Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913
Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913
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Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital received a shipment of medical personal protective equipment (PPE) needed to help with the hospital’s efforts in detecting, preventing and possibly fighting COVID-19 in Montana. To date, FMDH has received two shipments from the Strategic National Stockpile through the State of Montana Public Health and Safety Division. The shipments arrived separately the week of March 30. The first shipment contained one box of large gloves containing 50 pairs; one box of x-large gloves containing 50 pairs; two boxes of s... Full story
*Editor's Note: Since this story was written and published, Governor Steve Bullock extended his stay-at-home order through April 24.* In a press call with reporters on April 3, Montana Governor Steve Bullock warned that public health orders, such as the statewide stay-at-home order, would be extended past their April 10 expiration date. The announcement came as the state was approaching 300 total reported COVID-19 cases and its sixth death. “Note that the vast majority of directives we have put in place are set to expire next Friday, April 1... Full story
The respect shown by the staff of Frances Mahon Deaconess Stat Ambulance to Valley County Dispatch Supervisor Kim Martens is overwhelming. And seeing that respect for her work, the Montana State Veterans of Foreign Wars honored Martens with their VFW Public Servant Award Citation and, in addition, named her the VFW State of Montana EMS Dispatcher of the Year. "Kim is an instrumental part of our Emergency Medical System. We know that we will always have the most accurate information in order to...
Perhaps it is partly because this is an agricultural-driven region, but locals realize that in order for something to truly grow and thrive, it takes love, nurturing and commitment. And Valley County has a thriving and continuously growing artistic community. A thing like a global pandemic is not about to hinder that growth, as evidenced by Redbyrd Design's Byrdie and Will Larsen. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to curtail the virus necessitating social distancing and the...
The COVID-19 pandemic, and the government’s response to it, appear to have impacted most every aspect of Americans’ daily lives, as well as aspects of life that do not occur daily. Elections often bring to mind the image of polling booths, decked out in red, white and blue bunting. But that image has already been fading in parts of the country instead being replaced by voting-by-mail. Montana may prove to be ahead of the national curve in this aspect of responding to the respiratory illness that has disrupted life across the globe however. Mont... Full story
Barnard Pipeline and TC Energy will require workers arriving to work on a cross-border pipeline in the region to quarantine for 14 days before starting work. The plan is an abridged version that required workers to quarantine for 14 days while allowing them to go to work on the pipeline alongside others who were outside the 14-day quarantine window. Concerns about workers were raised to county health officials and solutions to identify workers past quarantine and those not past quarantine were s...
Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital is following the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC’s) clear guidelines for prioritizing COVID-19 testing. This ensures that both state and local testing supplies are used responsibly and in a way that ensures we have them when we need them. It is important that we balance the need to perform tests for purposes of establishing the presence of the disease in our community with the ability to provide diagnostic information to health care providers caring for patients that are very sick. We are committed to tak... Full story
In addition to the Governor’s Stay-At-Home Order, the VC Health Officer Order 2020-02 / Clarification to Order 2020-02 states: Persons who newly enter Valley County, resident or non-resident, including snowbirds. Persons who exited Valley County for any length of time for a non-essential work-related purpose, resident or non-resident New Essential Service Contractors staying for any amount of time Persons passing through or staying for any amount of time 1. Please self-report your return or arrival to the Valley County Health Department by c... Full story
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced on April 3, hours of operation at six ports of entry in Montana, including Opheim, will be reduced as a result of reduction in traffic due to the coronavirus (COVID-19). The hours will be in effect during the duration of the COVID-19 crisis and are not expected to be a long-term change. The Port Of Opheim which is typically open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week, will now be open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday and closed on weekends. Other ports of entry affected include The Port of... Full story
Eastern Montana Community Mental Health Center wants everyone to know that they are available for any mental health or substance abuse issues an individual may be dealing with. They can be contacted 24 hours a day at 228-9349. Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) also have expanded mental health services to help Montanans who may be experiencing a range of emotions including loneliness, sadness and fear as a result of the current COVID-19 situation. “We continue to monitor and make adjustments as necessary to meet the needs o... Full story
Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital is reporting that they have conducted 30 tests at their facility since testing for the COVID-19 disease became available in early March. Those numbers do not reflect the total number of Valley County residents that have been tested since some people may come from other areas and some residents may have been tested outside of Valley County. FMDH said that the low numbers of tests performed thus far are a direct result of the public's commitment to social... Full story
*This is a developing story. More information will be added as it is obtained* Northeast Montana Health Services Inc. and the Fort Peck Tribal Government confirmed rumors that the two cases of COVID-19 in northeast Montana (one in Richland County and one in Roosevelt County) were employees at the Riverside Family Clinic in Poplar. At press time, tribal and county officials had not commented to the Courier about the workers or their roles at the clinic. NEMHS Inc. said that the employees were home for 14 days and that they were working with... Full story
When Bryan Douglass unloaded the plastic bottles-filled with a mixture that, among other things-contained 190 proof alcohol, from his airplane on April 9, he joked about his day's activity with stat parole officer Bruce Barstad, who was there to pick up the containers for corrections officers in northeast Montana. "I feel like I'm running moonshine," he said, handing off bags filled with jugs of hand sanitizer recently distilled at Wildrye Distilling in Bozeman. The delivery was one of many for... Full story
In a continued effort to slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), Governor Bullock extended closures of public schools and dine-in food service as well as alcoholic beverage businesses through April 10 on March 24. Just a few days later, on March 26, Governor Bullock took the directive a step-further and issued a Stay At Home Directive, requiring Montanans to stay home and temporarily closed all nonessential businesses and operations through Friday, April 10. The directive also prohibits all... Full story
Students, school staff and parents started a new reality this week as schools within the county have now shifted to remote learning in absence of in-person classroom instruction. Utilizing modern technology such as Google Classroom, online meeting rooms and email, in addition to the typical pencil and paper method with packets, teachers of all grades started online instruction on March 30. Due to a directive issued by Governor Bullock on March 15, all Montana schools were closed for two weeks to help prevent the spread of coronavirus...
