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Covering the Bitterroot Valley – “Where Montana Begins!”
‘The B Established 1985 - Locally owned & independent
Volume XXXV, Number 5
Wednesday, August 21, 2019
Celebrating Sacajawea’s passage through Darby
Promising results
By Michael Howell
In these images of mouse brain infected with scrapie, the image on the left was treated with an inactive ASO and shows prion accumulation (brown). The image on the right was treated with an active ASO and shows little accumulation at a comparable timepoint. Image courtesy of RML.
Experimental treatment slows prion disease, extends life of mice By Michael Howell
Scientists using an experimental treatment have slowed the progression of scrapie, a degenerative central nervous disease caused by prions, in laboratory mice and greatly extended the rodents’ lives, according to a new report in JCI Insight.
Dr. Byron Caughey, a senior investigator in NIAID’s Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, said that Dr. Greg Raymond’s group of about twenty co-operating scientists, several working at Rocky Mountain Laboratory in Hamilton, have developed “the first late-stage treatment for prion disease that is plausibly applicable
in humans.” He called the experimental results “very encouraging.” Scientists at RML have been researching prion diseases for over 70 years. Raymond, himself, has worked at it for about thirty years. The hope, of See PRIONS, page 10
Savory is Lolo Pass Center featured artist
Top honors
Hamilton Police Officer Bryson Lewis (left) was formally congratulated by Police Chief Ryan Oster, at a recent City Council meeting. Officer Lewis received the Hal Vogelsang award while attending the Montana Law Enforcement Academy. This award is given to the officer who displays the highest degree of fidelity as determined by the Academy staff. The recipient has demonstrated exceptional qualities of honor, pride, integrity, duty, loyalty, and service to not only the class, but the staff and entire profession. The award is given in honor of Hal Vogelsang, who served as an FBI special agent for more than 36 years, and as a training officer at the Montana Law Enforcement Academy.
The Lolo Pass Visitor Center, located on the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests off of U.S. Highway 12 at the Idaho/Montana state line, will soon welcome Karen Savory for the visitor center’s Artist in Residence program. Savory will be working with watercolors and interacting with visitors at Lolo Pass Visitor Center from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (PDT) on August 23, 24, and 25. Savory specializes in playful watercolor paintings and classic block prints inspired by nature. Growing up on the Niagara River in upstate New York, she developed a deep love for the outdoors, which is proudly displayed in her artwork. Savory’s original art is represented by three galleries, and notecards featuring her artwork can be found in stores in Montana, Washington, and California. For more information call the visitor center at (208) 9423113.
Darby residents are gearing up for the second annual celebration of Sacajawea’s passage through the area as she led members of the Lewis and Clark expedition down to the valley floor where they met the Salish Indians near Ross’s Hole. The celebration is scheduled to take place on Saturday, September 7 from 1 to 4 p.m. in the heart of downtown Darby at the Sacajawea Rest Park. The celebration will begin with the unveiling of an art exhibition produced by students in Darby High School’s Art excellence class. Sean Byers, the class instructor, will be there with a few students to unveil the art and discuss the contents. The art generally depicts the history of the Darby area environs over the last 15,000 years. The event primarily celebrates the time in early September 1805 that the young Indian woman, Sacajawea, led 33 members of the Corps of Discovery down the Descent Trail into the Bitterroot Valley. This year, in honor of Sacajawea’s accomplishments, the focus of the event as well as a portion of the proceeds generated will go to the Missing and Murdered Native American Women Fund. Jami Pluff, a Confederated Kootenai and Salish Tribe analyst, will be on hand to discuss the important work being done to find the missing and stop the murdering of Native American women. Ted Hall, an instructor in the Darby High School Adult Education program, will discuss his “re-discovery” of the trail. He
A big part of the Darby Adult Education summer Lewis and Clark Trail hike is the trail-side Botany lessons delivered by retired Brigham Young University botany professor Blaine Furniss. is author of a couple of books in which he ground-truths Clark’s surveys which were meticulously recorded in the journals. The books chronicle the long and exhaustive research and hiking involved that led him to conclude that he had found the trail that was described by Clark in the journals. The trail has been officially recognized by the Bitterroot
National Forest. It has been signed and reconditioned in portions. Hall and retired botanist Blaine Furniss now host regular field trips along the Descent Trail as part of the Darby High School Adult Education program. Participants in the educational expedition not only get to See SACAJAWEA, page 2
Sapphire health clinic awarded funding for mental health care Sapphire Community Health has been awarded supplemental federal funding to initiate and support Integrative Behavioral Health Services (IBHS) services. The IBHS purpose is to support an increase in access to high quality Integrative behavioral health services, including prevention or treatment of mental health conditions and/or substance use disorders (SUDs), including opioid and methamphetamine use disorder. The amount of the financial assistance is $167,00 which will be renewed annually in their federally funded health center grant. These funds will be used to hire two full time positions who will spearhead their inter-professional, team-based, comprehensive primary care service delivery model with behavioral health integration. Currently Sapphire Community Health employs four medical providers, one psychiatric nurse practitioner, two mental health providers and one licensed
addition counselor. These new funds will allow hiring an Integrative Behavioral Health Therapist and a Care Manager. The Care Manager (a Registered Nurse) will provide care management to high risk patients who are at risk for poor health outcomes and provide care management for those patients. The Care Manager will identify barriers to care and to understand the interplay between physical health, mental health, social issues and resource needs; encourage patients to actively engage in their own health; and work toward maintenance or improvement of health status by creating care plan objectives. The Integrative Behavioral Health therapist (a licensed social worker or licensed therapist) will consult with medical Providers to enhance understanding of the patient; provide decision support for treatment planning and assist in the implementation and monitoring of biopsychosocial treatment plans; provide consultation
and coordinate care of patient with health center primary care staff; identify, refer, and advocate for patients needing specialty behavioral health services; be immediately available to the Health Center staff during working hours in the event of a psychiatric emergency, participate as a member of the Health Center staff in the event of any other kind of emergency. These open positions will be posted in Indeed. Sapphire Community Health is a community-based, outpatient primary health and mental health care center designed to work with the communities of the Bitterroot Valley. Sapphire Community Health’s core belief is that the health of the individual, the family and the community are inextricably linked. They were awarded their initial funding and designation as a community health center in 2015. To contact Sapphire Community Health call 541-0032.
Rockin’ RC Rodeo • Carnival • Exhibits • Fabulous Food • Fun For All
Ravalli County Fair August 28th, 29th, 30th & 31st