The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
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In the 1860s, as large deposits of gold, silver, copper, and other valuable minerals were discovered in Granite County, many mining settlements sprung up along creek beds and mountainsides. As a reminder of that frenzied search for prosperity, today, 24 ghost towns are left scattered throughout the county. The town of Philipsburg, founded in 1867 and named for Peter Deiesheimer, is the lone survivor and remains intact and lively. The key to this longevity is an inherently beau...
Welcome to December! While I always view November as a month devoted to gratitude and Thanksgiving, December is the month I remember all of the blessings in my life as I prepare again for a new coming year. A lot of people think gratitude and blessings are one in the same. It can feel this way, and that's not a bad thing – it's good to have both in our lives, but by definition this is how they differ: according to the Meriam Webster dictionary, gratitude is the quality or feel...
Montana is not the only place with an economy that depends on its rich natural resources, though I would argue that it is the most spectacular. And I learned firsthand, making my living off the state's timber, the importance of careful stewardship of the wealth that comes from our rivers and forests. My wood products company sat right at the foot of the Cabinet Mountains, with water so clean and wildlife so abundant, it's easy to forget that these things are the stuff of...
Montana conservatives had an historic night on Election Day. After taking out a slew of Republicans in the primary – some voting with democrats over 200 times during the last legislative session – conservatives swept seats by comfortable margins around the state. In Cascade County, Republicans won every legislative seat. With Governor-elect Gianforte at the helm, conservatives will have a real chance to make Montana's economy rival those of Florida and Texas. During the Chi...
It's cool this morning. There is a different feel to the air. The days are slowly getting shorter, my bird dogs are getting restless and I am listening for that first bugle of a bull elk down in the river bottom. It's that time when I, and all hunters, anxiously prepare for the glorious days we spend pursuing our quarry in the forests and uplands of our Montana. But this year things are different, and as we take to the field we must acknowledge that difference and change our...
Thank you to the Blackfoot Valley Dispatch for publishing the Nov. 12 article, "Ovando Residents Donate to Lincoln Volunteer Ambulance." We have many unsung heroes in our communities, and they come with different talents and skills, and from different walks of life and different zip codes. One thing they have in common: service and appreciation. As always, my thanks go out to Aaron Birkholz and the rest of the crew at the Lincoln Volunteer Ambulance for their dedication to...
Randy Newberg doesn't carry a sidearm. Clocking some 100 days every year exploring the unbound-and often bear-laden-pockets of the American landscape, Newberg says when it comes to a bear attack, he'd leave his trust in an aerosol rather than a piece of lead. It's a personal decision, one that is the right of each individual who steps foot in the woods, but for Newberg, carrying bear spray is a no-brainer. Newberg is a hunter who calls Bozeman, Montana, his home. He is the...
In December, I'll be moving into the theme of blessings, but for my last column in November, I want to continue my thoughts on gratitude. Something that seemed so random ran into me like a freight train this weekend. I've heard the words "be present" and "live in the moment" before, but never, in all of my life, have those words smacked me right across the face as they did on Saturday. I'm sure you've seen or heard those words, hundreds of times, right? So have I, and until...
Last week the BVD published a story regarding COVID-19 cases in Lincoln, based on information provided by Lincoln Volunteer Ambulance President Aaron Birkholz. I published the story because I felt it was timely, given the increasing caseload in the county, and important for people to recognize there is a far higher COVID-19 risk in Lincoln than most people are probably aware of. Last weekend I learned that, following the story, Aaron has received negative backlash for the info...
I’ve been writing about gratitude for the past couple of weeks. We’ve also experienced a lot of loss in Lincoln over the last several months. Like many others, these losses have left me feeling incredibly sad. Rather than focus on the sadness, and probably because I’ve been hyper-focused on being grateful, I thought I would offer my own tribute to some of those we’ve lost who have impacted me along the way, and to remind myself and others not to focus on the loss, but rather t...
Last week, my column focused a lot on gratitude, which I'm going to continue with through the month of November. It just seems like the right month to do it. I'm wondering if anyone accepted my invitation to write ten things you were grateful for over the last week or start writing in a gratitude journal? Of those who did, is anyone planning to continue for the month, and maybe even beyond that? Did you notice anything different in the way you felt, or how things around you...
November, of course plays host to Thanksgiving. For me, it's a sign that "fall" is really here. There is a quote I've seen over the last few years that says, "The trees are about to show us how lovely it is to let things go." Maybe that's why I think of fall as more of my new year, and a time of year that signifies new beginnings. What better way to start anew than to let go of the old? As I began writing my column for this week, it occurred to me that with the weight of...
