Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana

Opinion


Sorted by date  Results 426 - 450 of 1549

Page Up

  • Connecting Point: Wrong Way, Clyde

    BILL LANES|Aug 16, 2023

    I’ve noticed our culture is adrift, rudderless, and maybe exhausted. Maybe you’ve seen the same dynamic played out in a variety of ways. Wrongs have become rights. First, I’m not writing in any attempt to persuade anyone politically. My goal is to persuade readers to consider the truths of the Bible. Christian maturity and Biblical application are far more important to me than some political viewpoints. It is true that our foundational belief system will intersect into aspects of our daily life, so we must learn to examine in detail those...

  • Horoscopes: Week of 8/16/2023

    Aug 16, 2023

    ARIES Mar 21/Apr 20 Do not fight your emotions over the next few days, Aries. You need to embrace your feelings or you might not grow in your relationships. Show everyone the true you. TAURUS Apr 21/May 21 Taurus, capture all of your great ideas on paper or in digital form to refer to later on. You’re feeling creative right now, and soon you can turn this into projects that have legs. GEMINI May 22/Jun 21 Time isn’t on your side right now, Gemini. You may wonder how you can add hours to the day, but you must make do with the time you have. CAN...

  • Guest Editorial: Open Letter to Montana Legislators...

    WENDY SCHULTZ|Aug 9, 2023

    Dear Editor, This is an open letter to Montana Legislators Fern, Hamilton, Gillette, Galloway, Yakanich, Buckly, Stafman, Dooling, Kortum, Malone, Essman, O'Brien, Fitzpatric, Hertz, Springer, Nikilakokos, Pope, Boldman, Caferro, L. Smith, McKay, Zephyr, Nicol, and Hayman. I am writing to thank you for your bills addressing housing and/or homelessness in the latest legislative session, even though few passed. From emergency shelters for the homeless and seasonal housing for guest workers to...

  • Dear Editor: Fortunate for Ledger

    RUTH LOTT|Aug 9, 2023

    Dear Editor, Last Wednesday night the PBS News Hour covered a story on the decline of weekly newspapers due in part to the switch by advertisers to the internet. The result, in many cases, was a breakdown in connection within the communities which the reporters felt has contributed to the polarization from which our political processes currently suffers. It made me realize how fortunate our area is that the Whitehall Ledger continues to be published. RUTH LOTT Cardwell, Montana...

  • Thought Provokers: 8/9/2023

    Aug 9, 2023

    As a kid, my parents taught me to not believe everything I see on TV. Now, I have to teach them to not believe everything they see on Facebook. If ghosts can walk through walls, why do they bother with doors? Why do we call them “fingers” if we don’t actually “fing” with them? Nothing is on fire, fire is on things. Accidentally liking someone’s post while snooping through their profile is the digital equivalent of stepping on a twig while sneaking through the forest. “Go to bed, you’ll feel better in the morning” is the human version of “Did y...

  • CONNECTING POINT: Society Run By Feelings

    BILL LANES|Aug 9, 2023

    Clearly, we are living in frightening times; modern culture is far different than even one generation ago. The peace of WWII is fading. Relativism is understood as the belief that there’s no absolute truth, only the truths that a particular individual or culture happens to believe. My friends this is a recipe for disaster! Josh McDowell author and co-leader of the Free to Thrive series makes an important distinction; culture today has seen a rapid progression over the past few decades on three levels. Society has long been guided by an ...

  • Horoscopes: Week of 8/9/2023

    Aug 9, 2023

    ARIES Mar 21/Apr 20 Things that have seemingly been holding you back should be reevaluated this week, Aries. You are looking elsewhere for solutions when all you need to do is make a few tweaks. TAURUS Apr 21/May 21 Taurus, spend time reflecting on things this week, as you may have some difficult decisions to make in the near future. A close confidante can serve as a sounding board. GEMINI May 22/Jun 21 Gemini, now is the time to identify your priorities as they pertain to the job. Do you want a career and a company that you stick with? Or,...

  • Guest Editorial: Delivering Income & Property Tax Relief for Montanans

    GREG GIANFORTE, Montana State Governor|Aug 2, 2023

    As I meet with Montanans in every corner of our state, I hear the same concern often –taxes are too high. And they're right. Taxes are too high and need to be reined in. Two years ago, we enacted a fiscally responsible budget, and as a result, the State of Montana today has a historic budget surplus. Ultimately, that means you overpaid your taxes, and we're giving it back to you. When we released our Budget for Montana Families last November, we again held the line on spending, and we focused o...

