Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913
Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913
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This past week was a chilly one for those in Valley County as an Arctic air mass moved into the region, causing havoc on last-minute shopping plans, travel plans and even prevented people from leaving or coming to the area for the holidays as expected. Schools started winter break a day or two earlier, the Amtrak train kept getting delayed, and those who did decide to venture out within the city were advised to drive with caution due to slippery roads and to cover themselves with warm clothing,...
1 Years Ago Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2012 Fourteen soldiers from the Montana Army National Guard's 484th Military Police Company, headquartered in Malta, were expected to return to Montana on Tuesday, Nov. 20. The soldiers were scheduled to return to the Billings International Airport on United Airlines Flight 579 at 12:42 p.m. Pat Gunderson, a 23-year veteran of the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks, is retiring from the agency on Nov. 30. Instead of kicking back and taking it easy,...
Old Man Winter made an appearance over the past week, which reminded all of us what cold and snow is after a mild end to fall-like weather. A new record low was broken for Glasgow Airport on Nov. 10, when it hit -15 degrees Fahrenheit. This broke the previous record low of -13 degrees Fahrenheit that was set in 1911. This was the first record low to be broken in over two years. The previous record low was April 13, 2020. There have been 23 record highs broken since then, in 2020, 2021 and 2022. The National Weather Service in Glasgow states a...
According to the latest report to the Governor’s Drought and Water Supply Advisory Committee, recent rainfall across most of Montana has done little to pull the state out of long-term drought conditions. “We saw the third warmest August on record and September saw temperatures more than five degrees above average across much of the state,” said Michael Downey, drought program coordinator with the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. “High summer temperatures have depleted streams, and two years of severe to extreme drought...
In a typical week, the National Weather Service (NWS) launches two weather balloons per day, one early in the morning and one in the late afternoon/early evening. The purpose of these balloons is to collect atmospheric information such as temperature, humidity, pressure and wind. The information collected is then utilized in weather models, which are used to help meteorologists predict the weather. When high impact weather is expected, additional weather balloon launches are necessary to...
Thomas L. Salem Jr., of Lakeland, Tenn., the Science and Operations Officer of the Memphis station of the National Weather Service, is dead. He was suffering from renal cell carcinoma and passed at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis on the evening of September 13, 2022. He was 57. Salem was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1965, attended undergraduate and graduate school at Pennsylvania State University before entering the weather service in 1995 as a Lake Effect Researcher in the National Weather...
Patrick Gilchrist took over as the meteorologist in charge (MIC) of the Glasgow National Weather Service (NWS) on Aug. 29, following the departure of Tanja Fransen. As an MIC, he oversees a staff of currently 20 people while also providing the overall administrative management of the office. In addition, his job duties include overseeing the overall data management and integration efforts as well as real-time weather observational programs, directing the weather forecast office's meteorological...
An EF-2 tornado directly hit the small community of Glentana July 18 causing extensive damage to property but, to the relief of residents, community members emerged unscathed. According to the National Weather Service (NWS) office in Glasgow, the tornado touched down 5.5 miles southwest of Glentana at 5:47 p.m. and moved to the northeast ending at 5:56 p.m. The average path width was 457 yards and then traveled 8 miles. NWS reported a peak wind of 120 miles, classifying the tornado as an EF-2...
Update: The National Weather Service in Glasgow confirmed an EF-2 tornado hit Glentana. A tornado-warned storm went through Glentana July 18. The small community experienced extensive damage with initial estimates to be in the millions of dollars. No injuries or deaths occurred. The highest recorded wind gust known was 109 mph. One witness reported a funnel structure touching down a few miles from the town. A team from the National Weather Service office in Glasgow was on site today, July 19,...
An EF-2 tornado directly hit the small community of Glentana July 18 causing extensive damage to property but, to the relief of residents, community members emerged unscathed. According to the National Weather Service (NWS) office in Glasgow, the tornado touched down 5.5 miles southwest of Glentana at 5:47 p.m. and moved to the northeast ending at 5:56 p.m. The average path width was 457 yards and then traveled 8 miles. NWS reported a peak wind of 120 miles, classifying the tornado as an EF-2...
The National Weather Service in Glasgow, in conjunction with county Disaster and Emergency Services directors, will be hosting a series of SKYWARN Weather Spotter training classes in May. The dates for the classes are: May 16, 5:30 p.m. STAT Air Hangar 81 Airport Rd, Glasgow May 17, 5 p.m. Sidney Fire Hall 1105 3rd St NW, Sidney May 25, 5:30 p.m. Dawson County Courthouse 207 W Bell St, Glendive May 26, 5 p.m. Phase 3 Building 501 Medicine Bear Rd, Poplar If you have any questions, email Patrick Gilchrist at patrick.gilchrist...
The past week's rain and snow throughout Valley County was welcomed and even elicited comments such as "Thank goodness for this rain!" "I don't like snow this time of year but it's better than nothing!" and "We need all of the moisture we can get!" throughout the community. According to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Glasgow, every little bit of moisture helps, but it would sure be helpful if Mother Nature did even more. The last 15 months, January 2021 to March 2022, have been some of th...
