Big Sky, Montana – A new Big Sky website intending to foster citizen engagement and awareness within the community has launched. Navigate Big Sky (www.NavigateBigSky.org) is a web-based tool offering a concise snapshot of community activity. The site is FREE for all who want to use the comprehensive calendar or post an event. “The idea of Navigate Big Sky has been in the works for many years. It is especially useful now that BASE is fully operational. There is more to do in our wonderful community than there is time in the day. This will be a wonderful tool for those in Big Sky asking themselves how and where to get involved,” said Whitney Montgomery, CEO of Big Sky Community Organization.

In late 2019 the Big Sky Resort Area District (BSRAD) funded a multi-year effort engaging thousands of community members producing the “Our Big Sky” Community Vision and Strategy. This framework embodies Big Sky’s core values of people, character, recreation, and natural environment. Building on this community-driven direction, the Big Sky Community Organization (BSCO) hosted a summit with over forty program and activity providers facilitated by the Yellowstone Club Community Foundation (YCCF). The purpose of the summit was to address the community-wide programming gaps, needs, and vision in anticipation of the opening of BASE.
 

These efforts resulted in a common theme: encourage and facilitate citizen engagement and awareness. Navigate Big Sky will serve as a community tool to help foster that connection.

“It has been a challenge identifying and eliminating the barriers for engagement in Big Sky. There are seven Special Purpose Districts ranging in purpose and focus. Many of them were not able to run elections this year due to record low numbers of candidate interest. It is crucial we remain engaged in local government and corresponding elections. Without citizen participation democracy is challenged. We are excited for this new tool which will highlight opportunities for engagement with locally elected officials and other organizations that make Big Sky Better Together,” said Daniel Bierschwale, Executive Director of BSRAD.
 
 We encourage you to use and share this resource as you Navigate Big Sky.

On July 24, 2022, at 9:23 am Gallatin County Dispatch received information that an emergency GPS device had been activated.  The coordinates provided from the GPS device placed it in the Sourdough Trail area.  A later message from the device indicated that a bicyclist had crashed and sustained a laceration to their leg and that the bicyclist was not able to walk out.

Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue volunteers from the Valley Section and AMR personnel responded to the Sourdough Trailhead.  Search and Rescue volunteers deployed several UTV’s up the trail to meet with the mountain biker.  Volunteers located the patient several miles up the trail where they assessed their injuries and packaged the patient.  The bicyclist was transported back to the trailhead and transferred to the awaiting AMR unit. The patient was ultimately transported to Bozeman Health for further evaluation.

Sheriff Springer would like to commend this mountain biker for carrying a GPS device.  Quick and proper activation not only provided our teams with an accurate location, but the patient was also able to relay information about what happened and injury details.  This type of information can expedite rescue and ensures our crews have all necessary supplies, resulting in a faster and more efficient rescue.

BOZEMAN — Montana State University Extension is accepting applications until Aug. 9 from rural Montana communities to participate in the Reimagining Rural virtual gathering in September and October.

Reimagining Rural brings inspirational stories of success in small towns to local gatherings of community volunteers. Communities gather for three evening events that feature live virtual speakers talking about how to complete projects in rural places. Following the speakers, local groups have a facilitated conversation about how ideas might work in their communities.

“Reimagining Rural has been used to jumpstart conversations about what residents want next for their town,” said Tara Mastel, MSU Extension community development program leader.

For example, in Scobey, she said, community members talked about where to invest community resources. In Cut Bank and Forsyth, they began conversations about a “brand” for their towns. In Valier, it was how to welcome visitors and how to get a younger generation of leaders involved.

“Organizers are encouraged to invite people from all parts of their community to the event, which makes it easy to have a community-wide conversation about their town,” Mastel said.

More than 170 people participated in the Reimagining Rural virtual gathering in 2021 in 23 communities across Montana. The program features speakers who talk about what has been successful in their small towns.

“Hearing from similarly sized communities has inspired many Reimagining Rural participants to take on big, important projects for their town,” Mastel said. “Participants come away inspired to start new projects and engage new volunteers to work toward a more vibrant future for their town.”

Sessions are planned from 6 to 8 p.m. on Sept. 8, Sept. 22 and Oct. 6. The program is free, but communities must apply to participate. Applications are due Aug. 9. To learn more or to download the application, visit msuextension.org/communitydevelopment/reimagine-rural.html. 

Reimagining Rural is a collaboration between MSU Extension and the Montana Community Foundation. For more information, contact Mastel at tara.mastel@montana.edu.

