Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913
Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913
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She's finally getting comfortable in her chair. The library got an overhaul this summer, with new windows, carpet, paint and shelves for the children's section; it's starting to look a little more up to date. As the previous library director stepped down and moved on, Megan Haddix took the seat in November, just before Thanksgiving. For Haddix, it was a natural progression and fit perfectly in with her passion. Some around the community might recognize the name, as she's previously served on the...
All eyes are on Eastern Montana as an oil spill has taken to national headlines. The Bridger Pipeline LLC running along the Yellowstone River experienced a broken pipeline that spilled oil into the river, just seven miles upstream from Glendive. The 12-inch steel pipeline was placed in the area in the 1955. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported Monday night that the first estimates of the spill could possibly be higher than the original 50,000 gallons estimated on Saturday. It has been reported that the change of pipeline pressure...
It's been a rough year for being on time. Amtrak has struggled to keep on schedule, but Amtrak spokesperson Marc Magliari explained that BNSF has helped them get back on track with their investments into improvements. The Empire Builder is going back to the scheduling they had about a year ago in the West and restarted that schedule on Monday, Jan. 12. Magliari said said Amtrak officials took a tour last week, including a stop in Glasgow, visiting with the press about the schedule changes and said that this year is expected to be much better wi...
It's been a few years in the making, and it could be a few more years until a final plan is complete. The Glasgow Levee Committee has been working over the last year on creating a System-Wide Improvement Program (SWIF) policy that will help address several of the issues with the local levee. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has made a few visits to Glasgow to work with the committee and see in person the issues of encroachments along the levee line. A new chair for the committee was put into place recently, Tanja Fransen, who works for the...
Opinions are like shoes. Everyone has got them. Not all of them fit and each person has an acquired taste and comfort zone. When it comes to marijuana and legalization, there's no difference. You'll find a whole array of opinions, from the adamant against legalization, to the very pro pot. With the local tribes legalizing medical pot, and a vote on the way for recreational pot, it's probably a good time to have open discussions with each other on marijuana. By open discussions, I mean being open to the opposing view and trying to gather the rea... Full story
Like a nightmare that just doesn't shake off, tragedy strikes and the natural response is to wonder why. One local family faced a tragedy that faced national attention just over a year ago today. The Chalmers lost Sheree Chalmers Smith to a plane crash, along with her husband, Daniel Smith, her sister-in-law, Amber Smith, Amber's fiance Jonathan Norton and her father-in-law, Dale Smith. The plane went down in Idaho, in the rugged terrain located near McCall in what is known at the Frank Church R... Full story
Will the hand of power slap it down again? That's the question that many might be wondering in the upcoming weeks, as the Keystone XL Pipeline bill made its way through the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee last week. Sen. Steve Daines spoke at a hearing about the pipeline bringing jobs and tax revenue that could help support infrastructure in Eastern Montana. In November representatives passed the bill, but it failed by one vote in the Senate. As Republicans have taken control of th...
Legislators slipped in a provision through the federal budget bill in December that may, or may not, affect the sage grouse. Just one sentence prohibited the Department of Interior from changing the classification of the sage grouse. That's good news for farmers, ranchers and those with active oil pumps in Eastern Montana. Although it might not impact the overall decision that is eventually made, it prohibits this for up to a year. Valley County would encounter a direct impact if the bird were listed as endangered. Local ranchers and farmers...
July • While the flood of 2011 is still a topic of conversation, necessary repair work at Fort Peck Dam is ongoing. Even though several repair projects have been completed, the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers continues work on the Fort Peck spillway. Consequently the 2011 discharge caused a lot of erosion. The spillway ran for over four months. Downstream dams along the Missouri River are also undergoing flood repairs. The projects, costing around $45 million, are coming closer to completion. • Wh...
A crowd large enough to fill a court room showed up on New Year's Eve to welcome the newcomers and to say goodbye to those going out of Valley County Office. David Pippin stepped down as County Commissioner and Paul Tweten took over the seat. The other newcomer is Christine Hillman who is now officially sworn in as the justice of the peace. Pippin retired after two terms of service, or 12 years. David Reinhardt will be taking over the chair position this year during his third term as a... Full story
January • Has Glasgow really been sucked into some vortex that's dropped the temperatures below zero? The easy answer is no. Tanja Fransen, warning coordination meteorologist at National Weather Service Glasgow, explains that this is actually a low pressure system that came down from the North Pole and brought cold weather with it. The Arctic cold front pushed down farther south than usual, which brought colder than average temperatures to much of the nation. • Resigning one city council sea...
HELENA -- Some lucky legislators made their way to Helena before the snowstorm hit last weekend. The 64th Montana Legislature opened for session on Monday, Jan. 5. Most senators and representatives could be seen moving into their offices or chatting with fellow comrades around the state capitol Monday. New representatives were sworn into office around noon. Sen. John Brenden of Scobey had a few minutes to chat with The Courier. He explained that he was lucky to make it into Helena on Friday befo...
Trying to peg down how the upcoming year for the ag industry will go is not an easy task. Some predictions will never be fully made, such as weather disasters or an outbreak of disease that will take a toll on crops and livestock. Knowing some numbers, though, on the local, national and global scale can help farmers predict the upcoming year in the market. Ryan Fast, who chairs the Trends in Ag seminar this year for the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce & Agriculture, explained that the board always tries to line up people that will be able to give...
