News you can use
News you can use
Sorted by date Results 3055 - 3079 of 3175
Mom decided to take off for the balmy warmth of Mexico and left my brother and I to fill in for her. There is no way I can fill her creative shoes, but I'll give it a try. This summer I came back to Montana for the first time since I graduated from college. Oh, I've been back for visits, but flying in and out is just not the same as driving. Driving makes the experience more solid for some reason. Dee Dee Robart I loaded the typical mom van with husband, two daughters (18 and 5), luggage for two months (after all we would be...
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is reported to be running out of money because of decreased hunting license purchases and is considering asking the Legislature for license fee increases. This is the first obvious symptom of something known as agency "death spiral" for FWP. Over the past two decades, FWP has come to focus on wildlife and biology, when it should have been focused on fish and game. This includes FWP's shocking tolerance and support for large predators. FWP's total, willing, even eager cooperation with fostering...
Despite President Obama's best attempts to stimulate the economy through massive government spending programs and corporate bailouts, our economy remains in a slump. Unemployment is stubbornly high, business and consumer confidence has lagged, and growing public debt problems at home and abroad have complicated prospects of a recovery. The pundits are quick to point to the occasional economic indicator that hints that things are getting better, but that type of optimism isn't shared by many of the business owners and workers...
The Pamville science news editor tasked Pamville reporters to bring forth the latest hard-hitting dope on the recreational drug scene, scientifically speaking, that is. ——— University of Connecticut officials in an internal review have found that their famous heart researcher, wine connoisseur and cheese cutter, Dipak Das has fabricated, falsified and manipulated data in the last seven years of his studies on red wine's benefits to cardiovascular health. UConn officials recently turned down $890,000 in federal grants award...
Today officially marks the beginning of the 2012 political season Candidates can begin filing for seats in the Nov. 6 election. In Montana, Election 2012 promises to be a political junkie's dream. There will be hotly contested races from president of the United States to Hill County commissioner. Every statewide political office is open, highlighted by what promises to be a doozy of a governor's race. And the race for U.S. Senate between Democrat Jon Tester and Dennis Rehberg is getting national attention. John Kelleher...
Last week, the Montana Supreme Court overturned an earlier victory for free speech rights won in Helena district court by American Tradition Partnership, Montana Shooting Sports Association and Champion Painting Inc. over government bureaucrats' right to bar individuals and companies from airing political opinions under a non-profit or for-profit corporate umbrella. The ban on speech that Montana's court temporarily restored was enacted before Prohibition, in response to this state's embarrassing history of political...
Remember when we were 6 going on 7. Remember when birthdays were a joy, a cause for celebration, awaited with keen anticipation. Remember the excitement of 12 going on 13, becoming a teenager. Or counting the days until we passed that major milestone and turned 21. Ah, the sweet expectations of youth. Then suddenly we were 29 and heading over the hill. Sondra Ashton A few weeks ago I enjoyed the Christmas feast with my cousin Shirley and her older son, Tim. While sewing gift p...
Most of us grew up with every adult in our lives telling us to "make smart choices" — sometimes that came out as "don't be stupid," but we knew what they meant. Last week, Montana's Chief U.S. District Judge Richard Cebull did not make a smart choice when he passed along a now infamous, anti-Obama, pro-racism joke from his official email account to six of his friends. That incriminating email made its way to the newspapers, and now there's a great hue and cry from the p...
Since the 2008 elections, we've seen a battle at both the state and federal level over the power of organized labor and its effort to forcibly unionize workers. Big Labor has found a president who will carry its water, pushing legislation and enacting regulatory changes that favor union bosses over workers and job creators. The extent of their influence became all-too apparent in the national controversy that culminated with Obama's labor relations board prohibiting a Boeing manufacturing facility from being located in a...
Last week, the Susan G. Komen national organization changed a policy that was revised in mid-December recognizing the importance of removing the perception that politics were involved in our grant making. Nancy W. Lee We want to apologize to our supporters for casting doubt upon our commitment to our mission of saving women's lives. While it is our responsibility to rebuild trust, remember that not funding Komen in the future would hurt those in most need. The real losers would be underserved women and their families across...
Political corruption. It weakens democracy and demands our attention. Defined by Wikipedia as "the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain," political corruption "erodes the institutional capacity of government as procedures are disregarded, resources are siphoned off, and public offices are bought and sold." State Sen. Jeff Essman Disturbingly, the most recent example involves the Commissioner of Political Practices, the office charged with ensuring compliance with ethics, lobbying and...
The Keystone XL Pipeline project jumped through every hurdle that the government could throw at it. It went through extensive environmental assessments and grueling public hearings in every state through which it would pass, yet in the end it seems that no amount of effort would have been good enough. The Obama administration has taken a pass on Keystone XL, and Montana stands to be one of the big losers. A stunning disappointment One of the reasons that the White House rejected Keystone XL was because it was not considered...
Political impasses are becoming the norm today. It seems that from the perspective of the political insiders and power brokers, government's role is to align with party politics, instead of common sense. Unfortunately even with a vital job-creating endeavor like Keystone XL Pipeline, there are still games being played. I won't even address the ridiculous notions that this pipeline would be harmful to our country for they are rooted in what Mitch Daniels accurately described as "extremism." Jim Lynch As governor, I wouldn't wa...
