Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
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Growing up I really despised when someone would say "broken home". Sure my parents divorced when I was five, but I felt that term was just dirty and really not necessary. I probably took it more personal than I should have, but my parents surely were not the first people to ever get a divorce and we all walked away from what happened in one piece, far from broken. With Thanksgiving just a day away, it makes me think back to a highlight of having my parent's gets divorced and my mom getting...
The Whitehall/Harrison High School football team celebrated one of the best seasons in program history last week with their annual team banquet. The yearly event took a look back at the 9-0 regular season that culminated with an outright Southern B Conference Championship and a playoff win over Shepherd. The banquet began with the Trojan seniors addressing the crowd in the Multi Purpose Room at Whitehall High School. Braden Smith said when he started playing football he didn't know if he would l...
At their regular monthly meeting last week, the Whitehall Town Council voted unanimously to uphold the suspension of member Francine Giono Janik. Janik was put on suspension by the governing body in November of 2016. At last week’s meeting, Mayor Dale Davis said Janik was put on suspension as a result of leaving during a November 14, 2016 meeting. Davis said there has not been any communication between the Town and Janik’s lawyer since December 13, 2016. Davis added state law reads you cannot leave a meeting. Town Attorney Ed Guza said it is hi...
The annual Whitehall High School fall play will have a very different venue in 2017. The performance of "Over the River and Through the Woods" will take place Monday, November 20 and Tuesday, November 21 at the Star Theater in downtown Whitehall. "Performing in the theater is a fantastic opportunity for these kids. It is a great space and such a learning experience for the students to work on a minimal set and minimal lighting," theater director Cheri Shaw said. "The closeness of the audience...
Although she was elected by acclamation to a Ward Seat on the Whitehall Town Council in October, it appears Katy James may not serve on the governing body when new members are sworn in the first Monday in January. At a meeting Monday night, the Whitehall Town Council voted 4-1 to have current Ward 1 Council member Gerry Keogh remain in the position. Keogh was selected by the Council to fill the term of Michelle LaFountaine, who resigned from her position in December of 2015. Council member Tom Jenkin was the dissenting vote. The discussion Mond...
The LDS Church Harvest Dinner is scheduled for Friday, November 17. The popular annual event will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the church located at Mormon Lane and Yellowstone in Whitehall. The meal is a Thanksgiving Dinner with all the trimmings, including a variety of desserts. In researching the history of event, volunteer Donna Loomis said the Harvest Dinner dates back to about 1978. "It is truly wonderful to see members of our community visiting, laughing and sharing a Thanksg...
For the second straight month, Whitehall Middle and High School Principal Hannah Nieskens has reported an increase in attendance at the schools. At the board of trustees meeting last week, Nieskens said the number at the high school has increased to 140, adding they are expecting one more next week. She reported the number at the middle school has also increased, with a current enrollment of 86. Nieskens said that because the number has increased in the high school they have had to order more textbooks for ninth graders, where the enrollment ha...
I should probably preface this column by saying these have words have been brewing for awhile, perhaps creating a “storm inside”. The first winter snowstorm of 2017 was a doozy and blanketed Whitehall with over a foot of snow in a little over 24 hours. The winter weather led to some horrific road conditions not only locally, but through the entire Treasure State. In last week’s Whitehall Ledger, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Report was full of accidents that were a result of the horrible mess of snow and ice. Having grown up in Wyoming...
This Friday evening the Whitehall LDS Church is hosting their annual Harvest Dinner with proceeds going to the Whitehall Area Food Pantry. Local resident can also bring non-perishable food items that will also be given to the pantry. With a cost of $6 per person or $25 for a family, this is a very important night for the food pantry. In the past few weeks, I have had several editorials that have talked about the importance of donations during the holiday season, and I feel it is once again highly important to stress the importance of events lik...
The Whitehall Town Council voted Monday night to table a resolution that would approve the sale of the Ambulance Barn located at 207 E. Legion. Council member Mac Smith made a motion to table Resolution 2017-08, and asked the governing body to host a special meeting to allow residents the opportunity to speak on the issue and ask any questions they might have about the proposed sale. A special town meeting to discuss the potential sale will take place Nov. 20 at 5 p.m. At an Oct. 17 special meeting, the Council approved 4-1 to give Dr. Cory...
After a lengthy discussion about the ongoing uranium issues the town water supply, the Whitehall Council voted Monday night to hire Jason Crawford of Kadrmas, Lee & Jackson to complete a Preliminary Engineering Report due next year. The Council also voted for Crawford and the Helena-based firm to complete a grant funding application. Crawford told the governing body that the PER will be fairly comprehensive, and should be started sooner than later. He said he could probably complete both the PER and application for $30,000. Fess Foster, a...
Local students did an amazing job last week hosting Veteran's Day programs in both Whitehall and Cardwell. The Whitehall program began with an introduction from U.S. Army Sgt. First Class Jeremy Bright, who discussed Veteran's Day and giving tribute to those who served before as well as honoring those who gave the Ultimate Sacrifice. WHS Student Council President Ryan Murphy then gave those in attendance a history of the Tribute or Buddy Poppy, stating it honors the dead by honoring the living....
Kailee Oliverson, a resident of Cardwell and senior at Twin Bridges High School, signed a letter of intent November 8 to play NCAA Division 1 basketball at the University of Nevada. A two-time all state player, Oliverson has averaged 16.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 3.4 blocks over her three year high school career. "Kailee is an exceptional person, student athlete, and basketball player. I have had the privilege of coaching Kailee for one year in which she led Twin Bridges to a 27-1 record,"...
