Columns
We enthusiastically support Gerry Browning’s candidacy for Montana House District 12. Some past local representatives were polarizing and seemed to use their elective offices as mere stepping stones to other offices. We are confident that Gerry will reach across party lines in the Legislature and will represent her constituents and assist them. Her longtime residence and proactive role in our community has served to make her an outstanding candidate for this office. Gerry is a seasoned healthcare advocate and well-versed on people’s current healthcare frustrations. She is aware of the benefits of Medicare expansion that helped 90,000 Montanans obtain good quality health...

There is one week set aside each year to salute newspapers for the important role they have played in our nation, a role that goes back to the beginning of these United States. This year, however, waiting until Oct. 4-10 and National Newspaper Week has been difficult because the coronavirus pandemic...
We now have 10 T-Mobile Wi-Fi hotspots available for a seven-day checkout with a North Lake County Public Library card. The hotspot project is funded in part with Library Services and Technology Act funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, administered by the Montana State Library. Ho...
Now more than ever, it is imperative that voters participate this Election Day. Our nation is not just facing the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic but also significant unemployment, which means that millions of people are temporarily depending on federal and state programs and support. As we look for better d...
The work of the 2019 legislative session has come full circle on two bills vetted in the Senate State Administration Veterans’ Affairs Committee, which I chaired. One was SB 275 by Sen. Al Olszewski (R-Kalispell) and HB 524 by Rep. Marvin Weatherwax (D-Browning) that brought attention to needs for reco...
This month we are highlighting two displays. Our library received the “Rightfully Hers” popup display from the National Archives in celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment and the women’s suffrage movement. This display is in our library atrium along with a selection of b...
Plastic! Yeah, it’s everywhere ... not just in grocery store aisles and department stores and every other commercial outlet you can think of, not to mention your own cupboards and closets and trashcans, but on the grass and on the sidewalks, in the landfills, in the lakes and rivers, in the oceans. And...
These are tumultuous and troubling times. Many of us are struggling to keep peace and hope alive in our hearts and minds. Even though our small valley has not experienced the extremes of the pandemic, severe natural disasters or violent riots, we are all affected by what’s happening in the rest of the ...
I have actively listened to parents from around the state as school sports are kicking off. I have heard that some parents are being banned from their children’s school-sponsored activities along with other spectators. As a mother, grandmother, and educator, I know that parents are more than just spect...
2020 has been a year of drastic change, and like everyone else, your homegrown newspaper is adapting to new pandemic realities. Come Oct. 1, Valley Journal staff will be working entirely remotely. Yes, we’re closing our office. No, we’re not closing the newspaper. Our business phone numb...