratory and was among the group of RML scientists that went to Liberia, Africa during the Ebola Virus outbreak there in 2015. She said that the first successful animal trials for the Ebola vaccine took place in 2005 but the vaccine was not licensed to be used until November of 2019.

“Licensing a vaccine for use is not a quick process,” said Dr. Marzi. “Disappointingly, the situation with vaccines and treatment options against Ebolaviruses in general has barely changed since the EBOV epidemic in west Africa more than eight years ago.”

Today six distinct species belonging to the genus Ebolavirus have been described, of which Zaire, Sudan, Bundibugyo, and Taï Foreste ebolaviruses are known causes of human hemorrhagic disease.

SUDV, the single virus member in the Sudan ebolavirus species, was co-discovered with EBOV in 1976 during an outbreak of viral hemorrhagic disease. It re-emerged in South Sudan in 1979 and 2004, causing smaller Sudan virus disease outbreaks. In 2000–01, SUDV emerged in Gulu, Uganda, causing the largest Sudan virus disease outbreak on record, with 425 cases and a case fatality rate of 53%. This emergence was followed by smaller outbreaks in Uganda in 2011, 2012, and 2012–13.

“The recent Sudan virus (SUDV) outbreak in Uganda,” said Dr. Marzi, “highlights the need for rapid response capabilities, including development of vaccines against emerging viruses with high public health impact. We aimed to develop a Sudan virus-specific vaccine suitable for emergency use during outbreaks.”

According to Dr. Marzi, even emergency use must get authorization from the Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organization as well as the approval of authorities in the country in which the vaccine might be used.

Hamilton Players receive totem pole

by Nathan Boddy

Theater fans will be a few steps closer to comedy and tragedy when they attend a show at the Hamilton Players. The community theater’s playhouse, located at 100 Ricketts Road, received a donation by local artists, George and Vonnie Gulli last Tuesday, February 7th, the design of which couldn’t have been more appropriate for the setting.

George Gulli, who is a

second generation totem pole carver, has maintained his family’s business in Victor, Montana for over twenty years. He and Vonnie’s involvement with the Hamilton Players goes back nearly as long.

“We just loved acting, and they (the Players) were good to us,” said George Gulli, explaining that an ongoing conversation between he and Hamilton Players Executive Director, Denise Rose had

toyed with the idea that he might be able to craft something for the playhouse. After giving it some thought, and considering the striking appearance of the iconic comedy and tragedy masks, the Gullis’ settled on a totem which would carry that image.

Several dozen folks turned out for the unveiling of the totem pole, which George Gulli says he carved out of tamarack, a wood he fnds to be ftting for the playhouse since it tends to exhibit, “a lot of character.”

Denise Rose was was very pleased with the new installation, saying that she sees it as an appropriate merging of the theater arts and western culture.

“It’s made with love and skill from a local artisan,”

COVER: $75 per ticket. 10 and under are free, 11 to 17 only $10

Inquire in the church ofce for details, and to buy tickets.

INCLUDES: Cajun dinner (Gumbo, Jambalaya, Étoufée over steamed rice), charcuterie, dessert, wine, beer, non-alcoholic beverages, photo-booth, DJ, dancing, babysitting and door prizes!

RAFFLE TICKETS AVAILABLE TO WIN: A family weekend getaway in Missoula (hotel & dinner) and more! Rafe tickets are $5 for one or 6 for $25

CONTACT: St. Francis of Assisi parish at 406-363-1385 or mail@stfrancishamilton.org or visit our website at www.stfrancishamilton.org

she said. “It’s nothing that we could have ever aforded, but they made it and donated it and I’m totally in love with it.”

With several years of pandemic related slowdowns now behind them, the Hamilton Players will get many opportunities for people to admire their new totem pole while coming into the theater for a show.

The 2023 season will include three major shows, beginning with Little Shop of Horrors which runs for the next three weekends (February 17-19, 24-26 and March 3-6). Additionally, the Player’s will be hosting a variety of Reader’s Theater programs, as well as youth after school and summer programs. For more information of tickets, auditions and times, visit their website at: https://hamiltonplayers.com.

This image shows Ebola virus isolated in November 2014 from patient blood samples obtained in Mali. The virus was isolated on Vero cells. Credit: NIAID

George and Vonnie Gulli stand in front of the comedy and tragedy totem pole that they’ve created and donated to the Hamilton Players. Photo by Nathan Boddy

BEETLES: The story of the man behind Ravalli County’s bugs

profession of creating European mounts through the harnessed power of beetles. To understand this journey, one has to look back at a life lived for the love and preservation of the natural world. Haas started work with Montana State University (MSU) in the wildlife prep room, under the supervision of Philip Wright, while he was going to school for a wildlife biology degree. After that, he would go on a several year adventure that would change his life.

Haas joined the U.S. Peace Corps, and found his way to St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the late 80’s and early 90’s. The series of islands in the Caribbean would become a proving ground of adventure for the young biologist. During his time there he would act as a wildlife environmental specialist, natural resource developer and provide environmental education. He would go on to write a review on the environmental problems of 23 islands, 16 of which he was physically on. He would write many other works while down there, including a book on the St. Vincent parrot, which is an endangered species endemic only to the main island.

During his 26 months on the islands, Haas found and lost love, was ridiculed for being white among fercely religious and superstitious black slave descendant locals, stranded on desert islands for days, chased and swatted by little old local women with brooms made from mistletoe to drive dark spirits from him, the discoverer of scientifcally unrecognized species and much more.

Upon returning to the states, Haas found that the department from which he graduated had seen several break ins to the animal behavior laboratories. The situation had grown so bad that the beetle colony, established in 1980 by Wright, had been moved of campus. That colony was responsible for the numerous skeletal museum quality exhibits and presentations at the school. The beetles were used to clean the bones of dead animals to allow them to be studied with high levels of accuracy, and minimal warpage or shrinkage. Haas bought the colony after the program was going bankrupt, and started working in Missoula, carrying on the work for hunters. He eventually moved twice more, ending up in his present location in 2006.

