Gallatin Media Center

Mystic Lake Missing Hunters

 On October 23, 2022, at 9:29 A.M., Gallatin County 911 Dispatch received a report of two overdue hunters. The hunters had been last seen in the Mystic Lake Cabin area the day prior at 7:10 A.M by a third member of the hunting party, but never returned to the cabin for their planned stay overnight.  Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue were dispatched to locate and assist the missing hunters.

Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue Valley Section and SAR Dog teams deployed to the area the hunters were last seen from the Bozeman Creek Trailhead.  After several hours of clearing trail and navigating snowy conditions, ground teams and a SAR Dog team were able to reach the Mystic Lake Cabin, where they located the hunters.  One member of the party had suffered a minor injury the night before, which delayed their ability to make it back to the cabin in the dark.  The hunters had arrived at the cabin after their hunting partner had already gone for help, and were seeking shelter from the inclement weather.  SAR teams conducted a medical assessment and transported the hunters back to the trailhead.

Sheriff Dan Springer encourages hunters to prepare for changing weather conditions and to carry a means of communication should an accident happen.  Seeking shelter and remaining stationary aided rescuers in conducting a timely and efficient rescue in this case.

PRESS RELEASE

Albino Lake Injured Hunter Rescue

On October 22, 2022, at 10:40 A.M., Gallatin County Dispatch received a call from the Garmin International Emergency Response Coordination Center (IERCC), who had received an SOS from a satellite communication device.  After communicating with the device owner, it was determined a hunter had broken their leg while navigating rough terrain near the Albino Lake Trail in Big Sky.

Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue Big Sky Section, Valley Section, and a Big Sky Fire Department responded to assist with the call. SAR Big Sky and Valley ground teams deployed on foot to the patient with ropes and a one wheeled litter. Another SAR Big Sky team deployed from the Eldridge Trailhead on a four-wheel drive side by side. Teams faced difficult terrain and harsh weather while attempting the backcountry rescue in snowy and icy conditions.

It took volunteers several hours to locate, assess, and evacuate the patient. Once ground teams arrived at the patient’s location, they stabilized the injury and created a plan to evacuate the hunter by one wheeled litter, and then onto the side by side for transport back to the trailhead. The hunter was then transported several miles down the trail to the Big Sky Fire Department Ambulance and ultimately transported to Bozeman Health for further evaluation.

Sheriff Dan Springer would like to commend the hunting party for being prepared with not only a satellite communication device, but for being adequately dressed for the changing weather and long day in the elements.

Photos courtesy of Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office.

PRESS RELEASE

Blackline Climber Rescue

On October 21, 2022, at 1:26 P.M., Gallatin County Dispatch received a call that a rock climber had fallen approximately 20 feet and sustained injuries to their ankle and lower back near the base of Blackline in Big Sky.

Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue Big Sky Section, Valley Section, SAR Heli Team, and AMR responded to assist with the call. SAR Big Sky and Valley ground teams deployed on foot to the patient with ropes and a one wheel litter. When they arrived and assessed the patient the ground teams requested a SAR Heli Team shorthaul due to the patient’s condition and location. The patient was packaged and short hauled to an awaiting AMR ambulance. The patient was then transported to Bozeman Deaconess Hospital for further evaluation and treatment.

Sheriff Dan Springer would like to commend the other climbers for staying with, and helping the injured climber, until help arrived. He would also like to remind everyone that accidents can happen to anyone, to bring plenty of supplies, a communication/location device, and a first aid kit in case of emergencies.

Photos courtesy of Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office.

 

For immediate release: October 20, 2022

Media contact:
Jim Simon, Gallatin Solid Waste Management District Manager
406-582-2492
jim.simon@gallatin.mt.gov

 

Game Animal Carcass Disposal Available in Gallatin County

Southwest Montana hunters can help prevent the spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD) by properly disposing of game animal carcasses at three locations across Gallatin County this hunting season.

Dumping carcasses is illegal, unethical, and can spread numerous diseases, including CWD, a fatal disease of deer, elk, and moose.

