Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
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Dear Editor, I am neither a lawyer nor a business advisor, but I have danced with a few 501C3s. A tax-exempt charitable organization may or may not have a relationship with a business or entity. The entity may sever that relationship, but that doesn't dissolve the 501C3. The charity can only dissolve by not renewing its certificate with the State or by a majority vote of its officers. Before that, it could only deal with tax-exempt funds by following the outlines of its charter or by-laws. It...
“I love to spend my day in a bookstore,” said Amy Sweet. She lives in Red Lodge, Montana, and was explaining why she and her husband Brian opened Beartooth Books in her town of 2,300. “It was part of the life we wanted—to live in a small town, walk to work, and enjoy outdoor adventures and wonderful people.“ She’s not alone. For many of the same reasons, bookstores have been opening in small Western towns, said Heather Duncan, executive director of the Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association. Since 2020, more than 100 booksto...
State and local public health officials remind Montanans to be aware of rabies exposure risks as summer approaches. The potential for encounters between humans and wild animals increases during the spring and summer months as Montanans spend increased time engaging in outdoor activities. Rabies is a fatal but preventable disease. The rabies virus is carried in the saliva of infected warm-blooded mammals and is usually transmitted to people and other animals through a bite. Post-exposure prophylaxis, a series of injections administered after...
Dear Editor, Ever promise yourself that someday you'd start reading your Bible every day but never got around to it? You're not alone. We will start a new round of free daily phone texts this week, designed to help you read your Bible cover-to-cover in about one year. This ministry is entirely non-denominational. You can use whatever version you prefer, and it doesn't cost you a penny. This will be the seventh year the Whitehall Church of Christ has done this. We forward these texts worldwide;...
Spring in Montana is a popular time to forage for morel mushrooms, a type of mushroom that is often considered a delicacy by restaurants and the public. However, morels can cause human illness if the proper identification, storage, and preparation steps are not taken. An outbreak of gastrointestinal (GI) illness occurred in Montana in the spring of 2023, when 51 people got sick after eating raw or only partially cooked morels at a restaurant. Three hospitalizations and two deaths were...
The Cottontail Astronomical Observatory in Twin Bridges, Montana, will open its doors for its first public night for the 2024 season on May 11th. The observatory hosts various free events throughout the year, though donations are greatly appreciated. Owners Joe and Gwen Witherspoon invite everyone to take part in a visit to the observatory. The weather plays a big part in these events; overcast skies block out the stars, as does rain and snow, and winds greater than 15 MPH move the telescopes. In such an event, the Witherspoons will give an...
Climate change was primarily perceived as a distant threat for a long time. But Oregon biologist Pepper Trail, 70, who often writes for the opinion service Writers on the Range, said he and other close observers have noticed climate shifts for decades. He’s seen it in the premature blossoming of flowers, the diminishing snow caps on mountains, and, most strikingly, the increasing frequency of wildfires scorching the landscapes around him. “I’m a naturalist,” Trail said, “and like many who have been sounding the alarm for years, I’m increasingl...
As of the writing of this guest editorial, there has been a 30 percent decrease in FAFSA submissions by students and their parents across the United States compared to last year. In Montana, the decline is also substantial at 25 percent. What is FAFSA, and why is it important? FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and students must complete it before applying for federal grants, work-study, and loans. Colleges and universities use student FAFSA data to determine their federal aid eligibility. It is administered by the U.S....
When my friends and I encountered the fresh grizzly bear scat, we were deep in Wyoming’s Teton Wilderness, 20 miles from a trailhead. I’d seen grizzlies before—from the car. But this experience was on a whole other level. I felt vulnerable, nervous. I also felt fully alive. That feeling owes much to the Wilderness Act, which became law 60 years ago, in 1964. When President Lyndon B. Johnson created a nationwide system of wild landscapes “untrammeled by man,” it gave physical expression to an unusual attitude toward land. The attitude could be...
Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) Director Charlie Brereton today announced one-time incentive payments and targeted, historic wage increases to recruit and retain employees at Montana’s state-run healthcare facilities. The new effort is designed to reduce reliance on contracted clinical staff and demonstrates DPHHS’s continued, strong commitment to reforming and investing in the facilities that serve Montana’s most vulnerable patients. Dir. Brereton announced the Hiring Incentive Program for direct patient care positions a...
The opportunity to serve as a volunteer on the High Peaks Federal Credit Union Board of Directors is one of the most significant differentiating factors that separates credit unions from traditional banks. They set the direction of the credit union and collaborate with the CEO to manage it according to the wishes of the membership. Credit unions are owned by their members, which allows them to have a say in how their financial lives are run. Instead of serving corporate stockholders, the Board...
The final two faded wood panel murals have been replaced with two vibrant, bright, beautiful new murals at the Rocky Mountain Bank and the Billsgary building (K-Bar). The murals were again beautifully created by local Whitehall artist Kit Mather. Kit committed her entire summer and portions of her fall to their completion! The murals were both put in place by Tim Geary and his crew. Tim gave his equipment and labor to ensure that the murals would be put in place securely and safely. Besides Tim,...
Federal, state, and local officials are urging medical providers to be on the lookout for possible cases of lead poisoning in children after at least 22 toddlers in 14 states were sickened as of November 7, 2023, by lead linked to tainted pouches of cinnamon apple puree and applesauce. The following were recalled by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) due to reports of elevated levels of lead found in certain units of the products: • WanaBana brand apple cinnamon fruit purée pouches • Schnucks brand cinnamon applesauce pouches • Weis b...
