Bitterroot Star Blog

No public vote on airport runway extension

bstarblog — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 02:47:29 +0000

An effort by Commissioner Greg Chilcott to get his fellow commissioners to allow a public vote on any decision to extend the Hamilton airport runway fell flat last week as Chilcott’s motion to require a public vote on the issue failed due to a lack of second. See full story…

‘Oh, happy day!’ for Hamilton Church of Christ

bstarblog — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 02:47:00 +0000

Over three years of planning and anticipating, oodles of correspondence to government offices here in the U.S. and in Ukraine, not to forget the thousands of dollars paid to and for the paper work expense to embassy officials and official documents, has finally resulted in getting Victor Parakhin and his family to Hamilton, Montana. See full story…

Coliform found in Stevi water system samples

bstarblog — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 02:46:18 +0000

The Town of Stevensville has sent out notification to city water users stating that coliform bacteria had been found in two water samples taken from the town’s system in May. Notification of the water users is required when testing reveals violations of the state’s drinking water standards. But Town Water System Supervisor George Thomas assured Town Councilors at their last meeting that no boil order was required, as would be required with more serious contamination such as fecal coliform or E. Coli. He said measures had been taken to address the problem and the Town’s wells had been tested and found to be clean. See full story…

Study validates concerns about chlorothalonil

bstarblog — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 02:45:36 +0000

Back in the mid 1990s local wildlife rehabilitator Judy Hoy raised a cry of alarm about the high incidence of developmental malformations in local wildlife that she was observing. She had begun to observe and document a rising incidence of malformations in White-tailed deer in the Bitterroot Valley. The malformations included a high incidence of brachygnathia superior, or under bite, and malformations of the male genitalia including undescended testicles and misaligned hemiscota (that is one scrotal sac aligned behind the other rather than side by side). See full story…

Hamilton hears union grievance

bstarblog — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 02:44:43 +0000

The Hamilton City Council heard a grievance from the members of Union Local 1686 at a special meeting held on May 19 at City Hall. The grievance, filed January 10, 2011 states that the City has always provided work boots, work jackets and coveralls for its employees, but for some reason has recently quit. It was filed by Union Steward Rick Murray on behalf of all union members. See full story…

County approves Tourism Business Improvement District

bstarblog — Thu, 26 May 2011 18:53:29 +0000

The Ravalli County Commissioners approved the creation of a Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) last Wednesday, May 18 despite the fact that a majority of commissioners present expressed disagreement with the idea. See full story…

Florence students help build splash deck

bstarblog — Thu, 26 May 2011 18:52:54 +0000

Willow Springs Splash Deck, scheduled for its grand opening in Florence Park on June 4, got a boost this month from Florence-Carlton High School industrial arts students. Weston Jones’ woods class has been busy mass-producing Trex-topped tables for a picnic area next to the new splash deck. See full story…

County addresses speeding problem on Meridian Road

bstarblog — Thu, 26 May 2011 18:52:12 +0000

On Friday, May 13, the Board of County Commissioners approved the establishment of speed limits on sections of Meridian Road. Residents and property owners along Meridian Road, which parallels U.S. Highway 93 to the west, between Woodside and Bell Crossing, reported increased traffic along Meridian Road due to construction activity on Highway 93. Residents also reported excessive speed on Meridian Road, much of which is unpaved. While Meridian Road is not designated as an official detour for Highway 93, motorists appear to be using the county roadway to escape construction-related delays. Commissioners agreed that to provide for public safety, speed limits should be posted on Meridian Road through the duration of the Highway 93 construction. See full story…

Hamilton adopts community transportation safety plan

bstarblog — Thu, 26 May 2011 18:51:34 +0000

The Hamilton City Council, at its May 17 meeting, agreed to adopt the Hamilton Community Transportation Safety Plan (CTSP). The plan is the result of a $40,000 project funded by the Montana Department of Transportation which contracted with Camp Dresser and McKee to prepare it. See full story…

River rising

bstarblog — Thu, 26 May 2011 18:50:48 +0000

With predictions still showing the potential for record-breaking flood levels on the Bitterroot River and some flooding along Eight Mile Creek already occurring, the Commissioners, last Tuesday, May 17, issued an emergency declaration. See full story…