Fortunately, Haas informs that he lost his sense of taste and smell some time ago. Haas says, “People tell me, ‘I guess you’re in the right line of work.’” His wife, however, hates the smell. “She makes me strip down before I go back inside the house,” said Haas.

Haas’s colony originated in Africa. However, they have now had a local Montana variety mixed into the gene pool, which are a hardier sort. His over 10 million beetles can clean a deer skull in just under two days if it is alone in a tray. Haas will do up to 60 skulls at a time. Most are completely fesh free after almost a week. In the wild, the beetles would have a life cycle of over 10 months. Haas explains that he doesn’t believe his beetles ever make it more than four. “They literally just burn out,” said Haas.

Trying to expand, Haas has been attempting to build a new building on his property for over 16 years. Under normal circumstances it may not have taken so long, but his beetles are a force to be reckoned with. They can, and will, devour more than just dead fesh. His two-centimeter-long beetles and larvae will eat through most traditional construction materials in short order. The only things he has found to be resistant are stainless steel,

concrete and fberglass. The relentless insects have a fondness for drywall and can fnd their way through most cracks and crevices. Their dung is also high in ammonia and can even corrode stainless steel. Trying to explain the sheer force of nature of these beetles has made fnding a contractor to stick with the project very difcult. On top of that, funding is limited and often has a short window. Aligning all these aspects has made expanding difcult.

Another issue threatening his business has been the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) among ungulate populations. The Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has threatened to shut him down several times. However, he has stayed on top of the very limited CWD research there is, to ensure none of his processes aid in the spread of the disease. He even used to make compost with his beetle dung, but now packages it and sends it to the local biohazard-level dump. His new building will have to take special precautions into consideration for this as well. A room to house these beetles would need to have good climate control as well, because they are very sensitive to the cold. Despite these hurdles, Haas expects to get a new building started this spring and plans to do much of the work himself.

Before even placing a skull into the beetle room, Haas has his customers, located in 43 states, do a lot of the

I have had many people say they were so happy they were able to preserve their son’s or daughter’s frst hunt, and that makes it all worthwhile. Unfortunately, we are losing more hunters than we are gaining. Mainly through the loss of access to public lands.” He went on to talk about numerous issues that are detrimental to the continuation of hunting culture. Haas does all he can to help keep

it alive and show respect to those who helped earn him that right. For wounded warriors, he will clean anything for $5. For any active or retired military, he will give 20% of.

Haas is the owner of Big Sky Beetle Works, located at 5189 Hwy 93S, Florence. He can be reached on his phone at (406) 777-3638, or by email at beetleman@montana.com.

preprocessing, including eye and brain removal as these are toxic to the beetles. This helps mitigate any CWD spread. After fnishing a skull through the beetles, Haas will degrease them and put them through a hydrogen peroxide bath to whiten them.

After facing beetle die backs, strange beetle drops in activity, funding concerns, trying to keep his prices low, problems in settling construction and much more, Haas still strives to keep his business going. “I told myself I would do it, and I will,” said Haas, who would love to see one of his sons take over the business one day. His dream is for it to really take of and fund the rest of his life, as well as pay for his kids’ school. “My parents did that for me and I would like to do it for my boys, too.”

When asked why he does what he does, dealing with the smell, the bugs and the rotting carcasses, Haas explained, “It’s all about preserving the memories of a young person’s frst hunt.

Yogi Bear is a 4 year old Siberian husky mix. He’s a gorgeous boy who is wellbehaved. He doesn’t get along with others pups. He loves to play in the snow! His ADOPTION FEES are PAID!!

Despite what most people would expect, the hungry beetle larva are actually the workhorses behind most of the fesh removal.

Thought they eat ferociously, the beetles and beetle larvae will only devour dead material. they hardily consume most building materials, and any dead and decaying matter, but can be held in the hand for long periods of time, according to Gary Haas.

New Wine Bar opens within Jessi’s Wine and Goods

by Nathan Boddy

Jessi Trauth’s passion for building connections between people and new experiences has taken another step forward. A couple of months ago, she opened a Wine Bar inside her already successful establishment, Jessi’s Wine and Goods, located at 100 Skeels Street in Hamilton. The undertaking means that patrons now have the opportunity to taste and enjoy wines on site from some of the best small producers that Jessi has chosen to showcase in her shop. Along with that opportunity comes a chance to allow Jessi and her team to share insights about everything from proper pairings to the production of the wine itself. That sharing of information is something that she says can be very helpful to expand someone’s horizons when it comes to their palette.

“The mission here is to expose people to new exciting things they may not be able to fnd elsewhere,” she says.

Trauth says that she hopes her establishment becomes a place where, “people can continue to explore and expand their palette, while engaging with some of the greatest wines of the world from small artisan producers.” She explains that the licensure which allows her to operate the Wine Bar creates a greater connectivity between retail and enjoyment of the product. Although any of the wines she sells can be enjoyed on-site with a corkage fee, there is also a rotating selection of wines by-the-glass

available.

“There’s always something new,” she says, adding that the Wine Bar also offers local and international beers on tap, as well as a simple menu of charcuterie, cheeses, and fresh breads to balance the experience.

Trauth opened the shop in 2020 with plans to focus on small production wines that are culturally rooted and crafted with great care. Equally important in her selection of products is a proven track record of environmental stewardship and ethical principles. She mentions the importance of working with those wineries which pay attention to soil health, water consumption, thoughtful application of fertilizers and even healthy land management. Trauth says that she fnds it liberating to be able to choose her own suppliers and build relationships with them.

“This is an agricultural product,” she says, adding that the wine produced can become an artistic expression of its place of origin. “It lends to a much more dynamic and interesting product, but also something that feels a lot better to drink.”

“There is a level of artistry and craftsmanship in these wines that you just don’t see everywhere,” she says.

“There’s magic in these bottles.”

The successful acquisition of a city ‘On Premise Beer and Wine’ license may have legally allowed her to open the Wine Bar, but it has been her eforts to create the environment that will lead the establishment to success.

