There are only a few more weeks of open burning left in the season in Gallatin County.

Open burning in Gallatin County ends on November 30, and will reopen on March 1.

If you still have burning projects you need to get done before the end of the month, remember that burn permits are required. Permits can be obtained online at www.gallatinburnpermits.com or in person at the following locations:

• Bozeman Fire Department – 901 N. Rouse Ave., Bozeman
• Central Valley Fire District – 215 Wings Way, Belgrade
• Gallatin County Treasurer’s Office – 311 W. Main St., room 103, Bozeman
• Three Forks Community Library – 607 N. Main St., Three Forks

Permits can be activated online or by calling 1-888-540-8131.

More information on what you can and cannot burn, and the current open burning status in your fire district, can be found here.

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality can permit burning during the winter depending on conditions. Those wishing to conduct a burning project from Dec. 1 to Feb. 28 must apply and request a Burner Identification Number at least two weeks ahead of time. The morning you wish to burn, you must then contact the DEQ meteorologist to receive approval to burn. If approval is granted, you then must activate a purchased Gallatin County DEQ Notification permit at www.gallatinburnpermits.com.

More information on winter burning can be found here.

Gallatin County Extension is hosting a free forest debris pile burning practicum on Friday, Nov. 18. To learn more about the course and to register, visit here.

Music is an element that restaurants do not always take into account. However, this makes us wonder "is it really necessary?". Well, the reality is that sound is directly related to improving the customer experience.

Music can completely change the ambiance of your establishment and provide a unique and enjoyable environment. If you want to know more about the influence of music in restaurants, read on. Here we explain everything you need to know and more. 

Music as a sensory stimulus

A pleasant melody is the best way to stimulate the sense of hearing. Music has the ability to influence the brain and affect our emotions and behaviors. A song can help us to activate our creativity or release accumulated stress. 

The choice of music in a restaurant is very important to offer a pleasant evening to customers. This can be associated with sensory marketing, where the five senses are stimulated to enhance the user experience.

It has been proven that music and visual stimuli are the main factors in enhancing the customer experience. People often use sites like nicelocal to find a restaurant with pleasant music and ambiance. In Bozeman, Bozeman Magazine has the best directory of area restaurants including those with live music.

Emotional connection between music and food

We already saw how music has the ability to stimulate us in different ways. But what is the connection between a good tune and food? The answer is that songs have the ability to stimulate our emotional memory.

A song can awaken nostalgic feelings by reminding us of moments of happiness or strong emotions that we unconsciously associate with food. 

A good dish can remind you of grandma's recipes. While sound can bring back memories of the music your mother listened to while cooking. 

Therefore, music and food have the power to transport us to another era. This makes people feel more connected to the place. 

Music as a motivational tool

Music can be a great motivational tool. Many people listen to their favorite songs while cleaning or cooking. For that reason, a good musical environment can make customers feel motivated to enter your place and stay.

It is worth mentioning that music not only influences customers, but also employees. Creating a pleasant working environment greatly increases the quality of service. Try to find a playlist with inspirational songs.

How to choose the right music for your restaurant?

Reading all the above it is clear that music is the ideal ingredient to provide a greater attraction in restaurants. Although it is important to know how to choose the perfect type of songs to set the mood. Here we explain what you should take into account to achieve it: 

The type of restaurant
The first thing to do is to think about the essence of your restaurant. Look at the look of the place and think about the atmosphere you want to create with the melody. Remember that music has the ability to transform the image you want to convey to your customers.

If you have a specific theme it is easier, for example, Chinese, Mexican or traditional food. You can use music from the place or similar to set the mood. Remember that the songs should be varied, you can achieve this by finding out about types of music that fit with your place.

The customers
It is very important to take into account the personality, style and age of your target audience. Obviously you can't please everyone, but you can find the music that fits directly with your target.

