***At this time the Bozeman Police investigation has definitively established this incident was not a random act and there is no general public safety concern. We are still actively investigating the incident, no arrests have been made.***

Shortly after midnight on 4/19/2021, Bozeman Police responded to the 1200 block of W Babcock for an adult male who had been shot. The victim reported he went outside to smoke when a dark sedan pulled up next to him and someone shot him. The victim was transported to Bozeman Health with non-life threatening injuries. Thanks to Bozeman Fire and AMR for their quick response to the scene.

At this time, we are continuing to investigate the event, no arrests have been made and we are asking for your assistance. Anyone with any information is encouraged to call us. Information leading to an arrest in this case may be eligible for a Crime Stoppers reward.

We do not think this was a random act and don’t believe there is a safety concern to the general public.

Points of Contact:

Detective Tom Lloyd
406-582-2959
tlloyd@bozeman.net

Captain Cory Klumb
406-582-2021
cklumb@bozeman.net

Crime Stoppers
406-586-1131

WEST YELLOWSTONE – A grizzly bear was shot and killed Friday while Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks staff investigated the scene of a bear attack that happened Thursday near West Yellowstone. 

Thursday’s attack involved a 40-year-old West Yellowstone man, who was mauled just south of the Baker’s Hole campground, about three miles north of West Yellowstone. He was transported to Idaho Falls for treatment of severe injuries. He remained in serious condition Friday. 

FWP staff have not yet been able to talk with the man, who was alone during the bear encounter. The man had bear spray with him, but it’s unclear whether he was able to deploy it during the attack.  

The U.S. Forest Service issued an emergency public-safety closure in the area Thursday afternoon. The closure remains in effect.  

A group of seven investigators, including FWP game wardens and bear specialists, as well as Forest Service personnel, revisited the site Friday to assess ongoing public safety risks and continue the investigation. 

They yelled and made continuous noise as they walked toward the site to haze away any bears in the area. Before they reached the site, a bear began charging the group. Despite multiple attempts by all seven people to haze away the bear, it continued its charge. Due to this immediate safety risk, the bear was shot and died about 20 yards from the group. The bear was an older-age male grizzly. 

Investigators later found a moose carcass cached within 50 yards of Thursday’s attack. This indicates the bear was defending a food source during the attack. 
Recreationists, residents and people who work outdoors can be prepared for a surprise bear encounter. Activities that are deliberately quiet or fast moving, such as hunting, mountain biking or trail running, put people at greater risk for surprising a bear. When you’re outside, keep these precautions in mind: 

• Be aware of your surroundings and look for bear sign. 
• Read signs at trailheads and stay on trails. Be especially careful around creeks and in areas with dense brush. 
• Carry bear spray. Know how to use it and be prepared to deploy it immediately.  
• Travel in groups whenever possible and make casual noise, which can help alert bears to your presence.  
• Stay away from animal carcasses, which often attract bears. 
• Follow food storage orders from the applicable land management agency. 
• If you encounter a bear, never approach it. Back away slowly and leave the area. 

Grizzly bears in the lower 48 states are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Management authority for grizzlies rests with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, working closely in Montana with FWP, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services, the Forest Service and Tribal lands. This collaboration happens through the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee. 

For more information on bear safety, visit igbconline.org/bear-safety. 

The pandemic has reinforced what our community has always known to be true— trails are critically important infrastructure for an #outdoorhealthylife. Not only is walking outside on trails beneficial for physical health, including decreasing risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes, as well as strengthening bones and muscles, it has benefits for mental and emotional health as well. GVLT and Bozeman Health will begin construction this spring on a new Wellness Trail that will connect and improve access to existing trails within the Highland Glen Nature Preserve (a Bozeman Health property), nearby residential and commercial neighborhoods and the Gallatin Mental Health Center.

This new half-mile trail will provide a safe and critical connection to the existing 4.5 miles of trails within Highland Glen Nature Preserve for the more than 2,000 individuals who use the Gallatin Mental Health Center annually, as well nearby affordable housing neighborhoods and businesses off Haggerty Lane. The new connector will allow participants from the Mental Health Center to access the trails directly from the health center campus rather than having to walk along Haggerty Lane and Ellis Street—a much longer, more trafficked, and less peaceful route. GVLT worked with a number of private landowners, in addition to the health system and the City of Bozeman, to clarify and establish trail easements along the trail corridor. The Wellness Trail reflects GVLT and Bozeman Health’s dedication to equity and providing access to the outdoors for underserved and low-income individuals and families.

