Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
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For many outdoor recreationists in Montana, New Year's Day is March 1. This is the day everyone can buy their 2026 hunting and fishing licenses and apply for special draw licenses and permits. It’s also the day when recreationists need to renew their conservation license to support the state lands they use. This year, hunters and anglers will see quite a few changes that are worth paying close attention to. These changes come from legislation passed by the 2025 Montana Legislature and new regulations adopted by the Montana Fish and Wildlife C...
The 2025 Montana Legislature passed a law that changes shed antler hunting in Montana for nonresidents. The new law does two things. It establishes a $50 nonresident shed hunting license for Montana’s Wildlife Management Areas (WMA), and it prohibits nonresidents from picking up antlers on WMAs for the first seven days they are open in the spring. Most WMAs open to the public at 12 PM on May 15. However, some have different opening times. Nonresident shed hunters must review the regulations for the WMA they are looking to visit. There are no c...
This year, in what it calls a “study,” Utah’s Division of Wildlife Resources is killing off mountain lions in an effort to increase mule deer herds. It has hired trappers from the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, authorizing them to dispatch lions with any method, including banned traps and neck snares. The study, covering roughly 8.6 million acres in six management units, will run for at least three years with the goal of indiscriminately exterminating “as many (lions) as possibl...
Many people have a passion for baking. Baking can be a rewarding hobby and fill a home with an aroma that's unique, welcoming, and instantly identifiable. There's no shortage of options when the desire to bake arises. Homemade bread is a go-to among baking enthusiasts, who can whip up a loaf of this "Sweet Potato Bread." INGREDIENTS: (1 Loaf) 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1/4 cup canola oil 2 eggs 1 3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground...
BEATING THE BEE: Cardwell students (from left) Ember Hunt, Corbyn Wright, Stetson Howser, Taylor Myrstol, and Ava Kravik took on the Jefferson County Spelling Bee in Clancy on February 11th, chaperoned by Cardwell teacher Michael Coombe. Myrstol took home second place!...
I hope you are all enjoying this beautiful weather as much as I am! It really puts me in the mood to plan summer reading and feeding at the Whitehall Community Library. We generally have the entire summer planned by the end of March to secure special programs and order all our supplies. Speaking of planning, the library will be closed on Monday, March 2, for training. We have three school districts scheduled to visit the Anne Frank exhibit, and our docents will receive the training they need to...
The Whitehall School Board received another budget update during its Feb. 7 meeting. Whitehall Superintendent Bill Dietz briefed the board on the need to begin preparing a budget for next year, citing significant shortcomings. Deficits are approximately $100,000 lower in elementary school funds and $42,000 lower in high school funds than the budget adopted for the current school year. WHS Creative Leader of the Week: KRISTY RUCKDASCHEL. Willingness to help out in the choir has earned senior...
The Whitehall Garden Club held its first regularly scheduled meeting of 2026 on February 4th at the Whitehall Ambulance Barn, with standing room only among members and guests eager to attend a presentation by Patrick Platenberg of Townsend. Special guests, newly-seated mayor Linda Jung, and members of the town crew in charge of the many trees and shrubs in Whitehall, were among those in attendance. Platenberg, an Arborist and Chairman of the Montana Urban and Community Forestry Association,...
Once again, the Whitehall Country Store Board of Directors is pleased to announce the availability of six $5,000 scholarships to be awarded to 2026 graduating Whitehall High School seniors or homeschoolers who will be full-time students enrolled in Fall 2026 classes at an accredited college, university, or trade school. Although the focus of most scholarship programs is academic, the main criteria established by the Board of Directors is a student’s deep desire to further their academic goals b...
Oral health is more than just a bright smile, it’s an important part of a child’s growth, development and overall well-being. Tooth decay is the most common chronic disease among kids in the U.S., affecting nearly half of children ages 2-19. About 1 in 10 children ages 2-5 experience untreated decay, a number that climbs to nearly 1 in 5 by ages 6-8. Across the U.S., Montana has the second-highest percentage of its population living in dental deserts (7.8%). In these areas, residents often travel long distances to find access to care, inc...
Utah Republican Congresswoman Celeste Maloy is irritated. Her most recent attack on Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument spurred wide and deep opposition. She pushed back in a video with direct, if misleading, language. Maloy has long criticized this southern Utah national monument that was halved by President Trump during his first term, then restored under President Biden. One million awestruck visitors come here every year and spend money in the two Utah counties surrounding the...
Dessert can be the crowning touch to a delicious meal. Pie is a popular dessert that undoubtedly benefits from versatility. It comes in so many flavors that it's possible to eat a slice of pie each day for a month and never have the same one twice. For those with a predilection for "Cherry Pie," this recipe from Lines+Angles is sure to please. INGREDIENTS: (8 servings) Pie dough: 2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting 1 teaspoon table salt 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar...
