Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
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I am running for your Whitehall mayor as a write-in candidate. So, who am I? My name is Kathleen Fike. I was born and raised in Utah, but please don’t fault me for that. I really am proud of where I come from, who I am, and where I’ve been. I’m also proud to say I know where I want to stay - right here in Whitehall, Montana. I have lived in six other states but Montana has always been home for me. My husband of 27 years, David Fike, was born and raised in Deer Lodge, MT. We have raised five children between us, one living in Utah and four livin...
Whitehall is the place to be this October! Not only are we already being blessed with beautiful fall colors falling from our trees, but Whitehall’s annual Fall Festival is quickly approaching. This year’s Fall Festival will be held on Saturday, October 23rd with vendors in the Whitehall Community Center, as well as kids activities and other great happenings throughout town. The event is brought to you by the Whitehall Chamber of Commerce, in cooperation with Gold Junction Presents. This year’s event will coincide with the Screams Come True...
On Wednesday the 22nd, the North side of the Whitehall Community Center once again became the home of Screams Come True Haunted House. It also became the hang out place for volunteers of all ages for the next month. When this venture began in my head more than five years ago, I envisioned it as a community event. Something everyone got involved with in one way or another. I saw it as a revenue event for the entire town. And so far, after two years in action, we have brought in over 4,000 people to the area each October. Whitehall really is the...
Hitting someone’s back who is coughing is the human equivalent of smacking your electronics when they aren’t working properly. Our entire lives are spent designing our corpse. Randomly hearing your favorite song on the radio is more satisfying than playing it directly from your iPod or phone. Good ghosts are the ones scaring you to keep you away. The bad ones want to draw you in. Maybe aging is a disease and Earth is quarantined. Maybe that’s the reason aliens don’t visit us. No one has any idea of what it feels like to be dead. You might h...
Dear Editor, The cost of living seems to be increasing at an almost unthinkable rate! High as those costs climb though, Americans rise above it, because life must go on. Right?! The price of lumber, while it has fluctuated somewhat, is ridiculous. But construction goes on, seemingly unperturbed. Gas prices, while not too crazy yet, in our neck of the woods anyway, are rising. Related to that, food prices are on the rise. It seems that the best option for many of us is to shop out of town, rather than at our local store. Either that or shop...
Colton Anderson is the man behind the scenes, quite literally. While you may not know his face, you've enjoyed his work. As the owner of the Star Theatre, Anderson works to bring in the latest in entertainment to the big screen, as well as helps behind the scenes of many Whitehall events, including Beats & Eats, Shakespeare in the Park, and Screams Come True. Anderson moved to Whitehall in 2005, becoming part of the Sacry family when his mother married Steve Sacry. In 2007, he found a job at the...
Dear Jo, I’ve been thinking about gender roles. You know the spiel. Women belong in the kitchen. Women: stay home! Make and take care of those babies! Cooking and cleaning is women’s work. Blah blah blah. Speaking as a man myself, I feel the very notion of gender roles is ridiculous and ignorant, to say the least! Here is my question for you. Why do you think most men accept this? In fact, it seems some get their rocks off, so to speak, by keeping not just “their woman” but ALL women, under their thumb? Okay, that probably qualifies as two sep...
During the past two weeks, Jefferson County has experienced its greatest increase in COVID-19 cases since December of 2020. There has been widespread transmission throughout all areas of our county. Due to the high number of cases, Jefferson County Health Department may not be able to contact every confirmed case or close contact in a timely manner. Actions you can take to help: If you have a pending lab or have been notified of a positive test result, please isolate from others for at least 10...
On Tuesday, Sept. 21, NorthWestern Energy submitted a request to withdraw its application for the Laurel gas plant to the Public Service Commission (PSC), citing supply line issues. Hours later, NorthWestern revealed its intention to move forward building the Laurel gas plant without pre-approval from the PSC. The Montana Environmental Information Center (MEIC) opposes an unusual Montana law that allows NorthWestern to seek pre-approval from the PSC when it wants to build a new electricity generating plant. Pre-approval allows the utility to...
NorthWestern Energy is reporting an all-time high in scam activity this week from customers on the receiving end of calls in which scammers threaten to shut off service if customers don’t take immediate actions that include making payments by gift cards, Bitcoin or other forms of payment. The increase in reports also includes instances where callers manipulate caller ID to make it appear as if an energy company is making the call, commonly referred to as caller ID spoofing. Reports include scammers even going as far as showing up at l...
Christians to this day eagerly wait for Christ’s return. If we are eager today, what might be one of our goals? Our mission is to reach the lost and make disciples for Jesus. At a more personal level our goal as believers is to simply grow in Christ’s grace. This is a life long journey on this side of eternity. The late preacher, Billy Graham said, “Being a Christian is more than just an instantaneous conversion-it is a daily process whereby you grow to be more and more like Christ.” Are you growing? That is the central question. Our reflect...
The world lost a wonderful human being in the early hours of September 5, 2021, when Bonnie Jean Chadwick (71) passed away as the result of a fall, surrounded by family and friends. Bonnie was born in Akron CO on April 30, 1950, to Donnis (Lanning) and Elsworth Chadwick and attended high school in Golden, Colorado. Bonnie's life was filled with challenges due to an injury at age 29 that left her a paraplegic. She lived the remaining 42 years of her life in a wheelchair but never let that stop...
