News you can use
News you can use
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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...
Essen The ability to comment on proposed state and federal government regulations is an important right for all Americans. Since we live in a republic, not a direct democracy, public comment helps our representatives make informed decisions on our behalf. No one expects public comment to be the equivalent of voting. But even so, public comment should not be ignored. After all, if our representatives just did what they pleased, they could hardly be considered representatives. This is especially true when government officials... Full story
When I was 7 years old, somewhat of a lost child, uncertain about every aspect of my life, my Indiana cousin Shirley, two years older, took me under wing. Shirley spoke with firm confidence and sureness, always. She quickly became my mentor, my hero. For the next five years she was my best friend. Then my family moved to Montana. Shirley and I wrote frequent letters until she left for college. Over the years and over the miles, our lives split onto widely divergent pathways Sondra Ashton At previous reunions, we had...
Something happened on Facebook on Tuesday. You may have seen some of your friends changing their profile picture to a pink equality sign on a red background. That image symbolizes support for marriage equality this week as the United States Supreme Court hears a couple of major cases regarding gay marriage. Hundreds of thousands of people on Facebook are sporting the image; it's gone viral. I don't usually go along with sharing popular Facebook trends — the site is filled with chainmail-style urban legends, hoaxes and t... Full story
The Montana Legislature is cruising along at a nice pace, however I'm not convinced that Montana's business is being conducted in a prudent and responsible manner. On Wednesday, March 19, the House of Representatives passed HB 2, the appropriations bill totaling $4,546,622,698, out of the general assembly on second reading by a unanimous vote. That is unheard of in Montana history and even more surprising, they only deliberated for about 70 minutes. At issue, from my perspective, is that there is no way for some legislators... Full story
What does "home" mean to you? In your own words, think about: "To me, home is … ." We all have our own answers, but they can be summarized in a new national initiative, Home Matters. Home Matters is building public support for the essential role that home plays as the bedrock for thriving lives, families, and a stronger nation. Home is at the core of all of the aspirations that we have as individuals, neighborhoods, communities — and as a nation. Home is where we as individuals dream, study, plan, and recharge for the day... Full story
Would you believe that the Senate Taxation Committee would get a letter from the ambassador from Lichtenstein claiming that Montana tax laws are an insult to his country? And would you believe that the largest association supposedly representing Montana businesses would suggest that letter is evidence that Montana has a hostile business climate? Never mind that the topic about which those claims are made is one small part of an obscure little Montana law that gives a big income tax break to large, international corporations...
Next year will be the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage in Montana. As luck will have it, it will also be the 100th anniversary of the Havre Daily News. Most people consider the centennial of suffrage more important, so we are planning to celebrate that in our pages. Martha Kohl, the historical specialist for the Montana Historical Society, was in town for the Montana Association of Museums meeting. The group conducted its statewide convention in Havre this weekend. Montana beat out the United States as a whole by six yea...
Much hubbub has been made recently in the press about Montana Public Service Commission's decision to consider repealing what has come to be called the "PSC Executive Pay Rule." Much of the commentary has been misleading, even downright inaccurate. The Public Service Commissioners need and want your input and feedback on the matter. I've outlined a number of issues for your consideration and hope you'll take the time to call us or send your commissioner feedback. - Issue 1, Duplication: One argument for repeal is that the...
These words give all of us the sense that things need to be done. I am not talking about Christmas, but I am referring to all of the jobs that present themselves to us when the snow starts to melt away. As the days get longer, the jobs multiply. Spring is on its way and there are many jobs to do. It should be easy for us to get away from a winter wonderland of snow capped hills, icy roads and cold temperatures. The site of brown dead grass, dusty gray roads and pile after pile of our favorite pets' droppings all over the...
The last week on the Hi-Line has shown once again of the growth of environmentalism in our daily lives while environmental causes along the Hi-Line. While environmental causes have been losing ground at the governmental level — things haven't been going all that well in Congress or the Montana Legislature, people in their personal lives are taking actions that will help preserve the environment and improve the general day-to-day livability of the planet and our particular part of it. There was a massive increase in the n...
Much discussion about the condition of our state pension systems has been taking place this legislative session. A number of bills have been proposed to alleviate the shortfalls and make the systems solvent. Most of that debate has centered on the merits of two styles of retirement plans: defined benefit and defined contribution. I contend that the debate is not broad enough. John Musgrove Gary Buchanan recently wrote an op-ed piece about state pensions. He noted that our state pension systems were actuarially sound by the en...
Pamville News reporters bring you the latest events gripping the nation, and notes on planned follow-up coverage ——— The tiny town of Luttrell, situated in a holler in northeast Tennessee, was experiencing a Girl Scout crisis of epic proportions: Troop 21118 was having trouble finding enough customers to buy their famous Girl Scout cookies but undaunted, they used their Scouting ingenuity and a little down-home practicality to fix the problem. The troop's sales trouble was their lack of a major hub that attracts people in th...
