Montana State University will implement new safety and security measures at Bobcats home football games for the upcoming season, including a new clear bag policy.
 
"The safety of our student-athletes, employees and fans is the No. 1 priority," said Bobcat Director of Athletics Leon Costello. "MSU's new security measures are intended to maintain the safety and security at football games while increasing efficiency for fans entering the venue."
 
The clear bag policy allows transparent bags no larger than 12 inches tall by 6 inches wide by 12 inches deep, as well as 1-gallon, clear, resealable plastic storage bags. Select non-clear bags will be allowed into Bobcat Stadium, including small clutch bags (no larger than 4.5-by-6.5 inches), seat cushions without pockets or zippers, and medical and diaper bags. All bags are subject to search.

 
Fans can each bring in one approved bag and one of the smaller clutch-style bags. They can also bring coats and blankets into the stadium that do not fit in an approved bag.
 
Items prohibited under the new policy, whether opaque or clear, include backpacks, large purses, oversized tote bags, mesh bags, drawstring bags, camera bags, binocular cases and fanny packs.
 
The new policy is in effect only for Bobcat Stadium and Bobcats football games. Bobcat Athletics will provide season ticket holders with one free, compliant clear bag per ticket account. The MSU Bookstore and other local retailers will also sell compliant clear bags.
 
The clear bag policy is based on similar policies used by the National Football League and the Southeastern Conference, Costello said.
 
MSU is also installing walkthrough metal detectors and gate cameras at the stadium. Both of these are designed to make entering the stadium more efficient for fans, said MSU Police Chief Frank Parrish.
 
"We've worked with Homeland Security and law enforcement on the local, state and federal levels to implement these new security measures," Parrish said. "We've made changes each of the last few years to make our events safer for fans, and these are the next steps in our ongoing initiatives."
 
"Montana State University is proud to lead the charge across the Big Sky Conference for increased fan and participant safety," said MSU President Waded Cruzado.
 
More information and a full list of prohibited items, with images, are available at msubobcats.com/clearbags.

Alayna Rasile said she has heard all about the lowly milkweed and spirited insistence that it should be banished from gardens.
 
“I hear that a lot, that people are trying to get rid of it,” said Rasile, a graduate student in the Montana State University School of Art. “But really, it is a very cool plant (that is) essential for the migration of the monarch butterfly.”
 
The butterflies often lay their eggs on the underside of milkweed leaves, and plant is food for newly hatched larvae. But milkweed is also essential to Rasile’s business, May West designs. She and her collaborator Charlotte X.C. Sullivan, who farms in Vermont, are reviving the use of milkweed floss as a component in sustainable garments.

Collaborating across the country, the two are tapping into some of milkweed’s little-known qualities: The fibers are buoyant, having been used in flotation devices in World War II, and the fibers possess insulating qualities similar to down. They call the age-old plant a “future fiber.”
 
Rasile, who is a weaver and textile designer, is working on transforming the milkweed floss into a commercially viable fiber while in a three-year program to earn a master of fine arts degree at MSU. The only fiber artist in her program, Rasile is open to what a fine art focus can bring to her work.
 
It is that openness that has helped Rasile evolve from a scientist to an artist and businesswoman. A native of Helena, Rasile graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in geography. She worked in archaeology in Washington, D.C., in design in Philadelphia and eventually moved to New York City, where she got a job with a professional quilt maker who quilts maps.

 
“That was the gateway for me to become a textile artist,” Rasile said.
 
She was accepted into a yearlong residency at New York’s Textile Arts Center, which she said solidified her interest in textiles, and in 2015 Sullivan came to her to see about using milkweed as a fiber.
 
“We were completely taken by the silky milkweed fluff,” she said. “We were interested in what we could do with it.” Rasile spun the fiber into a thread, which they then wrapped around a rock that they dropped into water — “And we found the magical quality of flotation,” Rasile said. That experiment the pair to establish the three pillars of their milkweed-based design studio: flotation, migration and thermal regulation.

 
Rasile said that milkweed, which supports the monarch by providing its only food and habitat throughout its lifecycle, is most abundant in the Midwest. But sprawling development and herbicide use has made the plant scarce, which puts the monarchs at risk, she said.
 
“It takes four generations of butterflies to migrate from along its flyway from Canada to Mexico, so habitat must flourish along that flyway,” Rasile said, explaining why the International Union for the Conservation of Nature has classified the butterfly as “severely threatened.”  She said she hopes companies such as hers would make milkweed commercially viable and therefore more widely grown, which would benefit the monarch butterfly.

