Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
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At the May 18 meeting of the Whitehall Town Council, held in the Whitehall Town Chambers, discussion during a public hearing on proposed water reinstallation fees drew the most extensive public comment, while later in the meeting, former Deputy Clerk Sarah Unruh publicly explained her reasons for resigning from town government. The public hearing centered on a proposed resolution establishing modern water reinstallation fees for suspended water service accounts. During public comment, Whitehall resident Chris Rosa said, “I want to begin by m...
The Transparent Election Initiative (TEI) today launched sign.montanaplan.org, a website that guides Montana voters through submitting their own signatures for ballot measure I-194, also called “The Montana Plan,” which aims to eliminate corporate political spending and dark money influence in Montana elections. The “Print, Sign, Submit” process is designed to make signature gathering more accessible to rural voters & households across Montana. The new website provides a printable page and detailed instructions for signing and mailing signatu...
Whitehall Indivisible (WI) meetings have lately been dominated by conversation about power: the kind that keeps the lights on and the trucks rolling, and the kind that greases the wheels of the political process. Leonard Wortman resurrected the idea of "The Montana Energy Park" through Hydrogen Future Industries, a first-of-its-kind wind energy project with 1GW+ energy generation capacity and hydrogen energy storage proposed at the Sunlight Business Park. We will have a formal presentation in...
The dictionary definition of use is “to employ for some purpose.” The definition of conserve is “to keep from loss, decay or waste.” So is conservation a use? In the matter of managing 245 million acres overseen by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the new answer is no. On June 11, the BLM will rescind the Conservation and Landscape Health Rule. That’s a change from just a year ago, when BLM declared that conservation was a co-equal option to uses such as mining, grazing or energy development on public land. Before that Biden-adm...
SUNDAY, MAY 10 00:32:56 Extra Patrol: N Whitehall St 02:48:48 Burglar Alarm: N Whitehall St 07:48:08 Traffic Stop: N Whitehall St 07:59:14 Traffic Stop: W Legion St 09:28:20 911: W Olive St 11:36:42 Wildlife 14:26:05 Domestic Violence: Robbins Ln 14:55:42 Medical: Stanley St 15:19:39 Protection Order Violation: Fish Creek Rd 16:39:56 Medical: Skyline Dr 20:34:07 Hit & Run: Piedmont Rd MONDAY, MAY 11 06:10:18 Traffic Stop: E Legion St 07:51:23 Traffic StopL: N Division St 08:47:44 911:...
Next Wednesday's agenda is designed to give an overview of our group's origin, focus, "funding," and reasons for meeting. If you've ever considered coming to see what we are about, Wednesday, May 20th, is designed for you. Last Tuesday, nine of us attended the Jefferson County Commissioners' meeting to discuss our concerns about data center development in Jefferson County. The interactions of the federal process, state permitting, and local control are a little muddy, but the conversation was...
In Montana, we are fortunate to have incredible access to our world-class waterways. This hard-fought public access is the result of decades of conflict, compromise and old-fashioned Montana values. In addition to having some of the best stream access laws in the West, Montana is exponentially privileged that thousands of landowners across the state allow public access for hunting and fishing. A huge thanks to the countless Montana families that have established generational public access on or across private lands because they believe it’s t...
SUNDAY, MAY 3 00:20:53 Non-Violent Domestic: S Centurion Way 05:11:41 Citizen Assist: I-90 09:33:02 911: I-90 10:51:27 Welfare Check: S Centurion Way 12:35:03 Traffic Stop: W Third St 13:09:22 Extra Patrol: N Whitehall St 13:20:01 Traffic Stop: E Legion St 15:29:22 Dog at Large: E First St MONDAY, MAY 4 08:16:18 911: Rocky Mountain Dr 11:53:15 Traffic Stop: I-90 13:10:47 Suspicious Person: Fish Creek Rd 17:06:04 Harassment: Tatanka Trl 17:57:00 Test Page: S Washington St 19:55:23 Suspicious: Hwy...