“It’s essentially a whole diferent business,” says Trauth, pointing to the physical changes within the building as well as the outdoor seating (which expands in the warmer months), live music, tasting events and upcoming wine classes. Ultimately, however, the goal continues to be connecting people to a product that they’ll love and facilitating meaningful experiences.

Trauth says that, “A lot of people are confused about wine. It can be thought of as something just for the elite.” This is a notion that she aims to dispel, saying, “Wine is for the people. It is to be drank and shared with people that you love, to build community and to build connections. It should be made approach-

able for everyone.”

For that reason, she tries to make sure that she has something for every budget and taste available. She also ofers a wine club, the Jessi’s Wine Explorer’s Club, a monthly membership which ofers members a chance to explore wines from around the world with detailed information about each

selection.

You can learn more about Jessi’s Wine and Goods by visiting, https:// www.jessiswineandgoods.com, or for an even closer look, stop by this Thursday, February 16th between 5:30 and 7 to enjoy live jazz played by Jessi’s band, Cork & Spark, as they return to the stage after a 2 1/2 year hiatus.

Jessi Trauth, owner of Jessi’s Wine and Goods, enjoying her position at the new Wine Bar. Photo by Nathan Boddy.

Ensuring security

Ensuring the security of our election system is something upon which all Montanans should agree. This is so for two reasons. First, it is imperative that election results accurately refect the will of the people. And of equal importance is that if citizens perceive that the integrity of elections has been compromised, they may lose faith in a foundational institution of our constitutional republic. Montanans can be justifably proud of our election system. But we should never rest upon our laurels. That is why I have put a priority on writing legislation that further strengthens our already sound election process.

Strengthening integrity

and thus in confict with Article VI’s Supremacy Clause. And second, the Kansas law was also found to violate the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause because it was deemed to impose an undue burden on those seeking to register. Based on this and other court decisions, it is an unhappy fact that no state presently checks the citizenship status of those registering to vote. Consequently, some unknown number of noncitizens are today on voter rolls across our country.

by David Bedey

So far, I have been able to pass two bills through the House— with bipartisan support—HB 172 and HB 173. The frst expands the scope of the post-election audit process by which hand counts of paper ballots are conducted to confrm the accuracy of vote-counting machines and to detect evidence of potential tampering with the machines. The second provides for testing vote-counting machines to ensure they do not contain devices that would allow them to be accessed remotely.

A third bill has proven more controversial. Although voting is a right reserved to citizens, no state in the Union checks citizenship status as a condition for registering to vote. HB 402 provides a means for Montana election ofcials to verify that those who have registered are indeed U.S. citizens. The bill’s opponents include the ACLU, the League of Women Voters of Montana, and leaders of Ravalli County’s John Birch Society. If you would like to hear the debate on the bill that occurred before the House State Administration Committee at 9:00 a.m. on February 10, 2023, you can fnd a recording at the Legislature’s website. I will fnish this week’s report from Helena with the argument I presented at the hearing.

Federal law and attendant case law have efectively prevented states from requiring proof of citizenship as a prerequisite for registering to vote. For example, in 2018 the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in Fish v. Schwab that a Kansas law requiring “documentary proof of citizenship” as a condition for voter registration was unconstitutional for two reasons. First, the court determined that the law was at odds with the National Voter Registration Act

HB 402 provides for effective verifcation of U.S. citizenship that should withstand challenge in federal court. The bill allows a person to register and to vote while the process of citizenship verifcation is ongoing. And verifcation is to be at the expense of the state so that no undue hardship is placed upon registrants. Those found to be noncitizens would be immediately removed from the voter rolls and could face prosecution in federal court under the provisions of 18 U.S.C. §1015 and imprisoned up to fve years, as well as face prosecution in state court for violation of Montana law. Until Congress amends the National Voter Registration Act, this is the best we can do. The alternative to HB 402 is continuance of virtually nonexistent citizenship verifcation.

HB 402 concerns citizenship as it relates to voting. But there is a deeper issue at play. Citizenship holds a diverse society together. It connotes mutual commitment to a shared set of fundamental values that form the bedrock of our political system. Sadly, in recent years the idea of citizenship has been devalued, a cause of the hyper-partisanship that infects today’s politics. HB 402 may help restore a tie that binds.

Elections and election integrity have been a hot topic across the country for several years now.

The same is true in Montana, which is a main reason why we’ve been so active in the Legislature on this topic. We’ve heard several bills already that are designed, not only to strengthen our elections, but to restore faith in our processes among those who may have become disillusioned.

All the bills that we are hearing, though different, work together for the purpose of ensuring our elections are not tampered with. One of those bills is Senate Bill 197, proposed by Senator Mike Cuffe from Eureka. SB 197 would double the current number of precincts and elections that receive an audit after the election. This is to make sure that our elections remain free and fair.

A third bill deals with how our elections are funded. Senate Bill 117 sponsored by Sen. Shelley Vance, R-Belgrade, would prohibit state and local governments from using outside money to conduct elections. Instead, it requires that all election administration costs be paid for with public funds. SB 117 also establishes a felony penalty for violations of its provisions, keeping the official state administration of elections free of outside influence.

by Jason Ellsworth

The current law says only counties that use vote counting machines are subject to post-election audits, leaving those counties that don’t use a vote counting machine to be exempted from the audits. Senate Bill 254 by Sen. Ken Bogner, R-Miles City, removes that exemption. SB 254 also directs the Secretary of State to implement rules governing audits of counties that don’t use vote-counting machines. Again, this is a step to help monitor our elections and ensure that there has been no interference.

I would also like to take a moment to thank Regina Plettenberg, the Clerk and Recorder for Ravalli County. She has been extremely helpful during this session, making several trips to Helena to give legislators a first-hand perspective of her job and experiences. We appreciate everything she has done, for making such a commitment and offering so much of her time to help with election integrity.

Election integrity is a top priority for many Republicans in the Legislature. As the President of the Montana Senate, I’m glad to see several reasonable proposals to strengthen our elections processes moving forward. By the end of the legislative session, I’m confident Montana’s elections will be even more secure heading into the future.