The Whitehall School Board moved through routine approvals and voted on several action items, including the annual music trip to Silverwood and several early graduation requests, at their meeting on Tuesday, February 3, 2026. Elementary principal Kurtis Koenig announced that the school has been invited to serve as a “lighthouse district” for science-of-reading implementation through the Montana Comprehensive Literacy State Development program. Koenig stated that his first question was whether this program would add work for his staff, to whi...
One hundred and twenty-six years ago, our little town's growing pains were slowly transforming Whitehall from a wild west railroad town into a respectable place to live and visit. The world was changing. Queen Victoria was in the news even in the Jefferson Valley Zephyr. Meat packers in the U.S. have a contract to supply 3,000,000 pounds of beef for the British army, and likely a better quality than was given to our own troops in recent years. President McKinley changed his position on the...
KIDDOS: Need a gift for someone special this Valentine's Day? Come down to the Star Theatre on Friday, February 13th, from 3 PM to 5 PM and paint a heart-shaped planter - all free of charge! This free event is brought to you by Raven 3D Printing & Design and Gold Junction Presents. 15 planters with seeds are available for children under 18. Too loud for your little one or need to go early? To-go kits are available! Questions? Contact Raven at 406-490-4077....
Whitehall’s Painters in the Potting Shed (also known as the PIPS) is pleased to announce its art exhibit, hosted by Boulder Hot Springs, through the end of February. Boulder Hot Springs welcomes the exhibiting artists and the general public to a reception this Sunday, February 15, 2026. Light refreshments will be served. Please join us to meet the artists and enjoy the event from noon to 2 PM. The PIPS is a group of local-area artists who have met weekly for many years to paint together, share ideas, and encourage artists at all levels to expan...
The Jefferson Valley Sportsmen's Association annual fund-raising banquet will be held on 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...
Happy February, and welcome to a busy couple of weeks at the Whitehall Community Library! Sign-ups are now open for the Speed Puzzle Contest this Thursday at 6 PM. There will be prizes for different team types, snacks, and lots of fun. Just call us at 406-287-3763 to sign up your team. This week is also the delivery of the Cupid Crew long-stemmed roses. If you have a senior in your life and would like us to take them a beautiful rose, please call us to be added to the list. Many of our seniors...
The Ladies of the Whitehall Auxiliary are looking forward to new "luxuries," such as heat and a bathroom. They will have to downsize, but look forward to being open year-round. The Ladies Auxiliary will be moving to the former town garage, as the town and the organization are "swapping" buildings. The Jefferson County "growth" meeting is set for Whitehall. The Montana Legislature in 1999 changed from a "comprehensive plan" to a growth policy and mandated that counties that update comprehensive...
Whitehall Elementary third-graders had a busy day on February 5th. In the morning, they were presented with their dictionary/reference books from the Whitehall Rotary Club. Rotary has been providing these books to third graders at Whitehall, Cardwell, and Harrison for more than 15 years. Besides words, students can read about the 50 states, the continents, clouds, presidents, the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, sign language, and a number of science topics. In the afternoon,...
In a world where information is everywhere, it has become harder — not easier — to make fact-based decisions. Few topics illustrate this better than vaccines. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recent changes to national childhood vaccine recommendations have sparked concern among healthcare providers and confusion among parents. Amid the turmoil, it’s easy to lose sight of a basic truth: vaccines are one of medicine’s greatest successes, and families are best served by guidance...
Due to outdated equipment and the need to allow for more flexibility for businesses looking to sell hunting and fishing licenses, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is moving to a new License Ambassador program this spring. This move to the License Ambassador program is going to transition all license sales and applications to our online licensing system (OLS). This move allows FWP to add additional businesses that would like to sell licenses and move away from the old point of sale systems that were unreliable and outdated. As FWP has worked on...
WELCOMING PASTOR PULLMANN: With 96 in attendance, Pastor Gideon Pullmann was welcomed as the newly installed pastor at Zion Lutheran in Whitehall. Leading the installation service was Pastor Arlo Pullmann (father of Gideon Pullmann). He was assisted by Pastors Larry Miller, Riley Corrigan, and Dan Mears. Pastor Pullmann is also serving as pastor at Faith Lutheran in Boulder. This new joint agreement between the two congregations began on February 1st with the installation service. Zion meets on...
Well below normal January precipitation and unseasonably warm temperatures stalled Montana’s snowpack accumulation last month. “Most Montana basins are now reporting below normal snowpack. While some higher elevations are holding onto their snowpack reserves, mid-elevation snowpack is falling behind, and low-elevation snowpack is noticeably absent,” said Florence Miller, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Hydrologist. “As of February 1, most major basins hold 65-90% of the median snowpack, a 10-30% decrease from the January...
Landowners interested in allowing public hunting access on their property or providing access through private land to public land may now apply for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks 2026 hunting access programs. Applications and program information are available for several landowner options, including Block Management, Block Management Access Corridors, Elk Hunting Access Agreements, Public Access Land Agreements, and Unlocking Public Lands. For more information, contact a local FWP regional office or visit fwp.mt.gov/hunt/landownerprograms. Land...