The Gallatin Solid Waste Management District is proud to assist Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks by providing safe places to dispose of game animal carcasses. In southwest Montana, the Gallatin Solid Waste Management District offers three sites for disposal:

Logan Landfill
10585 Two Dog Rd., Manhattan

Hours:
Until Oct. 31
Monday to Friday, 7 AM to 5 PM
Saturday, 7 AM to 4:30 PM
After Nov. 1
Monday to Saturday – 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM

Disposal fees:

Minimum fee – $5 per vehicle
Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) (all deer, elk and moose carcasses and whole animals will be disposed as MSW) – $27 per ton

Bozeman Convenience Site
2143 Story Mill Rd., Bozeman

Hours:
Tuesday – Saturday, 8 AM to 3:30 PM

Disposal fees:
Minimum fee – $10 per vehicle
Bulky/oversized item fee – $5
Municipal Solid Waste – $27 per ton

West Yellowstone Transfer Station
263 Ecology Ln., West Yellowstone

Hours:
Until Oct. 31
Monday to Friday – 8 AM to 4 PM
Saturday – 9 AM to 1 PM
After Nov. 1
Tuesday to Thursday – 10 AM to 4 PM
Saturday – 9 AM to 1 PM

Disposal fees:
Minimum fee – $8 per vehicle up to 120 pounds
Regular Household Waste – $126 per ton

 

This year, Montana FWP is continuing CWD surveillance in specific areas known as Priority Surveillance Areas, which includes southwest Montana.

Carcass disposal requirements include the following: carcass parts such as brain, eyes, spleen, lymph glands, and spinal cord material, should be left at the kill site when possible. If the animal is transported for taxidermy or meat processing, the brain and spinal tissue must be bagged and disposed of in a landfill. A carcass may be transported within the state regardless of where it was harvested if the carcass parts of disposed of in a landfill after butchering and processing.

This requirement applies to all deer, elk, and moose carcasses wherever in the state they are harvested by hunters or as vehicle-killed salvage.

Protect our herds: property dispose of carcasses!

To learn more about chronic wasting disease in Montana, collecting and submitting samples, surveillance efforts, and what you can do to prevent the spread of the fatal disease, please visit fwp.mt.gov/cwd.

For more information on disposing of game animal carcasses at the three Gallatin Solid Waste Management locations, contact the following:

• Logan Landfill – 406-284-4029
• Bozeman Convenience Site – 406-587-7890
• West Yellowstone Transfer Station – 406-646-9383

 

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CORRECTION: The previous version of the below press release had the incorrect address of the incident. It has been corrected in the version below (see bolded red text below). We apologize for the error.

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For immediate release: Oct. 19, 2022

At approximately 6:45 PM on Tuesday, October 18, 2022, the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of gunshots at 20 Cliff Manor Ln., approximately 10 miles south of Gallatin Gateway in Gallatin Canyon. A witness reported a female had shot a male and fled the scene. When responders arrived, they found a male, identified as 53-year-old Jason Jones, deceased. Preliminary findings showed Jason died from multiple gunshot wounds. Investigation indicated the suspect to be 50-year-old Kimberli Jones, Jason’s spouse. Kimberli was later found near the Hyalite reservoir deceased due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The incident is still under investigation at this time.

Sheriff Springer wishes to express our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Jason and Kimberli Jones during this time.

For immediate release: Oct. 19, 2022

At approximately 6:45 PM on Tuesday, October 18, 2022, the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of gunshots at 50 Cliff Manor Ln., approximately 10 miles south of Gallatin Gateway in Gallatin Canyon. A witness reported a female had shot a male and fled the scene. When responders arrived, they found a male, identified as 53-year-old Jason Jones, deceased. Preliminary findings showed Jason died from multiple gunshot wounds. Investigation indicated the suspect to be 50-year-old Kimberli Jones, Jason’s spouse. Kimberli was later found near the Hyalite reservoir deceased due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The incident is still under investigation at this time.

Sheriff Springer wishes to express our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Jason and Kimberli Jones during this time.

Sheriff Springer will be available for press inquiries at 12:00 today at the Gallatin County Detention Center, Conference Room.

For immediate release: Oct. 13, 2022

Media contact:
Eric Semerad, Gallatin County Elections Administrator
406-582-3060
eric.semerad@gallatin.mt.gov

 

Gallatin County Elections Office Mailing Over 62,000 Absentee Ballots on Friday, Oct. 14

On the morning Friday, Oct. 14, the Gallatin County Elections Office is mailing out over 62,000 absentee ballots for the 2022 federal general election on Nov. 8.