 
Rasile said that Montana is “not in the thick” of milkweed habitat. It is also not in the center of textile or fashion innovation. “But my heart is in Montana,” she said, so she applied to MSU’s MFA program, and she has included a fine arts component to her work in sustainable fibers.
 
“I come at it from a conceptual angle,” she said of her scholastic work.
 
Sara Mast, MSU professor of art and one of Rasile’s mentors, said that Rasile’s broad interdisciplinary background and her passion for making a significant social contribution with her work is innovative.
 
“This distinctive ‘artscience’ project, one of her many engaging endeavors, is a model for what is possible when art, design and fashion are integrated with a strong environmental ethic,” Mast said.
 
MSU has also helped support her work at May West. Rasile received a Blackstone LaunchPad micro-grant for $1,000, which was matched by a grant from the Vermont Fiber Works. Rasile said the grants will let the company hire a professional pattern maker and have a sample made.
 
“Those little grants have made a huge difference for us,” said Rasile, who said that processing of the fiber is currently done by hand. She said the company’s goal is to develop a jacket that will be free of microplastics and will be similar in cost and thermal qualities to many popular outdoor down jackets.

“These will be values-driven products,” she said. “It is really future-focused.”
 
Rasile’s other project is Absorka, a clothing line developed from vintage and reclaimed materials sold at Wilder Goods at the Emerson and the Cactus Blossom Collective in Livingston. And, she is building a cabin in Helena that she hopes to use as an art studio.
 
“I have a lot of ideas,” she said.

The Red Ants Pants Foundation announced its 2018 community grants to projects that increase women’s leadership, promote rural communities and support working family farms and ranches.

Thanks to ticket sales and donations from past Red Ants Pants Music Festivals, the foundation has now given more than $100,000 in mission-based community grants.

“Long after the final act plays at the Red Ants Pants Music Festival, fans are making a lasting impact on rural communities, family farms and ranches all while fostering women’s leadership,” said Sarah Calhoun, Executive Director of the Red Ants Pants Foundation and Producer of the Red Ants Pants Music Festival. “Whether it’s supporting the Garfield County Fire Foundation’s work to educate teens or helping girls identify new leadership opportunities, the 2018 community grant recipients are doing important work that we are proud to support.”

Grant applications are considered based on how they best help fulfill the Foundation's mission of developing and expanding leadership roles for women, preserving and supporting working family farms and ranches, and enriching rural communities.

The 8th Annual Red Ants Pants Music Festival will take place on the Jackson Ranch, a working cattle ranch, outside of White Sulphur Springs July 26th – 29th. The 2018 festival will support the Red Ants Pants Foundation’s women’s leadership programming and 2019 Community Grant Cycle.
 

American Legion Auxiliary Girls State
Location: Statewide, MT
Grant Awarded: $1,500
The American Legion and its Auxiliary Units sponsor Boys and Girls State sessions in every state of the nation. Girls State of Montana is in its 70^thyear and has served close to 14,000 girls in Montana. Each year, 100-300 high school junior girls are provided a week-long interactive government learning experience. The summer session is a non-partisan participatory program that teaches young women responsible citizenship grounded in ethics, the principals of our nation's founders, and respect for God and Country. The Red Ants Pants Foundation grant will help to support rural attendees’ registration and travel expenses to attend this prestigious leadership conference.

Garfield County Fire Foundation
Location: Jordan, MT
Grant Awarded: $5,000
Garfield County Fire Foundation's mission is to secure early suppression fire equipment for the county and to serve as a recovery agent mitigating the negative impacts of wildfire on the community.  Parents of ranch-raised teens frequently delegate them to drive support vehicles alongside an adult operating fire suppression equipment on wildfires. The Red Ants Pants Foundation grant will help to fund our internet-delivered Teen Fire Safety mini-curriculum. This five-course series uses videos, personal testimonies, and written materials to develop awareness of fire behavior, educate on what to do if a piece of farm equipment bursts into fire, and demonstrate how to work with firefighters and other individuals. The lessons can be incorporated into science, math, FFA, 4-H and other courses for grades 7-12, or used to enhance community fire awareness for all ages.  
 
Kalispell FFA
Location: Kalispell, MT
Grant Awarded: $600
Kalispell FFA has been a part of the Flathead Valley since 1930 and continues to be a community-supported program serving two high schools and over 300 students annually.  The Red Ants Pants Foundation grant will be used to purchase women’s-specific welding gloves to help promote young women’s success in our welding program. FFA provides opportunities in a wide variety of career experiences, from traditional career paths to global agriculture.
 
