Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana

Opinion


Sorted by date  Results 51 - 75 of 1905

Page Up

  • Horoscopes: Week of 10/22/2025

    Oct 22, 2025

    ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20 Timing is everything, Aries. Even though you are anxious to start something big, this might not be the right moment for it. You’ll benefit from stepping back to reassess. TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21 You are craving comfort, but growth is just outside of your range, Taurus. This week, a financial focus pays off. Don’t ignore your gut when it comes to an economic matter. GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21 You may be charming and magnetic right now, Gemini, but are you paying attention to what other people are saying? It’s time to liste...

  • Thought Provokers: 10/22/2025

    Oct 22, 2025

    Someone is getting dialysis, someone is stuck in traffic, someone is going to bed after a draining 12 hour shift. Everyone is doing something different in life but we are all here living. What were you doing before reading this article? Whatever it was, did it make you happy? Lack of curiosity is a subtle form of stupidity. From a hypothetical, alien perspective, human culture (ethics, existential beliefs, race, nationhood, etc.) looks no different than the path taken by tree roots, the formations of ants, or the patterns of spider webs. A...

  • Dear Editor: Shared Interests Far Out Pace the Things That Divide Us

    RUTH LOTT|Oct 15, 2025

    Dear Editor, The news keeps telling us how divided we are, but I don't believe that - I think shared interests far outpace the things that divide us. Music is one of them. The Montana Chamber Music concert on Saturday drew a packed house that was as politically diverse as possible, with everyone supporting and enjoying the event. Whenever help was needed - to carry a wheelchair over the stairs to the porch, to find a music stand, to help pack up chairs after the concert, haul furniture back...

  • Dear Editor: Stop the Crisis

    DAVE TORGERSON|Oct 15, 2025

    Dear Editor, SYNERGY: Stop The Crisis. What is it that creates success in an economy? Is it Socialism? Is it Capitalism? Socialism is a government-controlled economic system intended to benefit everyone according to their individual needs. The government controls the system from top to bottom. Sound OK? Capitalism is an economic system where private individuals or businesses own production resources and operate for profit. Prices, production, and distribution are guided by supply and demand in...

  • Op-Ed: The Hate I See Is Sad

    JIM BUTERBAUGH|Oct 15, 2025

    Sad. The hate I see is sad. A week ago, last Friday, I was talking with a friend whom I have known for years. Pleasant, smiley conversation. We talked about the study commission and the lack of citizen care. Joked about things and then he turned to me in a complete change of mood and asked if I was still an avid Trump supporter. I told him what I tell everyone: I'm not an avid supporter; I am a supporter of a person who will work in the interest of the United States and its citizens, not other nations or non-citizens above citizens. He harshly...

  • Dear Editor: Join Me October 18th

    HOLLY HARPER|Oct 15, 2025

    Dear Editor, I invite your readers to a peaceful protest - the No Kings Rally on October 18th. I'm inviting all of you to show up and join me this Saturday, October 18 at the Butte Plaza Mall at noon for the No Kings Rally. I'll be carrying a large American flag, so I'll be easy to find. "But I don't have a sign!" Butte Indivisible has a pile of signs you can shuffle through and borrow. Also, you can just walk around and wave at people, signless. Sometimes people hand out little flags. "But I've...

  • Thought Provokers: 10/15/2025

    Oct 15, 2025

    Most humans are ok with being licked affectionately by strangers as long as they aren’t human. Werewolves would be transformed all day since moonlight is sunlight reflecting off the moon. If you ask someone if they have ever lied, and they say “yes,” you must believe them. Since they all require batteries or some form of power, electronics are actually a subscription. The praying mantis in A Bug’s Life had a moth as a spouse because he loved his life. Despite all their problems, peasants in feudal times probably slept a lot better than we do. V...

  • CONNECTING POINT: Who Do You Follow?

    BILL LANES, Whitehall Assembly of God|Oct 15, 2025

    Paul, a most enthusiastic follower of Christ, sacrificed his life and devoted himself fully, encouraging others to believe. In Ephesians Chapter 2, Paul describes what it means to be brought back from death. To us, he seems a bit metaphorical. He is passionately earnest: “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, g...

  • Horoscopes: Week of 10/15/2025

    Oct 15, 2025

    ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20 You are seeing things more clearly this week, Aries. Conversations that felt stuck a little while ago are now moving along more smoothly. A bold decision comes up midweek. TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21 Taurus, you are craving stability, both financially and emotionally. Take midweek to reassess your spending habits or consider a relationship that's ready for the next step. GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21 Gemini, you are in your element this week. Communication flows easily, especially by Thursday. A short trip or spontaneous plan could...

