Opinion
To the Mission and Jocko irrigators: this spring, water users were sent a note about the history of homesteading the Mission, Jocko, Camas Valleys, which is also a historic record about the Mission, Jocko, and Flathead irrigation districts involvement in securing liens on land that formed the districts and guided the Flathead Irrigation Project building project. Irrigators also provided cheap labor to build the project. Two questions were asked at the bottom of the letter. One fact needs to be brought out: without the entry men, this irrigation project would not have been built. The United States needed and wanted monetary security to fund Flathead Irrigation, which is why the first lien...
Editor, Kudos to Gov. Gianforte for dedicating $31 million in ARPA funds to increasing availability of child care for working parents. These funds will be directed to grants to increase capacity and hours of service for existing day care businesses. The issue of child care is personal for us, as ...
As we continue to emerge from the pandemic, there’s a sense of relief and optimism that things will return to normal. Long-awaited family gatherings, birthday parties and graduation ceremonies are finally happening in person. Sporting events have fans in the stands, airports are busy, and we all ...
How is it that a picture of our dog ended up on our neighbors’ Christmas trees? I smile every time I think about it. Her name was Holly. Holly Noel. Born on Halloween, she was a Christmas gift to my husband Boone. He’d wanted a hunting dog and I’d always wanted a golden retriever. I foun...
Editor, The American Experiment has been a fascinating story and a study in contrasts. We have proven to the world that a democratic republic can work; it provided opportunity for immigrants who faced poverty and oppression at home; it fought a powerful fascist movement and won; and it made our country an...
Editor, Fear is a mighty powerful trait. It grips and motivates all wildlife, including humans. Fear motivates many actions from hiding to fighting. Add to this the human trait of greed and we have what we are presently experiencing in our nation. Greed has always played a role in politics. Today, however...
It’s not too late to sign up for our Annual Summer Reading Program. We have lots of great prizes and incentives from local businesses, and so many awesome programs coming up. On July 15 we have Georgia Smies from Salish Kootenai College to talk about aquatic invasive species and the impact they could h...
“Short staffed. It’s the new pandemic,” reads a sign at an Ennis restaurant. “We can’t hire employees,” business owners said repeatedly during a recent listening session at the Shovel & Spoon Restaurant in Sheridan. Business folks from Ennis, Sheridan, and Twin Bridges...
Editor, Democracy in Montana has been strong ever since the development of our new constitution in the 1970s. After the days when the Copper Barons were able to buy elections, Montanans were ready for a change. With careful reflection, people from across the state gathered to draw up a document that...
Editor, Montana State Republican Senator Greg Hertz sponsored Senate Bill 159 which was passed and signed into law. It cut the top state income tax from 6.9 percent to 6.75 percent until 2024. This tax cut will primarily benefit the highest income earners in Montana. Over 80 percent of the cuts will go to...
