Week of April 29, 2026
Week of April 29, 2026
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, Jefferson Valley EMS, and Deputies from the Madison County Sheriff's Office responded to a report of a medical emergency on Tatanka Trail, north of Whitehall, on the afternoon of Friday, April 24th, 2026. Upon arrival, medical aid was provided, but the incident resulted in the death of a 5-year-old male juvenile, Reign Tyler Blair. After an investigation, Whitehall resident Kathryn Garass was taken into custody for suspected homicide and transported to the...
Whitehall Mayor Linda Jung announced the results of the recent Town of Whitehall survey regarding the four-way stop on First Street and A Street at the April Whitehall Town Council meeting on Monday, April 20. A total of 157 surveys were returned, asking whether the Town should keep the four-way stop as is or remove the stop signs on First Street while retaining the stop signs on the cross-street, A Street. Three surveys stated they did not care either way, 19 replied that they wanted to keep the signs as they were, and 135 surveys voiced a...
Whitehall non-profit Angel Wings Foundation will host a suicide awareness and prevention walk on Sunday, May 3, 2026. The walk, which will take participants all around Whitehall, will both help raise awareness and funds for Angel Wings Foundation. Registration forms are available at angelwingsmontana.org and at the Montana Western Legacy Center, Numb3rs Accounting, and Mountain View Real Estate. Registration is $10; each registrant will receive an Angel Wings bracelet at walk check-in....
Experimenting in the kitchen is one of the joys of cooking. Trying new recipes or even going off-script and tinkering with an existing recipe based on your own hunch can open eyes and treat taste buds to new flavor profiles. Home cooks who want to expand their culinary repertoires with particularly notable flavors can look to Cajun cuisine and its distinctive dishes to achieve that goal. If that sounds like an exciting night in the kitchen, try this recipe for "Jambalaya With Sausage and...
The Whitehall baseball/softball season will officially open in grand style with an opening ceremony for the Whitehall Recreation Complex Concession/Restroom building. Whitehall experienced some crazy April weather, which almost canceled the annual Whitehall Spring Clean due to cold weather and snow-closed roads. WHS Creative Leader of the Week: DEREK DEAN. Earning honors this week is WHS Student Council member Derek Dean. Student council advisor LeeAnn Gallagher says Derek is a very...
The Whitehall Garden Club would like to send a big Thank You to our friends and neighbors who make up the Town of Whitehall and surrounding communities for the success of our 6th annual Arbor Day Event held this past Friday, April 24th. Mayor Linda Jung welcomed attendees as she proclaimed the day, first established in 1872, as a day to support efforts to protect our trees and woodlands and urged all citizens to plant trees to "...gladden the heart and promote the well-being of this and future...
April has flown by, and I cannot believe that Andy Laszlo is coming to the Whitehall Community Library this Thursday, April 30th, at 5:30 PM to speak at the closing of the Anne Frank exhibit. I have watched class after class of middle school and high school students process the sadness of the Holocaust through the life of one teenager their own age. The "Dear Anne" wall has touched so many people, as the notes to Anne by our students have shared their compassion and commitment to stop bullying...
Voters are cordially invited to attend a gathering featuring local and statewide candidates running for office in the 2026 Election season. This includes non-partisan candidates for the Supreme Court and Jefferson County position, as well as Democratic candidates for Congress. On May 6, a lasagna dinner, with homemade appetizers, salads and desserts, will open the Jefferson County Democrats biennial candidate forum at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds, beginning at 5:30 PM. Take this opportunity to enjoy a meal with your neighbors while...
The deadline to apply for moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goat and bison licenses is Friday, May 1; the deadline to apply for elk B, deer B and antelope is Monday, June 1. All applications must be completed online, at a License Ambassador location or at an FWP office. Most FWP offices with license sales are open Monday through Friday, from 8 AM to 5 PM. FWP offers several tools to help hunters navigate the application process. The application process is different for residents and nonresidents, but FWP has created instructional videos to help...