  • Op-Ed: GOP Leaders Should Accept Responsibility For the Government Shutdown

    WALTER SCHWEITZER, Montana Farmers Union|Oct 8, 2025

    Article 1 of the Constitution vests in Congress the sole authority to appropriate money. Each year, Congress and the President are required to pass 12 appropriations bills to fund the government for the next year by September 30. The current Republican-controlled House only requires a simple majority to pass a bill, yet not one appropriations bill has been agreed upon by both chambers. In fact, only three of the 12 appropriations bills have been passed out of the House. Instead of focusing its energy on passing the 12 appropriations bills...

  • Dear Editor: Endorsing Jung for Mayor

    JIM BUTERBAUGH|Oct 8, 2025

    Dear Editor, Let me ask you a question. Your answer doesn't need to be long or wordy, because the answer should be simple. When it comes to the Town of Whitehall's Mayor, do you want someone who is experienced and has selflessly donated hours daily to see the town operate more smoothly? Or someone who has no experience, has never held a committee position, or regularly attended any meeting? I have had the pleasure of working with Linda Jung (pronounced Young, which I also have to remind myself)...

  • Dear Editor: Thank You Whitehall Community!

    DORIE WESTHOVEN, Whitehall Garden Club|Oct 8, 2025

    Dear Editor and Whitehall Community, The Whitehall Garden Club (WGC) extends a HUGE heartfelt THANK YOU for your outpouring of pies, bids, and purchases at our annual Non-profit Silent Pie Auction, and Pie by the Slice, fundraiser that took place during the Harvest Festival. You made it our most profitable pie event to date. The silent pie auction generated $701.00, which was distributed to eight non-profits. Way to go, Whitehall!!!! This year's recipients were JVEMS/Ambulance Barn, Liberty...

  • Thought Provokers: 10/8/2025

    Oct 8, 2025

    There are probably more planes in the ocean than submarines. Do you think animals get frustrated, too, when a sneeze just doesn’t follow through for them? It’s popular knowledge that the save icon is a skeuomorphism of a floppy disk, but we don’t often think about how the name “floppy disk” refers to that 3.5-inch disk, which is already a skeuomorphism referring to the older, actually floppy disks. At restaurants, we are asked how long we’d like our meat cooked, but never how long we'd like our vegetables cooked. The money that IKEA spends...

  • Just Ask Georgia: 10/8/2025

    GEORGIA|Oct 8, 2025

    GEORGIA, I have a question, I (15F) was born when my parents were still teenagers. My parents always talk about how they were not ready to have me and how everything would be better if they had not had kids at age 16. They talk about it as if it were my fault for being born at the wrong time. Four years later, my parents had Seraphine, my 11-year-old sister, and she is definitely the favorite. They always joke about how I should be more like my younger sister, but it never feels like a joke. I am expected to treat her like a little goddess,...

  • Horoscopes: Week of 10/8/2025

    Oct 8, 2025

    ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20 This week is all about fresh starts, Aries. The stars are aligning to give you the green light on a new project or personal goal. Don’t hesitate to jump on the first step. TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21 Focus on building a solid foundation this week, Taurus. Whether it’s in your career or personal life, your hard work and persistence will pay off in a big way. GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21 Your social calendar is buzzing, Gemini. This week, you could be a magnet for interesting conversations and new ideas. Don’t be afraid to netwo...

  • CONNECTING POINT: Characteristics of a Healthy Church

    BILL LANES, Whitehall Assembly of God|Oct 8, 2025

    Paul had a deep passion for the Christian experience and church life; after all, he is the author of the majority of the New Testament. Paul was suffering for Christ; John the Baptist had already been beheaded for his faith. We are examining the Book of Ephesians, where Paul provides instruction, correction, encouragement, wisdom, and much more. Under confinement for two years, Paul penned a letter to the Ephesians, focusing on church unity and the supremacy of Jesus Christ. Now, during this incarceration, Paul was able to have visitors, many...

  • Thought Provokers: 10/1/2025

    Oct 1, 2025

    It's shocking that we don’t have air-to-air missiles positioned to shoot the enemy fighter jet chasing behind us. If animals are capable of dreaming, are they able to tell the difference between “reality” and the dream world? Are they both equally real to them? Or maybe the dream world is their “reality,” and we have it wrong. Every weight-training exercise, regardless of the direction of movement, is ultimately against the force of gravity. There is a most-listened-to last song that plays right before people pass away. As Artificial Intellige...