Make it Happen Montana - Kindness Project
Location: Lewistown, MT
Grant Awarded: $1,600
Make It Happen Montana's Kindness Project was created because all too often only athletic achievements or unfortunate acts of poor judgement dominate the spotlight in our schools. This project celebrates the brilliance of quiet student heroes who inspire our teachers every day with their dedication, imagination, and thoughtfulness. The funds from the Red Ants Pants Foundation grant will help cover costs of the production and assembly of this heartwarming project that honors these outstanding young people and seeks to make kindness cool again.

Miss Rodeo Montana, Inc.
Location: Statewide, Montana
Grant Awarded: $1,000
At Miss Rodeo Montana, Inc., our vision for each young woman is that they may acquire a greater understanding of the world around them, improve self-esteem and self-confidence, gain valuable life skills, and gain opportunities for advancement of their personal and professional lives. We strive to also educate the public about the professional sport of rodeo, our western way of life, and the role of agriculture. With this grant from the Red Ants Pants Foundation, we plan to help bridge the gap between the local pageants and state organization.  We will be offering assistance to local royalty to attend our yearly state clinic that we host in October. We hope to educate and help as many local girls as we can to gain knowledge and experience in interviews, public speaking, etiquette, and other tools needed to be a successful rodeo ambassador.
 
Turner Farms
Location: Missoula, MT
Grant Awarded: $1,700
Turner Farms is a small, organic family farm on the fringe of Missoula. Our mission is to continue the legacy of agriculture in our area while educating the next generation about the importance of local food and local farmland. Funds granted by the Red Ants Pants Foundation will be used to purchase garden carts for the farm to be used by the groups of young people and school groups who come to work on the farm, and also for families to use during our annual Pumpkin Festival as they explore the farm!
 
Wheatland County Chamber of Commerce
Location: Harlowton, MT
Grant Awarded: $2,100
Wheatland County and its residents are interested in promoting community-focused educational and recreational events in Harlowton and are working diligently to improve the Wheatland County Fairgrounds. This half-million-dollar project includes the renovation of the grandstands built in 1910, repairs and improvements to the youth fair building, and replacing the perimeter fence and arena lights. The Red Ants Pants Foundation grant will be used to add a sink and running water to the youth fair building. 
 
Women Leading Montana
Location: Statewide MT
Grant Awarded: $1,500
Founded in 2017, Women Leading Montana inspires growth and creates common ground through connection and celebration.  In Great Falls this October, we will bring together a diverse group of 150 women from all corners of the state of Montana to sharpen leadership skills, make meaningful connections, and celebrate our accomplishments in Montana. Our convening will include leadership training, issues education, an awards ceremony, community tours, and of course celebration. The Red Ants Pants Foundation grant will support rural attendees’ participation in this regionally-significant event. 

To learn more about the Red Ants Pants Foundation's mission and programming, visit www.redantspantsfoundation.org.

As a record snowpack across much of Montana fills streams and floods parts of the state, a Montana State University researcher is exploring ways to improve how forecasters monitor the amount of water contained in snow across the landscape.
 
Kevin Hammonds, assistant professor in the Department of Civil Engineering, received a $250,000 grant from NASA in March for a study that could have widespread implication for municipalities, farmers and ranchers, and engineers who manage reservoirs.
 
The research will take advantage of specialized tools in MSU’s Subzero Science and Engineering Research Facility in the Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering to measure how microscopic changes in snow crystals affect how snowpack is quantified remotely by aircraft and satellites.
 
“It became apparent to me that we’re set up really well at MSU to do this work,” Hammonds said.
 
Currently, snowpack forecasters rely on a relatively small number of ground-based sensors and must extrapolate across large areas, which can cause inaccuracies. NASA is in the early stages of developing a network of aircraft and satellites for measuring snowpack across entire landscapes using radar. But for that to work, those measurements need to be calibrated to the actual conditions on the ground, according to Hammonds.

Joseph Akers, a materials science doctorate student, left, handles a radar component while calibrating with visiting scientist Alecia Jongward, a physics teacher at Park High School in Livingston, Montana, on June 12, 2018, in the Subzero Lab at Montana State University in Bozeman. Both are collaborating with MSU assistant professor Kevin Hammonds on snowpack research. MSU Photo by Adrian Sanchez-Gonzalez

“Our timing is perfect,” he said.
 