As the threat of the coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread throughout the country and Montana, hospitals and medical facilities are encountering a shortage of necessary equipment to keep healthcare workers safe. Masks, specifically, are in short supply with some facilities asking providers to use one mask per day due to the limited supply. Even though the virus has not hit Valley County, as of press time, Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital isn't immune to the shortage. In times of crisis, a c...
After much partisan fighting and negotiations, President Donald Trump signed a coronavirus relief package March 27 intended to provide economic assistance for people and businesses across the country. The $2 trillion Covid-19 Phase 3 rescue package is the most expensive bill in U.S. history. The bill will provide $300 billion in financial aid for small businesses; $150 billion for local and state governments, and individual direct payments; and $130 billion for hospitals. Direct payments are expected to be issued by the government starting as... Full story
TC Energy has confirmed their plans to move forward with construction of the Keystone XL pipeline in Phillips and Valley counties during the COVID-19 pandemic. The planned construction project has brought in 100 workers, and a number of family members, from all over the country who will be living in hotels and recreational vehicles while they begin work on and near the project's border crossing with Canada. Simultaneously on March 28, at 12:01 a.m., the county ordered all new arrivals in Valley...
COVID-19 has changed our lives in ways we never would have imagined. Discussions about the virus dominate the news. Many schools and businesses are closed or running remotely. Sports events, concerts and movie theater showings are canceled. So, it’s not surprising that many of us are feeling more stressed and anxious these days. Kids, too, may be feeling worried—especially if they already have an anxiety disorder. Fortunately, there are things we can do to help our kids cope. But first, parents and other caregivers must ease their own con... Full story
*Editor's Note: After this article was written and published, Governor Steve Bullock extended the closure of all Montana K-12 schools until April 10.* Students and school staff started their second week of unexpected time off on March 23 as a result of Governor Bullock's directive on March 15 closing all K-12 schools for two weeks to help prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). Since the Governor's announcement, confirmed cases in Montana have steadily risen, prompting other changes... Full story
On March 21, the Valley County Health Officer Dr. Anne Millard held a Facebook livestream to answer questions and inform the public about the COVID-19 pandemic that has affected much of the world and led to an order to shut down dine in bars, restaurants, brew pubs and so on last week. Below are the key takeaways from that livestream. To view the video in full visit the Frances Mahon Deaconess Facebook page. If you have traveled recently, stay home. Dr. Millard emphasized the need for people who have traveled to places outside Valley County,... Full story
Measures Aimed at Preventing Over-Burdened Hospital Valley County has declared a state of emergency as of March 17. The city followed suit on March, 19, declaring a state of emergency at a 3 p.m. emergency meeting of the City Council. The actions come after Governor Steve Bullock and President Donald Trump issued state and nationwide emergencies last week as a result of the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic that has spread to all 50 states and territories. “The County has continued to monitor the situation and the circumstances surrounding the s... Full story
The Valley County Food Bank, an all-volunteer organization, has found a way to keep serving those in the community who face food insecurity. Dealing with the closure of most brick-and-mortar establishments in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, food bank volunteers came together on March 21 to gather and distribute necessary food to 111 households across the country in lieu of the normal pick-up date. Members of local churches, the Glasgow High School student council and the community set out...
During this time of uncertainty and unknowns, the Glasgow Courier remains committed to keeping subscribers and communities well informed on not only the pandemic but also the local news. The staff is committed to fulfilling our important role while at the same time taking necessary steps to protect the health and safety to our employees. Due to CDC guidelines on social distancing and closures of businesses, we recommend signing up for a digital subscription to the Glasgow Courier to ensure continued delivery of your news. You can activate your... Full story