Dear Editor, For over a century, passenger rail has been part of Montana's heritage, culture, and economy. It's currently a lifeline for Hi-Line communities. And, without a doubt, it is part of Montana's future. In the fall of 2020, 12 Montana counties, stretching from Sanders to Wibaux, came together to establish the first regional passenger rail authority in the history of Montana-the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority. Over the course of the past year, we've added five additional counties to...
The Glasgow Courier welcomed back Michelle Bigelbach on March 7. Bigelbach returns to the Courier to take up the mantle of Publisher/Editor after a hiatus of just over a year from the paper. She first joined the Courier in the summer of 2016 as Copy Editor. She moved into writing after demonstrating an ability for editing without sacrificing the original tone of an article. Bigelbach said she made the move "grudgingly" because as a new resident of the area "I didn't feel I could provide the voic...
Valley County’s Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) held a tabletop exercise Feb. 15 at the Cottonwood. For three hours “players” from various local organizations confronted a fictional passenger train derailment to test their response capabilities. Representatives from Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital, Valley County DES, Valley County Transit, Valley County Road Department, the Health Department, Dispatch, National Weather Service, the Sanitation Office, Long Run Fire Department, Bell Mortuary, the Sheriff’s office, Glasgow Police...
After record high temps, winter arrived early in Valley County Saturday with four inches of snow accumulating on the ground, according to the National Weather Service (NWS) Glasgow Office. "We actually had a high temperature of 69 on the Dec. 1. Unofficially, we got to 70," said Ted Jamba, NWS Glasgow Meteorologist. "Then, the temperatures started falling starting Thursday. I think today [Monday] has been the coldest day so far. We've got 8 degrees right now [at 2 p.m.]. It is pretty cool." High...
Valley County experienced a brief warm spell over the weekend, with temperatures expected to above normal through at least Thursday. The warm weather is not normal, Mark Avery, a National Weather Service meteorologist based in Glasgow, told The Courier Monday. "Not even close." The high for Nov. 29 is usually 34 with a low of 15, Avery said. "We are 52 right now, so that is an 18" degree difference. "Last year it was 40 for a high and 12 for a low," Avery continued. "The high was six above...
In response to the severe drought conditions in the West and Great Plains, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today its plans to help cover the cost of transporting feed for livestock that rely on grazing. USDA is updating the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP) to immediately cover feed transportation costs for drought impacted ranchers. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) will provide more details and tools to help ranchers get ready to apply at their local USDA Service Center later...
It is time to break out the shorts and iced tea, with triple digit temperatures possible throughout July. "We have maybe some very minor relief compared to what we have seen for the last couple of days," Cory Mottice, National Weather Service Glasgow Lead Meteorologist, told The Courier last week. "For the next week, and beyond we could be pushing the mid- to upper-90s, maybe even triple digits." The late spring and summer have already been hotter than usual, Mottice said. "For the month of...
Scout uniform? Check. Scout Oath recited verbatim? Check. Tent pegs inserted securely? Check. S'mores over a campfire? Check. Eagerness to get back to nature and learn lifelong skills? Double-check. With the summer season rapidly approaching in Glasgow, the Scouts of Troop 861 are eager to go camping. This weekend, the Scouts spent the weekend at the Missouri River Recreation Area for Youth near Fort Peck Dam setting up tents, cooking meals, flying Old Glory, shooting shotguns and boating. "You...
An Arctic Air Mass moved in from the north and settled over much of the United States during the last week and a half bringing with it dangerously low temperatures and wind chills across all of Montana. The bitter cold arriving in early February seemed especially harsh in northeast Montana and snapped Valley County out of a relatively warm and mild January and into more than a week's worth of continuous sub-zero temperatures giving the region its first prolonged taste of Winter so far in 2021....
It wasn't as simple as packing a bag and getting on the plane like years before. In fact, getting to Australia as a National Weather Service Incident Meteorologist-IMET for short-required a good deal of preparation, not least of which was applying for an official passport to work as a US government employee overseas. But after answering the call from the Australian Government, filing the paperwork, getting said passport, packing a bag and saying goodbye, NWS IMET Patrick Gilchrist was on his...
The USDA announced on Sept. 18, following a President Trump campaign rally on Sept. 17 in Wisconsin, an additional $14 billion is available for agricultural producers who continue to face market disruptions and associated costs due to COVID-19. The funds are being made available from the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Charter Act and CARES Act to support row crops, livestock, specialty crops, dairy, aquaculture and many additional commodities. Payments will be made for three categories of commodities including Price Trigger Commodities,...
The Valley County Commissioners hosted their required first public hearing on Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Funding on Aug. 4 in the Valley County Courthouse. The hearing was to inform the public about the various programs available and how these programs can be used to serve the community, with particular attention to persons of low to moderate income. Craig Erickson, certified grant writer with Great West Engineering, led the presentation and discussion. He outlined for the gathered interested community members and commissioners...
