“Caring for the land and serving people,” that is the United States Forest Service motto. For the second time in 2025, a significant number of USFS personnel are not doing either as they wait for the end of the government shutdown to continue preparing the public lands for winter.
Madison River Foundation (MRF) conservation programs manager Mia Cignoni stood on a thin shovel in a tangle of willows that the team could barely stand up in working to dig the first of about 20 soil samples dug that day.
The Montana Department of Commerce (DOC) has rejected an application by the Town of Ennis to be designated as a resort community. The basis for the denial is that according to the confidential employment data used the town does not derive more than 50% of its income from tourist related activities according to the denial letter dated Sept.
The Town of Sheridan hired town commissioner Curtis Green to serve as their public service director at their Sept. 8 meeting. On Sept. 16 Green delivered his resignation as a town council member to the mayor in order to avoid the appearance of conflict of interest.
The Sheridan Zoning Commission has shared the draft version of the ordinances they have worked on with Dylan Pipinich of the WGM Group with the Sheridan Town Commission on Sept. 8. The zoning commission has been working with the WGM Group since October of 2024 to establish the first ever zoning ordinances town which was established in 1893.
Governor Greg Gianforte rolled through Virginia and Nevada City on Aug. 26 to bring attention to the new approach to public private partnerships for the Montana Heritage Commission (MHC) properties that was brought to fruition by the passage of representative Ken Walsh’s HB 680 in the 2025 Montana Legislature session.
Oregon firefighter dies while working to contain Bivens Creek Fire
Fire season arrived all at once in Madison County with five fires igniting after a series of early morning thunderstorms on Aug. 13 and an afternoon storm on the afternoon of Aug. 16. At the time of this writing no structures have been lost to the fires. Here is how the week played out on a fire by fire account.
On Sunday, Aug. 10 Ennis Chief of Police John Moore posted his letter of resignation on Facebook citing what he sees as efforts by the Ennis Town Commission to dismantle the police department among the reasons for his departure. The resignation comes eight days after the town’s other police officer, Phil Fortner, left his position.
So you live in Madison County, Montana and rodeo just isn’t your thing. I may never understand you, but I will forgive you for that and so will the Madison/Jefferson County Fair committee. In fact, they have gone out of their way to make sure that you have a good time at the fair, even if you never see a horse buck or a steer wrestled.
65 N. MT Hwy 287
Ennis, MT 59729
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