Columns

Montanans are doing our part in this very difficult time to help each other out and curb the spread of the COVID 19 virus. We come together and look out for each other, as we always have in times of crisis, and in this case that means practicing social distancing to slow the spread of this disease.  It is times like this that we as Montanans are even more appreciative of our public mountains and foothills, forests and prairies, and rivers and streams. Montanans recreate in the outdoors at as high of a rate as any state, and last year’s Conservation in the West poll found that 80 percent of us identify as outdoor recreation enthusiasts. It’s a huge reason we live here. Si...

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 inte...

Before we were married, my husband had a roommate from Africa – Sierra Leone to be exact. And this roommate introduced him to a dish called peanut butter stew. It’s made with an unlikely, but sumptuous culinary trio: chicken, peanut butter and a mix of hot spices called African spice. Stick with ...

Mission and Jocko districts oppose Daines’ 3019 bill and have sent four letters to him in the last year with no response, with our concerns, asking for a meeting. Our opposition comes from the unconstitutional takings of property rights and the Unitary Management Board that take us out of Montana an...

By now, the chances that you haven’t heard about the COVID-19 virus are nearly zero. This new strain of coronavirus emerged from Wuhan, China, and has now reached many of the countries around the world, including Europe. Being in Switzerland, not far from northern Italy where the virus entered the cont...

Last week, the Flathead Irrigation District paid $192,250 for their half of the payment for the 2019 Flathead Indian Irrigation Project operation and maintenance costs with a $4.50 increase or $33.50 per acre or $16.50 for half an acre.   The Mission and Jocko Districts paid their half of the fee at ...

It happened again last week. We had to reset our clocks because of Daylight Saving Time. I’m not sure if we are saving daylight now. Really though – and I’m trying not to sound cynical here – who cares?  We aren’t changing anything except our clocks when we change our cl...

Most of life isn’t cut and dried – unless you are an herb. The bulk of our days operate on a continuum with each of us finding our own way forward in our own way. There’s lots of room for middle ground. You may give a book or movie three or four out of five stars. You might kind of sort of ...

We all have a general understanding of the word old. I have an old dining room table. My house is old. No one would dispute either of these facts. They are based on age and time.  But when it comes to people, the line blurs and there are innumerable shades of gray. There are many different ways to be...

Have you ever been surfing the internet and seen ads or pop-ups that seem a bit too familiar for things you were just looking at, that know your name, or where you are? Don’t be freaked out, the NSA or the Russians are not spying on you (probably). These ads are just using a fascinating piece of web te...