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Across Montana, thousands of students are headed back to school to begin a new year of learning and growth. Unfortunately, many students in rural Montana remain at risk of falling behind due to the lack of broadband access in their communities. Broadband Internet has become indispensable both in the classroom and at home for students to become prepared to compete in the 21st Century economy and complete and submit their assignments. A top priority of the Montana Rural Education Association is to ensure our rural schools and communities are in a position to compete. But the homework gap created by the digital divide is a major concern. The Federal Communications Commission estimates...

She was born on a cold winter day high above the headwaters in the same landscape where she later gave birth to celebrated triplets. She was loved by her neighbors, and many people experienced firsthand the wonder of those young siblings following mama through the forests they called home. Last week this shi...

I used to pocket dial people from time to time. I always felt bad about it, and there seemed to be nothing that would fix the problem. Then one day a solution occurred to me.    First, you need to know how touchscreens on phones work. Most smartphones today use capacitive touchscreens. These scr...

Last night my mom appeared in one of my dreams.  She passed away nine years ago – from Alzheimer’s. I haven’t been able to think about her – not really – since. It’s an ugly disease.  I’m weak to say so, but my last memories of her are haunting. I&rsq...

For myself and other youth, we hardly remember the world before Facebook. Our parents documented our lives with posts in the digital world before we even knew how to use a computer.  A 2010 study by the Internet security company AntiVirus Guard revealed that 80% of babies and 90% of two-year-olds hav...

“We need to talk about suicide,” teachers said choking back tears, or letting them flow, as they interviewed recently for Montana’s Teacher of the Year award. They shared with us on the selection committee that student suicides hurt their hearts and devastate schools, and we need to bring t...

Over the past several years, terms like Bitcoin, cryptocurrency and blockchain have made their way into headlines. In a nutshell, Bitcoin is a completely digital currency. It allows secure, anonymous transactions to take place over the Internet without the oversight of any government or centralized system. 
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I never used to consider myself a bird watcher, but this summer I’ve had various species of birds cross my path.       Ducks are great swimmers; the same can’t be said about flying. Oh, sure, they do fly, but they work very hard at it. They stick their necks out (literally) and ...

Homeowners know that when a leaky roof is spotted, it’s important to act quickly to find and fix the leak. If left unattended, that slow drip overhead can turn into a ceiling that collapses – costing far more to repair and threatening the integrity of the entire home.  The same should be ...

During the summer months, I enjoy going barefoot and dipping my feet into the lake. My husband and I experience our own version of a pedicure when we wade in a shallow sandbar and the minnows swimming there nibble on our toes. It scared me at first and grossed me out to be honest. But it only tickles and is ...