News you can use
News you can use
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Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to share breakfast with two groups of amazing young leaders: Montana 4-H, and the Young Stockgrowers of Montana. I'm proud to say the Young Stockgrowers had a formidable north-central Montana delegation. I appreciated the chance to listen to their fresh perspectives, and plans for their futures. Talking to them was a great reminder of what I heard when I knocked on doors and talked to community members last summer. The legislative session is about getting things done for Montanans,...
I was lucky enough to be a judge Saturday at the state Class A Speech, Debate and Drama championships held at Havre High School. That's because my colleague Tim Leeds, also the assistant debate HHS debate coach, invited anyone he knew, ran into on the street or had the email address of to show up for the tournament. It takes quite a number of volunteer judges to put on the event. Those who turned down the offer to be a judge missed an opportunity for a lot of inspiration. These were the state finals, so my fellow judges and...
While sluggish job growth continues to cloud the post-recession recovery, Montana offers a bright spot. Approximately 22,000 of Montana's lowest-paid workers got a raise this January, as the state's minimum wage increased by 15 cents to $7.80. Thanks to a ballot initiative supported by labor and approved by more than 70 percent of Montana voters in 2006, the state's minimum wage automatically adjusts every year to keep pace with the rising cost of living — this key policy reform, known as "indexing," has already been a... Full story
I was watching Mayor Michael Bloomberg on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" recently, and he and Kimmel talked about an app that New York City has launched under his watch: NYC 311. The way they described it on the show, anyone with the app can press a button to report graffiti or a pothole or a crime. You send along your position, and the city will send someone to try and solve the problem. Zach White I know some people in Havre would love to have such a direct line into City Hall, but I'm not sure how easy it is to send a...
It's puzzling to see why the north country farmers are so upset about the sale of the large ranch along the upper Milk River badlands region just south of the Canadian border. Was it the location of the land that is generally inaccessible to farming, or is it jealousy over the price the land brought? And beyond the strong negative reaction of the sale, does the closing of their lands to hunting as a means of retaliation make any reasonable sense? First, we have to wonder why the neighboring farmers aren't pleased that the... Full story
Sometimes you wonder how far society has come over the years. Some of the same problems we faced 40 years ago remain today. There is a lot of poverty. There are wars. Instead of becoming more civil, we seem to becoming more uncivil to one another. But if you get depressed, there is one place you can look for en John Kelleher couragement. Take the case of Franklin Walter. He used to be Frankie, but he's in high school now, so he takes kindly to the more formal name of Franklin. Franklin has been something of a media star... Full story
As we near the midsession break, I thought I'd offer a few observations about the legislative process this session. People frequently ask me if I notice any differences from the earlier periods when I served in the Senate. Some things are much the same as they were in those years of my previous service. Most of the members are genuinely interested in good public policy, although they may have fierce disagreements about just what should pass as good public policy. I believe there has been a concerted effort this session to be...
All in all, the first three months of this winter weren't too bad, so even if the next three months of winter are harsh, we really have nothing to complain about. But I will anyway. It's not a secret; I'm no fan of winter. If I had my way, we'd have a month of it and a month of high-summer and the rest would be spring and fall. This time of year I imagine a Shangri-La exists, possibly somewhere in the mountains of New Mexico, where the weather is like this all year. Pam Burke...
The focus of Havre Daily News is local news. We are a complete newspaper, but our emphasis — and our heart — is in Havre, the Hi-Line and north-central Montana. We love covering and being in the middle of the news developments, the sports stories, the interesting features and the commentary of our area. John Kelleher And we think that's what our readers are interested in. Our readers have a host of way of getting national and world news and ESPN and numerous other sources to keep track of the sports world. But, if we may be... Full story
No matter what side of the political fence you sit on, your age, race or religion, the issues of guns, gun violence and gun control affect all American citizens. Since the Sandy Hook school massacre, this already controversial topic has penetrated our everyday lives even more through actions from Congress, lobby organizations, media reports and talk with neighbors over morning coffee. Our Montana Congressional delegation has spoken in the past about protecting our Second Amendment rights. Eyes will be highly focused on our...
I knew that somebody was going to cling to the underside of app data to sneak past the blinded cyclops that control the nation's/world's airwaves, but I didn't expect Facebook to be the first ones out. Facebook announced last week their Facebook Messenger iPhone app, which is separate from regular Facebook app, is now capable of making phone calls. The calls are free and don't use any cellphone plan minutes. And you don't need to use anyone's phone number, just add them on Facebook. Zach White It has been an inevitability,...
Every two years, our citizen legislature meets for 90 days. As your state senator, I wanted to update you on the start of the legislative session, share some perspective on the first days, and let you know how we can stay in touch and engaged over the upcoming months. So far, legislators have maintained a civil approach to one another and with the new governor, Steve Bullock. Even when differences emerge, I hope that civility continues to prevail. Over the upcoming months, you'll be hearing a lot from me about making sure we... Full story
This week, the Office of Public Instruction released its annual Graduation and Dropout Report. For the fourth year in a row, graduation rates were up and dropout rates were down. The credit for this improvement belongs to the school leaders, teachers, students, community members and parents who have put in the work at the local level to make a difference in the lives of hundreds of students who may not have made it to graduation without their efforts. Denise Juneau While we can celebrate this success, we also know that 1,841...