SUNDAY, APRIL 26 03:48:20 Burglar Alarm: N Whitehall St 11:31:22 Extra Patrol: N Division St 15:53:08 Citizen Assist: Whitetail Rd 17:32:34 Extra Patrol: W First St 18:01:13 Extra Patrol: W First St 18:53:49 Citizen Contact: W Legion St 18:59:47 Medical: Yellowstone Trl 20:44:55 Vehicle Accident (Injury): Waterloo Rd MONDAY, APRIL 27 07:44:31 Traffic Stop: W Second St 11:19:26 Traffic Stop: Hwy 359 12:10:50 Transport: S Clark St 14:05:23 Suspicious Vehicle: I-90 14:41:35 Agency Assist: Waterloo...
Spring is typically a season of optimism. Entrepreneurs are opening new businesses, family farms and ranches are calving and planning for the next season, and existing small business owners are reviewing their finances and planning for growth. However, at precisely this moment, Congress is considering legislation that would make those plans harder and riskier for Montana’s small businesses and agricultural producers. The Credit Card Competition Act (CCCA), also known as the Durbin-Marshall bill, may be marketed as pro-competition, but its r...
I believe that our representative republic depends on citizens who are engaged, informed, and involved. In our community, I see it almost daily: people are engaged and care deeply about our freedoms and the direction our state is taking. I value faith, family, hard work, and personal responsibility. These principles built Jefferson County and Montana, and they must remain the foundation of our future. Our community deserves representation that listens first, stands firm on conservative...
Whitehall Indivisible (WI) discusses political candidates weekly and tracks the changes in who’s running for what. Last week’s change of significance was that Montana’s Eastern District candidate, Montana State Senator Windy Boy, dropped out of the US House race, leaving candidates Sam Lux and Brian Miller running against Troy Downing for the Eastern District. At last count, there were seven people running for the Western District US House seat, and 11 people running for US Senate. Seems excessive, but the primary election is coming on June...
SUNDAY, APRIL 19 07:24:23 Traffic Stop: I-90 07:59:55 Traffic Stop: Mormon Ln 08:28:55 Civil: Charlie's Way 08:38:12 Suspicious Vehicle: Boulder Cutoff Rd 09:09:28 Traffic Stop: Hwy 359 09:32:17 Welfare Check: Tebay Ln 09:56:49 Traffic Stop: Hwy 55 10:15:28 Traffic Stop: Whitetail Rd 10:30:11 Citizen Assist: McKeown Ln 12:14:49 Extra Patrol: Pipestone OHV 13:12:42 Administrative: Delmoe Lake Rd 13:54:59 Forest Service Patrol: Delmoe Lake Rd 14:25:44 Reckless Driver: I-90 14:39:08 Motorist...
Whitehall Mayor Linda Jung announced the results of the recent Town of Whitehall survey regarding the four-way stop on First Street and A Street at the April Whitehall Town Council meeting on Monday, April 20. A total of 157 surveys were returned, which asked whether the Town should keep the four-way stop as it is or remove the stop signs on First Street while retaining the stop signs on the cross-street, A Street. Three surveys stated they did not care either way, 19 replied that they wanted to keep the signs as they were, and 135 surveys...
Whitehall Indivisible (WI) watched the conclusion of the 2018 documentary “Dark Money,” which focuses on how money from unclear or clearly undisclosed sources infiltrates elections in the post-Citizens United world. The film follows investigative reporting, specifically in Montana elections, and includes the genesis story of the Montana Free Press. The next free showing of “Dark Money” is at the Covellite Theater in Butte, on Thursday, May 7, at 6 PM. Signature gathering continues to get corporate donations back out of Montana elections with Th...
As the ballots for the May 5 school and special district election are mailed this week, election officials are reminding voters that they must write their birth year and signature on their mail ballot envelope before mailing it or returning it to their elections office. Failure to provide either detail will result in the rejection of the ballot. The birth year requirement is a result of House Bill 719, passed by the 2025 Legislature, which took effect on October 1, 2025. For mail-in elections and absentee voters, the return envelope features...
For the second consecutive year, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has proposed a budget that attempts to undermine the agencies that care for America’s public lands. Released in early April, the fiscal 2027 budget plans to cut nearly 3,000 positions from the National Park Service alone, plus thousands more staffers across the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Geological Survey, Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Indian Affairs. Congress largely rejected those cuts the last time around, but the administration is trying again, hoping to b...
