Mark and Robyn Jones, right, pose with a group of Montana State University nursing students, MSU nursing college dean Sarah Shannon, left, and MSU President Waded Cruzado, center, during a groundbreaking ceremony for a new nursing facility in Bozeman. MSU photo by Marcus "Doc" Cravens.

BOZEMAN — It started with an email. Mark Jones wrote to Montana State University President Waded Cruzado asking how he and his wife, Robyn, could use their resources in partnership with the university to better the state’s health care system.

Three years later, on Tuesday afternoon, the Joneses, Cruzado and other MSU administrators and partners donned hard hats to ceremonially break ground on a new nursing education building at MSU. The new building will provide faculty and students with state-of-the-art facilities and allow for increased enrollment to help offset Montana’s shortage of health care professionals.

While speaking to a crowd that numbered in the hundreds, Mark Jones acknowledged the nurses in attendance, saying, “Everyone knows it’s the nurses that actually take care of you.”

“You are there at all of the key intersections of our lives,” he added. “You’re there when we’re born. You’re there when we’re sick, at our worst, and you’re there when we make our way out. We are so proud to be associated with helping expand nursing in Montana. It is the nurses that really are the heroes.”

In 2021 Mark and Robyn Jones, co-founders of Goosehead Insurance, made a $101 million philanthropic investment to MSU’s nursing college, now known as the Mark and Robyn Jones College of Nursing. Part of that money will fund the construction of the new Bozeman nursing building, which MSU plans to name Jones Hall, and buildings at the nursing college’s four other campuses, in Billings, Great Falls, Kalispell and Missoula.

Designed by the architecture firms Cushing Terrell and CO Architects, the Bozeman building will be two stories, about 28,000-square feet and located at the southeast corner of South 11th Avenue and West Grant Street, where Tuesday’s groundbreaking ceremony took place.

“The building represents profound educational opportunities for Montana State University students,” Cruzado said. “Within its walls, future health care professionals will be nurtured and empowered. They will be equipped with the knowledge, skills and compassion to excel in their profession. This building will lead to innovation and provide an environment where students are inspired to pursue knowledge and service.”

The new nursing building will feature multiple classrooms, simulation laboratories and a simulation research space, as well as break and study areas for students who often spend many hours of their days on campus. Construction is expected to begin this summer.

“Our students are smart, eager and engaged and very much desire to make a difference in this community and others like it,” said Kimberly Kusak, Bozeman campus director for the nursing college. “This new space will allow us to elevate their learning experiences. It’s therefore impossible to overstate just what this investment from Mark and Robyn Jones will mean to our college, our state and this community. We are thrilled to have this new home. We recognize it as an affirmation of your confidence in our program and in our graduates.”

MSU’s nursing college is the largest producer of registered nurses in Montana, and about 80% of its graduates remain in the state to work after finishing their degrees. The college hosts the state’s sole doctoral nursing program, which just received permission to open a certified nurse-midwifery option in the fall to help meet the college’s mission of providing care to all residents, especially those in rural, frontier and Native communities.

“Our mission is to transform the lives and the health of Montana’s communities, and we seek to do that through cutting-edge education, creation of new knowledge and meaningful service,” said Sarah Shannon, nursing college dean. “We have a simple goal – to improve the health of all Montanans."

The Zoot Committee for the Arts is in the process of organizing solo and group exhibitions for 2025. 

The Committee accepts a limited number of proposals each year from Montana artists only, with exhibits rotating every three months. Applications are open, and artworks in any media will be reviewed. Rotating and special exhibitions have played an important part of Zoot’s programming since 2007 and are held in its museum-quality, corporate exhibit space. 

• Submissions Due: June 29, 2024
• Notification of Acceptance: On or before August 30, 2024
• Accepted Mediums: All
• Application: zootartgallery.com

Zoot is committed to championing the Montana art community. The corporate exhibit space is open to the public and hosts rotating works for the enjoyment of employees and the community. The gallery has an expansive open area for sculpture and boasts over 100 feet of vertical exhibit surfaces. One exhibiting artist described it as “...arguably the finest gallery space in the area.”

