Hunting and fishing license year begins March 1

The new license year opens March 1, which means that is the day you can buy your 2021 hunting and fishing licenses and begin applying for permits and special licenses. The deadline to apply for deer and elk permits is April 1.

Applications for most species – deer, elk, antelope, deer B, elk B, antelope B, moose, sheep, goat, bison, bear, turkey – can be made beginning March 1.

Hunters and anglers can buy licenses and apply for permits on the FWP website beginning at 5 a.m.; click on “Buy and Apply.” Most FWP offices will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The licensing call center will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. from March 1 through April 1; after April 1, the hours will return to 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The call center can be reached at 406-444-2950.

Remember, if you’re applying for a special license or permit, you will need to have a valid email address.

If you missed the first presentation in our Learn to Hunt series, no worries! Click the link to watch it anytime that works for you. https://youtu.be/LyJmMKEhsOM

Registration for future sessions will be open again in early March. 

Representative Rosendale (R-MT)  released the following statement:

“I oppose impeachment as well as other methods of denying President Trump his lawful term in office. Efforts to impeach or remove the president are media stunts drawn from left-wing fever dreams. January 20th will mark the transfer of power to president elect Biden.”

As part of its ongoing efforts to support families and educators during the COVID-19 pandemic, MontanaPBS will continue in 2021 to offer its Learn at Home broadcast curriculum of educational programming and corresponding free digital resources. The new Learn at Home schedule begins Jan. 4 and will continue through the end of the school year on June 4.

Through Learn at Home, MontanaPBS is dedicating its daytime weekday schedule to educational programming provided by MontanaPBS and the Montana Office of Public Instruction. The 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. weekday schedule includes specific blocks of time for pre-kindergarten through eighth grade and covers subjects including language arts, social studies, science and math. MontanaPBS’ regular primetime schedule is not affected by this change.

“We’ve revamped our Learn at Home website after a year of learning what works best for our educators and families,” said Laura Dick, digital content and marketing manager at MontanaPBS. “We’ve worked closely with our education team to gather together new curriculum offerings that are even easier to access from our webpage.”

MontanaPBS has also curated corresponding free digital content for the Learn at Home programming to better serve educators across the state. Aligned to the same Montana content standards and topic areas as the broadcast service, MontanaPBS has created and shared the following free resources for teachers:

• Distance learning webpage: View weekly broadcast schedules as well as articles and activities created and/or vetted by the MontanaPBS education team, other public media organizations and other trusted education partners. Visit montanapbs.org/learnathome.
• Digital media collections: View and download full resource collections on PBS LearningMedia that correspond with the TV broadcast schedule. Collections include curated media and lesson plans, sorted by grade level and subject area. Visit montana.pbslearningmedia.org.

Officials at the Montana Department of Justice announced today that Montanans, especially senior citizens, should be aware of a new tactic being used in the old lottery scam.

The new twist works like this:  A scammer calls you, claiming to be from the “Montana State Gaming Commission.” The scammer says if you pay $600, you’ll have a chance to win $1 million.

“Legitimate lotteries never require people to send money to claim a prize or to have a chance at winning,” Attorney General Tim Fox said. “Because older persons are especially vulnerable due to physical and mental decline, social isolation, and their tendency to trust others, the most effective thing we can do to combat this scam is public education.  Remind your parents, grandparents, and elderly friends about the importance of staying vigilant for lottery scams and other rip-offs that can happen if they engage with these callers,” Fox added.

Another red flag?  The “Montana State Gaming Commission” doesn’t exist.  The Gambling Control Division at the Montana Department of Justice is responsible for state gaming regulation.  Angela Nunn, Gambling Control Division Administrator, said, “Real lotteries never contact the winner, or other players, because they don’t know who these people are.  So, keep in mind two things:  If you receive a call claiming to be from the Montana State Gaming Commission, it’s a scam; if you’re asked to send money in relation to lotteries, it’s a scam.”

Nunn also advised Montanans questioning the validity of a contact from the Gambling Control Division to call her office at (406) 444-1971 or email gcd@mt.gov to confirm.

For more information on lottery scams, visit the Montana Lottery’s website, or Montana Department of Justice’s Office of Consumer Protection’s (OCP) information here.  If you or a family member are the victim of a scam, contact local law enforcement.  You may also report scams to OCP by calling 1-800-481-6896 (toll-free) or (406) 444-4500, or by emailing contactocp@mt.gov.

For updates on this and other issues, follow DOJ’s Gambling Control Division and OCPon Facebook.

1st Choice Realty Open, Call for appointment 278-9129

1st Liberty Federal Credit Union: Drive thru open  

Branding Iron Open : Bar 2 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.; Restaurant 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. Bowling Alley and pool tables closed

Brown-Fitchner & Assoc. Business by phone or email; Open Mon-thurs 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Fri 8-3

Coaches Corner: Take out, curbside pickup and delivery. Free masks; 4:30 – 8 PM

Conrad Building Center Open

Country Charm Open Mon-Fri 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sat 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. In-store shopping limited to one; curbside delivery

Elings Insurance Office open, appointment recommended  

Folklore: Take out, curbside pickup and delivery. Free masks, 7:30 AM – 2 PM

Gary & Leo’s IGA:  Open, also providing delivery for AT RISK residents, free masks

H & R Realty Open, Call for appointment  271-2080

Home Café: Restaurant seating, open 6 a.m. - 2 p.m. Social distance seating to be followed

Independence Bank, Lobby and Drive-thru open.

Java Hut: Delivery and drive thru only. Free masks; 6:30 AM – 1 PM

Main Drive-in  Mon - Sat 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Marias Greenhouse Open 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. 576-7297

Northern Front Guns and Ammo Open Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Olsons’Drug and Village Drug: Both Open. Both will continue to offer home delivery 

Pet Paws Grooming and Supply Open 10 a.m. - 5 pm. Call for appointment 271-7394

Pondera County Insurance: ? Call for hours 271-2034

Senior Center Open for delivery and pick up only. Call 271-3911 to reserve a meal

Stockman Bank Lobbies open

Subway: Open for pickup and take out 10 AM – 8 PM

Sunset Dental Care Mon - Fre 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Super 8: Closed

The Keg: Open for pickup, takeout and delivery 11 AM – 8 PM

The Independent-Observer:: Lobby Open Hours 8 AM - 5 PM

Town Pump: Open 24 hours.

Windrift Hill Open Mon - Fri 8 a.m.  - 5:30 p.m., Sat 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.