If you have a young audience, they will have fun listening to the songs of the moment, without confusing you with a discotheque. On the other hand, if you have much older customers, it will be better to opt for classics that take them to other times.

The idea is to think about what kind of music they would expect to find in your restaurant. To get a better idea you can ask your most trusted customers directly.

Schedule
When choosing a playlist for your restaurant, always take into account the schedule. You can look at it this way: playing loud music in the morning hours may not be the best alternative. At this time customers usually prefer a relaxing type of music, such as jazz.

What should you avoid?

If you want to add a musical touch to your establishment there are a few things you should avoid doing. First of all, don't set the volume too high. It can be annoying and prevent customers from conversing at ease.

On the other hand, you should not play a wide variety of music, make sure that all the songs keep a similar style. Finally, to avoid playing the radio, it is not pleasant to listen to the advertising and announcements of the stations.

HRDC has been forced to delay opening the doors of its Warming Center until more employees are hired and trained.
 
LIVINGSTON, MT — HRDC is actively seeking applicants for several positions at its Livingston location emergency shelter. Due to a shortage in staff, community members in need of a warm safe place to stay must either continue sleeping outdoors or make their way to Bozeman to stay at HRDC’s Warming Center on Wheat Drive.

 
Jenna Huey, HRDC’s Emergency Shelter Services Manager, explained the challenges she has faced in recruiting staff for both of the shelters she oversees for HRDC, “We have experienced staffing shortages since Covid occurred. This year has been especially difficult for us. We were forced to close our Day Center in Bozeman for six weeks and now we are unable to open our  Livingston shelter on November 1st as originally planned. It is distressing to know there are people out there who need a place to stay, and we can’t provide it to them, especially with the change in weather we are experiencing.”

 
Huey has been working closely with the hiring team at HRDC to recruit for the open positions using both traditional and non-traditional methods for more than two months but has had little luck in finding qualified candidates to work at its Livingston location. Huey is hopeful that will change with the interviews she currently has scheduled; however, she wants the Park County community to know that the shelter is in need of more applicants.

 
“We know our luck is running short with the mild fall temperatures we’ve enjoyed this year. It is imperative that we get our shelter open in Livingston as soon as possible. Last year, during the coldest month of the year, we provided overnight accommodations to 12 people per night in Livingston. That number grew closer to 20 on many nights. We simply can’t abide having preventable tragedies like severe frostbite, hypothermia, and even death occur in our community. We know that many of our neighbors would want to pitch in, including applying for a position, if they knew of the staffing challenges we are having right now,” said Brian Guyer, HRDC’s Director of Housing.

 
More information about HRDC and the Livingston Warming Center can be found at https://thehrdc.org/housing/homeless-services/emergency-shelter/livingston-shelter/ and open job postings at the Livingston shelter can be found at https://hrdc.bamboohr.com/jobs/view.php?id=487&source=thehrdc.
 
 
HRDC is a private, not-for-profit Community Action Agency focused on building a better community through nearly 50 different initiatives aimed at combating poverty in southwestern Montana.
 

HRDC’s Livingston Warming Center Facts, 2021-2022 Winter Season:

★ The Livingston Warming Center has a capacity for 20 guests seeking shelter

Intersections can be one of the most dangerous areas of any roadway. Around 40% of accidents in the U.S. each year occur at intersections. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says more than two million crashes at intersections annually. So what is it that makes intersections so dangerous and too-often deadly?

Understanding Intersections

Intersections are needed to connect people who are driving, biking, and walking from one place to another. An intersection is where a road intersects, creating crossing paths. Intersections can also become points of conflict, where many crashes occur. 

At an intersection, roads or streets are coming together, and there’s a lot of congestion, signage, distracted drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians, all converging in one place to create a risky situation. 

The NHTSA said that almost 96% of crashes at intersections are preventable, and the cause is frequently reported as driver error. 

When drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists are at an intersection, they need to be focused at a high level. Everyone who’s in an intersection has to process a lot of things all at the same time, including who’s got the right-of-way, how fast oncoming traffic is coming, whether there are pedestrians at crosswalks, and if there are cyclists at the side of the road or in bike lanes. You also have to be cognizant of cars that are making left turns. 

There are three main tasks that are required when driving. The first is control, meaning the operation of your vehicle, and the second is guidance which refers to interaction with other vehicles. The third is navigation, meaning choosing a right to get from one point to the other. All of these tasks mean you need to process a lot of information. If you’re driving and you’re overwhelmed with information, then it can be especially dangerous to you. 

Some of the specific reasons that intersections are dangerous include:
• Distracted driving
• Making false assumptions about what other drivers are going to do next
• Engaging in illegal maneuvers
• Misjudgment of someone else’s speed or the amount of gap you have
• Aggressive driving
• Speeding
• Turning when views are obstructed

Because of how intersections are designed and work, a lot of intersection accidents are side-impact collisions. Side-impact collisions are also called T-bone crashes or broadside accidents. Side-impact injuries can be severe, even with airbags, since the sides of a vehicle don’t provide a lot of protection. 

Injuries Stemming from Intersection Accidents

If you’re in an accident at an intersection, the injuries can be severe, depending on the impact and specifics of the situation. Injuries can include:
• Fractures and broken bones
• Neck injuries
• Back and spinal cord injuries
• Paralysis
• Loss of limbs
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Soft tissue injuries
• Internal organ damage 

Avoiding Intersection Accidents

The best thing to do when recognizing the risk of intersections is to try and avoid putting yourself at an even greater level of danger than what needs to be the case. You can’t control other drivers, but you can control your own behaviors behind the wheel. 

To reduce your risk of being involved in an accident at an intersection, remember the following tips:

• Be aware of your surroundings. This is important any time you’re driving, but with so many factors coming together at an intersection, it’s especially important that you’re aware here. Watch all the drivers and other people around you. There are intersections where you might not have full visibility in every direction so be hypervigilant. 
• Don’t speed through an intersection. There are often surprises at intersections, even when you try your best to anticipate what other drivers are going to do. More than 8% of intersection crashes are estimated to stem from inaccurate assumptions about the actions of another driver. If you’re speeding, you don’t have time to adjust to an unexpected move by someone else. If the light’s turned yellow, don’t try to speed and get through it. 
• Maintain a safe distance. This is always a good rule of thumb, especially at an intersection. Don’t follow any vehicle in front of you too closely because this way, you’re being proactive about safety if there were to be a crash in front of you. When you have extra space, it also gives you a buffer in case someone pulls out in front of you. 
• Use your signal. This is the best way to let other drivers know what your intentions are. 

Finally, be careful as you enter intersections. This is one of the most important reminders for navigating them. The most dangerous time you can enter an intersection is when the light is yellow, or it’s just turned green. People are trying to beat the light when it’s yellow, and when it’s green, even if you have the right-of-way, you want to assume there’s another driver in the intersection. 

Big Sky – Elevate Big Sky is announcing a request for proposals related to resident workforce and single-family housing initiatives in Big Sky, Montana. Proposals will be accepted from December 1, 2022 - December 30, 2022. The goal is to increase the housing inventory for the resident workforce based on identified needs by leveraging resources, organizations, partnerships and plans unique to the Big Sky community.

Successful projects will:

• Demonstrate community need in the form of increasing the inventory of single-family homes (for long-term rent or home ownership) for the resident workforce
• Address affordability of buying or renting single-family homes in the Big Sky Resort Area District (BSRAD) for the resident workforce
• Demonstrate a partnership with a nonprofit entity(s); multi-stakeholder commitment
• Target long-term livability with single-family housing for rent or home ownership
• Include deed restrictions that guarantee accessible, long-term single-family housing for the resident workforce in perpetuity

 
In 2022 Elevate Big Sky was launched as a community-led effort to identify and support sustainable solutions for the most pressing issues facing Big Sky today: livability, behavioral health, and the environment. This collaborative impact funding framework was created in response to the Our Big Sky Community Vision and Strategy. “We have a great sense of community. Even with the current challenges we are facing, Big Sky is a phenomenal community, and we band together when people are in need,” said John Seelye, Elevate Big Sky Committee Member.

