Week of January 14, 2026
Week of January 14, 2026
If you've spent any time around Whitehall, you've probably seen Lilly Schober. She's the one selling tickets and popcorn at the Star Theatre, performing on stage with Whitehall Theatrics, volunteering with Screams Come True, and helping out wherever she's needed. Now, Lilly has an opportunity that takes her love of film well beyond town limits. Lilly, a young actor with a passion for filmmaking, especially horror, has been cast in an independent slasher film titled Until There Is One. The film...
Students named to MSU-Northern’s Fall 2025 Semester Dean’s List included Reilly J. Slater and Cyrus W. Tebay. To be included in the Dean’s List, students must carry a minimum of 12 credits and earn a grade point average of 3.25 or...
AARP Montana invites local eligible nonprofit organizations and governments to apply for the 2026 AARP Community Challenge grant program, now through March 4, 2026, at 3 PM. Mountain Time. AARP Community Challenge grants fund quick-action projects that help communities become more livable by improving public places, transportation, housing, digital connections, and more. Now in its tenth year, AARP will double its investment, awarding over $8 million in grants as part of its nationwide Livable Communities initiative, which supports the...
Montana State University (MSU) Extension is partnering once again with AARP Montana to offer a free three-part virtual workshop series, “Wednesday Wisdom,” focused on helping Montanans navigate estate planning decisions in 2026. The popular series will be presented by Dr. Marsha Goetting, MSU Extension family economics specialist and professor at MSU. “For some Montanans, estate planning can be one of the most important and confusing decisions they make in their lives,” said Dr. Goetting. “It raises essential questions of personal...
A Whitehall resident has been charged with a connection with a break-in at Bordens' that occurred early morning on Saturday, January 7, 2001. Jimmy Bullard of 6 Curlew Lane in Whitehall made an initial appearance in Jefferson County Justice Court in Boulder on Tuesday morning, Jan. 9. No plea was entered. Bullard was charged with the Borden's burglary by Whitehall Town Marshal Topper Giono on Jan. 8. Giono said the burglary took place Sunday morning, sometime between 3 AM and 5 AM. Giono said...
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. Whether someone needs a few items to get through the week or wants to browse, the pantry is designed to be easy, welcoming, and barrier-free. Organizers hope to help fill immediate gaps for...
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there are more than 13,000 cases of cervical cancer in the United States, and about 4,000 women die of this cancer per year. The cell changes that can lead to cervical cancer are caused by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). Almost everyone who is sexually active will have HPV at some point. Most HPV infections are harmless, and the immune system will clear the HPV within a few months. However, some HPV infections don't clear naturally, and when...
The most wonderful time of the year often doubles as the most costly. Between travel, decor, gifting, and gathering – plus the added cultural pressure to make it all “picture perfect” – holiday expenses can add up fast and leave you scrambling come January. “Even the most fiscally responsible households aren’t immune to seasonal expenses stretching their budgets thin in the new year,” said Manny Salazar, CEO of Take Charge America, a national nonprofit credit counseling and debt management agency. “A deliberate reset in early...
The Jefferson County Spelling Bee for students in grades four through eight will be held on Wednesday, February 11th, at 6 PM at the Clancy School Gym. Please enter through the gym doors. Trophies will be awarded to first and second-place winners, and participation medals will be given to all participants. The top speller, who is also enrolled in Scripps, will be eligible to move on to the Treasure State Spelling Bee to be held Saturday, March 21, at 1 PM in Ballroom A of the Strand Union Building on the MSU campus in Bozeman. Cardwell School...
This week at the Whitehall Community Library, the question came up about how we decided where to put our DVDs. The simple answer is that almost all of them are rated, so they are put in the correct ratings category. We have G, PG, PG-13, R, and Non-Fiction by Dewey Decimal number. The G-rated movies are in the children's section by the back door. The non-fiction movies are at the end of the Science Fiction section, and the other movies are in order by rating, with R beginning at the far wall...
The students listed below made the University of Montana’s fall semester 2025 Dean’s List or the President’s 4.0 List. ANNABELLE WELCH: President’s List (4.0 GPA) SAMUEL KONEN: Dean’s List (>3.5...
