Week of March 11, 2026
Week of March 11, 2026
Tona Doney, owner of Tona's Mint Bar, celebrated her last evening as owner on Saturday, March 7th, exactly 17 years and one day after Whitehall's massive fire burned down the original Mint location on March 6,... Full story
Whitehall Theatrics is excited to invite adult performers 18+ of all experience levels to audition for this fast-paced, comedic production filled with eccentric characters, sharp dialogue, and plenty of surprises. Open auditions will be held on Saturday, March 21st at 10 AM and again on Sunday, March 22nd at 7 PM, at the Star Theatre. Auditions will consist of reading selected lines from the script so that actors can explore the personalities, timing, and energy of each role. Please visit...
Join the Cardwell School on Friday, March 20th, at 5 PM for an evening of food, fairytales, and pixie dust as the school performs The Quest For Pixie Dust. This play is brought to Cardwell by Whitehall non-profit Gold Junction Presents and will be taught to students the week prior to the performance through workshops, activities, and lots of fun! This event offers a free-will donation spaghetti dinner, beginning at the Cardwell school at 5 PM, with the play...
The Jefferson Valley Sportsmen's Association annual fund-raising banquet will be held this Saturday, March 14, from 5 PM to 9 PM at the Whitehall Community Center at 11 North Division Street in Whitehall. Banquet tickets are $30 per plate. Doors will open at 5 PM, and dinner will be served at 7 PM. The annual banquet features live and silent auctions, raffles and door prizes, a no-host bar, and a catered meal from Red Apron Catering. Here are a few examples of what the Jefferson Valley...
March and April signal the beginning of spring with warmer temperatures and new signs of life. It can be a great time to get out and about, checking out what events are taking place close to home and farther afield. It’s also a wonderful time to get outdoors and see what nature is up to. Whitehall has great opportunities for getting outdoors with scenic trails along the Jefferson River, also a great spot for early season fly fishing. Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park, offers 3,000 acres with hiking trails. Though the caverns don’t open...
Gold Junction Presents (GJP) is rolling out the red carpet once again for the 3rd Annual Oscars Watch Party at the historic Whitehall Star Theatre - and this year's celebration promises to be bigger, brighter, and more glamorous than ever! This Sunday, March 15, the community is invited to step into Hollywood for an evening of sparkle, spotlights, and cinematic fun for just a $10 entry fee. Doors open at 4:30 PM, with the Oscars broadcast beginning at 5 PM. Guests are welcome to come and go as...
Each year on March 14, math aficionados around the world celebrate the mathematical constant known as pi, which is represented by the Greek letter "pi." Pi relates to the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter, which comes to approximately 3.14159, but goes on infinitely. The celebration date is significant because it corresponds to the first three digits of pi, or 3.14. While discussions about math and ponderings on pi in particular can fill the day, this calendar event also...
A.W.A.R.E (Anaconda Work and Residential Enterprises) is helping local families. The nonprofit group helps emotionally troubled youth and their families, with the goal of keeping the youth and family united. Local public and private organizations have received over $2.4 million dollars in recent months to help fund 11 different endeavors in the Whitehall area. WHS Creative Leader of the Week: ERIN OLIND. WHS band member Erin Olind earned honors this week. She was nominated by band director... Full story
Whitehall non-profit Angel Wings Foundation will host a suicide awareness and prevention walk on Sunday, May 3, 2026. The walk, which will take participants all around Whitehall, will both help raise awareness and funds for Angel Wings Foundation. For more information, visit angelwingsmontana.org, or call 406-498-3384. More information about Angel Wings will be available in the next edition of the Whitehall...
FOREVER BLUE: The Whitehall FFA Alumni's Forever Blue event on Saturday, March 7th was a huge success, with live and silent auctions, music and...
I am trying to finish a huge knitting project before Friday (yes, it is a gift) and spent the weekend listening to my favorite spy novels by Daniel Silva. It reminded me that some stories are so good that you can read them over and over again with great enjoyment. It also reminded me that some books serve their purpose, then become outdated, contain inaccurate information, or just lose popularity as society changes. Over the last two months, the Whitehall Community Library has been weeding the...
