Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Sorted by date Results 1326 - 1350 of 1587
The 4th of July is always a great time for friends and family to come together to celebrate one amazing Country. It also means the Interstate and Highways are jam packed with people. The increase in traffic means that gas stations and truck stops always seemed to be jam packed throughout the day. I’m not sure where people are going but they always seem to be trying to get gas the same time I want to. As has been the case the past several weeks, when I went to the gas station on July 5 there w...
When I was a little kid, I was a borderline obsessive fan of professional wrestling. It wasn't today's era where I could catch a program or one of the many easily accessible pay per view events, instead I had to wait to watch my favorites like Sting on the weekend on the NWA show on TBS or sneak out of bed to watch the WWF's "Saturday Night's Main Event" that seemed to air after midnight and would always include several really big matches. I would spend multiple hours wrestling and practicing mo...
I'm not sure if I had to choose, I could pick a favorite sport between football and basketball but would easily admit that the NCAA basketball tournament is my favorite sporting event of the year. I also really enjoy covering high school basketball during the postseason and even though it seems to last about five months I also spend a lot of time following the NBA playoffs. I spent a lot of time watching the playoffs this year and the NBA Finals were a very interesting affair with the Toronto...
While I much rather watch a basketball or football game, whenever the United States soccer team is playing in a World Cup, I pay attention. I don't know much about soccer, don't like it enough to call it football, but do love cheering on my country and anything where the best in the world are doing it is usually pretty exciting. I guess I probably wouldn't watch cricket, but I at least know that in soccer you want put it in a goal. I seriously have no idea what is going on with cricket. While I...
When Oliver Lucas created the first vehicle horn in the 1910 it was a much-needed invention that is still as relevant today. It has also become a major pain in the back side. Rather than just use it for what is intended, the horn has become as source of communication for people and it is beyond annoying. People really need to tone it down with honking. The other day we were driving home in a 35 mile per hour zone by a school. Despite the fact we were going nearly 10 miles under the speed limit s...
Over the past weeks kids from across the area were able to wrap up the school year with their annual spring field trips. I was able to read online about what seemed to be some pretty amazing trips and the kids really seemed to be happy about where they were going. It's really great local schools plan these trips for the kids. After a long year in the classroom it is always nice for them to get out and have a little fun. Looking back on my time in school I certainly had quite a few end of the...
When I was in seventh grade it was a very normal routine to go to the high school for every home football game. I'm sure there was some cheering going on for the Tigers, but it really was more about socializing. The first year of junior high was a very awkward time and I remember trying so hard to fit in and the social aspects of the Friday Night Lights were certainly important. I really don't remember any of the actual football games, but I do remember an event that has stuck in my mind since....
About three minutes ago I was abruptly woken up by a semi driving way too fast in a 25 mile per hour zone. I'm writing this on May 15 which just so happens to be my birthday so I decided I would take a quick post lunch nap. Wednesday mornings are a little hectic and when I finished updating two websites and completing the calendars for the newspapers, I decided to reward myself. While I certainly wasn't happy with the way the nap ended, I was however pleased it happened because it cut it to...
In the last few issues of the Whitehall Ledger, Jefferson County Commissioner has done an exemplary job discussing economic development and ongoing projects in his "State of the County" articles. I'm very thankful to Commissioner Wortman for taking time to give Ledger readers a thorough look at various issues. In the articles he has mentioned several economic development opportunities and also addressed the issue during a meeting in Whitehall in late April. Wortman was on hand for discussion...
Throughout the years I've moved around quite a bit and had a lot of different neighbors. Some of them have become friends, some of them barely said a word, there were plenty that were mean, and have made for some very interesting stories. The one thing they all had in common from the oddities of my college next door neighbor Bodan to the way Larry Hall used to mow his lawn about 15 times a week is the fact they were very much human. This isn't quite the case anymore. Right off of my backyard...
As I type this article, I'm still in the process of moving which as I have said before in my weekly column is one thing, I do not enjoy doing at all. Later this afternoon will be the absolute worst part because it is time to move all the big stuff like couches and beds, but I'm trying my hardest to stay positive and realize that it will soon be done. One of the things I like best about the new house is that the kitchen is about twice the size of the last one and that brings a huge smile to my...
I'm not sure of how old I was, but I remember as a kid spending a great deal of time with my Uncle Howie. It was always a lot of fun until he brought out his records. I've always been a huge fan of music, but as a younger child I was very frightened of his vinyl collection because his KISS records scared the living crap out of me. I'm not sure exactly what it was, but something about those guys dressed up in their make-up made me want to cry and would keep me up late at night hoping they...
