Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913
Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913
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Dec. 13 We have had some spectacular starlight nights, and a challenging blizzard on Sunday night, Dec 8. Those who braved the storm to get to the MB Church were in for a very good program. Sarah Brown played “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” in prelude, and Superintendent of the Sunday School, Tom Brown welcomed people. An Offering was taken for the benefit of Beacon Bible Camp. The two-four year olds (Blakely Garner, Jace Garner, Lake Neufeld, Marcus Nell, Alistair Olfert, Annabelle Olfert, Chloe Pancratz, Kash Pankratz, Calvin Ortmann, Zach Ste...
You may spend many decades contributing to your IRA and 401(k), but eventually you will likely need to take the money out — in fact, you must take the money out or face penalties. What should you know about these mandatory withdrawals? Here are some of the basics: • What are they called? Mandatory withdrawals are technically called required minimum distributions, or RMDs. • When must I take RMDs? If you were born before 1951, you’ve probably already begun taking RMDs. If you were born between 1951 and 1959, your RMD age is 73. And if you were b...
I’ve always loved eating pomegranates, and look forward to the fall when I can buy them again. Years ago, around this time of year, our youngest was still in college a few states away. She phoned home and excitedly asked, “Guess what I found in the grocery store?” It being prime pomegranate season, I answered, just as excitedly, “Pomegranates!” Dawn responded that my answer was totally random as well as wrong. I don’t remember what she’d found that was so exciting, but defended my response with the observation that “Screwdrivers...
As we enter the holiday season, your life may well become busier. Still, you might want to take the time to consider some financial moves before we turn the calendar to 2025. Here are a few suggestions: • Review your investment portfolio. As you look at your portfolio, ask these questions: Has its performance met my expectations this year? Does it still reflect my goals, risk tolerance and time horizon? Do I need to rebalance? You might find that working with a financial professional can help you answer these and other questions you may have a...
We have reached the age where our children have taken over the reins of hosting the Thanksgiving feast. (It actually happened a few years ago, I just hadn’t really remarked on it.) It’s great. The past few years we’ve joined our Glasgow daughter and enjoyed non-traditional meals. Gwendolyne is a great hunter, and so we’ve enjoyed duck and venison (Dennis had cow-meat). Other guests have provided other dishes. I’m remembering flan as well as biscuits made using cottage cheese, as well as fresh bread. The year we travelled to Plano, Ill., whi...
Monday evening 35-40 ladies enjoyed a night of inspiration at the MB Ladies Christmas party, complete with a meal and gift exchange. Lisa Neufeld began the evening with games and “seeing Jesus in little things.” Melissa Cumpio sang “Bethlehem Morning” including the words “Jerusalem, He prays for you. He did not come to you in vain. His moving arms are open wide for you and He will come again. Bethlehem Morning is more than just a memory, for the Child that was born has come to set us free.” Jeanne Matthyser shared her story, beginning in Pretor...
At different times, inflation may be high or low, but, except in those rare periods of deflation, it’s always with us. During your working years, when you may receive boosts in your salary, you at least have the potential to keep up with inflation — but what happens when you retire? As a retiree, what can you do to cope with the rising cost of living? Here are a few suggestions: • Keep some growth potential in your investment portfolio. During your retirement years, you may want to move your portfolio toward a somewhat more conservative appro...
Nov. 22 The Highways had near white out conditions when meeting traffic Friday evening, with the swirling snowfall of 4-5 inches. Welcome to winter, folks! A few schedule changes: The LCHS Christmas concert will be held Dec. 3, at the High School gym at 7 p.m. The Lustre Grade School Christmas program begins at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 5. at the Grade School gym. The Drama Department of the LCHS will present an original play entitled “The Lost Travelor” at 7 p.m. at the LGS gym. The MB Church community Christmas party was at 6:30 Monday, Dec. 2 with t...
The title of this column might as well be my new moniker. I've been guilty of this before, and I'm sure will be again at some point. I struggle with technology: just ask Dennis! I got a new iPhone recently and it took days to get my email accounts back up and running. We haven't yet recovered all my texting history. Dennis will get after me: "Did you update your phone?" Of course, I'm rarely aware there are updates available. Now I'm not sure if it was him or me that allowed automatic updates,...
As we enter the annual season of giving, you might be thinking of charities you wish to support. But you also might be wondering how to gain some tax benefits from your gifts. It used to be pretty straightforward: You wrote a check to a charity and then deducted the amount of the gift, within limits, from your taxes. But a few years ago, as part of tax law changes, the standard deduction was raised significantly, so fewer people were able to itemize deductions. Consequently, there was less financial incentive to make charitable gifts. Of...
Nov. 15 A Meet-and-Greet wedding reception was held at the home of Pastor Frank and Debbie Lenihan on Nov. 9, for their oldest son, First Lieutenant Timothy and Annika Lenihan. A good number of folks came to congratulate them. Timothy is on active duty with the Army National Guards, stationed in Billings. His wife is an RN, beginning to work at Billings Clinic. She was from Bozeman, and they met at a wedding! They were married Oct. 11, on the top of a mountain in Red Lodge. We thank them for...
The individual retirement account (IRA) is celebrating its golden anniversary. Created in 1974, this savings vehicle has helped millions of people build resources for retirement. And in 1997, the Roth IRA was introduced. But which IRA is right for you? Let’s look at the basic differences between the two IRAs. With a traditional IRA, you generally invest pretax dollars, so the more you put in, the lower your taxable income. Your earnings grow tax deferred, meaning you pay no taxes on them until you start taking withdrawals. (If you take withdraw...