The New Year came with a lot of snow and cold temperatures. The National Weather Service in Glasgow reported that 6.7 inches of snow fell on Monday, Jan. 5. On top of the snowfall from Friday and Saturday, the snowfall added up to over 11 inches in the month of January as of Tuesday morning. The good news is that the snowfall will slow down and not a whole lot of accumulation is expected in the upcoming week. Some areas may see about another inch at most. What followed the snow was a bitter blast of cold. Temperature fell below zero over the we...
Age is just a number. A local resident has been around 95 years and still likes to ring in the New Year with a little bit of dancing. He said he probably likes to dance more than he plays his accordion, something he's been doing since he was about 8-years-old. Cap Holter remembers his mother ordering his first accordion from a Sears catalogue for $7. His family butchered chickens to buy the instrument. He said that he remembers watching an Irish cook playing the accordion. There was a thrashing... Full story
The tradition will continue this year, so if you’re planning on painting the town red this New Year’s Eve the option for a ride home will still be there. Instead of picking up the keys after that New Year’s kiss, you can call a volunteer from the Valley County Search and Rescue (VCSAR) team or from some of the local wrecking companies. Randy Isakson explained that the tradition started over a decade ago. It started out as kind of a joke, they’d haul people home along with their vehicles in tow from the bar. He explained that it got to be too...
A favorite tradition for some is to drive around and look at all the lights on display around the Christmas season. Several houses were completely decked out for the holidays, but one home got some notice from their light show. Out on Heather Pl. a sign is displayed to switch your radio station for the light display. The lights flashed on and off in coordination with four songs this year. Navarr Vaira was the engineer of the display. He explained that this was the first year he set up everything...
Movie stars, drug deals and Santa. As I get ready to look through all the top stories in the last year at the Glasgow Courier, I can’t help but think what an interesting year it’s been. I moved to Glasgow and officially spent a year working here at the Courier in November. I didn’t know exactly what to expect when I arrived here, but I have found that there’s rarely a dull day. Some of the people I’ve met and the things I’ve been privileged to write about in Valley County I think are incredibly notable. Several businesses and residents w...
They're about to let it all hang out. Sometimes the years are kinder to others, but Hinsdale alum are continuing a favorite tradition this year, the Hinsdale Belly Bump. The idea that any Hinsdale graduate, or a spouse of an alum, can sign up for a little competition on who can make a better basket. The event will start on New Year's Day, with plenty of time to shake of the hangover. Games will start Thursday at 4 p.m. The following games in the bracket will take place at 5:10 p.m., 6:20 p.m.... Full story
The greatly honored and awaited Shrine Game Roster was released last week. Last year was the first year in a handful of years that a Scottie made that list. This year, Chase Fossum will follow in Luke Gunderson's foot steps from last to play on the team. Fossum was selected to play as a wide receiver on the East Team. Brenner Flaten, Glasgow's Activity Director and Vice Principal, explained that while many states host a Shrine Game, Montana has the longest running in the nation, this year will...
"It's everyday and all year for Santa," Santa Claus said. It was going to be a long day, but there will certainly be some magic in the air as he worked through. He took a quick look at his hair and beard in the mirror. Time to strap on his boots and striped socks and get ready for his big debut. He left behind the big red coat and heavy clothes, because that's for traveling the world in one day, not for the bright lights of the camera. Santa Claus spent a few hours prepping the day before with... Full story
There won’t be any huge celebrations marking one year. No balloons, no flowers, no parties, only a silent passing of the one year anniversary since Valley County took over the Wokal Field Glasgow International Airport. While the airport is out of sight, out of mind for most of the local community, the economic impact is big enough it can be felt. There hasn’t been a recent economic impact study on the local airport, but the most recent one finished in 2012 estimates statewide airports provide 18,800 jobs, have over $600 million in payroll and...
It all started with a story. Prayer Circles by Mark Batterson. He never even finished the book before he was ready for a challenge. Something that even he, himself, thought was a little crazy. He was set to walk all the way around the perimeter of the United States. Randy Montgomery wasn't dissatisfied from life completely. He'd been a manager at a cement plant and a logging trucker for many years. But at the age of 62 he found himself feeling like there had to be something more to life. He has...
News releases sent out cited the Montana Lands Bill Agreement as historic. The announcement came Dec. 3 and caused some confusion as it was included in the National Defense Authorization Act. Sen. Jon Tester, Sen. John Walsh and U.S. Rep. Steve Daines all stood by the legislative package that included eight Montana-based lands and resource bills. While that agreement doesn't seem to have any direct impact on Eastern Montanans, information is still being released on the agreement. The package included changes in the Rocky Mountain Front...
New opportunity will come with new classes and new classrooms in the next school year. One local teacher has been spearheading the efforts to bring a program to Glasgow that will encourage students to look at future careers in engineering, technology and design. Jim Stone, who has been teaching at the Glasgow High School, is getting ready to make his move into the middle school next year. He's been chipping away at boxes and gathering equipment and supplies that will be needed for the new STEM... Full story