People always say "I'd like to be a fly on that wall," when they're talking about being able to get the inside scoop on the real goings on among people. Reporters, they're always hunting the inside story, the dirt, the scoop, the skinny, the REAL story, but they can't be the secret fly on the wall. They have to declare themselves and their intentions to observe, record and interview. Pam Burke In my expanded capacity at the paper (the one where I'm asked to overcome all my...
This week, KRTV in Great Falls and a handful of other television and radio stations broadcasted an unscheduled emergency alert system warning to the public about a zombie attack. Yes, an all-out zombie attack with the dead rising from their graves and attacking the live folks. The alert came courtesy of unknown hackers who targeted stations who hadn't bothered to change their default password in their computer systems. As funny as all that is, that's not what I'm here to talk...
Pam Burke My 4-year-old horse has super powers: He is naturally impervious to electrical shock. That's a bit of a problem when he lives on a place where electric fencing is used to keep horses out of danger. I know that seems like a bit of a contradiction: deliberate electrocution will keep him out of danger. But it's not like the jolt is powerful enough to stop his heart or anything — if it were I'd be dead several times over by now. It just, y'know, gets your attention a... Full story
It's easy to become downcast in winter, even as mild a winter as this has been thus far, knock on wood, salt over shoulder, sign of the cross. I try to keep an upbeat attitude, but sometimes ... . One seemingly ordinary day last week, I had a fright. The day started as usual: snow fall in the morning filled in my footprints and cat tracks of the day previous, a shout of afternoon sunshine, a bit of breeze. A good day, a good mild winter's day, a day to bless and fill with murm...
The obituary had already been written. ——— Pamville Recliner, age at least 20, died of natural causes Sunday, Feb. 3. He had remained firm-seated and hardy until the very end. Recliner's manufacture date is unknown, but his first years after the showroom floor were spent with a nice retired lady. When she decided that he wasn't a good fit for her after all, he came to Pamville in the North 40 and became the beloved companion of Pam Burke. Pam Burke Recliner and Pam spent...
About a month ago, after a hiatus of several years, I began painting. I hadn't meant to give it up for so long. I missed the feel of the wooden brush between my fingers. I love to grab globs of oil paint and smear the paint onto stretched canvas. I like the sound the brush makes, the soft sweep. I like the smell of turpentine. It is thrilling to watch the first lines form into recognizable shapes and objects. Sondra Ashton When I am painting, something magical happens. The... Full story
Once again, the Montana Legislature is considering bills that would block tribes from restoring wild bison to our own tribal lands. By generally banning wild bison from Montana, House Bill 249 and Senate Bill 143 represent an astounding level of disrespect to the tribes of this state. We call on the Legislature to defeat these offensive bills and on the governor to veto any that make it through. Mark Azure After the great bison slaughter of the 1800s, fewer than 25 wild bison remained in Yellowstone. Their descendants are... Full story
"If a(n insurance) mandate was the solution, we could try that to solve homelessness by mandating everybody buy a house." — Sen. Barack Obama, 2007. Growing up in a Montana family of 14, my parents taught us most important life lessons. One lesson driven home repeatedly: If a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Such is the Obamacare deal. Everybody will be forced to buy health insurance … and that will magically mean better health care. Obamacare's Medicaid component is particularly egregious for Montanans. The...
Bill Thackeray's recent view expressed in the Opinion Page of the Havre Daily News brought up some interesting points. The article inspired me to bring them to print. First of all I know every one of the farmers and ranchers who have closed their land to hunting over this issue. They are all good neighborly people who had views on this sale. They were not jealous of the price, and the ones I know just want to make a living doing what they love to do. They tried to exercise their rights as residents of this state in voicing...
This is my last column. By the time the next would have run, I will have begun my next job, doing what I started doing here last April, which I would not have gotten without these columns. It's been a good year. It's been a good two-and-a-half years. And I have enjoyed working with and talking with you. Zach White As I've been getting ready to leave Havre, I've thought about the positive feeling I have about the direction this community is headed. I have written before about the admiration I hold for the dedication of the... Full story
The highlight of this week's proceedings was the traditional State of the State address delivered by our new governor, Steve Bullock. His address was followed by the response delivered by Rep. Austin Knudsen from Culbertson. Legislators from both parties, including me, listened carefully and respectfully to both speeches. As a frequent judge at high school speech meets, I would give both high marks for delivery and message. I believe that Gov. Bullock succeeded in offering a positive way forward for Montana, growing jobs,...
My daughter Dee Dee sent me pictures of my granddaughter Toni, now 7 years old, with her new horse, Jill. Toni's grandfather thinks Jill is still his horse. From the evidence of the photograph, a girl and her horse, cheek to cheek, eyes closed in blissful rapture, this horse belongs to Toni, no question. Back in October my daughter and her family moved "home" to Montana. Dee Dee had lived in Washington several years. Toni was born in Japan and the family ended up back in...