With a winter that won't seem to stop, I haven't been this is excited for summer in a really long time. Although I'm moving in a few days, I'm not getting too depressed about everything that goes along with packing up everything and taking it somewhere else and instead am looking forward to sitting in the back yard and enjoying the wonderful weather. I can't wait to fire up the grill and cook outside several days a week. This is probably the first time I've been this excited about the onset of...
The other day I was at the grocery store searching for some chipotle peppers in adobo sauce when I overheard two ladies having a conversation. They had not seen each other in quite some time and were very happy to see each other and exchange pleasantries with a few questions about how things were going. I could tell at a point in time they were very close as they both asked about their spouses, kids, and jobs. At the end of the conversation, they both said they really needed to get ahold of...
The past couple of years I've spent a great deal of time with a beard. Every so often I would let it get a little too long and perhaps look more like a Grizzly Adams than a newspaper guy. It is just really convenient to have a beard. I don't have to worry about shaving in the morning and it means more time in my warm bed. I know there are a lot of morning people out there in the world, but I am not one of them. I literally time my morning routine so I can get in the shower, pet the cats, and...
In late March, Barrick Gold officials announced a final mill run has been scheduled for May at the Golden Sunlight Mine in Whitehall. This was certainly tough news to take for the community. The Golden Sunlight Mine has been such an important part of the local economy. The tax revenue generated by the mine as well as jobs created have been a huge asset to Whitehall and the surrounding area. The mine has also time and time again played a huge role in making the Whitehall area a better place to...
A few weeks ago, I wrote about how karma may have played a part in two wonderful spills I had while walking around town. After another horrifically embarrassing fall inside of a school on my way to a building, I'm beginning to think that it probably has far less to do with karma and more to do with the fact that I am a klutz and it is only getting worse as I get older. My two wonderful escapades on the snow and ice were one thing, but my predicament inside was a whole other level of not being...
I can't remember a time in my life where I was ever so excited for the transition to spring and eventually the high temperatures of summer. This was a brutal winter with a few weeks I thought would never end. Driving was of course a nightmare and even walking at times was a difficult task and I still have bruises from some of my more epic slips of 2019. We did our best to keep up with our driveway and sidewalks but during the week plus of non-stopping snowing we kind of gave up and instead just...
It's time to start thinking about the annual Black Tie Blue Jeans fundraiser scheduled for May 4 at the Whitehall Community Center. The event is the largest annual area fundraiser and is vital to so many non-profit organizations in the Whitehall area. With the event less than two months away, we encourage local businesses and residents to purchase tickets and start to make donations for an event that truly does make a difference in the area. The money raised is first given to local non-profit...
I'm by no means a spiritual guru who spends hours a day cross legged on the floor mediating, but I'm a firm believer in karma. What goes around often does come around. While I certainly have my moments, I try to do the best I can and treat people the way I would like to be treated. It's a simple mantra but it usually works out for the best. Despite my best intentions, I sometimes mess up and usually get a swift kick in the butt from my good friend karma. Last week was a perfect example of this....
I had written a column about bullying for this week but decided at the last moment to not run it. It was perhaps a bit too aggressive and I'm sure it would have ruffled some feathers, so I decided to go with something a little more lighthearted. Some of my favorite times writing are about stories from the past and this is a real gem. This is the story of a cat and a dog. While it certainly has some of those random chaotic moments that seem to happen to me far too often and may show some good in...
When a severe winter storm hit recently, I didn't think it would stick around for nearly a week. I'm over the freezing cold, horrible roads, snow everywhere, crappy drivers and everything else that has to do with winter. For the first time I really understand snow birding and how all the local residents must really be enjoying the warmer temperatures while the rest of us adjust the pillows in our igloos. While I own a 4-wheel drive vehicle, it has a problem with the battery, so we have had to...
When I first started in journalism, I always thought a dream job would be a major movie critic. Several times a week I'd be able to watch movies and then would get the opportunity to write about them. I don't watch nearly as many movies as I used to, I've kind of transitioned to binge watching television shows, but at a time I would spend multiple hours a week watching a wide variety of cinema. I think for a year or two I was going to try and work my way into a position where I could be a movie...
I'm a little bit ashamed of how much time I spend a day on social media. I cannot imagine how productive I would be without it, but it does connect me with friends and family from afar, and is also useful for work, so it does have value. It also drives me crazy when I see the same things over and over and have recently been thinking about the type of posts I see on a day-to-day basis and figured I'd share this information in a column. These are certainly not trying to bash on anyone, in fact I...
In the days after the Super Bowl social media was on fire and it wasn't about the actual game that just so happened to be probably the least exciting championship affair in recent memory. Instead of talk about how the Patriots defense played or how the Rams had trouble getting a first down, it was instead about the Super Bowl Halftime show and Maroon 5 lead singer Adam Levine. While the ladies at my house may have swooned a bit when he removed his shirt, 99 percent of what I read was negative...
