Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
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Memorial Day weekend is a particularly tough one for my older brother and sister. Their dad is still listed as Missing In Action (MIA) from the Korean War. I should explain that my older brother and sister are “technically” my half brother and sister. However, we don’t do the math that way! They’re my brother and sister…period. Here’s the condensed version of the story. My mom was married to my brother and sister’s dad when she was 19 years old. Her husband, James Homer Elliott, had joined th...
At the meeting regarding the county's new nuisance barking dog ordinance last week, residents provided feedback on how the county shares information. Many of those in attendance rely on Facebook for information. Montana law requires county and city governments to post information, including public meetings, public hearings and election information, in newspapers. When it involves an ordinance, the information must be published for two weeks prior to the meeting. The publication requirement is by state law. The county commissioners post agendas...
There is concern among many conservatives about the “liberal bias” of the “mainstream media” which refers to the more widely circulated print and electronic media. If you substituted the word “establishment” for “mainstream” you would be on solid ground. Both words have a slightly negative tone that implies that the media does not represent everyday people; that they are elitist in nature, and indeed, the mainstream media is often referred to as “the liberal mainstream media” by its cri...
This weekend, Sanders County schools will start sending off their seniors into the real world as graduation ceremonies take place. We hope all the Class of 2019 realizes what a great accomplishment this is. Hopefully you've paid attention to your teachers and parents who have pestered you to go to school, study hard, be involved and get your diploma. We have never taught, but we can imagine how tough it is to be a teacher. It's like being a parent, hoping that you are doing the right thing to make sure these little humans grow up to be awesome...
I had a completely different topic in mind for this week, but when there were calls to silence me I felt obligated to respond. Thanks to the readers who wrote in support of this column. What is it about the truth or an opposing opinion that makes some people so incredibly angry? A couple of readers recently expressed their outrage at my column and went so far as to say I should stop writing. Both readers said that my column was divisive. One said that my column included inflammatory bullying...
This week our question of the week is "At what age should a child have a smartphone?" In rural Montana, we still have people with flip phones or, in rare cases, who have never had a cellphone. It's nice to be able to keep in touch with your kids when they are away at a friend's house or coming home from sports trips. A quick text or phone call to check in is helpful. There's a fine balance, however, between keeping in touch and too much screen time. The documentary Screenagers was recently shown in Thompson Falls and Plains, detailing the risks...
I suppose I shouldn’t be any more surprised than most taxpaying Americans to discover that I paid more in income taxes in 2018 than the behemoth retailer Amazon.com; but then I didn’t have a net profit of $11.2 billion, either. Nor did I get anything close to Amazon’s $128 million tax refund for 2018. This is the second consecutive year that Amazon has not paid federal income taxes. In 2017 it paid no taxes on an income of $5.6 billion. All this from the April 11, 2019, Fortune magazine which...
We've written before about how great our communities are at supporting each other. Fundraisers, donations for food banks or those who have been affected by sickness. Fundraising websites such as GoFundMe are gaining popularity, but we're also seeing more national headlines about those sites being used by scammers. In New Jersey, a couple helped raise more than $400,000 which they were going to give to a homeless veteran. It turned out to be a scam. Most of the money was refunded, but it still makes us hesitant to donate to an online source....
Last week, I had the opportunity to visit with high school journalists from across the country to talk about journalism. It's inspiring to meet a new generation of journalists excited about reporting the truth and relaying the incredible stories of those around us. Each week, we present you with local news that helps you stay informed about your community and hopefully introduces you to new people and places. As journalists, we are on a quest for knowledge and love learning the unique stories of Sanders County residents. We support local...
In the early 1990s I was at a county fair when an elderly fellow — a WW II veteran and a Democrat — rushed up to me and said, “Jim, come here, you’ve got to see this!” and he hurried me to a military style tent full of anti-government literature and pictures. He took me up to a photograph, pointed to it, and said, “Read it!” The handwritten caption said, “Soviet Bulgarian tanks on Democratic Senator Max Baucus’ ranch.” I could tell that they were tanks being transported on railroad flatcars,...
Recently, area schools have began implementing active shooter and lock down drills. The buzz around town has been interesting to listen to. Some take the stance that the drills are traumatizing students and scaring them. In contrast, some feel the drills are necessary to prepare a student in the event the unfortunate situation does occur. Regardless of what side of the fence you are on (or just riding the rail), school shootings are a modern-day reality. They are happening and there is no foreseeable solution to the problem. So, what do we do?...
The Mueller investigation has been completed and his report submitted. By now, most Americans are aware of the outcome. In my opinion, it’s time for everyone to move on and build on all that President Trump has accomplished since his inauguration. However, it appears that the Democrats in Washington have no intention of letting this issue die. They didn’t get the outcome they were hoping for and they intend to keep pushing. I consider that wasted effort and a disservice to this country. Mueller...
The hustle and bustle of the big city isn't that appealing to most people who live in rural Montana, including us. Last weekend, we got a little taste of that when we tried to cover all of the events happening around Sanders County. There was a quilt show, a fun run to raise funds to help fight childhood hunger, a performance at the Paradise Center, an art show at the Sunflower Gallery and a fundraiser for Project ASCENT at the Elks in Thompson Falls. There was no excuse for boredom and nothing to do last weekend in Sanders County. While we do...
