News you can use
News you can use
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With February and Scout anniversary month coming to an end it is always a good time to step back and see where we have come from and to appreciate the journey that the Boy Scouts of American has taken. It was 114 years ago that the Boy Scout movement officially began at 11:03 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 8, 1910. This is exact date time that the Boy Scouts of America became incorporated. There have been Boy Scouts of America units in Havre and along the Hi-Line for more than 90 years. That cannot happen without the past and continued...
It is interesting to contemplate that a mere 2-month-old baby has accumulated more frequent flier miles than I have in the past five years. The comparison is easy. My mileage is zero. More astounding is that little Marley’s flights cost more than the sum total of all my flights, domestic and foreign, inclusive of but not exclusively: multiple domestic flights, Hawaii, Alaska, Mexico, China, Japan and India. Who could have imagined this farm girl could have visited so many f...
Dear Editor, Feb. 22, 2024, the 57th Annual Hill County Spelling Bee was held at Havre Middle School. This event brings together all of the best student (grades 4-8) spellers in Hill County to determine who will represent our area at the state competition in Bozeman on March 9, 2024. Crucial financial support for this event was provided by Independence Bank in the form of Chamber of Commerce gift certificates for the top three finishers: $50, $35 and $20. Medals were provided by the Hill County Superintendent of Schools...
My husband, Peter, and I were surprised that two plates were missing. We stay in our little apartment in Mexico and, while we’re gone, all our dishes and glasses remain in the cupboards. We pack away most of our spices, but we leave the vegetable steamer and the pressure cooker and all the art on the walls. We leave it all in the apartment which, we assume, is rented out to other people while we are gone, although it is hard to know for sure because everything is always r...
These past few weeks have been interesting. As the Local Government Interim Committee, we had planned to look into the property tax and appraisals issues. At least that’s what I thought and what made sense to me; that the Tax Interim Committee would address these issues alongside input from folks in local government. Then, as had also happened during and after this year’s legislative session, the administration got involved in place of letting the Legislature do our job. The administration created a special property tax adv...
Well, the next step in your residential property tax increase is happening. Banks are sending updated “mortgage bills” to homeowners. Guess what? You owe more money! Recently, a young friend reached out, concerned about his $100 monthly mortgage increase and he didn’t know why. That’s a lot of money — $1,200 a year. Drumroll for the explanation. Since the bill comes from the bank, it’s the lender’s fault, right? Nope. By law, a residential mortgage statement must show the escrow portion — the amount you pay for insurance and...
Montana is, and always will be, an energy state. Historically, we were known to be producers that fueled the Industrial Revolution, thanks to Colstrip’s mines and the oil and gas fields. More recently, Montana’s tremendous wind resource is widely recognized as being extremely valuable to the energy transition. In order to continue being an energy state, harness our wind resources, and participate in a growing Western energy market, we must invest in our transmission lines and push permitting reform through local and national...
Michelle called. “I need to take Blue to the vet in Tala tomorrow. Ana can’t come with me because she is overseeing the work crew building our new guest house. Would you be able to come along with me?” “What time do we leave?” Michelle picked me up. Blue, tucked in his kitty carrier, never made a peep the whole trip. Michelle and I filled the air with words covering multiple spectrums. Background: Blue is an elderly cat, not in the best of health. Michelle feared this migh...
More than 120,000 Montanans lost their Medicaid and Healthy Montana Kids health care coverage in the past few months. Shockingly, 70 percent of those terminations were due to administrative reasons: failures on the part of the Gianforte administration. The administration’s poorly thought-out, under-staffed Medicaid redetermination process has hurt thousands of Montanans, especially our elders and children. During the pandemic, in the interest of keeping as many people insured as possible, the federal government suspended t...
Montana families and workers expect our state government to tax people fairly, invest in our safety and future, and give Montanans the opportunity to get ahead in life. Unfortunately, last year Gov. Greg Gianforte and Montana Republicans saddled Montana homeowners with a $200 million residential property tax increase, cut property taxes for large corporations, and then topped it off by providing global corporations a free lunch to lower their Montana taxes. This last tax exploit, while receiving less attention, is every bit...
Editor, Congratulations to all those new and expecting moms out there and thank you everyone to came and supported our Community Baby Shower. We had some awesome vendors and supporters. Extra congratulations to the winners of the baskets, Mariah Kellam, Cheyenne Chinadle, Baliey Schaub, Mackenzy, Abbey Chivilicek, Pam Olson. Tracy Daychild Northern Montana Health Care...
It is really disappointing. Rosendale running for Senator in the Republican primary would have produced a good, hard competition which would have sharpened the debate, allowed valuable evaluation of each candidate, and a good exploration of stances relative to the current issues. Now it is up to Sheehy by himself and he can start by producing a cohesive report outlining who he is, where he grew up, how long he has been in Montana, and how he developed such a vibrant business. As far as the issues are concerned, Sheehy has...
Last night was surprisingly calm, all things considered. I told my husband, Peter, that he should not plan to get a good night’s sleep. I told him this because Peter has never had a cat, and yesterday, we adopted one. I have had several cats over the years, but my last cat, Lucy, died just a few months before I met Peter, 10 years ago. Peter has had dogs all his life and knows nothing about cats (which means every cat who has ever met him finds him fascinating). So we d...
