DILLON - Montana’s trapping season is in full swing and the Beaverhead Deerlodge National Forest wants to offer important reminders for all winter recreationists. Melany Glossa, Beaverhead Deerlodge National Forest Supervisor, says “Montana’s Fish Wildlife and Parks (FWP) has trap setback requirements from roads, trails and campgrounds and most trappers take additional efforts to place traps in areas well away from those frequented by other recreationists.” Dog owners and others concerned about trapping can minimize risks by staying on well used routes and keeping pets close by when hiking, snowshoeing, or skiing.” Glossa adds “keeping pets close to you while out in the woods helps reduce no

Granite County Commissioner's Agenda: December 4, 2018: #GraniteCounty #Commissioner #WeeklyAgenda

FRENCHTOWN - The prep sports season is headed full tilt into winter, with the Western Tipoff Tournament taking place Friday and Saturday in Frenchtown. Each team will play two games, one each day. Drummond will be the first local squad to get underway, with the Trojan boys taking on Plains at 10:30 a.m. Friday the junior high gymnasium. The Lady Trojans will also play Plains in the very next game at Frenchtown High School at noon. The Granite boys will play Darby Friday afternoon, also in the junior high gym, at 3 p.m. The Lady Prospectors close out play for the girls in the high school gymnasium at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, the boys and girls switch gymnasiums.The Trojan boys will start play at 9

PHILIPSBURG –When Flint Creek Head Coach Mike Cutler went to hand out the MHSA pins commemorating their second straight 8-man football state championship, he found the only flaw in their otherwise perfect season. The MHSA had sent the wrong pins. Despite having jewelry that said “runner up”, the Titans celebrated their second straight title Tuesday night with an awards banquet at the Ranch at Rock Creek. Players, coaches and their families all joined for one last time to hand out awards and celebrate their accomplishments. Flint Creek finished the 2018 season 13-0 with a commanding 50-14 win over Great Falls Central in the championship game at Butte’s Naranché Stadium. The victory was the 25

HELENA - Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is seeking public comment on a draft Montana Mountain Lion Management Strategy. Over the last 25 years, FWP has made significant investments in field research that helps inform mountain lion management. Because lion populations function in big landscapes, a new management approach includes defining four lion ecoregions, large landscapes of similar habitat within which populations perform similarly. FWP will then develop estimates of mountain lion numbers within these ecoregions using a new but proven genetically based field sampling method. With the population estimates plus lion harvest data and lion ecology, wildlife managers will employ a statisti

Granite County Commissioner's Meeting: November 20, 2018 #GraniteCounty #Commissioner #Meeting

Granite County Sheriff's Report: November 26, 2018 #GraniteCounty #Sheriff #WeeklyReport

And now you know. Or, at least you will in a few minutes. During the recent campaign for the District 3 seat on the Granite County Commissioners a question was asked at the Candidate Forum hosted by the Drummond Kiwanis Club. “Why can’t you publish the agenda in the paper like you use to?” That question was asked of sitting Commissioner Bart Bonney, who lost his seat to Charles Hinkle when the votes were tallied Nov. 6. The answer appeared simple, with Bonny responding that the commission didn’t set the agenda until Thursday, which is typically a full day after the Philipsburg Mail has gone to press. Despite the fact that the agenda is currently posted on the Flint Creek Courier and in local

Granite County Commissioner's Agenda: November 27, 2018 #GraniteCounty #Commissioner #WeeklyAgenda

MISSOULA - Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) will host an open house with local legislators and its Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) on Wednesday, Nov. 28 from 6:39-9:00 p.m. at the FWP office in Missoula (3201 Spurgin Road). FWP meets quarterly with the CAC volunteer group that offers FWP advice and perspective on a wide range of outdoor resource and recreation issues. Prior to the legislative session, FWP also invites area legislators to come and share their perspectives, meet FWP staff and CAC members and hear about legislative proposals involving FWP. #MontanaFWP #PressRelease #AdvisoryCommittee

MISSOULA - Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) is hosting a series of public meetings to gather input on replacing its current Automated License System (ALS) that administers hunting and fishing license sales. A listening session is planned for Missoula on Thursday, Nov. 29, from 6-9 p.m. at the FWP office (3201 Spurgin Road). FWP hopes to use the meeting to better understand how the current system is meeting customer expectations and where it can be improved. FWP will be requesting permission from the 2019 Legislature to replace the outdated system and is exploring the potential to expand it to include campsite reservations and other fee payments. #MontanaFWP #PressRelease #License