It was January 1991. I was a second term legislator who, for a reason I can’t remember, wanted to take on a leadership role and sought and won the position of running the first meeting of the House Democrats. That was the meeting where we elected our leaders. It was before term limits, at a time when newer legislators were expected to know their place in the pecking order, defer to their seniors and rise through the ranks. Even knowing that, I had nonetheless inserted myself into a minor leaders...
We get a new governor every four years. A new president every four years. The reality is, it's unlikely you or someone you know will ever be governor or president. Those positions, along with our representatives and senators in Washington, D.C., are the most watched, the most scrutinized, and often the most unreachable. The political climate changes constantly, and we know that sometimes it can seem a bit out of control. There are ways you can make a difference, and it doesn't mean running for state or national office. Getting involved in...
I read an article a couple weeks ago about an “Active Shooter” training scenario that was conducted at an elementary school in Indiana. During that training, some of the teachers were actually shot with air soft projectiles used in the training and complained about it after the exercise. Apparently, it hurt too much. I’ve been shot with those things and they do sting. However, they absolutely add a level of realism to the training … that’s why we used them! I’ve conducted that sort of training...
The days are getting longer, and we sure are happy about that. Last month we lost an hour of sleep (or so the legend goes) as daylight saving time came. Part of the reason the U.S. joined other countries in using daylight saving time was to save energy, adding that extra hour of daylight in the evening. We'd like to argue that with all the technology plugged in around us these days — computers, cellphones, televisions, microwaves and other appliances — keeping the lights on a little longer probably won't make that much of a difference in our...
I was thinking this morning of the shrill sounds, threats and recriminations coming out of our nation’s capital. For some reason, perhaps because of the contrast, it reminded me of a meeting that occurred outside of Dillon, Montana, in 2007. It was the first meeting of the newly formed Interim Water Policy Committee of the Montana Legislature (An interim committee meets between the sessions of the Legislature and is made up of equal numbers of Republicans and Democrats from both the Senate a...
The dreaded tax season. We're down to the last few weeks where everyone is scrambling to remember where they put their W2s and bank statements, and making sure you track every deduction. Often times, stores will have sales encouraging you to spend your tax refund with them. Car dealerships, big-box stores or those dream vacations. We can think of some great ways to spend your tax refund locally. Help local businesses while taking advantage of experiences in your hometown. For instance, have you tried a Cheers to Painting class in Thompson...
I wasn’t sure what I was going to write about this week and then, voila, the Mueller Report was released. Problem solved! It’s been down right entertaining watching the Democrats scramble once they received the news President Trump had been exonerated. They are not happy. In my last column, I talked briefly about “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” It’s a real thing and that fact was certainly evident this weekend. The Democrat Party response to the Mueller Report is disappointing but not at all su...
Spring has sprung in western Montana…finally. The warmer temperatures and long-awaited sunshine have boosted energy levels in all of us Northerners. We have been given the go ahead to get outdoors. The increase of outside activates such as going for a walk, bike ride, running or just hanging out with friends is a welcomed affair. As we spend the next several months enjoying ourselves, it is important for everyone to be aware. What we mean by aware is that drivers take extra notice of construction workers, motorcyclists, bicyclists, runners, p...
I am writing this on St. Patrick’s Day, the celebration of Irish culture enjoyed by all Americans no matter what their ethnic heritage. This is worth thinking about because when the Irish came to America they were vilified, just as are millions of Hispanic immigrants today. The Irish even entered America legally. They couldn’t much help it, there were no national immigration laws until the 1880s when legislation was passed limiting the number of Chinese who could come here. Individual sta...
We welcome the signs of spring. The smell of skunks, the first sighting of robins and the bare ground peeking through the snow piles. You can also tell when it’s spring when the roadkill of the winter months starts appearing in the melting snow berms along the road. It’s just a part of living in northwest Montana and the life cycle of local wildlife. This week, however, we noticed another kind of roadkill appearing on Sanders County roads and streets. It’s the ever-present trash we see. Walking into a local school last week, we noticed cans...
We have a front row seat to the greatest reality show ever! Who needs Survivor or The Bachelor when we’ve got The United States Congress for entertainment? I sometimes watch the news now just to see who got (or is soon to be) voted off the island. It would all be laughable if it wasn’t so pathetic! This past few weeks are a perfect example. The “party of tolerance” (you know…the party that believes anyone who disagrees with them on any given issue is a bigot) had to draft and approve an “anti-...
At the Thompson Falls School Board meeting on Monday, High School Principal Rich Ferris addressed attendance, saying it’s probably the greatest concern at school. “We need to work together as a community to make sure kids are in school,” Ferris said. School officials plan to meet with county officials to see what can be done about students with many absences or truancies, Ferris said, hoping the school can get support from the county. Ferris noted students are designated as chronically absent if they miss 10 percent of the school days in a yea...
