Public health is many things. It is clean air and water, safe schools, mental health, emergency preparedness, disease surveillance and promotion of healthy lifestyles. The work of public health is achieved by preventing illness and injury and promoting wellness through healthy behaviors. Pub… Read Article

While wildfire is the most likely major hazard we face in Jefferson County, our preparedness plans should be flexible enough to help us through any hazard we may face.  We call this an all-hazard approach to preparedness. Every hazard will have its own specific preparation requirements, but … Read Article

Public health is many things. It is clean air and water, safe schools, mental health, emergency preparedness, addiction treatment, and prevention. The pandemic has brought attention to some aspects of public health, however there is so much more. Contending with an unyielding virus for the p… Read Article

Some of our neighbors are sharing why they chose to get vaccinated against COVID. These are just a few of our neighbors who have chosen to get vaccinated. Their stories are all different, but the outcome is the same: They chose a COVID vaccine for their families—to work, to visit others, to … Read Article

Stay home. You will be asked to isolate yourself from others. This is to prevent the spread of COVID to others. Your local public health department should let you know when you are cleared to return to your normal routines. Here is the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's rec… Read Article

Jefferson County Public Health has updated its isolation and quarantine guidance based on recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC has continued to review and provide updated isolation and quarantine recommendations throughout the course of the corona… Read Article

On Dec. 30, 2021, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office conducted an alcohol compliance check from the north to the south end of the county. During the compliance check, all businesses that serve or sell alcohol were checked for compliance with alcohol sales and service laws. The Cardwell St… Read Article

Lawyers know about precedent, defined as something that precedes or comes before: For example, a court decision that serves as authority for deciding subsequent cases involving similar facts or legal issues, or other precedents that serve as guides for administrative conduct and decisions. P… Read Article

Researchers around the world are studying the new coronavirus variant, omicron. Scientists are working to better understand how easily the virus spreads, how severe it is and whether current vaccines protect against it. Read Article

The 2021-22 flu season is here. Last year, Montana had no diagnosed flu. Those who follow flu trends are concerned we will see increased flu activity this year. Experts suspect it is possible that the very low number of flu cases last year may mean there are fewer people with immunity to the… Read Article

As many of you have heard, COVID vaccination is now available to children ages 5–11. We have been listening to questions from parents and caregivers about getting their children vaccinated. I would like to share some of that information here. Read Article

For the past couple months, I have been cautiously optimistic that our county is moving toward a healthy trend related to COVID-19 illness. Case counts and hospitalizations have been down. Vaccination rates have consistently increased. Public health staff have focused time and energy on othe… Read Article

"In a democracy, we are free to do many things, but we are not free to ignore the truth." —Jonathan Schell Read Article

One hundred thirty thousand dollars. That’s what it takes for a down payment to buy an average-priced home in Bozeman, Montana. Then an aspiring homeowner must fork out another $3,000 each month, which is more than two-thirds of their household’s paychecks if they make the median income for … Read Article

Did you know the Jefferson County Sanitarian and County Health Board want to create a Clancy Special Management Area using the current Clancy Water & Sewer District (CWSD) boundary that runs between the Legal Tender Bistro on the north end to the Elkhorn Rehab Hospital on the south end a… Read Article

Once again, the Rally for Public Lands at the State Capitol was proof that our public lands and outdoor way of life bind us. The numbers bear it out: 89% of Montanans visit public lands every year; 64% hunt or fish; 79% consider themselves conservationists; and 89% say public lands positivel… Read Article

I’ve lost three hunting spots on corporate timberlands in the last two years. I’ve always appreciated the privilege of hunting those lands but knew they could be sold. One sale blocked a road leading to thousands of acres of US Forest Service where I’ve hunted for over 30 years. The hunt for… Read Article