Opinion

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 found a way to get us both the dog we wanted when I discovered a line of goldens with excellent hunting pedigree. Boone spent several months training her and Holly was a quick study. In fact, our little golden girl was so adept that my brother Matthew would often ask if he could take Holly with him on his bird hunts. When Matthew returned with her one day within an hour of leaving, we ask...

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...

Editor, Dr. Ferril is a chiropractor currently running her office in the town of St. Ignatius. She is currently seeing patients on Mondays and Fridays. Many years ago, I suffered an unbearably painful and serious back injury. I could barely move without horrifying pain, even while lying in my bed. Seve...

I   like so many Montana hunters have been blessed to enjoy a lifetime of world-class hunting and fishing. It’s why so many of us live here, and it speaks to the decades of work that Montanans have put into conserving and managing our public wildlife for the benefit of everyone. But after this ...

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 docu...