Clarence Gideon was convicted of burglarizing a Florida bar and sentenced to five years in prison based solely on the testimony of one questionable eyewitness. But Gideon's side didn't adequately challenge that eyewitness at trial. You see, Gideon handled his own defense. When he requested a public defender be appointed to him, the judge said that the state only had an obligation to do that in cases eligible for the death penalty. Scott Crichton Gideon disagreed and penciled his plea to the U.S. Supreme Court. On March 18,...
Friday, April 5, the Senate found itself mired in an angry dispute between the two parties. The majority was seen to be railroading several pieces of legislation in a manner that disregarded proper rules of public notice and procedure. The minority reacted by attempting a little-used parliamentary motion called "Call of the Senate." The situation deteriorated. Greg Jergeson As dean of the Montana Senate, an institution that I revere beyond measure, disappointment is the only word that can describe my feelings about the... Full story
Every Montanan knows the experience of opening the utility bill and wondering how the rates were decided. Paying those bills is a challenge for many Montana families. To ensure the fairness of rates, Montanans elect the Public Service Commissioners, charged with reviewing submissions from utilities and arriving at rate decisions that allow a fair return for the utility and a justifiable price for consumers. March 5 the PSC voted four to one to take a step that jeopardizes that assurance. The five-member, all Republican... Full story
Recently I was driving south on 12th Avenue and came to a stop at 2nd Street, which is a one-way street on the east side of town. I had the right of way, but a westbound driver was approaching on the one-way and showed no sign of slowing down. Sure enough, that driver went right on through the intersection — in so doing, breaking the law. I made a right turn, as planned, and saw that the other car had pulled over at a house. I stopped, too, and we had cordial conversation. I said I had the right of way. The other driver s...
In Montana all taverns are licensed for the retail sale of alcohol, with different privileges available depending on the license held. Breweries in Montana are licensed as beer manufacturers. Since 1999 breweries have been allowed to sell samples of their beer through a special exception to the licensing requirements. Tavern owners across Montana helped support this special exception for Montana's small breweries so that they could introduce people to their products and develop a market for them. We continue to support this...
The other day, as I approached the entrance to a store, I saw another person on their way in too. Since I got to the door first, I held the door open for them to enter without interruption. As they walked through they said "thanks," and I nodded my head in reply. Holding the door open for someone is a small and common courtesy that a lot of us extend to others. Often times we don't know who the other person is, but we still extend the courtesy all the same. One way to think about such a small courtesy is in terms of service.... Full story
As the coal debate heats up on the west coast, our state is left hoping and waiting for the approval of five proposed coal export terminals in the Pacific Northwest. Our state economy is closely connected with the coal industry — keenly feeling the ups and downs of this industry. And, right now, the proposed Pacific Northwest terminals will aide in supplying our state a new export market for sustained, long-term economic growth. Montana has always had the largest coal reserve in the country with over 119 billion tons of c... Full story
John Maresca, Union Oil of California's (UNOCAL) vice president for international relations, testified before the House Committee on International Relations on Feb. 12, 1998, that Afghanistan and the Central Asian region, historically a rich mineral resource region since the days of Marco Polo and the great Silk Road, contains significant oil and gas and other mineral reserves and that the most efficient way of meeting the expanding petroleum needs of Asia and Western Europe is the construction of a pipeline across...
On May 8, the Bureau of Land Management will hold a public meeting in the Triangle Telephone Hospitality Room at 6 p.m. These meetings will also be held in Glasgow, Malta, Chester and Great Falls. The event is a part of the public involvement process required of the BLM in the final stages of the Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (RMP/EIS). Currently in draft status, the document consists of two volumes which amount to a total of 1,291 pages making the document quite inaccessible for most people in...
Unknown to most Havre residents, every day tough problems are tackled, and our community is strengthened by AmeriCorps and VISTA members who give their time and skills in national service. Sometimes they tutor and mentor children in after-school programs at the Boys & Girls Club. Sometimes they gather people in roundtable discussions and focus groups so that, together, they can learn what the needs of the community are and, together, decide how to create a better future for us in north-central Montana. Tim Solomon Sometimes...
According to my recent reading, had I been born at any point before about 1940, I would've died or been killed, or at least irreparably maimed, before reaching my teens. It was a brutal world for which accident-prone wimps like me were ill-equipped to thrive, or even survive. Pam Burke As the result of a clever, underhanded plot by a friend who knows my weaknesses too well, I am the newest volunteer helping the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame to prepare the 2013 nominees' biograph...
Winter's plunging temperatures do not make me yearn to frolic in the vast outdoors. In fact, last week I huddled impatiently in wait for the red line to climb. While brilliant sun danced atop the icy-flaked blanket of snow, I ventured to walk the mere five blocks to the post office to pick up a week's worth of mail. I dragged home a bag of letters, bills, newspapers and six books that I had ordered in a moment of pre-Christmas insanity. I couldn't help it. Santa made me do...
