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  • Dear Editor: I Can't Wait to Talk About It

    JIM BUTERBAUGH|Feb 19, 2025

    Dear Editor, I can't wait to talk about it! Oh my....what a load of hubbub. I listened to people I know and heard about the "woke" play I Don't Want To Talk About It. One thing I have learned in dealing with politics is to do research. I encouraged others to check it out: read the script, talk to Liz [Pullman], ask the school board. I read the article published by Montana Talks. It was distorted at best. I read about all the awards and praise from Missoula (honestly, I don't put much weight behi... Full story

  • Dear Editor: TALK

    KAMI NOYES|Feb 19, 2025

    Dear Editor, We went and saw the play I Don't Want to Talk About It this past Saturday. First off, kids and coach, well done!!! The Whitehall I know is who showed up and supported. The message was clear: TALK. As families, preachers, friends, and community members we need to listen. The worst part of this whole thing is that the Whitehall public school administration and school board proved they aren't willing to listen. Thankfully Whitehall is much more than the public school system. As the... Full story

  • Thought Provokers: 2/19/2025

    Feb 19, 2025

    All people born post-internet will likely die having forgotten more total information than all their ancestors combined ever learned. What percentage of people have sat in the back seat of their own car? If commercialized space travel becomes a reality, we will buy water from Europa as a luxury product, the same way we buy iceberg water now. A perfectly straight road would go into space. When we were younger, most of us didn’t understand why it was common for people to bring their phones into the bathroom. Most people don’t wear sweatpants when...

  • Op-Ed: A Little Perspective From a Whitehall School Board Member

    JAMES REIFF, Whitehall School Board Chair|Feb 19, 2025

    I have been on the Whitehall School board for around a decade. I have seen a lot of controversy from a lot of different angles in my time on the board. In every situation there are multiple sides and perspectives, and someone is always disappointed, angry, or sad by the way it plays out. I think it is important to try to understand the point of views of all parties, and empathize when you can’t agree. Over the past couple months that Whitehall High School Drama Club has prepared and performed a play called, “I don’t want to talk about it” T... Full story

  • Just Ask Georgia: 2/19/2025

    GEORGIA|Feb 19, 2025

    GEORGIA, I have a question, I (25F) am the youngest of four; the rest of my siblings are all married, two of them have kids. I have one child with my ex and two with my fiance. My fiance (29m) is the oldest of three; his two sisters are not married and do not have kids. We have our wedding planned for July. Ever since we told his family, they have been planning nonstop. They literally have vision boards made up at their house, without my opinions or anything. My mother-in-law bought her dress already in a VERY light gold color. Whenever I see...

  • CONNECTING POINT: Bickering Brothers

    BILL LANES|Feb 19, 2025

    One of the well-known phrases of Jesus, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Luke 12:34), is both powerful and thought-provoking. However, the context is even more revealing if we take the time to understand Christ’s statement. This teaching was sparked by a question from a nearby listener, “Someone in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.’ Jesus replied, ‘Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?’ Then he said to them, ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all...

  • Horoscopes: Week of 2/19/2025

    Feb 19, 2025

    ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20 Aries, impulsiveness may cause friction with loved ones this week, so avoid rushing into decisions. Keep an open mind when others come to you with their thoughts. TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21 Taurus, expect some clarity regarding a recent financial decision this week. You’ll get the answers you need about budgeting and other investments you’ve been mulling over. GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21 This week you may be tempted to overcommit to social endeavors, Gemini. Keep your boundaries in check, especially if you are having dif...

  • CONNECTING POINT: The Fruit of Hypocrisy

    BILL LANES|Feb 12, 2025

    Mr. or Mrs. Anonymous said, “A hypocrite is one who sets good examples only when he has an audience.” This statement mirrored many of Jesus’ warnings centuries ago. He didn’t mince words; He was a truth teller confronting the lies of legalism, which subtly crept into the lives of religious leaders of His day. He taught His disciples to be on guard for hypocrisy. “Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: ‘Be on your guard against the...

