Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
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A trio of major property tax relief bills — Gov. Greg Gianforte’s flagship effort to pull down homeowner property taxes by boosting taxes on second homes and two other measures pitched by Democrats — passed the Montana House with bipartisan votes Thursday, advancing to the state Senate. Gianforte’s bill, House Bill 231, was amended by the House Appropriations Committee last week in an effort to win the Democratic votes necessary to overcome opposition from some Republicans. It ultimately passed the House on a 68-30 margin. The bill’s supporter...
I was disgusted to learn of the coyote killing contest last weekend (February 21-23) in Whitehall, Montana. Apparently, a local high school senior organized the event as a fundraiser for Future Farmers of America. This is particularly disturbing and reflects poorly on the community of Whitehall. I find it hard to believe that a teenage girl would harbor that type of hatred for animals which leads me to the assumption that her father likely indoctrinated her with this cruelty towards animals. Other parents took their young children there in an...
Dear Editor, Montana: the "Last Best Place," or "Best at Being Last?" Failure to pass HB 382 this past week in the House of Representatives is a clear sign that defines opposing ideologies that are inconsistent with the freedom our founding fathers envisioned for us. If passed, the state of Montana would have recognized gold and silver, which would allow residents to store wealth, despite the decline of the Federal Reserve note. As Mayer Amshel Rothchild once stated, "Give me control over a nati...
Dear Editor, Most of us witnessed on television or heard about the Oval Office meeting fiasco with Trump, Vance, and Ukraine's President Zelenskyy. At this point, it should be evident, even to the most trumpiest of Trumpsters, that Donald Trump is taking America and the rest of the free world down the path of ruin. However, it is not all Trump's fault. As I learned from the Stargate television series, "False gods cannot be gods without those standing beneath them gazing upwards." DON LEPINSKY...
Dear Editor, Some years ago, I attended "Mule Days" in Whitehall, MT. I was impressed by the wonderful facility and the organization of the event itself. I took many photos. I passed through last fall wanting pictures of the idle arena. I was disappointed to find only shredded caution tape and discarded water bottles. Such a shameful end for a beautiful arena! KEN MANDELIN Duluth, Minnesota...
Many people would instead feel right than be right. If Pokemon were real, fire types would be illegal to own in California. People tend to give you the advice that justifies their own decisions. Eye drops are blinker fluid. When we get sick with a cold, we might think we should take medicine that improves our immune system or attacks the virus, but we mostly only take medicine to reduce our body’s immune response because it doesn’t feel good. Someone will cut in front of you in line at least once in your life. Why has no one started a cla...
The Westerlies, a New York-based brass quartet, visited Whitehall's historic Star Theatre on Saturday, March 1st. The arty quartet mixed jazz, new classical, and Appalachian folk to a full audience. The Westerlies were brought to Whitehall by Gold Junction Presents and Montana Chamber Music....
Whitehall Senior Natasha Momsen received a historic telephone call last week when she was told she received an appointment to West Point, an appointment that makes her the first U.S. Military Service Academy appointee from Whitehall in over two decades. Momsen is the first woman ever appointed from Whitehall. The Whitehall Middle School announced the students who will be representing Whitehall at the Academic Olympics on March 16, 200 at MSU in Bozeman. Team One includes Brandon Momsen, Anna...
A group of concerned citizens meets Wednesdays from 6-7 PM at the Whitehall Community Library. If you need help with the Legislative website, BillTracker, or your Substack media account, please come at 5:30 PM. The regular meeting will begin at 6 PM. At our Feb 26 meeting, we reviewed the functions of the legislative website that had stumped us previously: the recorded hearing videos are accessed via the “Now Streaming” button (or course!). The bill tracker function works, the state pays for it, and it is a separate platform that will send you...
Feeling stressed out, overwhelmed, or anxious is a problem that many people regularly face. Work, family, extra activities, and current events can all contribute to making life feel fast-paced and chaotic. It can feel like there’s never enough time to truly rest or reset. But what if it didn’t have to be this way? What if you could learn how to find a place of peace and calm no matter what situation you find yourself in? Anyone interested in reducing or relieving stress is invited to join Bethel Wagner at Sage Wellness Center for a 3-part class...
Whitehall, it's time to dream big! On Tuesday, April 1st, at 6 PM, the Montana Main Street team from the Department of Commerce is coming to town, and this is your chance to be part of the conversation. Join us at the Whitehall Senior Center for an evening of ideas, inspiration, and community connection! Whitehall has been part of the Montana Main Street community since 2010, and this program has played a key role in supporting revitalization projects across the state. But what does that really...
TEAM Mint #2: 13 wins, 4 losses Two Bit #1: 11 wins, 6 losses K-Bar #1: 11 wins, 6 losses Mint #1: 9 wins, 8 losses MEN 4 wins, 0 losses: Terry Spenser, Rick Kelley, Dwayne McClanahan, Ernie Smith, Brian Hartford, Mike Wall 3 wins, 1 loss: Colt Smith, Jay VonBergen, Chuckie Dirkson, Will Bowen WOMEN 2 wins, 2 losses: Shawna Amidon, Mystee Jackson, Terry Chadwick...
