Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
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Mr. or Mrs. Anonymous said, “A hypocrite is one who sets good examples only when he has an audience.” This statement mirrored many of Jesus’ warnings centuries ago. He didn’t mince words; He was a truth teller confronting the lies of legalism, which subtly crept into the lives of religious leaders of His day. He taught His disciples to be on guard for hypocrisy. “Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: ‘Be on your guard against the...
Dear Editor, I want to talk about the proverbial elephant in the room. The most recent debacle in our quaint little burg of Whitehall proves how much this "elephant" needs to be confronted and maybe even run out of town. Don't worry; I won't point fingers or name names, as I'm sure I don't need to. The problem, as I see it, is that every individual, not just in this town but in the world at large, has their own particular (peculiar?) version of "the Box." Depending on the individual's sensibilit...
Dear Editor, I am writing to express my strong opposition to Senate Bill 42, which proposes introducing partisan elections for Montana's judicial offices. I urge you to vote NO on this bill. When any Montanan has their day in court, they have the constitutional right to impartial treatment regardless of political beliefs. Adding partisan politics to our courts is an attack on that right. Montana's current system of nonpartisan judicial elections has served the state well by ensuring that judges...
Dear Editor, Criticism, by its very nature, reflects the individual who is criticizing. An individual's response to criticism is also self-reflective. In my humble opinion, Superintendent Nieskens and Principal Jason Slater are modeling an extremely inappropriate response to the criticism they have received over their censure of the play "I Don't Want To Talk About It". They are modeling it to the very students they have been given the privilege to educate and as paid representatives of our...
Dear Editor, What a busy time for President Musk and Mrs. Trump! But following Steve Bannon's recipe for creating chaos, while pretending to be acting in the best interests of the American people, doesn't seem to working as successfully as Bannon's advice to "claim victory anyway" when it was apparent Trump had lost the 2020 election. Mrs. Trump's complete lack of understanding of how tariff's really work has been a global embarrassment and her/his (?) illegal tactics in the USA are being...
“Do what you love, and the money will follow” is Boomer's advice from the 1970s when a $16 loan from Grandma could turn your ice cream stand into a multi-million dollar business. Today, it’s just horrible advice. If cats could play air hockey, they would be unbeatable. Hotels could save millions in electricity costs if they stopped placing mini-fridges in enclosed cabinets that block air circulation around their cooling coils. At some point in the mid-2000s, someone decided that saying double-you, double-you, double-you in front of every web a...
GEORGIA, I have a question, I work in a small office with just a few people. I get along with everyone and even feel like I’ve made lifelong friends there. However, my boss is terribly forgetful. So, it usually takes a while to get out of something at the office. We recently ran out of toilet paper. After a few times of asking my boss to get more, I broke down and brought my own, which I bring in and out of the bathroom when I need it. The other day, my coworker approached me and asked if they could use my toilet paper. I’m already annoyed by...
ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20 A good first impression is critical right now, Aries. Wear your best clothes and check out your appearance before meeting anyone this week. TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21 Taurus, you are bound to have a lot of fun this week, and you will spread cheerfulness to others. You might host a party or plan a night out with friends. GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21 No usual strategies to confront family issues are working right now, Gemini. You may need to take a step away and give others distance for the time being until things cool off. CANCER -...
Dear Editor, A Revenue Stream Fit for a King: So, here's how it works: "You want to do business in my town? It'll cost you 25% of what you make, otherwise, I'll break your legs. We here at the 'mob' call that an income tax. If this isn't enough, you will be compelled to use our fiat currency to measure your true productivity, and we'll control the value of that. Never mind what you think it's worth; we'll tell you what it's worth." Believe it or not, this is the business model of how your...
Dear Editor, I don't want to talk about it, but I will. What an injustice the school officials are doing by not letting the young adults put this play on in the school. With Montana having a very high suicide rate, these are the very ones who should be able to see it at school. They live with the stress of life, and most of us as parents have no idea what they go through and how much pain they are in. I am a parent of a child who committed suicide in 1998. Every day I think about it. If one...
Anniversaries commemorate when two people were joined. Birthdays commemorate when two people were separated. Most of the Earth’s sky is below you. Spaghetti can hold much less sauce than other varieties of pasta, so it should be served relatively dry, but non-Italian restaurants almost always fail at this. You can hire a clown to perform just for you. Surely, someone has died in surgery because the surgeon had to sneeze. Video games seem like a great way to kill time in a “Groundhog Day” scenario until you realize your progress would reset...
GEORGIA, I have a question, What if you attended a New Year’s Eve party with seven other families (about 30 people) running around, mostly male? The night goes excellent, and you leave at 12:15 AM after celebrating the beginning of a new year. At 1:05 AM, you get a text that there’s a hole in the wall; a photo accompanies the text and a request to ask your family about it. No one knows anything. This goes on and on into the next day. Finally, the host asks everyone in attendance to donate $25 to fix the hole since we don’t know who did it, t...
