Gallatin Media Center

 

For immediate release: July 31, 2025 

Media contact:
Eric Paulson, Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy
epaulson@gallatin.mt.gov
406-582-2100
  

Meet Your Gallatin County First Responders at National Night Out 

Join Gallatin County and first responders from across the area for National Night Out in Bozeman on Tuesday, Aug. 5 from 5 to 8 PM at Bozeman Pond, 550 S. Fowler Ave. 

This free, family-friendly event is a unique opportunity to connect with the people who serve and protect our community every day. Whether you’re curious about local emergency response, want to teach your kids about safety, or just enjoy community events with a purpose, this evening has something for everyone. 

More than a dozen local agencies will be on hand! You’ll get to meet and talk with the people behind the badges, sirens, and radios. Ask questions, see equipment up close, and enjoy live demos. It’s a rare chance to see how our local agencies work together to keep Gallatin County safe. 

“Events like National Night Out give us the chance to connect with the people we serve in a relaxed, positive setting,” said Eric Paulson, Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy. “It’s about building trust, having conversations, and showing our community that we’re here for them, not just in times of crisis, but every day. Together, we can build a safer Gallatin County and ensure our community continues to thrive.” 

Gallatin County will be there in full force, including: 

• Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office: 

• • Search and Rescue 

• • Patrol Division 

• • Detention Center staff 

• • SWAT team 

• • Mounted (Horse) Unit 

• Gallatin County 911 

This is your chance to explore patrol vehicles, check out the gear used in rescue operations, meet the horses of the Mounted Unit, and chat with our 911 dispatchers. 

“National Night Out is a great opportunity for the community to connect with the people behind the voices on the other end of a 911 call. We encourage everyone to stop by, meet our staff, ask questions, and see the equipment we use to serve and protect our community every day,” said Tim Martindale, Gallatin County 911 Director. 

And come hungry! Thanks to the Bozeman Police Foundation and the Gallatin County Public Safety Foundation, free food and snow cones will be available for the first 400 attendees. 

We’re proud to serve Gallatin County, and we’re looking forward to a fun, meaningful evening with our community. We hope to see you there! 

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For immediate release: July 22, 2025

The Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office is assisting the Manhattan Police Department in a missing/endangered child investigation.

Elizabeth Dundas was last seen on the evening of Monday July 21, 2025 around 10:30 P.M. in the area of east Manhattan, Montana.

She is believed to be driving a 2019 black Nissan Rouge with Montana license plate # 6-07467D and damage to the rear passenger bumper.

Please report any sightings or information on her whereabouts to the Manhattan Police Department (406-284-6630) or the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office (406-582-2100) if you or anyone you know has had contact with Elizabeth.

Please help find Elizabeth.

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For immediate release: July 21, 2025

Sheriff Dan Springer invites the public to the presentation of the Montana Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association (MSPOA), Medal of Merit award ceremony on Tuesday 22 July 2025 at 10 a.m. at the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, Detention Center Community Room located at 605 S. 16th Ave. in Bozeman.

The MSPOA Medal of Merit is a statewide annual award requiring an award nomination by a sheriff in Montana and proceeds through a vetting and voting process to identify the best statewide candidate. The Medal of Merit is given to a sheriff’s office law enforcement officer or civilian employee for contributions to their community and to the field of law enforcement and criminal justice.

This year’s award recipient is Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office civilian employee, Senior Detention Administrative Assistant, Paula Joniak. Paula is an extraordinary worker with a list of collateral duties that alone would be a full-time job.

Paula runs the 24/7 Alcohol Monitoring program, often requiring her to coordinate with the Gallatin County Attorney’s Office and testify in court proceedings. Paula conducts administrative investigations for the detention centers Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) required by federal law for all detention centers.

Paula developed and implemented a Spanish jail commands training course for both detention officers and Spanish-speaking inmates. She also translates criminal justice documents and forms into Spanish and provides verbal interpretation over the phone, in the facility lobby, and for new inmates during intake.

Paula is not only in the detention center but can be found conducting critical Spanish translation throughout the county including for sheriff’s office criminal investigations. If this was not enough, Paula also volunteered as a Child Forensic Interviewer specializing in Spanish-speaking child victims and witnesses. Paula does all of this while maintaining her primary job duties of new employee training, customer service, answering phone calls and coordinating visitors in need of fingerprints.

You can find Paula in the office early, working late and weekends helping staff, inmates and visitors. Paula has a huge heart for this office, the Gallatin County community and is an example of the exceptional employees that call the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office home.

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For immediate release: July 21, 2025

At approximately 1:41 p.m. on July 18, 2025, West Yellowstone Dispatch received a call regarding a possible airplane crash. The U.S. Department of Transportation Aero Division reported that an aircraft that had departed the West Yellowstone Airport with three people on board just before midnight on the night of July 17 could not be located. Utilizing the last location of an occupants’ smart watch, two search planes were sent to search for the missing aircraft. At 2:13 p.m. the search planes confirmed the plane had been located crashed in dense timber just south of the town of West Yellowstone near South Plateau Rd.