 
Project proposals will be reviewed starting in early 2023 and efforts to coordinate with existing funding cycles of Community Foundations and BSRAD are underway. The lead organization for any submitted proposal must be a 501(c)3 nonprofit and the proposal application must list all public/private stakeholders and implementation plan/timeline. “We are at a critical juncture in Big Sky where the pressures are exceeding what the community can provide,” said Ciara Wolfe, YCCF’s Vice President for Philanthropy. “Instead of letting outside pressures steer the direction of the community we love, we are strategically partnering to develop community infrastructure necessary to maintain both the quality of life and culture that all of us fell in love with.”

The university city of Bozeman, Montana, offers a diverse range of sights, entertainments, and historical spots to visit; it's richly steeped in history, and its beautiful scenery is the reason that films including A River Runs Through It and Amazing Grace were shot here.

If you're planning a trip to the seat of Gallatin County, and are wondering which locations should be on your must-visit list, then relax, as we've done the work for you! Here are the spots and sights that you should put on your itinerary.

Explore Yellowstone

Joining a day tour that begins in Bozeman and heads into Yellowstone via the dramatic Gallatin Canyon is a spectacular way to kick off your trip!

During the excursion, you'll hear all about the park's ecology, geology, and history and have the opportunity to view a diverse range of wildlife and landscape features. Marvel at Yellowstone highlights such as the park's very own Grand Canyon and Old Faithful before returning to Bozeman after your adventures. And if all that wildlife spotting has left you hungry for dinner…

Montana Aleworks

The Montana Ale Works offers a creative gourmet-yet-relaxed dining experience that's as delicious as it is stylish. All the dishes on the menu are handcrafted from scratch daily using fresh, locally sourced, and seasonal ingredients, and there is a range of drinks on tap that have arrived straight from the state's best craft breweries and distilleries.

The atmosphere here is vibrant and fresh: the decor, restaurant furniture, and artwork all combine to create a space that's as intimate and cozy as it is contemporary. And if you want a taster of the menu? Think bacon-wrapped sirloin steak with garlic mashed potatoes and seasonal veggies, truffled parmesan frites, grilled fish tacos served with black beans and slaw, and bison patty melt sandwich with caramelized onions on toasted rye. Hungry yet?

Museum of the Rockies

Located within Montana State University, the Museum of the Rockies is a fascinating exploration of the natural and human history of the Rocky Mountain region. It also houses the largest collection of dinosaur remains in the whole of the US, which the kids, especially, will love - particularly the T-Rex skull, the biggest that's been discovered worldwide to date.

The living history house is also impressive, and the sections on indigenous and settler history relating to the area are fascinating, too.

Guided Kayak Excursion

Ready for more adventure? If you want something a little different, then this fully guided kayak trip that sets off from Bozeman is just the ticket! You'll be told all about the history and wildlife of the area and taken to some of the most scenic spots on the Madison River.

The experience is designed to be relaxing and informative, offering a unique way to view the area's stunning landscape. As a stress-free family day out while in town, it's hard to beat.

American Computer and Robotics Museum

Currently ranked on TripAdvisor as one of Bozeman's very best attractions, the American Computer and Robotics Museum’s impressive exhibits are a testament to human innovation and creativity.

From the earliest computers to AI-enriched machines, quantum computing, the space race, and the cracking of the Enigma code, visitors will be fascinated by the museum's scope. It's recommended that you allow around two hours for your trip to best appreciate everything the museum offers.

