Bannack State Park’s signature event, Bannack Days, will return this year with many familiar activities, displays, and re-enactments celebrating Montana’s first territorial capital.  

Bannack Days are scheduled to happen Saturday, July 17, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, July 18, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  

About 20 miles west of Dillon, Bannack State Park is a National Historic Landmark and the site of Montana’s first major gold discovery in 1862. More than 50 historic buildings line Bannack’s Main Street. During Bannack Days, the ghost town comes alive with displays, re-enactments, artisan demonstrations, music and other family-friendly festivities.  

Admission is $5 for individuals ages 9 and older, or $20 per family. Children ages 8 and younger are free. Food and drinks can be purchased from vendors during the event.  

Shuttle services will be available during Bannack Days, but parking space is limited during this busy event. Please leave pets at home. 

For more information about scheduled events, activities and park rules for Bannack Days, please visit fwp.mt.gov/stateparks/bannack or call 406-834-3413. 

The Bozeman Symphony is proud to announce that Music Director Norman Huynh was selected from a record-breaking 612 applicants to participate in the Danish National Symphony Orchestra’s 2021 Malko Competition for young conductors. Huynh is one of 24 participants chosen from around the world, representing 14 different countries, to compete in this prestigious competition that takes place every three years in Copenhagen, Denmark, since 1965. 

 
Huynh is honored to represent Bozeman, Montana, and the greater United States as he competes against the world’s elite conductors on the DR Koncerthuset podium. Only one young conductor will win first prize, a check for 20,000 Euros and conducting contracts with several European symphony orchestras.  

 
In the Danish National Symphony Orchestra’s press release, Chief Conductor Fabio Luisi and chairman of the Malko Competition jury, said, “Not only have we had an exceptionally wide field of applicants for this year’s competition in spite of the pandemic. We are pleased to see the very high standard of the candidates. This is truly the young world elite in a discipline that demands excellent musical and personal skills from the young people.”  

 
To apply to this prestigious competition, applicants must be under 35 years of age and have studied to become or have become a professional conductor. Each applicant was required to send in a video recording that was highly scrutinized by an international pre-jury. Like Huynh, all 24 finalists this year already have promising conducting careers and are ready to compete at the highest level.  

 
“When Norman auditioned as a finalist for the position of Music Director with the Bozeman Symphony it was clear to the search committee along with many individuals who contributed to that process that Norman is a rising star. It is incredibly exciting to have Norman participating in this prestigious competition, representing the Bozeman Symphony, Bozeman, Montana, and the region. Norman is putting the arts and culture that exists in Bozeman on display to an international audience. He is a wonderful example of the caliber of talent reflected in our growing community and young professionals relocating here. I hope that the community can recognize his achievements and take every opportunity to engage with Norman, the musicians of the orchestra and choir, and the exciting 2021-2022 concert season that is planned,” said Emily Paris-Martin, Executive Director of the Bozeman Symphony. 

 
 
The 2021 Malko Competition from June 7 – 12, 2021, is made up of three rounds ending with a finale, where the top three participants will compete for first place. Viewers can watch Huynh compete live during round one at 8:15 am (MST) on Monday, June 7, 2021, streamed worldwide on the Malko Competition’s website (www.malkocompetition.dk). In addition, the Bozeman Symphony will give live updates on its website and social media platforms with Huynh’s progress throughout the competition.  

 
For more information about the 2021 Malko Competition, please contact the Bozeman Symphony at (406) 585-9774 or info@bozemansymphony.org. 
 
 
Norman Huynh, Music Director - American conductor Norman Huynh continues to establish his reputation as one of classical music’s most adventurous ambassadors. Hailed for the exuberance with which he leads orchestras across Europe, Asia, and North America, Huynh has received equal renown for his ability to attract new audiences to the orchestra. The 2020 season inaugurated his tenure as Music Director of the Bozeman Symphony, joining an existing appointment as Associate Conductor for the Oregon Symphony.