Montana is known for its big blue skies and fresh air, and summer in “Big Sky Country” offers abundant opportunities to enjoy the outdoors. Warmer, drier months also bring the risk of wildfire, and with them, a growing and persistent threat from wildfire smoke. In recent years, spring and summer have increasingly meant stretches of smoky skies, as what was once an occasional nuisance has become a recurring part of life across southwest Montana and the broader West. The haze is easy to see;...
You've seen the headlines. Here's what you can do to help survivors. You've been watching it too. The Epstein files. The rape academy. Survivors on your screen, telling the truth, and the world responding with not enough. It's heavy. And it's easy to feel helpless when the systems that are supposed to protect survivors keep failing us. Whitehall-based nonprofit We Are HER wants to tell you what doesn't fail survivors. Community doesn't fail. Neither do programs We Are HER runs, which are built...
Start your spring cleaning now and get ready for Whitehall’s annual Community Wide Garage Sale weekend - this year, June 5 and 6. Registration for the Community Wide Garage Sale MAP is available as of April 1st at the Whitehall Ledger and must be returned to the Ledger, with the $5 map registration fee, by May 25, 2026. Maps will be available the week of sale at Montana Western Legacy Center, Thriftway SuperStop, M&M Vintage, the Whitehall Ledger, and the Whitehall Mini Mall. Ready for this? Whitehall will also be hosting a fall...
As momentum builds for A Night for Tomorrow, held this Saturday, May 2nd at the Whitehall Community Center, the Jefferson Valley Community Foundation is excited to remind community members of this event’s continued support for the community and community nonprofits. The dinner and auction is the JVCF’s fundraiser and supports our community endowment and scholarship fund. Proceeds and other donations from the JVCF Endowment Fund have paid over $275,000 in grants to 65 local non-profits. Also, the group will be awarding a $1,000 scholarship...
On Wednesday, May 6, Kaleena Miller of the MSU Extension Office will present her program, Composting 2.0, at the Whitehall Garden Club monthly meeting. Perhaps you attended her Composting 1.0 program a few years back, went home, and started a backyard compost operation. Perhaps you feel the pile is underperforming and have questions. Maybe your compost pile never got started, and now that you have decided THIS IS THE YEAR, you have forgotten what you learned at the previous presentation and cannot find your detailed notes. Or maybe you have...
The Whitehall Garden Club is again offering a $1000 scholarship to any Montana High School or homeschool graduate attending a Montana accredited institution of higher learning and/or a student already studying a major in Horticulture, Agriculture, Plant Science or Forestry. Applications are due May 5, 2026. For more information and application materials, interested parties may call 406-287-3017 or email evelyn.edmisten@yahoo.com. Information and application materials may also be found on the State and Federal Garden Club on www.mtfgc.org or...
The Star Self Defense Club was born out of a need to empower and educate those who need it most. If you have ever been in a scary situation and wanted to be braver next time, we are for you. If you have felt threatened simply because of your identity, we are for you. If you don't seek trouble but are willing to fight to keep yourself, your loved ones, and your community safe, we are for you. Joining us, you'll learn tried-and-tested skills for escaping common street attacks, such as grabs,...
Get ready! A phenomenal new greenhouse business, The Garden Doctor, in Pipestone, owned and operated by Mitch and Tammy Tamietti, with help from Dana Brunet, is set to open this week! All of your plant needs and desires can be met at The Garden Doctor at 47 Bluebird Lane (look for the signs! Officially opening May 1, the operation includes two retail greenhouses and an additional growing tunnel used for overflow and private cultivation. While the business itself reflects a shared passion for gardening and plant care, one of its most notable...
ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20 You approach a task with wisdom and insight this week, Aries. Your measured approach paves the way to finding a solution that will benefit all involved. TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21 It is key to treat yourself this week, Taurus. A purchase or experience could bring you long-term joy. Just be careful not to spend too much. GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21 Gemini, you are more often than not full of clever solutions. If there is a problem, you’re often the one who can crack it. This will be the case this week as well; your knack is put...