  • Dear Editor: Spay & Neuter Mobile Vet Services No Longer Available

    AS and C of Jefferson County Volunteers|Aug 2, 2023

    Dear Editor, The Spay & Neuter Mobile vet services are no longer available in Jefferson County. Due to the unavailable mobile vet services for Spay & Neuter Clinics in Jefferson County, the AS&C of Jefferson County is temporarily unable to provide the bi-annual Low-Cost Spay & Neuter Clinics. Until these traveling vet services become available for our clinics, the AS&C of Jefferson County will continue to offer County residents $40 Spay & Neuter discount coupons to redeem at Western Veterinary...

  • Thought Provokers: 8/2/2023

    Aug 2, 2023

    At a movie theatre, which armrest is yours? In the word scent, is the “S” silent, or is it the “C”? There is now a generation of kids who grew up with the internet without ever touching a keyboard or a mouse in their lives. People with autism just have a different operating system in their brains. Why is there a “D” in the word fridge but not in refrigerator? Who knew what time it was when the first clock was made? The bigger someone’s favorite number gets, the weirder it is. 6, 7, 8, and 9 never appear next to each other on a digital clock...

  • Connecting Point: WHERE IS THE SKELETON?

    BILL LANES|Aug 2, 2023

    No one is perfect, well, last time I checked. But, past failures and sins need not define our future, and I am thinking about right now. Is a failure haunting you? Through Jesus Christ we find redemption when we seek his forgiveness. “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved…. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be sav...

  • Horoscopes: Week of 8/2/2023

    Aug 2, 2023

    ARIES Mar 21/Apr 20 Aries, someone in your life says they’re making changes, but when you look closely it seems like much of the same. A little encouragement on your part can help this person along. TAURUS Apr 21/May 21 Tread lightly if you broach a difficult conversation with someone close to you, Taurus. These are tricky waters you are navigating and you want to maintain the relationship. GEMINI May 22/Jun 21 Problems may seem to you to be bigger than they really are, Gemini. Step back, take a few breaths and then look at things from a...

  • Dear Editor: The Sound of Freedom

    CHARLES HADDON SHANK|Jul 26, 2023

    Dear Editor, I wasn't planning to go see The Sound of Freedom; in fact, I was planning not to, but a friend asked me to watch it with her, so I decided to give it a whirl. I wasn't too disappointed; in fact, I was almost pleasantly surprised given the subject matter. The Sound of Freedom was heart wrenchingly honest about the deplorable issue of child sex trafficking; deplorable doesn't really even begin to describe the horrors of it! As uncomfortable as the subject matter is, it is there,...

  • Thought Provokers: 7/26/2023

    Jul 26, 2023

    Handcuffing a deaf person takes away their freedom of speech. The idea of an animated skeleton is a lot less scary when you realize a skeleton only weighs about 7 pounds. The older you get, the more of an inconvenience it becomes to select your date of birth out of a drop-down menu. Willy Wonka killed 4 kids in his factory and gave its ownership to Charlie to deal with the PR nightmare. It really takes one person to ruin thousands of other people’s lives. Beer is the only drink that’s acceptable to be served in a glass that’s overflowing and d...

  • Connecting Point: A Healthy Self-Image

    BILL LANES|Jul 26, 2023

    A balanced Biblical view of who we are is both necessary and healthy. Author and theologian Josh McDowell states, “A healthy self-image is seeing yourself as God sees you, no more and no less.” Certainly, there are viewpoints that get quite unbalanced as history demonstrates. On one side, those who negatively think of themselves as fallen and unworthy negate the power of the Gospel, which redeems us. Then, on the opposite side, those who think too highly of themselves believe that they can do no wrong. They are apt to be like Icarus, the son of...

  • Horoscopes: Week of 7/26/2023

    Jul 26, 2023

    ARIES Mar 21/Apr 20 Don’t rush in and act combative this week, Aries. Take a more delicate approach to convince others to see things your way. As the saying goes, “You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.” TAURUS Apr 21/May 21 Are you feeling like you may want to be a wellness warrior of late, Taurus? Start by taking inventory of the foods in your home and making some healthier changes. GEMINI May 22/Jun 21 Gemini, if you are looking to make a few new friends, ask others to connect you with like-minded individuals. You never know...