As we all know, a walk outside is nature’s best medicine. Bozeman Health is inspired by a desire to take outdoor active and healthy lifestyles and combine them with traditional services including behavioral health to increase health and wellness in the region in a way that is accessible to all community members. In this spirit, Bozeman Health’s #OutdoorHealthyLife campaign encourages people throughout Southwest Montana to take advantage of the benefits that spending time outside provides.

For years, GVLT has partnered with Bozeman Health and the Gallatin Mental Health Center on the Trails Prescription Program (TrailsRx), encouraging medical providers to write ‘prescriptions’ for trail walks to their patients who need increased physical activity, social connection, and fresh air. The TrailsRx materials are available to the community and medical providers free of charge and are printed in both English and Spanish.

Bozeman Health’s support and financial contributions to both organizations were key to the launch of this project. The health system generously partnered with GVLT and the City of Bozeman Parks & Recreation Department in 2013 to allow for public access on their 450-acre property. With the help of volunteers, GVLT designed and constructed the 4.5 miles of trails that exist today and connect with the larger Main Street to the Mountains trail system. The Bridger Ski Foundation grooms the trails in the Highland Glen Nature Preserve in the winter. The trails provide a welcome natural respite from the bustling Bozeman core. While the single-track trails are great for bike rides, trail runs, and quiet walks, the community is encouraged to respect the existing agricultural use on the property and extensive wildlife by leashing their dogs, cleaning up dog waste, and being courteous to other users.

The Wellness Trail will cost approximately $47,000 to create. Funding for this project was provided by GVLT, Bozeman Health, City of Bozeman, Gianforte Family Foundation, Sanderson Stewart, Gallatin Association of Realtors, National Association of Realtors, AMB West Philanthropies, Murdoch’s Ranch and Home Supply, and the One Valley Community Foundation.

Let's face it . . . The pandemic has changed everything. What we didn't expect was the dramatic effect it would have on our eating habits as well.

There is no doubt that everyone has taken a hit financially because of Covid-19. However, the hospitality industry has literally taken a big punch to the gut. 



Some restaurants that were around for ages are now completely gone. including brand name franchises and multimillion-dollar, full-on established chains.

These days, you are not even allowed to go to restaurants (At least in most cities). If you are, you have to either sit on the patio or some other special arrangements have to be made.

The pandemic has brought some great changes for restaurant owners, and their customers alike. However, there are still certain things you can do that may help you enjoy your favorite restaurants . . . just in a different way. 

All while keeping your sanity intact in the process.

Use Food Ordering Apps
Whenever there is a sudden lack of opportunity in a certain field, there is also the opposite effect in another. Someone's gain is always someone's loss. In this case, since restaurants are struggling, food apps have now become all the rage. 



You can order your favorite food from most of the open restaurants in your city, and with the help of these apps, you can get your favorite meal right to your home. 

This allows the restaurants to stay alive and while you are enjoying your favorite food and meals.

Apps like Skip the Dishes and Uber Eats are now the norm. With new copycat apps popping up as well.

So although it’s not the best solution for restaurants or the customers, it’s not bad either.


Time For a Picnic, Covid-19 Style
Eating your favorite food at home is awesome. However, you can't stay home all the time. 

Unless you have a really amazing home (LOL). 

However, for most of us, especially people who live in apartments, you just have to get out. As human beings, we are not meant to just stay in one spot. Our bodies are designed to move. 

There is no doubt about that.



So you must go for your little walk, and get some fresh air and every now and then.

To get things going, we highly suggest that after you receive your food, why not go to your local park to enjoy it?
 

Especially if there is one close to you.



If you don't have that many parks around, just find an open area where you and your friends can sit for a while without disturbing others and enjoy some fresh air while eating your meal.

Don’t worry, nobody will judge you these days. Just do your thing.