The following is an excerpt from the introduction of the highly acclaimed book "Beyond the Kite: 101 Uses for a High Wind" written by Windy Erenell and published by Pamville Publishing Company Inc., LLC, PDQ, FTW: Philosophers have long debated whether or not a tree falling in the woods makes a sound if no man is there to hear it. So too, the best minds of many centuries have debated whether or not the wind actually blows in places that have no man there to get annoyed by it....
The U.S. Postal Service needs to work toward balancing its books while fulfilling its mission of delivering mail to homes, businesses, hospitals and schools throughout the United States, including in our rural areas. Recently, under the banner of fiscal responsibility, the USPS has targeted more than 650 post offices for closure, including 85 in Montana, all in small, rural communities in our state. Lesley Robinson No one suggests the Postal Service shouldn't tighten its belt. In fact, it should consider eliminating post offi...
It's Sunday, the first day of January. Today I received a love letter. It didn't arrive in the conventional manner, tucked in my box at the post office, enclosed in an envelope with my name in the center and a cancelled stamp in the upper right-hand corner. It fell out of a book I was reading, a used book, "Garbo Laughs," a novel by Elizabeth Hay, a writer from Ottawa, Canada. Who knows how long it had held a place between the pages. I turned the page and a small piece of...
As I write this, it is a year to the date and almost the very hour that I received a phone call from Jim Donovan, Havre Public Schools director of operations, informing me that our high school roof had collapsed. I would like to say that was a distant memory, but the emotions stirred by that thought are still quite fresh. I do not imagine that is something that will change for quite some time. The positive memory that remains with me from that day was the manner in which our high school staff and students reacted to the unexp...
Havre's cellphone ordinance, making driving while using a cell phone a ticketable offense in city limits, is in effect now, but it it is not being fully enforced yet. A movement is afoot to repeal the ban. Should City Council repeal the ban? Here are two contrasting views on the subject. Join us in the conversation at http://www.facebook.com/havredailynews. Or email, us at [email protected]@havredailynews.com. For: Driving with a cellphone is not a right Val Murri I understand that certain members of the Havre City...
Montanans saw many records shattered in 2011 when it comes to water. While many citizens prayed for years that our drought would end, I doubt any of us ever thought this might be accomplished in one season. One might think that there can be no such thing as too much water in the realm of public drinking water supply systems. However, the flooding wreaked havoc on public water infrastructure and water system reliability. Communities across the state were faced with high turbidity and much of the aging infrastructure was stress...
Get this, I've been banned from the shop like a common criminal because — and I quote my husband here — I "can't be trusted." More than 22 years together and it comes to this: He's putting a kitty cat between us as if it's a matter of principle. We'd been hearing a feral cat outside the house off and on for a week or so and started feeding it in the shop last weekend. We've been hoping to attract a shop kitty for mouse control purposes, so this was good news. It showed up to...
Agriculture is Montana's largest economic driver, generating more than $2.4 billion in cash receipts every year. Montana's 56.5 million acres of agricultural land not only produce food that Montanans eat and materials for clothes that they wear, but they serve as a primary source of wildlife habitat and a means for conserving open spaces and preserving our hunting heritage. In light of these realities, it seems counter-intuitive that the Montana Wool Growers Association is having to spend a substantial portion of its...
Back when I lived in Washington, a theater group of which I was a member met every Tuesday morning for breakfast at Sheila's By the Bay, a local café. That's where we made the day-to-day decisions of running our theater. And we also discussed a wide range of current topics. One morning, Gayle, a retired government spook, leaned across the table and said, "Sondra, you are the most apolitical person I know." Sondra Ashton "Why, thank you," I replied. I was pleased to accept the compliment and to ignore the hint of frustration...
In a startling turn of events indicative of the socio-economic turmoil of these modern times, the Occupy movement has moved north, farthest north in fact, where Santa's elves are spearheading an Occupy North Pole protest. A growing number of elves have been camping out in Biscotti Park, a short walk from ground zero for the protesters: Santa's Workshop. The encamped elves are sleeping in a makeshift village of igloos, yurts and ice castles while mounting their protest against...
I had the honor this week of introducing a jobs bill in the U.S. Senate that enjoyed a rare victory: overwhelming bipartisan support. The Senate passed my VOW to Hire Heroes Act with a vote of 94-1. It's a victory that belongs to the many Montanans who came to me with concerns over this nation's unacceptably high veterans' unemployment rate. SEN. JON TESTER The jobless rate, especially among younger veterans returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan, is getting worse. I consider it a national disgrace. Veterans deserve...
The year was 1980. I was recently divorced. I had been through a few rough years. I sold everything I owned and moved myself and my children from Chicago back to Harlem to make a fresh start. Ben was 2, Esther 4 and Dee 13. I rented a tiny house in town, furnished it with items scoured from friends' basements, attics and barns. A one-pound Folgers can propped one corner of the broad-armed mohair sofa. Dee and I each slept on lumpy rollaway beds. The babies had bunks. A friend...
