College-educated ag producers can apply for up to five years of student loan assistance

HELENA, Mont. – The Montana Department of Agriculture’s (MDA) Student Loan Assistance Program is now accepting applications. Established during the 2019 legislative session, this program provides student loan assistance to Montana’s college-educated youth pursuing careers in farming or ranching.

“The Student Loan Assistance Program seeks to help relieve some of the financial stressors that our young farmers and ranchers often face,” said MDA Director Jillien Streit. “When we can encourage or help bring a kid back to the farm, that’s a win for Montana agriculture.”

Qualified farmers and ranchers are eligible for student loan assistance through the program for up to five years. Applicants must be a Montana resident designated as the primary owner, heir, successor or assignee of a farm or ranch in Montana that obtained their associated or baccalaureate degree(s) from a Montana college or university and have agreed to operate their farm or ranch for at least five years.

Applications are due May 18, 2026, and can be submitted through WebGrants. Full program guidelines are available on the department’s website at agr.mt.gov/Student-Loan-Assistance-Program.

The Montana Department of Agriculture is serving Montana Agriculture and growing prosperity under the Big Sky. For more information on department programs and services, visit agr.mt.gov.

–Montana Department of Agriculture

A century-old Southern Nevada elementary school will shut its doors this summer after the Clark County School Board approved its closure Thursday.

Goodsprings Elementary School, said to be Nevada’s longest-operating school, will close June 30 after the board voted 6-0 to cease operations at the rural schoolhouse. Trustee Brenda Zamora was absent.

Located about 40 miles southwest of Las Vegas, Goodsprings Elementary had just two students this school year and was expected to have just one student next school year. That remaining student will be rezoned to attend Sandy Valley School, a K-12 school about 12 miles west of Goodsprings, under the plan approved by the board.

Tammy Flanagan, principal of Goodsprings Elementary, said closing the rural school will allow its remaining student to access more social opportunities through clubs and activities.

“Goodsprings Elementary School is a special place to me, and one that I want to preserve with the hope that many people will be able to experience the 113-year-old building and its history,” Flanagan said. “We need to be fiscally responsible. The cost of operating, and the upkeep of the school, is substantial when considering only one student.”

$1 million a year to operate school

The Clark County School District spends about $1 million per year to operate the rural school, district chief of facilities Brandon McLaughlin previously said. Closing Goodsprings will allow the district to redistribute that money to other schools, and the cost of transporting its sole student to Sandy Valley will be cost-neutral for the district, he added.

Goodsprings Elementary began inside a tent in 1907 before its current building opened in 1913, according to its website.

The approved plan did not determine what will become of the schoolhouse, but McLaughlin said the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District has shown interest in relocating its nearby facility into the schoolhouse permanently. McLaughlin added that Goodsprings residents said they would like to turn the building into a community space or a location for the town’s historical society.

If another entity were to take ownership of Goodsprings Elementary School, they would be responsible for any maintenance costs, according to reference materials associated with the plan. The schoolhouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Goodsprings Elementary has two employees: one licensed educator and one part-time custodian and food service worker. Both have already accepted new positions in the district, school officials previously said.

‘We have seen the writing on the blackboard’

Former Goodsprings students reflected on the school’s history during public comment, but acknowledged the strain keeping it open would have on the district.

“I am deeply saddened that we’re facing closure … but we have seen the writing on the blackboard,” said Steve Fleming, a Goodsprings Elementary alumnus whose father was a teacher at the school.

His sister, Mary Blake, who is a member of the Goodsprings Historical Society, urged trustees to visit Goodsprings Elementary and see firsthand what it means to the town’s residents.

“It’s more than just a little school. It’s an important cultural part of the Goodsprings community,” Blake said. “There’s nothing else there except the school.”

In first grade, Bobbie Poole said, she met her future husband while they were students at Goodsprings Elementary. She called the school a cornerstone of Goodsprings that has helped preserve the spirit of rural Nevada life.

Poole called on the school board to ensure the rich history of Goodsprings Elementary does not disappear.

“Once a building like this is unused, it quickly falls to disrepair,” Poole said. “We have an opportunity right now to do something different.”

She added: “Closing a school does not mean we have to lose it.”

The school district previously said district leaders will visit Goodsprings Elementary to celebrate its history on May 2 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The last day of school at the campus is scheduled for May 21.

Contact Spencer Levering at slevering@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0253.

New Mexico is officially known as the Land of Enchantment, thanks to its mix of vibrant cities like Albuquerque along with dramatic desert and mountain landscapes. And while New Mexico’s federally protected places like White Sands National Park and Bandelier National Monument might have more name recognition, you can find some incredible beauty in one of New Mexico’s 35 state parks. Just look at Heron Lake State Park in northern New Mexico. It’s a designated “quiet lake,” since boats can’t go fast enough to leave a wake, which helps make for a relaxing getaway. This lake is an ideal place for all kinds of outdoor recreation, including fishing, kayaking, camping, hiking, and stargazing.

The park is near the Colorado border, about 2 hours and 45 minutes north of Albuquerque and a little under 2 hours from Taos. It’s a relatively new lake; the dam was built in 1971 on Willow Creek as a part of the San Juan-Chama Project. This pretty lake sits at 7,167 feet, and it’s surrounded by pine forest.

Heron Lake is popular for fishing year round, including ice fishing in the winter, and it holds the record as the location for the largest lake trout caught in the state. It’s also good for rainbow trout and kokanee salmon. Make sure to check all regulations for what’s in season, and get a state fishing license before you go.

Read more: Think Twice Before Swimming In These Dangerous US Lakes

Boating and hiking at New Mexico’s Heron Lake State Park

While boats are required to go slow enough that they don’t leave a wake at Heron Lake State Park, you can still get out on the water. It’ll just be a calmer experience than at many other lakes. There are a couple of boat docks and a marina, so it’s easy to launch a kayak, paddleboard, or a sail boat, and there’s miles of peaceful shoreline to explore. There are also areas for swimming. It can get hot here in summer, so a dip in the lake is a great way to cool off.

If getting out on the trail is more your thing, you can put your hiking shoes to good use at Heron Lake State Park. The Salmon Run Trail is 5 miles long one way, and it runs along the south side of the lake. It’s open for hiking as well as mountain biking, cross country skiing, and snowshoeing. The East Meadow Trail takes you about 2.5 miles one way from the Visitor Center to a lake overlook. You can even get to the neighboring El Vado State Park via the Rio Chama Trail. It’s a 5.5 mile one-way trail that takes hikers through the ponderosa pine forest and across a suspension bridge over the Rio Chama Gorge.

Birdwatching and camping at Heron Lake State Park

While you might guess that Heron Lake State Park got its name from the bird, it was actually named after Kenneth A. Heron, a New Mexico engineer. But even though its name came from a person, it’s still a good place for bird watching: bald eagles, snow geese, white faced ibises, American avocets, and more all make their home here for at least a part of the year. Other wildlife that you might find here include black bears, so be bear aware when you’re hiking and camping. 

If you have the gear for a camping trip, it’s well worth staying the night, in part because the star gazing here is fantastic. It’s more than an hour away from a major city, so there’s not much light pollution, and its higher elevation often means there are clearer skies.

The park has nearly 200 campsites spread across eight different campgrounds, including some electric sites for RVs. There are also showers and restrooms. If you’d rather rough it, there are also three primitive camping areas. 

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Read the original article on Islands.