The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
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Badger-Two Medicine: From Birch Creek and Family Peak in the south, to Lubec Ridge and Elk Calf Mountain in the north, the headwaters of Badger Creek and the Two Medicine River flow down from the sacred summits of Feather Woman and Heart Butte, Scarface and Morningstar, Half Dome and Kiyo Crag, Goat Mountain and the Bruin Peaks. This is classic east-of-divide country with the northern Great Plains of the Blackfeet Nation stretching far to the east. Immediately south of...
Racism: the belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others. 2. Discrimination or prejudice based on race. Democrats have always used race to obtain power. At first they championed slavery and divided the country, and after the civil war they used their political and police power to pass laws and actions denying blacks basic human and civil rights. After Supreme Court rulings; Republican legislation;...
In the past five months, Congress has responded to the coronavirus public health crisis with several emergency relief measures, including the stimulus checks sent to individuals and households, payroll protections to small businesses, expanded unemployment payments, fee waivers for borrowing against 401(K) plans and more. Now, Congress will get the opportunity to pass a relief measure that protects your access to trustworthy local news, helps grow local businesses through ads...
To: Kate and Tommy Applegate, Helmville MT Congratulations with the success of obtaining AEDs for the Helmville Community through a grant received from the Town Pump Charitable Foundation. I didn't realize there's a tie between Town Pump's Kenneally family and the Gearys of Helmville. And, kudos to you, Kate, for working toward becoming an EMT. You both are wonderful assets to your community, Powell County, and our state. Thank you both for all of your hard work and...
Dear Roger and Erin, We just received our first copy of the BVD in its new format. Congratulations on the new look; the broadsheet takes it "uptown" so to speak. A community newspaper serving small towns is the nuts and bolts of the news media and should be welcomed and supported by all who can. Granted, most of us have access to the Internet and can receive newspapers online and other dubious news articles but its small community newspapers that keep readers informed on the...
Our state, and our country, has never faced a challenge like the one we are confronted with today. COVID-19, and the ensuing shutdown sent shockwaves through our economy. The consequences have been devastating, and we are only beginning to see its full impact. Over the last few months, we've experienced economic carnage unlike any period in my lifetime. Many business owners had to make the difficult decision to tell loyal employees that the paycheck they were depending on...
Sheriffs take an oath to support, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the state of Montana. We will uphold our oath, protect public safety and respond to our shared constituency through open communication and education as we continue to face the public health risks of COVID-19. As leaders in your community and the elected officials who represent you and your constitutional rights, we want to ensure we are all doing our part to protect the vulnerable citizens in our state while...
Editor, No good comes from a house divided so it is my hope that a middle ground can be found. It's my aim to find a commonality in an effort to reduce single-minded intolerance aimed at public servants. The definition of transparency: free from pretense or deceit, can be found inside a dictionary. Let's go one step further and apply this concept within the Private and Public sectors. The private sector is governed by a CEO (Chief Executive Officer). This individual is the...
Dear Editor, It is time to make some noise for the Red, White, and Blue.Many Patriots want to let their voices be heard against the lawlessness we see in our country, but don’t know how to go about it. Well, together let’s say to Antifa and Black Lives Matter rioters, spineless Democrat and Republican politicians, and the news media that we are fed up with their crap and that we support America, our Law Enforcement, and Constitution. Enough already of this “destroy America” garbage. When I was 20 years old, I had orders...
Editor's note: This op-ed from the American Legion went out three weeks ago, but we were unaware of it until this week. Nevertheless, it's a subject that remains relevant, so we have chosen to include it in this weeks BVD As we celebrated our independence on July 4th, it is important to reflect on those who brought us to this amazing republic in 1776. A great part of our success in establishing this republic can be attributed to the 'rule of law' and our country's willingness...
I want to thank everyone who helped and had any part in the parade, especially the Chamber of Commerce who stepped in at the last minute and took over and finished organizing and running the parade, when I felt it was not in my best interest to be involved. That was a hard decision for me. We made 100 goodie bags for the kids that were in the parade. Mountain View Co-op, Lincoln Telephone Co, Citizens Alliance Bank, Hi Country Beef Jerky and the Lincoln Library were all very...
Keeping Montanan small businesses afloat during the coronavirus shutdown was one of the most important actions taken by our federal government. The relief package kept many people working and may prevent, in the long term, the closure of thousands of businesses. Some have characterized the relief for business owners as "bailouts." They're not. A bailout is a government handout to businesses that lost money due to their own mismanagement. The government bailed out financial...
