Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
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Dear Editor, The Fundraising Garage/Bake Sale was a huge success. Thank you to all for your generous contributions! God used many people to accomplish so much. Kipp and Dawn Huckaba's pavilion was the perfect place, considering the weather. They also added lunch for the workers and their organizational skills. Every person who donated items or purchased them was God's blessing. The Country Store graciously took items that didn't sell-another blessing! The Guatemalan people will certainly be...
Dear Editor and Montanans, This is a hopeful time for so many of our students. The future is bright as graduation nears and families beam with pride, anticipating their child walking across that stage. As a legislator, a former classroom teacher, and the mom of a high school student, though, I must admit I worry. Are we doing enough to make sure all our students have the opportunities they deserve? That is why I'm running to be your next State Superintendent of Schools. We've essentially...
Dear Editor, This letter regards the Town of Whitehall's proposed Babies in the Workplace policy. At the March Council meeting, I gave my thoughts on "Babies in the Workplace." The next day, I was asked if I would read the Town of Whitehall "Infant-At-Work Program" Draft Policy. I said I would and, after receiving it, thought to myself, "How can they already have "program guidelines" this detailed on this subject already typed? It is quite thorough. I understand Council members have been...
Dear Editor, Hello, my name is Todd Devlin, 4th generation farmer/rancher in eastern Montana, a Prairie County Commissioner since 1995, and a past President of the Montana Association of Counties (MACo) from 2016 - 2017. For over 30 years, I have been involved with public land and natural resource issues at the state and national level. Currently, the Chair of the National Association of Counties Public Lands Steering Committee and the executive director of the Montana Natural Resource Coalition...
Part of getting older is watching all your favorite restaurants become crappier versions of themselves until they eventually go out of business. Some people are so poor all they have is money. In less than 26 years, referring to decades as the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, or 90s will become ambiguous. By modern standards, medieval jousting was unfathomably dangerous. Word count is, by definition, the most accurate measurement for book-length, but everyone only cares about the number of pages. We won’t know when AI is successfully used to hide a c...
As of the writing of this guest editorial, there has been a 30 percent decrease in FAFSA submissions by students and their parents across the United States compared to last year. In Montana, the decline is also substantial at 25 percent. What is FAFSA, and why is it important? FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and students must complete it before applying for federal grants, work-study, and loans. Colleges and universities use student FAFSA data to determine their federal aid eligibility. It is administered by the U.S....
Georgia, I have a question, Every year, some family and friends throw a big Easter bash: lots of friends attend, a bounce house, a massive Easter egg hunt, and tons of food - the works. We’ve known these friends for decades; they are part of our core group of best friends. In other words, we’re like family. Our friends correct our kids and vice versa, within reason, of course. Anyway, during the party, my teenage stepdaughter came to me and said that my friend's pre-teen (7th grade) son was "roasting" my toddler daughter (16 months old...
“Love” has always been an interesting word, and it is used within various contexts, so it’s vitally important to understand one’s intention. We can use “love” in flippant ways, such as “I love movie theater popcorn,” which has little bearing on relationships. Or we can use or misuse “love” in the context of relationships that leave emotional scars or bring emotional healing. Love that is genuine and not egocentric is healthy and vibrant, and most of us long for this type of love to be extended our way. To be frank, most of us love those who h...
ARIES Mar 21/Apr 20 Grit and guts will get you what you deserve this week, Aries. You may have an opportunity to make a good deal of money, so give this plan careful consideration. Ask for advice if the need arises. TAURUS Apr 21/May 21 Taurus, your life has changed, and you may want to blame the stars. Things will move out of your comfort zone, and you will have to sharpen your ability to adapt. GEMINI May 22/Jun 21 Gemini, you may be questioning the relationships in your life now, but don’t worry too much. If you hit a rough patch, things wil...
Putting on community events, like last weekend’s Easter Egg and Scavenger Hunt, requires SO many people. There are things you just wouldn’t think of—from ordering the little trinkets inside the eggs to borrowing barricades from the town to getting candy donations to peeling off the old icky tape from the Easter eggs to clean up. Thankfully, many hands make light work. When a scheduling conflict arose with the group planning to stuff the 8,000 Easter eggs, the Whitehall Chamber and Gold Junction Presents put out for the annual hunt, an urgen...
Dear Editor, Although one might note that this letter is somewhat in response to the FWP article in the most recent Whitehall Ledger (3/20/24), it is a long time coming and overdue! The most accepted definition of "license" is "a permit from an authority to own or use something, do a particular thing, or carry on a trade (especially in alcoholic beverages)." However, the legal definition is a bit starker and more honest: "permission granted by a qualified authority permitting a licensee to do so...
There are people who will play the lottery when the jackpot is 1 billion but then turn their nose up when the jackpot is only 100 million. Tons of puns are exclusive to people who speak more than one language. Sometimes, people come back into your life to see if you are still stupid. You’ll never get back those 5 minutes you spent as a kid watching and waiting for a digital clock to change to the next minute. Flying carpets aren’t carpets; they are flying rugs! The only relationships you obsess over involve someone never fully available to you...
In college, waaaay back in the 60s, I wrote a column for the school paper, edited by a classmate. He texted me last week and said he heard I was writing this one, so I sent it to him. We ran into each other yesterday, and he said I’d become philosophical in my old age. Well, that struck me as being pretty serious and got me thinking about how limited my knowledge and experience were then. My view of the world has changed, becoming more introspective and textured, although not as vivid. When y...