Other researchers in MSU’s world-renowned snow science program have likened snow to a shape-shifter whose microscopic properties change with the weather. Extended periods of cold can cause a snowpack to take on the consistency of granulated sugar, while a single cold night can frost the surface with feathery ice crystals. Because snow characteristics could change radically in a matter of hours, it’s difficult for researchers to compare aerial observations with ground conditions.

 
“In the lab here, we can control all those variables,” Hammonds said.
 
The Subzero facility includes snow-making equipment and a cold room where humidity and other variables, including the temperature of the ceiling and floor, can be precisely controlled to mimic natural conditions. Hammonds’ team will replicate various snowpacks and then measure the snow’s water content with a radar sensor like the one used for NASA’s aerial studies. Hammonds is working with a local company, Flat Earth Inc., to develop the radar tool for the lab.

 
Hammonds will also use powerful microscopes in the Subzero facility to study the composition of individual snow crystals, providing further clues about how a snowpack’s smallest details could affect how it is measured at a landscape scale.
 
Ideally, the results would produce algorithms that would be used to calibrate the data from NASA’s aircraft and satellites, Hammonds said. The research could even influence the kinds of sensors that go on future spacecraft, he said.
 
According to Jerry Stephens, head of the civil engineering department, the research could be very useful in Montana and other western states in predicting annual runoff and associated flood or drought concerns.
 
“This study takes advantage of MSU’s world-class snow and ice research facilities, as well as Kevin’s extensive background in ice research,” Stephens said, adding that since Hammonds joined the department last year, he has broadened and strengthened MSU’s snow science program.
 
Hammonds’ research is being funded by NASA’s New (Early Career) Investigator Program in Earth Science. Hammonds was one of 32 researchers selected nationwide from among 141 applicants.

“Untold Stories,” works by Bozeman artists Lori Keeling Campbell and Marla Goodman are featured this July at Wild Joe’s. Goodman and Campbell, who share a vibrant aesthetic and an interest in artistic storytelling, collaborated on this exhibit that eulogizes the dead and the living through collage, printmaking and mixed media works.  

Campbell, a printmaker and illustrator, studied at the Kansas City Art Institute before she moved to Bozeman 25 years ago. She has worked at the Community Food Co-op since, where she works in customer service and coordinated art exhibits. Campbell will show experimental, layered relief prints inspired by her ‘Day of the Dead’ style handmade book, which honors loved ones who have passed away. She will also show works from her ongoing participation in the Global Art Project. 


Goodman grew up in a rural area south of Bozeman, where she was influenced by artists Bob and Gennie DeWeese and Dorothy Newton Semple. Her recent acrylic paintings are an experiment in “life history transplantation,” combining embroidery, dolls and iconic images from the lives of friends and family members. Her fascination with pop culture, the mundane and the absurd is evident in both her paintings and her weirdly theatrical paint-embellished collages.    

The “Untold Stories” show will hang at Wild Joe’s, 18 W. Main, throughout July, with a reception during the July 13 Downtown Bozeman art walk. Additional works and information about Campbell and Goodman are published at goodwerks.wordpress.com

Every restaurant in the Bozeman area is listed by category and location in our one-of-a-kind guide.

Pick one up at one of our key distribution locations or flip thru online.

Big Sky Resort is the ideal launch pad for families interested in mountain biking, zipline tours, hiking or simply beating the heat. In the heart of the Mountain Village are a number of kids’ activities: climbing wall, bungee trampolines, giant swing, marble run, gemstone mining and more.

The resort opens for the summer season June 8. Stay in one of a number of comfortable hotel accommodations right on the mountain. The kids can play in the pools. Mom and dad have access to the spa and fitness centers.

Mountain biking is scheduled to open June 23. This summer, Big Sky Resort is installing a brand new 8-seat, high-speed chairlift - the first of its kind in North America. Because of the construction of Ramcharger 8, bikers will use Thunder Wolf Chairlift to access the mountain biking trails on Andesite Mountain. Big Sky Resort has more than 40 + miles of biking trails. There are flow trails for bikers of all levels. This year, a new trail, Gambler, will allow intermediate downhill bikers to ride Swift Current Chairlift from top to bottom beginning in mid-July.

Mountain bike season passes are on sale for $125 through the end of June.  

One of the resort’s biggest attractions is the Lone Peak Expedition. Take a tram ride to Lone Peak, Montana’s highest scenic overlook at 11,166 feet. From the top of Lone Peak, guests can see three states and two national parks. No hike required.

Big Sky Resort is also host to a number of summer events. The 5^th Annual Vine & Dine Wine and Food Festival offers adventure wine tastings and exquisite food prepared by celebrity chefs. Big Sky Brewfest attracts more than 30 breweries from around the country. The Rut Mountain Runs, a Labor Day weekend running festival, has been called one of the toughest endurance races in the world.

