Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 30
Thomas Jefferson wrote in a letter on January 8, 1789, “that wherever the people are well informed, they can be trusted with their own government.” Jefferson’s intent was that if citizens were well informed, they could have the information needed to adequately participate in their government. It is, after all, our responsibility. This sentiment coincides with Article II, Section 9 of the Montana State Constitution which declares, “No person shall be deprived of the right to examine documen...
Whitehall Fire Department escorted Amelia and Lilly Schober to their first day of school. From left: Fire Chief Joe Granvold, Amelia, Lilly, and parents Chaira and Tim Schober. The ride was purchased for the kids at the 2022 Black Tie Blue Jeans fundraiser....
Whitehall has been selected to participate in the 2022 Reimagining Rural Virtual Gathering which is designed to bring some fresh ideas about how to create a vibrant future for rural communities across Montana. It has been a challenging year and organizers hope to help local volunteers and leaders reset and reimagine a bright future for their community by bringing them together to hear some positive research and success stories about rural communities. Reimagining Rural Virtual Gathering was created for local volunteers and leaders who are...
Jefferson County commissioners have allocated American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for a one-time $5,000 grant to food commodity producers that sold at least $2,500 in 2020. To qualify for the grant, the business or individual must employ less than 5 people, have ownership (or a long-term lease) of agricultural land and/or livestock, and have food commodity sales receipts from 2020 for a minimum of $2,500 dollars. Producers interested in applying for the grant can contact Leah Lewis at leah.lewis@jldcmt.com. More information on ARPA...
Whitehall Trojans were out and about last week doing acts of community service all over Whitehall....
Of all of the common household flies people have killed so far in our existence, flies have not evolved to avoid humans. You are probably still ‘it’ from an unfinished game of tag. Driving safely is less about how you drive, and more about how you predict other people will drive. Humans are the apex species on the planet yet the majority of us have never hunted prey to feed ourselves. The human brain is so powerful that it can overpower the will of itself. People can’t use you if you’re useless. We spend all our teenage lives longing for the...
AMERICA’S RUBICON. On January 10, 49 B.C. Caesar and his army crossed the Rubicon River. By formally entering the Roman Empire he knowingly committed treason as it was against the law to cross the river with an army. Since that event, the phrase “Crossing the Rubicon” means reaching a point of no return. Through his actions, Caesar ignited a Civil War that signaled the end of the Roman Republic, and once again history would pivot around the fall of one of the world’s greatest empires. When the FBI raided Mar-a-Lago they crossed their own Rub...
After four years off from teaching, Ceanna Berkram is ready to take on the challenges of High School English at Whitehall Schools. "I wasn't quite ready, I didn't think, to get back into teaching," Berkram explained, who has a three-month-old daughter Oakley)and three-year-old twins, Olive and Ozzie. "But then my husband [Kyle] saw the position open." Berkram's husband was very supportive and actually pushed her to apply. The reason? Small town school and the appeal of "home." Born and raised...
Senator Steve Daines will be the keynote speaker Sunday, September 11, at the JeffCo Republican Fall Harvest Festival BBQ Banquet planned for 5 PM at The Barn at Kleffner Ranch, 305 MT Hwy 518, East Helena. The Lincoln Reagan Trump event will begin at 3:00 PM with horse-drawn wagon rides, a happy hour sponsored by Chubbys of Clancy, and live music so that attendees can greet and talk with state and county candidates, and begin bidding on silent auction items. Emcee Scott Mendenhall will convene the evening program at 5:00 PM with Sen. Daines...
Who-o-o, Hoo-o-0, yes it’s for you! The September meeting of the Whitehall Garden Club is Wednesday, September 7th at Borden’s Conference Room. We invite the public to join us for coffee, treats, and conversation at 9:30 AM with the meeting starting at 10 AM. Whitehall’s own Cathy Hatch, a “Birder Extraordinaire” will enchant us with a presentation on “Owls, Nature’s Masterpiece.” Join us and learn about the lives and habitats of these big-eyed beauties....
Dear Readers: Jo has retired from her column, at least for the time being. Please welcome Georgia, our newest satire etiquette advice giver! Georgia, I have a question, How do I convince my cousin, who is dead set on a home birth, NOT to do an at-home circumcision on her son? Her husband is training to be a veterinarian and currently crops ears and docks tails, so she thinks he should be able to perform a circumcision just fine. This makes me very nervous for the baby! Signed, What to Do?!? Dear What, WHAT!!!???!!! Ears and tails are NOT the...
People everywhere are feeling the impacts of climate change with more frequent and intense weather events threatening our communities. September is National Preparedness Month and the American Red Cross of Idaho, Montana and East Oregon urges everyone to get ready for these emergencies now. Just last year, more than 40 percent of Americans — some 130 million people — were living in a county struck by a climate-related disaster, according to an analysis from the Washington Post. Disasters can happen anywhere, anytime. You can be ready by vis...
State and local public health officials are reporting the season’s first West Nile virus (WNV) detections in positive mosquito samples in Dawson and Lewis and Clark counties. The first horse infected with WNV this season was also confirmed earlier this week in Lewis and Clark County. To date, no human cases of WNV have been identified this season. Increased risk of WNV infection in humans and horses is expected to continue through at least October. The detection of WNV in mosquitoes and horses is an early warning that Montanans are at an i...