Jason Ellsworth represents Senate District 43 in the Bitterroot Valley and is the President of the Montana

David Bedey represents House District 86 in the Bitterroot Valley.

Valley wrestlers shine at state tourney

The spectacle that is the Montana All Class wrestling tournament took place in Billings on February 10th & 11th and several Bitterroot Valley wrestlers competed.

Two valley athletes made it to the State Championship match. Jesse Anson of Hamilton wrestled in the championship match at 132 and got 2nd place. Kiera Davis of Corvallis wrestled in the girls championship match at 100 and got runner-up. Several other valley wrestlers placed.

For Hamilton, Derrick Saltzman fnished 3rd at 205, Andrew Frederick fnished

5th at 170, and Clayton Beall fnished 6th at 182. For Florence, Adyn Meinzen fnished 4th at 152, Arie McLaughlin placed 5th at 285, Hailey Sutton placed 5th at girls 152. And for Corvallis, Bryce Weidow fnished 5th at 205.

In the Class A team standings, Hamilton fnished in 9th, Corvallis fnished 17th, and Stevensville fnished 21st. In the Class B/C team standings, Florence fnished in 16th. In the girls’ All Class standings, Corvallis fnished 13th and Florence girls fnished in 33rd.

Hamilton’s Derrick Saltzman placed 3rd and Corvallis’s Bryce Weidow placed 5th at 205 for Class A at the Montana State wrestling tournament. Photo by Brian Davis.

Corvallis’s Kiera Davis, shown here getting the pin, was the girl’s All Class State runner up at 100.

Photo by Brian Davis.

Hamilton’s Jesse Anson was the Class A State Runner up at 132. Photo by Brian Davis.

Florence’s Adyn Meinzen, shown here getting the pin, fnished 4th in Class B at 152. Photo by Deawn Meinzen.

Hamilton School District

The events and scheduled meetings of the Hamilton School Board, and its committees, are as follows:

Governance Committee Meeting

Wednesday – February 15, 12:00 p.m. –District Ofce Conference Room

The Committee will be conducting this meeting with live participation.

Regular Board Meeting

Tuesday – February 21, 6:30 p.m. –Washington Elementary – Room 4

The Board will be conducting this meeting with live participation. In addition to meeting in person, the District will broadcast the meeting LIVE on the HSD#3 Facebook page. You are encouraged to join the meeting at:https://www.facebook.com/HamiltonSchoolDistrict3

Pachyderm Club

The Bitterroot North Valley Pachyderm Club will meet Friday, February 17 at 12 noon at The Frontier Cafe, Hwy 93 in Stevensville. Guest speaker will be Joe Banda who will talk about immigration and the southern border crisis. The North Valley Pachyderm Club is an educational arm of the Republican Party. All are welcome.

Rotary Club

On Monday, February 20, Rotary speaker will be Cassy Loseke from Controlled Chaos Consulting. Rotary is an international service organization of over one million members that focuses its service and fnancial support on public health. Rotary meets Mondays at noon at BJs restaurant. Guests and prospective members are welcome.

Audubon

program

Bitterroot Audubon Program: Studying

Montana’s Owl Species

If you love owls, Bitterroot Audubon’s February 20th program is for you! Beth Mendelsohn, feld researcher for the Owl Research Institute (ORI) will present an overview and recent fndings from the Institute’s studies on Long-eared Owls, Short-eared Owls, Northern Pygmy-Owls, Boreal Owls, and Great Gray Owls, all species that occur in the Bitterroot Valley. Beth has been studying owls and other raptors in the west for nearly 10 years and has been a feld researcher at ORI since 2019. ORI is headquartered in the Mission Valley, and has been studying these and other owl species for over 35 years in Montana, Alaska and other areas. This is a great opportunity to learn about some of these less familiar owl species from an ex-

pert! Beth’s program is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Monday, February 20th via Zoom. You must register in advance for this meeting at: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ tZIqceGtqD4pG9LNPjrLA41HCUGEpxbd4NVq

After registering, you will receive a confrmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Please register before 6:00 PM the night of the program.

Bitterroot Quilters Guild

Bitterroot Quilters Guild will meet on Wednesday, February 22 at Daly Leach Community Room, 1010 W Main, Hamilton. Doors open at 6 pm for socializing and shopping; the meeting will come to order at 6:30. Carpooling is recommended; please reach out to a board member if you prefer not to drive. There will be a Fat Quarter Drawing, 50/50 Pot, bargain sales at the Ugli Bin as well as member show and tell. The program will be a Brown Bag Exchange; attendees should bring a ‘recycled’ gift from their sewing studio in a plain brown bag: orphan blocks, charm pack, pattern, unfnished object, etc. to exchange. Membership in the Guild is open to quilters from beginner through advanced. Annual dues are $20. To keep abreast of activities, visit the Bitterroot Quilters Guild on Facebook.

Driver safety course

Your Bitterroot Health (formerly Marcus Daly Hospital), located at 1200 Westwood Drive, Hamilton, will host an ALL NEW 2023 AARP Driver Safety Course on Friday, February 24 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. While this new safe driving course is designed for drivers age 50 and over, all drivers are welcome. The new program features laws and up-dates specifc to Montana, Defensive Driving, Winter Driving, new Vehicle Technologies to name a few. Class size is limited; pre-registration is advised. There are no driving tests or written exams and Montana mandates insurance discounts for qualifed drivers. Certifcates are good for 3 years!

Class fee: $20.00, AARP members; $25.00, for non-members. For class sign up, call Jones Korman Insurance a 406-363-6583. For further information, call Thom Ainsworth, Instructor, at 369-0149.

Stevensville School Board

The Stevensville School Board of Trustees will hold a special board work session Tuesday, February 28, at 7:00 p.m. in the Stevensville Music Center Choir Room.

Stevensville Garden Club

On Wednesday, March 1, at 1 pm the Stevensville Garden Club will meet at the Kootenai Creek Clubhouse, 43 Clubhouse

Way. Local author and Master Gardener Molly Hackett’s program is titled “It’s Time To Start This Year’s Garden!” She will discuss starting vegetables and fowers from seed, when to plant diferent kinds of seeds, how to solve the problems of planting indoors. Bring your gardening questions. Also join us for “Design of the Month” for those who would like to learn simple fower arranging tips.