It's just always nice to eat with your friends while keeping socially distanced. Just make sure these people are part of your bubble and you are taking all the necessary precautions. We also highly encourage that you do this outdoors. 

Not in your own or your friend’s apartment. 

That will kind of defeat the purpose of the whole thing right?

Last But Not The Least . . .  Hang In There
As time has shown, nothing lasts forever. As you may be seeing as well, the end of the pandemic is actually just around the corner. Especially with the new vaccines coming out.



Things are definitely improving but there are a whole number of Covid-19 cases that are on the rise too. This usually happens when the life cycle of a virus is about to end. When a virus is about to die, it fights really hard to stay alive. 



Hence the reason for all the mutation that is going on right now. Especially with the different Covid-19 variants. However, if you continue to practice proper social distancing, wear a face mask and just avoid unnecessary travel, we are literally not that far off from going back to how things were. 

After all, the night is always darkest before dawn.

Yes, it will take time for all the local restaurants to recover and everything, but we are on the way.

So bottom line, hang in there and don't forget to enjoy your favorite meal every now and then. 

Bozeman, MT  – MSU’s Office of the Dean of Students and the City of Bozeman’s Neighborhoods Program, and Solid Waste Division are teaming up for the third year to provide free curbside pickup of bulky items for MSU students.
 
In an effort to keep neighborhoods' streets clean and clutter-free, the City of Bozeman Solid Waste will pick up bulky items such as couches, mattresses, or other large furniture items at any time during the year for a $10 fee. At the end of the Spring semester, when many students are moving out, the $10 fee is waived for MSU-enrolled students. This opportunity is available to students from April 19th-May 14th this year. To participate, students must fill out a short form on the City’s website to confirm their enrollment, enter a description of the item, and its location.

“This is a great program” states Matt Caires, MSU’s dean of students.  “The University is proud of our partnership with the City of Bozeman.  This program is just one of the ways we work together to reduce the impact MSU students make on the community at the end of the semester.”
 
For more information and to access the online form, visit the City’s website. 
 

VIRGINIA CITY – A woman was injured Friday evening in a surprise close encounter with a moose in Virginia City.

The 66-year-old woman was walking her dogs along Cover Street when a cow moose charged at her from a patch of willow trees nearby. The woman suffered a fractured wrist during the encounter.

A game warden with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks assessed the area and spoke with the woman, who said the cow moose was accompanied by a yearling calf. FWP staff will monitor moose activity in this area, but no further management action is planned at this time.

Moose are common in southwest Montana and can be defensive and dangerous in surprise close encounters with people. This is especially true of cow moose with calves. Keep these precautions in mind to avoid negative encounters with moose:
• Be aware of your surroundings and be especially careful around creeks and in areas with dense brush.
• Travel in groups whenever possible and make casual noise to alert animals to your presence.
• If you encounter a moose, give it lots of space and don’t approach it. Always keep dogs under control.
• If a moose charges or chases you, take cover behind something solid, such as a tree.
• In some situations, bear spray has been known to be an effective defense tool in moose encounters.

Tinworks Arts has named the five artists as recipients of its 2021 Tinworks Artists Grant, which this year total $50,000. The grants are issued in support of contemporary art and craft in Montana and are aimed at nurturing the arts professions in the region. 
 
Tinworks Art received 115 applications making the grant highly competitive. Each grantee will receive a remunerative award of $10,000 each, a studio visit from the curatorial team, and a place in the public lecture series in Fall 2021. Each artist is required as part of the grant to participate in one outreach activity for K-12, or an underserved community of their choice.

Tinworks Art actively seeks to break down barriers that have historically excluded certain artists, art, and audiences from the important conversations that art provokes. This year, the grant focused on supporting Indigenous artists, emerging artists, and those working with endangered forms of knowledge. These grants were developed with the specific goal of removing hurdles to the profession, so the impact that a grant of this size might have on an artist’s career was also taken into account during selection.

The winning artists have been chosen for their demonstrated accomplishment as well as their potential for future work. The evaluators sought art that was attuned to the cultural moment, had a clear aesthetic point of view, as well as artists who made ambitious proposals.  
 
