Opinion
Editor, If you’re not yet familiar with Montana Western District Congressional Candidate Monica Tranel, prepare to be impressed. I’ve seen her several times on the campaign trail and each time I’m struck by her integrity, grit, and tenacious work ethic. Raised on a ranch in eastern Montana with nine siblings, Monica learned the values of community, fairness, and hard work. She’s applied these values to her life as a world-class rower in the 1996 and 2000 Olympics, and as an attorney fighting for Montana’s consumers, ranchers, and landowners. Monica embodies Montana’s strong tradition of standing up to corporate power and greed and fighting to keep d...
During the 2021 Legislature, we set a budget to adequately fund state government operations. It turns out that the State Treasury received a lot more tax revenue than we projected. In almost every area, tax receipts have exceeded our expectations. The cause of that can be debated, but it does not change the ...
One of the first lessons I learned on becoming a state legislator was to make it as easy as possible for other legislators to agree with me. I saw how those who demonstrated both competence and good will were taken seriously and achieved the greatest success in accomplishing their goals. Several decades a...
Editor, We are fortunate to have Monica Tranel as a candidate for our new Western District for the House. She lives in Montana, gets out to talk to people, and is a strong supporter of veterans. These are her words: “I’ve talked with veterans from Columbia Falls to Victor, and heard their need...
Editor, What is one to do when one discovers your rights are being violated by the one who oversees that the Tribal Laws of the Flathead Indian Reservation are to be abided by, and has the power to prosecute you in the court of law if you were to violate the Tribal Laws? Judge refused to let me present...
Commonplace items and their history have nearly an unmatched grip on my curiosity. What I find most striking are the accidental and unexpected origins that make me say “Wait, what?” Hopefully, this spark of curiosity will inspire you, too. I hope the wordplay is not more than you can “candl...
We’re into the final days of the annual Summer Reading Program. You must register and log all of your reading no later than Aug. 13. Be sure to come into the library to pick up your level coupons and enter your tickets for the prize drawing before Thursday, Aug. 18. On Aug. 18, join us in Sacajawea Par...
Editor, ExxonMobil and Chevron reported historic profits from the last three months. Exxon made $17.9 billion last quarter, up 273% from the same time last year, while Chevron made $11.6 billion. Together, BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell, and TotalEnergies are expected to announce $60 billion in profits fo...
Editor, My spiritual teachings are so important to me. They go like this, see what you think: “Life is eternal. Our time here one earth is a classroom. It is relatively short but filled with wonderful opportunities to learn and grow in harmony with God’s love.” The tric...
I’m told my great-grandmother was a child protégé on the violin, one who graced prestigious stages with her music. However, about 80 years ago, her mother had her put down her violin for reasons no one fully understands and she never picked it up again. From that point on, her vi...
