Columns
Shaken up. Rattled. Unnerved. While lives weren’t lost in the two large quakes and more than 4,000 aftershocks that recently hit Ridgecrest, California, what was lost was an emotional sense of security. The ground is supposed to be firm. Terra firma. Standing on solid ground. And when that won’t stop heaving and swaying and jolting, it takes an intense toll that can’t be quantified. I lived in Ridgecrest 19 years before moving to Montana, and had experienced many temblors growing up in southern California. But the severity of a 7.1 — and a shallow one at that — is difficult to imagine. “I’m scared out of my mind,” said longtime Ridgecres...
The English language is fraught with conundrums. That’s probably why I love it so much. It’s never boring and continually keeps me learning (or guessing – or both). One of these complexities has to do with words that are pronounced the same but have different meanings – our good fr...
Many Americans are passionate fans of coffee. A study conducted by the National Coffee Association in 2018 found that 64 percent of Americans drink at least one or more cups of coffee daily, the highest percentage since 2012. Suppose I told you there is a better option than your daily cup of Joe? Green te...
Happy July everyone. Our annual summer reading program is off to a great start. If you haven’t registered yet, just stop by the library or register online through our website. We have great coupons for local businesses, fun prizes, and amazing programs. Don’t miss our annual Bug Ra...
As the long days of summer get into full swing, Montanans and visitors alike have begun to reconnect with our state parks, our one-of-akind outdoor recreation experiences and the cultural treasures that define our state. Last week, I visited a crew of middle school students who spent one of the first week...
Hashtags. It seems like everywhere you look people are talking about hashtag this or hashtag that. Unless you spend a lot of time on social media, you might be wondering what all this hashtag business is about. Let’s start with the basics: a hashtag is a pound symbol (#) followed by a string of numb...
Life is made up of moments. Some big. Some not so big. Some seemingly small that just may turn big. And despite the big or not so big, some are moments that will affect you for years to come or perhaps your entire life. They can be obviously monumental moments – a marriage, divorce, birth of a ch...
The Montana Supreme Court held a meeting on Tuesday, May 28, to select the chairman of the districting commission. This decision will have a decade-long effect on the Montana legislature and U.S. Congress. For the first time in 30 years, Montana may gain a second congressional seat to represent us in D.C. ...
The Lake County Commissioners were served summons in a lawsuit filed against them by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes on May 24. The suit stems from sub-division approval given by the county this past spring to another defendant in the suit, Lori Lundeen, who owns 40 acres of fee land north of the...
MONTANA – Governor Steve Bullock today filed suit against Montana Secretary of State Corey Stapleton over an unconstitutional decision to ignore the Governor’s veto of HB 132. “The Secretary of State overstepped his authority,” Bullock said. “It is my constitutional responsib...
