Week of July 1, 2026
Week of July 1, 2026
The new topographic map of the Barrick/Golden Sunlight Mine was unveiled at the Montana Western Legacy Center on Tuesday, June 30th. The exhibit is complete with historical reader boards, historical images of the Golden Sunlight Mine supplied by the Jefferson Valley Museum, and a functional sluicing room. LEDGER...
The City of Boulder and its Fourth of July Celebration Committee are putting the finishing touches on a full day of patriotic festivities at Veterans Park, featuring a parade, free food, family games and activities, and community entertainment. Organizers recently met to finalize plans for the celebration. Event Highlights: Saturday, July 4th 11 AM – The celebration will begin with a flag ceremony featuring remarks from local veterans organizations, including the American Legion and VFW....
On behalf of the Whitehall American Legion Post #24 and the Ralph Sullender VFW Post #4603 veterans, we would like to invite you to enjoy the fireworks celebration of our nation's 250th birthday on July 4th at the Skypark (though the display will be visible throughout town) around 10 PM. The show will be broadcast on radio stations 106.5 and 101.1 as well as TV Channel 49.2. The inclement weather backup plan will be July 5th. Across 250 years of U.S. history, there have been some monumental and...
The Whitehall community is invited to celebrate Independence Day and our veterans with a patriotic fireworks display on Friday, July 4, starting at dark (around 10 PM). The show will be visible from nearly anywhere within the town limits of Whitehall, offering residents multiple viewing opportunities without needing to gather at a single location. While the fireworks will be launched from the Skypark area, organizers note that Skypark itself will be closed to the public during the display for...
As a volunteer-run charity, everything the Whitehall Country Store does is made possible by the kindness and generosity of our community. Whether you donate items, shop with us, or simply spread the word, you are helping us make a difference in the lives of others. Because of your support, we are able to give back to local families, support community projects, and lend a helping hand when it’s needed most. So far, in the first six months of 2026, the Whitehall Country Store has donated $46,200 back to the Whitehall community. Recipients of...
Kathryn Garaas was charged with deliberate homicide in the death of Reign Tyler Blair, 5, on Wednesday, June 24th. Garaas pleaded guilty due to mental instability and will be sentenced at a later date after a pre-sentence investigation is...
"We didn't let our editors sleep," Chiara Schober said with a laugh. That single sentence sums up the Montana 48 Hour Film Project, where filmmakers have just one weekend to transform a handful of required prompts into a finished movie. This year, Team Gold Junction Presents joined 18 other teams from across Montana for the creative sprint, emerging with a dark psychological thriller titled The Clew Games. The team's assigned genre was Sports/Game Film, along with a required character, line of...
Whitehall Theatrics will present CLUE at the historic Whitehall Star Theatre Wednesday, July 8th at 7 PM, Thursday, July 9th at 7 PM, and Sunday, July 12th at 1 PM. Tickets are $10. When their mysterious host turns up dead, the guests and the butler, Wadsworth, must scramble to find the killer before the body count stacks up. It’s a classic whodunit filled with slapstick comedy, secret passageways, and all the familiar. MEET THE SUSPECTS: Wadsworth (Kerry Wafer) is an uptight, quick-witted...
JUNE 1926 • Canadian Prime Minister Arthur Meighen’s two-day-old government is defeated in Parliament by one vote on July 1. Many of Meighen’s fellow Conservatives voted against him. • Mexican President Plutarco Elías Calles publishes the Calles Law on July 2. The law mandated that all church property be taken over by the government and that all worship be conducted inside churches under the supervision of local officials. • Less than two weeks after an attempted coup d’état against the government of Prime Minister Miguel Primo...
Montanans love wildlife and are concerned for their well-being. But when it comes to baby animals, that concern can lead to a tragic conclusion. Every year, Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (FWP) gets hundreds of calls from people with the best intentions, but when they pick up a baby animal, they put its life in danger. Many calls this time of year involve deer fawns, but reports also frequently cite squirrels, chipmunks, and birds. Often, when young wildlife appear abandoned, it is a mother's safety...
