Week of April 17, 2024
Week of April 17, 2024
As Councilman Bill Lanes put it, there were several “elephants in the room” during the April Whitehall Town Council meeting, held in the Town Hall on Monday, April 15th. The first elephant: The Whitehall Town Council’s development and determination on a franchise agreement with Visionary Broadband Communications, which received a federal grant to provide fiber internet to underserved and non-served areas in Whitehall. Town Attorney Ed Guza updated the audience on the new direction being taken, which is a complete ordinance for all...
HONORABLE LADIES: Gayle Strozzi, Laurie Dorvall, and Angela Japhet of the Whitehall Country store were honored by the Whitehall Community Center on Sunday, April 14th. Tom Harrington presented them a plaque, which reads, “This community support award is presented to Whitehall Country Store staff and volunteers. The efforts of your organization to assist and help non-profit organizations who have asked for your support to make their mission a success. Through your efforts and willingness to...
Robin Becker is a fifth-generation Montana native. She and her family settled in the Whitehall area over a decade ago. Her educational journey includes a Bachelor of Arts degree in Nursing from Carroll College in 2007 and a Master of Nursing from Montana State University in 2015. She has since worked as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, providing mental health services to Butte, Whitehall, and surrounding rural communities. She has dedicated her career to advocating for mental...
April 21, 1999 The Whitehall High School band and choir earned numerous "superior" ratings, and the band even surpassed "superior" with a perfect score in one of the competitions at the District Music Festival in Anaconda. The Whitehall youth accused of sexually assaulting a girl during a March volleyball tournament in Whitehall was sentenced to a sexual offender program and placed in the custody of the Montana Department of Corrections until age 18. Doug Bailey began his mining career cutting...
The Let's Talk Disability, Butte organizing committee is thrilled to announce the return of its highly anticipated annual event, now in its third year. Scheduled for Thursday, April 18th, and Friday, April 19th, at 6:30 PM at the Montana Tech Auditorium in Butte, MT 59701, this event aims to promote dialogue, understanding, connection, and inclusivity around disability issues within the community. The Let's Talk Disability, Butte event is a monologue production featuring individuals with...
Mark your calendars for the 7th Annual Copper K Fiber Festival on Saturday, July 20 (9 AM-5 PM) and Sunday, July 21 (9 AM-3 PM). Whitehall business owner and event creator Kami Noyes, of Ranching Fiber Traditions, invites everyone to attend this event, where fiber arts are returning to their roots-out in the country where friends gather! The event is free of charge, and fiber arts workshops, vendors, and more are included in this fun-filled weekend at the historic Copper K Barn just outside of...
Jefferson County is updating its Growth Policy, which is the County’s guide for addressing issues related to land use, housing, community services, and economic development. The update process will evaluate the county’s opportunities and issues, identify trends in the community, and create achievable goals and real-world projects that can help improve the lives of County residents. To efficiently gather the input of County residents for this process, the Planning Board and Planning Staff...
Whitehall Rocky Head Start celebrated the Week of the Young Child with dress-up days and invited Mayor Mary Janacaro-Hensleigh for lunch on Thursday, April 11th. The themes for the week were: • Monday: Worker Day • Tuesday: Character Day • Wednesday: Agriculture Day • Thursday: Crazy Hair Day Early childhood education is vital for academic, physical, and social development. Our children are our most precious...
Since March 1, Montana Red Cross volunteers have responded to 11 home fires, helping 27 people with their most immediate needs, such as food, shelter, clothing, and emotional support. Those responses included Great Falls, Kalispell, Bonner, Missoula, Big Sky, Billings, and Box Elder home fires. So far in 2024, the Red Cross has responded to nearly 50 fires across the state and provided aid to 140 families. During and after these events, disaster response teams work with a network of partners, including fire departments and community groups,...
Q3 HIGH HONOR ROLL (3.5 - 4.0 GPA): WMS & WHS SENIORS: Ashlyn Alley, Lindsay Briggs, Michael Diefenderfer, Naomi Doney, Joseph Frazier, Gavin French, Alyssa Hagel, Brooklynn Lanes, Natalia McElderry, Charity Nieskens, Isaac Skogen, Reilly Slater, and Cyrus Tebay JUNIORS: Lexie Austin, Kari Ellison, Lainey Ellison, Shayla Hamilton, Dylan Juhnke, Hope Nieskens, Ashton Pochelon, Madelyn Seccomb, Annabelle Welch, and Ethan Wock SOPHOMORES: Jaeden Aragon, Janessa Brebrick, Addisyn Gray, Kirin Clausen, Lorelei Herrmann, Coya Kelley, Dixon Koenig,...