Dear Editor, In the rugged landscapes of Montana, the "Last Best Place" isn't just a slogan; it is a way of life. For Senator Steve Daines, protecting this legacy has been a career-long mission. As an avid outdoorsman who grew up hiking, hunting, and fishing the Gallatin Range, Daines has leveraged his position in the U.S. Senate to champion some of the most consequential conservation and outdoor recreation policies in half a century. As he nears the end of his historic tenure in the United...
Dear Editor, I am writing to offer my wholehearted support for Trevor Walter's candidacy. As a former missionary and pastor, I have spent decades walking alongside people through life's most meaningful moments. That experience has taught me one enduring truth: a person's character is not revealed by what they say in public, but by how they live when no one is watching. I know Trevor Walter, and I can tell you without hesitation that his public life and his private life are the same. That kind...
Dear Editor, The Transparent Election Initiative, I-194 or "The Montana Plan", as it is also known, is now in the signature gathering process so it can be on the ballot in the upcoming November elections. The Transparent Election Initiative is a non-partisan, Montana-based campaign working to restore transparency and accountability in elections by ensuring that political power rests with citizens rather than corporate entities. If passed in November, "The Montana Plan" would clarify that the...
Many of us are familiar with Ephesians 6 and the armor of God, a metaphor for spiritual discipline. Now, in Colossians 3, Paul turns to our most personal relationships with clothing ourselves with gentleness, patience, and compassion. It is as if these are a base layer beneath the armor of God. As you know, you get more out of the Bible by understanding the context of the Scripture. I have often emphasized it in the column and in my teaching. Paul’s letters to Christians in Ephesus and Colossae really do mirror each other. In each...
When someone sleeps for more than half the day, they may be depressed - reach out to them. A day on Venus is longer than a year on Venus. If a stranger grabs you and says, “Don’t scream,” that’s your sign to scream as loud as you can. Honey never spoils, even after a thousand years. Oversleeping regularly is often a sign of mental or emotional exhaustion, not laziness. The internet weighs less than a strawberry. If you smell something like rotten eggs near your home, it could be a gas leak. Get out immediately and don’t use...
Spring is typically a season of optimism. Entrepreneurs are opening new businesses, family farms and ranches are calving and planning for the next season, and existing small business owners are reviewing their finances and planning for growth. However, at precisely this moment, Congress is considering legislation that would make those plans harder and riskier for Montana’s small businesses and agricultural producers. The Credit Card Competition Act (CCCA), also known as the Durbin-Marshall bill, may be marketed as pro-competition, but its...
I believe that our representative republic depends on citizens who are engaged, informed, and involved. In our community, I see it almost daily: people are engaged and care deeply about our freedoms and the direction our state is taking. I value faith, family, hard work, and personal responsibility. These principles built Jefferson County and Montana, and they must remain the foundation of our future. Our community deserves representation that listens first, stands firm on conservative...
Whitehall Indivisible (WI) discusses political candidates weekly and tracks the changes in who’s running for what. Last week’s change of significance was that Montana’s Eastern District candidate, Montana State Senator Windy Boy, dropped out of the US House race, leaving candidates Sam Lux and Brian Miller running against Troy Downing for the Eastern District. At last count, there were seven people running for the Western District US House seat, and 11 people running for US Senate. Seems excessive, but the primary election is coming on...
SUNDAY, APRIL 19 07:24:23 Traffic Stop: I-90 07:59:55 Traffic Stop: Mormon Ln 08:28:55 Civil: Charlie's Way 08:38:12 Suspicious Vehicle: Boulder Cutoff Rd 09:09:28 Traffic Stop: Hwy 359 09:32:17 Welfare Check: Tebay Ln 09:56:49 Traffic Stop: Hwy 55 10:15:28 Traffic Stop: Whitetail Rd 10:30:11 Citizen Assist: McKeown Ln 12:14:49 Extra Patrol: Pipestone OHV 13:12:42 Administrative: Delmoe Lake Rd 13:54:59 Forest Service Patrol: Delmoe Lake Rd 14:25:44 Reckless Driver: I-90 14:39:08 Motorist...