Grilling enthusiasts know there are no limits to the foods that can be improved when cooked over an open flame. The unique flavor profile of foods cooked on the grill is impossible to match, and that's perhaps one reason why grilling devotees are willing to try their hand at grilling anything. Perhaps no food is less associated with grilling than a banana. But this recipe for Grilled Bananas Stuffed With Marshmallows and Chocolate Squares from Lines+Angles is proof that all foods can be given a...
Opening the Whitehall Community Pool this year will cost just over $20,000 in materials and labor. A pool board member said that a 1,700-pound skid steer with backhoe, bucket, and hydraulic jackhammer is needed to break up the concrete around the pool to access the pipes. The goal will be to have the pool open and operational later in July of 2001. JEFFERSON VALLEY PRESENTS PERFORMER OF THE WEEK: David Lemon. Ennis resident David Lemon, a well-known sculptor of western art, portrays...
Russian knapweed (Rhaponticum repens) has blue green lobed leaves and pink to purple flowers. In the spring it grows a basal rosette (a ring of leaves located at the base of the plant) and then bolts (rapidly shoots up stems that flower) as the summer progresses. The flowers are very similar to spotted knapweed and can be difficult to differentiate. One of the key differences between these species is spotted knapweed has bracts on the flower buds with dark colored tips whereas Russian...
The Whitehall Community Library is in the second month of Summer Reading and Feeding, and things are going great! We are feeding 160 patrons, and summer reading sign-ups are nearly 250! On July 8th at 10:30 AM, we will be making slime to take home. It is wonderful to play with all summer and keeps well in a plastic container (such as a butter dish). Even though the 21st Century group is not meeting again until July 13th, everyone is invited to all our programs. Summer is a terrific time to join...
According to the National Recreation and Park Association, 93% of U.S. adults agree that both older adults and children can benefit from spending time together in organized programs like those offered by many park and recreation agencies. • The Power of Play: From playgrounds to programs to youth sports, play fuels creativity, joy and lifelong learning.... Local park and recreation agencies reach more than 40 million youth each year, with 92% offering youth sports programs that build skills,...
The 50th anniversary of Bannack State Park’s signature event, Bannack Days, is scheduled for the third weekend in July, with many traditional attractions and activities celebrating Montana’s first territorial capital. Since 1976, Bannack Days has brought this iconic ghost town to life with music, gunfights, wagon rides, gold panning, re-enactments, artisan demonstrations, and other festivities. This special 50th anniversary of Bannack Days will be Saturday, July 18, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, July 19, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m....
July in southwest Montana is a peak summer month with long sunny days and cool evenings. An ideal month to spent time outdoors – hiking, exploring, rafting or floating the rivers, world class fly fishing. It’s a month full of small-town parades, rodeos, 4 th of July celebrations and cultural festivals. So much to do within the space of one month. Whitehall outdoor recreation choices are plentiful. Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park, Montana’s first state park, offers massive limestone underground cave formations with two guided walking...
ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20 Aries, you are a powerhouse this week. Your energy levels will remain steady as the days go on, and people will notice your drive. Channel this energy into something positive. TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21 It’s your week right now, Taurus, and the stars want to indulge. Indulge in something luxurious and enjoy yourself. You have earned the right to some pampering. GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21 Use your gift of gab to mend a relationship issue that stemmed from a misunderstanding, Gemini. Expect some invitations to come your way and...
It’s all over the internet. The foreign fascination – even infatuation – with America, as citizens from across the globe visit our shores for the World Cup competition. Hundreds of thousands, singing our praise while lambasting their local media for lying to them. In more ways than one, they were seeing America for the first time. It’s sights and scenery. Its stores and stadiums. Most of all, they were seeing its people. And it’s been love at first sight. It is both edifying and unifying to listen to their heart-warming testimonies....