Emergency Preparedness classes

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is hosting free monthly Emergency Preparedness classes. They are held at 7pm at the Church building located in Hamilton at 401 N. 8th Street. Upcoming topics of discussion include: March 9: “Cooking that Wheat—Recipes and samples of great tasting food that maybe you hadn’t considered; April 13: “Alternative Cooking Methods (Apple Box & Wonder Cookers) and Fire starters (assembling them). You can attend any or all classes. Classes typically run 60-90 minutes. Call 513-312-5494 with questions.

Introduction to Defensive Handguns for Women

March 18 & April 8 2023

This 2 day course is for women with little or no experience with handguns, who may be frightened of handguns or who are considering acquiring a handgun. The frst day course is designed to assist you in choosing the right handgun –for you. It will also introduce you to the facilities of the Whittecar Range.There will be discussions on handgun safety, basic operation of revolvers, semi-automatic handguns, and the cartridges used in each type of handgun. The legal aspects of the use of force will be presented and discussed. Handguns will be provided so that you may handle the diferent types and models. Ammunition will also be provided for a live fre session on the range. A self defense book, specifcally for women, will also be provided. The second day course will teach basic defensive shooting using the students own equipment. Safe gun handling will be taught and stressed. Various types of ammunition and the performance of each

type will be discussed.The class will be held at the Whittecar Range on Blodgett View Road and is limited to 10 participants. For an application or further information call Lee at 642-3590 or Jim at 360-8392.Successful completion of this two day course meets the education requirements for application to the state for a concealed carry permit.

Square dance classes

Intro to Modern Square Dance, hosted by the Solo Stars, will take place on March 10, 24, and 31 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Lolo Community Center, 12345 Hwy 93. Come join the Solo Stars for evenings of fun and laughter while learning this great aerobic activity set to music. Perfect time to connect and socialize. Attendance limited to frst 36 participants. Ages 12 and up - all are welcome. Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Cost $7.00 per person. For more information, or to register, call or text (208) 503-0551 or (208) 553-2727.

Tax-Aide program

The AARP Foundation Tax-Aide Program will be ofering free tax return services to all ages in Stevensville this year. To schedule an appointment call the Senior Center (406)7775681 between 10 a.m. and noon on Monday, Wednesday or Friday only.

Prepping for Eternity

Dear Friend,

We must BE READY for the Lord’s soon return –By belief - professing Jesus the Most High Priest who baptizes with the Holy Ghost. – Also (look up) Mark 1:8, Hebrews 4:14

Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. Matthew 24:44 And to BELIEVE in the gospel according to 1 Corinthians 15: 1,2,3,4 (look up). KJV. – Also (look up) Ephesians 1:13, Romans 4:24, 25

Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? 1 John 5:5

Friend, call on the name of Jesus Christ foday and BE SAVED

Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. Isaiah 45:22

So then Trust in the Lord and BE HAPPY. Happy is that People, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD. Psalms 144:15 Also – in your daily walk ask ...

What would Jesus do?

Paid for by Vickie Morrison, PO Box 1783, Thompson Falls,

Counting down the days… and the hatches

Spring seems to slip in, falls back, issues promises it doesn’t keep until later, teases, tantalizes, tries our patience, and finally arrives here in Western Montana. A few days break through the cold and are pleasantly cool, warm almost, while the banks of the river are still spattered with ice and snow.

Spring isn’t here yet – but it seems to be getting closer.

Every year the cabin fever ramps up about this time: fly fishers who felt housebound through the winter begin making their curious early forays to the river, looking, hoping, for some signs of insect activity that will trigger the trout.

by Chuck Stranahan

Some, a brave few, have fished throughout the winter. They have a day-to-day contact and sense of intimacy with the changes they’ve seen and felt; there are a few birds, little ground animals, and on the river, if they look closely enough, already some small – very small – aquatic insects are beginning to hatch.

Some years the river seems caught in a brutal cold that suddenly shifts to an all-out warmth that seems to bring the spring’s hatches off all at once. Other years it’s more gradual.

Even in the years that change most abruptly there is a progression.

The start of the spring hatch progression

What we’ve seen so far is a couple of small, real small, black flies.

I remember meeting a young guide at a landing several years ago. We were both checking things out, giving the dogs a place to run off some of their stored-up energy. The introductions were friendly, pleasant, and welcome.

We walked up the bank a ways and stopped at a patch of snow shaded by the overhanging brush. I bent over to look at it closely. He joined me. We saw some little black lines on the snow; slender and less than a quarter inch long. They could have been specks of ash from nearby wood stove in the houses along the river.

We watched, and eventually saw some of them move.

“Capnea,” I said. They call them snowflies in Colorado.

The capnea are easy to mistake for the small black winter midges that hatch about the same time. The trout aren’t concerned with the differences, except that if you’re seeing them feed on a flurry of one bug and fishing something else, they can get annoyingly picky. A midge is on the water is surrounded, if you will, by a batch of extended halos where its legs hit the water. The pattern of light might be the size of a dime, with that little black bug in the middle.

Not so with these little black stoneflies. They look like slender little sticks on the water, and not much else.

The trick is, the trout have to be on them. You have to see some eager rises. Otherwise you may be matching the hatch perfectly above fish that don’t really care. If they’re not eating the naturals, who would they touch your fly?

To untangle what they may be eating when they eat (and sometimes they don’t) let’s go to a checklist. Each bug begins to hatch when the water reaches the temperature that triggers their built-in life cycle to morph into adults. As the water temperatures fluctuate with the weather, the hatch cycles overlap. Once started, they’ll go on for weeks.

The checklist

We’ve seen the start of the spring stoneflies in the little black capnea. They’ll be around in sizes #18 through #22 in several spe -

cies until runoff. Some bugs in the capnea family are grayish and a full #14. The trout (and most anglers) can’t tell them from the later families of stoneflies that we often mistakenly call nemoura that are about that same color and size. They’ll come next.