Editor's Note: As a result of a technology snafu, Mary Honrud's Green Spaces columns have not been published in the Glasgow Courier for a few weeks even though they were emailed. Below are three of Mary's columns that were not published. Oct. 6 – Temporary Respite While we have had a few frosts up here, north of the Middle of Nowhere, the summer-like afternoons have been most enjoyable. We do know those days are numbered. Dennis and I have taken advantage of a few of those nice days to get in s...
We all hope to enjoy long, healthy lives, retaining the ability to think clearly and make our own decisions. But life doesn’t always work out that way — which is why you need to prepare for a potential incapacity that could affect your independence and possibly create financial problems for your family. So, in thinking about incapacity planning, you may want to consider the following arrangements: • Health care power of attorney – When you establish a health care power of attorney, you name someone, such as a spouse or adult child, to make me...
Nov. 8 Rain turned into snow Tuesday evening, making the highways treacherous most of the way to Wolf Point Wednesday for those who needed to travel. How thankful we can be that people could get in to vote on this most important day in American history, to attend activities and finish fall duties of the farm-work. It is windy, but a clear 56 at bus time. Dhana Olfert, daughter of Ron and Etta Olfert, married Vernon Hayden on Saturday, Oct. 26, in a beautiful outdoor fall wedding near the river of her brother, Caleb (Rebecca) Olfert’s farm ...
Like most of us, you may someday want to enjoy a comfortable retirement. Your ability to achieve this goal will depend on how much you save — but it also matters how much you spend. And saving and spending are certainly related: The more you can reduce your spending, the more money you could have available to save for retirement through your IRA and your 401(k) or other employer-sponsored retirement plan. Over many years, even relatively small amounts diverted from spending to saving and investing could add up substantially. How can you go a...
Nov. 1 Tori Bell and her daughter McKenna received a surprising call Oct. 20, from Make A Wish Foundation. McKenna was given her wish of a camper, provided by CamperWorld in Billings in recognition of her fight with cancer. On Oct 25, Lustre hosted Frontier School where the Jr High girls won 24-15, and the Jr High boys won 37-28. Both teams played hard. LGS jamboree girls lost a heart-breaker by one point, 19-20. The LGS jamboree boys lost 15-23. They are improving their skills. Thank you...
Oct. 18 The NorVal Dinner 2024 honoring Ron Reddig was held Oct. 22, at the LCHS. The LCHS Alumni provided the meal as an Alumni Fundraiser. The New Covenant Quartet presented a special concert at the MB Church on Oct. 27. There will be an Open House "Meet-n-Greet" with Timothy and Annika Lenihan, Saturday, Nov. 9, between 7 and 9 p.m. at the Lustre MB Parsonage. Pastor Frank officiated at his son's wedding, held in Red Lodge on Oct. 12. Students enjoyed a break during MEA weekend. Jamboree bask...
In the popular imagination, receiving an inheritance always sounds like a good thing — after all, who doesn’t want a financial windfall? And inheritances can certainly be life-altering events. But they can cause challenges, so you’ll want to help your heirs be prepared. To assist in this preparation, try to address some key questions affecting your heirs: • Do they know what’s in your estate plans? Your family and other heirs will be much better prepared to deal with an inheritance if they know what to expect. That’s why it’s so important that...
If you’re a parent, you want to do everything you can to help your children succeed in life. Therefore, you might think that one of the best things you can do is to save for your children’s college education. And this is certainly admirable, but could it conflict with your ability to prepare for another key goal — your own retirement? Of course, this would not be a problem if you had unlimited means, but most of us don’t fall into that category. So, given the financial resources and income you do have, how should you approach the college...
Oct. 11, 2024 The New Covenant Quartet, a Southern Gospel group is coming to the MB Church for a concert on Sun. Oct. 27, at 7 p.m. Dr. Jim Solberg, Senior National Advisor for Bridges For Peace, and author of Sinai Speaks, was the speaker for the MB Church Harvest Festival on Oct 6 through 8. He and his family lived 25 years in Israel as the Director of Bridges for Peace from which he just retired and lives in Florida, despite the hurricanes. A beautiful Harvest Video was presented by Brooke...
With the presidential election just a few weeks away, the public is naturally interested in not just the outcome but what the results will mean for issues of national importance. As a citizen, you likely share these concerns — but how about as an investor? After the votes are counted — or even before — should you make some moves in anticipation of possible changes in policy? Let’s look at the big picture first, through the lens of history. The financial markets have performed well — and at times, not so well — under Democratic and Republican...
If you work for a midsize or large company, you may soon be able to review your employee benefits package, as we are entering the open enrollment season. So, consider your options carefully, with an eye toward making changes appropriate for your needs. Here are some of the key areas to look at: • Retirement plan – Depending on your employer, you could change your 401(k) or similar retirement plan at any time of the year, but you might want to use the open enrollment season to review your contribution amounts. If your salary has gone up ove...
Oct. 4, 2024 Fall is here, with a low of 31 degrees this past night. Coyotes were heard in the morn with their plaintiff cry. Pablo and Judy Perez were chapel speakers at LCHS on Sept 26, and held a Friday evening meeting at the EMB Church. They spoke on missions on Sunday morning and afternoon at the EMB Harvest-Missions Festival, with a meal served between. They serve in Quito, Ecuador, with Mesa Global which is based in Charlotte, N.C. "Pablo preached in Spanish and Judy translated it into...
We took some time off last week. Dennis and I celebrated his birthday by going to Billings. There was some shopping, a nice supper, and the next day he had his Vette serviced. And there was a bit more shopping. The "change oil soon" light came on shortly before we arrived. That trip took care of two days I could have been getting some "put the garden to bed" chores done. I knew we were doing that trip, so I had a couple marathon days earlier in the week. I repotted so many houseplants my hands g...
