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Due to the pandemic situation affecting our world, many of our social conventions have been altered to suit the current situation. We have implemented social distancing, employed the use of masks and numerous other changes to daily life; however, no other convention has been impacted as much as the humble and eternally popular handshake. There is something that seems so familiar and natural about shaking hands. Despite the many alternatives that have been proposed including elbow bumps, tapping shoes together and air handshakes, there has yet to be a truly suitable replacement to this age-old tradition. Someone has put together a montage of world leaders and celebrities going in for hand...
There’s currently a lawsuit in the U.S. Supreme Court, led by Republican Attorney Generals, to repeal the Affordable Care Act and eliminate protections for Montanans with pre-existing conditions. This is a dangerous lawsuit that, if successful, would rip healthcare away from over 400,000 Monta...
In 2018, paid political operatives in North Carolina went door-to-door, enticing voters to hand over their unsealed absentee ballots. The operatives then altered the unfinished ballots to support Republican candidates and failed to return ballots that already supported Democratic candidates. This b...
My aging dad lived alone for nearly 10 years after my mom died. But recently, we all came to the conclusion that living alone was a lonely endeavor. That, accompanied by his increasing need for assistance with some things, led us to find him a new home. His moving to a new home meant cleaning out th...
The senseless death of a black American has ignited civil protests around the globe. We will always remember George Floyd’s name and the eight minutes forty-six seconds that Minneapolis police officers assisted a fellow officer in pinning Floyd’s neck to the ground until he remained motionless. ...
Our Partners Sharing group has restarted service. You will now begin receiving holds that were placed prior to the COVID-19 shutdown and you can begin placing new holds on items held by all Partner Sharing libraries. The library is currently open Monday – Friday from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and from 3-5 p.m....
As the country celebrates its birth as a nation, one of the most patriotic things Montanans can do is stand up and be counted – in the 2020 Census. Or, more accurately, go online and be counted. Or mail in the census form. Or chat with a census worker. Every 10 years, the country counts how ma...
As someone who has the misfortune to suffer from environmental allergies, the late spring to early summer is not what I would refer to as my favorite time of year. Statistically speaking, there is a really good chance you can either directly relate to the sense of annoyance when pollen starts to fly or know ...
It felt “normal” and it felt good. If even for a moment. We had individual videotaped graduations this week. Each 2020 gradate had his or her scheduled five minutes on stage – walking the walk and ending it with a signed diploma. It was a time to celebrate. I choked back tears – fo...
Bald eagles are majestic creatures with wingspans to match (six-to-eight-feet). They are the national bird of the United States. Bald eagles used to be in short supply. In the late 20th century, they were on the brink of extinction in the contiguous United States. Populations recovered and the bald eagle was...