Next Thursday, April 25th, the Holocaust book discussion group will meet. It seems impossible that a year ago today, I traveled to Los Angeles with a dedicated team of teens and adults to visit the Holocaust Museum in LA. We were privileged to attend the birthday party of a 99-year-old survivor named Renee Firestone, who survived Auschwitz. She was gracious in answering questions, sharing her experiences, and showing the tattoo that marked her for the rest of her life. This year, she turns 100, a milestone for anyone. I was saddened to hear...
Spring is here, and with it comes the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors and be more active. Whether you like hiking, biking, gardening, or playing sports, being physically active can boost your health and mood. However, if you are not careful or prepared, it can also increase your risk of injury. If you suffer a sprain, strain, fracture, or other orthopedic issue, you don't have to rush to the emergency room and wait. You can get fast and convenient care at an orthopedic walk-in clinic, where you will be seen by a specialist who can diagnose...
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks announced today that 36 trail organizations, communities, and various land-managing agencies throughout Montana will receive Montana Trail Stewardship Program (TSP) grant awards for their projects in 2024. Forty TSP applications were received this year from various eligible applicants, including federal and state agencies, towns, cities, counties, recreational clubs, and nonprofit organizations. The TSP awards for this year’s cycle total approximately $2 million in state funds. Grants funds are allocated to...
Nonresident and resident trapping licenses can now be purchased at a Fish, Wildlife & Parks office or online at https://ols.fwp.mt.gov. To purchase a Montana resident trapping license, residents must complete a Montana trapper education course or have purchased a trapping license in at least three prior years (in Montana or another state). Residents must be at least 12 years old to buy a trapping license. Youths 6 to 11 years old must purchase a trapping license. They are exempt from the requirement to take trapper education and are limited...
Non-vegetarians might wonder how tasty a vegetarian diet can truly be. However, many vegetarian dishes are loaded with flavor, ensuring those who prefer meat and poultry can still enjoy a vegetarian dish no matter how strong their personal preferences. Those looking for a flavorful vegetarian dish can try the following recipe for Cabbage With Five Spices and Ginger from Monisha Bharadwaj's India's Vegetarian Cooking (Kyle Books). This recipe serves four. INGREDIENTS 1 teaspoon black mustard...
The Jefferson River Watershed Council (JRWC) would like to invite Jefferson Valley residents to learn about local and state drought planning efforts. Please join the JRWC on April 24 at 6 PM at the Whitehall Community Center to hear from DNRC's Upper Missouri Water Planner about Montana’s new comprehensive State Drought Management Plan. A precipitation report and a Jefferson Drought Management Plan update will...
Town Pump Convenience Stores has scheduled a new, larger Town Pump Convenience Store and Lucky Lil’s Casino at 426 North Whitehall Road on April 17, 2024. The store will be open 24/7. The new location reflects Town Pump’s ongoing commitment to the Whitehall community, where they have operated for almost six decades. “We are pleased to offer our customers a wider range of products and services at this expanded store,” said Dan Sampson, Town Pump’s Director of Development and...
The Rise of Biometric Security Imagine a world where your eyes, fingerprints, or voice become the keys to unlocking your digital life and securing essential places. That’s the promise of biometric security systems, and it’s quickly becoming a reality. These systems use unique body parts - like your fingerprints, eye patterns, or voice - to confirm who you are. Unlike passwords or keys, which can be lost or stolen, your biological traits are nearly impossible for someone else to replicate....
Burnout is a severe problem these days. With technology allowing us to be accessible around the clock, some employees feel like they’re never getting a break. As a chamber pro, it’s not just tech that keeps you accessible. Every minute you’re in your town you run the risk of people coming up to you and making you feel like “you’re on the clock.” No wonder you may feel stressed and burned out. But being available or “always on” doesn’t make people feel the most burnout. In this article, we’ll cover two different types of...