Change a few names, a date, and headlines from 1900, and they could be reused today. War, political discord, well-known people dying, and someone wrongfully charged with a crime. All of these were topics on the front pages of the Jefferson Valley Zephyr back in March 1900. All of the following articles are taken as written from those March issues, with some editing for length. A summary of some front-page headlines: Colorado Politicians Now See "Where They are At," and Party Lines are Again...
VOLTERRA PROJECT TRIO played to a full house at the Star Theatre on Friday, March 6th. The free public concert was brought to Whitehall by Gold Junction Presents, Montana Chamber Music, and MSU School of...
The Jefferson Valley Rural Ambulance District (JVRAD) is pleased to announce that the two open seats on the board have now been filled. JVRAD would like to thank departing trustees Rico Patacini and Jeannie Ferriss for their service on the board, and welcome Doug Salsbury and Terry Ross. JVRAD is encouraged to attract new participation to ensure this community maintains a reliable funding source for local ambulance services into the future. Current JVRAD members are Chairman Susan Pullman, Trustee Jenny Scott, Trustee Terry Ross, Trustee Doug...
2026 marks the first time in over 40 years that a Whitehall student has earned an FFA State Degree, with the last State Degree for Whitehall earned in 1983 by Francine Giono. As the Whitehall FFA was inactive from 1989-1990 and reestablished in 2023, this is a huge accomplishment: not one, not two, but FIVE Whitehall FFA members earned a State Degree. Members put in a ton of work to be able to apply for this degree. The Whitehall FFA is proud of how far the chapter and its members have come and wishes to congratulate WHS seniors Zane Downey,...
If you've lived in the area for awhile, you've most likely heard of Piedmont Wetlands or the "swamp." Search your memory - do you have a fond story you could share? Residents who have fished, hunted, explored, or simply grown up around the Piedmont wetlands are invited to contribute their experiences, as community stories will help shape the future of this unique landscape! This area could soon become a destination for walking, wildlife viewing, education, and recreation for generations to...
The Montana Urban and Community Forestry Association (MUCFA) and MSU Extension are offering an in-person Urban Forestry Diagnostics Bootcamp March 23-24 in Whitehall in the Madison-Jefferson MSU Extension Office at 103 W. Legion Street. The bootcamp is designed for urban foresters, city parks staff, nursery owners, master gardeners, extension agents, tree board members, and landscapers responsible for tree health and management in southwest Montana. The bootcamp will be limited to twenty-five people. This bootcamp focuses on building...
Jefferson Valley Community Foundation (JVCF) is pleased to announce two community-wide events for the coming spring calendar. First of all, on May 2nd, the group will be hosting a fundraiser at the Whitehall Community Center titled A Night for Tomorrow: The Jefferson Valley Gala. The event will begin at 5 PM, and its primary purpose is to create a scholarship fund and to add to the administrative fund to support the current and future needs of the community by adding to the endowment fund. Proceeds and other donations from the JVCF Endowment...
As we enter the spring season, we are reminded of what it means to rise into new life. The patterns built into creation show us the way. What appears dormant begins to bloom. What feels heavy begins to lift. What has ended makes space for something new. The death of fear makes room for faith. The surrender of doubt opens the door to trust. The laying down of old ways allows new life to rise within us. When we let go, we rise. Join us for RISE, a faith-centered transformational breathwork...
Dear Editor, Time to see the fairness of a children's game. Time for men to stop and learn to do the same. - The Kingston Trio We know the story. But how did we react to it? Montana's highest federal office holder, US Senator Steve Daines, did what almost every small child is taught not to do. He was a bully -- the big kid on the block who would only let his close friends step onto the field and play the game. That is the essence of the sleazy, deceptive, manipulative action Daines took by...
ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20 A collaboration brings out your best side, Aries. Someone else’s strengths may complement your drive right now. You’ll get a lot of things done this week. TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21 Your patience pays off in a relationship, Taurus. A long-term goal you share with a partner is moving into the planning stages this week. Enjoy the excitement ahead. GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21 Gemini, joyful news arrives via a friend in the next few days. Celebrate the successes of others, as your own turn for good news is right around the...