Huynh has attained international prominence in the first years of his career, most recently through an invitation to the Bruno Walter Young Conductor Preview, a selective showcase hosted by the League of American Orchestras. 
 

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While the coronavirus pandemic has proven once more that the tiniest germ can upset global civilization, a Montana State University team has responded by illustrating that ancient strategies used by bacteria to battle viruses can be repurposed into transformative technologies.

Leveraging his lab's expertise in the bacterial immune system called CRISPR, MSU researcher Blake Wiedenheft turned the urgency of the first wave of COVID-19 last spring into an opportunity to develop a more rapid and sensitive virus test. Now, roughly a year later, his team has demonstrated that the new diagnostic tool can accurately detect even relatively small amounts of coronavirus in patient samples in less than 30 minutes and sometimes in as little as one minute. The work was recently published the journal Cell Reports Medicine.

"The coronavirus revealed the limitations of our standard diagnostic tools, which are relatively slow and expensive," said Wiedenheft, associate professor in the Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology in MSU's College of Agriculture. "The fact that a bacterial immune system could be repurposed to address those shortcomings is remarkable."

The technology could also be used against other viruses such as Zika and Ebola, Wiedenheft added. "We intend to continue to develop this into a superior diagnostic tool that could really help patients and be an important contribution in the fight against disease," he said.

The technology is based on a Type III CRISPR system, which, in bacteria, monitors for viral invasion. CRISPRs work like molecular homing devices that search and destroy the genetic material of viruses, but the Type III CRISPR systems that Wiedenheft's team is studying have an additional feature that made them well-suited for repurposing into a diagnostic tool, according to Andrew Santiago-Frangos, lead author of the study and a postdoctoral researcher in the Wiedenheft lab. When Type III CRISPRs bind to their viral targets, they undergo a structural transformation akin to lighting a signal flare, he said. That flare is detected by various other CRISPR molecules, which then destroy the virus.

Santiago-Frangos isolated the Type III CRISPR complex from bacteria and reprogramed it to recognize segments of the coronavirus genome. By understanding how the CRISPR system generates the molecular flare, the team was able to design three different chemical reactions, two of which result in color changes that can be seen with the naked eye, Santiago-Frangos said.

Working alone in the lab because of COVID-19 precautions in the early weeks of the pandemic, Santiago-Frangos saw a test solution turn from purple to orange, the first proof they were onto something. "There was a lot of excitement," he said.

Other scientists had previously demonstrated that related CRISPR systems called Cas12 and Cas13 could be repurposed to detect Ebola and Zika. Those tools have proven valuable, but the intrinsic signal amplification provided by the molecular flare of Type III CRISPRs may provide additional advantages, Wiedenheft noted. Type III CRISPRs hadn't been previously used for diagnostics, he said.

CRISPRs are perhaps best known for Cas9, which has been repurposed into a precision genome-editing technology that is rapidly reshaping medicine, enabling previously unthinkable cures for genetic diseases and the promise of overcoming cancer. The 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry went to University of California, Berkeley, professor Jennifer Doudna for her role in pioneering that technology. Wiedenheft worked in Doudna’s lab from 2007 until he joined MSU's faculty in 2012.

The breakthrough of turning Type III CRISPR systems into a rapid diagnostic tool "is more evidence that CRISPRs are versatile and powerful platforms for biotechnology," Wiedenheft said. Adding to the excitement, "we can reprogram these systems overnight to recognize other viruses like Ebola or influenza."

The next steps in making the technology useful are streamlining and packaging the chemistry into a form that can be administered in a medical setting, he said. The technology is in the process of being patented by MSU and licensed it to a local startup company, VIRIS Detection Systems, that is currently working on Food and Drug Administration authorizations. The company hopes to roll out the CRISPR-based test later this year. Wiedenheft is the founder of VDS and an inventor on patent applications related to the technology.

"Being from Montana and knowing about our rural areas around the state that don't have easy access to the usual diagnostic equipment, it's been really cool working on this project," said Laina Hall, a senior with a dual major in biochemistry and microbiology who worked closely with Santiago-Frangos. "It's given me a new perspective on science, working on something that can lead to applications that can help people."