Production was on target during October at the Barrick Golden Sunlight Mine. At the Community Transition Advisory Committee meeting last Thursday, Mine General Manager Dan Banghart said the production for the month was 4,000 ounces, on par with their budget and forecast. Banghart did however state they ran into some problems in the mill because of a different type of ore than they have seen recently, but they will make adjustments for the mill run this week. There are currently 51 Barrick and around 80 contract employees reporting to the site....
A new event the 2017 Whitehall Christmas Stroll should be a crowd pleaser for the entire family. A Gingerbread House Contest is scheduled to take place at the event scheduled for December 9. The contest will include an adult division (17 and up), child division (ages 8 to 16), and a family division (group of 3 to 7, 1 adults and 1 child minimum). "We came up with it about two months ago. I started looking at what other towns do during Christmas and found Gingerbread House contests," Chamber...
Those who are alone or unable to make a dinner on Thanksgiving Day will have a place to enjoy the holiday with a warm meal and a good company. The Whitehall Stageline Pizza is hosting a free of cost dinner Thanksgiving Day from 1 to 4 p.m. at the restaurant located at 605 W. Legion. "We've had a great six months since opening and this is a great way to give back to the community and help those in need. Helping other people is what it is all about," owner Tina Bates said. Tina and her husband Ken...
There will be a new ambulance district in Jefferson County. In a special election Tuesday, local voters approved the formation of the Jefferson Valley Rural Ambulance District in the Whitehall area. According to Jefferson County Election Administrator Bonnie Ramey, the rural ambulance district was approved by a vote of 372 to 188. The district does not include the Town limits of Whitehall. Voters also approved a board of five directors for the new district. The board members elected are Dana Brunet, Amy DuBois, Rico Patacini, Susan Pullman and...
After a successful inaugural “Toys for Tots” charity event in 2016, Star Theater Manager Colton Anderson has high hopes for 2017. The 2017 event will be a combined effort between the theater and Whitehall High School. From Friday, November 17 to Saturday, November 19, the theater will be playing the film “Walking Out”. Anderson said if residents bring in a sealed toy they will get free admission (one per toy), there will be silent auction items, and all those proceeds will go towards Toys for Tots. Anderson said the theater is getting the fil...
With the Christmas Stroll a month away, members of the Whitehall Chamber of Commerce have been hard at work in preparation for the popular annual event. At the regular chamber meeting last week, treasurer Jill Dove said they currently have about one-third of the number of vendors they have space for who have submitted applications. Chamber members suggested using social media to boost interest for not only vendors, but for overall attendance at the event. Member Kristi Wilson said the creating an “event” on Facebook would be a good way to sha...
It was a winter wonderland last week in Whitehall and the surrounding areas. A fierce winter storm made its way into the Lower Jefferson Valley late last Thursday evening and the snow did not let up until early Saturday morning. The storm made things difficult at Whitehall High School, who was playing host to Saturday's MHSA Class B quarterfinal football matchup between the Trojans and Shelby. School officials reported they removed between 18 and 20 inches from the football field. On both...
Every child deserves something nice for Christmas, and a combined effort of the Star Theater and the Whitehall High School will help to ensure this happens locally. The theater is offering free admission to “Walking Out” from November 17 to 19 to anyone who brings in a sealed toy as part of a Toys For Tots Charity Drive. The high school drama performance of “Over of the River and Through the Woods” will take place November 20 and 21, and all proceeds from the $5 admission price will be donated to Toys for Tots. A simple gesture of brining...
I'll be the first to admit that I really don't care much for Halloween. I rarely dress up, and the only reason I have the past couple of years is to take Shayla trick or treating. A person dressing up elaborately does not bother me; it is just not my cup of tea. Everyone at the house thinks I'm the Halloween "Grinch", but I'm not going to pretend to like something that I don't. While I'm sure that people had a lot of fun this year and really enjoyed seeing the various costumes for those both you...
A magical season came to end Saturday, November 4 for the Whitehall/Harrison High School football team in a heartbreaking 16-13 quarterfinal loss to Shelby. The Coyotes broke a 13-13 tie with 21 seconds remaining on a 33-yard field by Wyatt Bruvsen to seal the victory. Following the game, Whitehall (10-1) head coach Dan Lacey was emotional talking about the six seniors (Dawson Hoerauf, Lane Buus, Garrison Shaw, Braden Smith, Wyatt Alexander, Kayden Howser) who played their last game for the...
In the past two seasons, the seniors on the Whitehall/Harrison High School football team have helped lead their team to an amazing 20-3 record that included reaching the Class B semifinals in 2016 and quarterfinals in 2017. While their season did not end they way they wanted it to last Saturday, it is important to take a look back at the what the six seniors did to elevate this program. The six will forever go down as one of the most important classes in Trojans football history. They are a...
One week after a thrilling 26-18 first round playoff home victory over Shepherd, the Whitehall/Harrison High School football team will once again be at home this Saturday when they take on Shelby (6-3) in a MHSA Class B quarterfinal matchup. The number one seeded Trojans (10-0) will be matched up with the number two seeded Coyotes in a game that will kickoff at 1 p.m. Shelby advanced to the quarterfinals with a 23-20 home victory over the third seed from the west, Big Fork. With the win, the Coy...