If you find yourself constantly stressing over your finances, it might help to know you’re not alone. Money is a significant cause of concern and stress for a huge number of people. This is particularly true as the cost of living continues to rise, and wages remain stagnant. While everyone’s financial situation is different, it’s important to remember most people can improve their circumstances when it comes to money, often without a lot of compromise or work. Today, we’re going to look at some of the steps you can take to reduce your worries around money.

Know Your Financial Options

Knowledge is power, and that’s certainly the case when it comes to achieving and maintaining financial freedom. Often, when you’re struggling with your finances, it can feel as though you’re stuck in a terrible position with no way out. However, there are more solutions out there than most people realize. If you’re struggling to purchase something crucial, like a new car for work, or a critical appliance for your home, you can always consider using a personal loan to spread out the payments over time. Researching your options in advance will ensure you get the deal best-suited for you.

Create a Budget You Can Follow

Budgeting is something most people don’t feel particularly great about, but it can actually be very empowering when used correctly. Creating a budget you can understand, respect, and follow will ensure you know how much money you can reasonably spend in each part of your life. You won’t have to lie awake worrying you’ve spent too much cash on food or entertainment one week. To ensure you can make the most of your budget, you’ll need to find a strategy that really works for you. Try not to cut all the things you enjoy out of your life. Instead, look for ways to cut down in areas that won’t affect you. You could change your internet or electricity provider.

Start Working on your Emergency Funds

One of the best ways to reduce the feelings of anxiety you may have around money is to ensure you always have something to fall back on if you’re struggling with an unpredicted expense. Although it can be hard to find extra funds for your emergency savings at first, this money will definitely come in handy in the long-term. You may even want to consider cutting down on the savings you put towards your other long-term goals initially until you’ve created a buffer that helps you to feel more comfortable and content. Most experts recommend having about 3 months’ worth of wages saved.

Give Yourself a Break

Finally, it’s worth being realistic about you can reasonably achieve with your finances and being kind to yourself when you feel you’re not reaching your financial goals. Same as its important to find natural pain relief for certain health ailments you should strive to find financial solutions that feel natural and authentic to you and your life. Everyone over-spends from time to time, and we all worry we don’t have enough cash in our savings sometimes too. Avoid comparing yourself to other people in your life and their financial situation, and remember you’re doing your best. If you make a mistake, try to learn from it and avoid allowing the same problems to happen again in the future.

LIVINGSTON – Due to an imminent safety concern, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is closing the Yellowstone River from the Mayor’s Landing Fishing Access Site (FAS) to Sheep Mountain FAS, which is about an 8-mile stretch of the river and includes the Highway 89 Bridge FAS.

Mayor’s Landing FAS will remain open for take-out access for river users, and Sheep Mountain will remain open for launching.

FWP is working closely with the Montana Department of Transportation, which reports the railway bridge near U.S. Highway 89 that crosses the Yellowstone River east of Livingston is dangerously close to falling into the water.

The closure will remain in effect until the safety issues are resolved. For all restrictions and closures, look at the FWP website.

On July 22nd, recording artist and producer Adrian Jay will release his highly anticipated debut album, On a Tight Rope.

After launching a GoFundMe campaign in early 2021, Jay successfully raised $5000 to support the album’s production and hired a cast of esteemed local musicians to help him along the way.

Eddie T (bass), Alex Platt (drums), Josh Zaldonis (saxophone), and Orin Gunderson (trumpet) all contribute their eclectic musical magic to this unique listening experience.

Although the album consists of only 8 songs and is a mere 23 minutes long, On a Tight Rope manages to cover the whole landscape of human emotion. Love, adventure, faith, regret, and guilt are just a few themes explored on this album.

With its fusion of hard-hitting beats, gentle ballads, and jazzy flavors, On a Tight Rope undoubtedly raises the bar for the Bozeman music scene, and has the potential to make an impact beyond the borders of Montana.

On a Tight Rope by Adrian Jay will be available to stream on Spotify, Apple Music, and more this Friday, July 22, 2022.

https://open.spotify.com/artist/3XYzb0LVzlOByBkAv5uqoP?si=zueZVy8ZQTSsA-aynHqlXA
https://www.instagram.com/trademarkadrianjay/
https://www.facebook.com/TrademarkAdrianJay/

Bozeman, MT— Griffin Drive paving process continues the week of 7/18-7/22. Griffin Drive will be completely closed to through traffic, however, local access will be maintained throughout the whole week.

“We appreciate folks’ patience as we work to finish improvements to this integral east/west connection in our transportation network,” says Transportation Engineer Taylor Lonsdale, “We’re excited to see this corridor work better for everyone when it’s complete.”

