Columns

Congress has an opportunity to pass legislation that benefits all local citizens, businesses and even protects our democracy. The Local Journalism Sustainability Act, LJSA for short, should be included as part of any upcoming reconciliation bill that Congress is considering. The LJSA is a well-thought-out bill that would provide needed support to local news organizations, including local newspapers, to ensure their viability as they continue to make progress toward a digital future. Many members of Congress have seen what happens when a newspaper closes in their district, and they see the impact it has on the community. That is why many of our leaders, including Senators Cantwell, Schume...

The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) held their Bison Range Restoration Celebration May 20-22, 2022, which was a monumental day that represented the righting of a terrible time in our U.S. history by restoring and honoring a broken treaty and returning the land and bison back to the CSKT. This ...

If the fire alarm went off in your home or workplace and you had to evacuate quickly, what would you grab on your way out? Besides pets, spouses, chapstick and an extra change of underwear,  I’m guessing most of us could agree on one item: our phones. Our phones have become an extension of u...

The Library Music Series kicks off on First Friday, June 3 with Doug Trost on guitar at 3:30 p.m. Enjoy acoustical tunes in the library atrium. Watch for more music in the library every First Friday afternoon.  Also on June 3 is the beginning of the Friends of the Library Book Sale, which will take plac...

As one of the founders and a driving force of Mission Valley Animal Shelter for over 30 years, I am not hopeful about our future. The problem of stray dogs and dog packs in our area has worsened significantly and MVAS, as a small, privately-operated animal shelter, does not have the facility or funding to be...

I was flying home after facilitating my Difficult Conversations workshop at Idaho State University. It was the first leg of my return journey, a puddle-jump on a small turbo-prop from Pocatello to Seattle. It was a short flight, but long enough to teach me something. During the boarding process, I had swi...

Paparazzi - love them or hate them, they have become a fixture of our modern world. The word “Paparazzi” evokes images of pushy hordes of photographers crowding celebrities, all angling to get the best shot. While it might feel like this is a normal part of celebrity culture, it hasn’t alwa...

Lately, I’ve been learning a lot about plants. I’m late to the party, I know. A few thousand years late, really. I’ve always appreciated plants for their beauty and nutrition, but that was always where my attention stopped, despite the vast wealth of plant knowledge available from centuries...

I remember a book from early childhood written by Charles Schulz. It was titled, “Happiness Is” and it caused quite a stir amongst the preschool crowd (and beyond). For good reason. Its message was simple, meaningful, ageless, and timeless. So timeless, in fact, that its simple idea remains me...

One of us is a Republican legislator representing rural Gallatin County. The other is a Democratic legislator representing the city of Missoula. Despite our political differences, we are committed to taking action to end the crisis at the Montana State Psychiatric Hospital at Warm Springs. The State Hospital...