The Jefferson Valley Community Foundation was pleased to present several community awards to community non-profit organizations at their annual Short and Sweet awards night at the Whitehall Community Center on November 8 at 7 PM. The following grants were awarded that night: • Whitehall Middle/High School: $2,500 for tools and job box for FFA, that grant being the Barrick Co. Grant. • Whitehall Garden Club: $750 for seedlings for Arbor Day. • P.U.L.S.E.: $3,200 to finish the community room...
Montana collects $2.1 billion in property tax, with allocations as follows: 56% to schools, 28% to counties, 11% to cities/towns, and 5% to special districts. The 6 statewide university mills stay at the state, while the 95 statewide school mills are redistributed to local community schools, accounting for 35-40% of the $1.1 billion annual state school funding distribution. According to the latest Department of Revenue (DOR) appraisal, Montana properties have a total market value of $259 billion, spread across 18 tax and rate classes....
The Jefferson Valley Community Foundation (JVCF) has begun the evaluation of grants that have been applied for and have met the deadline and the grant standards. Every year the JVCF awards monetary grants to nonprofit organizations that have worthy projects and need financial help for completion of their project. The grant deadline has come and gone and grant applications have been submitted. Last year, the following nonprofits received grants: JV Sportsmen, JV Search and Rescue, Whitehall Food Bank, Whitehall Chamber of Commerce, Town of White...
As Montana gears up to enter another respiratory illness season, the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) encourages Montanans to take precautions to help protect against severe symptoms from COVID-19, influenza, pneumococcal pneumonia, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections. The number of people ill due to respiratory viruses, including COVID-19, influenza, pneumococcal pneumonia, and RSV, is currently low across most of the United States but has increased in recent weeks. Montana has already begun seeing...
Every year, 2,100 North Americans are killed or seriously injured when they engage in unsafe behavior around tracks and trains. Montana Operation Lifesaver is joining Operation Lifesaver Inc. (OLI), Operation Lifesaver Canada, and the Mexican Association of Railroads (AMF) from September 18-24 to observe Rail Safety Week in North America and urge the public to help #STOPTrackTragedies. "Rail Safety Week focuses awareness and education activities around the country into seven exciting days....
Montana is facing a growing housing crisis, driven by an influx of out-of-state home buyers and telecommuters. This is pushing up prices, making it difficult for Montanans to find affordable housing, and increasing residential property taxes. A solution I propose for consideration is to change the way property taxes are calculated for vacation homes and short-term rentals. Currently, all residential properties are taxed at the same rate, regardless of whether they are owner-occupied, rented out long-term, rented out short-term, or vacation...
Dear Editor, This is a story about THE SIGN and so much more. It started pretty much like any other day, then took an unexpected turn. Or maybe, not so unexpected. On the road to Butte, headed up the pass, I pull into the rest area. A familiar shade of green is illuminated by the sunlight. Woah! What? I was kind of shocked - laying in the mud, half of it suffocated beneath the trash dumpster was THE SIGN. JESUS CHRIST 2020 is all that was visible, but I knew what the hidden words under the...
The ongoing project of the Whitehall Murals Restoration is still alive and vibrant! This year the murals at the Rocky Mountain Bank and the Billsgary Center (K-Bar) buildings will be replaced this fall. It is expected that both murals will be replaced before the good weather ends either in late September or early October. The new murals will be very similar to the previous murals although some changes have been made to make them more historically connected to the Lewis and Clark Journals and more vibrant in color. One change from the original...
The uppermost switchback on the Bright Angel Trail in Grand Canyon National Park is eight feet wide. Yet the last time I hiked out, I was stymied by a group of young hikers walking down shoulder to shoulder, tapping on their phones. Even when I said, “Ahem, excuse me,” I was unceremoniously nudged out of the way — not on the cliff side, but still. It shouldn’t need mentioning, but while walking on a rocky trail where one may fall to one’s death, it is best not to be watching one’s phone. And in case you were wondering, uphill has the right of w...
The annual Bill Baycroft and Bob Casagrande Memorial Rod Run during Frontier Days was a huge success, bringing in nearly 80 gorgeous vehicles to Legion Park. The following awards were given. • Bill Baycroft Award: Tom Walund of Butte. • Bob Casagrande Award: Terrie Casagrande of Whitehall. • People's Choice Award: Dale Olson of Butte. • Truck Award: Kelli Thennis' 56 Chevy truck. • Rat Rod Award: Ric Pestel's 29 Nash Sedan. • Long Distance Award: Jim Tebay's 52 Plymouth Coupe. Top 10 Entries:...
State and local health officials are reporting the first West Nile Virus (WNV) detection of the year in mosquitoes sampled from Blaine County. No humans or horses have tested positive for WNV yet this season. Infected mosquitoes can transmit WNV when they bite, and the increased risk of WNV transmission to humans and horses is expected to continue through October – or as long as mosquitoes are active in the state. While no human cases of WNV were reported in 2022, in previous seasons Montana has reported over 50 human cases in a single s...
A spectacular picture recently appeared on social media of a young lady in Arizona. She was poised on the edge of a cliff emblazoned with sunset colors. Immediately her online followers clamored to know where the picture was taken, so “I can get one just like it.” Turns out that it was taken on an off-trail route at the end of a potholed dirt road on the Navajo Nation, and required a permit to even enter the area. Also, I bet she did not climb to that precarious perch on that cliff wearing those fancy shoes. A local guide lamented that the are...
