Big Sky Times

After an outdoor concert was held on private property in Helena Valley in early October, Lewis & Clark County Public Health (LCPH) has asked the county attorney's office to become involved in presenting COVID-19 restriction violations, with the concert hosts potentially facing criminal charges. 

”Expectations are laid out very clearly in our order,” County Health Officer Drenda Niemann told KRTV 3. “No more than 250 people are allowed at any given event, there must be controls in place to manage the crowd and understand how many people are coming in.”

Niemann said the LCPH had received complaints of the concert because it allegedly violated coronavirus restrictions such as not following the mask mandate and not social distancing. 

Jerry Steed, who organized the concert, said the event was approved by the county and it was held to help the mental health community. During the event, Steed also said approval was given when the U.S. became a nation. 

"People asked if we had approval for this event, and I would like to state we got our approval in 1776," Steed said at the event, according to a video posted on Facebook. 

Steed had also posted signs about coronavirus guidelines at the concert, but said he didn't think he should force people to leave for not following them because it would be unconstitutional. 

“We have the right to peacefully assemble, and that’s what happened at the event,” Steed told KRTV 3. “I’m not going to limit freedom. We followed the guidelines they set out, and that’s what the health department is for, is to set guidelines. Everyone in this town and the world, is aware of the risks right now. I didn’t force anyone to come out and I’m not going to force them to leave.”

He also wasn't sure of the crowd size because he was backstage during most of the event, making sure everything went smoothly. He said he understands the LCPH is only trying to help people stay safe, but he believes people should decide on their own whether they want to risk catching the virus or not. 

But LCPH said it was Steed's responsibility to close the event if it exceeded the allowed capacity of 250 people. 

“Our local order is clear; it is the event organizers’ responsibility to manage the situation,” Niemann told KRTV 3. “If they cannot manage the situation, it is their responsibility to close it down.”

Lewis & Clark County also has one of the largest active coronavirus case numbers, which makes large events like the concert dangerous as it puts the entire community at risk. 

The LCPH has also began to beg people to follow the mandates for their safety. 

“We want our businesses and our schools to stay open," Neimann told KRTV 3. "We want our economy to get back on the right track again. We need to support our hospital. We need to help our hospital partners maintain and not get overwhelmed by an increase of people coming into the hospital that need care because of the COVID virus.” 

A video of the concert is online for viewing.