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  • City Council Brief

    A.J. Etherington, For the Courier|Oct 5, 2016

    The topics dominating the discussion at the City Council meeting held Oct. 3 were the hiring and projected hirings of Glasgow Police Department employees, city union negotiations, and City Council transparency. Other items discussed were the Levee Safety Committee’s meeting with Senator Steve Daines, whose assistance will be needed in securing federal funding, in the tune of millions, to update the Milk River Levee Assistant Chief Gault’s opening word during his department report to the council was “busy”. Gault commented on overtime use, of...

  • VCCF Funds Improvements at Boy Scout Park

    A.J. Etherington, For the Courier|Oct 5, 2016

    On Aug. 20, 18 Boy Scouts and Scout supporters came out to assist Troop 861 Life Scout Garret Paju with his Eagle Scout Project at Boy Scout Park. The project consisted of stripping the current asphalt roof from the park's shower house, patching holes in the roof and placing a new steel roof on the structure along with other maintenance around the park. It took the group of volunteers the better part of the day to complete, and some final touch-ups were made on Aug. 21. The funding for the...

  • Valley View Home Discusses Recent Planning Session

    A.J. Etherington, The Courier|Sep 28, 2016

    In a press release provided to the Courier, Valley View Home’s Karly Kruckenberg, administrator, outlined discussions from a retreat/strategic planning meeting held Sept. 17. The attendees included VVH board members and “key management staff” at the facility. The release focused on the attendees review of VVH history and reduced funding, which was caused, according to Kruckenberg, by reduced state Medicaid reimbursement. Kruckenberg discussed the recent state survey of VVH without mentioning the three immediate jeopardies reported on previously...

  • Grainery's Stockpiles of Wheat a Show of Low Prices

    A.J. Etherington, The Courier|Sep 21, 2016

    If you have driven passed the EGT Grainery near Frazer recently, you may have noticed the large piles of grain being stored in an open field near the bins. According to Tracy Sibley of EGT the piles are the result of a low demand for wheat oversees causing them to stockpile the wheat rather than ship it to their facility on the west coast. “Basically the worldwide market is flooded with wheat, and there is so much out there,” said Sibley. She discussed the global wheat market’s success with producing wheat this year commenting that usual...

  • City Council Brief

    A.J. Etherington, The Courier|Sep 21, 2016

    Just following the opening and prior to the bustle of normal business at the City Council Meeting on Sept. 19 the Council voted to approve the City Volunteer Fire Department’s purchase of a 1997 Pierce Fire Truck for $145,000. Chief Brandon Brunelle told the Courier that the truck is in excellent condition and that the consulting mechanic they hired to look at the engine told him it was, “in immaculate shape.” Chief Brunelle stated that Pierce Fire Engines are among the best trucks out there and that this particular model was an “105 foot crank...

  • GPD Reports Burglar Behind Bars

    A.J. Etherington, The Courier|Sep 14, 2016

    The Glasgow Police Department is reporting that the suspect in a two-month string of burglaries throughout Glasgow has now been arrested in Roundup, Mont. The arrest occurred after the suspect committed a pair of automobile thefts. Sheriff Glen Meir told the Courier that Adam Jacob Kelly, 42, was arrested after he stole a vehicle while burglarizing a farm here in Valley County. He then abandoned the vehicle in Jordan, Mont. where he stole a second vehicle and drove to Roundup. According to Sheriff Meir, Kelly was apprehended after a resident of...

  • Former HLRC Director of Nursing Speaks Out

    A.J. Etherington, The Courier|Sep 7, 2016

    In a recent press release, Billings-based Health Management Services (HMS) announced that they would be reducing Malta’s Hi-Line Retirement Center (HLRC) from a nursing home to an assisted living center in coming months. HMS also manages Glasgow’s Valley View Home, which has also seen its fair share of recent budgeting woes, staffing concerns and questionable management under their watch. The change in status in Malta will almost certainly involve a reduction in current residents at the facility. In fact, the exodus to other regional fac...

  • Rosendale and Lang Make Case at FES in Glasgow

    A.J. Etherington, The Courier|Sep 7, 2016

    Candidate for Montana State Auditor Matt Rosendale, and Candidate for Montana Senate District 17 Mike Lang met with potential voters at Farm Equipment Sales in Glasgow on Sept 1. FES' General Manager, Sarah Partridge, said, while introducing the candidates, "All too often the decisions that influence us here in Glasgow are not well represented. We don't have very many friends in Helena. So I'm always very appreciative, especially when a statewide candidate will come to Glasgow and listen to...

