Columns

It’s hard to imagine, given how invested I feel in a slate of consequential elections that are still almost a year away, that we began 2023 with an equally consequential legislative session.  A 90-ish day gauntlet in the dead of winter, this session saw a historic supermajority for the Republican Party, which, empowered by a Republican governor and attorney general, ushered through a slate of conservative legislation touching everything from income taxes to LGBTQ+ rights, expression and medical care.  This year also saw the launch of Capitolized, a regular newsletter (twice weekly during the session, once a week since) investigating the depths of Montana’s politi...

Historic drought conditions and weather extremes have hit the outdoor industry hard in Montana and other states throughout the West. Shorter winters, brought on by a changing climate, are driving these hard-hitting delays in the season. “There’s definitely been a shift in the weather in the la...

“You don’t really appreciate what you’ve got until it’s gone.” These wise words came out of the mouth of my 16-year-old son; surprisingly, he wasn’t referring to a Snicker’s bar. I’ve always known he is an old soul, but this particular insight was unexpected...

As principals we strive to ensure our schools are engaging, safe and healthy environments that promote learning. However, youth vaping in Montana is threatening our kids’ health and safety and creating unnecessary barriers to academic success. Montana has a serious problem with youth e-cigarette use...

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Or is it? People enjoy decorating for the holidays, cooking, baking, writing those non-brag family letters and finding the ideal gift for everyone on their list.  Or do they? For some, many even, this is the most wonderful time of the year. Peo...

Mid-morning sunshine poured through the windshield feeling much like a warm hug during a recent weekend trip to the office. I was headed to work on this week’s newspaper pages. And this week’s issue is special. It is our 1000th. The 1000th consecutively published Valley Journal. As I drove in sil...

The United States government has failed catastrophically in its obligation to protect our borders and our citizens. Representative Ryan Zinke is seeking to protect us from the latest move towards national suicide emanating from the Democrats, the Uniparty, and other elitist masterminds seemingly hell-bent on...

As we close out National Native American Heritage Month, I would like to introduce myself and my new role as the Montana Department of Labor & Industry’s (DLI) first Tribal Liaison. My name is Donnie Wetzel, Jr. I come from the Blackfeet Nation on my father’s side and Missoula/Bitterroot as a...

Have you ever thanked God that you never lived Nazi Germany? Well don’t get off your knees just yet; you might still find out what that was like. Donald J. Trump is straight out of fascism’s, central casting: think Hitler (who Trump seeks to emulate and whose speeches he quotes), Bolsonaro (wh...

This holiday season, more Montanans will be navigating the annual open enrollment period for health insurance, seeking quality and affordable health insurance plans for their families. Cover Montana has a team of health insurance navigators who can help Montanans make sense of their options during this cruci...