Week of December 3, 2025
Week of December 3, 2025
True Love is at it again this holiday season – and paying more than ever. According to PNC’s Christmas Price Index (CPI), the final price tag to buy all of the gifts in the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas” comes to $51,476.12 this year, headlined by drastic increases in the price of gold and the famed partridge’s Pear Tree. For more than 40 years, PNC has tracked the price of the birds, entertainers, and other gifts that comprise the classic holiday song as part of its Christmas Price Index, a light-hearted take on the Bureau of...
While gifts are being wrapped and lights are being hung, fraudsters are devising ways to leverage the holidays to scam you out of your money. Because an urgency to buy gifts and find deals make the season a time of high risk, it is more important than ever to exercise caution and to know that scams can come in-person, by phone, by email, by text or even via social media. Last year, Darktrace researchers detected a 692% increase in Black Friday-themed phishing attacks in late November, where fraudsters sent emails to trick people into taking...
Whitehall’s Christmas events are kicking off this weekend with the Annual Alpaca Christmas Affair at Heart & Soul Alpacas on Bench Road. Right around the corner is Whitehall PTSA’s Family Night showing of The Grinch (Dec. 11), Whitehall’s annual Christmas Stroll (Dec. 12-13), as well as the Ledger Christmas Party (Dec. 17), SINGO Fundraiser (Dec. 18), and Polar Express Free Showing (Dec. 23)...but what else is happening around our area? Find out here! The INTERMOUNTAIN FESTIVAL OF TREES takes place in Helena from Wednesday, December 3...
The festive nature of the holiday season is on display in many places throughout December, including private homes. Gatherings with family and friends fill celebrants' social calendars throughout the holiday season and offer opportunities to catch up with loved ones in a fun, warm, and welcoming setting. Gatherings undoubtedly make the holiday season more special, and food plays an important role during this festive time of year. Dessert might not be on the menu year-round, but a tasty...
One of the most common questions I get asked this time of year is "Which book should I buy for my favorite child?" There are so many new books published during the holiday season that buyers need to have some basic information to make a great purchase for a younger reader. One of the first things I ask is, “What is the best book you have read in the last six months?” This tells me what genre they like, the reading level of the reader, who one of their favorite authors is, and whether they are reading a series. Many young readers are...
Whitehall's Annual Christmas Stroll, and all of its accompanying events, is next week - December 12-13. There's something for everyone! THURSDAY, 12/11 • PTSA FAMILY NIGHT: The Whitehall PTSA will hold its annual movie night on Thursday, December 11th, at 6 PM at the Star Theatre. Come enjoy a variety of delicious finger foods, treats, and cookies, make a Christmas card, and watch the 2018 animated film The Grinch! Santa and Mrs. Claus will also be making an appearance and will be accepting...
DECEMBER 1925 • The Farmer-Labour Party is dissolved just two hours after its formation in Japan on December 1. The dissolution was ordered by the Japanese government, which accused the party of harboring a secret communist agenda. • The George Gershwin composition “Concerto in F” is performed for the first time on December 3. The performance in New York’s Carnegie Hall is conducted by Walter Damrosch and features Gershwin on piano. • A counterfeiting scheme is uncovered by the Banco de Portugal on December 4. An alert bank teller...
Four local residents appointed to help shape enhanced 911 country plan. The Jefferson County Commission appointed a nine-member enhanced 911 advisory committee - including four Whitehall residents - on Nov. 22 to provide guidance and recommendations as the county moves forward on a countywide enhanced 911 plan. Terry Ross of the Whitehall Ambulance Unit, county and town dispatcher Gail Giono, concerned citizen Nancy Sacry, and Bob Lombardi of the Jefferson Rural Fire District were all appointed...
Once again, the Whitehall Garden Club (WGC) will be offering fresh-cut Christmas trees for a $20 donation per tree. This year you can pre-order your fresh-cut Jack Pine at the Whitehall Ledger office. Please stop by 23 W Legion, fill out an order form, and leave your cash donation or check, made out to the Whitehall Garden Club, in the provided envelope. Weather permitting, our merry woodcutters will take to the woods between December 1st and December 5th. Trees will be available for pickup on...
