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Commission approves MSU extension agreement and victim-witness grant; public commenters urge careful statue siting and veterans outreach
Summary
The commission approved a Montana State University extension service agreement supporting 54 4‑H youth in Anaconda Deer Lodge County and accepted a $109,000 Montana Board of Crime Control grant for the county victim‑witness advocate; public comments urged careful site selection for a Marcus Daly statue and increased veterans outreach.
The Anaconda Deer Lodge County Commission on July 2 approved a fiscal-year 2025 extension-service agreement with Montana State University Extension and accepted a two-year Montana Board of Crime Control grant to fund the county’s victim‑witness advocate.
Kaylin Kidwell, Montana State University Extension agent for Anaconda Deer Lodge County, told commissioners the county’s 4‑H program now enrolls 54 youth and 13 adult volunteers, including 14 Cloverbuds (ages 5–8). "Everything is going really well...we set a precedent and there are a couple of different extension agents across the state of Montana that are trying to get the same thing done for their kits," Kidwell said, and thanked the commission for a $1,000 contribution to cover 4‑H project books.
County staff also asked the commission to accept a $109,000 award from the Montana Board of Crime Control to fund the victim‑witness advocate position for two years (approximately $55,000 per year). County staff explained the award covers both years and asked for CEO Everett's signature to accept the funding; the commission approved.
The meeting included several appointments and reappointments (weed board, airport board, DUI Task Force) that passed unanimously. In public comment, Rose Nyman urged commissioners to hold a work session and business meeting to let the public weigh in on statue siting and aesthetics for the Marcus Daly bronze; CEO Everett suggested placing the statue inside the courthouse to reduce vandalism. Veteran Mickey Nazer urged the commission to help organize sponsors and outreach for veterans and offered a $500 donation toward hats to recognize younger veterans.
Next steps: staff will finalize the MSU extension agreement and report on 4‑H programs; the county will accept and administer the victim‑witness grant with CEO signature authority and will process appointments and reappointments according to county procedure.
