Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
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Dear Editor, Listen up... The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing dangerous rollbacks to coal ash protections that would endanger the health of communities across the country. Coal ash, the toxic waste produced from burning coal, contains arsenic, mercury, lead, and other hazardous pollutants that are linked to cancer and serious illness. For decades, utilities dumped this waste into unlined ponds and landfills, allowing it to leak into drinking water. Strong federal safeguards put in...
Dear Editor, As I get ready to depart for Alaska, where I guide, I felt the need to write this letter to the editor or to whom it may concern as a reminder of what could be happening this summer in Montana. As another hot Montana summer approaches, many of us in the Jefferson River Valley are watching the river levels with growing concern. The Jefferson is more than just water moving through a channel - it supports agriculture, recreation, wildlife, and the livelihoods of countless local...
The better an army, the less they benefit from bravery. It may even hinder them. The metaphor of having computers do “mining” fits much better with how we attempt to extract value out of an LLM. There are probably hundreds of thousands of people who achieved obscure world records, but their achievements were lost to time because no one recorded them. The smarter technology gets, the smarter the criminals have to be. We are going to need more data centers for all the AI posts protesting data centers. If no one could lie, torture would be an ama...
Montana is at a crossroads. In agriculture, we are in the challenging position of trying to thread the needle between preserving our way of life and supporting the growth our communities have been dreaming of for years. As a rancher myself, I have seen firsthand the friction between our traditional Montana values of hard work, freedom, and caring for our neighbors and the thousands of new neighbors who have moved in. Since 2020, it is estimated that our population has increased by 60,000. This growth puts pressure on every aspect of our infrast...
As a small business owner, I want Montana’s government to answer to the people who live and work here, not to the owners of the biggest checkbooks. Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Montana’s 1912 Corrupt Practices Act and opened the door to unlimited corporate spending in elections, small Montana businesses and everyday voters have steadily lost their seat at the table. That tilts the donor field toward multinational competitors and away from the local hardware store, the family ranch, and other Main Street employers. In the 2024 MT ele...
GEORGIA, I have a question, This is a stinky subject, really stinky- dog poo stinky! I live in Whitehall. I love our little town. I know that we need tourism to help our businesses. I even find it interesting to meet new people from sometimes faraway places. BUT, why do they think it is ok to let their visiting pooches poop in our parks and not pick it up? Yuck, disgusting, rude, a real sh___y thing to do. I was having a wonderful stroll through the park the other day, quietly sipping an iced coffee, when I slipped on some freshly deposited...
ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20 Your energy is infectious this week, Aries. This is the perfect time to launch a passion project. Expect a surprise compliment from someone you admire. TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21 Taurus, treat yourself to a little luxury. You have earned a slow morning of coffee and a crossword puzzle. A cozy discovery brings you a smile. GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21 Your social calendar is buzzing with exciting new connections. Use your natural wit to spur the conversation, and you’ll be the star of every chat you have with others. CANCER - Jun 2...
Samuel Sewell reported in 1680 to the English-speaking world how some North American Indian tribes declared peace by burying a tomahawk, and as other colonists repeated the account, both sides of the Atlantic used the story by the end of the nineteenth century to describe peacemaking. We continue to use it to indicate the initiation of peace. I’ll antedate the expression and relate it to Paul’s behavior in Philemon. Paul practiced “burying the hatchet” in his personal life and encouraged other Christians to do the same. The Book of Philemo...
Dear Editor and the Voters of Jefferson County, I am writing to express my strong support for maintaining the Jefferson County Weed District's 3-mill levy. As a property owner in Jefferson County, I have personally benefited from the current mill levy program. The cost-sharing assistance for herbicides has made it both practical and affordable to actively manage noxious weeds on my land. Species such as cheatgrass, Canada thistle, leafy spurge, toadflax, and mullein are persistent and highly...
Dear Editor, The outcome of the HD 69 primary will show whether voters have been paying attention to how poorly they've been represented by phony Republican Ken Walsh. Walsh boasts the most liberal voting record in the entire GOP Caucus, consistently deserting his constituents back home to join with the Democrats. This certainly hasn't escaped the notice of the Madison County Democrat Chairman Dawn Conklin, who recently wrote glowing comments about Ken to party members, extolling his "steady...
“I sold an hour of my life for $13” doesn’t sound nearly as good as “I make $13/hour.” Does Mike Wazowski wink or blink? When you’re criticized for being short, they’re really just saying the worst thing about you is that there isn’t more of you. Why is Monday so far from Friday, but Friday is so close to Monday? You know you’re socially awkward when you are proud of yourself for just saying what you wanted to say. We’ve ruined a lot of good songs by setting them as our alarm music. The moment you fasten your seatbelt, you begin to wear the c...
During this election cycle, you will likely be asked to sign petitions to place various proposals on the November ballot. Before signing, it is important to understand exactly what you are supporting. That is especially true for I-194, a proposed ballot initiative aimed at restricting “dark money” in elections. I-194, known as The Montana Plan, is designed to sharply limit the role of corporations, nonprofits, LLCs, trade associations, and other “artificial persons” in Montana elections. Supporters argue it would reduce dark money in politic...
