Columns

There are three words many of us agonize over. I know I spent much of my lifetime doing so. They are words with great meaning and connotations and one shouldn’t take them lightly. “I love you.”  It’s an easy sentence to utter out loud. Eight letters in total. Three simple syllables. Or maybe not. They are only three words - and short ones at that. But for much of my life, they didn’t trip easily off my tongue. Quite the opposite. Saying them felt risky, scary even. Because what if the person receiving them didn’t share my sentiment? In this, I’m not just talking about romantic love. I’m talking about love for my parents,...

Thanksgiving is a day of gratitude, but it’s also so much more, not the least of which is food. Oh my goodness, is there food! It is the start of the food season, also known as the holidays, where eating is akin to breathing and a variety of homemade cookies somehow become a staple in everyone&rsquo...

“When hate feels easy, be very wary, lest your hate becomes greater than the one who is hated. Because it is at that point you turn the corner toward evil.” Today, I’ve been contemplating hate.  It’s a definite switch for me. I prefer for focus on love, because love is so m...

In March, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized the nation’s most stringent tailpipe emissions rules to date – a move that has been met with much pushback. To comply with these mandates from the EPA, two-thirds of all new vehicles will need to be electric by 2032. The impacts of thi...

We have had such a beautiful fall and now we are ready for the holiday season. This is the last month for our fall drink specials in the Joyful Cup – the pumpkin spice lattes are delicious, so be sure to get yours before they’re gone for the year. The winter menu is coming. You can stop into the ...

The girl (or boy, as the case may be) couldn’t remember exactly when, but life became weary. It was a gradual development - so gradual she didn’t even notice the tears slipping from her eyes at first. But because of it, life became nebulous, and more difficult to navigate. The sun - once brigh...

By now, most of us have learned of the shocking recordings of Tim Sheehy at Montana campaign events talking about “bonding with all the Indians while they’re drunk at 8 a.m.,” and having “Coors Light cans flying by your head” while riding in the Crow parade.  Mr. Sheehy,...

“I love working the polls!” a friend told me recently. “It strengthens my trust in the whole process. And it’s fun getting to help eligible voters flex their civic muscles.” I think about my friend’s experience as I hear stories about mistrust in our elections.  ...

For 23 years Robert G. Natelson served as Professor of Law at the University of Montana.  Professor Natelson is one of America’s best known constitutional scholars and author, whose constitutional research has been cited repeatedly by justices at the US Supreme Court, federal appeals courts, and a...

The Montana Newspaper Association surveyed candidates for the state legislature, Public Service Commission and statewide offices about their positions on government accountability, transparency and the right to know. Of 281 candidates receiving survey, 111 responded, or about 40%. Among respondents &mdash...