Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 1905
Recently, the Whitehall Ledger published an article by Rep. Llew Jones arguing that Montana's economy has “shifted” from natural resource industries to tourism, service work, and high-end real estate — and that our tax system and future economic vision should shift along with it. In other words, we should accept this new direction and reshape our economic policies and tax structure to serve wealthy newcomers rather than the working industries that built Montana. I couldn’t disagree more. Montana earned the name “The Treasure State” long before...
Streaming didn’t replace buying records, it replaced knowing the artist. Direct-to-fans is how artists reconnect again. 0% of natural numbers have been spoken aloud. The outcome of the card game ‘War’ is determined as soon as the deck is shuffled. AI may eventually replace the job of the person who originally made the decision to use AI. They should make ‘exercise recliners’ with pop-out pedals and resistance bands for gamers to get in a couple quick reps during loading screens, or just for people that wanna workout but be real lazy about it....
From UK to Russia with love: This little tale involves cryptocurrency, Bulgarian spies, “golden passports,” a pro-Moscow influencer, an oligarch in Moldova, and a former professional soccer player in Scotland. The National Crime Agency in Britain reported last week that two UK-based networks were allegedly laundering billions of dollars of money from street-level drug dealing and other crimes and indirectly helping to fund the Russian war effort in Ukraine. “For the first time, we are tying drug trades in our community all the way throu...
Georgia, I have a question, My family and I celebrate Thanksgiving every year with my siblings, parents, and their kids, usually around the first week of December because of scheduling. Roughly 20-25 people (including kids). My family consists of my wife, me, and a 6-month-old baby. In the group chat, it was decided that my nephew would cook meat since he bought a grill. He also told us we could bring the sides. He chose to spend $300 on meat. I messaged in the group chat that we would bring mashed potatoes. My sister responded that every...
ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20 Your energy is contagious this week, Aries. Expect bursts of creativity and spontaneous fun. Perhaps an unexpected adventure will pop up? Take the lead in social situations. TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21 It might be a week for indulgence in the best ways possible, Taurus. Treat yourself to something delicious or cozy, and don’t feel guilty about it. Patience will pay off in work projects. GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21 Curiosity is your superpower this week, Gemini. Choose a new hobby or explore a class at the community college. You m...
Tendencies to overly focus on key words in the Bible without understanding the culture or context are flat-out dangerous. “Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands as you do to the Lord,” from the book we are studying, Ephesians 5:22, is my case in point, and I suspect it is as controversial as ever. In this weekly reminder, I’ll tackle the context for the word “submission,” since it seems central to the problem. Paul, the author, was writing to Romans, Greeks, and Jews who came to follow Christ in Ephesus, where men had significant power ove...
Dear Editor, Is Montana's budget "on fire"? Americans for Prosperity (AFP), a libertarian special interest group, would have you think so. And it is sending out postcards and online ads claiming that Republicans who worked with Governor Gianforte to produce a balanced budget are "pouring gasoline on the fire." The problem is that the "accountability information" AFP is peddling is false. Did the state budget "explode" by $16.5 billion? NO! That number is the two-year appropriation in the...
Dear Editor, Don Lepinsky's 779km Camino Frances Route article in the Whitehall Ledger on November 12, 2025, was wonderful and inspiring. Thank you, Don. May you have many more journeys. ¡Buen camino! KATIE SMITH Whitehall, Montana...
Dear Editor, Montana earned its "Treasure State" name from what was under our work boots and in our fields-copper, coal, oil, gas, timber, wheat, barley, and other resources that built jobs, communities, and our tax base. For generations, mines, mills, farms, and raw materials were the backbone of our economy. Over the last few decades, more of our "treasure" has shifted above ground. The value of our land, scenery, small towns, and the draw for retirees and tourists now drives a bigger share...
Any alien observer would conclude that toothpaste must be the most valuable substance on our planet. As a species, we are so wasteful of any and all resources - except when it comes to toothpaste, of which we collectively refuse to waste a single drop. For centuries, porcelain was considered a luxury item. Now, we make our toilets out of it. If you go to a prison and stand there long enough, eventually you get to stay. Whether we look under the ground beneath our feet or at the stars up above, we’re looking at the past. In flight simulators, e...
GEORGIA, I have a question, My husband is trying to gain more muscle. He has changed his entire diet, workout regimen, and the way he looks at food. We have three kids (13M, 12F, and 11M). They have started copying him by weighing their food, checking the calories, and the like. My issue is that last night our pre-teen daughter said she was fat (she isn’t even chubby), and her dad did not correct her, but actually started on about what her calorie intake should be. He then mentioned that she was probably way over that intake limit, as she h...
ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20 Right now, you are inspired to roll up your sleeves and clear away the clutter so you can focus on what counts, Aries. Your productivity soars this week. TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21 Your words will carry extra weight between this week and next, Taurus. Don’t hold back on speaking about what is in your heart. You may navigate your way to romance. GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21 Gemini, this week you may feel energized to pursue new connections with family and friends. Plan a few long-overdue catch-ups and bask in that feeling of c...
