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Making a play
A difficult football season for the Warden’s continued last week against the Philipsburg and Drummond Trojans. Due to COVID, grades, and fewer than normal students enrolling in the football program, the Powell County High School football team has been forced to play junior varsity squads from around the region and had to cancel the homecoming game. For more pictures of the Warden, Trojan game, see pages 10 and 11. Photo by Danielle Jurcich. |
Virus in prison
Guards ‘should not self-select to quarantine’
by Jesse Mullen
The Montana State Prison (MSP), which is under quarantine, halted testing prison employees for COVID, shifting the responsibility to the county health offices according to Powell County Health Nurse Marianne Saylor. She also stated MSP inmate positive COVID cases are not included in Powell County case counts that are released to the public.
MSP officials disputed the claim stating, “The [Department of Corrections] DOC requires screening of all employees at its secure facilities, including MSP, when they come to work on a daily basis. This includes taking their temperature and asking the CDC-recommended screening questions about whether they are experiencing symptoms or have been in contact with anyone who is COVID-19 positive. Employees who have a temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher, or show any symptoms, are asked to go home and contact their personal health care provider. At this time, testing efforts at MSP are focused on offenders who are showing symptoms of COVID-19.”
Regarding how the prison reports cases, communications director Carolynn Bright stated that once a test is collected it is sent on to DPHHS and ultimately loaded to a separate state website.
“Our understanding is that county health departments have access to those results,” Bright said. The website provides cumulative data but does not break out active cases and is updated once a week.
Bright notified the Silver State Post that as of Monday afternoon, 50 inmates and 39 staff-members had tested positive for COVID.
Additionally, new warden Jim Salmonsen sent an email to MSP managers stating that, “employees should not ‘self-select’ to quarantine,” and that the managers “should not tell employees to stay home from work.”
See Prison, page 19
The Montana State Prison (MSP), which is under quarantine, halted testing prison employees for COVID, shifting the responsibility to the county health offices according to Powell County Health Nurse Marianne Saylor. She also stated MSP inmate positive COVID cases are not included in Powell County case counts that are released to the public.
MSP officials disputed the claim stating, “The [Department of Corrections] DOC requires screening of all employees at its secure facilities, including MSP, when they come to work on a daily basis. This includes taking their temperature and asking the CDC-recommended screening questions about whether they are experiencing symptoms or have been in contact with anyone who is COVID-19 positive. Employees who have a temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher, or show any symptoms, are asked to go home and contact their personal health care provider. At this time, testing efforts at MSP are focused on offenders who are showing symptoms of COVID-19.”
Regarding how the prison reports cases, communications director Carolynn Bright stated that once a test is collected it is sent on to DPHHS and ultimately loaded to a separate state website.
“Our understanding is that county health departments have access to those results,” Bright said. The website provides cumulative data but does not break out active cases and is updated once a week.
Bright notified the Silver State Post that as of Monday afternoon, 50 inmates and 39 staff-members had tested positive for COVID.
Additionally, new warden Jim Salmonsen sent an email to MSP managers stating that, “employees should not ‘self-select’ to quarantine,” and that the managers “should not tell employees to stay home from work.”
See Prison, page 19
City debates need for compliance officer
by Peggy Kerr
With the Code Compliance Officer job now being vacant, the city council discussed whether the position was necessary, during the regular council meeting on Oct. 5.
“It’s a position we definitely need,’ Council President Robert Kersch said. “It’s animal control, and I think there is plenty for him to do full time.”
Councilman John Skibsrud questioned whether the job is vital. He would like to see the city’s police force handle code enforcement. He referenced lack of revenue in the police budget of $700,000.
“Look at city court,” he said. “They don’t write enough tickets to pay for city courts costs.”
Looking at the latest budget, Skibsrud said the projected revenue was $32,000, yet the cost of city court is $40,000.
Kersch contended the job of the police was not just to generate funds, but “to inform people how to follow rules.”
“I’m not sure the full time position is necessary,” Skibsrud responded. “There might be another position that could be combined with it. It might be better as a half-time position.”
Councilman Dick Bauman suggested they take a good hard look at the job description.
See Compliance, page 19
With the Code Compliance Officer job now being vacant, the city council discussed whether the position was necessary, during the regular council meeting on Oct. 5.
“It’s a position we definitely need,’ Council President Robert Kersch said. “It’s animal control, and I think there is plenty for him to do full time.”
Councilman John Skibsrud questioned whether the job is vital. He would like to see the city’s police force handle code enforcement. He referenced lack of revenue in the police budget of $700,000.
“Look at city court,” he said. “They don’t write enough tickets to pay for city courts costs.”
Looking at the latest budget, Skibsrud said the projected revenue was $32,000, yet the cost of city court is $40,000.
Kersch contended the job of the police was not just to generate funds, but “to inform people how to follow rules.”
“I’m not sure the full time position is necessary,” Skibsrud responded. “There might be another position that could be combined with it. It might be better as a half-time position.”
Councilman Dick Bauman suggested they take a good hard look at the job description.
See Compliance, page 19
COVID positive tests results exploding locally
Active COVID cases in Powell County doubled since last week, with 86 active cases being reported as of Sunday, not including inmate cases at the prison. The case count changes daily and this number will likely not be accurate by the time the Silver State Post0 goes to press.
Due to reporting delays with the State of Montana run website, the Montana COVID map lags significantly behind actual case counts which are more accurately updated on social media through the Powell County Emergency Management team.
At least seven Powell County residents have been hospitalized due to COVID complications with two at Deer Lodge Medical Center. Powell County residents are also hospitalized in Billings, Missoula, Helena, Anaconda and at the veteran’s hospital also located in Helena.
The recent outbreak resulted in hundreds of households being quarantined for 10-14 days.
Due to testing delays, not all direct-contacts may be initially quarantined and it is recommended but not required that people self-quarantine if they believe they may be a direct-contact.
For example, direct-contacts may be required to quarantine, but others in the same household are not required to do so until a positive test result comes back for the initial direct-contact.
See COVID, page 19
Due to reporting delays with the State of Montana run website, the Montana COVID map lags significantly behind actual case counts which are more accurately updated on social media through the Powell County Emergency Management team.
At least seven Powell County residents have been hospitalized due to COVID complications with two at Deer Lodge Medical Center. Powell County residents are also hospitalized in Billings, Missoula, Helena, Anaconda and at the veteran’s hospital also located in Helena.
The recent outbreak resulted in hundreds of households being quarantined for 10-14 days.
Due to testing delays, not all direct-contacts may be initially quarantined and it is recommended but not required that people self-quarantine if they believe they may be a direct-contact.
For example, direct-contacts may be required to quarantine, but others in the same household are not required to do so until a positive test result comes back for the initial direct-contact.
See COVID, page 19
More on this and the other issues grabbing this week's headlines
can be found in our print edition, out every Wednesday.
can be found in our print edition, out every Wednesday.
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Silver State Post
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