Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Sorted by date Results 1401 - 1425 of 1558
Year in and out, area students entertain local residents in December with some great musical performances. For those that are able to look at the paper on Wednesday, December 13, Whitehall K-8 students will be performing what should be a wonderful show at 7 p.m. in the Varsity Gym. There is a western theme for the Christmas show, and the kids have been working hard this school year to make it a wonderful evening for family, friends, and community members. Next week, it will be time for the high school students to shine, this year with the...
I strongly believe there are two types of pet owners in the world – the ones who make up a voice for their pets and those who don’t. For as long as I can remember, each of my pets have had a unique voice of their own and while this may frighten some people, it’s scary to me when people’s pets do not speak out loud about their joys, concerns, or need for some food. It has become so commonplace in our house that often times it is second nature for it to spill out into the public and often times into the office. Our cat Peaches is six years o...
This Saturday, the local community will come together for the annual Whitehall Christmas Stroll. This event is an incredible way for local residents of all ages to spend a day with a variety of activities and shopping opportunities. Volunteers have spent countless hours planning this event, and it is a fun day that truly does bring the community together. Chamber volunteers have really tried to make this the best event possible and the addition of new events in 2017 will be nothing but a boon to this yearly event. For those that my have not...
I have the utmost respect for anyone who works in the fast food industry or waits tables to make a living. I spent a great deal of my younger and skinnier years either flipping a burger or balancing a tray packed with drinks. For the most part, dealing with customers was never a big deal, but occasionally people can get a little salty when they are hungry. Of course there is the small percentage of human beings that are jerks most of the time. Whenever I eat out somewhere, I leave a gracious tip, because I know how much wait staff gets paid an...
An editorial cartoon in today's Whitehall Ledger shows some of the frustrations of shopping for the holidays in a larger community. The streets are crowded, the stores are packed, and everyone seems to be in too big of a hurry. Luckily, this isn’t the case when looking for a holiday gift in Whitehall and the surrounding area. There are plenty of local options that would make the perfect gift. A stop by Whitehall Drug, Saturday Mornings, Cottage Floral, Bloom Health, one of the two quilt shops, Ace, Tona’s Treasures, Corner Store, Moose Cro...
The Thanksgiving evening and middle of the night Black Friday sales at big retailers really should just go away. When I woke up Friday morning, I wanted to get a couple hours of work done so I could enjoy some time off, and before I started writing stories I was perplexed by reading a story about the chaos that ensued at a mall in Alabama. The mall was closed after a fight and this was one of many incidents across the country. These things can get really ugly and downright scary. Watching the...
It’s time for the town and Francine Giono-Janik to come together to do what needs to be done to allow her to return from her suspension from the Whitehall Town Council. Janik was elected to serve the residents of Whitehall and she should be allowed to do that. It is true that Janik did walk out of a meeting, but that doesn’t warrant this long of a suspension. If she has been reluctant to meet with the town to discuss her return, than it is time that takes place if it hasn’t happened prior to this editorial. This means both sides need to come...
Growing up I really despised when someone would say "broken home". Sure my parents divorced when I was five, but I felt that term was just dirty and really not necessary. I probably took it more personal than I should have, but my parents surely were not the first people to ever get a divorce and we all walked away from what happened in one piece, far from broken. With Thanksgiving just a day away, it makes me think back to a highlight of having my parent's gets divorced and my mom getting...
I should probably preface this column by saying these have words have been brewing for awhile, perhaps creating a “storm inside”. The first winter snowstorm of 2017 was a doozy and blanketed Whitehall with over a foot of snow in a little over 24 hours. The winter weather led to some horrific road conditions not only locally, but through the entire Treasure State. In last week’s Whitehall Ledger, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Report was full of accidents that were a result of the horrible mess of snow and ice. Having grown up in Wyoming...
This Friday evening the Whitehall LDS Church is hosting their annual Harvest Dinner with proceeds going to the Whitehall Area Food Pantry. Local resident can also bring non-perishable food items that will also be given to the pantry. With a cost of $6 per person or $25 for a family, this is a very important night for the food pantry. In the past few weeks, I have had several editorials that have talked about the importance of donations during the holiday season, and I feel it is once again highly important to stress the importance of events lik...
Every child deserves something nice for Christmas, and a combined effort of the Star Theater and the Whitehall High School will help to ensure this happens locally. The theater is offering free admission to “Walking Out” from November 17 to 19 to anyone who brings in a sealed toy as part of a Toys For Tots Charity Drive. The high school drama performance of “Over of the River and Through the Woods” will take place November 20 and 21, and all proceeds from the $5 admission price will be donated to Toys for Tots. A simple gesture of brining...
I'll be the first to admit that I really don't care much for Halloween. I rarely dress up, and the only reason I have the past couple of years is to take Shayla trick or treating. A person dressing up elaborately does not bother me; it is just not my cup of tea. Everyone at the house thinks I'm the Halloween "Grinch", but I'm not going to pretend to like something that I don't. While I'm sure that people had a lot of fun this year and really enjoyed seeing the various costumes for those both you...
