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By now, the chances that you haven’t heard about the COVID-19 virus are nearly zero. This new strain of coronavirus emerged from Wuhan, China, and has now reached many of the countries around the world, including Europe. Being in Switzerland, not far from northern Italy where the virus entered the continent, it has been an interesting experience, to say the least. Even in my relatively short lifetime, I vividly remember the panic and hysteria surrounding other health crises like Swine Flu, Ebola and Zika; however, this is the first time I have ever been in an affected area during the crisis. It has been fascinating to watch how things are handled and managed as the virus continues ...

Last week, the Flathead Irrigation District paid $192,250 for their half of the payment for the 2019 Flathead Indian Irrigation Project operation and maintenance costs with a $4.50 increase or $33.50 per acre or $16.50 for half an acre.   The Mission and Jocko Districts paid their half of the fee at ...

It happened again last week. We had to reset our clocks because of Daylight Saving Time. I’m not sure if we are saving daylight now. Really though – and I’m trying not to sound cynical here – who cares?  We aren’t changing anything except our clocks when we change our cl...

Most of life isn’t cut and dried – unless you are an herb. The bulk of our days operate on a continuum with each of us finding our own way forward in our own way. There’s lots of room for middle ground. You may give a book or movie three or four out of five stars. You might kind of sort of ...

We all have a general understanding of the word old. I have an old dining room table. My house is old. No one would dispute either of these facts. They are based on age and time.  But when it comes to people, the line blurs and there are innumerable shades of gray. There are many different ways to be...

Have you ever been surfing the internet and seen ads or pop-ups that seem a bit too familiar for things you were just looking at, that know your name, or where you are? Don’t be freaked out, the NSA or the Russians are not spying on you (probably). These ads are just using a fascinating piece of web te...

We kick off March by “Coloring Outside the Lines” during our adult coloring program on Thursday, March 5, from 2-3:30 p.m. Join us as we think a little outside the crayon box and doodle your own mandala then add lots of color. All supplies are provided. Friday, March 6  an animated childr...

When it comes to parenting, I’ve been around the block a time or two. Heck, I’ve practically worn out the course. My husband and I have even transitioned to the next generation of parenting, which is so great it can be described as “grand.” Our daughter and son-in-law are parents t...

I have undergone one of the biggest adventures of my life thus far. I moved 5,000 miles away from my hometown of Polson to Lausanne, Switzerland. Not being the ultra-adventurous type, this was a huge jump to take. I had visited when I was younger with my family, so I was aware of a bit of what I was getting ...

Something about a new year (or decade) gets me focused on the English language. I’m not sure why. Normal people focus on indoor exercise and weight loss during the winter months. I think about words and the heaviness they can cause when used in a redundant manner.  Heavy phrases are like extra ...