VOLUME 99
ISSUE 31
TIMES
FALLON County
BAKER, MONTANA 59313
fctimes@midrivers.com 406-778-3344 $1.00
FRIDAY, JULY 31, 2015
New officer joins Baker Police Department By Lori Kesinger The newest member of the Baker Police Department is a Montana native excited to be here and ready to get involved with the community. Officer Cameron Farrell is a March 2015 Montana Law Enforcement Academy graduate. Prior to, he served with the Lewistown Police Department for a year. Farrell graduated from Montana State University-Bozeman with a bachelor’s degree in health and human development. Farrell said he grew up in Great Falls and always wanted to attend MSU and become a police officer. With some family members already in Baker,
it was an easy decision to apply for the position. He also served an internship with the Baker Police Department last summer. “I really like the area and the community. I don’t think you’re going to find a more supportive or nicer group of people,” Farrell said. “You don’t necessarily find that in other places.” Farrell filled a vacant position created when Officer Paul Sutter left earlier this summer. The Baker Police Department is currently comprised of Police Chief Mike Reddick and four police officers. “I think the overall perception of what the department does here is pretty positive, and I hope to continue that,” Farrell said.
Teens “Paint the State” for Montana Meth Project
STRONG WINDS Gusty winds tore down some branches around the city of Baker. An exceptional cold front brought the extremely windy conditions to Fallon County July 27 and 28. The high temperature July 28 was 71 degrees compared to July 26 at 99 degrees. The National Weather Service forecasters said, “This pattern should not happen in July.” Sustained winds around 45 mph were reported in Baker with gusts as high as 60 mph July 28. Weather conditions were expected to return to normal as the front moved out of the area.
Municipal write-in candidates must follow MT code to a tee Residents considering being a write-in candidate on the ballot in November for City of Baker Alderman Ward 1 or Ward 2 and Town of Plevna Councilman must follow the Montana Code Annotated. City of Baker and Town of Plevna will have a General Mail Ballot Election November 3, 2015. Montana Code stipulations for a write-in candidate include: • A person is not eligible for the office of city council member unless the person is a resident for at least 60 days preceding the election to office of the ward electing the person or of an area that has been annexed by the city or town and placed in the ward. • Write-in candidates must file no later than 26 days before a mail ballot election MCA 13-10-211(3) (October 8, 2015 City of Baker or Town of Plevna Mail Ballot Elections). • If a Write-In Candidate has filed a Declaration of Intent for a
particular election, their name WILL NOT appear on the ballot. • For a Write-In vote to count, the box must be checked/marked and that candidate’s name must be written in on the ballot. In addition, the name written in on the ballot must match the name(s) provided to the Election Administrator on the Declaration of Intent. • Write-In Candidates must provide voters with stickers to be placed on the ballot. They should also instruct the voters that the box MUST be checked/marked for the vote to count. • If a Write-In Candidate files for an office no other names will be counted if they are written in, only the declared Write-In Candidate vote(s) will be counted for that particular race. Individuals interested in being a write-in candidate should contact the Election Administrator’s Office at 406-778-7106 for further requirements.
By Lori Kesinger Dramatic images depicting the hard-hitting facts of meth use have seemingly cropped up out of nowhere in Fallon County. These artistic venues are giving a voice to the sponsoring organization’s powerful message, “Meth: Not Even Once”. The Montana Meth Project is a continuing large scale prevention program aired at teens to warn them of the risks of meth use. Realistic, often graphic, messages are communicated through media campaigns. Since the program began in Montana in 2005, teen meth use has declined 63 percent. Methamphetamine is a powerfully addictive drug that dramatically affects many areas of the central nervous system. It can easily be made in illegal, covert labs from relatively inexpensive over-thecounter ingredients and can be purchased at a relatively low cost. These factors make methamphetamine a drug widely abused. Methamphetamine abuse leads to devastating medical, psychological, and social consequences. Adverse health effects include memory loss, aggression, psychotic behavior, heart damage, malnutrition, and severe dental problems. Methamphetamine acts by increasing the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain, which leads to feelings of euphoria followed by a “crash” that often leads to increased use of the drug. The State of Montana ranks among the top ten states nationally in per capita treatment admissions for methamphetamine. The social and human costs are staggering. • 53% of children in foster care are there due to meth. Cost to the state: $12 million a year. • 50% of adults in prison are there due to meth related crime. Cost to the state: $60 million a year. • 20% of adults in treatment are there for meth addiction. Cost to the state: $6 million a year. According to the Montana Meth website, the Paint the State project was formed to reduce meth use in the state by arming people with the facts about meth. The message “Not Even Once” speaks to how highly addictive meth is. With Paint the State, teens are given the opportunity to take that message, and through their original artwork, get the word out about meth. Paint the State is building on the success of the 2006 and 2010 contests when teens all over Montana created more than 1,000 works of art. Teens age 12 and older could enter the competition this year as individuals or in teams up to four to support the cause and a chance to win up to $10,000. The three categories include video, outdoor/sculpture and artwork/photography, clearly visible to the general public from July 16 to September 15. A $7,500 Celebrity Artists Award will be given in each category. There will be a $2,500 People’s Choice also awarded in each category. Public voting begins August 1 through September 15. Winners will be announced September 18. Visit montanameth.org for more information and the Montana Meth Project Facebook page to support local teens during the public voting period.
Fallon County Recreation Department
15th Annual Youth Rodeo Playday Saturday, August 1 • Registration 9 a.m. • Rodeo Starts at 10 a.m.
Russell’s Clothing Baker, Montana 406-778-2427
S u m m e r C l e a ra n c e S a l e Still in Progress C HE CK OU T TH E G RE AT BU YS ON CL EA RA NC E RA CK S !
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