  • Dear Editor: Putting People Into Boxes

    CHARLES HADDON SHANK|Feb 12, 2025

    Dear Editor, I want to talk about the proverbial elephant in the room. The most recent debacle in our quaint little burg of Whitehall proves how much this "elephant" needs to be confronted and maybe even run out of town. Don't worry; I won't point fingers or name names, as I'm sure I don't need to. The problem, as I see it, is that every individual, not just in this town but in the world at large, has their own particular (peculiar?) version of "the Box." Depending on the individual's sensibilit...

  • Dear Editor: Against Senate Bill 42

    DAVE TORGERSON|Feb 12, 2025

    Dear Editor, I am writing to express my strong opposition to Senate Bill 42, which proposes introducing partisan elections for Montana's judicial offices. I urge you to vote NO on this bill. When any Montanan has their day in court, they have the constitutional right to impartial treatment regardless of political beliefs. Adding partisan politics to our courts is an attack on that right. Montana's current system of nonpartisan judicial elections has served the state well by ensuring that judges...

  • Dear Editor: Why Aren't We Celebrating?

    DORIE WESTHOVEN|Feb 12, 2025

    Dear Editor, Criticism, by its very nature, reflects the individual who is criticizing. An individual's response to criticism is also self-reflective. In my humble opinion, Superintendent Nieskens and Principal Jason Slater are modeling an extremely inappropriate response to the criticism they have received over their censure of the play "I Don't Want To Talk About It". They are modeling it to the very students they have been given the privilege to educate and as paid representatives of our... Full story

  • Dear Editor: The Six Principles of Stupidity and More

    RUTH LOTT|Feb 12, 2025

    Dear Editor, What a busy time for President Musk and Mrs. Trump! But following Steve Bannon's recipe for creating chaos, while pretending to be acting in the best interests of the American people, doesn't seem to working as successfully as Bannon's advice to "claim victory anyway" when it was apparent Trump had lost the 2020 election. Mrs. Trump's complete lack of understanding of how tariff's really work has been a global embarrassment and her/his (?) illegal tactics in the USA are being...

  • Thought Provokers: Week of 2/12/2025

    Feb 12, 2025

    “Do what you love, and the money will follow” is Boomer's advice from the 1970s when a $16 loan from Grandma could turn your ice cream stand into a multi-million dollar business. Today, it’s just horrible advice. If cats could play air hockey, they would be unbeatable. Hotels could save millions in electricity costs if they stopped placing mini-fridges in enclosed cabinets that block air circulation around their cooling coils. At some point in the mid-2000s, someone decided that saying double-you, double-you, double-you in front of every web a...

  • Just Ask Georgia: 2/12/2025

    GEORGIA|Feb 12, 2025

    GEORGIA, I have a question, I work in a small office with just a few people. I get along with everyone and even feel like I’ve made lifelong friends there. However, my boss is terribly forgetful. So, it usually takes a while to get out of something at the office. We recently ran out of toilet paper. After a few times of asking my boss to get more, I broke down and brought my own, which I bring in and out of the bathroom when I need it. The other day, my coworker approached me and asked if they could use my toilet paper. I’m already annoyed by...

  • Horoscopes: Week of 2/12/2025

    Feb 12, 2025

    ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20 A good first impression is critical right now, Aries. Wear your best clothes and check out your appearance before meeting anyone this week. TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21 Taurus, you are bound to have a lot of fun this week, and you will spread cheerfulness to others. You might host a party or plan a night out with friends. GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21 No usual strategies to confront family issues are working right now, Gemini. You may need to take a step away and give others distance for the time being until things cool off. CANCER -...

  • Dear Editor: A Revenue Stream Fit for a King

    BOB WAGNER|Feb 5, 2025

    Dear Editor, A Revenue Stream Fit for a King: So, here's how it works: "You want to do business in my town? It'll cost you 25% of what you make, otherwise, I'll break your legs. We here at the 'mob' call that an income tax. If this isn't enough, you will be compelled to use our fiat currency to measure your true productivity, and we'll control the value of that. Never mind what you think it's worth; we'll tell you what it's worth." Believe it or not, this is the business model of how your...

