Opinion

Editor, Woo-hoo! It’s football season in Montana! So much excitement for all the players, schools and towns of all sizes. But I have always felt a sense of dread come the fall knowing there may be another young football player who suffers a traumatic brain injury and a screwed up life from playing football like I did at age 15. Or that someone dies from it.  Players please don’t use your head as a weapon when tackling, clocking or running the ball. Your brain is in there and it is who you are. It is just not worth the risk of permanently damaging your precious, young, still developing brain and ending up like me. Google Michael Sidney Allard. Nothing good there. My li...

Mother Goose is on vacation until further notice. We will let you know when we are ready to restart this popular program. Mother Goose is taking a break until our new Youth Services Librarian joins the team. We hope to have her back very soon. In the meantime, bring your infants and toddlers into the library...

In a recent op-ed by Representative Eric Matthews, concerns were raised about the role of public charter schools in Montana’s education system. As a passionate advocate for high-quality education, I appreciate that Montana law now supports two different types of charter school options in public educati...

Editor, My experiences hiking and backpacking with Shirley Azzopardi illuminated qualities that will benefit House District 13.  Her commitment to the outdoors mirrors her approach to politics, showcasing perseverance, planning and a collaborative spirit. Shirley Azzopardi’s perseverance on ...

Editor, One of my favorite tropes is “Republicans fall in line and Democrats fall in love.” Don Kaltschmidt, Montana Republican Party Chair, in his Missoulian newspaper opinions regularly berates Republicans like Mark Racicot for “not falling in line.” Republicans call these people...

We’ve written here about the history of the Right to Know, why it matters, and what policies affect your access to information. In this column, we’re going back to the basics so that Montanans, including you, are better equipped to exercise the Right to Know. When we talk about the Right to Kn...

Editor, My experiences hiking and backpacking with Shirley Azzopardi illuminated qualities that will benefit House District 13.  Her commitment to the outdoors mirrors her approach to politics, showcasing perseverance, planning and a collaborative spirit. Shirley Azzopardi’s perseverance on ...

Editor, Shirley Azzopardi is the best candidate for Montana’s House District 13. As a longtime local educator (30 years as a special education teacher with 28 of those years in St. Ignatius, and currently the mental health coordinator for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes’ Early Chil...

Editor, During these times of great stress and confusion, we are hearing and seeing much fear and hate being demonstrated. My spiritual teachings have taught me that each one of us has within us the power of God’s love available for access and action. When a situation presents itself to me where ...

As volunteer election judges, we understand that few institutions are as precious as democracy. Despite all the differences in our state—whether political, cultural, or demographic—the ballot box is where we can unite to fight for the vision we see for our state—regardless of what that visi...