Gallatin Media Center

For immediate release: June 13, 2022

Due to hazardous flooding conditions, Yellowstone National Park has temporarily closed its entrances and is evacuating all visitors through the south and West Yellowstone gates due to flooding at the other entrances. Please stay away from the area if possible.

Before visitors or residents head north from the park to seek accommodations, we encourage you to check for availability. There is limited lodging in Bozeman, and there is no cellular service for 70 miles between West Yellowstone and Bozeman.

There will be erosion mitigation along the roadway in the Gallatin Canyon on U.S. Highway 191. Traffic will be delayed. If you are working in the Big Sky area and plan to return to Bozeman, we recommend leaving early.

Gallatin County Flooding

Rivers in the area are high and reaching flood levels.  This water is moving very fast, is very cold, has large amounts of debris, and is extremely dangerous.  Please stay away from the water!  If you must be near it, wear a personal floatation device and be aware of your footing.  Do not attempt to drive through moving water.  Do not drive over bridges that may be compromised.  Please exercise caution and call or text 911 if you have an emergency.

 

Each year the Montana Sheriff’s and Peace Officers Association (MSPOA) honors Detention and Sworn Law Enforcement Officers for contributions to their professions. The individuals are nominated to receive the awards by their peers. This year we have two individuals that showed courage, rapid action, and determination in saving the lives of individuals remanded to our care.

I want to congratulate DCO Paula Smith and Deputy Ed Kingman.

Detention Center Officer Paula Smith will be awarded the Medal of Merit for her actions in saving the life of an inmate in the Gallatin County Detention Center.  Paula’s instincts and quick reactions helped save a life in the Detention Center. 

Deputy Ed Kingman was chosen to receive the Deputy of the Year award for his actions in saving the life of an individual trapped in a burning vehicle. Ed’s quick reactions and recognition allowed him and other responders to save the life of an individual whose car was on fire while he was trapped inside.

There will be an award ceremony on Tuesday, June 14 at 1330 hours in the Community Room of the Detention Center.  You are invited to attend the ceremony to witness the accomplishments of these two individuals.   

June 9, 2022

The Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office has received numerous calls of a scam involving a caller identifying himself as Deputy or Detective with the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office. The caller states that there is a warrant for your arrest due to missing a court date, or an unpaid fine. The caller further states that bail or payment must be made by purchasing Google Play Cards, Green Dot Cards, etc. This is a scam. Do not respond to any requests. The scammer is aggressive, convincing, and persistent.

Just as a friendly reminder the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office does not contact people asking for money.

 

For immediate release: June 6, 2022

 

Gallatin County Weed District Seeking Nominations For Noxious Weed Management Award

To kick off Montana Noxious Weed Awareness Week, the Gallatin County Weed District announces the opening of nominations for a new award to recognize area landowners for their work in controlling noxious weeds in our area.

Gallatin County would like to recognize land owners and managers who do an exceptional job of controlling noxious weeds. These stewards are not only caring for their own land, but are helping to protect the wild lands and local agriculture that make our county such a wonderful place to live.

The Weed District would like to honor these individuals or groups who are a vital part of noxious weed management in our county with the Gallatin County Weed District Outstanding Noxious Weed Management Award.

If you know of a person or a group who has shown exceptional leadership in the management of noxious weeds on private land in Gallatin County, please nominate them for this award. The winner will be recognized by the Gallatin County Commission and the Weed District in September at a commission public meeting.

Please fill out this nomination form, or contact the Weed Distrust to obtain a copy of the form. Nominations are due by July 31.

The Gallatin County Weed District is located at 903 N. Black Ave. in Bozeman. Staff can be reached at 406-582-3265 or weeddistrict@gallatin.mt.gov.

Information about the Outstanding Noxious Weed Management Award can also be found on our website.

More info on Montana Noxious Weed Awareness Week:

Montana Noxious Weed Awareness Week was established in 2021 as a way to highlight the invasive plants in our state that outcompete native grasses and wildflowers and can seriously impair wildlife habitat, agriculture and recreational opportunities.

Noxious Weed Awareness Week is observed the first full week of June. This year it will be celebrated June 5-11.

Media contact:
Steve Saunders, Gallatin County Weed Board Member
406-580-1027
weeddistrict@gallatin.mt.gov

Below are photos of common noxious weeds in Gallatin County. Photos provided by the Gallatin County Weed District.

Leafy Spurge

Spotted knapweed

Oxeye daisy

Houndstongue

 

For immediate release: May 31, 2022

The Big Sky Country State Fair is bringing bigger fun, bigger smiles to this year’s 2022 fair and tickets are on sale now. The Big Sky Country State Fair is offering six amazing ticket packages to choose from. Don’t forget to buy early for HUGE savings!

See the full press release here.

Media contact:
Amanda Hartman, Big Sky Country State Fair Marketing/Sponsorship Coordinator 
amanda.hartman@gallatin.mt.gov

For immediate release: May 18, 2022

Join Gallatin County and HRDC to discuss the future of the county-owned property north of the Gallatin Rest Home in Bozeman!

There are two meeting options:

• Monday, May 23 – 6:30-8 PM – in person at Bozeman High School’s north cafeteria
• Wednesday, May 25 – 6:30-8 PM – virtually on Zoom at https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83226367536

Gallatin County has contracted with HRDC to help come up with plans for how to develop a portion of a nearly 10-acre property the county owns in Bozeman, between Durston Road and Oak Street, directly north of the Gallatin Rest Home. County commissioners are seeking to use a portion of that property for future employee housing and daycare.