  • Dear Editor: I Don't Want to Talk About It... But I Will

    SHIRLEY BAUSTIAN|Feb 5, 2025

    Dear Editor, I don't want to talk about it, but I will. What an injustice the school officials are doing by not letting the young adults put this play on in the school. With Montana having a very high suicide rate, these are the very ones who should be able to see it at school. They live with the stress of life, and most of us as parents have no idea what they go through and how much pain they are in. I am a parent of a child who committed suicide in 1998. Every day I think about it. If one... Full story

  • Thought Provokers: 2/5/2025

    Feb 5, 2025

    Anniversaries commemorate when two people were joined. Birthdays commemorate when two people were separated. Most of the Earth’s sky is below you. Spaghetti can hold much less sauce than other varieties of pasta, so it should be served relatively dry, but non-Italian restaurants almost always fail at this. You can hire a clown to perform just for you. Surely, someone has died in surgery because the surgeon had to sneeze. Video games seem like a great way to kill time in a “Groundhog Day” scenario until you realize your progress would reset...

  • Just Ask Georgia: 2/5/2025

    GEORGIA|Feb 5, 2025

    GEORGIA, I have a question, What if you attended a New Year’s Eve party with seven other families (about 30 people) running around, mostly male? The night goes excellent, and you leave at 12:15 AM after celebrating the beginning of a new year. At 1:05 AM, you get a text that there’s a hole in the wall; a photo accompanies the text and a request to ask your family about it. No one knows anything. This goes on and on into the next day. Finally, the host asks everyone in attendance to donate $25 to fix the hole since we don’t know who did it, t...

  • CONNECTING POINT: Object Lessons

    BILL LANES|Feb 5, 2025

    Jesus was a master teacher who utilized numerous object lessons to help listeners better understand the difference between truth and a lie. In the Bible, light is often equated to truth, while dark is associated with a lie. Jesus also stated that He is “the light of the world” (John 8), signifying He came to reveal the truth and dispel darkness. In Luke, we read these words of Jesus, “No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand so that those who come in may see the l...

  • Horoscopes: Week of 2/5/2025

    Feb 5, 2025

    ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20 You’re in the mood to get things done this week, Aries. Your ambition is fueled; it is the perfect time to take charge and tackle overdue projects. Be careful not to rush things. TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21 Taurus, your focus shifts to personal growth and intellectual exploration this week. You might find yourself investigating travel plans or diving into new hobbies. GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21 Money and other resources take center stage this week, Gemini. Whether you are reevaluating your investments or getting your finances in o...

  • Op-Ed: Montana's Property Taxes Are Out of Control

    Representatives BERTOGLIO and DARLING and WALSH|Jan 29, 2025

    Montana’s property taxes are out of control. That’s why our top priority this session is passing permanent property tax relief for Montanans. And we’re not alone: Governor Gianforte signaled that property tax reform is at the top of his to-do list this session in his recent State of the State address. While we all agree on the need for property tax reform, debate this session will be over how to offer Montanans real, permanent relief on their property tax bills. Here are some solutions-oriented policy proposals that would provide immediate, per...

  • Op-Ed: New Bill Will Lower Property Taxes, Stop Local Budget Inflation

    SENATOR DANIEL ZOLNIKOV|Jan 29, 2025

    Property taxes in Montana are an incredibly complex issue, but that isn’t stopping Senate Republicans from working hard to reform them this legislative session. On January 22, the Senate Tax Committee heard SB 117, a bill I’m sponsoring that reforms how local governments in Montana calculate their budgets. The legislation provides a long-term solution to level out budget growth and ease the property tax burden on Montana residents and businesses. The formula that local governments use to determine their budgets is based on taxable pro...

  • Thought Provokers: 1/29/2025

    Jan 29, 2025

    Proper communication skills are a very fuzzy area between ghosting and harassment. Your bite force is stronger when you’re upside down. You can increase the popularity of your first name by breaking up with a singer. DiGiorno is also delivery now thanks to Uber. Life as a baby must be terrifying. Weird giants feed you, clean you, pick you up, and put you down as they please. They hold you in pens. They strap you in and take you to places for no clear reason. They could easily hurt you but usually don’t, yet you don’t know what’s even happeni...

  • CONNECTING POINT: Pesky Prayers

    BILL LANES|Jan 29, 2025

    The subject of prayer has been discussed and debated for decades. Rather than wading too deep into that minefield, I’m more interested in focusing on Jesus’s teaching on prayer. His authority and perspective matter most. When reading and interpreting Scripture, staying within the context is imperative; twisting Christ’s words happens far too often. Let me give you a prime example, "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who s...

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