Monday and Wednesday (7/18 – 7/20), Griffin Drive will be closed to through traffic from Rouse Ave to the east side of Manley Road. Access to Manley Road will be from N 7th Ave. Local business access will be maintained with possible short delays.

Thursday and Friday (7/21 and 7/22), Griffin Drive will be closed from the west side of Evergreen Drive through the intersection of Manley Road. The intersection of Griffin Drive and Manley Road will be closed. Access to Manley Road will be via a detour to McIlhattan Road. The detour will be signed from both N 7th Ave and Rouse Ave. The intersection of Griffin Drive and Evergreen Drive will also be closed. Access to Evergreen Drive will be via Nickles Drive or Gilkerson Drive.

BOZEMAN — When leading news organizations sought to understand the recent shooting death of a well-known Palestinian-American journalist, they turned to a Montana State University audio forensics expert whose research on the subject has engaged nearly a dozen undergraduates.

Following the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh during a gunfight in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on May 11, investigations by The New York Times, CNN and other media outlets relied on analysis by Rob Maher, professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in MSU’s Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering.

According to the news reports, several journalists were covering a raid in the city of Jenin when Abu Akleh was shot. Witnesses alleged the longtime television correspondent — who was wearing a vest that identified her as a member of the press — was targeted by Israeli forces, a claim disputed by Israel, which said the bullet could have come from Palestinian gunmen.

"The goal of my work is to provide an objective and scientific approach with findings that can stand up to scrutiny by other experts," said Maher, who wrote an authoritative book on audio forensics that was published in 2018. "When the international reporters contacted me, I wanted to be able to explain my measurements and methodology as clearly as possible."

In a smartphone video of the incident taken by an eyewitness and provided to Maher by reporters, he immediately recognized two distinct sounds per gunshot — a sharp "crack" as the supersonic bullet passed near the smartphone’s microphone followed by the gun's muzzle blast traveling at the slower speed of sound. By viewing the audio waveform using specialized software, he could precisely measure the milliseconds of delay.

"That blew the minds of the reporters," said Maher, who aided The Times in 2019 with audio analysis that corroborated the identify of a prominent Islamic State militant. He was contacted the day of the May shooting by CNN and Bellingcat, an independent news organization based in the Netherlands, and later by The Times. Four other news reports, including one by The Jerusalem Post, cited Maher's analysis.

Knowing the speed of the munitions commonly used by both sides of the conflict, Maher could estimate the distance that the shooter was from Abu Akleh at the time of her death. The published news investigations, which included eyewitness accounts, determined that the distance Maher measured matched the location of the Israeli forces who, the reports say, almost certainly killed Abu Akleh.

Maher recently completed a series of audio forensics research projects funded by the U.S. Department of Justice. The latest, backed by a $200,000 grant, focused on analyzing gunshots and other phenomena in smartphone recordings. Working with three MSU undergraduate researchers, Maher recorded MSU police officers firing several types of firearms and developed software that can streamline analysis of audio recordings. The work was published in 2021 in a paper he co-authored with two of the students.

"There's an educational aspect to this, working with students," said Maher, who estimates his forensics work has involved roughly 10 undergraduates in recent years. "And there's also a service aspect, which fits with MSU being a land-grant university serving the public interest."

"This was a tragic incident," Maher said, "but having reporters know that they can receive professional advice, it's an important role that we have as a university."

On July 16, 2022, at 4:24 p.m., Gallatin County dispatch received a call from a Park County Sheriff’s Office deputy seeking assistance from Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue for a rescue on Emigrant Peak.  The patient was in a group of hikers that were 800’ from the summit of Emigrant Peak.  The patient was having respiratory issues with heat-related complications.  The other hikers were unsuccessful in trying to descend with the patient and needed professional assistance.   Due to the medical condition, and the time it would take to perform a ground-based rescue, it was determined a short haul would be the most expedient means of getting the patient to a higher level of care.

Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue Heli Team and Comms Team volunteers, along with a Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office deputy, responded to the call. The Comms Team and GCSO deputy provided mission support and liaised with Park County.  The Heli Team deployed from Gallatin County to a landing zone near Emigrant Peak staffed with a Park County Sheriff’s Office deputy and Livingston Fire and Rescue personnel.  After a reconnaissance flight, the team located the patient and was lowered to perform a medical assessment.  The team stabilized and packaged the patient and then short hauled them to the landing zone.  The patient was turned over to awaiting medical personnel.

Sheriff Dan Springer would like to recognize the Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue volunteers, Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office and Park County deputies, and medical responders that assisted in this mission.  Through teamwork and clear communication, teams from two different counties were able to work together to provide aid to a citizen in need.

Photos courtesy of Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office.