GEORGIA, I have a question, I’ve always believed wearing all black was proper dress for anyone at a funeral or any such service. In recent years, though, this seems to have changed. “Church dress,” or subdued outfits in muted colors, seems to be acceptable. A friend told me that it is pretentious to dress in all black when the deceased is not a close friend or family member. It seeks to claim a status as a mourner that the wearer does not deserve. Then a high-profile lady was criticized for wearing a gorgeous, very dignified coat-dress...
Wise men and women over the ages have observed that disagreements knock on our door when we least expect them. We, within “church circles,” encounter the same. The good news is that the Bible doesn’t leave us empty-handed. When conflicts arise to the surface, we are given principles to address such matters. In contrast to the temptation to follow the easy way, Paul depicts the Christian life as a journey and even as a course to run as the project of a life united with Christ. “Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and...
Dear Editor, Since the 2025 session convened, the Montana Freedom Caucus and other conservatives have been planning to expose HB231 and SB542, which are supposed to take effect in 2026. The Montana Chamber of Commerce knew it would impact property tax shifts to businesses, and that's why they lobbied so hard against it. Legislators were adamant to pass something, despite the ramifications. Now we see some calculations of the estimated impacts. Phillips 66 Company had an increase of $11,301,544...
What ails politics in our great state? It’s not honest disagreements, differences of opinion, or differing policy objectives that afflict our system of government. It is those who present themselves and their motives falsely, masquerading to curry favor with those they hope to influence; all the while harboring hidden agendas and motives. For example, in 2024, a PAC called Conservatives4Montana, representing the “Solutions Caucus”, spent record amounts of money in primary elections. But where did this money come from, what does it...
Those who pick their nose are the same as those who marry for money. Both are Gold Diggers. Nothing makes the last bit of your toiletries, like toothpaste or deodorant, last longer than actually remembering to replace them ahead of time. The only establishment where customers frivolously throw dollars away more than at a strip club is the gun range. A movie or TV show about working in a mall in the 80s or 90s could be really interesting. There are so many different stores and so much weird stuff going on behind the scenes. You lose a lot of...
SUNDAY, MARCH 1 00:05:22 Extra Patrol: Kelly Rd 09:02:39 Citizen Assist: W Legion St 11:20:30 Wildland Fire: Piedmont Rd 14:57:56 Stranded Motorist: I-90 17:56:20 Extra Patrol: E First St 18:06:42 Extra Patrol: Kelly Rd 18:19:39 Traffic Stop: E First St 21:36:57 Fire/Smoke Report 21:51:22 Citizen Contact: N Whitehall St MONDAY, MARCH 2 00:11:34 Animal: Hwy 55 02:02:50 Vehicle Accident (Non-Injury) 11:15:20 Citizen Assist: Yellowstone Trl 13:30:11 Vehicle Fire: I-90 15:39:01 Citizen Assist: E...
Whitehall Indivisible’s (WI) last meeting evaluated options for networking among Montana’s Indivisible groups, as well as two nationwide options. Our membership is more concerned with specific state and local issues than many Indivisible groups that focus on federal issues, but when there are areas of overlap, we will add our voices. The meeting opened with the news that Senator Daines had dropped out of the election; the group sent him a thank-you for retiring. WI continues to discuss the candidates, and now that the filing window has...
WHITEHALL LITTLE GUYS TAKE FIRST AT KING OF THE COUNTY - The Whitehall Little Guy Wrestlers took Boulder's tournament by storm on Wednesday, March...
BUTTE CYCLOPS TOURNAMENT: Whitehall wrestlers brought home several awards from the Butte Cyclops tourney over the weekend, including (above) J.C. Raty in first, (top right) Colt McLean in second, (middle) J.W. Engler in fourth, and (bottom) Ryan Raty in fifth, each in their respective weight brackets. Photos courtesy COURTNEY...
After advancing from the district tournament, the Whitehall High School Trojans girls basketball team wrapped up its run at the Class B Divisional Tournament last week, finishing with one win and two losses. Whitehall opened regional play March 4 with a 42-34 victory over Columbus in the opening round, giving the Trojans an early boost. Momentum shifted in their next game March 5 against Baker, where Whitehall fell 75-22. The team closed out the tournament March 6 with a 39-30 loss to Shepherd. Whitehall finished the season with an 11-13...
