Bitterroot Valley news you may have missed this week

Here are some news stories from the Bitterroot Valley you may have missed this week...

Hamilton City Council approves nearly $1 million in budget amendments

The Hamilton City Council approved nearly $1 million in amendments for the 2024-2025 annual fiscal year budget to eliminate year end overdrafts.

The amendments approved at their March 17 meeting include $941,232 for the Ravalli Street project and $30,000 for a police car that was purchased and not originally budgeted for.

The Ravalli Street project was completed in 2025. City of Hamilton Financial Administrator Craig Shepherd said in the meeting they have the money for the project and with the budget amendment resolution approved it will be given to the auditors.

"This particular budget amendment came up as a result of the audit, kind of more of an embarrassment on the magnitude of the amount of this," Shepherd said.

Hamilton City Council approves nearly $1 million in budget amendments

Exploration plan for Bitterroot rare-earth mining project to be revised

The company hoping to mine rare-earth minerals in the Bitterroot River’s headwaters has rescinded its draft exploration plan after it was sharply criticized by environmental groups and expects to resubmit a “scaled-back” version in the next month.

U.S. Critical Materials' plan for conducting exploratory work at its Sheep Creek mining project, known as a “draft initial plan of operations,” was rescinded on Tuesday, according to Dan Pliley, the West Fork District ranger for the Bitterroot National Forest.

The mining company will be reworking it in the coming weeks to focus solely on using an existing mine tunnel, company senior advisor Scott Osterman told the Missoulian in an interview this month.

Exploration plan for Bitterroot rare-earth mining project to be revised

Hamilton school district says levies are essential to avoid staff cuts, improve safety

Local school districts are asking their communities for funds through levies to support school safety, and state lawmakers are beginning to discuss possibly drafting school safety legislation.

School budgets are tight, with curriculum subscription costs and inflation rising. But budgets are also tight for many taxpayers and fewer voters have approved levy requests on average in recent years.

Whether a bill for state support for school safety is drafted — and whether funding is attached to a proposed bill — is still to be determined. But some legislators are already expressing hesitance.

School districts receive 80% funding from the state and must ask voters through levy requests to get to 100% funding.

The Hamilton School Board voted earlier this year to put two levy proposals before the voters: one technology levy for $430,000 and another school safety levy for $475,000.

Superintendent Dave Thennis said this isn’t for anything new and shiny. It’s intended to maintain operations and help the district avoid staffing cuts.

“The number one thing we need in a classroom is a teacher, that really is at the heart of all of this,” Thennis said.

Hamilton school district says levies are essential to avoid staff cuts, improve safety

County officials approve amended MOU for community ice rink

The Ravalli County Commissioners approved an amended Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the Hamilton Downtown Foundation (HDF) to place an ice rink at Big Corral Park during a meeting Tuesday, March 24 and approved the execution of three support letters to help the HDF gain funding for the Hamilton rink.

The approval of the MOU and letters of support means HDF can move forward with their grant requests and secure funding sponsors, some of whom are willing to continue sponsoring for up to five years, according to the organization. It also means they will be able to start writing up a formal three-year lease agreement.

HDF Director Matthew Zwicker and members of the Ravalli County Park Board Kyle Barber, Gary Leese and Bob Cron presented the MOU proposal with some changes from the original conditional approval, including a longer lease — three years instead of one. The proposed lease term will run from Oct. 1, 2026 to Nov. 30, 2029.

County officials approve amended MOU for community ice rink

Ravalli County Fair Parade, on verge of cancelation, gains new leadership just in time

The Ravalli County Fair Parade was in jeopardy of being cancelled for 2026 but Ravalli County Public Health employees stepped up in the nick of time.

A decision needed to be made by March 31 due to a printing deadline for the Fair Book, Ravalli County Fairgrounds Manager Melissa Saville said. They were sent to the books for proofing already but were granted an extension so they could determine if the parade would in fact be happening or not.

Ravalli County Commissioners approved a motion to transition leadership of the fair parade from the fairgrounds to the Ravalli County Public Health Department during their Thursday meeting.

Commissioner Jeff Burrows said the fair parade has been a 100-year tradition and with the public relation issues around the fair he feels they need to have a parade.

“I think it would be an epic disaster not to have the fair parade,” said Burrows.

Ravalli County Fair Parade, on verge of cancellation, gains new leadership last minute

Volunteers fill over 8,000 eggs for annual Easter egg hunt at Ravalli County Fairgrounds

Over 50 volunteers filled more than 8,000 Easter eggs in the back room of the Hamilton Eagles Lodge in preparation for the annual Easter egg hunt at the Ravalli County Fairgrounds in Hamilton.

Volunteers got a special visit from the Easter Bunny who came to check on the progress and say hello to the kids who were helping fill the eggs.

The annual egg hunt will be at 1 p.m. on Easter Sunday, April 5, and the Easter Bunny will be coming early, around noon, to hang out with families before the event begins.

The Bitterroot Eagles Lodge hosts the Easter egg hunt every year at the Ravalli County Fairgrounds, Eagles Secretary Sarah Sutherland said. Throughout the year they raise money during the second bingo of the month for community projects focused on activities for kids.

Volunteers fill over 8,000 eggs for annual Easter egg hunt at Ravalli County Fairgrounds