Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
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Mrs. Seth Coombe has been named the Montana Rural Teacher of the Year in remarkable recognition of dedication, leadership, and passion for education. Mrs. Coombe, who has been a teacher for nineteen years- with eleven in Cardwell, wears many hats at the Cardwell School and has become a driving force behind its success. This award is a testament to her tireless efforts. Mrs. Coombe not only serves as the supervising teacher but also teaches Early Literacy and Kindergarten in a combined...
The Whitehall Chamber of Commerce is excited to introduce a brand-new membership structure designed with YOU in mind! Rather than basing membership on business size, we're shifting to a benefits-based model, allowing you to choose the level that best fits your needs and goals. WHAT'S NEW? • Membership tiers inspired by Whitehall's deep-rooted Lewis & Clark history. • More tailored benefits to maximize visibility, networking, and growth. • Greater value at every level-so your investment in the C...
Dear Editor, My inclination to be active in politics has been minimal. I had a farm to run and sons to raise. I marched in the '80s for reproductive rights and again in 2016 to protest Trump's presidency. I've signed the odd petition, always voted, always paid my taxes. Regardless of the political party in power and I've voted for both, I have never felt that this Republic or the democratic principles on which it is based were at risk. That has changed. We have a convicted felon with no respect...
Dear Editor, To the individual who has an opinion on the "serial killing" of coyotes. You are clearly misinformed about the benefits that such an event provides. Why someone who lives four towns east of Whitehall has an opinion on a town they don't live in is like a democrat complaining about the conditions in a third world country but doesn't send money to help. If you don't like the way we do things in Montana, maybe you should move back to whatever state you came from. A well-managed coyote...
Dear Editor, Much like cancer cells, the government, when diseased by corruption, waste, and abuse, consumes its own body. This is how a country living in a credit-driven economy meets its ultimate death. The economic model that allows unlimited credit for individuals and the government to live today on the promise of tomorrow's productivity has to have a reasonable expectation of that productivity to satisfy the debt. Add interest payments to the debt, a demographic implosion, and moral...
Dear Editor, I assume that the flyer from Americans for Prosperity (AFP) regarding my vote on HB 320, commonly referred to as the Montana Academic Prosperity Program for Scholars (MAPPS), was distributed county- or district-wide. Therefore, I felt it was important to respond. I fully support education for all and respect the desire for choices, including private, homeschool, or hybrid options. However, I firmly believe that taxpayer dollars should prioritize public education. Let’s first examine what HB 320 would have done if passed. The b...
It’s probably much less common for friends to share the same first name in fiction than in real life. You can tell if a business was founded before the internet because it uses tricks to get its name to the front of the alphabet in the phone book (e.g., A1 Storage, AAA Cleaning, etc.). Clocks with chimes are noisiest during the same hours most people try to fall asleep. Nowadays, dating apps feel like playing against someone instead of meeting someone. Cowboys are a type of wizard. They wear wide-brimmed hats, ride horses, and smoke, and i...
In March 1899, there was plenty of news to report from around the world and here in the valley. Fighting was ongoing in the Philippines, and a front-page story made it clear that the government there was not fond of the U. S. forces. Our troops in Havana, Cuba, were fighting a typhoid fever outbreak that was not helped by the primitive sewage systems. A young man with the Northern Pacific in Helena chose suicide as the way to get out of his marriage. Montana Governor Smith vetoed a bill that wou...
MARCH 8, 2000 Whitehall area voters may have a chance to create a local recreation district when they vote in the June 2000 primary election. The Jefferson County Commission approved a resolution calling for the ballot measure during its March 1 meeting and will make a decision on whether or not to place the measure on the ballot following the March 22 public hearing on the subject. A new store in Whitehall -Horsefly- will hold its grand opening on March 17-18. The store is owned by Roberta and...
In 1992, Queen Elizabeth II called the year her Annus Horribilis, or horrible year. While we haven't had a whole year of craziness, the last two weeks have certainly qualified for the name. Last week and this week, we have had all four staff out at some time during the week, a family crisis, and a case of influenza A. Thanks to our amazing volunteers and hard-working staff, the library did not have to close a single day and only missed one program. Speaking of programs, next week is full with...
Top o' the mornin' to ya and leapin' leprechauns, the Whitehall Garden Club (WGC) members and guests were greeted with "everythin' green!" Evelyn O'Edmisten and Joan O'Myhre delighted the gatherers with sweet green fruits, crunchy green veggies and delicious Irish scones, melt in your mouth perfection. The luck o' the Irish surely made its appearance, starting the March meeting off with such a pot o' gold! Thank you Joan and Evelyn. WGC President Kathy Ross opened the meeting by introducing the...
TEAM K-Bar #2: 12 wins, 5 losses Mint #2: 12 wins, 5 losses Two Bit #2: 11 wins, 6 losses K-Bar #1: 10 wins, 7 losses MEN 4 wins, 0 losses: Tyler Babcock, Michael Clark 3 wins, 1 loss: Will Bowen, Jay VonBergen, Rick Kelley, Jeremy Jensen, Mike Wall, Tim Hubbard, Terry Spenser WOMEN 4 wins, 0 losses: Leslie Dyson 2 wins, 2 losses: Shawna Amidon, Jeanette Bird...
