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Covering the Bitterroot Valley – “Where Montana Begins!” – Established 1985 – Locally Owned & Independent
Find the latest updates and information on the COVID-19 pandemic at www.bitterrootstar.com Volume XXXVI, Number 1
Drive-thru testing
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Wednesday, July 22, 2020
Fair victim of COVID-19 The Ravalli County Fairgrounds recently posted a notice concerning the cancellation of the main portion of the Ravalli County Fair by Ravalli County Public Health Officer Dr. Carol Calderwood. The announcement contained a disclaimer stating that the decision was not made by department staff or the County Commissioners and is re-printed here: “As some of you may have heard, 2020 Ravalli County Fair & Rockin’ RC Rodeo has been
cancelled by the Ravalli County Public Health Officer. Staff had been working with Public Health on a contingency plan in order to hold fair. However, in light of public health and safety concerns, they have chosen to cancel the event. Please understand this decision was not made by Staff or the Ravalli County Board of Commissioners. Should you wish to express your opinion on the matter, please direct your comments to the Ravalli County Public Health Officials via email at publichealthdepartment@rc.mt. gov or call (406) 375-6672. We
will post more information as it becomes available. Thank you!” A public service announcement was sent out on Monday, July 13, that stated: “It is with sadness and necessity that health officials are announcing the cancellation of the main portion of the 2020 Ravalli County fair. In light of community spread and recent increase in daily new cases such a large gathering would increase the threat of exposure, leading to rapidly increasing spread of the
Ravalli County Public Health Officer Dr. Carol Calderwood has resigned. On Monday July 20, the county’s Public Health Officer issued the following letter of resignation: It is the right time for me to step down as Ravalli County Health Officer and focus on my clinical practice. Sincere thanks to the Elected Officials, to Board of Health members, and to my numerous other county colleagues who have worked tirelessly with me through the beginning stages of the COVID pandemic. I am confident that our combined efforts, along with State and national actions, have slowed the
spread and brought our community time to establish plans and to accumulate supplies. Systems are now in place for reasonable way forward, even if our teams may shift. I believe that, locally, we still have the worst of our peak to come and that our combined social actions are probably at their most critical. Therefore, I do personally support the Governor’s Masking Directive, in part to increase chances that businesses may stay open. For my part, I will shift to focus on my contributions through the hospital, but I’m certainly available to give medical advice to the County Public Health Nursing
Office as long as needed. Sincerely, Carol Calderwood, MD Asked if blowback from her recent decision to cancel the main portion of the Ravalli County Fair was part of her reason for resigning, Calderwood said, “I think the county commissioners got most of that pressure. I gave them a letter of explanation as to why, but I think their constituency got quite a bit upset. I think they got more blow back than I did.” “I’m happy to be the one to make that decision honestly, because it’s not a political decision at all to me,” said Calderwood.
By Michael Howell
with the project. Friends of the Bitterroot and Alliance for the Wild Rockies claim in their suit that the decision was arbitrary and capricious and in violation of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the National Forest Management Act (NFMA), and the Healthy Forest Restoration Act and the Administrative Procedures
Act (APA). The Gold Butterfly project is located east of Corvallis, in the Sapphire Mountains. The Forest Service project calls for commercial logging on 5,461 acres, clearcutting across wide swaths of forest, prescribed burning activi-
By Michael Howell
See FAIR, page 7
County health officer resigns
Snapshot of COVID-19 in Ravalli County taken
Above: Vehicles line up in the Hamilton High School parking lot to wait to get tested for the COVID-19 antigen. Jean Schurman photo. Below: This drone shot shows the cars snaking their way through the Hamilton High School parking lot as people line up to get tested. 873 people were tested at the site. Michael Hoyt photo.
Groups sue over Gold Butterfly project on Bitterroot Forest
By Jean Schurman
On Thursday, July 16, the Montana National Guard and the Ravalli County Public Health Department coordinated their efforts to test people for COVID19. This was the 22nd testing site the Montana National Guard has done since the onset of the pandemic. The Guard provided the set up, security, and handling of the test samples after they were administered. Those samples were then taken back to Helena where the testing would take place. The parking lot at Hamilton High School was set up to move the vehicles through in a serpentine manner with entry only on one end and only one exit on the north end of the parking lot. A
A lawsuit was filed July 10 in Federal District Court in Missoula challenging the legality of the Bitterroot National Forest’s 55,147-acre Gold Butterfly project and asking the court for injunctive and declaratory relief to stop the proposed timber sales associated
guardsman stopped each vehicle and asked if the person or persons in the vehicle were exhibiting any symptoms of the coronavirus like a cough or fever. If the answer was yes to any of their questions, the car was turned away. This was
Sheriff won’t enforce Gov’s mask order By Michael Howell Ravalli County Sheriff Steve Holton has announced that he will not be enforcing Governor Bullock’s directive issued on July 15 requiring all Montanans to wear masks in public. To slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus in Montana, Governor Bullock issued a directive on July 15, requiring face coverings in certain indoor spaces and for certain organized outdoor activities in counties currently experiencing four or more active cases of COVID-19. In response, the Sheriff and the Ravalli County Commissioners issued a joint statement, saying: “We encourage all residents to educate themselves and conduct their business as safely
See RESIGNS, page 7
as possible during this pandemic. We ask our residents to always treat each other with compassion, and respect each other’s right to make decisions about their own health. “Private business owners may choose to enforce the Governor’s Directive. Everyone has the right and ability to shop or patronize businesses they feel comfortable in. “Criminal citations will not be issued for violations of the mask directive. The RCSO will however, investigate and enforce trespass and disorderly conduct complaints. “Collectively, we thank our neighbors and citizens of Ravalli County for their continued diligence in helping keep our communities safe.”
testing for asymptomatic cases only. Once in line, the vehicles eventually made it to one of two testing locations that were manned by the public health department and other retired nurses. The test was self-administered with the nurse instructing the patient how to swab their nasal passage. Once done, the nurses put the swab into a sterile container to be transported to the state lab in Helena. According to Public Information Officer Joseph Hopkins, people began lining up before 8 a.m. on Thursday morning. Once the testing began at 10 a.m., there was a steady stream of vehicles with one, two, and sometimes three people in them. This particular test was a nasal PCR antigen test. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) can detect genetic material from the virus and help diagnose an active COVID-19 infection. Karyn Johnston, public health nurse, said the testing would give the county a ‘snapshot’ of this particular time in the county of the rate of asymptomatic infection there was in the county. It also provided peace of mind for those being tested. The total tested on Thursday was 873 See TESTING, page 7
See LAWSUIT, page 14
Weston awarded Montana Law Enforcement Officer of Year By Jean Schurman
By his own admission, Detective Brad Weston of the Ravalli County Sheriff’s Office is “pretty well known” here in the valley. That statement is true for many reasons, and it’s not just in the valley that Weston is well known. The former Hamilton High School athlete, University of Montana football player, basketball referee has been in the spotlight since he was a teen. Recently, another honor was added to his list of accomplishments. Weston was recently awarded the American Legion Law Enforcement Officer of the Year for Montana. Weston was nominated for the award by Sheriff Steve Holton last fall. Weston was then interviewed by Randy Beard of American Legion Post 91 in Corvallis. They covered the many aspects of Weston’s law enforcement career in the interview. “Most officers have a specialty niche,” said Weston. “I would say that my niche is people. I love people and know a lot of people here in the valley.” Weston was a member of the 1997 Hamilton Bronc football See WESTON, page 2
Detective Brad Weston of the Ravalli County Sheriff’s Office holds the plaque designating him Law Enforcement Officer of the Year for Montana.