ARIES Mar 21/Apr 20 Aries, this is a great week for transformation. Be careful where you direct your attention, as your actions will have lasting effects. Choose your plans wisely. TAURUS Apr 21/May 21 Use this week’s powerful energy to strip away all the unnecessary static in your life right now. It is doing more harm than good. Open yourself up to new opportunities, Taurus. GEMINI May 22/Jun 21 Gemini, there is a lot of stuff going on around you, and you need to sort through the noise to determine your priorities. Things will start to...
Georgia, I have a question, Did I do the right thing? The other night, my girlfriend was reaching for something on a stool when she slipped and fell and injured her ankle. She was in quite a lot of pain, and we both agreed she needed to go to the ER. She asked me to drive her. Normally, of course, I would be happy to drive her. However, I had already consumed several drinks that evening and was definitely over the legal limit to drive. I told her as much and said if she could give me two or three hours to metabolize the alcohol, I should be...
Dear Editor, A Letter to the Editor promoting a candidate for the Superintendent of Public Instruction position in the State of Montana was published in the Whitehall Ledger on April 10, 2024. In the letter, the candidate states, "We've essentially abandoned our schools in the last eight years under the current state leadership." When I look at my property tax bill and see that 75.2% of my taxes go to the schools, this statement seems absolutely preposterous! If this is abandonment, I would...
Dear Editor, This is a letter to Mrs. Gina Ossello. I read in the paper that you are retiring from sitting on the school board, keeping control of the meetings, and monitoring the process. I want to take this opportunity to say "Thank You" for taking the time to be at the meetings and making sure they ran in a professionally organized manner. I personally have experienced your officiating and was always greeted well. Through COVID-19, parent, and student behaviors, and all the challenges you...
You’re not “phobic” if your fear is rational. The modern world needs a secular way for people to withdraw from society, like monks and nuns of tradition. The disarray of global affairs reveals that the smartest people in the world have not figured out how to outsmart the dumbest people in the world. Your skin can feel hair that fell on your body, but not hair growing on your body. Much of the skill in fixing things involves knowing how much force you can use. It’s a strange miracle that email survived after instant messaging became a...
Everyone has their perspective on any given issue and is subject to modification or even complete reversal as information, conditions, and circumstances change. It can be argued that there is no time like an election year and social media to see the broad spectrum and panorama of those differences. This is not meant to be political commentary. Still, I’ll touch on some classic examples, as well as some from another touchstone of controversy: religion, since it is another place where widely...
Certain verses of the Bible are well-known, yet many of those same verses are taken out of context and improperly applied. Doing so breaks several rules of Bible interpretation, notably understanding the original author’s intention and cultural context. Next, identify the text principle and consider if the application applies today. Many principles do, and others do not; as a pastor, I will beat this drum of “context” until my last breath because without proper context, the truth can be muddied. You’ve probably heard statements like,...
William P. Cooper II, 72, of Great Falls, passed away on Saturday, March 23, 2024. He was born in Butte, Montana, on July 12, 1951, and was raised in Torrance, California. He joined the US Marine Corps in 1968. He received an honorable discharge in 1974. William is survived by his sons, Jahrome (Emily) Youngker and William P. Cooper III; daughters, Delia Cooper and Jennifer (Joel) Morelock; three grandchildren, Trenton Morelock, Cami Morelock, and Nolin Youngker; sisters, Lea Ann (Rick)...
SUNDAY, APRIL 7 01:32:08 Suspicious Circumstance: Cedar Hills Rd 08:18:47 911 Open Line: Rocky Mtn Dr 10:11:49 Traffic Stop: Hwy 359 11:34:43 Medical: Whitetail Rd 15:55:55 Traffic Offense: I-90 17:41:07 Stolen Vehicle: Bluebird Ln 19:32:02 Trespass: S Division St 22:12:41 Suspicious Person: Cold Springs Rd 22:29:23 Suspicious Vehicle: S Centurian Wy MONDAY, APRIL 8 01:08:45 911 Hang Up: Hwy 2 W 06:52:55 911 Open Line: Cedar Crest Rd 09:18:22 Welfare Check: I-90 10:09:38 Medical: Noble St 12:19:15 Reckless Driver: I-90 20:49:24 Animal: Hwy 69...
