The Fort Peck Interpretive Center will operate under an appointment-based system this winter due to low seasonal visitation and budget constraints.

The center will not have set hours for the months of December, January and February.

Groups who would like to use the meeting room or individuals and families who want to tour the facility will need to make an appointment in advance during weekdays by calling the interpretive center at 526-3493 or the project office at 526-3411.

Honor Roll Announced

Lustre Christian High School has released the honor roll for the first trimester. Students earning honors are listed below. An asterisk denotes 4.0.

Seniors: honor roll: Timothy Lenihan, James Rue, Ajay Headdress, Austin Neufeld and Jake Kim; honorable mention: Kimberly Lenihan, Sandro Dorsainvil and Chris Nordlie.

Juniors: honor roll: Mack Young and Mawin Kulpruks; honorable mention: Morgan Davis and Maya Cruz.

Sophomores: honor roll: *Evan Bartel, *Monica Brown, *McKaylah Lenihan and Jason Toavs; honorable mention: Loverty Lindsay and Gabby Pierre.

Freshmen: honor roll: Michael Brown and Shelby Reddig; honorable mention: Rebecca Rahn.

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Martin and Karen Fast recently took a road trip to Nebraska to visit their children, Stanley and Joni Fast and children and Stacie and Jeff Juzyk and family. After spending several days in Nebraska, they continued on to Mountain Lake, Minn., to visit Martin’s sisters, Marge and Willard Friesen and Marlene Fast. While there, they celebrated Marge’s birthday. Iris Troche of El Paso, Texas, flew up to join her siblings for a visit.

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Sports

The Lustre jamboree tournament was held in Nashua Saturday, Nov. 23.  The first round of competition pitted Lustre against the boys, which Lustre won, 24-4.

Amber Reddig led in scoring in this first game with nine points. Halle Reddig scored six; Megan Fast, four; and Kolden Hoversland and Olivia Brown each had two points.

Bo Anderson scored the only four points for Opheim.

In the second game, the tables were turned on Lustre and they lost to Hinsdale/Saco, 8-28. Halle Reddig scored four points; Braeden Toavs had two and Hoversland and Brown each netted a free throw.

Loden Idler was high scorer for Hinsdale/Saco with eight points.

The third game again turned in Lustre’s favor, with Lustre victorious over Frazer, 18-14.

Hoversland put up eight points; Amber Reddig and Halle Reddig each scored four; and Brown  completed the scoring with two.

In the consolation round, Lustre lost their momentum and relinquished the fourth game to Dodson, 20-26.

Amber Reddig put up eight points, while Toavs had six; Halle Reddig, four; and Hoversland, two.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is seeking comment on an update of the state's action plan to manage chronic wasting disease should it ever occur in Montana wildlife.

The draft environmental assessment evaluates a rewrite of FWP's CWD management plan that's been in place since 2005.

CWD is an always fatal disease of the central nervous system of captive and free-ranging mule deer, white-tailed deer, moose, and elk. The ailment belongs to a group of diseases called transmissible spongiform encephalapathies that are not fully understood.

Over the past 15 years, FWP has tested more than 17,000 wild elk, moose and deer in Montana for CWD and has not yet found any evidence of it.

The two primary changes to the plan include the removal of "depopulation" of wildlife herds as a management option and the addition of risk management responses if CWD is ever detected.

The update reflects research and management lessons learned from other areas already infected with CWD in wildlife. FWP hasn't selected a preferred alternative and will evaluate public comments prior to making a final decision.

CWD has been found in free-ranging deer in 18 states, including Wyoming, North Dakota, and South Dakota. It's also been found in Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada. 

Comments on EA must be received by 5 p.m. Dec. 13. Comment via FWP's website at fwp.mt.gov .  Click "Hunting". Or mail to: FWP – Wildlife Bureau, Attn: Public Comment, P.O. Box 200701, Helena, MT 59620-0701.  For more information, call: 406-444-7722.

Melvin Johnson, a dryland farmer from Vida, was presented with the Montana Farm Bureau Distinguished Service Award during the MFBF annual convention awards banquet Nov. 12.

Johnson, 92, was instrumental in founding McCone County Farm Bureau in 1956. He served as president for six years and has always been an active member/supporter of Farm Bureau.

This September he and his wife, Kay, spent their 67th wedding anniversary at the McCone County Farm Bureau annual meeting.

Johnson attended Montana State College in 1939, studying grains and farming and went on to farm in Vida. He and Kay have encouraged young farmers and ranchers to stay involved in agriculture, having leased farmland to various young producers throughout their retirement years.

He and his wife have been very active in their community. He founded the McCone Hundred Club, whose members donate $100 or more annually to support the volunteer ambulance and fire departments. He visited with his neighbors to allow rights of way for Highway 13 to come through and complete the route from Wolf Point to Circle. In 1992, Melvin was the grand marshall for Town & Country Days in Circle.

This fall, the Johnsons provided significant monetary help for a new fire hall in Circle.

He served 2.5 years in the Civil Air Patrol, Miles City Wing, as a pilot where he attained the rank of Captain. Their special focus was on protecting the Fort Peck Dam which was considered to be a possible Japanese target. He joined the Air Force during World War II as an enlisted man. He was discharged from the Air Force on July 4, 1946. He chaired the state Republican Party in the 1950s.

“Melvin and Kay have given selflessly to the community and especially to Farm Bureau, all their lives,” said MFBF president Bob Hanson who presented the award. “Farm Bureau is very honored to present our Distinguished Service Award to this hard-working farmer and patriot.”

The Montana Farm Bureau Convention was Nov. 10-13 at the Billings Hotel and Convention Center.