This year, the members of the BY's 4-H Club worked together on a special holiday project that celebrates both individuality and unity. Each child designed and decorated their own miniature Christmas wreath, choosing colors, textures, and ornaments that reflect their personality, interests, and creativity. After finishing their personal wreaths, the kids placed them together onto one large wreath base. The result is a beautiful collaborative piece where every small wreath tells its own story-yet...
Gold Junction Presents is holding its first Gingerbread House competition on Saturday, December 13th. Houses may be dropped off at the Whitehall Ledger office (23 W Legion) between 10 AM and 11 AM that morning. All judging will be by People’s Choice and commence once all entries are in place. Votes will be tallied at 4 PM; the winners will be notified by phone and featured in the paper. Entries are not required to be made of gingerbread. One winner per category. Categories are as follows: • Ages 9 and under • Ages 10 through 17 • Over...
Over the past 27 years, the Whitehall Saddle Club (WSC) has hosted an annual Wreath Auction - a mainstay of nearly every Whitehall Christmas Stroll. In total, over $150,000 has been raised for community nonprofits and endeavors. The Wreath Auction also raises awareness for the food pantry by collecting food to stock the shelves; the WSC sells votes for those who don’t want to bring in canned goods. This is your invitation to join the fun and MAKE, VOTE ON, or BUY a wreath for this year’s event. The 2025 Whitehall Saddle Club Wreath...
It’s time to vote for your favorite Whitehall Ledger Photo of the Year! Vote now! Visit the Ledger’s Facebook photo album entitled 2025 Photos of the Week (https://bit.ly/4p8h5Y6) and start voting! Likes will be tallied and a winner will be announced in the first paper of 2025! Head over to our Facebook page and like your favorite photo. The photo with the most likes by December 31, 2025, will be crowned the...
The Whitehall Ledger is bringing back its Letters to Santa program — and we’re asking our wonderful local businesses to help make the season a little brighter for area children. Last year, the Ledger started the Letters to Santa tradition, thinking it would be a small gesture of holiday fun. At first, just four letters arrived, each with simple, heartfelt gift requests. In the true spirit of Christmas, the Ledger decided to fulfill them all. But something magical happened — the spirit caught on! Before long, more and more letters...
Perhaps some of you remember when the Whitehall Garden Club (WGC) set up a Nativity Garden in the side yard of the First Christian Church. The Garden Club knows for certain that many in the community have created fairy scenes for the trail featured at the Enchanted Forest Faire. This holiday season, the WGC, in partnership with Gold Junction Presents, and your spirited community participation will set up a Gnome and Nativity Trail on the Main Street Green. Nativities speak for themselves, but what about those Gnomes?! We hope community...
The holiday season is a joyous time to reconnect with family and friends, but it can also throw your wellness routines out of alignment. Doctors advise prioritizing healthy choices now so you can start 2026 feeling your best. “Amid the hustle and bustle of the holidays, it’s easy to lose sight of our well-being, overindulge in food and drink, and feel stressed. A little awareness and a few healthy habits can go a long way in helping you and loved ones enjoy the season in good health,” says Dr. Bobby Mukkamala, president of the American...
Recently, the Whitehall Ledger published an article by Rep. Llew Jones arguing that Montana's economy has “shifted” from natural resource industries to tourism, service work, and high-end real estate — and that our tax system and future economic vision should shift along with it. In other words, we should accept this new direction and reshape our economic policies and tax structure to serve wealthy newcomers rather than the working industries that built Montana. I couldn’t disagree more. Montana earned the name “The Treasure...
ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20 Your energy is contagious this week, Aries. Expect bursts of creativity and spontaneous fun. Perhaps an unexpected adventure will pop up? Take the lead in social situations. TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21 It might be a week for indulgence in the best ways possible, Taurus. Treat yourself to something delicious or cozy, and don’t feel guilty about it. Patience will pay off in work projects. GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21 Curiosity is your superpower this week, Gemini. Choose a new hobby or explore a class at the community college. You...
