Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana

Articles from the December 21, 2016 edition


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  • Temperatures drop, games cancelled

    Jack H. Smith, Ledger Publisher|Dec 21, 2016

    A fierce Arctic storm descended into Whitehall last week and its effects were still being felt days later. According to the National Weather Service, the temperature in Whitehall dropped to -24 on the morning of December 17. AccuWeather.com reported the low on December 17 in Whitehall at -37. The storm that brought with it large amounts of snow and gusty winds caused road closures across the state and the cancellation of numerous high school sporting events. The Whitehall High School boys and gi...

  • Town Pump store raises funds

    Jack H. Smith, Ledger Publisher|Dec 21, 2016

    Employees at the Whitehall Town Pump store have worked hard during the holiday season to raise money for the Whitehall Food Pantry. According to store General Manager Heather Morris, employees were able to get $7,941 in donations from customers as part of a Town Pump Charitable Foundation campaign. Morris said she was both happy and impressed with the money raised, and that she has quite a few employees who are really good with supporting the community. The top earner in donations was Darlene...

  • Community comes together for annual Christmas Cantata

    STAFF REPORT|Dec 21, 2016

    A large crowd made their way to the First Christian Church Sunday night for the annual Whitehall Community Christmas Cantata. The 2016 program was "One Silent Night: A Christmas Ballad of Love and Joy" by Pepper Choplin. The Cantata directors were Janet Heilig and Norm Tebay. The accompanist was Bethel Wagner and the drums were played by Padraic Moriarty. The members of the 2016 choir were Tayla Andrews, Lisa Aragon, Beth Billings, Nancy Bowman, Dana Brunet, Janine Burrows, Helen Carey, Linda...

  • Elk hunting numbers low

    Jack H. Smith, Ledger Publisher|Dec 21, 2016

    At their December meeting, members of the Community Transition Advisory Committee received an update about the recent general deer and elk hunting season in Southwest Montana. Vanna Boccadori a wildlife biologist for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, told members that elk hunting during the season was very slow. Boccadori said it just goes to show what a difference the weather can make with a successful season. She said they did not have the colder weather to push the elk down, but the recent drop in temperatures should get them moving. She...

  • Scam: Ad not what it seemed

    Jack H. Smith, Ledger Publisher|Dec 21, 2016

    Several local residents have reported a recent help wanted ad in the Whitehall Ledger turned out to be too good to be true. The ad in question had run in the two previous editions of the Whitehall Ledger Classified Section, and was seeking a caregiver for five hours a day, Monday through Friday. The wage for the position was $18. Local residents Earleen Lloyd and Michelle Lewis both approached the Ledger with concerns about the ad. Lloyd said she responded to the ad via email, and spoke with a man who said he would soon need a caregiver for...

  • Editorial: Merry Christmas and thanks for reading

    Jack H. Smith, Ledger Publisher|Dec 21, 2016

    Christmas is just a few days away, and in a little over a week in will be 2017. This is a perfect time of the year to say thank you to everyone who reads and advertises in the Whitehall Ledger. We truly appreciate your business and support. I often times here newspapers are a dying breed, but I don’t’ think that is the case for a small town paper like the Ledger. Someone told me the other day they don’t read the Ledger and know a lot of people that don’t. Sure, some people don’t, but I’ve got the circulation numbers that say different,...

  • Column: A story of survival

    Jack H. Smith, Ledger Publisher|Dec 21, 2016

    Over the past few years, I have written thousands of stories that were published in newspapers all over the western United States. From time to time, I will get online and look at some of my older stories, and in truth I don't really remember much about a lot of them. There are only a few that really stand out, and I can look back and remember the interviews and what I was feeling when I was typing. The other day I was thinking back on a story that really touched me and wanted to give it a read. For some reason when the newspaper I was working...

  • Letter to the Editor:

    Scott and Dawn Hagedorn|Dec 21, 2016

    Dear Editor, We would like to acknowledge what a great asset to the Community that the Whitehall Community Center is. It is owned and operated completely by VFW volunteers. These volunteers not only served their country but are now serving their community by providing and maintaining a very nice Community Center that is open for all to use for personal or business events. They are also a great group to work with and go out of their way to accommodate everyone from 4-H, to blood drives, to wedding receptions, to auctions and even host Bingo...

