News you can use
News you can use
Sorted by date Results 1223 - 1247 of 3210
People of the Hi-Line, As of today, 1.3 million people around the world have contracted COVID-19. Over 73,000 of those patients lost their battle against this virus. Montana has 298 cases and 6 fatalities. Still, Hill and Liberty counties have only one confirmed case apiece. So why “Shelter in Place?” Because, to quote your parents on a long road trip, “We’re not there yet.” COVID-19 came into our country on people who had traveled to other affected areas. Although the Centers for Disease Control does try to locate what are...
Stress is something we all deal with. But, the type of stress we’re going through right now is unprecedented. So, with that in mind, I promise that what I’m about to say is not coming from any place other than that of genuine concern for all of us in Havre, Hill County and the Hi-Line. We all live here, so we’re all in this coronavirus world together. And what I’m going to say is actually a question, and my question is this: Can we please just tough this quarantine, or stay-at-home-order or whatever we want to call it, out...
My desk faces the window and that is where I spend most of my time. I spend about as much time at my desk as I do in my bed which is, conveniently located about 30 feet away. It’s a pretty short commute and there’s rarely traffic. Occasionally, my husband Peter might be coming or going from the bathroom, but that’s about it. Once a day, I take a walk in the woods but the rest of my time is spent sitting at my window. My life used to seem kind of odd — and sometimes a little...
I am one of the least likely people to participate in what I normally call “Rah-Rah” stuff — those spirit-lifting, come-together, team-building exercises to rally the crowd — so this op-ed is going to come as a shock to everyone who knows me. The people of Havre and Hill County have done an amazing job of coming together during this pandemic crisis, supporting one another and not only finding the good in others, but also expressing gratitude publicly — all while still followin...
For those of us old enough to remember or to watch reruns of the 1950s classic “Dragnet,” we can easily recall Sgt. Friday’s quote, “Just the facts, ma’am.” That quote became locked into America’s lexicon, highlighting a simple ask of all of us to be honest with each other. The facts unfolding before us regarding COVID-19 are no different. The risks are real. Epidemiologists have estimated the virus will attack 30 to 40 percent of us, and five percent of those cases will be severe enough to require hospitalizati...
COVID-19 has upended lives across Montana, making many of us rethink the future of our world. One uncharted territory is education. Montana has closed schools to families physically while maintaining education and nutrition services. Many are tackling distance learning. Some Montana students do not have internet access, and at the same time, many schools are completely closed and can’t distribute or collect paper packets. Montana is as diverse as its teachers’ approaches to this issue, but this diversity is sharply con...
This week’s recurring theme in my life is the thought experiment called Schrodinger’s cat. I’m going to do my best to explain the background of Schrodinger’s cat, but right off the bat, I want to make it clear that it’s called a thought experiment because no one actually did anything to an actual cat. So here’s the deal, Austrian physicist Erwin Schrodinger was trying to illustrate the difference between classical physics and some new-age level, mind-blowing physics that said...
COVID-19 continues to be at the forefront of our current health battles and plans. We have one documented case of COVID-19 in Havre, but almost assuredly there are more. We still do not have the testing capabilities to test everyone with symptoms. Our Flu Clinic continues to provide services for people with acute illnesses and provide appropriate screening for COVID-19. This allows semi-normal operations for our ambulatory clinics. We continue to manage and see those who are in need of an in-person visit, but are also...
Now that I gained your attention, I confess, I have not a clue. Neither to survival nor to sanity. I’m fishing for answers. I figured if I cast out a line, I might hook you and you could tell me! Self-quarantine and social distance. You’d think they would be my old normal since that is pretty much my life during the summer months when my snow-bird neighbors return to the north-country. Yet I went through the same patterns of ups and downs as my friends reported. We found the...
Joe’s red truck is parked behind his house. It hasn’t moved in days. Joe gets in his red truck every morning and drives around. He’s a member of every fraternal organization, a regular at the brewpub and has friends in every corner of town. Joe picks up a coffee and spends most mornings greeting people out the window of his red pickup. But Joe hasn’t been feeling well and his truck has been parked behind his house. He’s been sick and there’s nowhere to go. Normally, I would be...
We are in a new day, legislating and politics as we knew it has become learn-as-we-go. The face-to-face meetings are no more, web-based conference is the new meeting protocol. Webex, Zoom, Skype, Conference Call and Facetime are my new norm. It seems everyone has a difference preference as to what is the best. Oh, did I mention Snap Chat and Messenger, all have a learning curve and I am being tested. The good news is, most work can and is being done in this fashion. The law does allow school boards the latitude to do what...
It’s been said often in the last few weeks that we’re in a battle with the coronavirus disease known as COVID-19. And while it took a little while longer, the battlefront has arrived in Montana, and even here in Hill County. And, with Montana Gov. Steve Bullock’s directive Thursday, ordering Montanan’s to stay at home as much as humanly possible, likely for at least the next couple of weeks, if not longer, it appears we too have begun to fight the COVID-19 battle. I’ve also heard, since the pandemic arrived in the United St...