Hall is a co-author on the paper with Pushya Krishna, a senior and dual major in English literature and cell biology and neuroscience; both are among MSU's four winners this year of Goldwater Scholarships, the nation's premier scholarship for undergraduate students pursuing research careers in the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering.

Other co-authors of the paper include, in the Wiedenheft lab, postdoctoral researchers Anna Nemudraia and Artem Nemudryi; research assistant Helen Lee; graduate students Calvin Cicha and Tanner Wiegand; and undergraduate researcher Ava Graham; and other Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology faculty Jodi Hedges, assistant research professor; Mark Jutila, Regents Professor; Deann Snyder, research associate; Royce Wilkinson, research associate; Matthew Taylor, associate professor.

photo credit Kene Sperry

Bozeman, Montana: New Drop-Off Service

Happy Trash Can Composting has announced a new drop-off spot (located at Co-op West Main) for their existing or new customers.

Owners Ryan Green and Adrienne Huckabone have long offered curbside pick-up. However, some folks live outside the pick-up zone, don't have a need for the service or have budgets that make this option unobtainable, including a new "pay-what-you-can" subscription option.

All drop-off subscribers receive a 5-gallon bucket to collect into, compostable liners and can get free compost each month.

In an effort to make composting accessible to more people, the Community Food Co-op is partnering with Happy Trash Can to provide a drop-off location at Co-op West Main. The store has marked bins located on the far west side of our parking lot.

“We are excited to provide this drop-off service to help expand composting in our community,” said Marketing Manager Alison Germain. “Not only does it reduce food waste, but high-quality compost supports local soil health.”

To sign up for drop-off composting, interested customers can contact Happy Trash Can directly.

"Our goal with the drop-off program is to make composting accessible to many in our community," said Ryan. "Our mission is to make diverting food scraps from the landfill as easy as possible. Not only does this reduce waste, but also allows us to create quality compost for local agricultural soils and backyard gardens." 

In addition to the drop-off service, the Co-op has partnered with Happy Trash Can since 2016 to pick-up and compost food and packaging waste. The two businesses have been able to divert 250,000 gallons from the landfill to date!

Remember to Buckle Up, Montana!
Expect increased patrols in Bozeman and Gallatin County as part of a nationwide “Click It or Ticket” mobilization

May 28, 2021, Bozeman, Mont. – The beginning of the summer travel season is upon us with Memorial Day weekend right around the corner. Before you drive anywhere this holiday weekend, make the choice to wear your seat belt. Wearing your seat belt is the best defense you have to prevent serious injury and death in the event you are in a crash. As part of a nationwide “Click It or Ticket” mobilization running from May 24 through June 6, 2021, Bozeman area law enforcement agencies and the Montana Highway Patrol (MHP) will be out to educate motorists and enforce Montana’s seat belt law statewide.

“You share the road with other motorists and must take precautions for your safety and the safety of your passengers. It is every driver’s responsibility,” said Captain Dana McNeil. “We know seat belts save lives and wearing one is the single most important safety measure you can take when you get in a vehicle. Do your part and buckle up every time.”

In 2019 in Montana 184 people died in roadway crashes, of those:
74 of vehicle occupant (exclude pedestrian, bicycle, motorcycle) deaths were unrestrained,
93 unrestrained vehicle occupant deaths occurred in rural roadway crashes,
64 unrestrained vehicle occupant who died were ejected.

Though Montana has made an improvement in the percentage of those wearing their seat belts, we still have a long way to go – remember, your chance of surviving a crash is increased by 50% if you are buckled up.

We all can do more to protect ourselves by simply wearing our seat belts and ensure our passengers to do the same. State and local law enforcement are also doing their part to ensure the safety of all Montanans by continuing to educate motorists and enforcing Montana’s seat belt law statewide. When we remember to buckle up, we save lives.

