Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Sorted by date Results 1487 - 1511 of 1558
I cannot complain about the location of the Whitehall Leger office. It is centrally located in downtown Whitehall, which is a real plus. I've worked at or visited smaller newspaper offices whose location was in a bad spot that was not good for the business or customers. If I had a complaint, it would be the door to the office is not made of glass, is heavy, and makes things awkward for people who have never come to the office. I will be sitting here daydreaming, and someone will knock on the...
I would like to take time to commend Whitehall Town Officials for hosting the recent public meeting about the uranium levels in the water. I feel this was an important step to let the community know about what the problem is, and the steps being taken to remedy the problem. This is should be an important issue for each and every resident of the Town of Whitehall, and the public forum was an outstanding way to share information about some of the work being done with the DEQ and NCI Engineering. I do however question the timing and advertising...
It only took a few steps into the Belgrade Events Center Monday night to see there was something special in the air. Not only did Whitehall have a large crowd for their challenge game against Three Forks, they were vocal well before tipoff. It was electric. It reminded me so much of the buzz of excitement created last fall by the Whitehall High School football team. As the Trojans made a deep run into the MHSA Class B Playoffs, downtown came to life with painted store windows, decorated vehicles, and you couldn’t go anywhere without someone t...
I've not met many people that don't love bacon. I try not to judge the people that don't consider it a delicacy, but quite possibly in the back of my mind they might be spies or up to some sort of shenanigans. As good as bacon is, cooking it in a frying pan can be a disaster and even painful. A few years ago, a friend of mine told me he would never cook bacon in a pan anymore. He just throws it in the oven. My mind was blown. Why didn't I think of this sooner? I would no longer need to wear...
While the heart of a library will always be the books, they can also provide a place for the community to gather for a variety of events. This is certainly the case at the Whitehall Community Library. I would really like to encourage residents who have not been the library in a while or at all, to come check out some of the interesting things going on. Some of the the many happenings currently scheduled at the library are computer classes, a writer’s group, book clubs, origami, adult water coloring and Tai Chi. There is truly something for e...
People always ask me what the busiest day is for a small weekly newspaper. That's a pretty easy answer, both Monday and Tuesday are equally hectic, and a lot is getting done to ensure the paper will come out on time. Sometimes the best way to make these days a little less stressful is to not only work hard on Thursday and Friday, but to also work a little bit on the weekends. Even if it's an hour covering an event or writing a story, it lessens the workload of a very small staff. There are a...
The great thing about living in a democracy is people really do have a say. Last week was a perfect example of this both locally and on a national level. United States Representative Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) introduced a bill (HR-621) that would have sold 3.3 million acres of federal land, some of which included Montana as well as neighboring states Wyoming and Idaho. It did not take long for the word of the bill to spread, and there was immediate outrage from outdoor lovers from around the Western United States. The outrage was so severe that C...
I was not in the right mind for any shenanigans. I was in a foul mood last Thursday and things were not going my way at work. I decided to get out of the office and run some errands. I wanted to enjoy the fresh air, so I walked to the bank and post office, but decided to drive to Liberty Place to drop off some things I had printed for them. I was driving near the Corner Store going the speed limit when someone nearly drove right into the side of me. Rather than mouth the world sorry or look away...
This weekend millions around the country will gather at various locations to watch Super Bowl 51. The game that decides the champion of the National Football League, has taken on a life of its own. Along with the die-hard fans, the game also draws interest from the casual fan, people who want to see the halftime show, and people who hate sports and are only interested in watching and deciding the best commercials. Much of this viewing is done at numerous parties at houses, bars, restaurants, and various other places. Many people have vocally...
This week I have a story in the paper about a painting event taken place later this month at Legends. I really feel it's amazing to have events like this in a small town. As much as I would like to go, I don't think that would be the best of ideas. Sure I may go get some pictures and do a little story, but I won't be painting any pictures. While I'm sure I was blessed with a few nice qualities -- drawing, painting, or anything to do with music are not my specialties. When I was in grade school,...
I wanted to use this week’s editorial as a reminder the deadline for the 2017 phone book is Tuesday, January 31. If you would like to advertise in this year’s edition, or would like an number added, changed, or removed from the book, please get a hold of us by emailing advertising@whitehallledger.com or by calling 406-287-5301. There isn’t a day that goes by that someone doesn’t come in and grab at least one phonebook. I am amazed how many people use this book on a regular basis. It’s a great way to advertise your business. Your ad will be s...
Every newspaper is a little bit different when it comes to listening to police calls. Some will have the scanner on at all times, some will just turn it on when they hear sirens, and some won't turn it on at all. I've found there has to be some sort of happy medium, but this was gained from experiencing all three. The first newspaper I worked at had the scanner going all the time. It was a town much larger than Whitehall and it never stopped. It was almost impossible to get anything done with...