With Thanksgiving and Christmas just around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about those who are less fortunate during the holiday season in the Whitehall area. A profound help to those in need would be donating money through a Town Pump statewide food drive, or via a direct donation of food or money to the Whitehall Food Pantry. Town Pump is hoping to raise $3 million throughout the state and will match up to $3,500 on behalf of the Whitehall Food Pantry. This is a tremendous campaign that really does make a difference not only d...
Despite the fact the volume is turned down as low as it can go, when the phone rings at the office it sounds like the town siren is going off about five feet from me. I should really invest in a new phone because it honestly does startle me and I cringe whenever anyone calls. I know getting phone calls is part of the job, but there have been plenty of times I wanted to throw it against the wall because of how violently loud it is. It is even worse when Melissa or myself picks up the phone and someone who can barely speak English says, “Can I pl...
In my three seasons covering the Whitehall/Harrison High School football team there have been plenty of wins by the Trojans, perhaps none bigger than a heart stopping 19-14 win Friday night over Manhattan. In a game with the conference title on the line, Whitehall stood its ground against a tremendous opponent and made big plays when they needed them to finish the regular season 9-0. While the team has a lot more work to do to achieve their goals, it's important to look back on just how special...
As is the case with many small community newspapers, my job involves a lot of time at the local schools for activities and sports. While I have been out of school quite some time, every time I visit I always admire just how hard students, staff, administrators and coaches’ work for the students. They are not paid near enough for what they do, but day in and day out they make a real difference. I from time to time will be at the school and something will remind me of a teacher in my life that made me a better person. To put it bluntly, I was a...
It doesn’t matter if you drive, walk, arrive via horseback or hang glider – just make sure to be at Trojans Field Friday night for one of the biggest regular season games in Whitehall/Harrison High School football history. The Trojans will not only be looking to cap off an amazing regular season undefeated, they will also be looking to secure home field advantage at least through the semifinals of Class B Playoffs. The Whitehall/Harrison team will face no easy task when they take on the 6-1 Manhattan Tigers, a team they have not beaten sin... Full story
Everyone who has ever been on a road trip is surely to have stopped at one of numerous and often times convenient state operated rest areas. They are a great way to stretch your legs, use the bathroom, sleep for a few hours, or let the family pet take care of some business. I travel every once in awhile for a Trojans football game, but also make a few personal trips here and there and always find myself at a rest area. I’d like to say that all of them are similar, but that is not really the case. A recent quick trip through Utah showed me j... Full story
Early in 2018, the Ledger will be publishing the annual Whitehall Area Phone Book. The staff at the paper has currently started work on the edition and is using this editorial to remind residents and businesses about the publication. While a phone book has become a thing of the past for many in larger communities, it remains a viable and well used in the Whitehall area. There are several people who come into the Ledger office each week looking for a book, and the 2017 edition was so popular that we have run out of them. The 2018 book will be...
A few weeks ago, I was able to reconnect with one of my best friends from high school. It had been years since I had talked to him and it was a great feeling to chat with him and relive some crazy stories from the past, some I had forgotten, and probably for a good reason. One of the stories he reminded me of was when we were taking a CPR class and the teacher had left the room. I thought it was a good idea to jump off my desk like a pro wrestler onto the mannequin. I landed with enough force... Full story
While no one should ever say “I know it’s real because I saw it on the internet,” everyone should be able to say, “I know it’s real. I read it in the newspaper.” Real newspapers reporting real news have never been more important or more valuable to readers and communities. This week, newspapers across the nation recognize National Newspaper Week and the theme — Real Newspapers…Real News — points to the importance of accurate reporting, watchdog journalism, strong editorials, comprehensive public notices and a free, open public forum that... Full story
It was business as usual last Wednesday at the Whitehall Ledger office. While Melissa is making the weekly jaunt to Anaconda to pickup the paper, I stay put and get the website updated, as well as a variety of other tasks to get ready for the next edition. Sure there is probably a lot of surfing true crime web sites, but I do use the day as an opportunity to get ahead for the next week. When Melissa had returned around noon I had started to get hungry so I made the short trip to KFC for lunch. When I was walking back into the office I felt some... Full story
Whitehall High School is only one week away from one of the most exciting times of the school year. The annual Homecoming Week festivities will take place from October 2 to 6. It will be a fun week for both students and local residents with a parade, a wide variety of school activities, a volleyball match, and a rivalry football game against Jefferson. The week is also a chance for local businesses to show their Trojan Pride with a decorating contest being organized by the Whitehall High School... Full story
One great thing about my job is that I can do it from just about anywhere if need be. While I often times will bring my computer home on the weekend, I've worked at home a few times during the week as well as a couple times while I was visiting family in Wyoming. Last week, my poor IPhone finally stopped taking a charge and I had to order a new one. I had to sign for it, so I planned it out to stay home on Thursday so I could be there when UPS came to the door. It was one of those things where t... Full story
After two away games to start the 2017 season, the Whitehall/Harrison High School football team was able to open their home season earlier this month against Red Lodge. While the game had the importance of the home fans getting their first chance to see the Trojans play in Whitehall, it also was of extreme significance because it was the first game at Trojans Field with the new bleachers. The previous bleachers had been at the field for around 60 years, so this was an amazing day for the... Full story
