Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Sorted by date Results 155 - 179 of 1916
Over 80% of Montana schools are "Title I" schools. That means students in the school qualify for free or reduced lunch. Montana receives more than $2,000 in Title I funding per child, compared to the national average of $1,489 (2017 figures). Here's what a search for data from the current administration turned up (a subject for another post): To feed hungry kids, the Montana Food Bank Network partnered with 148 schools (as of 2022) and provided weekend nutrition to 3,600 children. In Kalispell,...
GEORGIA, I have a question. My wife and I recently (silently) changed our son’s name after my brother and sister-in-law (SIL) gave their son (our nephew) the name, too. They are now mad at us - but is it any of their business? My wife and I had our son four months ago. We had a name chosen early in her pregnancy. We kept that name to ourselves, but my SIL found it out when she was still pregnant with my nephew (almost 7 months old). She never said how; she just told us she loved the name, congratulated us, and said they couldn’t wait to meet hi...
We’ve grown accustomed to a litany of cries for injustice, some for honorable causes and others not so honorable. How can a person delineate a true cry for injustice? Does it come down to the colors of the political parties, red or blue? Honestly, I don’t think that’s the proper litmus test. In recent weeks, some so-called “peaceful” protests turned quickly into destruction, anarchy, and chaos. Fortunately, here in Montana, movements were much tamer, but this question of injustice is certainly on people’s minds. Interestingly, the timing of a...
ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20 Career developments may be a bit unclear this week, Aries. Your motivation may need a little extra boost. You may need to consider whether a career change is in order. TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21 A lack of information is proving confusing, Taurus. If you suspect there are more details to uncover, choose a course of action and do your best to get as clear a picture of the situation as possible. GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21 Keep your money in your wallet this week, Gemini. You might want to spend it or give it away impulsively, which...
Front lawns are mostly just for show. If you drop soap on the floor, is the floor clean, or is the soap dirty? Before getting a license, everyone should have to experience a simulation of a crash on the highway. If two vegans are arguing, is it still considered beef? When you’re born deaf, what language do you think in? How does your towel get dirty if you get out of the shower clean? Statistically speaking, the most common final words men across history have heard before dying are probably “I love you” or “Fire.” If your life flashed b...
If a public information request becomes too costly for an individual or organization to pursue, constitutional access to public documents is denied. On May 8, Gov. Greg Gianforte signed into law House Bill 100, which was requested by the Department of Administration and sponsored by Rep. Bill Mercer of Billings. The bill amends Montana’s public record laws by defining fees a public agency may charge when responding to a request, setting an hourly fee limit, establishing response deadlines for certain agencies, and creating a private cause of a...
Dear Editor, In response to a letter from Ruth Lott published on June 18th, 2025 in the Whitehall Ledger, it should be pointed out that Karoline Leavitt did not say "America cannot function if President Trump has to deal with co-equal branches of government having the ability to check his power," or anything close to that. Snopes and Politifact both agree on this, as was determined with a quick and easy search. Respectfully, TIMOTHY S. BENNETT Whitehall, Montana...
Dear Editor, I owe an apology to your readers. It has been brought to my attention that Karoline Leavitt's quote in my letter to the editor last week appears to have been manufactured. It would appear that even reliable sources can be duped. The deliberate misrepresentation of Fox News skewing the intention of the NO KINGS rally into disrespect for our military remains a fact. Respectfully submitted, RUTH LOTT Cardwell, Montana...
Dear Editor, While Gaza smolders under relentless bombardment and Palestinian families bury their women and children, Senator Steve Daines offers his usual response: absolute silence. Perhaps he's too busy polishing Trump's golf shoes to notice the genocide happening on his watch - and with our tax dollars ($17.8+ billion). Recently, the Mountain Sky Conference of the United Methodist Church - representing faithful from Montana and neighboring states - passed a resolution condemning Israel's...
In 1863, one year before Montana became a territory, John Bozeman built a trail across Indian country to reach newly discovered gold fields. When Montana became a territory in 1864 through the Organic Act, one of the first acts of the territorial government was to pass a resolution to appropriate land that Native American tribes had called home for thousands of years. The Indian Wars between 1865-1890 are a profound part of our story. Michael Punke's book Ridgeline tells the story of the battle...
GEORGIA, I have a question, I (27F) got pregnant unexpectedly after a short relationship. The father isn’t involved, but I decided to keep the baby. My family has been supportive - except for my older sister (34F), who has been struggling with infertility for years. From the moment she found out I was pregnant, she kept making comments like, “It’s not fair that you get to be a mom when you’re not even married.” She even suggested multiple times that I let her and her husband adopt my baby since they’re “better equipped” to raise a child....
The effects of anger are overwhelmingly negative, creating physical, emotional, and spiritual issues. I’ve appreciated sitting with other Christians for several weeks to discuss the myth of righteous anger. We’ve mistakenly bought into this idea that somehow anger is good. Ultimately, discovering that God or Jesus is the only one who can have righteous anger. Too many people go through life holding onto anger and, in return, suffer, often having a domino effect on their personal lives and the relationships surrounding them. What happens whe...
ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20 Nothing is too much for you to handle right now, Aries. But don’t take on even more as a way to prove something to someone. That could be a recipe for trouble. TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21 Your physical energy is strong right now, Taurus. This may work to your advantage regarding your relationship. Your desire for love and passion is intense right now, so explore it. GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21 Matters of the heart may need a little work right now, Gemini. If things haven’t been going too smoothly, you might have to examine the dyn...