Clifford Dean Miller, 76, passed away suddenly on Sunday, February 23, 2025, in Caldwell, Idaho. Dean was born on June 7, 1948, to Homer and Selma Miller in Whitehall, Montana. He went by his middle name, Dean. He was the third oldest child out of seven children. He attended Cardwell Grade School and Whitehall High School, graduating in 1967. He missed one year of high school due to an accidental gunshot wound to his right leg. He suffered from the aftereffects of this gunshot his whole life.... Full story
Kermit Hoyenga died in his sleep on February 14, 2025. His son and wife were with him. Kermit was born on May 4, 1934. He was 90 years old. If you would wish to make a donation in his memory, he requested that it go to the Whitehall Museum. It was an important part of his life here in Whitehall.... Full story
Miss Shawni from Sacry Dental taught the students about dental health in a wonderful hands on way, and Miss Jeannie and Miss Brandi did storytime in our classroom since the chilly weather kept us indoors for several weeks and we could not walk to the library. We are grateful for all the support our community gives Head Start kids! If you are interested in applying for the 25-26 school year, please call (406) 457-7308....
How to Optimize Your Wi-Fi For Better Performance In today’s digital world, a fast and reliable internet connection is essential for everything from remote work to streaming movies and playing online games. If your Wi-Fi is slow or unreliable, it can be frustrating—but the good news is that there are simple ways to optimize your home network for better performance. Wi-Fi signals travel best in open spaces and can be weakened by walls, furniture, and appliances. To get the best coverage, pla...
This is one in a series of articles focusing on estate and legacy planning. Authors are Kaleena Miller, MSU Madison-Jefferson County Extension Agent, kaleena.miller1@montana.edu and Marsha Goetting, MSU Extension Family Economics Specialist, marsha.goetting@montana.edu. While Montana has more than 21,000 people living with Alzheimer’s, there are no figures about the number of agricultural producers with the disease. “They exist because many family caregivers have approached me during my estate planning meetings desperately wanting resources suc...
Winter sports season is in full swing with fresh snow on the slopes, but is your body ready? As an avid skier and snowboarder, I know firsthand how much fun these activities can be—but I also know the toll they can take on muscles and joints. The right conditioning routine can help keep us on the hill and out of the emergency room. As an active participant in winter sports, I’m always looking for ways to improve my own fitness and educate others about the importance of maintaining strength throughout the winter. The demands of winter spo...
Imagine a million-acre wilderness: Mountain peaks. Rushing rivers. Bears and wolves. Now imagine a city the size of, say, Chicago. In my corner of Montana every summer, those two things merge. Montana is home to Glacier National Park, and 30 years ago, the park had about a million visitors a year. Nowadays, the park attracts more than 3 million people a year. It's like a major city teleported to the spine of the Rockies. Those visitors have needs-food, restrooms, parking lots, and trails. They deserve to be safe. They expect to have fun. That's...
Lawmakers have tabled a bill that would have raised Montana’s minimum wage to $12.06 an hour. Rep. Kelly Kortum, D-Bozeman, introduced House Bill 484 to the House Business and Labor Committee on Feb. 27. Supporters said the state’s current $10.55 rate doesn’t match the cost of living, but opponents disagreed and said the increase could increase inflation. Patrick Yawakie, representing the Blackfeet Tribe, Fort Belknap Indian Community, and Chippewa Cree Tribe of Rocky Boy, said a person working 40 hours a week on minimum wage makes just shy o...
An effort to protect Montana agriculture from pesticide lawsuits passed the House Agriculture Committee last week and the full House will now vote on the bill this week. House Bill 522 would shield manufacturers, marketers, dealers, distributors, retailers and sellers from liability if a pesticide is labeled with a safety warning. Supporters said the bill would help farmers continue to use the products they might need. Karli Johnson with the Montana Farm Bureau Federation supported the bill. She brought examples of warning labels to her...
The House passed a bill on Feb. 27 that would allow parents access to their child’s medical records, with proponents arguing it will help parents help their children and opponents arguing it will endanger kids with unsafe home situations. Rep. SJ Howell, D-Missoula, spoke in opposition to House Bill 377 due to concerns that it could further endanger a child in a precarious situation. They said as representatives of the state, it’s the Legislature’s job to make sure those kids are protected. Howell thanked the sponsor for amendments added to ad...
The House State Administration Committee voted last week to table two bills aimed at barring inactive voters from being counted on petitions to qualify initiatives to be included on Montana ballots. Rep. Zack Wirth, R-Wolf Creek, sponsored House Bills 597 and 598. He said the requirement would protect the political weight of ballot initiatives, given the effort it takes to be a registered, active voter. “And you have a great deal of responsibility by being an active voter, it’s assumed that you are somewhat knowledgeable about whatever iss...
A bill that would ban state agencies from implementing mandatory diversity, equity and inclusion programs passed out of committee last week, with proponents arguing these programs are expensive and discriminatory and opponents arguing they are an attempt to prevent discrimination and reconcile the past. Rep. George Nikolakakos, R-Great Falls, said his House Bill 635 would also prevent state agencies spending public funds on diversity, equity and inclusion programs, and from using diversity statements on employment applications. Nikolakakos...