All work sold through the gallery is commission-free.

BOZEMAN —Montana State University is offering a free, five-session program in Spanish this spring to provide the Latino community of the Gallatin Valley with information and the opportunity to obtain a certificate in topics related to higher education.

The program, called La Academia Familia Latina, is offered by MSU’s Latino Pathways Initiative for Higher Education. The program aims to pave the way for bright academic futures for Latino parents and their children, according to Rebecca Turk, director of MSU’s Center for Bilingual and Multicultural Education and co-principal investigator of the Latino Pathways Initiative for Higher Education.

La Academia Familia Latina will include information about the American academic system; career opportunities; how to apply to college, certificate programs and more; how to talk about future educational opportunities with children; financial planning; and ways to connect with other members of the community.

Sessions will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday evenings from April 18 to May 16 on the MSU and Gallatin College MSU campuses in Bozeman. People who would like to attend should register in advance at montana.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_00u2DoEXfHrQSiO.

The Latino Pathways Initiative for Higher Education, or LPI, is a grant-funded program led by Bridget Kevane, professor in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures; Turk; and Isabela Romero Navarro, a graduate student in MSU’s Department of Counseling.

LPI works to build pathways for English Language Learner Latino students in the Gallatin Valley, as well as their families and their teachers, to improve educational outcomes. The LPI works to meet these outcomes through research and service for K-12 English Language Learner students, professional development for teachers and familial support for education.

The initiative’s research focuses on the field of second language acquisition; child mental health through sense of belonging; and English language learner pedagogy. Findings from the initiative’s most recent studies are expected to be published in the fall. 

One goal of the Latino Pathways Initiative is to empower Latino families in Gallatin County in their pursuit of better educational opportunities, Kevane said, adding that the goal aligns with MSU’s vision of “transforming lives and communities in the people’s interest.”

One way LPI works to empower families is by offering Noche Hispana en Familia – or Latino Family Nights – in partnership with Belgrade Public Schools. At Noche Hispana en Familia, district stakeholders have an opportunity to meet with families, communicate important announcements and answer questions, with all communication in Spanish.

“Making communication and information accessible has been impactful for Spanish-only speaking families in their efforts to plan for familial education,” Turk said.  

Another goal includes supporting teachers regarding policy and teaching for making learning accessible to non- or limited-English speaking students. The LPI has conducted more than 10 professional development sessions for educators in Gallatin County and across the state, Romero Navarro said.

Finally, the initiative’s La Academia Familia Latina parent certificate program aims to provide educational literacy and information about post-secondary educational opportunities to assist Latino parents and their children with educational planning. La Academia Familia Latina is funded by MSU’s Outreach and Engagement Council and is a partnership with Gallatin College MSU and the nonprofit organization Bienvenidos.

Kevane noted that there is a growing Latino population in Gallatin County and across the state. According to the Pew Hispanic Research Center, the Latino population in Montana has grown by 50% since 2010, and the 2020 Census for Gallatin County shows that the Latino population has nearly doubled since 2010. Today there are close to 46,000 Latinos in Montana, and Latinos make up 4.6% of Gallatin County, which has an overall population of 126,409.

The Latino Pathways Initiative for Higher Education is part of MSU’s Center for Bilingual and Multicultural Education, which focuses on research, teaching and community impact through bilingual and multicultural education highlighting the broad range of linguistic educational needs in Montana. The Latino Pathways Initiative was funded by a Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences Grant awarded jointly to the Department of Education and the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures by the MSU Office of Research Development. More information is available at https://ou.montana.edu/cbme/.

On 4/10/2024, at 6:23 pm, Gallatin County Dispatch received a call stating two juveniles were missing from Manhattan Elementary School. Manhattan Police Department immediately responded, and were ultimately able to locate the missing juveniles on the north side of the Gallatin River, near Yadon Road. Manhattan Police Officers were not able to reach the cold and wet juveniles due to water conditions, and requested Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue (GCSSAR) respond to assist.