For the past year and a half, I’ve been reporting weekly on municipal government in three rural Western Colorado towns. Delta is the largest, at just under 10,000 people. Paonia has a population of 1,500 and Crawford only 400. For all three, the closest big city is Grand Junction, from 40 to 70 miles away. When I first covered local government decades ago, I saw town councils as an opportunity for grandstanding but little else. The position of mayor didn’t seem to matter one way or the other. But I’ve come to understand that the job of...
Comfort food is often associated with dinner fixtures like meatloaf and baked ziti. But comfort can also be served up at the breakfast table. Breakfast sandwiches are wildly popular and can serve as early-morning fuel after a good night's rest. When the urge strikes to prepare some early morning comfort food, cooks can look to this recipe for "Fried Egg, Bacon, Cheese, and Tomatoes on a Bread Roll" courtesy of Lines+Angles. INGREDIENTS: (Makes 4 servings) 4 bread rolls, split in half...
Whitehall Theatrics - Jr. Division - brought to the community by Gold Junction Presents, will perform Tracks by Peter Tarsi over the Valentine’s Day weekend at the Montana Thespian Festival in Missoula. Tracks is a popular one-act play about a group of strangers who find themselves in a subway station after death, forced to confront their lives and decide which train (heaven or hell) to board, exploring themes of morality, faith, and forgiveness through their confessions and reflections. The play, written for high school and youth theater,...
On January 17th, the Cottontail Observatory in Twin Bridges, Montana, will be open to the public, beginning at 7 PM. Weather permitting, activities will include a Star Party tour of the night sky and telescope viewing. If the weather is not clear, a presentation on Naked Eye Astronomy will be provided, along with small telescopes and binoculars. Participants will learn what to look for and how to set up telescopes/binoculars. Participants are advised to dress warmly and to bring their own...
If 2026 has arrived with a full calendar, an even fuller to-do list, and the feeling that time is somehow running faster than you are, you're in good company. And no, the solution probably isn't another planner. On Tuesday, January 20, the Whitehall Chamber of Commerce invites business owners and community members to a fresh, hopeful, and surprisingly freeing presentation with Karen Goff, CLA at the Star Theatre: The Fraction Program & The Reality of Time. This isn't a "do more in less time"...
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; ...
NorthWestern Energy is receiving widespread reports of scammers attempting to steal money from Montanans. These criminals are calling Montanans and falsely claiming energy service will be shut off unless an immediate payment is made. These threats are not legitimate. Energy service providers never demand instant payment or threaten customers with sudden disconnection. Customers with past-due accounts receive multiple notices well in advance of any service interruption. A service disconnection will never come as a surprise. NorthWestern Energy...
Happy New Year! Coffee & Conversations is back the first Thursday of the month, and the Whitehall Chamber of Commerce is excited to kick off 2026 with renewed energy, fresh ideas, and meaningful dialogue. The first Coffee & Conversations of the year will take place on Thursday, February 5, 2026, from 8 AM to 10 AM at the Whitehall Senior Center. The Senior Center will generously provide free coffee, and Patti’s Pastries will have baked goods available for purchase, making it easy to start the morning with both caffeine and community. Coffee...
ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20 Minor obstacles are in your path, Aries. It’s easy to get frustrated right now. Once you clear the hurdles, it will be smoother sailing before long. Remain patient. TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21 You treasure family and friends, Taurus. This week calls for an important decision that could affect them all. It may be challenging, but you will make the right call. GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21 Gemini, you may need to reset your priorities, as new information has come to light. Prioritize responsibilities so major issues are addressed...
Dear Editor, Thank you, Jim [Buterbaugh], for your opinion on Northwestern's plan to build an AI data center in Missoula. ESSI states that one single data center may use up 5 million gallons per day! I, and I hope others, will contact the Attorney General, our Congressmen, and the PSC. Our concerns in this drought state the threat of depleting our water supply. KATIE SMITH Whitehall,...
GEORGIA, I have a question, I (34F) am happily married to my husband (38M). We are having a little tiff about his gas, and he said I could post here to weigh in on the situation. We are happily married, he’s just smelly. I tend to go to bed before my husband does. He arrives as I’m drifting off to sleep every night. He consistently, nightly, proceeds to unleash the loudest, smelliest farts possible. Multiple. Zero effort to restrain them. Absolutely nauseating in odor. I usually have to get out of bed because the smell is so gross. It...