Jesus was a master teacher who utilized numerous object lessons to help listeners better understand the difference between truth and a lie. In the Bible, light is often equated to truth, while dark is associated with a lie. Jesus also stated that He is “the light of the world” (John 8), signifying He came to reveal the truth and dispel darkness. In Luke, we read these words of Jesus, “No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand so that those who come in may see the l...
ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20 You’re in the mood to get things done this week, Aries. Your ambition is fueled; it is the perfect time to take charge and tackle overdue projects. Be careful not to rush things. TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21 Taurus, your focus shifts to personal growth and intellectual exploration this week. You might find yourself investigating travel plans or diving into new hobbies. GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21 Money and other resources take center stage this week, Gemini. Whether you are reevaluating your investments or getting your finances in o...
Montana’s property taxes are out of control. That’s why our top priority this session is passing permanent property tax relief for Montanans. And we’re not alone: Governor Gianforte signaled that property tax reform is at the top of his to-do list this session in his recent State of the State address. While we all agree on the need for property tax reform, debate this session will be over how to offer Montanans real, permanent relief on their property tax bills. Here are some solutions-oriented policy proposals that would provide immediate, per...
Property taxes in Montana are an incredibly complex issue, but that isn’t stopping Senate Republicans from working hard to reform them this legislative session. On January 22, the Senate Tax Committee heard SB 117, a bill I’m sponsoring that reforms how local governments in Montana calculate their budgets. The legislation provides a long-term solution to level out budget growth and ease the property tax burden on Montana residents and businesses. The formula that local governments use to determine their budgets is based on taxable pro...
Proper communication skills are a very fuzzy area between ghosting and harassment. Your bite force is stronger when you’re upside down. You can increase the popularity of your first name by breaking up with a singer. DiGiorno is also delivery now thanks to Uber. Life as a baby must be terrifying. Weird giants feed you, clean you, pick you up, and put you down as they please. They hold you in pens. They strap you in and take you to places for no clear reason. They could easily hurt you but usually don’t, yet you don’t know what’s even happeni...
The subject of prayer has been discussed and debated for decades. Rather than wading too deep into that minefield, I’m more interested in focusing on Jesus’s teaching on prayer. His authority and perspective matter most. When reading and interpreting Scripture, staying within the context is imperative; twisting Christ’s words happens far too often. Let me give you a prime example, "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who s...
ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20 Express yourself with great confidence this week, Aries. You feel like you are in control and well-organized. This is a recipe for success regarding the things you need to accomplish. TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21 Taurus, you have a clear mind this week about implementing plans. But you might need some inspiration to get started. Avoid procrastinating. GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21 Many tasks lie ahead this week, Gemini. It will be essential that you stay focused. One of the areas to consider is changing personal health for the better....
For Montana’s elderly citizens, nursing home residents, and others who struggle to travel long distances for medical care, access to trusted eye care close to home is essential. Yet, outdated laws in Montana restrict highly trained doctors of optometry from performing certain in-office procedures that could safely and effectively be done in their offices. It is time to modernize these regulations to ensure Montanans can receive timely, high-quality care without the burden of traveling hundreds of miles. Montana’s optometrists are often the fir...
Donald Trump is famous for not thinking ahead and that failing may come back to bite him in the rear soon. Sometimes things he wants have consequences he does not want or think about until they occur and it is too late to prevent them. One of his top priorities is tariffs. He had said he wants a 25% tariff on imports from Mexico and Canada. Turns out that Canada has a lot of oil and the U.S. imports some of it. That oil won’t be easy to replace in the short term. The tariff will increase gas prices by about 40¢/gallon. And guess who that wi...
The law isn’t about what you can or cannot do, just the consequences of those choices. Silence feels loud because we’re used to noise. Toilet sizes say “Round” or “Elongated,” but what it really means is “Women” or “Unisex.” Minigolf has more in common with pool than with golf. Our bodies consist of skeletons wrapped in zombies and possessed by ghosts. Netflix could include ratings from Rotten Tomatoes to save us all a web search. Kids today will never face building up the nerve to call a girl only to have her parents answer. People with...
GEORGIA, I have a question, My five-year-old started kindergarten this year and has made many new friends. We recently invited one of these friends over for a playdate; in return, my daughter was invited to her friend’s father’s house (her parents are not together). When we take our daughter to a playdate with a new friend, we always go in with her and then stay long enough to ensure everything is good, meet the parents, etc. My partner took our daughter over to this playdate and reported that the apartment was “very messy” but that, after a...
In today’s column, I want to introduce you to two sisters, Martha and Mary, also sisters of Lazarus. Most readers are familiar with their life stories, whereas many are unfamiliar with some of the cultural backgrounds involved in these ladies’ lives. Luke gives us a glimpse. “As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made...
ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20 Aries, charm is one of your strongest attributes. This week your magnetism is magnified and can work to your advantage. You might attract people who can help with a situation. TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21 Taurus, it is never easy to reevaluate finances and cut back. However, this is the week when you likely have to keep your credit card in your wallet; otherwise, the bills add up. GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21 Gemini, now is the time to turn great opportunities into big ideas. Make a plan of action and spell out the steps necessary to...