  • Christmas Confusion

    Bill Lanes, Pastor|Dec 21, 2016

    The Blueprint series will continue next week, with Christmas approaching I wanted to share with you some important thoughts regarding why we celebrate Christmas. Have you noticed that there is some confusion about Christmas? Over time the significance of any holiday or special occasion can change. Sometimes specific events lose their luster or the original meaning is overshadowed by something completely different. In our culture currently what are some of the messages we see regarding Christmas? Marketing, sales, family celebrations, gift...

  • Jefferson County Sheriff's Report

    Dec 21, 2016

    Monday, Dec. 12 12:01 a.m. - theft-postal, 20 Briggs Lane, Whitehall 12:17 p.m. - alarms burglary, 303 South Division Street, Whitehall 1:32 p.m. - citizen assist, 9 Sugar Beet Row, Whitehall 9:27 p.m. - discharge firearm – residence, 460 Hwy 2 West, Whitehall 10:45 p.m. - mental crisis, 460 Hwy 2 West, Whitehall 11:56 p.m. - care for sick/injured, 610 Spring Creek Road, Whitehall Tuesday, Dec. 13 7:05 a.m. - traffic accident/ 1 vehicle /non-injury, I-90 westbound, MM 268, Cardwell 8:33 a.m. - fraudulent activities, 415 North Whitehall S...

  • For Your Information

    Arcylle Shaw, Contributing Writer|Dec 21, 2016

    A year ago Ken and Linda Glaus had their cattle the victims of an out of control semi truck whose driver didn't pay attention to the flagman and was not able to stop soon enough. That situation could have been so much worse - loss of human life. Moving livestock on Montana highways is not uncommon. The five mile trip from the Carmody ranch to bring the cattle home is usually uneventful. Prayer for this time was offered up and even in a heavy snow storm, the cattle arrived home safely. A wonderful Christmas blessing. Last year, Bill and Rhoda...

  • Lady Trojans fight to the end against talented Three Forks

    Jack H. Smith, Ledger Publisher|Dec 21, 2016

    While the Whitehall High School girl's basketball team was unable to pickup a win last Friday night against Three Forks, they sent a loud and clear message they are a team to lookout for in league play. A second half comeback by the Lady Trojans put them in a position to win, but they ultimately fell short in the 42-35 home loss. Whitehall fell behind 16-10 at the end of the first, and trailed 26-14 at halftime. They would bounce back strong in the third quarter and outscored the Lady Wolves 16...

  • Trojans defeat Wolves

    Jack H. Smith, Ledger Publisher|Dec 21, 2016

    Going into last week's game against Three Forks, Whitehall High School boy's basketball coach Zach McLean wanted to see a better effort on the defense at the start of the game, as well as an emphasis on rebounding. The Trojans were strong in both areas in last Friday's nights 63-30 victory over the visiting Wolves. After holding Three Forks to just 30 points, McLean said he told the team he was proud of their defensive effort. He added the Whitehall guards did a great job getting pressure on...

  • Busy week for Trojan wrestlers

    Jack H. Smith, Ledger Publisher|Dec 21, 2016

    It was a busy weekend of action in Great Falls for the Whitehall High School wrestling team. The Trojans started their three days of action at mixer event Thursday with Great Falls Central and Anaconda. Coach Steve Sacry said no team scores were kept, but Whitehall wrestled well and they were 11-6 overall. The following two days, the Trojans competed at the CMR Holiday Classic Wrestling Tournament. Sacry said they had not been to this tournament in recent years, but he was impressed with the...

  • Jefferson County Commission Update

    Leonard Wortman, Jefferson County Commissioner|Dec 21, 2016

    Hi Folks, I hope everyone has a merry Christmas and a happy New Year. We have some projects that are going to be moving forward early in the year. The bids for the installation of the Sugar Beet Row sewer system will be going out in early January, with construction in early spring. The bid to repair the “Blowout” on Pipestone Creek should also be going out in January. This is the area where the Jefferson Canal drops into Pipestone Creek on the Capp Ranch. Also the bid to reconstruct and do other work on the Jefferson Slough should be out fai...

  • Between the Stacks

    Jeannie Ferriss, Whitehall Community Library|Dec 21, 2016

    I hope you are all staying warm this snowy season. If you are in need of something fun to read, the Library just received another shipment of new books and movies. The collection is now all caught up on several series, including Anne Perry’s detective stories, the Maisie Dobbs mysteries, and a variety of independent books. For young fantasy fans, there are all six volumes of the “Knights of Arrethtrae” series by Chuck Black and the first volume of John Flanagan’s Ranger Apprentice (The Early Years) series entitled “The Battle of Hackham H...