Columns

Nineteen years ago a group of six journalists and entrepreneurs sat on a deck brainstorming ideas for a new, homegrown newspaper. I was one of those six people. So was my husband, Boone. So were Linda Sappington, Chuck Lewis and Bernie Azure. And of course, so was Jim Blow. It was his deck. It was his idea.  After the first issue of the Valley Journal was published a couple months later, we celebrated our vision turned reality with a pancake breakfast. It was a tradition that would stick. Following each week’s newspaper production and delivery, we’d eat pancakes and go home to sleep a few hours before starting all over again. I have to admit that to this day I never eat ...

As a proud defender and lover of public land, I have cast deciding votes for Montanans to hike, fish, and hunt some of the largest expansions of public land in decades—while keeping Montana farmers and ranchers on the landscape. I was recently made aware of a social media campaign soliciting money c...

Roses are often thought of as the epitome of floral perfection. The allure of their blooms is undeniable. They grow on long stems - perfect for vases and display. They are fragrant and come in a variety of colors. Roses can stand on their own, looking glorious as a single bloom in a bud vase. Their brilli...

In her bio for Our Children’s Trust, fifth-generation cattle rancher Rikki Held, the lead plaintiff in the constitutional climate change lawsuit Held v. Montana states, “I want to ensure that basic human rights outlined in the Montana Constitution, such as the right to a clean and healthful envir...

My friend has a beautiful flower growing in the garden in front of her house. It’s a red peony plant. I’ve always loved flowers and peonies are some of my favorites. I’ve had white ones, light pink and even dark pink, but never red. I admired my friend’s red peony. I told her so...

We would like to thank the Greater Polson Community Foundation for awarding our library an Impact Grant to purchase a TV and sound system for our renovated meeting room. We are so grateful to them for the support they have given us over the years. To tie into that grant, we are also excited to share that we ...

One of the most pressing issues facing healthcare today is skyrocketing prescription drug prices. Prescription drug expenditures already account for about one-fifth of all healthcare costs nationally, and that figure is projected to go up in the coming years. It’s a crisis coming to a head with one in ...

Nearly all working-age Montanans, more than half the state’s total population, are getting some welcome news this month: the state is sending them money.  Let’s be clear. The money being sent to over 530,000 Montanans is their own money. Montana collected more income taxes, the primary so...

History may not repeat itself, but it rhymes. Patterns and cycles seem to repeat over time. Almost without exception, perceived threats to the racial, ethnic, or religious majority have triggered populist reactions to change. Ethnic minorities have been persecuted because of race; religious minorities bec...

Fishermen,  River is fishable. Moiese slough, buffalo rapids catching trout and smallies. Great places to fly fish.  Sloans to little Bitterroot River for pike, just before you hit the other side of the little Bitterroot before you there are brown trout. Bass are in just about any rocky areas...