Bozeman Daily Chronicle

Sink or swim: Drowning survivor throws a lifeline to the Livingston City Pool.

“At 77 years of operation, the City of Livingston has had a very good run with the pool. However, we recognize that the pool has reached the end of its useful life,” said Livingston City Manager Grant Gager.

Wistey started the Save Our Pool fund in an effort to keep the facility open. He pledged $5,000 to kickstart the movement.

While the fund, posted to a local Livingston page, hasn’t gained much financial traction, Wistey’s post has racked up over 40 comments. Most are expressing nostalgia for the pool’s heyday, while others are arguing against preserving the pool.

https://tinyurl.com/sks89n62

Bozeman man sentenced for fourth illegal reentry, will be deported after prison.

A man from Mexico who was living in Bozeman was sentenced to eight months in prison Wednesday for illegally reentering the United States after removal for the fourth time.

He will serve three years of supervised release after getting out of prison, according to a U.S. Attorney’s Office release.

Antonio Alfaro-Ramirez, 41, was initially located at a Bozeman apartment during a Dec. 23 ex*****on of a search warrant by the Missouri River Drug Task Force. The release states that a Border Patrol agent accompanied the raid and interviewed Alfaro-Ramirez as part of an immigration inspection.

https://tinyurl.com/3epmmz92

Montana adds 82 acres of public river access with Siskin Island donation.

An island complex on the Upper Yellowstone River in Paradise Valley will be permanently open to public access following a June 12 Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks commission meeting. Commissioners unanimously accepted the 82-acre Siskin Island donation from nonprofit Trust for Public Land.

“Any form of public land is valuable. Even if it’s not used at all, it’s still public land safe from being developed and someone wrapping it in barbed wire,” said Paradise Valley resident and 5-year Yellowstone River fishing guide Noah Robinson.

https://tinyurl.com/yr8jnxjr

County ICE agreement fails amid prevailing statute.

Months of protests, letters to the commissioners and a lawsuit all led up to the Tuesday morning Gallatin County Commission meeting, where the county’s controversial 287(g) agreement with ICE was put to a vote.

The meeting room was packed with people opposed to the agreement, many of whom had been protesting outside of the courthouse beforehand.

But because the commissioners never signed this agreement, four county residents have filed a lawsuit against the commissioners, questioning the agreement's legitimacy.

https://tinyurl.com/yd73nf8x

Yoga prodigy turned chef opens Bozeman's only vegan food truck.

Tabay Atkins is set to open Bozeman’s only vegan eatery, but converting carnivores isn’t his goal.

“I’m mostly catering to non-vegans,” Atkins said. “I want to give them options they can choose over a meat-based meal. Most of the time, they enjoy it more than the meat base original, and they come back as regulars. They don’t always decide to go vegan, but at least they now have a new choice.”

https://tinyurl.com/mu4ukyry

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.

Warning - The story contains details about the death of a child in a bicycle crash that some readers may find distressing.

A child on a bicycle was hit and killed by a car Wednesday between 11 am and noon, according to the Bozeman Police Department.

As of 11:50 a.m., North Rouse Street was closed by a multi-agency police presence. Several unidentified items were strewn across the street, including what appeared to be a pink and blue child's bicycle. What appeared to be a body, covered by a white sheet, was also visible on the street.

In addition to police, animal control vehicles and the Gallatin Chaplain were observed on scene. The chaplain assists law enforcement with death notifications and provides support to victims and grieving families on scene, according to the sheriff's office.

Officers on scene said more information will be released today.

https://tinyurl.com/ytf8wzjh

Sibanye-Stillwater Montana mine staffing in recovery amid Russian import uncertainty.

Sibanye-Stillwater’s Stillwater and Sweet Grass County platinum and palladium mines have approximately 25 more employees than when the South African parent company laid off 700 members of its in-state workforce in 2024.

The company maintains staffing at replacement levels, successfully fighting attrition while gaining new jobs at an $120,000 average annual wage in a state where the average earner makes $58,159 per year, according to ZipRecruiter, an online employment marketplace.

“But these are all due to attrition,” said Heather McDowell, Sibanye-Stillwater’s vice president of legal and external affairs. “1,050 (total) people is a large workforce for Montana.”

https://tinyurl.com/nh9k8jyn

Southwood Park opens in Bozeman near South University District.

Community members, Bozeman Mayor Joey Morrison, and local representatives gathered in south Bozeman for June 12’s official opening of the city’s newest park.

Southwood Park is located at the intersection of Stucky Road and South 17th Avenue. The 23-acre park features shaded pavilions, a play structure, an open lawn area and windmill art sculptures.

https://tinyurl.com/ysvvh9ak

Bringing Bozeman Creek into the light: The city’s namesake creek is subject to a network of tunnels and culverts below downtown.

A band of citizens looking to revitalize the future of Bozeman Creek as it runs through the city’s downtown first looked to the past.

In the 1860s, the settlement of Bozeman, renowned for its fertile soil and ample wildlife, served as a supply hub for gold prospectors. Born in the Hyalite-area peaks of the Gallatin Range, its namesake creek meandered through downtown as both a critical water source and a nuisance.

City maps from 1870 show the Bozeman Creek of yore: sweeping S-curves that, once downtown, wound their way through side streets before splitting Main Street in two.

https://tinyurl.com/mr2fwk3z

Sean O’Malley never stopped being a Montana kid.

Sunday night, the Ultimate Fighting Championship came to Washington, D.C., for fights featuring some of the sport’s biggest names, including Helena native and former UFC bantamweight champion “Suga” Sean O’Malley. The UFC Freedom 250 event has also been at the center of political controversy due to the fight’s venue: the White House South Lawn. While the fights were meant to celebrate the country’s history and honor veterans, Sunday was also President Donald Trump’s birthday. Despite all the hubbub, Freedom 250 has a direct Montana tie we wanted to highlight.

https://tinyurl.com/ypyme7fp