Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
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The Whitehall, Montana FFA Poultry Judging Team has soared to new heights, proudly earning a Silver Medal at the 98th National FFA Convention & Expo held in Indianapolis during the final week of October 2025. This impressive accomplishment reflects the team's extraordinary dedication, perseverance, and teamwork - and marks a moment of history for the state of Montana. Not only did these four outstanding Whitehall FFA members represent Montana with excellence, but they also achieved the highest...
Every scream, every laugh, every startled jump: it all happens because of you. Without our incredible actors, backstage crew, builders, donors, and supporters, there'd be no true heartbeat to Screams Come True. Sure, we've got creepy sets, eerie lighting, and spine-chilling sound effects echoing through the halls of the Whitehall Community Center - but without you, it would all just be a dark walkthrough. You bring the haunt to life. You transform makeup and masks into characters that live and...
After more than a century of sack lunches and cold sandwiches, Cardwell School officially entered a new era this week. On Monday, October 27, 2025, the school served its first-ever hot lunch prepared in its own on-site kitchen-a milestone more than 100 years in the making. Opened in 1919, the small rural school had never operated a hot lunch program. For one brief year in this century, the school partnered with Bill Brown of the K Bar & Grill to provide catered lunches. That experiment ended...
Working Equitation — ever heard of it? Don’t worry if you haven’t. It’s one of the fastest-growing equestrian disciplines in the country, but it’s still a mystery to many outside the horse world. And that makes Whitehall’s own Brianna Krennerich’s recent championship win all the more exciting. Originating in Europe and rooted in the traditional ranch work of Portugal, Spain, and Italy, Working Equitation combines the grace of classical dressage with the grit and practicality of real ranch ri...
Editor’s Note: As some may have noticed, my editorial last week was in rough draft form and was mistakenly printed. Here is the completed version. I don’t write editorials often, and that is on purpose. Although it is commonplace for an editor to write weekly editorials for their readers to enjoy or be angered by, I don’t believe that my opinion is worthy of a weekly rant. However, when I received the voicemail below from a concerned reader who did not leave their name or number and called outside of office hours from a blocked phone, I was u...
It was a speedy meeting of the Whitehall Town Council on Monday, October 20, at the Town Hall, as finishing up summer projects and preparing for winter was on the to-do list for the Town over the last month. Whitehall Town Clerk Sarah Unruh reported that $20K in past due water/sewer balances have received reminder notices and doorhangers; unpaid balances will be submitted to the County to be added to tax bills at the end of the month. Unruh also noted that she has not had time to regularly update the Town’s website, but if anyone notices any s...
On Saturday, October 18th, Lower Rader Creek Road outside of Whitehall was targeted by trespassers and burglars. Some may have seen Whitehall resident Judy Chadwick’s Facebook report on her “interesting” afternoon after coming home from Butte. Chadwick’s property was the site of one of the invasions, where two of the trespassers were apprehended. The Whitehall Ledger requested information on the home invasions from Jefferson County Sheriff Tom Grimsrud. Grimsrud explained that a burglary occurred on Lower Rader Creek, involving one residen...
One of Whitehall's best-kept secrets is now out - Raven Hrysenko is a force to be reckoned with and has been named to the Butte Chamber of Commerce and Montana Standard's 2025 20 Under 40. Hrysenko and 19 other local business leaders were honored on September 18th at the Butte Civic Center for their contributions to the community through their careers, philanthropy, and civic engagement. Hrysenko embodies everything this award represents - her behind-the-scenes volunteerism, community involvemen...
This Saturday is sure to become one of the most festive days of the year as the community gathers for Whitehall's brand-new Harvest Festival! From 2 PM until the music stops, downtown Whitehall will be buzzing with activities for all ages – turning Main Street Green, the Star Theatre, the Whitehall Community Center, and the Montana Western Legacy Center locations into the ultimate autumn celebration zones. MAIN STREET GREEN - Music, Food, Merch & Dancing: • Start the afternoon by judging the...
ARTICLE CLARIFICATION: In the 9/3/2025 Whitehall Ledger it was stated that Shirley Baustian has four books she has illustrated. The Whitehall Ledger was incorrect - Baustian’s first two books were illustrated by Patsy Jensen; the remaining books were illustrated by Baustian herself. We apologize for any confusion....
The Whitehall Trojan football team is off to a powerful start after defeating the Powell County Wardens in their season opener on August 29th, with a shattering score of 36-6. Quarterback Trent Larsen (#15, sophomore), passed for 120 yards, with Joey Beebout (#5, junior) rushing 118 yards. In the first quarter, Larsen had a 5-yard run, getting the Trojans on the board with the first of their six touchdowns. The Wardens landed their only touchdown on a kickoff return. During the second quarter...
Whitehall resident Shirley Baustian's illustrations are featured in her late daughter's book, The Adventures of Copper the Dog. The children's book, whose proceeds benefit suicide prevention, was recently named a finalist in the Children's Book category of the Pacific Book Awards. The award is in recognition of excellence in writing. The Adventures of Copper the Dog was written as a class assignment by Jamie Ann Rogers, as a seventh grader. After Jamie's untimely passing, Baustian found the...