Gallatin County Search and Rescue (SAR) deployed personnel to respond to the crash site. SAR teams including the West Yellowstone Section, Big Sky Section, Heli Team, and Comms team responded to the scene. SAR members located the downed airplane and confirmed all three occupants were deceased. The decedents were extricated from the plane and transported by helicopter where their remains were turned over to a Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office deputy coroner.

The cause of the crash is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board.

The decedents have been identified as Tennessee residents, 60-year-old Rodney Conover and 23-year-old Madison Conover, and 55-year-old Kurt Enoch Robey of Utah. Next of kin notifications have been made to the respective families.

Sheriff Dan Springer would like to thank all the agencies who participated in the location and recovery of the decedents and the continued investigation into the cause of the crash. Assisting agencies include the Hebgen Basin Rural Fire District, U.S. Forest Service, Federal Aviation Administration, and National Transportation Safety Board.

Sheriff Springer would like to extend his deepest condolences to the Conover and Robey families for their respective losses.

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On July 14, 2025 at 1:18PM, Gallatin County 911 Dispatch was notified of an individual who had fallen into Bozeman Creek in Sourdough Canyon and was bleeding from a leg injury. Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office Search & Rescue Valley team responded to the Sourdough Trailhead and accessed the subject via side-by-side ATVs.

The individual was located approximately two and a half miles up the trail in the creek. The subject advised that they had slipped and fell while fishing in the creek and a branch had punctured their leg. The GCSSAR team assessed the patient and provided first aid.

SAR then escorted the individual and party members to the trailhead where they elected to be transported by personal vehicle to Bozeman Health Deaconess Regional Medica Center, to receive follow-on treatment.

 

For immediate release: July 15, 2025

Media contact:
Scott Randall, Robert Peccia & Associates
srandall@rpa-hln.com
406-447-5005

Gallatin County Seeks Input on Draft Engineering Report for Intersection Improvements 

Gallatin County has released the Draft Preliminary Engineering Report for the Gallatin County Intersection Improvements Project, which evaluates potential improvements at three critical intersections on County roads between Belgrade and Bozeman: 

• Alaska Road South / Cameron Bridge Road 

• Alaska Road South / East Valley Center Road 

• Love Lane / Durston Road 

These intersections are located within the rapidly growing triangle area between Belgrade and Bozeman, where increased traffic volumes and suburban development have heightened safety and operational concerns. The report provides a detailed evaluation of existing conditions, identifies key safety and congestion issues, and presents improvement alternatives for each intersection. A tiered approach was undertaken to evaluate potential alternatives and determine a preferred configuration for each intersection. 

KEY FINDINGS AND OUTCOMES 

• Love Lane / Durston Road: A roundabout is recommended as the preferred alternative, offering substantial long-term safety benefits, operational efficiency, and strong community support. 

• Alaska Road South Corridor: Roundabouts are recommended at the Cameron Bridge Road and East Valley Center Road intersections to improve safety, ensure consistent design, enhance operational performance, and promote cost-effectiveness through economies of scale. 

• Preliminary Design: To position Gallatin County for upcoming discretionary grant funding opportunities, preliminary design efforts were advanced for the Alaska Road South corridor and associated intersections. 

PUBLIC REVIEW PERIOD 

Gallatin County invites the public to review the draft report and submit comments during the 30-day public review period ending August 13, 2025. After reviewing and addressing all comments, the final report will be presented to the County Commission for approval. 

The Draft Preliminary Engineering Report can be reviewed online at: https://rpa-eng.com/gallatin-intersections/. 

HOW TO SUBMIT COMMENTS 

Comments can be submitted at any time to the project manager, Scott Randall, via email at srandall@rpa-eng.com, by phone at 406-447-5005, or by mail at 3147 Saddle Drive, Helena, MT 59601.   

FUNDING 

While no funding has yet been identified to design and construct the improvements recommended in the report, Gallatin County is actively seeking grant funding and remains committed to pursuing opportunities to advance these critical safety improvements. Last month, the County Commission adopted its first Safe Streets for All (SS4A) Action Plan, focused on reducing traffic deaths and serious injuries and improving safety for all roadway users across the County. The data and preliminary designs developed through the Gallatin County Intersection Improvements Project helped strengthen and support a more competitive application to the SS4A implementation grant program, where the County is seeking funding to implement priority safety improvements, including a roundabout at Alaska Road South / Cameron Bridge Road. 

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For Immediate Release: July 12, 2025

At approximately 10:28 p.m. on Saturday, July 12, 2025, the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office responded to a single-vehicle crash involving four occupants near 90 Lone Mountain Trail in Big Sky.

Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office deputies, Montana Highway Patrol and Big Sky Fire personnel arrived on scene, locating a vehicle that had crashed under unknown circumstances. The vehicle was occupied by one adult female and three adult males some of which were ejected from the vehicle. All four occupants were assessed at the scene and transported to Bozeman Health Deaconess Regional Medical Center with multiple individuals sustaining life-threatening injuries and requiring transport to higher levels of care.

Montana Highway Patrol is investigating the details of the crash with the assistance of the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office Detectives Division. It is unknown at this time if impairment was a contributing factor. Both agencies continue investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

On June 30, 2025, at 12:22 pm, Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue – Big Sky Section was called to Ousel Falls Trailhead for a cardiac arrest with bystander CPR in progress. SAR volunteers, Gallatin County Sheriff’s Deputies, and Big Sky Fire Department responded to the scene, which was approximately 0.5 miles from the trailhead. When rescuers arrived on scene, numerous bystanders were helping by escorting emergency services to the scene, providing medical care in the form of CPR, and assisting the victim’s family.

Emergency responders provided life saving efforts at the scene and transported the victim to the trailhead where the Big Sky Fire Department ambulance was waiting. Resuscitative efforts were ultimately unsuccessful, and the victim was pronounced dead.

Sheriff Dan Springer would like to thank all the bystanders who participated in this event. There were many people recreating on the trail who stopped what they were doing and leapt into action to assist the victim and their family. Studies have proven that bystander CPR provides the victim of a cardiac arrest with the best chance of survival. Sheriff Dan Springer would also like to thank the Search and Rescue volunteers in Big Sky. When called to service, eight volunteers immediately stopped what they were doing at work or in their personal lives, gathered critical equipment, and quickly and efficiently deployed onto the trail to assist with a high acuity event.

Finally, Sheriff Dan Springer would like to express his sincere condolences to the family. The decedent was identified as 66 year old Mark Hammons of Kentucky. This was a tragic and sudden event and Sheriff Springer would like the family to know they are in his thoughts and prayers.

The Gallatin County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue team will be conducting a large-scale search operation in the Bear Canyon and New World Gulch areas this Saturday and Sunday, June 28–29.

This effort continues the search for David Butzin, who was first reported missing on November 10, 2024. The operation will involve ground teams, search dogs, horseback riders, drones, aircraft, and numerous support vehicles.

If you’ve been in the area recently and observed anything unusual, please contact the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office at 406-582-2100.

We also ask the public to avoid the Bear Canyon and New World Gulch areas if possible during this time to ensure SAR teams can carry out their work safely and efficiently.

For immediate release: June 26, 2025 

Media contact:
Whitney Bermes, Gallatin County Communications Coordinator
406-595-8963 (cell)
whitney.bermes@gallatin.mt.gov  

Gallatin County Commission to Hold Public Hearing on Draft Camping Ordinance 

The Gallatin County Commission will discuss the future of camping on public property and rights-of-way in unincorporated areas of Gallatin County at its next public meeting on Tuesday, July 1, at 9 AM at the Gallatin County Courthouse (311 W. Main St., Bozeman) in the third-floor Community Room. 

At the meeting, commissioners will consider a draft ordinance that would prohibit camping on public property or public rights-of-way in the unincorporated areas of Gallatin County unless camping is specifically allowed by the county.  

See the full draft resolution here.  

Tuesday’s meeting will be the first reading of the draft ordinance. If the commission approves it, a final vote is expected to take place at the commission’s July 15 public meeting. 

This draft ordinance was brought before the Gallatin County Commission at the request of Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer and vetted for legality by the Gallatin County Attorney’s Office. The commission considered incidents, complaints and public safety concerns over several work sessions to explore a potential ordinance. Public health and safety were the primary factors guiding the commission’s direction. The goal is to connect people with resources that reduce risk to themselves and protect community health and sanitation. The draft ordinance also aligns with the City of Bozeman’s regulations to minimize confusion and prevent spillover impacts. Should the ordinance pass, the commission is committed to monitoring data and evaluating the ordinance’s effectiveness over time.

“The County Commission has a lot of trust in the information our sheriff and his deputies bring us. They asked that we help them in developing a regulatory tool to address the challenges they encounter around the county, and I think it has resulted in a reasonable policy,” said Gallatin County Commissioner Scott MacFarlane. 

Public comments will be taken during the meeting, and community members can participate either in person at the courthouse or remotely via Zoom. Details for joining the meeting online can be found here. 

In addition to providing comment during the meeting, residents can share their feedback ahead of time by emailing commission@gallatin.mt.gov, calling 406-582-3000, or by delivering written comments to the Gallatin County Commission Office in Room 306 of the Gallatin County Courthouse. 

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