So will some little brown stones – smaller and about the same color as the #8 and #10 skwala that occurs when the water is just warm enough to bring the trout – and a hoard of anglersout of their winter lethargy.

Until there is surface activity, better to fish with nymphs that somehow represent the flies the fish will be eating later on. There will be more small free-drifting emergers of all species than big stonefly nymphs. They can be fished singly, or tied off the back of a #8 dark stonefly nymph.

That’s where the action is, for now, unless you actually see trout taking those little black bugs on the surface.

GROW WITH US!

GROW WITH US!

Local Bounti is one of the fastest growing indoor farming companies in the U.S. We are looking for local Montana talent like you to help grow our delicious leafy greens for your family & community.

Local Bounti is one of the fastest growing indoor farming companies in the U.S. We are looking for local Montana talent like you to help grow our delicious leafy greens for your family & community.

COME SEE WHAT THE EXCITEMENT IS ABOUT!

COME SEE WHAT THE EXCITEMENT IS ABOUT!

*(Includes gas stipend if you live 25 or more miles from the facility)

*(Includes gas stipend if you live 25 or more miles from the facility)

Little emergers like this one in #18 will get you more fsh than small dries

COMPLETE ESTATE

SALE–Everything plus the House! 1109 Heritage, Kootenai Village, Stevi (across from Super 1) 2/16 - 9 to 4 (prices frm), 2/17 - 9 to 3, 2/18 - 9 to 2 (½ price or ofers) MEN= Liberty gun safe, 10’ table saw, Cobra drain cleaner, rolling tool chest, tons of tools, storage shelves, propane bottle & heater, western clothing - hats - boots, & nice saddle!

WOMEN= nice glassware, kitchen everything, sm. western clothing! ALL= furniture, records, CD’s, movies, books, TV, dresser, couches, recliners, bed frame, patio furniture, sm. appliances! FUN= unusual collectables from the 1930’s & treasures to be found. You will fnd great “buy it now” or “bid” items, too. Remember to come on time and stay late! NO

EARLIES - CASH

RAW GOAT MILK

RESERVATIONS! Kidding season is just around the corner call me to get on my reservation list for 2023. Raw goat milk, goat cheese chevre & feta. Testing done. Located in Stevensville, 406-8805477.

CAUCASIAN MOUN-

TAIN SHEPHERD DOG PUPPIES. Purebred. Born 11/03. Three males and one female. Call or Text (406)210-4807

APT. FOR RENT. Fully furnished 1br. 1bath also double bed/couch. New appliances. All utilities paid. Security and damage dep. req. No pets, no smokers. $1600.00 per month. 208-827-3101.

ASSISTANT TO THE VP, DEAN, AND DIRECTOR ($68,000 annually, commensurate with experience, education, and qualifcations). The MSU College of Agriculture/ Montana Ag Experiment Station is seeking a highly motivated and experienced executive assistant. Will work with a great team of people in supporting and implementing essential initiatives and programs, oversee administrative operations, lead and/or support staf activities, and coordinate special events. MSU ofers an excellent beneft package! For more information and how to apply visit https://jobs.montana.edu/ postings/34421. Equal Opportunity Employer, Veterans/Disabled

VACASA IS HIRING!

Local Operations Manager in Big Sky, MT! Pay is $55,000 - $60,000 / year! Apply now on vacasa.com/ careers/positions

MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY POLICE DEPARTMENT seeks lateral POST-certifed peace ofcers to join its team in Bozeman. Apply here:

https://jobs.montana.edu/ postings/34740

VACASA IS HIRING! Runner Position in Big Sky, MT! Pay is $25-$27 / HR! Apply now on vacasa.com/ careers/positions. Job title: “Runner”

Corrine Campbell, Physical Therapy/Myofascial Release 406-7772679 Elizabeth Harper-Schurman, Counsel ing, Coaching, Hypno therapy 406-304-2517 5501 Hwy 93N, Ste. 101, Florence, MT SNOW SHOVELING AND SNOW PLOWING. 406-207-1793.

49-YEAR OLD SIN GLE, PROFESSIONAL LOOKING FOR 2- BED ROOM IN BITTERROOT VALLEY. Excellent credit. Clean rental history, and

background. (406) 2105141

WANTED ISO: PROPERTY/ RANCH TO LEASE FOR HUNTING. Montana rancher/outftter

Montana 21st Judicial District Court, Ravalli County

In the Matter of the Name Change of Patricia

Zaft Anderson, Patricia Zaft Anderson, Petitioner.

Cause No.: DV-23-21

Dept. 1 NOTICE OF HEARING

ON NAME CHANGE

This is notice that Petitioner has asked the District Court for a change of name from Patricia Zaft Anderson to Patricia Joan Anderson.

The hearing will be on March 2, 2023 at 1:30 p.m. The hearing will be at the courthouse in Ravalli County.

DATED this 19th day of January, 2023.

Paige Trautwein Clerk of Court

BY: Catherine di Gleria

Deputy Clerk of Court BS 1-25, 2-1, 2-8, 2-1523.

TANKO LAW OFFICE BRIAN C. TANKO, ESQ. Montana Bar No. 5194

392 - 1st Avenue East North Kalispell MT 59901

Tel: (406) 257-3711

Fax: (406) 257-3722

Email: btanko@tanko.law. com

Web: www.tankolaw.com

Attorney for the Estate

MONTANA TWENTY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT

COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY

IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF DONALD J.

D’HONDT, Deceased.

Case No.: DP-22-65

HON. LINT

District Court Judge

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NOTICE IS HEREBY

GIVEN that the undersigned have been appointed Co-Personal Representatives of the above-named estate. All persons having claims against the deceased are required to present their claims within four (4) months after the date of the frst publication of this Notice or said claims will be forever barred. Claims must either be

Legals

jmasar@lionwoodlaw.com

Wendy J. Tintzman; Henry

mailed to SYLVIA L. NOLASCO and FELIPE NOLASCO, the Co-Personal Representatives, certifed with return receipt requested, to ℅ Tanko

Law Ofce, 392 - 1st Avenue E.N., Kalispell MT 59901, or fled with the Clerk of the above-entitled Court.