Voters who are registered to receive their ballots absentee should start seeing them arrive in their mailboxes in the coming days.

Sample ballots can be found here.

Absentee ballots must be returned no later than 8 PM on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 8, in order to be counted. Ballots postmarked on or before Election Day but received after Election Day cannot be accepted.

Absentee ballots may be returned by mail. The Elections Office advises mailing them no later than Tuesday, Nov. 1 to ensure they arrive on time. They can also be dropped off at the Elections Office leading up to and including Election Day.

On Election Day, ballots can be dropped at any polling place in Gallatin County, and there will also be a drive-up box at the front of the Gallatin County Courthouse in downtown Bozeman.

Polling places will be open for in-person voting on Election Day at the following locations:

• Bridger Canyon Fire Station – 8081 Bridger Canyon Rd.
• Gallatin County Fairgrounds – 901 N. Black Ave. in Bozeman
• Hope Lutheran Church – 5152 W. Graf St. in Bozeman
• Povah Community Center – 10 Geyser St. in West Yellowstone
• Big Sky Water & Sewer District Office – 561 Little Coyote Rd. in Big Sky
• Gallatin Gateway Community Center – 145 Mill St. in Gallatin Gateway
• Belgrade Special Events Center – 220 Spooner Rd. in Belgrade
• River Rock Community Center – 101 River Rock Rd. in Belgrade
• Three Forks High School – 212 E. Neal St. in Three Forks
• Manhattan Christian School – 8000 Churchill Rd. in Churchill
• Manhattan High School – 200 W. Fulton Ave. in Manhattan

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

If you are voting in-person, please check your voter registration to make sure you vote at the correct polling place location.

Visit www.MyVoterPageMT.com to check your voter registration status and your information on file.

If you still need to register to vote or update your registration in order to vote in November’s election, you must appear in person at the Gallatin County Elections Office. Voters can register now until noon on Monday, Nov. 7 (the day before Election Day), and from 7 AM to 8 PM on Election Day.

The Elections Office is located in room 210 of the Gallatin County Courthouse at 311 W. Main St. in downtown Bozeman.

For questions or more information, call us at 406-582-3060, email us at gallatin.elections@gallatin.mt.gov, or visit our website at gallatinvotes.com.

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For immediate release: October 12, 2022

Media contact:
Patty Howard, Outreach Educator – Gallatin Solid Waste Management District
406-582-2492
patty.howard@gallatin.mt.gov 

 

Fix-It Repair Clinic Slated for Oct. 15 at Belgrade Community Library

Do you have small items that need to be fixed? A lamp on the fritz? A sleeping bag with a hole? Your kid’s favorite toy with some broken pieces? Then the Fix-It Repair Clinic is the place for you!

The Gallatin Solid Waste Management District is partnering with the Belgrade Community Library to bring you this community event to help give new life to your stuff!

This free clinic will be held Saturday, Oct. 15 from 10 AM to 1 PM at the Belgrade Community Library, located at 106 N. Broadway.

Volunteers will be on hand to fix small items such as toys, clothing, small appliances, lamps, jewelry, and more. This will save their owners money and keep the items from ending up in the landfill. Past clinics have helped keep over 2,000 pounds from going into the Logan Landfill!

For more information, please call 406-582-2493 or visit www.gallatinsolidwaste.org.

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Sheriff/Coroner Dan Springer releases name of Vehicle vs. Bicyclist Victim

 

On Sunday, October 9, 2022, the Gallatin County Coroner’s Office investigated a fatality involving a vehicle and bicyclist. The accident occurred on Tuesday, October 4, 2022, near the intersection of W Oak St. and N 15^th Ave. in Bozeman. The victim was identified as 40-year-old Kelly Fulton, a high school teacher in Bozeman. Fulton was transported to a Billings hospital where he ultimately died of his injuries. Cause of death was determined to be subdural hematoma due to blunt force injuries of the head. The manner was ruled an accident.

 

Sheriff Springer wishes to express our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and students of Kelly Fulton during this time.

For Immediate Release: October 7, 2022

Gallatin City-County Health Department will hold two walk-in flu clinics in October. The first clinic, held on October 12, will also have an option for individuals 12 years or older to get their COVID-19 bivalent booster dose.

Click here to read the press release.

For details on vaccines, please visit our website at healthygallatin.org.