HELENA – The two-time reigning state champion Flint Creek Titans dominated the postseason award rosters when they were released today by the Montana High School Association. Colby Manley and Kane Hess were tabbed as the Offensive and Defensive Most Valuable Players for the Western Conference, having led the Titans to a 13-0 record this year and 25 consecutive over the last two seasons. Overall, the Titans landed nine players on the All-Conference and All-State teams, a record for Montana 8-man football. Manley has been the Titans workhorse during his career, amassing 1,183 yards this season on his way to 2,900 for his three-year career. He scored 27 rushing touchdowns on 150 carries. He was

HELENA – Not even a week has passed since the Flint Creek Titans claimed their second straight Class C 8-Man Football State Championship and already the landscape of teams they faced in 2018 will change for 2019. The Montana High School Association (MHSA) rendered a decision on 10 programs Monday at its executive meeting, sending some teams into new divisions while telling others they’d stay put. For Flint Creek the Western Conference remains the same with the exception of the addition of Thompson Falls. The Blue Hawks drop down from 11-Man to 8-Man just for football, as they have some 25% of the 164 student body ineligible for sports. They will remain in Class B for all other sports. Thomps

HELENA – According to a report from NBC Montana, GOP Senate President Scott Sales (R, Bozeman) wants to give Montana legislators a huge pay increase. This despite the potential fallout from constituents who may see the measure as self-serving, the Senate president said. To view the story, CLICK HERE. House District 77 representative elect Mark Sweeney (D) had voiced opposition to this bill previously in published op-eds, but restated his position Wednesday afternoon. “I have no doubt Montana legislators are underpaid, it is obvious but if we want to be comparable to neighboring states and are that far behind then the difference needs to be made up over smaller pay raises over a greater perio

GRANITE COUNTY – Just after you and your family start to come out of your tryptophan-induced coma, get ready for a wintry blast Friday night into Saturday. The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for a large portion of Granite County and surrounding areas. After brief periods of snow Thursday and into Friday morning, a serious snow front will move into the area Friday afternoon and into Saturday morning. The storm is estimated to drop between 4-8 inches in Drummond and as much as a foot in the Philipsburg area. Winds will also accompany the front, with gusts hitting as high as 14 mph countywide. Temperatures will start out in the low 40s Friday, but quickly dr

Granite County Sheriff's Report: November 19, 2018: #GraniteCounty #Sheriff #WeeklyReport

BUTTE – Had renowned comic book artist Stan Lee ever created a football super hero, he just might have named him Jaxon. Titan junior Jaxon Lee, filling in for injured senior tailback Colby Manley, scored four touchdowns and had three interceptions to lead the Flint Creek Titans to a 50-14 win over Great Falls Central Catholic Saturday in the MHSA Class C 8-Man Football Championship Game. The title is second in a row for the Titans and the win gives Flint Creek 25 in a row over the past two seasons. Great Falls took their first possession after the kickoff and methodically drove it down into the red zone. But Mustang quarterback Noah Ambuehl was unable to find Ethan Vincent in the corner of t

PHILIPSBURG TOWN COUNCIL MEETING November 19th, 2018 7:00 P.M. Philipsburg Town Hall Minutes of Prior Meetings Bills Payable OLD BUSINESS Public Works Update Health Insurance Decision Bounced Check Resolution Resolution for Repayment of Funds from Water to Wastewater NEW BUSINESS NON AGENDA ITEMS Council Public Comment on Matters within the Town Council’s Jurisdiction ADJOURN #PhilipsburgTownCouncil #Agenda

GRANITE COUNTY – The Lady Prospectors and Lady Trojans each landed two players on the All-Conference Team for their play during the 2018 volleyball season. Granite’s two players were senior Sierra Metesh and junior Emma Grange. Grange finished the year with 252 digs (26 dig errors), 293 assists, 82 kills, 17 attack errors, 14 blocks, 50 aces and just 15 service errors in 180 attempts. “Emma grange is a hard worker and as a setter has to ensure that she's running offense,” observed Granite Head Coach Jennifer Graham. “She makes minimal errors and is the quarterback of our team.” Metesh, who was also named to the All-State Team, finished the year with 379 digs (65 dig errors), 22 assists, 38 k

MISSOULA – A winter weather advisory has been issued for parts of Granite County. It is in effect until 11 p.m. local time. Snow accumulations from 2-4 inches are expected locally, with rapidly dropping temperatures around sunset. The affected areas are Butte, Georgetown Lake, Highway 12 from Garrison to Elliston, Homestake Pass and MacDonald Pass. This weather will produce slippery road conditions. A Winter Weather Advisory for snow means periods of snow will cause primarily travel difficulties. Expect snow covered roads and limited visibilities, and use caution while driving. The latest road conditions for the state you are calling from can be obtained by calling 5-1-1. #NationalWeatherSer