Columns

We are a culture often consumed with the material world. We assess value based on our net worth, which is often decreased by net waste. Time spent amassing wealth is valuable; time spent wasting time is just that. And that could very well lead to a squandered life.  I beg to differ. Sometimes the best times are the ones deemed nonproductive. Those that touch our heart, but contribute little or nothing to our 401k balance. Sometimes the heart yearns for the immense potential of a wasted day – time spent doing whatever it is that feeds our soul, which is just as critical to our well-being as feeding the bank account.  Quite simply, we need both to survive. But sometimes ...

Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves. The only way they could do this is by not voting.  —Franklin D. Roosevelt Since midterm elections rarely have the pizazz of a presidential contest, a lot of eligible citizens don’t ...

Food brings people together. Maybe that’s why I’ve been baking so much lately.  We all watch the news and face frustrations and incomprehension about the decisions being made by people we disagree with. We might even start to see neighbors as others, enemies. These slippery thoughts and f...

As I was getting ready for work this morning, and enjoying the usual cup of coffee, a television ad started screaming at me telling me how awful my excellent colleague James Brown is as a Public Service Commissioner and as a Montana Supreme Court candidate, all while extolling the alleged “impartiality...

I’m a fourth-generation Montanan who grew up in Dillon, small business owner, private practice attorney and public servant. My entire 15-plus year legal career has been dedicated to protecting the legal rights of Montanans and upholding the rule of law. I have primarily represented Montana’s farm...

I would like to provide the perspective of a hospital chaplain on the Born Alive Infant Protection Act, or LR-131, on the ballot this November.   I served as a hospital chaplain for 12 years. On numerous occasions I was called to labor and delivery to provide support to parents facing the heart-rendi...

News from the Montana VA Health Care System FORT HARRISON — Montana VA Health Care System encourages veterans to be proactive with breast cancer health and awareness during October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women after skin cancer and the sec...

Governor Gianforte’s Housing Task Force released its draft recommendations to address housing in Montana. These include forcing every community to allow accessory dwelling units (ADUs) on every residential lot, removing local restrictions on how small lots can be, and stopping local governments from re...

It’s election season, also known as the season of misleading information. A prime example is what appears to be Montana Democrats’ main talking point on legislative races: “If the Republicans can flip just two more legislative seats, they’re coming after the constitution.” Wh...

Fishermen, if you weren’t able to get as many whitefish fillets in your freezer as you would like now you have an opportunity to finish the job with perch. Right now, I believe the perch fishery is at a tipping point where overpopulation is going to make them very susceptible to a disease. The last tim...