The public is invited to hear an update on the project, and provide feedback and ideas to the county.

The project is currently in the engagement phase. HRDC surveyed county employees to help determine housing and childcare needs, and held town hall meetings with dozens of employees in April to provide updates and solicit feedback. These public meetings with neighbors in the area are another step in the public engagement process.

The rest home property development is one of a number of ways the Gallatin County Commission is working to create employee housing opportunities and help ease the burden of high housing costs in our area. The Gallatin County Commission recognizes housing is an issue for current and prospective employees and is actively trying to address it in different ways.

The county recently put out a request for competitive bids seeking 3-year master leases with area landlords for residential units the county could sublet to employees. The county received no responses to the request. However, commissioners are continuing to work on other ways to secure some rentals for employee housing.

In the short-term, commissioners have also worked to improve pay and benefits for current employees. At the beginning of the ongoing budget cycle, commissioners opted to provide wage increases and one-time bonuses to employees for fiscal year 2023, which will begin July 1.

And in the last couple years, additional policies that were put into place include paid parental leave, tuition assistance, and remote work and flexible work policies.

Media contact:
Whitney Bermes, Gallatin County Communications Coordinator
406-595-8963
whitney.bermes@gallatin.mt.gov

PRESS RELEASE

LIONSHEAD BROKEN FEMUR

On Sunday, May 15, 2022 at 1:43 p.m., The West Yellowstone Police Department received a 911 call from a snowmobiler reporting that a member of the group had suffered a broken femur after striking a tree.  The coordinates retrieved from the 911 call indicated that the group was 14.31 miles west of West Yellowstone. Members of the group immobilized the injury and stopped the bleeding.

Volunteers from Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue West Yellowstone Section and a helicopter from Air Methods responded to assist the snowmobiler. The injured snowmobiler was loaded onto the helicopter and transported to the Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center for further evaluation.

Sheriff Dan Springer would like to commend the snowmobilers for carrying a reliable means of communication and providing appropriate medical care while awaiting medical assistance.

Photos courtesy of Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office.

Gallatin County Elections Office

 

For immediate release: May 13, 2022

Absentee Ballots for June 7 Primary Mailed

On Friday, May 13, the Gallatin County Elections Office mailed about 59,000 ballots for the June 7 primary election to active registered absentee voters in Gallatin County. Ballots will begin arriving in mailboxes in the following days.

Two ballots will be included in each envelope. Voters will have a choice to vote either a Democratic or Republican ballot this upcoming primary election. Voters must choose ONE party ballot to vote and then return just that ballot. Detailed instructions will be provided with ballots.

Sample ballots can be found at the following links: Democratic  or Republican.

Ballots must be returned by 8 PM on Election Day, Tuesday June 7. Ballots postmarked on or before Election Day but received after 8 PM on Election Day cannot be accepted.

Polling places for in-person voting will also be open on Election Day. Those locations include:

• Bridger Canyon Fire Station – 8081 Bridger Canyon Rd.
• Gallatin County Fairgrounds – 901 N. Black Ave. in Bozeman
• Hope Lutheran Church – 5152 W. Graf St. in Bozeman
• Povah Community Center – 10 Geyser St. in West Yellowstone
• Big Sky Water & Sewer District Office – 561 Little Coyote Rd. in Big Sky
• Gallatin Gateway Community Center – 145 Mill St. in Gallatin Gateway
• Belgrade Special Events Center – 220 Spooner Rd. in Belgrade
• River Rock Community Center – 101 River Rock Rd. in Belgrade
• Three Forks High School – 212 E. Neal St. in Three Forks
• Manhattan Christian School – 8000 Churchill Rd. in Churchill
• Manhattan High School – 200 W. Fulton Ave. in Manhattan

Late registration for this election began this week. From now through Election Day, new registrations or updates to voter registration must be made IN PERSON at the Gallatin County Elections Office, located on the second floor of the Gallatin County Courthouse (311 W. Main St., Bozeman).

Check your voter registration status at MyVoterPageMT.com.

For questions or more information, contact the Gallatin County Elections Office at 406-582-3060 or gallatin.elections@gallatin.mt.gov, or visit us online at gallatinvotes.com.

Media contact:
Eric Semerad, Gallatin County Clerk and Recorder/Elections Administrator
406-582-3060
eric.semerad@gallatin.mt.gov

Gallatin County Treatment Court

For immediate release: May 4, 2022

Interested in learning about peer support, peer coaching or volunteering with the Gallatin County Treatment Court? Please join us for a very informative meeting.

The Gallatin County Treatment Court will be hosting a meeting on Thursday, June 2 from 6 to 7:30 PM with special guests Jim Hajny, Director of the Montana Peer Network, and Lea Wetzel, Behavioral Health Peer Support Specialist (BHPSS) for Veterans Treatment Court in Cascade County.

In 1999, Gallatin County Treatment Court became the first adult treatment court in Montana. It is an 18-month voluntary post-conviction, alternative sentencing program that provides tools necessary to overcome their addiction. This includes supervision and monitoring, drug and alcohol testing along with attending addictions counseling, mental health therapy and support group meetings.

The meeting will be held at the Gallatin County Detention Center- Community Room, located at 605 S. 16th Ave. in Bozeman.

For more information or to register, contact Andrea Lower, Gallatin County Treatment Court Coordinator, by phone at (406) 582-3704 or by email andrea.lower@gallatin.mt.gov. Please RSVP by May 25. Food will be provided.

Media Contact:
Andrea Lower, Treatment Court Coordinator
(406) 582-3704
andrea.lower@gallatin.mt.gov