Downtown Bozeman

Take a trip to Bozeman's charming main street to view some of the city's most beautiful historic buildings, a range of artisan shops, cute places to eat, and craft breweries. Preserving the historical elements of the city is important to Bozeman, and this care is evident in the stunning condition of even the oldest of the buildings downtown. When night falls, the atmosphere is vibrant, as bars, restaurants, and casual eateries come alive, such as…

The Bozeman Tap Room

For those wanting to relax after a day of hiking (or hitting all those gorgeous shops!), the Bozeman Tap Room is just the place! As well as a huge selection of regional and international beers, the bar also offers a wide variety of wines and champagnes and a selection of easy-eating bar snacks.

This venue prides itself on the mountain culture it's a part of, and the bar area's TV screens regularly play sports such as snowboarding, skiing, and extreme mountain sports, which you can enjoy watching as you sip one of the establishment's craft beers.

Bridger Bowl

And if watching mountain sports puts you in the mood to try some out yourself, then why not head over to Bridger Bowl, one of Bozeman's community skiing and snowboarding areas?

This friendly ski resort offers plenty of different trails for all levels and abilities; and if you're totally new to mountain sports? Take advantage of the on-site skiing lessons to get started!

Exploring Bozeman

Bozeman is a gorgeous city and acts as a natural gateway for those keen to use it as a base from which to explore Yellowstone. The town itself, though, boasts such a multitude of attractions, restaurants, and boutique shops that setting aside time to explore Bozeman, as well as Yellowstone, is something that you won't regret.

Some of our Gallatin County voters have reported not receiving their absentee ballots for the Nov. 8 general election. The Gallatin County Elections Office has a variety of ways to get those voters replacement ballots to ensure they are able to vote in the upcoming election.

We understand this is frustrating for voters who haven’t received their ballots. Our office is working diligently to navigate through these mail delivery issues to ensure all eligible voters have the opportunity to cast their ballots in the general election.

Get a new ballot – Come in Person

Voters can request a replacement ballot if their first ballot was not received, spoiled, damaged or destroyed. This request may only be used if the voter has not yet returned the voted ballot to the elections office. 

To receive a replacement ballot, fill out this form and bring it to the Gallatin County Elections Office (second floor of the Gallatin County Courthouse at 311 W. Main St. in Bozeman). Voters can request that our office re-mail their ballot, but with slow mail delivery time and the upcoming ballot-return deadline (received in our office by 8 p.m. Nov. 8) in-person visits are recommended.

To request a ballot be re-mailed, email a physically printed and signed copy of the form to gallatin.elections@gallatin.mt.gov. Digital signatures will not be accepted.

Designate someone to pick up your replacement ballot

If you are unable to pick up a replacement ballot, or concerned it may not be delivered in time, you can also designate someone to pick it up on your behalf. That person can then deliver your ballot or send your ballot via expedited shipping to you.

Print out this replacement ballot form and fill out using black or blue ink. At the bottom of the form, include the name of the person who you authorize to pick up your ballot for you and sign as Elector.

Give the completed and signed form to your designee. You may also scan or take a picture of your completed form and email to your designee to bring into our office for pickup.

Vote at your polling place on Election Day

Registered absentee voters can go to their polling place on Election Day and vote with a provisional ballot. Find your polling place location atwww.MyVoterPageMT.com.

Polling places will be open on Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 8 from 7 AM to 8 PM, with the exception of Bridger Canyon Fire Station, which will be open noon to 8 PM. 

Contact us

If you have further questions, please come to our office, give us a call at 406-582-3060, or email us at gallatin.elections@gallatin.mt.gov. We are open Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Election Day, our office will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, visit our website www.gallatinvotes.com. 

BOZEMAN — Even after the smoke clears, communities can be impacted by wildfire when scorched mountainsides are flushed with rain, washing sediment, ash and other contaminants into streams and reservoirs that supply drinking water.