The second winter after my husband, John, and I were married, we took in a stray cat that showed up on our place. She was a beautiful blue-eyed, sealpoint, Siamese-cross with lots of white markings, and at her heaviest she weighed 7 pounds, but she was all sinew, claws and attitude. Mostly attitude. Except that first month or so. We were in the middle of a subzero January cold spell when this emaciated thing came hobbling by me trying very unsuccessfully to catch an...
How quickly we progressed from refusing hugs and handshakes, to isolating in voluntary quarantine. In the mornings when Leo came to work our gardens, he calls out, “Sondrita, are you alive.” “Just a minute, let me check. Breathing? Yes, Heart beating? Yes. I’m alive.” Our governor of Jalisco has asked everybody to stay home for five days, to help “flatten the curve.” How quickly we learn the new language. Will everybody stay home? Of course not. For those of us who are “of a...
In the face of a public health crisis more serious than any of us have seen in our lifetime, we all feel vulnerable. In our best attempt to stop the spread of COVID-19, we listen to public health experts and close schools, cancel gatherings and events, and practice social distancing, staying home — and away from other people — except for the most essential needs. It’s vital advice coming from public health experts to flatten the curve, ensure that our health care systems can function, and save as many lives as possi...
An enormous box arrives at our house. It is filled with food and cleaning supplies and, yes, toilet paper. I feel guilty. But the truth is, these supplies were ordered months ago. My husband, Peter, was a hoarder long before hoarding was in fashion. “Here you go!” Peter says, as he unpacks the latest shipment. “Eight more pounds of oatmeal!” My oatmeal consumption over the past few weeks while writing would certainly set some sort of record had I been keeping track. Peter p...
Montanans are no strangers to challenging and unprecedented times. In 2017, we tackled the most expensive fire season on record and the largest since the big burn of 1910. Through economic downturns, we have made sacrifices in order to help neighbors in need and rebuilt again. Even dating back to the Granite Mountain mine disaster over a century ago, we made sure we came out of it a stronger community. With coronavirus now reaching our state, we again face challenging and unprecedented times. This pandemic not only gives way...
The Lands Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Spokane, Washington. We are dedicated to the preservation and protection of forests, water and wildlife in the Inland Northwest. Since 1984, The Lands Council has been a community leader, promoting responsible recreation in wild places inherently valuable to the region. We are inspired to preserve nature’s legacy for future generations. As part of our restoration ecology program we actively relocate nuisance beavers. To date, The Lands Council has relocated o...
Montanans are no strangers to challenging and unprecedented times. In 2017, we tackled the most expensive fire season on record and the largest since the big burn of 1910. Through economic downturns, we have made sacrifices in order to help neighbors in need and rebuilt again. Even dating back to the Granite Mountain mine disaster over a century ago, we made sure we came out of it a stronger community. With coronavirus now reaching our state, we again face challenging and unprecedented times. This pandemic not only gives way...
My hours spent actually in the office were moved around so I now come to work late at night or early in the morning, like, late-late or early-early when no one is there so that I can do my part to help us practice social distancing. I really don’t need much practice in social distancing — like practice-practice because I’m not good at it. No. It’s my natural state. I was born for this. I am joined by all the other socially awkward kids and adults in finally feeling a little...
Montana’s small businesses are the fabric of our economy and their success is dependent on the ability to freely market products and services to communities across the state. As Americans face the new reality of “social distancing” measures, our local small businesses are bearing the brunt of that impact and are addressing serious concerns regarding declining customer traffic. In order to assist businesses adversely impacted by the coronavirus and COVID-19, and at the request of Gov. Steve Bullock, the U.S. Small Busin...
It’s probably been centuries since our world has been so united in purpose. We are concerned — concerned for our own health, our families, our neighbors, concerned for those around the other side of the globe. A few weeks ago I bought tickets for a quick trip to Glendive. Let me modify that — there is no quick trip into Montana from Central Mexico. I bought tickets for the long trip, short stay. I felt I had little choice since on my birthday, my Montana Driver’s License...
There are myths of COVID-19 that need to be addressed. This is not another flu. Some data suggests that the mortality rate of COVID-19 is 10- to 30-times higher than seasonal influenza (flu). There are no drug treatments. There are no current vaccines and a vaccine is not expected for another 12-18 months at best. Yes, most people will have a mild illness with COVID-19, roughly 80 percent, but the most vulnerable in our population will pay the price if nothing is done. Persons aged 60 and above and those with preexisting...
It’s a very gray day. Today is exactly the sort of day I am most grateful for dogs. Walking in my neighborhood, everyone feels the need to share the latest dire news. Meeting in the street, we almost feel irresponsible if we don’t express our concern and our dismay and our confusion. The people with dogs, however, have it easy. Because dogs don’t care. Nearly every day, I encounter dogs. There is Graham, the black Lab, who is supposedly being trained as a service dog. Graha...
I want to remind adult Montanans with disabilities that we have the right to vote. With a very narrow exception for people with guardians who have explicitly had their right to vote suspended as part of guardianship proceedings, we have the right to vote along with all other vote-eligible Montanans. Our right can’t be impeded by polling locations or ballots that are difficult or even impossible for us to cast independently. A slew of laws had to be passed to remove these barriers. Starting with the Voting Rights Act of ’65, V...