Why do the little changes take up so much space? I should qualify that with an addition, “in my head?” Really, most changes hardly make a dent in my consciousness. Change is constant. My favorite bowl slips from my fingers and shatters on the tile floor. Blip — gone. The rubber tip on my cane wears out. I replace it. Lola The Dog celebrates her birthday (OK, I celebrate her birthday). I notice she has quite a few more white hairs. Change, like a river, always moving. Other...
We’ve all seen individuals that talk a big game, get themselves into a pickle at a bar, and then look to their friends to “hold them back” because they don’t have the guts to take care of business on their own. These folks always talk tough but never have the intestinal fortitude to back it up. That sure sounds a lot like how politician Steve Daines acted this month with his “fake” outrage about the southern border of the USA. We’ve all heard Daines moan, groan and whine about the border for years, bringing it up any time h...
While a person may buy a cake here in Mexico seven days a week from early morning to late at night, getting any other kind of dessert is more challenging. There is a bakery I walk by every day. Everything is fresh and in bins. Customers pick up a metal tray and tongs and select what they want, then bring it up to the counter. The tray is returned to the pile. The tongs are hung neatly with the other tongs. It is a great system, except that the tray holds a lot of baked goods...
In 2015, when the Legislature expanded Medicaid to cover another 100,000 Montanans, it sought to guarantee that all of us — our families, kids, friends and neighbors — would have access to health care. Expanding Medicaid was a significant bipartisan accomplishment: the bill was carried by a Republican senator, passed on a bipartisan vote, and signed by a Democratic governor. And no wonder: It reflected our common conviction that we all — particularly kids — should have access to medical care when we need it. But now that gu...
Some readers, especially those with Scandinavian heritage, may be familiar with the stories of Sven and Ole. I grew up hearing them from my late grandfather. One story comes to mind in the context of our current political climate. Sven and Ole, were two farmers with neighboring farms who had always been very competitive. Ole’s father had always been a Ford man, and the bigger the better, especially the F-350s. So, of course, Ole grew up as a Ford man, too! Sven’s father had always been a Chevy man, and he loved those big Sil...
Dear Editor and Fellow Constituents, Montana’s election process belongs to the people. We want to facilitate open and fair discussions during our primaries. The National Republican Senate Committee Chairman Daines does not need to choose the Arizona candidates or the candidates for Montana … Montanans can pick our own candidates, we do not need rich establishment politicians spoon feeding us our choices for federal or state offices. We want fair and honest elections, not selections. Now is a time for the grassroots of Mon... Full story
Plain and simple — people get sick. Right now, more than 250,000 predominantly low-income Montanans get help with health care through Medicaid — a state-federal partnership. Montana has overall and primary responsibility, while the feds pick up most of the costs, averaging 80% (of total Medicaid spending). In 2022, the federal government provided $1.8 billion to cover health care for Medicaid-eligible Montanans who live in every county across the Big Sky. Remarkably, two-thirds of Medicaid recipients live in our rural communi... Full story
First things first. Our Baby Marley is home. She is home, ready for the hard work of getting healthy and growing and looking at everything around her with those big eyes. We are so grateful. And we are so grateful for all the friends and strangers who cared, who in small ways took our baby in their arms and into their hearts and helped her heal. Thank you. That dog of mine has put me into the habit of greeting the rising sun on our first walk of the day. Believe me, before... Full story
Editor, On behalf of the Independence Bank staff and Board of Directors, we would like to pass on our sincerest condolences to the family of Dave “Doc” Greenwood, who passed away Sunday January 21, 2024. Dave was a Board Member of Independence Bank/MSI from 1993-2016. Dave was one of our longest serving board members, dedicating 23 years to Independence Bank. He will always be remembered for keeping the room light and full of charm. Dave and his wife, Judy, owned and operated Havre’s Yummy Yogurt, Taco John’s, and Pro Put... Full story
My husband, Peter, and I landed in Mexico again, and we did what we have done in the past. We bought an enormous cake. It’s nice to have a cake in the house. I have discovered it is not necessarily a good idea to eat cake every day, as it eventually makes my clothes too small. But I do like cake, and I especially like Mexican cake, and more than anything, I like giving cake away. We love the folks who work at this hotel. When I say “hotel,” you might be thinking of some swank... Full story
As you learn about all the candidates for various offices this year, the most important ones are the ones that most Montanans know the least about. The politicians you need to do the most research on are not the would-be congressmen, governors, or even legislators. It’s the judges. Although they claim to be above the political fray, judges in Montana are in fact politicians. From the district courts to the state Supreme Court, they’re elected. They have to run campaigns, raise money, and their fate is ultimately decided by...
Plain and simple — people get sick. Right now, more than 250,000 predominantly low-income Montanans get help with health care through Medicaid — a state-federal partnership. Montana has overall and primary responsibility, while the Feds pick up most of the costs, averaging 80% (of total Medicaid spending). In 2022, the federal government provided $1.8 billion to cover health care for Medicaid-eligible Montanans who live in every county across the Big Sky. Remarkably, two-thirds of Medicaid recipients live in our rural com...