The Jefferson River Watershed Council would like to inform Jefferson Valley residents that the river has reached the 280 CFS drought management flow trigger at the Twin Bridges USGS gauge. JRWC is asking for voluntary reductions in irrigation and municipal water use. Weekly meetings with water users will be coordinated by the JRWC. The goal of the voluntary reductions is to maintain a minimum flow of 50 CFS at the Waterloo USGS gauge. Additionally, FWP will evaluate the need for a mandatory fishing closure. To stay up to date on current and...
You’ve observed no doubt that nature provides us with many parallels: a butterfly has two wings. In thinking of eternity, many fear death—that parallel with life. Joy and contentment contrast with loneliness and despair. Throughout history, we have faced harmful teachings, and this reality is no different today. Popular writers and “preachers” have been attempting to erase away the doctrine of hell. Those who reduce everything to nonbelief, we call them annihilationists, espouse the unredeemed will either cease to exist upon death or (after the...
Wendell David Oliverson, age 82, passed away peacefully at home on August 24, 2022, due to lung cancer. Wendell, AKA Dave, was born in Franklin, ID on May 3, 1940, to Wendell W. Oliverson and Karma Porter. He was raised on an alfalfa farm in Franklin, ID until his parents moved him and his sister Janet Schuh to Alder, MT where Wendell milked 15 cows to help the family run the Alder Rest Home and the Oxbow Cafe. Wendell went to Sheridan High School where he played basketball and participated in...
August 27, 1997 Nearly 70 fiberglass street signs were stored in the workshop of Jim and Kathie Moerbe’s Rader Creek home. The signs were purchased by the county to identify the confusing and changing Rader Creek roads, and are part of national, state, and county programs created to help emergency vehicle drivers locate streets and residences. However, the signs divided the rapidly growing Rader Creek area, and it was uncertain if the green signs would be erected, and if erected, how long they would stay up. The population seemed to hold one of...
The Montana Historical Society once again is offering a wide range of programs at its Helena facility, but you don’t have to attend most of them in person to enjoy history. The programs range from information on the reality of childbearing in the Old West to the MTHS director’s vision for the new Montana Heritage Center. The programs are at the MTHS auditorium at 225 No. Roberts St., and livestreamed on the MTHS YouTube channel unless otherwise noted. Programs include: • September 1, 4:30 PM. Midway Bravery – A talk and book signing with Dennis...
Jefferson Valley Search and Rescue (JVSAR) conducted a mock scenario exercise Sunday, August 28, 2022, in the State Creek area. Training with Life Flight out of Bozeman, instruction by the pilot, and loading a patient "hot" (when a helicopter has rotors in motion), were all discussed. Steve Schmidt, formerly of Whitehall, coordinated this exercise with the Life Flight and JVSAR. The mock scenario exercise involved a male individual with his two grandsons overdue from hunting for morel...
September is around the corner and calendars are out at the front desk. As usual, we will be closed on Labor Day, Monday, September 5th. Our new hours begin on Tuesday, September 6th, when we will be open at 11 AM on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This makes us open four more hours during the week so early birds come in before lunch and we can have programs earlier in the day. The calendar is packed; here are a few previews. The first of our new programs is “Stitch’n More.” We will be exploring different types of needlework and doing small proje...
Raven Hrysenko spends a lot of time in "3D Land," fixing printers, designing files, teaching 3D design and printing, and creating her own designs, some are trinkets, some inventions, and some parts that could restore an object to good use. Her goals are to show that 3D printing can be an alternative method to get what you need, to educate the public about how things can be made, and that there are different ways of thinking. A flexible T-Rex and dolphin, a tape dispenser, and an oil plug for a s...
Bella Garcia’s social media home page is a veritable menagerie of birds, beasts, and bugs. In one post, the teen’s pet lizard, Cholula, chows down on a dandelion; in another, Dakota, her German Shepherd, leaps to catch a snowball. But while the posts keep the Houston 16-year-old connected with friends who live far away, her social media experience hasn’t always been positive. When dealing with health problems in recent years, the teen spent hours each day on social media, often feeling frustrated and left out. “It was affecting my product...
Pirogue Island State Park is 500 miles from where the Yellowstone River begins south of Yellowstone National Park and 170 miles from where it ends near Williston, North Dakota. Situated between Billings and Miles City, it has a hidden history. In addition to extensive hiking, birding, and wildlife viewing, the island is a possible site where the Corps of Discovery and Capt. Clark camped in 1806 on the return voyage of their famous expedition. It is widely believed that on July 29, 1806, Captain William Clark, and his men, Sacagawea, and her...
In the coming weeks, anglers will have several opportunities to comment on fishing regulation proposals for the 2023/24 regulation booklet. These proposals were developed by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks staff after working with the public on identifying what changes were needed in the current regulations. In all, 42 proposals for the 2023/2024 Montana Fishing Regulations will be out for public comment through Sept. 22. The proposals can be reviewed online at https://fwp.mt.gov/aboutfwp/public-comment-opportunities. Final commission action on...
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking public comment on several proposals slated to go to the Fish and Wildlife Commission in October. Under the new commission process, FWP is taking public comment on these proposals now through Sept. 22. Commissioners can offer amendments to the proposals as they see fit. The proposals and supporting documents, commissioner amendments and collected public comment will be available on the FWP website two weeks prior to the commission meeting, Oct. 6. The commission will make a final decision on these...