The Whitehall FFA Poultry Judging team is preparing for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: competing at the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis this fall. The team earned its spot after a strong showing at the Montana state competition earlier this year, and now they will represent both their chapter and their community on the national stage. Consisting of Whitehall High School students Hannah Frazier (senior), Zane Downey (senior), Addisyn Gray (senior), and Halle Downey (freshman), the...
At the August 19th meeting of the Whitehall School Board, held in the school library, the board reviewed financial statements and approved budgets for both the elementary and high school districts for the 2025–26 school year. A key topic of discussion was the impact of declining taxable property values on local mill levies. For the first time in over a decade, the taxable valuation for Whitehall schools dropped - the opposite of residential property taxes. Superintendent Hannah Nieskens showed the elementary district’s taxable valuation dec...
The Whitehall Town Council gathered for its regular monthly meeting on Monday, August 18, at the Whitehall Town Hall, and covered a range of town business from infrastructure updates to pool fundraising efforts. Two major topics stood out during the evening: the Whitehall Community Pool’s new “Trip of the Month” fundraiser and public concerns over an easement dispute between residents. Kelley Seccomb and Michelle Hoover, representatives from the Whitehall Pool Committee, reported on the past summer season, noting steady community turnout and s...
During its regular meeting on Monday, July 21, the Whitehall Town Council focused heavily on the discussion and approval of three key mill levy proposals, all aimed at supporting critical municipal functions. Two of the levies were advanced, while a third failed to gain traction. The council unanimously passed Resolution 2025-01, a permissive medical levy designed to help offset the increasing cost of health insurance for town employees Council member Shawn Hoagland had crunched the numbers, based upon 500 households within Town limits; this...
In May 2024, the Whitehall Chamber of Commerce met with several local organizations and doled out the major Whitehall events to each; the Chamber aimed to focus more on promoting local events rather than planning them. Kory Klapan expressed interest in preserving the traditions of Whitehall’s Frontier Days. Klapan has been heavily involved in Frontier Days for many years, overseeing the street closures, ensuring the facilities are up to par, coordinating with the Town for the rodeos, and more. And thus, Whitehall Events was born. Whitehall E...
A special meeting of the Whitehall Town Council held this week drew sharp criticism from residents over the timing and purpose of a conditional use permit (CUP) approval, with accusations of favoritism and improper prioritization of town resources. The special council meeting, which immediately followed a public comment hearing on the CUP and the Planning Board meeting, was held on Wednesday, July 2, at the Whitehall Town Hall. The meeting, convened specifically to consider a conditional use...
The Whitehall Ledger is working hard to complete its annual Frontier Days special section, which will be released Wednesday, July 23rd. This section includes the low-down on all of the Frontier Days events, parade grand marshall information, ad specials from local businesses, and more. It is circulated throughout the festival weekend to those in town. This special section's deadline of Friday, July 18th is quickly approaching! The 2025 rates are as follows: • Full Page: 11" x 20" $600 • 1/2 Pag...
The Whitehall Ledger office will be closed from noon on Wednesday, July 9th, and will reopen on Monday, July 14th at 8 AM. Email and phone calls will not be returned at this time. Thank you for understanding!...
In a world of big business and impersonal service, one man is proving that a small-town work ethic, grit, and genuine care for others can still make a business thrive. Meet Matt Crawford, the owner and sole operator of Mountain Valley Enterprises, a unique septic and plumbing support service based right here in Southwest Montana. Launched at the tail end of 2020, Mountain Valley Enterprises didn't just survive the uncertain times of the pandemic-it flourished. While many small startups...
Dust off your boots and saddle up, because Whitehall is fixin' to throw one heck of a hoedown during this year's Frontier Days, a three-day celebration of small-town pride, Western spirit, and good ol'-fashioned community fun. Brought to you by the newly formed Whitehall Events group, this year's theme is "Back to Our Roots," from July 24th to 26th, the town is rollin' out the welcome mat for locals and visitors alike. The festivities kick off Thursday, July 24, with a dip in the pool and some...
Polish your pixie wings, shine those gnome boots, and fluff up your troll moss-something truly magical is fluttering into town! On Saturday, June 28th, the Main Street Green (right beside the historic Star Theatre) will transform into a realm of wonder and whimsy for Whitehall's Enchanted Faire, a celebration of imagination, creativity, and community spirit. Pre-Faire Magic on Thursday, June 26th: Don't have a gnome home yet? No worries! On Thursday, June 26th from 3:30 to 5 PM, join us at the...
While the agenda for the June Whitehall Town Council meeting, held Monday, June 16th, in the Town Hall, was completed quickly, the real topics were discussed during public comment. Whitehall resident Maxine Samuelson called several of Mayor Mary Janacaro-Henseligh’s actions into question. Samuelson urged the Council to revise ordinances now, rather than later, “specifically those that give any one person authority to negatively or positively impact an area or group in our community.” Samuelson continued, questioning the Mayor’s seating choices...
Changes to the student handbooks were announced at the final school board meeting of the 2024-2025 school year, held Tuesday, June 3rd, in the Whitehall Elementary Library. Elementary principal Kurtis Koenig noted changes in the elementary handbook were mainly updating to correspond with current legislation and removal/updating of old language. The most significant updates concerned: • HB471 - 5th Grade Human Sexuality Lessons • HB745 - parental consent prior to health screenings • HB745 - all volunteers must pass a background check •HB34...