SUNDAY, APRIL 12 01:05:29 Traffic Stop: W Legion St 07:08:09 911: I-90 09:39:31 Traffic Hazard 10:17:42 Suspicious: W Legion St 10:54:06 Citizen Assist: Legion and A St 11:08:01 911 11:38:45 Traffic Stop: W Legion St 12:05:05 Dog at Large: E First St 12:50:08 Suspicious: E First St 18:12:21 Burglary: Kelly Rd 18:22:49 Transport: S Clark St MONDAY, APRIL 13 09:46:32 Traffic Stop 10:20:27 Traffic Stop: Hot Springs Rd 11:14:44 Welfare Check: Daly Rd 11:52:46 Citizen Contact 12:20:53 Citizen Assist...
As the ballots for the May 5 school and special district election are mailed this week, election officials are reminding voters that they must write their birth year and signature on their mail ballot envelope before mailing it or returning it to their elections office. Failure to provide either detail will result in the rejection of the ballot. “These laws impact every voter using mail ballots, and we want to ensure that people are aware of this requirement before they send in their ballots to help set our voters up for success,” stated Com...
While there is still (a little) snow left in the high country, the wildfire season is well underway in Jefferson County. We can’t predict exactly what our season will look like, but there are steps we can and should take to be prepared for whatever may come. The most important part of that preparation includes knowing how to get emergency information. Jefferson County’s Mass Notification System, the Sheriff’s Office Facebook Page, and the County Low-Power FM Radio Network are the three pillars of emergency notification in Jefferson Count...
SUNDAY, APRIL 5 03:27:26 Medical: E First St 08:38:04 Abandoned Vehicle: Yellowstone Trl 09:04:54 Suicide Threats: N Whitehall St 12:49:52 Traffic Stop: W First St 14:37:20 Civil Standby: Edwards Addition Rd 17:04:51 Traffic Stop 18:31:27 Welfare Check: Mormon Ln 18:36:29 Domestic Violence: Mormon Ln 19:11:30 Duplicate Call 19:13:14 Suspicious Person: I-90 19:49:19 Citizen Assist: E Legion St 19:59:14 Animal MONDAY, APRIL 6 06:54:14 Vehicle Accident (Non-Injury) 09:20:23 Motorist Assist...
Whitehall Indivisible (WI) took a deep dive into the Rescission of the Roadless Rule and an overview of data centers. The rainstorm during the meeting and the puddles outside were an unexpected treat. Retired United States Forest Service (USFS) employee Grant Godbolt shared his research on the Rescission of the Roadless Rule and its ramifications. One stated motive to get rid of the Roadless Rule is to increase timber harvest, but the Forest Service could increase timber harvests by 25% without entering roadless areas. Also, the idea that fire...
SUNDAY, MARCH 29 06:30:10 Reckless Driver: I-90 09:30:30 Burglary: W First St 11:04:52 Found Property: W First St 12:10:07 Transport: St James 16:08:27 Domestic Violence: Z Bar T Rd 16:18:40 Fire/Smoke Report 19:32:57 Stranded Motorist 20:02:26 Traffic Stop: N Division St MONDAY, MARCH 30 00:15:16 Traffic Hazard: Hwy 55 06:10:27 Traffic Hazard: I-90 07:55:01 Suspicious Person: I-90 08:43:00 Traffic Stop 14:04:47 Traffic Stop: Hwy 359 14:46:29 Traffic Stop 15:04:02 Traffic Stop: Hwy 69 16:42:52...
We, the people of Montana, grateful to God for the quiet beauty of our state, the grandeur of our mountains, the vastness of our rolling plains, and desiring to improve the quality of life, equality of opportunity, and to secure the blessings of liberty for this and future generations, do ordain and establish this constitution. ~Preamble, Montana Constitution Whitehall Indivisible (WI) learned the ins and outs of the Montana Constitution last week, from the process behind its 1972 ratification to the provisions that make it a model for other...
Montanans for Nonpartisan Courts (MNC) is celebrating significant milestones on the way to qualifying Constitutional Initiative 132 (CI-132) for the November 2026 ballot. Following successful court rulings in late 2025, the campaign to pass CI-132, which enshrines the right to judicial elections without interference from political parties in the Montana constitution, has launched signature gathering across the state and is on track to gather over 60,000 signatures by the June deadline. Montanans for Nonpartisan Courts has achieved the...