When my Dad turned 92, I was chatting with him about all that had happened in his life: WWII, the A-bomb, the birth of television, cars becoming common, the moon landing, the internet, and smartphones. (He loves that I can pull up any Hank Williams Sr. song in an instant. ) But what struck me most wasn’t how much has changed. It’s the fact that, when you get right down to it, life hasn’t actually changed that much. There are good times and hard times. He was born during the great...
A little patience from one person can stop another person from feeling like a problem. Why do people rarely laugh in movies as they laugh in real life? The reason Mothman appears at mass tragedy events is that he’s attracted to “the light.” I wonder if the owner of the email address I use for spam has ever noticed. A fly on a TV screen must be like standing on an absolutely massive disco dance floor. Smokers are more likely to be hit by lightning. You can tilt Google: If you type the word “askew” into the Google search bar, the...
As human beings, we all long to be known and loved; we are hardwired in this fashion from conception. From time to time in life, this desire for acceptance may lead us to put on a false front. Think of a time when you tried to impress someone, you know, showing off your best side? If we take that to the extreme and be overtly impressive, we demean ourselves. Author and pastor Ben Mandrell challenges us to let our guard down. He says, “When we find a group to which you can take off the mask, you find the ability to be the real you.” In...
Irene Josephine (Rensvold) Toavs, age 99, of Wolf Point, Montana, passed away peacefully on June 25, 2026. She was surrounded by love, and most of her family was able to spend time with her in the last few weeks of her life. Irene was born on the 20th of August 1926 and was the seventh of eight children born to Arthur and Josie (Felberg) Rensvold. She was born and raised on a farm 15 miles north of Wolf Point. She attended Dry Fork Country School and graduated from Wolf Point High School in...
The Montana-based group promoting a ballot initiative to make campaign finance more transparent obscures its own financial backers through a murky fundraising structure, according to publicly available campaign finance filings reviewed by Montana Free Press. The Transparent Election Initiative is a nonprofit organization pushing to “stop corporate and dark money cold” in elections. The group is currently aiming to pass a citizen’s initiative — known as The Montana Plan, or I-194 — that would prohibit political spending by...
SUNDAY, JUNE 21 00:19:24 Traffic Stop: I-90 01:00:13 Citizen Assist 01:51:52 Reckless Driver: I-90 06:49:33 Medical: Stanley St 11:12:37 Traffic Hazard 11:30:27 Medical: Coyote Trl 15:36:34 Traffic Hazard 17:08:22 Criminal Mischief: W Legion St 19:17:01 Trespass: E Legion St 20:02:08 Traffic Stop: N Whitehall St 20:21:07 Traffic Stop: W Legion St MONDAY, JUNE 22 08:03:46 Traffic Stop: Hwy 359 08:21:25 Traffic Stop: Hwy 359 08:33:11 Traffic Stop: Hwy 359 08:50:59 Citizen Assist: N Division St...
Whitehall Indivisible (WI) discussed the five candidates from last week’s Meet & Greet and drafted a list of guest speakers we would like to hear from in the fall. We aim to be as informed as possible as we cast our ballots in November. More money has been paid to stop renewable energy projects mid-production, this time $734M in addition to the $2B that has already been spent in this manner. The Trump administration has also allowed only one permit (public and private land) for renewable energy projects since taking office. This tone-deaf...
SADDLE BRONC: 1. Brand Morgan (McAllister, MT): 84 pts 2. Ryatt Thompson (Lundbreck, AB): 69 pts STOCK SADDLE BRONC: 1. Garrett Smith (Deer Lodge, MT): 158 pts /2 2. Chet Hill (St Anthony, ID): 156 pts/2 3. Tyrus Lamere (Box Elder, MT): 151 pts/2 4. JR Cassinos (Vascular, MT): 71 pts/1 BULL RIDING: 1. Colby Gravier (Dillon, MT): 81 pts 2. Kody Deal (White Sulphur Springs, MT): 75 pts 3. Cameron Beall (Hamilton, MT): 74 pts TOP 4 RIDE OFF WINNER Brand Morgan (McAllister, MT): 83 pts LADIES...
