🌱 Steelhead Conservation At Local Film Festival + Train Derailment

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But first, your local weather:

• Tuesday: A.M. flurries, then a shower. High: 44 Low: 26.
• Wednesday: A shower in the afternoon. High: 44 Low: 24.

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Here are the top three stories in Missoula today:

1. Montana's Fishing Film Festival will feature Heather Hodson, the founder of United Women on the Fly, in a film called "B-Roll," which is about efforts to conserve steelhead fish. Hodson said she is enthusiastic about the film and the festival, which opened in Missoula on Saturday, Apr. 1. Of the film, Hodson said, "The whole thing is if we don't continue to conserve or actually do something then at the end of the day everything will be b-roll ... None of that is going to exist." The festival was started roughly a decade ago by Matt Devlin, who continues to be the showrunner, and highlights projects related to both the sport and tradition of fishing and the natural environment that sustains them. (Yahoo News)
2. Local Missoula non-profit Driving Hope is helping locals without regular access to transportation get a leg up by donating used cars. One of the group's mottos is "a hand up, not a handout," summarizing its belief that helping locals in need with access to transportation helps them to make things happen for themselves that wouldn't be possible otherwise. The organization is also working on the construction of a youth center that will offer training in different trades from barista work to welding to offer career opportunities to young people who may not have the option of going to college. (NBC Montana)
3. Montana Rail Link has issued a statement following the Apr. 2 train derailment across the river from Quinn's Hot Springs near Paradise about an hour away from Missoula. Some 20 to 25 box cars derailed Sunday morning on the other side of the river from the 19-mile marker on Highway 135. According to the press release, the derailment is not a public safety risk, and there were no injuries reported with the crash. An investigation team and first responders are on-site, but a Hazmat team has not been dispatched. (Montana Right Now)

Today and tomorrow in Missoula:

Tuesday, April 4

• Field Notes Writing Workshop, 6-Part Class On Zoom (10:00 AM)
• Missoula Jazz Collective At Draught Works (5:30 PM)

Wednesday, April 5

• Birdwatching Club At Lee Metcalf Wildlife Refuge (9:00 AM)
• Evening Program: Naturalist Trivia Night! At Montana Natural History Center (7:00 PM)
• Xerox + Big Knife At Monk's Bar Missoula (8:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Destination Missoula has all kinds of day and night-out options for you this April! Learn more about what's coming up by clicking here. (Destination Missoula via Instagram)
• Missoula Public Library wants to remind you that a library card gives you free access to Creativebug, an online resource for DIY artists and hobbyists. Creativebug's website is a treasure trove of ideas, how-tos, and everything in between that you can stream freely with a public library membership. (Missoula Public Library via Facebook)
• Fort Missoula's Historical Museum is bringing in the spring, welcoming back the bees, and making preparations for next month's Missoula Gives online fundraiser. Missoula Gives & Bitterroot Gives is an annual 26-hour online celebration of local communities and an opportunity for local organizations to make connections with each other and a broad audience. This year's Missoula Gives will begin on May 4! (The Historical Museum at Fort Missoula via Facebook)

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Thanks for following along and staying informed. See you all soon for another update!

— Sean Peek

About me: Sean Peek is a writer and entrepreneur with a degree in English Literature from Weber State University. Over the years, he has worked as a copywriter, editor, SEO specialist, and marketing director for various digital media companies. He currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.