  • House Debate Projects Montana Values, Civil Discourse

    A.J. Etherington, For The Courier|Aug 31, 2016

    The hopefuls for Montana's sole House seat sought to contrast their visions for the Big Sky State at Frazer Public Schools on Aug. 29. Confronted with questions from panelists and audience members, the candidates, Congressman Ryan Zinke and Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau, set out to debate the finer points of their policies and to highlight their opponent's woes. Yellowstone Public Radio's Jackie Yamanaka served as moderator, posing questions provided by the audience....

  • VVH Board President Looks to Future, Community Sentiment

    A.J. Etherington, The Courier|Aug 24, 2016

    In a recent interview with the Courier, Brian Fuhrman sat down to discuss Valley View Home’s (VVH) future and recent difficulties. As president of the VVH board of directors, Fuhrman is hoping to alleviate concerns of the home’s recent woes and uncertain future through an upcoming board strategic planning meeting set in September. Fuhrman said the closed-door session will be “looking at long and short-term goals for the viability of the nursing home, and to turn it back into a profit [organization].” He stated the home had run a deficit...

  • Demolition Derby Sees Surge in Attendance at Northeast Montana Fair

    A.J. Etherington, The Courier|Aug 10, 2016

    Despite dropping an event and one Herby Derby cancellation, LeeAnn Walls described the Milk River Motorsports Demolition Derby on July 30th as, "having gone rather smoothly." Walls commented that originally they had planned to have the Herby Derby, the Chains and Bangs, and the main Derby, but due to only having a single entry the Chains and Bangs were cancelled. Nonetheless, the stands were near capacity as over 1,300 people crammed in to watch the event. Walls said this was a 500-person...

  • Rodeo Double Header Kicks Off Fair Shows

    A.J. Etherington, The Courier|Aug 3, 2016

    The Northeast Montana Fair kicked off its evening shows with back-to-back nights of the PRCA Rodeo. Wednesday, July 27, saw the opening rounds with the finals taking place on Thursday night. Both evenings were well attended with crowds estimated at 700 to 800 attendees, according to Doris Ozark of the Northeast Montana Rodeo Committee. The rodeo drew over 248 competitors in all, with a large increase in the bareback bronco competition according to Ozark. Also competing were Barrel Racing’s s...

  • Local Stock Hands Join Wagon Train to Pryor

    A.J. Etherington, The Courier|Jul 27, 2016

    Mary Abrahmson, stock hand at the Glasgow Stockyards and resident of Wolf Point, set out this past weekend on an old fashioned wagon train. Abrahamson accompanied by friends Hannah Ferguson and Troy Melum met up with Bridger native Duncan Vezain in Bridger, MT to set off on the trail over the Prior Mountains through the "prior gap" and down into the town of Prior, MT. The total expedition aincluded 40 to 45 other riders and 5 covered wagons. "There were people from all over the world. Some from...

  • Malta Soldier Returns from Basic with Honors

    A.J. Etherington, The Courier|Jul 27, 2016

    Malta native and resident Specialist (SPC) Kori Kindle recently returned from her five-month basic and advanced individual training for the Montana Army National Guard, where she was recognized as her platoon's Honor Graduate (Grad). Kindle was born and raised in Malta. After graduating from Malta High School she studied elementary education at Montana State University in Billings. She enlisted in the summer of 2015, and graduated with her bachelor's degree in December 2015 before shipping for b...

  • City Council Brief

    A.J. Etherington, The Courier|Jul 20, 2016

    Glasgow’s City Council met July 18 for their bi-weekly council meeting. A first reading of Ordinance No. 952 included changes to clarify parts of the ordinance. The ordinance will be read a second time at the next city council meeting before it moves forward. Mayor Becky Erickson thanked members of the community for their contributions to the ordinance draft language: “It was really nice to have people from the community help write the ordinance.” The Council also approved the Glasgow Fire Department to proceed with a $150,000 invitation to bid...

