Week of January 7, 2026
Week of January 7, 2026
Intermountain Health St. James Hospital was pleased to welcome its first baby of the new year! Hazily was born on January 1, 2026, at 3:45 PM to Bella Smith-Collett and Ezekiel Lyons, of Whitehall. As a leader in maternity care, St. James Hospital was recently recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the Best Hospitals for Maternity Care in America in its annual rankings. The ranking is designed to be a guide to help expecting families find the best care in their area. "The...
Applications for a permit to float the Smith River will be available beginning on Thursday, Jan. 1 through Sunday, Feb. 15. The drawing for float permits will tentatively be held on Wednesday, Feb. 18. The permits are issued each year through a lottery drawing and are required to float the 59-mile section of river between Camp Baker and Eden Bridge. Parties of up to 15 people can float with one permit. A person applying for a Smith River permit must be a minimum of 12 years of age at the time...
The pop-up food pantry at the Whitehall Ledger office started as a temporary source of comfort and support, but it will be sticking around for the foreseeable future. Organizers have seen so many families and individuals benefit from the pop-up pantry that it has been deemed a much-needed resource. For the Christmas season, the pop-up pantry supplied 17 Christmas baskets to those who had regularly visited the pantry or had requested one. Hams, cranberries, fresh and canned veggies, and homemade...
Once the Trump administration took over the reins of government last year, attacks on public land came fast and furious. Elon Musk’s cost-cutters stormed into federal agencies to root out purported waste and corruption, but what Writers on the Range opinion writers found afterward was chaotic mismanagement. Writer Stephen Trimble called it a “Valentine’s Day Massacre” after 2,300 employees of the Department of the Interior were summarily fired, leaving the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Geological Survey and several...
January is here, and it’s time to pick up your BOOK BINGO! This year, the Whitehall Community Library is doing an alphabet Bingo game, where words in the title must match a letter of the alphabet to fill a square. Prizes will be awarded to those who fill their cards. Smaller prizes will be awarded for each Bingo. For everyone who has been ill this season, including myself, I have a little cheer-me-up kit a friend suggested. First, don’t be in a hurry to get back at it - viruses are harder to get over and are lasting longer. Second, rest...
The top ten news events in Whitehall for the year 2000 were: 1. Town street paving project 2. Efforts of Whitehall’s Community Transition Advisory Committee 3. Golden Sunlight Mine status 4. Hard Rock impact money released 5. Jefferson Local Development Corporation projects 6. Fire, suppression, and watershed protection 7. Rockin’ the Rockies now Rockin' the Rivers 8. Whitehall’s new Lewis and Clark bicentennial murals 9. Teacher turnover at Whitehall Schools; 10 teachers retire 10....
PHOTOS THAT SHAPED 2025: Hundreds of photos were sent to the Whitehall Ledger in 2025 - landscapes, portraits, events, and more. Each week, a photo was named BEST of the week and then placed on Facebook for your enjoyment. At the end of each year, the most "liked" photos are named the best. This year's first-place honors go to Bud Butt's stoic owl (above) with 96 votes as of 12/31/2025. Second place is MiShai Hillman's pink cloud perfection with 58 votes (top right). It was a tie for third...
The Montana Community Foundation announced that more than $1 million in scholarships is available to Montana students. The foundation manages nearly 60 scholarships, with awards ranging from $500 to $10,000 each academic year. “These funds help make the dream of higher education a reality, opening doors, expanding opportunities, and empowering Montana’s next generation of leaders,” stated Mary Rutherford, President & CEO. “We are grateful to all of the donors who make these scholarships possible for students across the state.” In...
January 1900. The 1800s have slipped into the past and a new century is dawning, but politics and other noteworthy news did not change much when 18 turned over to 19. On the national scene, there was a rift in the Republican party on who would be McKinley's running mate. The Japanese appeared to be preparing for war with Russia. India was facing a major drought and widespread plague. Civil marriages were now allowed in the Philippines which finally gave protestants and non-Christians the right...