In light of the severity and frequency of wildfires across much of the U.S., a Montana State University researcher and collaborators are working to help communities better safeguard water resources against wildfires as part of a three-year, $4 million transdisciplinary project led by the U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station.

“We want to provide municipalities and others in the drinking water community with really clear, science-based guidance for how they can invest their money and resources to prepare for future wildfires,” said Amanda Hohner, assistant professor in the Department of Civil Engineering in MSU’s Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering.

Hohner, a drinking water treatment engineer, will use $725,000 of the funding for research focused on understanding the water infrastructure and treatment processes currently used by communities, how those systems may be vulnerable to potential wildfire impacts and what changes water managers could make to be better prepared.

In collaboration with Hohner, other partners, including researchers at Oregon State and Washington State universities, will conduct field studies to monitor burned headwaters and understand how recent fires have affected watersheds in the Pacific Northwest and develop models showing how future wildfires could affect municipal water supplies. The project includes a socioeconomic analysis of the costs of wildfires to community water supplies and the investments that are most likely to pay off in the future. The research results will be widely applicable to Montana, where many communities rely on surface water supplies in forested watersheds that are vulnerable to fire, Hohner said.

“This is a collaborative effort involving a wide range of expertise to tackle a complex topic,” said Hohner, noting that the team includes hydrologists, foresters, ecologists and environmental economists at the partnering institutions. “It’s exciting to be working with a team of researchers with diverse backgrounds and expertise to address this problem.”

Since the project kicked off last spring, the team hosted a virtual workshop with stakeholders involved in watershed and drinking water management. “We really want to engage stakeholders, including municipalities and state and federal agencies, so that our work is aimed at addressing the challenges they face,” she said.

The motivation for the project came in the wake of the 2020 wildfire season that saw fires rage across the Pacific Northwest, with many cities and towns experiencing problems with drinking water supplies afterward. Fires consume vegetation that anchors soil and helps the ground absorb rain and snow. The absence of that vegetation leads to more rapid runoff filled with sediment and debris as well as ash and charcoal. Because most municipal water systems aren’t designed to handle extreme post-fire runoff and erosion, the large flush of sediment and debris can damage and clog water intake pipes and overwhelm treatment processes and filtration systems that normally remove smaller quantities of sediment and contaminants, according to Hohner.

In her MSU lab, Hohner will test different water treatment processes using samples collected from surface waters impacted by wildfires to assess which technologies are most effective at removing the fine ash and organic carbon that commonly spike in concentration after a rainstorm hits a burned area. The funding will provide opportunities for several undergraduate and graduate students to be involved in the work, Hohner said.

Combined with the work of the rest of the team, Hohner’s research will result in specific and comprehensive recommendations for how water managers could upgrade infrastructure to better manage future wildfire risk, she said. That could include adding different treatment technologies, adjusting daily operations schedules and expanding filter systems to better handle sediment and ash runoff. Additionally, the research is exploring how different types of water supplies are affected and the benefits of diversifying water sources to include groundwater, reservoirs and watersheds not as prone to wildfires, as well as adding capacity and flexibility to the system through water storage and other infrastructure.

Bozeman and Helena are among the communities in the state that source their municipal water from streams in forested areas that could burn, she noted. Because many other, smaller towns may not have the resources to invest in water system upgrades, one goal of the project is to help quantify the kind of assistance those communities may need from federal agencies and other partners.

“Unfortunately, the wildfire problem isn’t going away anytime soon,” Hohner said. “This research is one part of helping provide communities resources to be more resilient.”

Gallatin County DVRT Tackles Domestic Violence Issues in Our Community

Read the paper in Gallatin County often enough and it’s plain to see that domestic violence is a problem in our community: Stories of strangulation and other violent acts appear regularly. In the past few weeks alone, there were three high-lethality cases reported in local media – and those are just the cases where law enforcement has intervened.