In the recently released Netflix documentary "The Social Dilemma," Tristan Harris, President and Co-Founder of The Center for Humane Technology was quoted as saying, "If you aren't paying for the product, then you are the product." Sex trafficking, black market organ sales and slavery are all considered deplorable by our society, yet more than two billion people are being marketed and sold every day, consensually, and we barely notice. Roughly forty people are designing...
What would you do if you knew you could not fail? Would you start a business, raise a family, fulfill a dream of yours or someone else, foster world peace, find a cure for cancer or find another way to make a difference? Maybe you would become the person you have been afraid to be and live your own dream, rather than that of someone else’s expectations for you. What would you do if you had all the time and money in the world? Would you travel, live in your dream home, b...
Earlier this year, I joined two Montana families at the United States Supreme Court. I went to hear the oral arguments for a landmark case very relevant to the State of Montana. The case was about equal protection under the Constitution, religious freedom, and protecting Montana families and children from being discriminated against because of the school they choose. I saw nine brilliant Supreme Court justices ask tough questions to both sides. Frankly, I saw the finest hour...
Lewis and Clark County 911 Center received fifty-seven calls for service during the weeks of Oct. 11 to Oct. 24. Deputies performed three civil services in the Lincoln area. Two of those calls generated a case report in the last two weeks: A deputy took a sexual assault complaint in the Lincoln area Monday, Oct. 19. The investigation was turned over to the Criminal Investigation Division. A deputy responded to Highway 200 near Hogum Creek for a welfare check Monday, Oct. 19....
I must admit, I was very glad to see the Montana Department of Transportation conducting speed studies on Highway 200 on the east side of town where the Sculpture Park and Ranger Station are, and I'm glad they are addressing concerns surrounding those destinations specifically. One of the questions I have is whether or not is has ever been proposed, or a study conducted in order to put a stop sign in at the end of the Sculpture Park driveway as cars head onto Highway 200? I...
We serve voters by ensuring their qualifications are valid, their information is accurate, and that they have equitable, unobstructed access to voting. We protect the integrity of the election by ensuring that every valid ballot that is timely received and legally cast is counted, and that the results are accounted for and validated through the canvass process. We are on guard against fraud, undue influence, and corruption from external forces that seek to politicize the...
We support Lewis and Clark Public Health, the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services and all the health providers working so hard during this pandemic. They need our support and they need your support. As elected officials, we come from different backgrounds. We have different political beliefs and don’t always agree. But, in this difficult time, in the middle of this pandemic, we do agree we must unite. This is not political. Public Health is what we do collectively to assure the conditions in which people c...
Rather than writing yet another piece about how divided we all are, I thought maybe it was time to start writing more about coming back together. Coming back together for the good of our town, for the good of our country, for the good of our families, and for the good of us all as individuals. It seems strange to talk about the good of individuals when talking about coming back together as a group, but truly, on an individual level is where it all begins. It starts with each...
The drive from Big Sandy to Great Falls is awfully familiar to our family. Jon drives those 70-some miles twice a week as he travels between our farm and the Senate. Often we drive together—for farm parts, haircuts, you name it. The drive is second nature. But lately, it has taken on a new meaning. Because in early spring of this year, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I found the cancer as many women do, with a lump. But I had a bit of a head start: breast cancer runs in my family – both my grandmothers had breast can...
So, this past week I participated in a worldwide spinning competition. I've done this every year since 2013 during the first week of October. That week is known as National Weaving and Spinning week. In past years, the competition was run by The National Needlework Association and was called "Spinzilla." Two years ago, the TNNA decided they would no longer be hosting the competition and a couple of individuals got together and began "Spin Together." A couple of people who had...
Newspapers face another big election. It's about them. While the United States is riveted by a most unusual presidential election, the newspaper industry is running to win the hearts, minds and souls of "voters." These voters are readers, residents, subscribers, students, advertisers, marketers, sponsors and newspaper employees. This National Newspaper Week (Oct 4-11), vote for newspapers. Vote by subscribing to support your local newspaper. (If you already do, a big thanks.)...
A year and a half ago, the push for Youth Dynamics to bring services to our community began. You may recall an article that was written in the BVD detailing what exactly Youth Dynamics is and what they can do for our community. At that time it was a commonly held belief that Lincoln needed these extra mental health resources. That need has become even more evident with the rise of COVID-19. COVID has caused anxiety and depression in many, and our children are being affected...
Should folks who traditionally think of themselves as Democrats consider whether the party still holds to their basic values? I have. At age 77, I remember growing up how Democrats supported moral and family values, blue-collar jobs, the freedoms of religion and speech, our Constitution. I recall Democratic presidential hopeful Adlai Stevenson putting religious and ethical values into civic issues and his messages. These values still matter to me. Yet, today, much of the Democratic Party seems to have morphed into a secular...