GCSAR volunteers from the Valley section, the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office Deputies, Manhattan Volunteer Fire Department, and American Medical Response (AMR) responded to assist. Due to the unique area the juveniles were located, multiple rescue plans were formulated to most effectively reach the juveniles quickly. While GCSSAR volunteers entered the river using inflatable rafts and dry suits, Deputies gained access to the river bank from the other side of the river. Ultimately, the juveniles were located safely and transferred to an awaiting AMR ambulance, where they were medically evaluated and returned to their parents.

Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer would like to thank all responding agencies for their cooperation and quick response. The effective interagency cooperation led to the best and safest outcome for all parties involved. Sheriff Springer would like to remind Gallatin County Citizens that although the days are becoming warmer, temperatures still drop quickly as the sun sets, and can make a seemingly normal evening turn into an emergency. If you plan on enjoying all that Gallatin County has to offer, prepare accordingly, and always ensure someone knows where you are going and when you will be home.

DILLON – Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, the Bureau of Reclamation, and partners from the East Bench Joint Irrigation Board are coordinating to deliver a flushing flow below Clark Canyon Dam.

River users should be aware that the flushing flow regime will be released from April 11 through April 14. Beaverhead River flows may increase from 200 cubic feet per second to up to 750 cubic feet per second during this period. On April 15, releases from the dam will return to about 200 cubic feet per second until the onset of irrigation demand.

Inflows to Clark Canyon Reservoir are forecasted to approach the regulatory flood pool, providing the water needed to conduct the flushing flow. This will mobilize sediment deposited in the Beaverhead River to maintain and improve fish habitat in riffles and pools.

Flushing flows have occurred periodically on the Beaverhead River since 2017 and have been effective in clearing sediment and improving river health.

BOZEMAN — Ilse-Mari Lee, the inaugural dean of Montana State University’s Honors College and the longest serving academic dean at MSU, will retire May 15.

Born in South Africa, Lee came to MSU in 1989 as a cello professor. Nearly from her beginning at MSU, she also taught honors students and served on the selection committee for MSU’s prestigious Presidential Scholarship. In 2009, Lee was appointed as director of what was then known as the MSU Honors Program.

In 2013, under Lee’s guidance and leadership, the Montana Board of Regents elevated the program to become the MSU Honors College and promoted Lee to dean. In addition to leading the transition from an honors program to college, Lee was instrumental in reinstating the directed interdisciplinary studies degree in the Honors College, which is designed for highly motivated students to pursue studies at the intersection of different academic disciplines. In 2021, Lee, in collaboration with Assistant Dean Steven Davis, established the Honor Bound Program to recruit and retain highly motivated Indigenous students to the Honors College at MSU. The Honors College now numbers more than 1,700 students, with students coming from Montana and nearly all 50 states, as well as from around the globe.

Lee distinguished herself as a mentor to some of MSU’s most accomplished students and is known for her work preparing students to vie competitively for prestigious major awards, according to an announcement about Lee’s retirement from MSU Provost Robert Mokwa. Under Lee’s guidance, numerous MSU students have won such awards as the Rhodes, Truman, Marshall, Gates-Cambridge, Udall and Goldwater scholarships. MSU is among the top institutions in the country in the number of Goldwater Scholarships its students have received, with 90 such scholars, of which Lee mentored 39.

Lee is also a scholar and a dedicated teacher, Mokwa said. Her numerous awards include the Montana Arts Council Individual Fellowship, MSU’s Wiley Award for Meritorious Research, MSU’s President’s Excellence in Teaching Award and numerous excellence in teaching awards. He added that as a musician, Lee is known as a first-rate soloist, recitalist and chamber musician, as well as an internationally recognized composer. She founded the MSU Cello Ensemble in 1998, and, while she served as its director, the group toured throughout the Northwest and visited Italy, central Europe and China. As an award-winning film composer, she helped establish the music technology program in the School of Music.

“It has been the honor of my life to serve Montana State University, and by extension, the people of the great state of Montana,” Lee said. “Every interaction I have had with a student, staff member or colleague has been a gift. I am forever grateful to have had this opportunity.”

MSU Vice Provost Durward Sobek will serve as interim dean of the Honors College while the university conducts a search for Lee’s replacement.