The 2017 session of the Montana State Legislature started earlier this month in Helena. In the first few days of the session, there were a lot of concerns voiced about the budget and how it will affect communities across the state. While it is never easy dealing with less money, the primary concern of this budget should be schools, towns and communities, safety and infrastructure. The students in each and every school need to be taken care of during this session. This means a top priority is the funding that will allow for quality staff,...
There are some things that happen every once in a while in life that absolutely blow my mind. Last week was a perfect example. I had stopped for coffee at a local convenience store and was making my way out of the building when someone opened the door for me. I politely thanked the man who seemed to be in his late 20's or early 30's. What came next confused me to the point it rendered me silent. He proceeded to tell me "You're not welcome". At first I thought I must had heard him wrong, but I di...
It would be safe to say the past few years have been difficult for the Whitehall High School girl's basketball team. As soon as the team took to the court to open the 2016-17 season, this changed in a heartbeat. The Lady Trojans were able to open the season with three consecutive victories, already matching their win total for the previous two seasons combined. They dropped their next two games, but showed last Thursday that the culture of Whitehall girl's basketball had changed. They shook off...
When I first started out as a reporter I always had the dream of frantically running into the printing facility and screaming, "Stop the press". I had seen this in multiple movies and television shows and it always seemed so dramatic. A few years later I would get the chance after a major error was discovered. Turns out it was not as exciting as I had pictured it. In fact, I think I just made the press crew mad and got called about every name in the book. I think half of it was the fact I came...
Last Sunday marked the first day of 2017. While I most certainly don’t have a crystal ball that will allow me to see what will happen in the New Year, I’m sure there will be plenty of great stories to tell in the Ledger courtesy of the great people of Whitehall and the surrounding areas. Looking back at 2016, I had plenty to be thankful for as the Publisher of the Whitehall Ledger. I’d like to share some of the things I’m most thankful for. It would be impossible to get everyone I’d like to into this editorial, but these are some of the thing...
A few minutes ago I was busy getting the web site ready to publish and my cell phone started going bezerk. I didn't recognize the number, so I just turned the ringer off and went back to the task at hand. This didn't stop the caller. Over and over again someone was trying to reach me from Cambridge, MA. I don't know much about Cambridge, other than it is the home of Harvard University, and I seriously doubt someone was calling to ask my advice on scholarly matters. I figured if it was important,...
This edition of the Whitehall Ledger features a couple of year-end stories that are a great way to take a quick glance back at 2016. It’s a bit of a daunting task going through the first 51 issues of the Ledger, but at the same time is worthwhile to be reminded of some of the amazing people who work and live here. While the area does not have a large population, there are certainly quite a few events throughout the year. Some of the bigger events include Frontier Days, the Christmas Stroll, and the Black Tie/Blue Jeans fundraiser. The common t...
Last week was refreshing. On both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day I was able to sleep in. It's something I'd like to do a lot more of, I just never really get the chance. I had planned sleeping a little bit later on Christmas Eve, but for some reason every time I'm not up by 8 a.m., Melissa starts making some magical noises with pots and pans in the kitchen. I'm not quite sure what she is doing in there, but it sounds like she is grabbing the pan from the bottom of the pile and yanking it out...
Christmas is just a few days away, and in a little over a week in will be 2017. This is a perfect time of the year to say thank you to everyone who reads and advertises in the Whitehall Ledger. We truly appreciate your business and support. I often times here newspapers are a dying breed, but I don’t’ think that is the case for a small town paper like the Ledger. Someone told me the other day they don’t read the Ledger and know a lot of people that don’t. Sure, some people don’t, but I’ve got the circulation numbers that say different,...
Over the past few years, I have written thousands of stories that were published in newspapers all over the western United States. From time to time, I will get online and look at some of my older stories, and in truth I don't really remember much about a lot of them. There are only a few that really stand out, and I can look back and remember the interviews and what I was feeling when I was typing. The other day I was thinking back on a story that really touched me and wanted to give it a...
Dear Editor, We would like to acknowledge what a great asset to the Community that the Whitehall Community Center is. It is owned and operated completely by VFW volunteers. These volunteers not only served their country but are now serving their community by providing and maintaining a very nice Community Center that is open for all to use for personal or business events. They are also a great group to work with and go out of their way to accommodate everyone from 4-H, to blood drives, to wedding receptions, to auctions and even host Bingo...
A light snow was falling Saturday morning as local residents made their way to the 2016 Christmas Stroll. It was the perfect weather for a wonderful event. I was able to spend the day covering many of the events and it was nice to see not only a great turnout, but also all of the smiling faces. This is a special time of year and it was good to see the community come together. The fine arts show returned for the second year, and in a short amount of time has really turned into something special....
As I'm sure is the case with most small businesses, there are times when things get tight financially. This has been the case the past couple of months, and when I woke up Saturday morning I wanted to check my account to see if a couple of checks had cleared. I got a lot more than I bargained for, and not in a good way. In the back of my mind I always hope to open my account and see that a generous person has transferred me some money, but I'm pretty sure that's not ever going to happen. What I...