The Wednesday, March 5th meeting, with 10 people in attendance, began with historian David Brooks recent address to the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship and sparked a good discussion on ways to bridge divides. The Montana Legislative website continues to be challenging, as do several process points that we have noticed as bills move along, die, or get killed. We will persevere. The discussion shifted from the state to the federal personnel cuts by DOGE, and the question arose, “By what right are all these firings and layoffs h...
The Whitehall Country Store Board of Directors is pleased to announce the availability of four $5,000 scholarships to be awarded to graduating Whitehall High School seniors or home schoolers who will be fulltime students enrolled in Fall 2025 classes at an accredited college, university, or trade school. Although the focus of most scholarship programs is academic, the main criteria established by the Board of Directors is a student’s deep desire to further their academic goals beyond high school and their need for financial assistance. This s...
Third-grade students from Whitehall Elementary School walked to the Jefferson Valley Museum on March 6, 2025, to participate in "Henry Ford-Invention-Innovation" activities. Students first had their picture taken sitting behind the wheel of a 1920s Ford Model TT, learning that this truck was the commercial version of the famous Model T. Then, the third graders gathered inside the Big Red Barn. Here students learned the name of the first car built by Henry Ford, the Quadricycle, worked in teams...
Lawmakers are on break this week after several marathon debates on bills last week in the run-up to the Legislature’s mid-session break. Last week was what Montana legislators call “transmittal week” — the last 5 days for general policy bills from the first half of the session to pass either the Senate or House, or they are effectively dead. “Members of the Committee, we’ve got a lot of work to do today. I’m going to try to move things along as best I can,” said Sen. John Esp, R-Big Timber, starting what became a nearly 12-hour-long Se...
Proponents of a bill that would prevent local governments from enacting red-flag gun laws say these regulations are unconstitutional. But opponents say they can be important in preventing gun violence. A red-flag law, or an extreme risk protection order, is a temporary order that a judge can place on a person requiring them to temporarily surrender their firearms if the judge decides there is a high risk to others or to the individual. Twenty-one states and the District of Columbia have implemented red-flag laws, according to the University of...
Legislators are considering a proposal that supporters say will help victims of sexual assault get local, timely care in rural areas by changing the source of funding for sexual assault examinations. The sponsor of the bill, Sen. Bob Phalen, R-Lindsay, said in an initial committee hearing last week that Senate Bill 491 would create a centralized state fund that uses revenue from the marijuana tax to pay for sexual assault medical examinations instead of local law enforcement paying for the care. “By passing this bill, we are reinforcing M...
A bill that would allow exemptions for vaccine requirements at schools and daycares sparked impassioned debate on the Senate floor before passing on a narrow vote last week. Senate Bill 474 would require schools, daycares, and other organizations that require vaccinations to accept religious and medical exceptions. Sen. Cora Neumann, D-Bozeman, opposed the bill. Similar exemptions already exist, which she said would be unsafely expanded under the bill. “This amended bill, as-is, would create the most permissive exemption policy in the c...
We just passed the halfway point of our 90 days in Helena, and I am proud to report that we have made significant strides in tackling the big and small issues facing our state. With over 800 bills introduced in the House, we’ve sent just under 600 bills to our counterparts in the Senate. I made a commitment to support common sense solutions to the problems facing our state. Below are just a few of the many bills that have been presented by the House Majority that will tackle these issues. House...
The halfway point of legislative session, also known as transmittal, is a flurry of activity followed by a much-needed weeklong break for the legislature. Many Montana legislators are farmers or ranchers or come from rural communities, so it can be helpful to think of legislative session in those terms: planting seeds by introducing bills or breaking new ground to find creative solutions to the challenges facing our state. Unfortunately, you also see legislators sowing division or “milking” certain opportunities for personal gain. Halfway thr...
The Montana Legal Services Association (MLSA) will be hosting free Clean Slate Clinics in Helena, Bozeman, and Billings March 24-28, 2025, to help low-income Montanans expunge old misdemeanor convictions from their criminal records. Expungement is the legal process that seals or erases a person’s criminal record, offering individuals a fresh start when seeking employment, housing, professional development experiences (e.g., promotions, certifications, clearances), and other opportunities. First enacted during the 2017 Montana State L...
Hunter and Bowhunter Education events have been scheduled in several locations throughout southwestern Montana. Many of these classes are or will soon be open for registration. All in-person classes are free. Students must be at least 10 years old to take a Hunter Education classroom course. Students must be at least 11 years old to take a Bowhunter Education classroom course. Students ages 12 through 17 who take Hunter or Bowhunter Education online are required to complete an in-person field day. The following Hunter Education classroom course...
Bryan Scott Gorczynski was born on October 9, 1977, in Cottage Grove, Oregon to Thomas Robert Gorczynski and Barbara Kay Gorczynski. He was supposed to be born at the Birth Center but as the hours of labor continued, they were rushed to the hospital as he had wedged in the birth canal face up. He later in life blamed his Polish nose LOL. True to his life's experiences throughout his life he had a difficult time with entering the world and thereafter. Father God, in His mercy, allowed him to... Full story