OCTOBER 3, 1996 How much do you know about the national party platforms on which presidential candidates Bill Clinton and Bob Dole are supposedly running? How would you feel if a high school student could tell you more about the issues in the race than you could tell them? Students in the Advanced Placement English class at WHS were recently assigned to write a research paper comparing and contrasting the Democratic and Republican Party presidential platforms on five major issues. At the same time the students were learning about the party...
This Thursday evening, September 30, at 5:30 p.m. the library will be hosting Family Game Night. Everyone is invited to bring their favorite board games or use some of the library’s, and enjoy an evening of family, friends, and snacks. If you don’t have family in town, just gather up a group of friends or bring yourself to join a table and meet some new friends. I’d like to remind everyone of the library’s hours as there was some confusion on Saturday about when we close. The library is open Monday and Wednesday from 9AM to 7PM, Tuesday...
The year was 1877. Having signed the contract in the year previous, "The Professor" officially became the Documenter for the Northern Pacific Railway's west-ward expansion. Young Frank Jay, or F. Jay as he was known to friends and family, had just relocated to Moorhead, Minnesota, where he proceeded to open the first of four photographic studios under the family name. Along the way, Frank married his high school sweetheart Lily Snyder. While in Moorhead, Frank and Lily had a daughter, Bertha....
(StatePoint) October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual opportunity to spend your dollars on products and services that benefit breast cancer advocacy, research and patient care services. However, experts say that the clutter of pink products on store shelves and online can make savvy shopping a challenge. “Determining if a given product sold during October actually benefits a breast cancer charity is not always easy,” says Sarah Rosales, vice president of Corporate Partnerships at Susan G. Komen, the world’s leading breas...
(StatePoint) September was World Alzheimer’s Month, which is an excellent reminder to keep your mind and body healthy throughout the years. Experts say that doing so can reduce your risk for cognitive decline. Try taking on these new hobbies to keep your mind sharp as you age: • Cooking: Not only can the development of a new complicated skill such as cooking improve cognitive functions like problem-solving and concentration, but having the ability to create your own nutritious meals at home has the added benefit of being good for brain hea...
Yearly budgets for public school in Jefferson County increased slightly from the 2020-21 school year to this school year, 2021-22. Budgets were finalized by each school before the school year started and, as a formality, the Jefferson County Commission approved the budgets at the September 14 County Commission meeting. The total budget for each school is comprised of ten different funds: the general fund, transportation, bus depreciation, tuition, retirement, adult education, non-operating, technology, flexibility, and building reserve. All of...
State Superintendent Elsie Arntzen is pleased to announce that 11 Montana schools have received a total of $853,554.16 through the Emergency Connectivity Fund Program as promised by Congressional action through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Today the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that a total of 3,678 applicants nationwide received $1.2 billion, including District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico. The following Montana schools and districts received emergency funds between $2,518.20 and $499,956: · Yaak...
At the Butte High Cross Country meet, held September 24 at the Highland Golf Course, several Whitehall Trojan runners brought out their personal bests and set new records for themselves to beat at the next meets. Personal records were set by sophomore Wesley Biggers (17:46.4) and freshman Sam Valov (24:23.1). HIGH SCHOOL: Dallon Lanes 26:27.2, Katie Frankman 27:23.5, and Tommy Emerson 23:33.2. MIDDLE SCHOOL: Timmy Seccomb 15:14.5, Gage Kidwell 12:30.1, Kortni Wilson 15:17.3, Lexi Stratton 11:41.2, Reece Hofer 11:36.1, Odessa Zepeda 17:47.9,...
The Whitehall Trojans went on the road to Bigfork on September 24, 2021 but unfortunately did not return home with a win. The Trojans, new this year to Class B-West football division, were defeated by Bigfork 54-6. Bigfork currently holds 2nd in the league division. The Whitehall Trojans are currently winless, but are playing in their new division with heart....
The American Red Cross is experiencing an emergency blood shortage and must collect 10,000 additional blood products each week over the next month for the blood supply to recover and meet hospital and patient needs. Donors of all blood types, especially type O, are urged to make an appointment to give now and in the weeks ahead to overcome this current shortage. Blood donor turnout has reached the lowest levels of the year as many delayed giving amid a return to the workplace and in-person learning, as well as a recent surge in COVID-19 cases...
One Montana’s Master Hunter Program (MHP) is accepting applications from Oct. 1 through Nov. 30 for the 2022 program. Class locations include Missoula (March), Helena (April), Big Timber (April) and Havre (May). Each class will consist of two three-day consecutive weekends (Friday – Sunday). A two-day weekend rendezvous in June is also required for qualifications, field exercises and the final exam. The MHP is an advanced education program for hunters who want to continue to add to their knowledge and skills. A primary goal of the program is to...
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is wrapping up another season surveying for aquatic invasive species (AIS). FWP and partner AIS early detection crews surveyed more than 300 waters around the state, collecting over 2,200 early detection samples, looking for new populations of invasive mussels, snails, clams and aquatic weeds. AIS early detection crews conducted focused surveys for AIS at all fish hatcheries in the state, assessed Eurasian watermilfoil treatments in Noxon Reservoir and supported a state-wide crayfish survey project. AIS staff...
Waterfowl hunting opportunities will be limited on the Canyon Ferry Wildlife Management Area this year during both the youth and general waterfowl seasons due to ongoing extreme drought. Pond 2 at the WMA is dry, Pond 4 is expected to be completely dry in about a week, and water levels in Ponds 1 and 3 are also down significantly. There has not been any water going into Ponds 2 or 4 for more than two months, according to Adam Grove, wildlife biologist for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks in Townsend. “There simply has not been enough waterflow i...