  • Op-Ed: Navigating the Sea of Health Information

    PAM HANNA RN, Jefferson County Public Health Supervisor|Oct 1, 2025

    Health is a personal and impactful topic. Accurate, trustworthy health information is essential to our health and well-being. Yet we get information from many sources: social media, news outlets, blogs, experts, influencers, even well-meaning friends and family. Some of it is relevant, some of it’s not. How do we decide, amid this sea of information, what’s credible and reliable? Whenever I stand on a beach, I am astounded by the vastness of the sands, water, and the possibility of finding tre...

  • Horoscopes: Week of 10/1/2025

    Oct 1, 2025

    ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20 Your energy is off the charts this week, Aries. This is the perfect time to start a new fitness regimen or tackle projects that you’ve been putting off for a while. TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21 Focus on your finances this week, Taurus. A new opportunity to increase your income or make an investment comes your way. Your practical nature will facilitate sound decision-making. GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21 Your communication skills are very powerful right now, Gemini. Whether it is a difficult conversation or a creative collaboration, y...

  • CONNECTING POINT: Open Invitation

    BILL LANES, Whitehall Assembly of God|Oct 1, 2025

    Standing out in Bible passages about Jesus' teachings for the whole world is Ephesians 1:4-6, which inspires our study of Paul, who wrote while a prisoner in Rome. “For (God) chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to son-ship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.” In short, from established scholars to youth, it has been a contentious point since...

  • Just Ask Georgia: 10/1/2025

    GEORGIA|Oct 1, 2025

    GEORGIA, I have a question, My child (20) seems to be spiraling lately. She’s constantly on the go and doesn’t want to “just sit around at home.” She takes online college classes and works full-time, and recently told me she’s saving to move out. The change has been drastic. She went from being home most of the time to hardly ever being around. If she’s not at work, she’s staying with friends I’ve never met or heard of in a nearby college town, or out on a date with her steady boyfriend. When I ask simple questions, like why she doesn’t tel...

  • Op-Ed: MT Leaders Must Stand Up to Trump - Not Hide

    DOUG JAMES|Sep 24, 2025

    Donald Trump has once again proven he’s not just the worst president in American history — he’s the weakest. His latest stunt? Threatening to punish networks and revoke broadcast licenses because Jimmy Kimmel dared to tell a joke. Comedy. Satire. Free speech. The very things that built America. But to Trump, apparently, they are weapons of oppression… unless you’re worshiping him on cue. Let’s get real: Trump didn’t just sulk — he crossed a constitutional line. The Supreme Court is clear: government officials can persuade, they cannot coerce....

  • Dear Editor: What Has Happened to US?

    ROB STOLBA|Sep 24, 2025

    Dear Editor, What in the name of God has happened to us? Are we so blind that we cannot see? Are we so deaf that we cannot hear? Are we so dumb that we cannot understand? Are we so filled with hatred that we cannot love and appreciate one another? Are we so immersed in ourselves that we cannot live with one another in peace and amity? Are we so violent that we fail to comprehend the basic tenets of a democracy? The late Senator Mike Mansfield of Montana penned those words after hearing about...

  • Thought Provokers: Week of 9/24/2025

    Sep 24, 2025

    Confidently stating the brand origin of a product leads people to assume it’s of higher quality, especially if they’re not familiar enough to know whether it actually is. (“We only serve xxxx Ranch Beef,” “We use xxx mattresses for every bed,” “We proudly serve xxx coffee.”) There are very few meals that won’t get more nutritious by adding broccoli. We consider it amazing that ancient bards could memorize whole epics, but then would sing along to dozens or hundreds of songs by heart. You rarely hear people discuss DEFCON levels in movies...

  • Horoscopes: Week of 9/24/2025

    Sep 24, 2025

    ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20 Partnerships require extra attention this week, Aries. Focus on clear communication and mutual understanding. Compromise will lead to positive outcomes in all situations. TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21 This week, your health and wellness come into focus, Taurus. Consider a new exercise program or make adjustments to your diet. It’s also a good time to get organized. GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21 Gemini, you might feel a surge of inspiration related to hobbies, artistic pursuits, or your social life. Embrace all of the creative e...

Page Down