Tendencies to overly focus on key words in the Bible without understanding the culture or context are flat-out dangerous. “Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands as you do to the Lord,” from the book we are studying, Ephesians 5:22, is my case in point, and I suspect it is as controversial as ever. In this weekly reminder, I’ll tackle the context for the word “submission,” since it seems central to the problem. Paul, the author, was writing to Romans, Greeks, and Jews who came to follow Christ in Ephesus, where men had...
Georgia, I have a question, My family and I celebrate Thanksgiving every year with my siblings, parents, and their kids, usually around the first week of December because of scheduling. Roughly 20-25 people (including kids). My family consists of my wife, me, and a 6-month-old baby. In the group chat, it was decided that my nephew would cook meat since he bought a grill. He also told us we could bring the sides. He chose to spend $300 on meat. I messaged in the group chat that we would bring mashed potatoes. My sister responded that every...
Streaming didn’t replace buying records, it replaced knowing the artist. Direct-to-fans is how artists reconnect again. 0% of natural numbers have been spoken aloud. The outcome of the card game ‘War’ is determined as soon as the deck is shuffled. AI may eventually replace the job of the person who originally made the decision to use AI. They should make ‘exercise recliners’ with pop-out pedals and resistance bands for gamers to get in a couple quick reps during loading screens, or just for people that wanna workout but be real lazy...
From UK to Russia with love: This little tale involves cryptocurrency, Bulgarian spies, “golden passports,” a pro-Moscow influencer, an oligarch in Moldova, and a former professional soccer player in Scotland. The National Crime Agency in Britain reported last week that two UK-based networks were allegedly laundering billions of dollars of money from street-level drug dealing and other crimes and indirectly helping to fund the Russian war effort in Ukraine. “For the first time, we are tying drug trades in our community all the way...
Tyler Lucas, age 25, passed away on November 27, 2025, leaving behind countless people whose lives were brighter because of him. Tyler was an amazing young man known for his adventurous spirit and his fun-loving, risk-taking personality. He lived life with a full heart and a fearless attitude, always ready to try something new or take on a challenge just for the thrill of it. He loved spending time outdoors, especially fishing with his buddies, where he found peace, laughter, and some of his... Full story
Patricia Adelina Sanchez Sanders died on November 30, 2025. She was born on October 29, 1940, in Mosquero, New Mexico, to Carmel and Theresa Sanchez. She lived in New Mexico, Utah, Butte, and Whitehall, Montana. She married Joseph (Bro) Sanders in Butte. She is preceded in death by her husband, Bro; son, Delbert; daughter, Sherrie; parents, Carmel and Theresa; in-laws, Delbert and Hazel Sanders; brother, Carl Sanchez; sisters, Lucy Abeyta, Anita McFarland, and Roberta Jean Sanchez;... Full story
James Rhodes Deavel, 84, was born on April 18, 1941, in Long Beach, California, and died on November 25, 2025, in Whitehall, Montana. He is survived by his wife, Arlene, and sons, James and William. He served in the Navy as a boiler tender on the USS Vammen DE-644. After his service, he became an electrical engineer. He traveled to multiple states during his career. He loved the outdoors and spent a great deal of time hunting, camping, fishing, and exploring. The memorial service will be held... Full story
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23 03:44:19 Vehicle Accident (Injury): KG Ranch Rd 03:54:59 Carbon Monoxide Alarm: S Division St 05:51:23 Motorist Assist: I-90 07:12:31 Traffic Stop: W Legion St 09:22:06 Agency Assist: Capp Ln 10:42:13 Welfare Check 13:35:25 Transport: S Clark St 15:38:21 Citizen Assist: Kelly Rd 17:06:54 Extra Patrol: Kelly Rd 17:23:29 Agency Assist: Hwy 2 E 17:40:56 Agency Assist 19:01:18 Vehicle Accident (Injury): I-90 20:14:29 Traffic Hazard: Ballard Ln 20:21:08 911: Mormon Ln 22:18:43...
