The Whitehall Ledger - Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana

I'll be the first to admit that I sometimes find myself so busy that I will forget to truly enjoy the little things that can make life so enjoyable. Last weekend I learned a valuable lesson from my kitten Jerusha that was a great reminder to always...

A few days before Christmas I received some saddening news about the death of a longtime friend in Wyoming. In my time knowing Garry Gouger he was a co-worker who I would later work directly for. He was a mentor and someone who always made me laugh e...

With Christmas falling on a Tuesday in 2018, I really needed to be on top of things so that I could have the newspaper sent to the printer by early on Christmas Eve. On a normal week, I will usually have the pages ready to go by early Tuesday...

In last week's column I wrote about how much I missed my big green trunk full of collectibles from my youth. While thinking about the contents of the trunk I remembered one of the favorite books from my childhood. It was a book about the 50 states, a...

Since it's inception in 2011, Whitehall Public Transportation has provided an amazing service for local residents. During a special groundbreaking ceremony last week, WPT came one step closer to the completion of their new bus barn. The Richard (Dick...

When I was around fix or six years old I received a present for Christmas that I really did not know what to think of. A few weeks before Christmas a large wrapped box had been placed under the tree with my name on it and I was ecstatic. I can...

As a child there was always a magical feeling during the Christmas season. It was usually after Thanksgiving that I started to count down the days which seemed to get longer and longer as it inched closer to Christmas. I never minded the last few...

It always makes me laugh when I'm watching a "true crime" show and someone will describe their community as a small town. I recently watched a show where Fort Collins, Colorado was painted as a small college town and I could not believe what I was...

In my line of work, I've established a routine that makes it a lot easier to get the job done. Any little change will throw me out of my comfort zone and last week was a perfect example of this. With the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday, I had to...

The word "hero" has a different meaning for everyone. In my eyes, a "hero" can mean anything from a past or present member of the military to a teacher who does their best each and everyday to help ensure the future is bright for a younger...

I must have missed the memo, but somehow it feels as if society has immediately transitioned from Halloween to Christmas. I drove by a neighbor's house the other day and his yard was full of decorations. I wasn't quite sure if I wanted to throw up...

I think it's probably safe to say I'm one of many that are excited the 2018 General election is done. For the past several months it has been darn near impossible to sit and watch a football game or one of my favorite shows without at least three or...

A few weeks ago, members of the Whitehall Chamber of Commerce discussed the idea of hosting a Halloween festival. This is not only a great idea, it is something that is very needed for the community. Halloween has changed quite a bit over the past...

I really enjoy what I do for a living, but at the same time often think what it would be like to have picked another career. While I certainly love sports about as much as one can, the fact I can barely go up or down the stairs without falling, I...

There are days when I can produce up to 10 stories without a care in the world, and other days where I struggle to write even the lead to one. Whenever I'm struggling with a block, I will usually start with my weekly column and go from there. Sometim...

In a little under a week, voters in Montana will go to the polls to decide the fate of Ballot Initiative I-186. Simply put, I-186 is a horrible idea for the state. It could not only have a detrimental affect on all of Montana, the consequences would...

Each week I have a column in the Whitehall Ledger and the content can range from serious to absurd. There are also certainly and more often than I like columns that seem may seem a little bit cranky with my observations on day-to-day life. This week...

It's pretty safe to say that the warmer are days of 2018 are long gone and the next few months will have some chilly days. As idiots drive by way to fast on the Interstate people will long for the days when there were warmer temperatures and clear...

A large part of my job is covering high school sports and in the fall a fair portion of my time is spent under the "Friday Night Lights". It's usually a lot of fun, but sometimes people can change that in a hurry. When I'm covering a game I like to...

While I wouldn't say I'm a gambling man who has a bookie in his phone contacts and will bet everything from the World Series to a horseshoe competition at the county fair, I've been known to make a bet or two over the years. Because I wouldn't mind...

A recent decision by the Whitehall governing body should make a significant difference in the town’s appearance. The town council recently voted to approve a resolution to create a program that will bring residents and business owners together to...

I watched a lot of baseball growing up. In fact many of my favorites summer memories were watching the Atlanta Braves play on TBS, followed by night games outside with kids in my neighborhood. At the time and for a reason why I to this day can’t...

I’ve always found it interesting how different people deal with the same situation. A few weeks ago, I was sitting at the office and Melissa returned volleyball game visibly upset. Somehow during the time she had left the office and went to the...

I was always lucky on the first day of school because it was impossible to botch the pronunciation of my name during roll call. This however is not the case for some people I've known. Although I'm completely fine with my name and who I'm named...

While I'm sure some people toss and turn and night worrying about politics, solving world hunger and other important issues, I on the other hand find myself up at 2 a.m. thinking about some of the dumbest things imaginable. One that has been driving...