The 2021 Tinworks Artist Grantees (alpha by last name): 
 
Anne Appleby (Jefferson City, MT)
Anne Appleby was born in 1954 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and moved to Montana at age 17. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1977 from the University of Montana and embarked on a 15-year apprenticeship with an Ojibwe elder, learning to patiently and deeply observe nature. She would watch and then translate into color the cycles of leaves, stems, buds, fruit, and seeds, transforming nature’s fluid evolution into two-dimensional portraits. Her work is held in numerous collections around the world. For her project Ms. Appleby will be working, along with the staff of the Missoula Art Museum, on a retrospective catalog of her work that will help to frame it critically and historically.

 
Raven Halfmoon (Helena, MT)
Raven Halfmoon (Caddo Nation) is currently based in Helena, MT where she is an artist-in-residence at the Archie Bray Foundation for Ceramic Arts. Her work has been featured in multiple exhibitions throughout the U.S. as well as internationally, and was recently featured in Vogue. She is represented by Fritz + Kouri Gallery in Santa Fe, NM. For her project, Ms. Halfmoon has proposed a monumental sculptural piece, anchored in Caddo ceramic traditions, as a response to recent removals and reframing of public monuments. 

 
Tracy Linder (Molt, MT)
Tracy Linder lives in south central Montana where she continues to find source material for her installations such as bone, leather, seeds, leaves, grasses, often combined with resin and beeswax. Her work addresses our integral connection to the land, the sanctity of our food sources and the innate survival skills of all species. Yellowstone Art Museum presented a major mid-career retrospective of her work in the winter of 2020, entitled “Open Range” and her work has appeared in Sculpture Magazine.  Ms. Linder will be using her grant money to perform environmental upgrades to her studio for safer working conditions when constructing her installations.

 
Alayna Rasile (Bozeman, MT)
Alayna Rasile is a natural dyer and a handweaver who utilizes traditional craft forms and expertise that come from decades of studying fiber structures and engaging in hands-on material research with plant dyes. She is currently an instructor at Montana State University where she received her MFA. Ms. Rasile has proposed a project entitled Grand Prismatic Garden, a public dye garden as the site for a living art exhibition where she will approach the cultivation of a wide range of dye plants as a sculptural installation.

 
Paul Rowley (Somers, MT)
Paul Rowley was born in Seattle, Washington, is an enrolled member of the Tlingit and Haida tribes of Alaska, and a descendant of the Blackfeet and Cree of Montana. Paul received his MFA from Pacific University in creative writing and he weaves both contemporary and traditional objects using cedar bark, striving to make wearable art that reflects the rich traditions of the Pacific Northwest’s tribal history. Using his grant funds, Mr. Rowley will acquire space to make new work and to teach cedar harvesting and weaving in northwest Montana.

Tinworks Art would like to extend our deepest appreciation to the team of evaluators who lent their time and expertise to this process.

The Downtown Bozeman Partnership is excited to officially announce Ellie Staley as the Executive Director. Prior to becoming the Executive Director, Ellie Staley has most recently been the Assistant Director for the Downtown Bozeman Partnership since 2006. After growing up in Omaha, Nebraska and receiving her bachelor’s degree in Biology and Environmental Science at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, she moved to Bozeman in 2000. 

Ellie has over 20 years of event coordinating, sales, and management experience at several established local businesses in addition to her work managing the membership, events and marketing for the Downtown Bozeman Association, the 501c6 non-profit arm of the Partnership. She has a deep love for the Downtown Bozeman community and through her passion and hard work, continues to play an important leadership role in the Bozeman community through creative collaborations with small businesses, property owners, the City of Bozeman and beyond. Ellie is also committed to supporting social infrastructure as well as advocating for accessibility to the arts and culture.

From Ellie: "I am very excited to take on this new challenge that is beyond my scope of work over the last 14 years with events, membership, and marketing to take on some of the larger issues we are facing in Downtown and across our community. We have a wonderful organizational base within the Downtown Bozeman Partnership with over 85 years of support, 5 amazing staff members, over 21 active volunteer board members and hundreds of involved and passionate stakeholders, business owners, community members and more. I am ready to work with all of these groups and YOU to ensure we make the best decisions for our downtown community heading into the future!"