Dear Editor, I must clarify my Letter to the Editor to the Whitehall Ledger, which I submitted on June 6, 2025, about the lady being fired from the Whitehall Senior Center. It was my mistake that some misunderstood that the Whitehall Senior Center fired her. The Senior Center is operated by Rocky Mountain Development Council in Helena; this entity does the hiring and firing. It has been brought to my attention that some folks are going in to the Whitehall Senior Center upset over the firing; I...
Dear Editor, When I returned from the "NO KINGS" protest in Butte on Saturday afternoon, I turned on Fox News. The Fox News spin on the hundreds of NO KINGS rallies which took place across the country Saturday was to portray them as disrespectful to the men and women who serve in the various branches of the military, which marked June 14th as its 250th Anniversary. Not true. The thousands of people protesting all over Montana and the millions of people protesting across the rest of the country...
Dear Montana Congressional delegates Daines, Sheehy, Zinke, and Downing, Every member of Congress takes an oath, “to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” Donald Trump has broken the oath he took to defend the Constitution many times and is on his way to becoming a tyrant. We respectfully ask this question: Where is your line regarding the balance of power and preserving the Constitution? How far can Trump go to dismantle our democracy and disregard the rule of law, before you wil...
Millennials learned to Google, Gen Z learned to prompt, and Gen Alpha will wonder why we ever had to ‘ask’ machines anything. If you didn’t watch it when it aired, you’d never be able to catch up with The Truman Show. I don’t like to go to sleep because finding a comfortable position is difficult. I also don’t want to get up in the morning because this means I have to abandon the perfect sleeping position I’ve spent so much time searching for. IKEA has likely provided more hex keys to consumers than any other supplier. The change in your pocke...
Each of us Americans conducts our daily life in bubbles, all shockingly siloed from each other. These days, we don’t share much common ground between our circumscribed worlds based on culture, zip code, religion, and political beliefs. We feel empathy toward others inside our comfortable corrals. But too often, mutual support doesn’t reach outward. Mistrust replaces compassion. I spent late April in my conservationist bubble. Since the first Earth Day in 1970, I’ve tried to take stock of how we treat our home planet. For this year’s “Earth...
GEORGIA, I have a question, My father-in-law has breakfast every Saturday morning at the same restaurant. He arrives at 6 AM when they open and usually stays until 8:30. His kids and grandchildren drop in and out; most do not stay the whole time, and they either pay their checks on the way out or leave him cash to cover their bill, which he pays before he leaves. Last Saturday, my family and I went late, barely catching him. They headed home while I went ot the counter to pay the check. It was $171! I immediately asked for an itemized receipt,...
I must be honest; there are days when I’m shocked by another person’s behavior. Maybe you’re a bit like me? Life is cruising along, and the day is going well, then suddenly, someone says something or acts in a certain way, and now I’m leaning towards an offense. I certainly don’t live like my heart is on my sleeve all the time; I’m a bit more guarded and hopefully a little more graceful. Yet, those moments arise when someone’s behavior catches me by surprise. Such a “strange” experience. After all, we are human, and we all act human. Brant...
ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20 Aries, the universe is giving you a chance to rest and relax before you have to tackle your very long list of tasks. Soak it all up while the break lasts. TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21 Taurus, you value comfort and security, which is probably why you will want to revisit some of your investments over the next few days to determine if you are maximizing your money. GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21 You excel at seeing both sides of a situation, Gemini. Follow your intuition as you navigate a tricky situation at work that requires you to...
Dear Editor, My name is Dave Poff; I’m 69 years old, retired, and participate in the Whitehall Senior Center's Meals on Wheels program here in Whitehall, Montana. Our community is very small; approximately 2,500 citizens live within town limits, and many more live in the outlying area. Today, (Friday, June 6, 2025), when I went to check the mail and get my senior meal, I found out from one of the two ladies who are the operators of our senior center some news. One of the ladies who has been working there for some years is being fired, as she sa...
ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20 This is a terrific time to understand your inner emotions and thoughts, Aries. You may feel extra sensitive and loving toward others, especially your partner. TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21 Taurus, you may encounter some rough spots that need to be ironed out this week. It may not be easy, but if anyone can handle it, that would be you. Make some firm choices. GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21 It’s easier to express how you feel to someone important in your life in person, Gemini. Set up a meeting to get things off your chest. CANCER - J...
GEORGIA, I have a question, My husband’s stepmother passed recently after a long illness, and her children specifically wanted our family, including our 2-year-old, to be at her service. When we arrived at the church, I tried to sit in the back pew to take her out when she was antsy, but they put us in front with the rest of the family. Predictably, we lasted only about 30 minutes before my daughter started being disruptive. I took her out to the vestibule where she had a tantrum, so I then took her down into the basement playroom. I...
There are certain myths that we somehow learn to accept, and if we aren’t careful, they can take root in our lives and become a reality. Many of which are dangerous, harmful to our relationships, and unbiblical. One specific myth is the notion that we can have righteous anger. Brant Hansen, radio host and author of Unoffendable contends that this notion is incorrect. In life, the opportunity to be offended can occur daily, and some people carry unrighteous anger as if it were a badge of honor, believing it to be righteous anger. A neighbor l...