Whole passages within the Bible demonstrate greater insights into diverse cultures than do others. The provincial capital of Ephesus brings about such clarity in Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. Paul’s teaching to this metro community did not sugarcoat Christ’s message. In the First century, Ephesus was widely known for the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Sounds amazing. Well, think again, because this temple, dedicated to the Roman goddess Diana, was a place for sacred prostitution and dark practices. This “wonder” was...
Dear Editor, The well-orchestrated "No Kings" protests across America had my conservative buddies bristling – so much so that they made a point of wearing their MAGA caps at our weekly breakfast. I was not the most popular item at the table, after suggesting that the protesters – while motivated more viscerally than intellectually – were in fact illuminating the darker side of our current president. A side that rejects rather than embraces conservative ideals and principles. Principles ancho...
Dear Editor, This Thanksgiving, as we gather with loved ones, let's pause to honor Montana's unsung heroes: the 214,000 family caregivers who keep our families whole. I know their sacrifices firsthand as I spent time caring for my significant other, balancing meals, medications, and midnight worries while holding down a job. These Montanans -- 23.8% of our adults -- provide $1.76 billion in unpaid care annually, helping parents, spouses, and neighbors stay independent at home. They bathe, feed,...
Dear Editor, Don't buy beltway spin-Montana's budget is built the Big Sky country way. Glossy mailers, social media posts, and robocalls from Americans for Prosperity (AFP) are flooding Big Sky Country with talk of "exploding spending." But AFP is based in Virginia, with no stake in our land, and they're twisting the numbers to fit a story that just doesn't add up. Here's the reality: our nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Division reports state spending growth at about 0.7%-well below inflation....
Dear Editor, In recent years, the United States Congress has been unwilling or unable to fulfill its lawful mandate to serve the American People in a timely manner. I am referring, in part, to the 12 appropriation bills that Congress must pass by the end of September each year to fund the federal government. Congress's repeated failure to approve government funding by September 30th results in the passing of a continuing resolution, (CR), to keep the government open. This year, the House once...
If ignorance is bliss, then knowledge is misery. Septic tanks under major international airports probably contain more human biodiversity than anywhere else on Earth. It took the universe around 13.8 billion years to write a complete copy of Shakespeare. Most women in the world probably know how to get blood stains out of fabric. There’s no point in only charging to 80% to protect a battery; you’re effectively using it like it’s already degraded. The number of suicides in our society is greater than the number of homicides. Maybe if 15 is to...
Here are a few things I’ve read this week. • GPS Spoofing: The act of jamming the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). On October 25, the airspace around the west coast of Ireland was being jammed, affecting 87 planes and on October 29, the airspace over Utah was jammed, affecting 25 aircraft. GPS has been in use since 1983, but GNSS isn't infallible. In the past, a South Korean airliner was shot down when it accidentally flew over Russia; on December 25, 2024, an Azerbaijani airline crashed in Russia due to jamming. Russia and North Kor...
GEORGIA, I have a question, My (M23) girlfriend (F22) and our parents went to a trivia night together last night. Her parents brought a lot of food, which was very welcome and appreciated by everyone at the table. There were other drinks and snacks available to all guests, but her parents brought enough for a full meal, and I ate more than my fair share. It was a good night overall, and our parents get along very well when we all go out. Skip to the end of the night, and her parents are deliberating on how much food they have leftover and what...
As light overcomes darkness, truth overcomes evil. In the middle of the fourth chapter of Ephesians, Paul addressed Gentile Christians as well as Jews. His goal was to encourage them in their newfound faith in Jesus Christ. The Jewish people believed deeply in the Ten Commandments given to them through Moses; however, Gentiles (non-Jewish) people in Ephesus had literally no Scriptural background. Paul helped unite Jews and Gentiles. “So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futili...
ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20 Aries, you understand that when you’re working hard toward a goal, the process isn’t always straightforward. You may tolerate a fair amount of challenges along the path this week. TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21 Taurus, it may seem like others around you do not get your sense of humor. While you’re confident at telling stories, it takes others a bit of time to appreciate your funny side. GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21 Gemini, you may be tempted to look past a recent challenge. But reflecting on that adversity and your ability to overc...
I, for the life of me, can’t understand how people haven’t figured out that when the government gets involved, prices will soar. Year after year cost will increase. A good example is university tuition. The original program was the G.I. Bill, created at the end of WW2. This was available to servicemen and women at the end of the war. In 1958, President Eisenhower signed the National Defense Education Act of 1958 (NDEA) into law. They were direct loans capitalized with U.S. Treasury funds. This program was recommended by economist Milton Fri...
Dear Editor, If ignorance were a virtue, Montana's Republican leadership would already be saints. Senate President Matt Regier and Superintendent of Public Instruction Susie Hedalen have decided that the biggest threat to our children's education isn't underfunded schools, teacher shortages, or rising student suicide rates-it's "woke" teachers spending two days at a professional conference learning how to better educate our kids. Let's be clear: our teachers are professionals. They're highly...
The 80s music era was such a unique time that a “The Best Of” or “The Worst Of” album would probably have the same songs. If a 100 Grand candy bar costs its face value, and you got all your calories from eating this candy, your lifetime consumption would be about $30 billion. With how fragile electronics are, there’s a good possibility that future linguists won’t know what any of our slang means. Assuming my normal day is someone else’s dream, then someone else is living my dream day. Every photo of the Earth from space contains NSFW content. P...