This is a Vision Zero message from the Montana Department of Transportation. This and other enforcement and educational campaigns are strategies to reach Vision Zero – zero deaths and zero serious injuries on Montana roadways. For more information about Vision Zero, contact Janet Kenny, Montana Department of Transportation, 406-444-7417 or jakenny@mt.gov. 

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks announced today that 42 trail organizations, communities and various land-managing agencies throughout Montana will receive federal Recreational Trails Program (RTP) grant awards for their projects in 2021.

Fifty-three RTP applications were received this year from a variety of eligible applicants, including federal and state agencies, towns, cities, counties, private clubs and nonprofit organizations. 

The Recreational Trails Program current awards total approximately $1,563,080 in federal funds. RTP grants funds are allocated to the highest-scoring projects based upon their relative scores and State Trails Advisory Committee (STAC) recommendations.

The Recreational Trails Program is a federally funded grant program. This grant program awards about $1.5 million annually. Eligible activities include construction or maintenance of motorized and non-motorized trails or trail-related facilities, purchase of trail equipment and development of trail education or ethics programs

A list of the successful 2021 Recreational Trails Program grant recipients is available here.

BELGRADE, Montana (May 26, 2021) – Belgrade locals eager to see a Jackrabbit Lane traffic solution can rest assured that engineers are hard at work on the task. The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) has hired engineering firm Morrison-Maierle to carry the torch of further developing Jackrabbit – Madison to Main project plans. Morrison-Maierle will develop plans to include a railroad crossing underpass or overpass on Jackrabbit Lane near Main Street. Traffic signal work once associated with the project will be conducted well ahead of other improvements.

“Designing an underpass or overpass is no easy task, and the needs of our state are great. In our district alone, there are approximately 75 projects we are preparing for construction in the next five years,” William Fogarty, Butte District Administrator for the Montana Department of Transportation, said. “We need to call on consulting partners such as Morrison-Maierle to dedicate their time and expertise to this project so MDT staff can continue to focus energy on the numerous other project priorities in the district.”

 
Plans for Jackrabbit – Madison to Main include expanding Jackrabbit Lane to a five-lane roadway, from Madison Avenue to Main Street, and creating an underpass or overpass for the railroad crossing by Main Street so that traffic can flow uninterrupted crossing the train tracks. Morrison-Maierle will lead the design process, which involves surveying land, creating, reviewing, and editing plans, conducting environmental reviews, and negotiating with landowners on right of way. The is process is expected to take multiple years to complete.  

 
The Jackrabbit – Madison to Main project also originally called for signal improvements at the six intersections below. The department has identified separate funding for this improvement, allowing traffic to move more effectively as they work towards Jackrabbit’s larger needs. These improvements involve upgrading, and/or adding traffic signals at the following intersections:

1.     Amsterdam Road and Thorpe Road
2.     Amsterdam Road and Interstate 90 eastbound off-ramp
3.     Amsterdam Road and Jackrabbit Lane
4.     Jackrabbit Lane and Interstate 90 westbound off-ramp
5.     Jackrabbit Lane and Madison Avenue
6.     Jackrabbit Lane and Main Street
 
Jackrabbit – Madison to Main is anticipated to cost $10-$20 million, and funding has not yet been secured. MDT cannot bear the brunt of costs alone and it will take time to create partnerships with local stakeholders and identify funding sources. The bulk of MDT’s funding is provided by the Federal Highway Administration and is not expected to be secured until 2026 or later.

 
To stay up to date on Jackrabbit – Madison to Main, call the Montana Department of Transportation hotline at 406-207-4484 or contact Takami Clark at takami@bigskypublicrelations.com. Learn more online at https://www.mdt.mt.gov/pubinvolve/jackrabbit/default.shtml.
 
Alternative accessible formats of this document will be provided upon request. Persons who need an alternative format should contact the Office of Civil Rights, Department of Transportation, 2701 Prospect Avenue, PO Box 201001, Helena, MT 59620. Telephone 406-444-5416 or Montana Relay Service at 711.