County Commissioners from across Montana appreciate the widespread support that Senate Bill 442 enjoyed throughout its legislative process. Marijuana revenues are new to Montana, and the bill’s thoughtful distribution of this higher-than-expected new revenue stream included some funding for county roads.

Bipartisan and impactful legislation backed by such a wide variety of Montanans is a rarity, and we commend Senator Lang and the bill’s many proponents for their efforts. Even after Governor Gianforte exercised his right to veto, we were confident the Legislature would overturn it.

The Governor’s veto letter made clear his belief that State revenues should solely fund State projects. No Governor in the history of Montana has ever taken such a State-centric position that blatantly disregards the needs of Montanans.

Public infrastructure benefits Montana’s economy, the State’s revenue, and Montana’s citizens and visitors alike.

The veto letter stated that SB 442 would create a “slippery slope” by utilizing State funds for local infrastructure.

However, Montanans have always benefited from State resources provided to local governments for assisting with bridges, the secondary road system, and access roads to recreational sites, to name a few.

Given that the State relies almost exclusively on federal funding and gas taxes to maintain the State jurisdictional road system, the Governor’s position that “what’s ours is ours” is ill-informed and innacurate. It is not how our state has operated in the past and doesn’t recognize the fact that ALL Montanans benefit from infrastructure investments, no matter where the money comes from, even the State’s General Fund. SB 442 doesn’t create a “slippery slope.” It provides new dollars to help meet longstanding infrastructure needs.

Governor Gianforte didn’t just veto the bill. He tried to invent a new “pocket veto,” which was specifically rejected by the framers of our constitution. There is no scenario where a governor’s veto cannot be checked by the Legislature, and that check is an important part of Montana’s “separation of powers doctrine.” If a governor vetoes a bill while the Legislature is in session, the Legislature can override that veto. If the veto comes when the Legislature isn’t able to review that action, it is sent to the Secretary of State to poll members of the Legislature.

The procedural framework is simple and straightforward. Every governor in Montana has followed this constitutional process. Yet when asked to submit the bill to the Secretary of State for polling, this Governor refused.

The litigation surrounding SB 442 sought to protect the Legislature’s authority under the Montana Constitution, a right that was violated by the Executive Branch, which in turn required the Judicial Branch to intervene and mandate the Executive Branch into compliance. Any twisting or spinning of the case is pure political gamesmanship.

The Court Order is clear. Judge Menahan stated, “At the time the Senate voted to adjourn, few if any legislators were aware of the governor’s veto. Following adjournment and a request from the bill sponsor, Jacobsen refused to initiate the post session override procedure, claiming she had not received a copy of the governor’s veto and a statement explaining his reasons for doing so. The legislature was thus deprived of an opportunity to override the veto of Senate Bill 442 and draft the policy contained therein into law.”

We respect the right of the Governor to veto legislation. We respect the rules established by the Legislature on how they conduct their business. We respect any legislator’s vote on the poll being conducted on the veto of SB 442. But we do not respect the political spin that when a governor fails to allow the Legislature the opportunity to review his veto action—and the Court is required to compel him to allow the Legislature their constitutional duty—that it somehow justifies a legislator refusing to participate in the poll.

As local elected officials, we take our oaths seriously. We have jobs to do, serving our constituents and our communities. State Senators and Representatives take the same oath and serve the same constituents.

SB 442 was good policy when it passed by a supermajority in both the House and Senate. It was good policy when the Executive exercised his veto authority. It was good policy when the Court ordered the Secretary of State to poll the legislators. And if those legislators evaluate the merits of the bill and vote according to their constituent needs, it will become good policy for the State of Montana.

If legislators decide to play politics and cite claims about “separation of powers” as an excuse to sabotage SB 442, then it is clear that those legislators are more concerned with engaging in political games than they are working to represent you.

The Court ordered the Governor to abide by the separation of powers and respect the role of the Legislature by issuing the veto poll. And as legislators return their ballots on this critical issue, we would urge you to watch carefully to see how your local legislator votes—because a vote to support SB 442 is a vote in the best interests of Montanans, and a vote to let the Governor’s veto stand is proof your local legislator is ignoring you, and just playing politics.