DATED this 12th day of January 2023.

/s/ Sylvia L. Nolasco, Personal Representative /s/ Felipe Nolasco, Personal Representative BS 2-1, 2-8, 2-15-23.

NOTICE OF ERROR IN STEVENSVILLE’S PUBLIC

NOTICE

The recently published

Notice regarding the Town of Stevensville’s MOTION TO AMEND STATEMENT OF CLAIM 76H 214635-00 incorrectly stated that objections must be fled by March 6, 2022, the correct date is March 6, 2023. A corrected Notice is provided below.

Notice to Mainstem Bitterroot River and East Side Subbasin (76HA) – Bitterroot River Water Users MOTION TO AMEND STATEMENT OF CLAIM (Pursuant to Section 85-2233(6), MCA) A Motion to Amend

Statement of Claim 76H

214635-00 has been fled with the Montana Water Court by Claimant Town of Stevensville, seeking to amend the place of use for claim 76H 214635-00 to its projected service area encompassing the boundaries of its reasonably projected growth. Stevensville’s Motion to Amend requests an enlargement of its place of use based on projections of population growth through the year 2075. Stevensville does not seek any other modifcations to Claim 76H 214635-00. By fling this Motion, Claimant is asserting that this amendment is necessary to accurately refect the service area Claim 76H 214635-00 is entitled to. The entirety of Claimant’s Motion may be viewed on the

Of all the things to procrastinate on, a cancer screening shouldn’t be one of them.

Especially since Advanced Imaging makes it easy. Walk-ins are welcome. The procedure takes 15 minutes. The positive effects last considerably longer.

Montana Water Court webpage at: https://courts.mt.gov/ Courts/Water/Notices-Info/

PublicNotices

OBJECTION DEADLINE

Any response or objection to the Motion to Amend must be fled with the Montana Water Court, P.O. Box 1389, Bozeman, MT 59718, 1-406586-4364, within 45 days of the date of the last newspaper publication of this notice, by March 6, 2023, in accordance with Section 85-2-233(6), MCA. Please indicate “CASE 76HA-6002-A-2022” on any response, objection, or other correspondence related to this Motion to Amend BS 2-1, 2-8, 2-15-23.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC

HEARING

Thursday, February 9, 2023, 6:00 pm

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Stevensville Town Council will hold a public hearing on Thursday February 9, 2023, at 6:00 pm during their regular scheduled meeting at Town Hall, 206 Buck Street, for the purpose of hearing public comment on the proposed Subdivision Regulations. Comments to be considered may be given orally at the hearing, submitted in writing via email to jenelle@townofstevesnville. com<mailto:jenelle@townofstevesnville.com> or mail to Town Clerk, PO Box 30, Stevensville, MT 59870 before 5:00 pm February 9, 2023. Questions, comments or more information may be obtained by contacting the Town Clerk at 406-77-5271 ext. 102. The drafted subdivision document can also be found by visiting our website on our community development page under supporting documents.

Attest: Jenelle S. Berthoud, Town Clerk BS 2/1, 2/8/23

John S. Masar

LionWood Law, PLLC 115 W. 3rd St., Ste. 103 Stevensville, MT 59870 (406) 625-2682

Attorney for Personal

Representative

MONTANA TWENTY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF: RITA LOUISE NEUSTROM, Deceased.

Probate No.: DP-23-09

Dept. No.: 1 HOWARD F. RECHT

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NOTICE IS HEREBY

GIVEN that the undersigned has been appointed Personal Representative of the abovenamed estate. All persons having claims against the Decedent are required to present their claims within four months after the date of the frst publication of this notice or said claims will be forever barred. Claims must either be mailed to STEVEN D. NEUSTROM, the Personal Representative, return receipt requested, at c/o LionWood Law, PLLC, 115 W. 3rd Street, Suite 103, Stevensville, Montana 59870, or fled with the Clerk of the above Court.

DATED this 30th day of January, 2023.

/s/ Steven D. Neustrom

Personal Representative

c/o LionWood Law, PLLC 115 W. 3rd St., Ste. 103 Stevensville, MT 59870

LionWood Law, PLLC

/s/ John S. Masar

Attorney for Personal Representative

BS 2-8, 2-15, 2-22-23.

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE OF PUBLIC

SALE Notice is hereby given to the people hereinafter named and to whom it may concern. For enforcement of liens in the amount of $850 and $930, Venture West Storage, LLC, located at 1008 Hwy 93 N. Victor, MT, 59875, will sell the contents of storage units E7 and E16 occupied by Raquel Murray (E7) and Melvin Vogt (E16), at auction to the highest bidder. Auction will be held at Venture West Storage, units E7 and E16, on Thursday, February 16, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. BS 2-8-23.

MONTANA TWEN-

TY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT, RAVALLI COUNTY

In the Matter of Guardianship of Jack Donovan Powell, Bryan and Lisa Brizendine, Petitioners Case No. DG-23-07

NOTICE OF GUARDIANSHIP HEARING

Notice is hereby given that the guardianship hearing will be held on March 9, 2023 at 1:30 pm in Ravalli County District Court #2, 205 Bedford Street, Hamilton. Dated February 1st, 2023.

/s/ Jennifer B. Lint District Court Judge BS 2-8, 2-15, 2-22-23.

David T. Markette

Dustin M. Chouinard

Megan S. Winderl MARKETTE & CHOUINARD, P.C. 601 S. First Street P.O. Box 515 Hamilton, MT 59840 (406) 363-1110 DavidM@mcpcattorneys. com

Attorneys for Petitioners

MONTANA TWENTY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY

N RE: THE PETITION FOR INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION OF LANDS IN THE DALY DITCHES IRRIGATION DISTRICT IN RAVALLI COUNTY, MONTANA

Heather Villarreal; and Henry L. Tintzman and Wendy J. Tintzman; and Henry L. Tintzman; and James F. Shaw, Jr. and Diane M. Shaw; and Mary P. Wetzsteon and Joseph W. Wetzsteon; and Bitterrooters LLC; and Leonardi Farms Inc; Petitioners Cause N. DV-82-95

Dept. No.

