VOLUME 99
ISSUE 10
TIMES
FALLON County
B AKER, MONTANA 59313
fctimes@midrivers.com 406-778-3344 $1.00
FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 2015
Home destroyed by fire in frigid weather Baker Rural Fire Department personnel responded to a structure fire on Roxie Lane at approximately 11 p.m. on March 3. Two engines, two water truck tenders and 19 firefighters arrived on scene to combat the fire under frigid weather conditions. The fire was under control about 1:30 a.m. The house was completely destroyed in
TAKE NOTE Baker Hunter Education classes Hunter Education classes will start with registration Monday, March 9, from 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. at Baker High School (enter at main office and turn left at top of stairs). Registration is informal, you can come anytime between 6:30 and 8:00 p.m. Participants must be at least 12 years of age by January 16, 2016. A parent or legal guardian must attend sign-up for participants under the age of 18. Material and class instructions will be provided at registration, March 9. Class day will be Saturday, March 14, 8 a.m. 5 p.m. Field day will be Sunday, March 15, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. For more information, contact Rick Madler at 406-778-2104 or Vance O’Donnell at 406-778-2262.
Baker and Plevna rural fire district elections cancelled The Election Administrator has cancelled the Baker Rural Fire District and Plevna Rural Fire District elections for May 5, 2015. Trustee who filed for Baker Rural Fire District is Randy Hoenke. Trustees who filed for the Plevna Rural Fire District are Donald MacKay and Robert Gray. 7-33-2106(4) In accordance with 13-1304 allows a Fire District election to be cancelled if the number of candidates is equal to or less than the number of positions to be elected. The county governing body shall declare elected by acclamation each candidate who filed a nominating petition for a position.
Red Hat luncheon Sagebrush Sisters Red Hat luncheon will be held Friday, March 13, 12:45 p.m. at the Tavern.
Spring Forward Remember to set your clocks ahead one hour before retiring for the evening Saturday, March 7.
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the fire but no one was injured. Baker Ambulance Service was on scene providing care to the firefighters working in icy and windy conditions. Red Cross members assisted the residents of the home. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Veto leaves fate of Keystone XL pipeline undecided By Lori Kesinger President Obama rejected a bill Feb. 24 that would have approved construction of the Keystone XL pipeline which involves portions of Montana, including Fallon County. His veto, though, did not stop the proposed pipeline project, instead it fueled the debate fire. The bill was passed by a Republican controlled Senate to allow the 830,000 barrels of crude oil per day to be transported from Canada to Gulf Coast and Midwest refineries through the proposed 1,179 mile pipeline. Republicans threatened to overturn the veto despite lacking the majority to do so. Scrambling to find a new strategy to get the pipeline approved, they indicated adding Keystone legislation to another bill in the future that the President would find difficult to veto. The pipeline project has also included the plan to support the growth of crude oil production from producers in the Bakken region of Montana and North Dakota. An on-ramp called the Bakken MarketLink would intersect with the pipeline near Baker providing a terminal to export the oil being produced from the Bakken formation. A majority of the Bakken oil is currently transported by tanker or railcar. Advocates argue the construction of the pipeline will create jobs, increase tax revenue and gain energy independence for the United States. “I’m disappointed that the President vetoed this bipartisan legislation. Keystone will help secure our energy future and create good paying jobs,” Montana Senator Jon Tester said in a news release. “I will continue to reach across the aisle to find ways we can get this pipeline built to the highest safety standards while protecting private property rights.” See Keystone, page 8
CTEP projects focus of upcoming meeting The City of Baker, Fallon County, and SMART have partnered with the Montana Department of Transportation for local enhancement projects through their Community Transportation Enhancement Program (CTEP). CTEP is a Montana program that funds transportation related projects designed to strengthen the cultural, aesthetic and environmental aspects of the state’s intermodal transportation system. The MDT has elected to sub-allocate the enhancement funds to local governments for selection and prioritization of local CTEP projects. CTEP allows for the implementation of a va-
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riety of non-traditional projects. All projects must relate to, and enhance, surface transportation. Some examples are: pedestrian and bicycle facilities, historic preservation, projects to reduce vehicle-caused wildlife mortality and preservation of abandoned railway corridors to trails. The CTEP project in Baker will complete the Millennium Walking Path around Baker Lake. The finalization of the walking path will include curb, gutter and sidewalk from the corner of Montana Avenue and South Fifth Street West, east on Wyoming, and south on South Sixth Street West until it connects with the cur-
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rent walking path. In Plevna, projects will include period lighting and fencing at Plevna Park, as well as a flashing beacon sign at the Plevna School crossing on Main Street. Peaks to Plains Design, PC has been selected to engineer the pre-construction and construction of the projects. Peaks to Plains personnel will conduct an informational meeting on Monday, March 9, at 7 p.m. in the Fallon County Library basement meeting room. For more information or questions, call Mona Madler, SMART Director, at 406-778-2020; or email: smartdev@midrivers.com
California Dolls
Saturday, March 28 9:00 p.m.
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