According to the New York Times, 300 individual billionaires spent more than $3 billion during the 2024 election cycle. Keep those figures in mind as you consider I-194 and its potential impact on Montana values. The Montana Chamber of Commerce, the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce, and the Billings Chamber of Commerce have taken a clear and united stand against Initiative 194. We believe Montanans deserve a full and transparent explanation of why. No doubt, I-194 would prohibit Montana businesses and nonprofits from participating in the...
This May, I traveled to California to spend a few days in Yosemite National Park. It is a favorite park of mine, one where I have often spent time over the years. Staying for a few days inside the park was within my modest income. For this visit, I needed to scramble for a reservation, hoping to chance upon a cancellation. As I logged into park accommodations, I had my first shock – rooms at Yosemite Valley Lodge cost around $400 per night. I opened the accommodation options to see if anything else was available, and a tent cabin that slept f...
ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20 Your curiosity is in overdrive, Aries. Conversations bring exciting ideas, and you might stumble across information that opens a new door. Midweek is perfect for networking. TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21 This week brings a spark of fresh motivation. You’re feeling bold and ready to take action, Taurus. Plans could pop up unexpectedly and lead to a surprising connection. GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21 Gemini, you may find yourself craving cozy vibes, delicious food, and meaningful conversations. A small financial or professional o...
I admit to liking the Book of Philemon, and I think it might be because it is so concise. It is direct that forgiveness is very often a two-way street. Onesimus wronged Philemon, but that is not where the story ends; it is the beginning of something profound. Philemon took Paul’s advice and welcomed Onesimus back with forgiveness on the basis of love; he also freed him from servitude. Numerous resources in church history state that Onesimus went on to become a pastor, and therefore, many other lives were changed as people came to salvation i...
Dear Editor and Jefferson County, The Jefferson Valley Sportsmen's Association urges you to vote YES for the Jefferson County Noxious Weed Control Levy. It's now a new levy. Noxious weeds, if not controlled, can have widespread negative impacts on wildlife habitats. They can crowd out native or beneficial plants that big game need for forage and browse. Control of noxious weeds and invasive aquatic plants requires constant surveillance, monitoring, and management. Noxious weed management is not...
Dear Editor and Jefferson County Residents, Last week, Jefferson County Weed District and Montana State Extension presented an information session about invasive annual grasses. We now have a new annual invasive grass, Ventenata. Ventenata seems worse than cheatgrass, so if you are a rancher or someone who cares about our native and agricultural lands, you'd best get up to speed on this new problem plant. Last week's session is one of many examples of how the Jefferson County Weed District...
Dear Editor, I will be voting to maintain the Jefferson County Weed District levy this June and encourage you to do the same. It's not an easy decision to make in the face of rising costs, but it's the right one and a sound, ongoing investment in public and private lands. Like you, I fight the annual war on weeds. I couldn't do it without the support of the Weed District staff and services. Stewardship of the land is serious business, ensuring that native grasses and plants support wildlife...
Dear Editor, The Southwest Montana Conservation Coalition would like to extend our support and endorsement for Trevor Walter for House District 69. Our grassroots organization was formed out of a desire to conserve our way of life in Southwestern Montana, with a strong agricultural base, to maintain and strengthen protections for private property rights, and to encourage a cross-section of other multiple-use interests in timber, mining, hunting, fishing, recreation, etc. As a board member...
Dear Editor and Jefferson County Residents, The three mills we currently pay in our property taxes for the Weed District are coming up for renewal this year. The Jefferson County Weed District is very beneficial to all county residents, and it would be a devastating loss for our county if we lost the funding needed to operate this program. The Jefferson County Weed District provides herbicides to residents at reduced costs, facilitates educational programs for county residents, provides...
Dear Editor and Jefferson County Residents, Last week, Jefferson County Weed District and Montana State Extension presented an information session about invasive annual grasses. We now have a new annual invasive grass, Ventenata. Ventenata seems worse than cheatgrass, so if you are a rancher or someone who cares about our native and agricultural lands, you’d best get up to speed on this new problem plant. Last week’s session is one of many examples of how the Jefferson County Weed District serves the residents of Jefferson County and the agr...
Dear Editor, Recent flyers and political ads circulating in our community are making entirely false claims about my funding decisions and my priorities, particularly regarding House Bill 9 in both the 2023 and 2025 legislative sessions. Montanans deserve the truth. House Bill 9 (HB9) is a standard recurring bill introduced every biennium. Its official title is the Cultural and Aesthetic Grants bill, and it has existed for decades under both Republican and Democratic administrations. HB9...
One reason the Internet loves cats is that having too many baby memes would be creepy. If a person from 20 years ago heard an AI-generated audio clip, they would probably find it uncanny but wouldn’t be able to explain why. If you put frosting on a muffin, does that make it a cupcake? Rationality only exists on a microscopic scale. Zoom out enough, and you realize that either your goal or the start of your chain of logic was irrational. The number of people who use 6767 as their bank PIN is likely rising exponentially. Mountain roads are p...
“Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people,” Paul says to Philemon in his shortest letter of all. He was under house arrest, and somehow, he and Onesimus crossed paths. We gain three lessons. Onesimus, whom Paul had learned had escaped as a slave of Philemon’s, whom Paul knew well and trusted. Paul knew him from Colossae, well enough to call him a friend. “I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, (Philemon) because I hear about your love for all his h...