  • Dear Editor: Signed by a Ticked Off Resident

    TERRY REED|Jul 19, 2023

    The following letter was read by The Whitehall Ledger at the July Town Council meeting as requested by Terry Reed. To whom it may concern on the Town Council and Whitehall Ledger, I am Terry Reed, a member of the community of Whitehall for most of my life. I have asked that the Whitehall Ledger Editor read this at the Town Council meeting on my behalf. I wish to let it be known that I am extremely displeased with the decision to put a four-way stop sign at the corner of A Street and First...

  • Dear Editor: Abuse of Power by the Mayor?

    SHERRY CARGILL|Jul 19, 2023

    The following letter was also read by The Whitehall Ledger as requested by Sherry Cargill. Town of Whitehall Council Members: I regret that I was unable to attend this meeting in person. I, Sherry Cargill, went to the town hall for some clarification on the four-way stop signs at First and A Street. When I spoke with the mayor I asked if the sign issue had been brought before the council and she said it had not. She said it did not need to go through the council; it was at her discretion. When...

  • Thought Provokers: 7/19/2023

    Jul 19, 2023

    The younger generations bear the brunt of the recklessness of the older generations. The second we die, we become someone’s job. Weeds have the same motivation as every other plant, but we deem them unworthy to live. Lack of sleep causes psychosis and hallucinations. We all are slowly drifting towards insanity; sleep just resets the timer. Babysitting typically employs the least experienced people in one of the highest trust situations. Technically, every square inch of the Earth has underfloor heating. Pooping while at work is the closest t...

  • Connecting Point: A CLEAR PICTURE OF GOD

    BILL LANES|Jul 19, 2023

    Thinking about the character of God, we all see God through our own eyes, and more specifically, through our experiences. Many of these experiences are negative. The great American Poet, Robert Frost, who is the closest thing to Poet Lauriat our country has ever known, described God’s character in tens if not hundreds of poems in many different and subtle ways. Always with reverence and respect; this is not true of not a few in our own culture. Perception is part of the problem, so we must search for the truth. Monica in the Free to Thrive v...

  • Horoscopes: Week of 7/19/2023

    Jul 19, 2023

    ARIES Mar 21/Apr 20 Sometimes you feel a need to be in charge to prove that you are capable, Aries. This week take a back seat and fall in line with the established modus operandi. TAURUS Apr 21/May 21 You may get into the habit of focusing on past mistakes, Taurus. This week, instead of falling into old habits, think about how you can grow and learn from your mistakes. GEMINI May 22/Jun 21 Gemini, it’s time to be sociable and put out feelers for different adventures. Make sure you share on social media channels that you’re available and rea...

  • Thought Provokers: 7/12/2023

    Jul 12, 2023

    Lego is simultaneously the world’s largest, and world’s smallest, tire manufacturer. When the moon is directly overhead, you will weigh slightly less. At a certain age, most of us either stop looking for cool rocks or start up once again. You can tell unions are good for workers because corporations invest so much money in attempting to break them up or discourage people from forming them. The asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs was the highest ratio of killing birds to one stone in Earth’s history. People defend celebrities against paparazzi...

  • Dear Editor: Mosquitoes vs 4-way Stops

    JOE DILLON|Jul 12, 2023

    Dear Editor, It's too bad the town of Whitehall isn't as enthusiastic about controlling mosquitoes as it is about controlling traffic with dubious four-way stops. Joe Dillon Whitehall, Montana...

  • Dear Editor: A Note from the Whitehall Country Store

    The Whitehall Country Store|Jul 12, 2023

    Dear Editor, It's that time of year again - Spring Cleaning! We ladies at the Whitehall Country Store love your gently used, folded, clean clothing. Thank you so much for taking the time to sort through your donations. We accept working, clean appliances. Please take your filthy non-working appliances to the dump. We know the dump charges for certain items, but if you dump them off at the Country Store, then we have to pay to dispose of them, spending our money on your junk, instead of giving...

  • Connecting Point: Untold Strength

    BILL LANES|Jul 12, 2023

    Being accused, “You don’t listen,” hurts. One unexpected result of the Internet and the Cell Phone age is that people are conditioned into impatience. Why is this? It is the incessant bells and whistles going off to condition us to look at our Cell phone. Youth are being misled. As adults we are expected to be temperate, patient, listen, and to be straightforward. However, adults, too, miss the mark. I’m not alone in calling these times, “The age of great distraction.” Friend, I want to ask you to look deeper. Do you listen to God given longi...

Page Down