A few weeks ago, The New York Times ran an article noting that with the US preoccupied by the coronavirus pandemic, Black Lives Matter protests, and massive unemployment, "its competitors are moving to fill the vacuum, and quickly." Russia, China, North Korea, Iran... All are testing how far they can go, seeking to exploit our weaknesses and fill the vacuum they perceive in world leadership. Our allies, meanwhile, are expressing dismay at the US's inability to come to grips wi...
COVID-19 remains a matter of great concern for Montana medical and public health communities. As of mid-June, Montana’s COVID-19 case rates are the lowest in the continental U.S.; yet disease prevention remains the state’s top priority. Robust testing efforts are underway in Montana. The State of Montana is conducting sentinel surveillance among those living in high-risk settings such as nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and correctional facilities, among others. Rapid, effective contact tracing, a cornerstone of...
Letter to the Editor I'd like to take a moment and thank Sheriff Dutton in his role in ensuring the annual Independence Day Parade and the Lincoln Rodeo are able to move forward as planned. I appreciate his, (and his staff's) commitment to our town and trusting the community and its' guests over the holiday weekend to practice safety and respect during the festivities. In his words, "if you're sick, stay home, if you're more comfortable wearing a mask, do so, and practice...
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 many people live in the United States of America. The stakes are large. Results of the census determine how much money Montana gets from the federal government. That's about $2 billion a...
America's Founders regarded a free press as so vital to the new nation that they took care to include that right in the First Amendment to the Constitution. Founders spoke glowingly about the press as a pillar of democracy and guarantor of liberty. Thomas Jefferson, for instance, famously wrote in 1787 that "were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the...
Fake news. Those two words have likely created more confusion and distrust of the news media than any other. While it is easy to understand why those of us who work in the news media despise the term, it should also be apparent that the general public has a vested interest in discerning facts from falsehoods. Some of the louder news voices of the past few decades have been the cable news networks that provide news, analysis and opinion. But the opinion side now dominates on...
There will be modifications coming to the way the Blackfoot Valley Dispatch does business, but like it or not, you're still stuck with us Rather than pull the plug on the BVD before it reaches its 40th birthday this December, we decided in April to survey both our readers and advertisers, and to take some time to re-evaluate our business model and our future in the wake of the COVID-19 economic downturn. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share your opinions in our surveys, which brought us a better response than we...
Right up front I have to admit a positive bias toward the LVA. My wife had a medical emergency that required the Ambulance to Helena. The care and dedication of Bill Frisbee and the entire crew was remarkable. Regardless of my feelings about the LVA, I can see several reasons why leasing space in the ambulance building and having the Sheriff onsite is good for Lincoln. The ambulance building and Parker Clinic have expensive equipment and probably narcotics onsite. A conspicuous Sheriff’s office may act to deter any m...
Who's tired of hearing about coronavirus? The last few weeks have been a challenge for everyone, with so many stories, so much uncertainty and myriad updates from every corner revolving around COVID-19. We hope the reopening of the state will inch us toward something resembling normal, and we're looking forward to covering stories that aren't centered around coronavirus. Nevertheless, we recognize we're far from seeing the end of the pandemic, and we may see restrictions...
During this coronavirus pandemic, access to accurate and trustworthy information in your community is as critical to life under quarantine and as sought after as hand sanitizer and face masks. Your local newspaper provides the news and information unique to your community. Where are the testing sites and who's eligible, which businesses are open, what is the local online unemployment benefit application process, and much more. But your access to local news and information is... Full story
I'd like to take a few moments and thank several people and organizations who helped make this Easter a special one for our kids in Lincoln. First, to Lincoln Fire and Rescue and the Power House for supplying candy, trinkets and eggs to fill egg packs that were distributed to more than 60 kids in the community this past Friday, and to Zach Muse and Rick & Patty Freeland for going into town and purchasing all those supplies. I'd like to thank Laura Butler and Linda Daugherty fo...
HELENA, MT – Local Government is at the front lines of the COVID-19 response, including our law enforcement, health departments, health officers, county-owned medical facilities, and through our work with local private providers and facilities. Montana's counties are working hard to ensure continuity of operations and service delivery during this nation-wide pandemic while keeping the public as safe as possible. County operations are being modified to comply with protective m... Full story
To the Volunteer Fire and Ambulance Crew, Thank you so much for taking time on Easter to be away from your family to do something sweet for the community. You didn’t get to see the people inside confused as to what was happening and then smiling from ear to ear when we figured it out. You guys are a blessing to Lincoln and we are thankful for you! T and Crew on behalf of the Lincoln Community...