NOTICE OF HEARING

NOTICE IS HEREBY

GIVEN that a public hearing has been set in the courtroom of the above-entitled Court at the Ravalli County Courthouse, Courtroom No. 2, 205 Bedford, Hamilton, Montana, Ravalli County, Montana, for the inclusion and exclusion of land in the Daly Ditches Irrigation District, the 23rd day of March, 2023 at 1:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard, at which time and place all persons interested in the Petition of Heather Villarreal; Henry L. Tintzman and

L. Tintzman; James F. Shaw, Jr. and Diane M. Shaw; Mary P. Wetzsteon and Joseph W. Wetzsteon; Bitterrooters LLC; and Leonardi Farms Inc; to add and remove certain lands described in the Petition to the Daly Ditches Irrigation District in Ravalli County, Montana, may appear to be heard. Said Petition is on fle with the Clerk of District Court and is open to public inspection.

DATED: January 30, 2023

Paige Trautwein Clerk of Court

By: Barbara Beavers Deputy Clerk BS 2-8, 2-15, 2-22-23.

LEGAL NOTICE

The Daly Ditches Irrigation District will be holding its regular meeting on Tuesday, February, 14th,2023, starting at 6:00 p.m. at the District ofce, 566 Tammany Lane, Hamilton. BS 2-8-23.

William J. Nelson, Esq. Nelson Law Ofce PLLC 217 North 3rd Street, Suite J Hamilton, MT 59840

Telephone: (406) 363-3181

Attorney for Personal Representative MONTANA TWENTY FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY IN RE THE ESTATE OF: BRIAN LEE TRESCOTT, Deceased. Cause No. DP-20-151

Dept. No. 2

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NOTICE IS HEREBY

GIVEN that the undersigned has been appointed Personal Representative 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 frst publication of this notice or said claims will be forever barred.

Claims must either be mailed to the Personal Representative, Linda Trescott, return receipt requested, c/o Nelson Law Ofce PLLC , 217 North Third Street, Suite J, Hamilton, MT 59840, or fled with the Clerk of the above Court.

DATED this 8th day of February, 2023.

/s/ William J. Nelson

Attorney for Personal

Representative

/s/ Linda Trescott

Personal Representative BS 2-15, 2-22, 3-1-23.

William J. Nelson, Esq. Nelson Law Ofce PLLC 217 North 3rd Street, Suite J Hamilton, MT 59840

Telephone: (406) 363-3181

Attorney for Personal Representative

MONTANA TWENTY FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY IN RE THE ESTATE OF:

MARGARET E. DUNBAR, Deceased. Cause No. DP-19-98 Dept. No. 2

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned has been appointed Personal Representative 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 frst publication of this notice or said claims will be forever barred.

Claims must either be mailed to the Personal Representative, Thomas H. Dunbar, return receipt requested, c/o Nelson Law Ofce PLLC , 217 North Third Street, Suite J, Hamilton, MT 59840, or fled with the Clerk of the above Court.

DATED this 8th day of February, 2023.

/s/ William J. Nelson

Attorney for Personal

Representative

/s/ Thomas H. Dunbar

Personal Representative BS 2-15, 2-22, 3-1-23.

RICHARD A. WEBER, P.C.

P.O. Box 1917 Hamilton, Montana 59840

Telephone: 406/3636888

Email: ravallilaw@montana.com

Attorney for Personal

Representative

TRICT, RAVALLI COUNTY In Re the Estate of PATRICIA VIRGINIA WHITE; Deceased.

Case NO.: DP-23-14

Dept. No. 1 NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NOTICE IS HEREBY

GIVEN that the undersigned has been appointed Personal Representative of the above-named estate. All persons having claims against the said deceased are required to present their claims within four months after the date of the frst publication of this notice or said claims will be forever barred.

Claims must either be mailed to Joann C. Hosko, the Personal Representative, return receipt requested, at the Law Ofces of Richard A. Weber, P.O. Box 1917, Hamilton, Montana 59840, or fled with the Clerk of the above-entitled Court.

Dated this 8th day of February, 2023.

/s/Joann C. Hosko

Personal Representative of The Estate of Patricia Virginia White BS 2-15, 2-22, 3-1-23.

Craig Mungas State Bar No. 6746

Bjornson Jones Mungas, PLLC 2809 Great Northern Loop, Ste 100 Missoula, Montana 59808

Telephone: 406-7218896

Telefax: 406-541-8037

Email: craig@bjornsonlaw.com

Attorneys for Debra Jo Dudley and Robert James Dudley, Co-Personal Representatives MONTANA TWENTY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF: JUDITH LEE KLINE, a/k/a Judith L. Kline, Deceased.

Dept. No.: 1 Cause No.: DP-23-13

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NOTICE IS HEREBY

GIVEN that the undersigned have 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 (4) months after the date of the frst publication of this notice or said claims will be forever barred.

Claims must either be mailed to DEBRA JO DUDLEY and ROBERT JAMES DUDLEY, the Co-Personal Representatives, return receipt requested, at c/o Bjornson Jones Mungas, PLLC, 2809 Great Northern Loop, Suite 100, Missoula, MT 59808, or fled with the Clerk of the above Court. DATED this 8th day of February, 2023.

/s/ Debra Jo Dudley

Co-Personal Representative

/s/ Robert James Dudley

Co-Personal Representative

Bjornson Jones Mungas, PLLC

By: Craig Mungas

Attorneys for Debra Jo Dudley and Robert James Dudley, Co-Personal Representatives BS2-15, 2-22, 3-1-23.

NOTICE OF FILING FOR TRUSTEE CANDIDATES:

Lone Rock School District# 13 is looking to fll two (2) Trustee positions each for a 3-year term. If interested in being part of a board that has a focus on high quality education, please fle by March 23, 2023 by 4:00pm with the Business Manager/ Clerk at Lone Rock School – (406) 777-3314. Forms can be found on the school website. BS 2-15, 3-15-23.

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