• The first radio station in Ireland, 2RN, begins broadcasting on January 1. • General Theodoros Pangalos declares a state of emergency in Greece and assumes dictatorial powers on January 3. General Pangalos had become Prime Minister of Greece in June 1925 after orchestrating a coup d’etat. • Gracie Allen and George Burns are married by a justice of the peace in Cleveland on January 7. The newlyweds ultimately gain renown as the comedy duo Burns and Allen. • Herman, Henry and Hillel Hassenfeld incorporate the Hassenfeld Brothers...
A hot breakfast can be just what the doctor ordered on weekends. Weekday mornings might be too hectic to whip up a hot breakfast, but that's often not the case on Saturday and Sunday. For those with time to cook breakfast over the weekend, this recipe for a Peasant Omelet from Lines+Angles is delicious and simple to prepare. INGREDIENTS: (Makes one serving) 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 small potato, peeled/chopped (small pieces) 1 clove minced garlic, peeled and minced 2 slices cooked ham, cut into...
Sage Wellness Center is hosting Root & Restore: A Winter Wellness Retreat on Saturday, January 31st, from 11 AM to 4 PM. This is an event designed to help people feel deeply nourished and refreshed in body, mind, and spirit. The retreat will include: • Yoga, journaling, and mindfulness practices with Lou Rae Bleck and Melainya Ryan; • 20-minute massages with Alexys Bacon and Kylie Sage; • A guided meditative breathwork session with Bethel Wagner; • A menu of healthy refreshments; ...
Whitehall’s Cope and Hodys Autoworks, owned by Cody and Hope Doyle, has been officially recognized as a TOP 10 of 2025 Western Montana Award Winner in the Auto Body Shop category. This honor is based on verified Google reviews, analyzed and certified by BusinessRate. This recognition is part of the BusinessRate Top 10 of 2025 Awards, which identify local leaders in customer satisfaction, brand reputation, and service excellence using publicly available Google review data. This comprehensive rating shows how Cope & Hodys ranks against local...
In today’s world, much of our personal and financial information exists online—emails, social media accounts, digital photos, and even banking records. While these tools make life easier, they can create challenges when someone becomes incapacitated or passes away. Without proper planning, families and fiduciaries may struggle to access important accounts, which can delay bill payments, legal processes, and even prevent loved ones from retrieving treasured memories. The MontGuide from Montana State University Extension, “Uniform...
GEORGIA, I have a question, I live with my girlfriend - we’re both in our early 20s. She recently got super into productivity stuff, like watching TikToks about optimizing your life, cutting wasted time, etc. Last weekend, she said she was starting to meal prep for the week to “save time.” I said, "Cool, thanks, sounds good." Monday morning I open the fridge and there’s literally one giant container. Just one. With a sticky note on it that says “MEALS.” I open it, and I genuinely didn’t know what I was looking at. It was...
Winters in Montana can be brutal, and while the weather in the Whitehall Valley has been unseasonably warm lately, I know that when the temperature drops into the single digits or below, I will not go outside without being properly dressed. The chilly wind cuts like a knife to the marrow. For the Christian, being prepared is not an option but a necessity. Spiritual disciplines help us win the day, as found in Ephesians 6 and The Armor of God. The first piece mentioned is the “belt of truth.” For the soldier, this item was a core element...
Times are tough for a lot of Montana families right now. Interest rates are high, housing is expensive, and grocery bills aren’t getting any smaller. And when life feels tight, it’s easy to buy what the pessimists are selling—especially on social media—and before long that “old man” talk seeps in: “Kids these days.” “Nothing works anymore.” “We’re headed downhill.” We start pining for a past that never really was. But my gray hairs—plus a few wins and hard lessons—have taught me this: we’re limited less by...
Our safest time of day is a nightmare landscape for nocturnal animals. If upside-down cake were served upside down, it’d be the right way up but not look like it. Most of life is not shaped by big decisions, but by the small habits we repeat without noticing. Over time, those quiet routines become our personality, our future, and our limits. What feels insignificant today is often what defines us tomorrow. X-rays expressed as a radio station would be 10 billion FM. An unmarked Costco receipt would be really hard to find outside of a...
ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20 Aries, look for ways to boost your income this week. Be open to dealing with people who might otherwise not come to your attention. Some extra earnings will be useful. TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21 Taurus, you may be happy to socialize this week, especially with new people who are friendly and congenial. Enjoy some time out on the town and the chance to meet new people. GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21 Right now, you are anxious to work and be productive, Gemini. However, obstacles seem to get in your way left and right. You might need...
A bit different this week: I’ve listened about the data centers needed for AI; the power required to operate, along with the amount of water, makes it a bit frightening. Then I received an email from a trusted friend, complete with links. In August of 2025, The Missoulian ran a story about Northwestern Energy’s plans for an AI data center, which would be the largest in the state and require 1,000 megawatts of energy (enough to power 800,000 homes). The Missoulian reported the 2024 census stated there are 539,670 housing units. Water...
What Bad Behavior on the Road Annoys You Most? People not checking their blinker fluid regularly! -CP People not coming to a complete stop at stop signs - MH Tailgating, especially at night on roads with lots of deer and/or in inclement weather. Your rush to get somewhere is not more important than my safety (or yours, for that matter). Pass, or be patient until you can pass or I can safely pull over for you to pass. - SK People who drive slow until you’re ready to pass then act like they’re in the Daytona 450 and gonna take home all the...
Dear Editor, Another few questions that deserve answers. When do CAPTURE and KIDNAP become synonyms? When do INTIMIDATION and THREATS become non-criminal offenses? When does adding $3 trillion dollars to the National debt become fiscal conservatism? And finally, why are we having such wonderful January weather? Is it because of climate change? I am sure that other people have more important questions to ask, but these are simply four of the many that have occurred to me. Thank you in advance...
Samuel Evans Burt peacefully passed on Nov 10, 2025, while at home in Trout Creek, MT, after a 70-year adventure on God's green Earth. His journey began one Christmas Eve back in 1954, when he was born to James and Mary Delores "Dolly" Burt of Whitehall, MT. After joining older brothers Jimmy Joe and Tom, their family continued to grow with the addition of younger siblings Bob, Debbie, and Kathy. Sam's childhood closely mirrored those of a typical small-town American boy of ages gone by...think... Full story
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 28 0:01:42 Agency Assist: I-90 07:23:38 Traffic Stop: N Whitehall St 08:34:07 Traffic Stop: N Whitehall St 11:02:02 Burglar Alarm: Transmission Way 11:54:47 Traffic Stop 12:04:45 Citizen Assist: Morgan Dr 12:51:19 Threats: Bowman Ln 13:41:33 Medical: N A St 14:52:50 Hit & Run: I-90 21:47:12 Runaway: Rocky Mountain Dr 22:11:34 Fireworks: Skyline Dr MONDAY, DECEMBER 29 06:53:40 911: Hwy 2 E 08:21:32 Wildland Fire: I-90 09:44:47 Welfare Check: Tatanka Trl 14:38:55 Stranded...
The National Conference of State Legislatures’ (NCSL’s) Higher Education Task Force met for a Summit in Washington, D.C. on December 15 and 16 to examine the state and federal relationship between our individual states’ higher education and area labor markets. Task force members were encouraged to invite representatives from their local higher education communities to participate in roundtable discussions. Topics included aiding institutions and elected policymakers to promote the...
The Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) today announced the first meeting of the newly formed Montana Early Childhood Account (MECA) Board. Established by the 2025 Legislature through House Bill 924, MECA is a landmark initiative designed to strengthen early care and education systems across the state. The MECA Board will hold its kickoff meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 7, from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. The meeting is available remotely via Zoom. MECA provides the essential funding needed to improve child care quality, access,...
Whitehall High School winter sports were busy heading into the holiday break and returning to action in early January. From boys (3-2) and girls (0-4) basketball contests before and after Christmas to a full slate of wrestling at the Whitehall Duals, Trojan athletes remained active across multiple programs. Boys Basketball: Whitehall boys basketball entered the holiday break with a 2–2 record. In their final game before the break, the Trojans fell 53–30 to Townsend on Dec. 16, then traveled...