ARIES Mar 21/Apr 20 Aries, communication with a spouse or a loved one is vital this week; otherwise, you risk arguments for no reason. Sit down and have some frank conversations about your needs. TAURUS Apr 21/May 21 Taurus, when you face adversity, you should rest assured that you can handle anything thrown at you. Although, you may need a little help from some close friends or family. GEMINI May 22/Jun 21 Gemini, others may not understand who you are and could make inaccurate assumptions. They may need some more information to get a clearer...
How much of true Christianity has been lost over the millennia since Jesus’ ministry? Why did Jesus Christ forewarn His people about mass religious deception leading right up to the end of the age? While many view the Bible as simply a collection of myths and legends, this amazing book reveals why the world is the way it is and explains its future. Your Bible actually reveals a powerful spirit being known as “the great dragon… that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world” (Revelation 12:9). Scripture refers to t...
Georgia, I have a question, My friend posted an older kayak in decent shape but dirty and needing a facelift for free on Facebook Marketplace a few weeks ago. I reached out to him and picked up the kayak from him free of charge. I’ve spent the last three weeks sanding it down, giving it a new outer shell - rehauling the entire thing. Yesterday, I posted it on Facebook Marketplace for sale for $400. My friend texts me and tells me that if I sell the kayak to anyone, that money is his because it was his kayak in the first place. And, if I d...
Have you ever had to deal with true hunger pangs? Honestly, in my lifetime, the answer is a firm “no.” Of course, there have been moments, especially in my teen years, where I used a possible exaggerated expression like “Mom, I’m starving, and if I don’t get some food now, I will die!” Fast forward to today, I’ve tried something similar with my wife, lol! Every few nights of the week, I find myself bored, looking aimlessly into the fridge or the empty cookie jar. Within this audience, I estimate that very few of us deal with starvation or...
Dear Editor: SB 442: A Bill for All Montanans The legislative session in Montana is a full-contact sport. Bills get introduced that stoke controversy and debate. My bill (SB 442) was no different, but we ended up with a bill Montanans could be proud of. Thousands of Montanans convinced 130 of 150 legislators to vote for SB 442. It was popular because Montanans could put aside long-standing disagreements and work with their neighbors to help craft a bill that invests in every one of us. As...
Dear Editor, This is an open call to all prayer warriors of Jesus Christ. Please mark your calendar for the next National Day of Prayer preparatory meeting, which will be held this weekend at the Pavillion in Whitehall by the Firehall on Saturday, March 23, 2024, at 1 PM. Last week, we held a community gathering, and we are organizing people to pray front-line for our nation's leaders. If you have concerns for the future of your children and grandchildren, about the spiritual condition of our...
Dear Editor, Montana families deserve the financial freedom that comes from good health and a hard day's work. It is only fair. Under Gianforte's government, the uninsured rate has increased by 127,000 Montanans of all ages. His approach to Medicaid redetermination has failed. We all will pay for Gianforte's comedy of errors, but wait. There is nothing funny about human suffering-or so most of us believe. As a matter of fact, the Governor is hurting defenseless children, making it harder to...
Young people’s goals have shifted from having a house by 30 to not having a roommate by 40. People are vastly overestimating their capacity to hit a target with a gun. Everyone in The Simpsons universe has hair that’s a different color than their skin, except the Simpson children. Some person in history has the record of feeling the most pain ever. The using of clockwise and counter-clockwise will eveually die out after people gradually stop using rotating clocks and watches. There’s a good chance that someone you don’t know has told a story a...
Georgia, I have a question, Why don’t people say what they mean? Alright...here we go. I was invited to the birthday party of a colleague I don’t know all that well but am friendly with. He invites me and states, “No gifts, please.” So, I went to the party and, per request, I didn’t bring a gift; I then discovered that everyone else had. So, he was a bit upset with me the next day at work because I didn’t bring a gift. I reminded him, and he said, “No gifts,” but he seemed upset about the situation. Should I have taken a gift? Does No Mean No...
Jesus had an uncanny ability to communicate truths for everyday life because He is known as the “author of life” (John 1:3). His perspective matters and there is wisdom in listening and applying His teachings daily. In last week’s column, pointed out in Luke 6 how Jesus offered a different approach to what it means to be “blessed,” one that we are not accustomed to. Typically, we associate “blessing” with the good stuff; those things in life which center around positive physical and emotional experiences. Jesus turns the message a complete 18...
ARIES Mar 21/Apr 20 Aries, this week you need to get back to business, especially if hobbies or other interests have been taking up much of your time lately. Avoid distractions at all costs. TAURUS Apr 21/May 21 You may be excited about new prospects on the horizon, Taurus. With so much change coming, it can be exciting to see what lies ahead. GEMINI May 22/Jun 21 Gemini, you may discover that you are devoting much attention to others late, sometimes cutting into your needs. Be attentive and caring, but also pay attention to your needs. CANCER...
In the early 1980s, I ran the farthest-north underground mine in the United States, halfway between Fairbanks and Prudhoe Bay, in the Brooks Range, eighty miles north of the Arctic Circle. The haul road to the North Slope oil fields was over thirty miles away, so our operation depended on air transportation. Everyone who came to work on the project, including me, was new to Alaska and couldn’t wait to fly over the mighty Yukon, with images of crystal-clear water surging through rocky canyons. W...