HELENA – A Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks warden stopped a driver pulling a ski boat after he drove past an aquatic invasive species (AIS) inspection station near Anaconda last week. The warden noticed some mussels on the boat and had the driver return to the inspection station where many more mussels were detected. A full decontamination was performed at the station and the boat was locked to the trailer. 

This is a good reminder that it’s the law that anyone transporting watercraft (motorized and non-motorized) must stop at all open inspection stations they encounter. Watercraft includes paddle boards, kayaks, canoes, rafts and pack rafts. Nonresidents and residents returning home must have their watercraft inspected before launching in Montana. Watercraft must also be drained of all water before transporting.  

 “Although it might be tempting to drive past an inspection station, boaters need to be aware that it’s up to them to prevent AIS from coming into our state,” said Tom Woolf, FWP’s AIS bureau chief. “An inspection typically takes less than 10 minutes.” 

The driver was transporting the boat from Michigan to British Columbia. It was the fourth mussel-fouled watercraft intercepted in Montana this season. Boats with mussels have also been detected at the inspection station near Dillon, where a fifth boat was found to have mussels on Monday.  

Watercraft inspection stations are Montana’s first line of defense to prevent the movement of AIS, which can have devastating impacts on Montana waterways. AIS are plants, animals, or pathogens that are not native to Montana and can cause harm to our environment and economy.  

“It’s everyone’s responsibility to help stop the spread of AIS to Montana waters,” Woolf said. 

Learn more at fwp.mt.gov/conservation/aquatic-invasive-species or call the FWP Aquatic Invasive Species Bureau at 406-444-2440.  

BOZEMAN — Tricia Seifert, professor and interim dean of the Montana State University College of Education, Health and Human Development, has been selected as the college’s new dean after a national search. She will begin her new position April 4.

“I am delighted to announce Tricia Seifert as the new dean of the College of Education, Health and Human Development,” said Robert Mokwa, MSU’s executive vice president for academic affairs and provost. “Her extensive leadership experience, combined with her dedication to student success and innovative research, make her an exceptional choice for this important leadership role.”

Seifert has been at MSU since 2014, when she joined the faculty in the College of Education, Health and Human Development. Since then, she has served as a program leader in adult and higher education, as interim director of the Science Math Resource Center, as head of the Department of Education and, since Aug. 2022, as interim dean of the College of Education, Health and Human Development.

“I am honored to serve and lead the College of Education, Health and Human Development,” Seifert said. “Whether EHHD students, faculty and staff are working with world-class athletes, beginning readers or families saving for their future, we learn by doing to realize MSU’s vision to transform lives and communities.”

Seifert was one of three finalists who interviewed on campus in March. The interview process included meetings with faculty, administrators and students. Members of the public were invited to participate in an open forum and submit comments online.

In addition to her work as a professor and administrator, Seifert researches the experiences students have while attending college, along with the role the college environment plays in students’ learning, growth, development and success. Seifert is co-author of the widely cited book “How College Affects Students” and has published many articles in a wide variety of scholarly journals.

She has received numerous awards throughout her career, including the College of Education, Health and Human Development’s Most Valuable Professor Award and its Outstanding Research Award, both in 2016. She also received the 2015 Award of Honor from the Canadian Association for College and University Student Services and the 2010 Emerging Scholar Award from ACPA College Student Educators International. In 2017, she was chosen to deliver a lecture as part of MSU’s annual Provost’s Distinguished Lecturer Series.

Before MSU, Seifert was an assistant professor at the University of Toronto.

She has a doctorate in student affairs administration and research from the University of Iowa, a master’s in college student services administration from Oregon State University and bachelor’s degrees in sociology and political science from Illinois Wesleyan University.

Seifert replaces former Dean Alison Harmon, who became MSU’s vice president for research and economic development in 2022.

“I extend my deepest appreciation to the search committee, chaired by Brett Gunnink, dean of the MSU Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering, for their diligent and thoughtful work throughout the search process,” Mokwa said. “Their commitment to finding the best candidate has resulted in an outstanding choice for the college and the university.”