That’s why the Domestic Violence Respose Team was created in 2012. It’s a group of law enforcement, attorneys, advocates, and more, in our county, trying to work together to address the violence that stems from one partner exerting power and control over the other partner – violence that’s on the rise in our community, according to local experts on the task force.

“Domestic violence cases are complicated to investigate and even more difficult to prosecute due to the intimacy between survivor and suspect. That is why these cases, more than others, require such a collaborative team effort to hold offenders accountable and keep survivors safe,” said Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer. “The predominance of homicide cases in Gallatin County are domestic related homicides. There really is no such thing as too much effort as this is truly a life safety issue.”

One in five people are survivors of domestic violence nationwide — in Gallatin County alone that’s more than 24,000 of our neighbors, friends, colleagues, and loved ones.

And each one of those survivors has family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and classmates who have likely seen the ramifications of that abuse. Domestic violence is an issue that affects us all.

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month and a time to bring this topic out of the shadows and into the forefront of our community conversation. And while this month might be wrapping up, domestic violence is an issue that deserves awareness all year long.

What Domestic Violence Looks Like

Domestic violence has one core component – it’s about power and control. It describes physical violence, sexual violence, economic abuse, spiritual abuse, stalking, or psychological harm by a current or former partner or spouse.

Physical violence can be pushing, kicking, hitting, strangling, and at its worst, killing.

Psychological harm can be threats, manipulation, stalking, name-calling, criticism, blaming, and unpredictable behavior, among many others.

Economic abuse can look like denying access to bank accounts or other sources of money.

These forms of abuse do not discriminate. Anyone can experience domestic violence no matter their age, gender, race, sexuality, or socio-economic status.

Here in Gallatin County, statistics from a local domestic violence organization and from our area law enforcement provide a snapshot of how often survivors are reaching out for help locally.

Haven, a nonprofit that provides shelter, legal advocacy, a 24-hour support line, and other resources to survivors, saw a 12 percent increase in the number of people it served last year from the year before. Haven also saw a 9 percent increase in bed nights at its emergency shelter. Local law enforcement has also seen increases in the number of domestic violence-related calls they respond to.

In 2019, there were 573 calls related to domestic violence responded to among the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, and Bozeman, Belgrade, Montana State University and Manhattan police departments. That number jumped over 41 percent in 2021, with 810 domestic violence calls responded to by those agencies.

“The number of survivors seeking support right now is far outpacing the growth we’re experiencing as a community,” Haven Executive Director Erica Aytes Coyle told KBZK-TV in August.

Gallatin County Domestic Violence Response Team

A local multi-jurisdictional team of professionals has been tackling this issue head on in Gallatin County for over a decade.

The Gallatin County Domestic Violence Response Team (DVRT) meets monthly with the goal to ensure that each agency and each practitioner, 911 operators and patrol officers, courts and probation officers, is on the same page in maximizing both the safety and well-being for survivors, and the accountability for offenders.

The purpose of DVRT is to educate the community, improve community-wide system response and collaboration, and influence statewide policy regarding domestic and sexual violence.

The team is made up of representatives from the Gallatin County Attorney’s Office, Gallatin County Victim Services, Gallatin County Court Services, Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, Bozeman Police Department, Montana State University Police Department, Hearts and Homes; Gallatin County Court Services, Bozeman City Attorney’s Office, MSU VOICE Center, Gallatin County Child Protection Services, and Haven.

“It’s only by working together that we can see the gaps in how our community responds to domestic violence, and in how we can all work together to save lives and support survivors,” said Bailey Brubaker, the Haven staffer who’s been facilitating the Domestic Violence Response Team since January. “We’ve got a few things in the works for the coming year. It’s exciting to be part of the momentum we’re gaining.”

During Domestic Violence Awareness Month and beyond, we encourage our residents to educate themselves on domestic violence, talk about it, bring this topic into the light, and work together to end this issue in our community.