Big Sky is also stepping up its music game this summer. Music in the Mountains, a free community concert every Thursday in the town center, will host Shovel’s & Rope, Mandolin Orange, the Kitchen Dwellers and more. The headliners of the inaugural Moonlight MusicFest in August include Grace Potter and Bruce Hornsby & the Noisemakers.

Below is a breakdown of activities by month:

June

            June 8             Opening day

            June 23             Mountain biking opens

            June 29             Kids Adventure Games – an adventure obstacle course for kids ages 6 - 14

July

            July 4               Firecracker Open at the Big Sky Golf Course – golf tournament

            July 20 – 22      Total Archery Challenge

            July 21              15^th Annual Big Sky Brewfest

            July 27 – 29      Rut Training Camp – get ready for the Rut Mountain Runs

            July 29              Lone Peak Enduro

August

            Aug. 15 – 19     Vine & Dine Wine and Food Festival

            Aug. 17 – 18     Moonlight MusicFest

            Aug. 31– Sept. 2The Rut Mountain Runs – an endurance running festival

September

            Sept. 28            Resort closing day

A Montana State University neuroscientist who studies vision and visual attention has published research that reveals how the brain maintains attention on an object even while the eyes are making many rapid, voluntary movements. This research seeks to answer fundamental questions that could eventually lead to new treatments or therapies for some brain disorders.

“Attention is a limited resource in the brain,” said James Mazer, an associate professor in the Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience in MSU’s College of Letters and Science. “Let’s say you have 1 ounce of attention available. The brain can choose to either use all of that at once to pay a lot of attention to one item or spread the ounce around to attend a bit less to two or more items.”

The brain has evolved to be very efficient about how that limited amount of attention is used, he said, which includes circuits for making sure attention is always directed toward exactly the right spot in the field of view.

Mazer said that past studies have shown that the brain can anticipate eye or body movements, readying itself for what is about to occur. He explained that attention acts like a spotlight in the brain’s sensory maps, shining extra light on the scene where it’s needed. This “predictive coding” helps to make sure that light gets to the right place in the map at the right time.

“Like the view through a camera lens, brain maps change each time we move our eyes or body,” Mazer said. “If we’re paying attention to an object on the left and move our gaze to the left, that object actually shifts rightwards in the map. If attention were to stay fixed in the brain, it would no longer shine on the right object, so the spotlight has to be moved each time the eyes move.”

The new study published in Neuron, a leading neuroscience journal, reveals that this “spotlight” anticipates eye movements and shifts before the eye starts to move so that the spotlight is at the right place the instant the eyes stop moving.

“This is the idea of predictive coding; the brain has access to our intentions and uses that information to anticipate changes in body posture or eye position so we’re always prepared for whatever is coming next,” Mazer said.

Mazer and his colleagues are trying to understand the biological circuits that allow this predictive coding to happen and how they prepare the brain to handle what could occur at any given moment. They also want to know what happens biologically when the brain allocates its computational resources to paying attention.

Mazer says this research is basic science that provides a foundation for future development of new therapies or drug treatments for attention-related brain disorders, including conditions like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder or schizophrenia.

“These are all clinical conditions thought to be associated with disruption of the brain’s ‘executive control system’ where sensory processing, memory and cognition come together to determine where and how to deploy attention,” Mazer said.

He said that scientists distinguish between “top-down” attention – what a person consciously chooses to pay attention to – and “bottom-up” attention – those things that involuntarily capture attention, adding that there is a fine balance in responding to the two types of signals.

“If bottom-up signals dominate, then you respond to every little noise or flash of light,” Mazer said. “Conversely, if top-down attention is too strong, you might ignore critical warning signs of danger, or even have difficulty distinguishing between real and imaginary.”

At the very least, he said, he hopes the research will lead to screening technologies for clinical conditions, like autism, that would benefit from early diagnosis.

“In the long-term, we believe that understanding these brain circuits will translate into screening technologies, drug treatments and targeted behavioral therapies that will ameliorate symptoms for some of these clinical conditions,” he said, “but that’s probably years down the road.”

Roger Bradley, head of MSU’s Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, said the research by Mazer and his colleagues has furthered the understanding visual perception, specifically in how the brain maintains attention on an object even with involuntary constant eye movement, and sets the stage for new discoveries.

“Dr. Mazer's elegant and creative research provides fundamental new insights into understanding how we perceive and navigate our world,” Bradley said.