Satan targets Christians. There is no simpler conclusion to understanding the Book of Ephesians. Paul now pulls out the power of his oratory, his clarity, and his love for humanity. Distraction from Christ and His mission requires our vigilance in praying with the Bible and being equipped with God’s provided armor. It is essential to consider the broader context, as Paul emphasizes that Christians submit to one another, bringing honor to Jesus and to each other. “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full...
Dear Editor, There are many times in our lives when common sense clashes irritably with policies established by higher authorities. Our current era seems to be one of those times. Granted, it was back in the 1770s when a group of founding leaders drafted the U.S. Constitution, which was later ratified by the established colonies. Its introductory paragraph, known as The Preamble, summarized the precepts of legitimate governance: "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more...
15 years ago we used to doomscroll text(Twitter, Facebook statuses). 10 years ago we doomscrolled images(Instagram, FB image posts. 5 years ago we started doomscrolling videos (TikTok, Insta Reels, YouTube shorts). Hairdressers go through more schooling than cops. If you’re skinny, shaving your beard makes you look skinnier. But if you’re fat, shaving your beard makes you look fatter. The universe is 13.8 billion years old, but heat death is around 10¹⁰⁰ years away, so it has effectively used 0% of its lifetime meaning the universe...
What is the Dumbest Tradition? Thinking corned beef & cabbage is an Irish tradition. (Originates from the beef sold by Jewish butchers in New York). Colcannon or Irish Stew would be a far more sensible dish to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. (Or my personal favorite, potato cakes.) - NH I don’t like the retail tradition of going straight from Halloween to Christmas and skipping Thanksgiving. I like my holidays in order and I like to finish one before moving on to the next one. - HD What Corporate Jargon Are You Sick of Hearing Circle Back!!!...
Karen L. Mast, beloved mother, wife, grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great-grandmother, and friend, passed away on January 7th, 2026, surrounded by friends. Karen was born on August 7th, 1936, to Maynard and Flossie Berthelson in Shelley, Idaho. She was raised in Shelley, Idaho, and went to school there. She worked in cafes and spud houses. She married Howard Clark in September 1954, and they settled in Caldwell, Idaho. Howard had a service station, and when he sold out, he bought a...
SUNDAY, JANUARY 4 01:41:00 Extra Patrol: Hwy 55 03:32:24 Welfare Check: Tebay Ln 08:51:29 Traffic Stop: W Legion St 09:14:37 Traffic Stop: Second St/Whitehall St 10:41:00 Animal: Hwy 55 11:39:34 911 14:10:36 Vehicle Accident (Non-Injury) 15:42:44 Animal: I-90 16:01:19 Custodial Interference: Hwy 2 E 17:50:17 Medical: Tebay Ln 18:38:49 Threats: W Third St 18:47:21 Suspicious Vehicle: W First St 20:35:48 Citizen Assist: W Legion St MONDAY, JANUARY 5 00:45:53 Suspicious 01:17:31 Traffic Stop:...
Whitehall Indivisible (WI) has resumed its 6 PM meetings on Thursdays in the Whitehall School library. This month, WI has two guest speakers: On January 15, candidate for US House District 2 Brian Miller will share a presentation with Q&A, and on January 29, Montana HD 69 candidate Trevor Walter will discuss his campaign and ideas for change. Both speakers are at 6 PM on Thursdays. This week, we reunited after the holiday break and kicked off the meeting with a video featuring Russian chess master and Putin critic Gary Kasparov, who stated...
TROJAN TROPHIES: The Whitehall Trojan Wrestling team took on the Cut Bank Booster Invitational over the January 9th weekend, bringing home top awards. Freshman Halle Downey (top left) took first place in the tourney for the second year in a row - this year wrestling at 120, last year at 115. Junior Levi Fuller (top right) took first in his 165 bracket; (clockwise, below) freshman Cale Hoover placed third in the 138 bracket; junior Joey Beebout brought home fifth in the 157 bracket; junior Jack...