  • Lustre Community Draws Hundreds for Centennial Celebrations

    A.J. Etherington, For the Courier|Jul 20, 2016

    The Lustre community celebrated its 100-year anniversary on July 3, 2016 with a crowd of family and friends estimated over 700 people. “I know I had at least 85 people at my house for the weekend,” said Martin Fast, whose family was among the original 1916 homesteaders. Fast added that some of his family came from as far as Oregon, while other families had people come from as far as New York. According to Fast, the idea for the celebration began as individual families planning separate parties as far back as 2015, but as those celebrations gre...

  • City Council Highlights

    A.J. Etherington, The Courier|Jul 13, 2016

    Rob Kompel of the Glasgow Department of Public Works had some key highlights from the July 5 City Council Meeting. In addition to normal operating agenda items for the city such as decisions on employee stipends and downtown grant applications, the Council addressed sewer and water increases, a new ordinance on cats and dogs, and the Army Corps of Engineers acceptance of the System Wide Improvement Framework (SWIF) Plan for the Levee. The issue of establishing a water and sewer rate increase of two percent a year over the next six years with...

  • Gianforte Rubs Elbows at the Busted Knuckle

    A.J. Etherington, The Courier|Jul 13, 2016

    On July 7, the Montana Republican gubernatorial candidate Greg Gianforte and running mate Leslie Robinson were at the Busted Knuckle Brewery in downtown Glasgow for a meet and greet with Glasgow residents. The event was scheduled from 4 to 6 p.m. and the popular venue was full to capacity. The Courier reached out to Gianforte and Robinson via Aaron Flint, campaign spokesmen, to get some details on just a few of Gianforte's positions. Flint was asked how Gianforte and Robinson plan to help...

  • Glasgow Boy Scouts Raise Funds for Expedition

    A.J. Etherington, The Courier|Jul 6, 2016

    Glasgow Boy Scout Troop 861 spent the Independence Day Weekend serving food at both the John Hahn Memorial Softball Tournament and the dedication ceremony for the Northeast Montana Veteran's Memorial in Fort Peck. The Scouts are hoping to raise the funds necessary to take the six-man troop on a week-long canoeing expedition in the Minnesota Boundary Waters during the summer of 2017. The trip would consist of over 50 miles afloat on the boundary waters guided by local professionals. The trip...

  • Frost Fires Back at HMS, Valley View Home

    A.J. Etherington, The Courier|Jun 29, 2016

    Angie Frost had worked for Valley View Home (VVH) as the Dietary Manager for over two years when she was unexpectedly let go the week of June 14th. Health Management Services (HMS), the managing agency that operates VVH, told Frost that she was being let go due to her poor performance in the recent Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) inspection. “I’m not exactly sure why I was let go,” explained Frost, “because we did the same things we always do.” Frost blamed a lack of training offered by HMS for the reasons b...

  • Glasgow Resident Badly Burned in Home Explosion

    A.J. Etherington, The Courier|Jun 15, 2016

    An explosion of currently unknown origin demolished and burned a northwestern Glasgow home Friday, June 10, at 6:22 a.m. badly injuring the occupant and completely destroying the home. According to Brandon Brunelle, Glasgow's Fire Chief, "There was an explosion followed by the house being totally engulfed in flames." He added that crews from the Glasgow City Fire and Valley County Long Run fire departments responded with a total of three engines and 13 volunteer firefighters. The flames were...

  • Valley View Reels from DPHHS Inspection

    A.J. Etherington, For The Courier|Jun 1, 2016

    Valley View nursing home (VVH) is a long-term care facility in Glasgow that provides the region with an invaluable community service. Recently, the facility received a troubling quality assurance review by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS). Specifically, DPHHS found that VVH was responsible for three immediate jeopardy deficiencies, constituting unusually serious infractions. According to Health Management Services Vice President Karl Rude, the deficiencies were related to, “resident falls, neglect and abuse, a...

  • Pioneer Museum Sets Stage for 1915 Glasgow

    A.J. Etherington, For The Courier|May 25, 2016

    The Pioneer Museum of Valley County recently launched a sizable expansion adding over 5000 square feet to the museum in brand new exhibit space. The new annex seeks to recreate Glasgow's Main Street, circa 1915; a "hot time" in Glasgow's history according to Dave Pippin, former Valley County commissioner and current chair of the Valley County Museum Board. Pippin stated, "We chose 1915 because this was a time when Glasgow really took off in terms of expansion and settlement." The exhibit is...