Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913
Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913
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When you invest, you’ll find that knowledge is power. The more you know about your investment choices, and who is offering them, the better prepared you’ll be to make good decisions. And this diligence can also help protect you against investment scams. How widespread is this activity? Consider this: Investment fraud losses totaled more than $4.5 billion in 2023, according to the FBI’s Internet Crime Report. Here are some common types of scams: • Cryptocurrency – Not all cryptocurrency offers are scams, but many are. The scammers will cont...
Sept 27, 2024 The Lustre Jr. High Volleyball Lions hosted the Frontier School Jr High Volleyball Mustangs on Sept 21 in their last home game with the song "God's Not Dead" greeting fans. The Lions took the set 25-17, 25-17 (with the teams tying repeatedly along the way), and 15-3. The Jamboree teams split their games. It was a good evening to enjoy the students improving their skills. Jones and Melissa Cumpio came Sept. 12 to be LCHS's new dorm parents from the Philippines. They have two...
Someone once said all good things must come to an end. I wish that someone was wrong. It's getting serious up here: Dennis tells me our thermometer showed 36° early Sunday morning. While that didn't give us frost, some neighbors (within a 10-mile radius) had a layer of white on their vehicles. I'm so not ready for that. While I do like wearing cute sweaters, I really don't want to have to wear "real" shoes. Let me stay in my sandals. And I don't want to have to turn on the heat yet (but I have p...
If you’re planning to retire in a few years, are you looking forward to it? Or are you somewhat apprehensive? Are you asking yourself: “What sort of retirement can I afford?” It’s a good question — because the answer can make a big difference in your ability to enjoy life as a retiree. And retirement can indeed be enjoyable, exciting and fun. Consider this from a recent survey by Edward Jones and AgeWave: A majority of respondents said retirement should be looked at as a whole new chapter of life, and not just a time for rest and relaxatio...
Sept 20, 2024 The EMB Harvest Festival is next Sunday, Sept. 29. The special guest speakers are Pablo and Judy (Wiens) Perez. The MB Harvest Festival is Oct. 6. Awana began Sept 11 in Lustre and has a good attendance. Dawson Olfert is the commander. I apologize that the spelling was incorrect last week for Kash, Gavin and Hannah Pankratz in their class school pictures. The LCHS Varsity girls played Glasgow JV on Sept. 7, winning in five games. They played Wolf Point JV Saturday, Sept. 7, at...
Since we finished the wheat harvest over a week ago, we've been taking life a bit slower. Although we did resume morning walks together. Dennis was walking by himself before harvest, but I've joined him now. The garden is still in full production mode, and fall with its cooler temps, is looming. I'm going to have to get myself revved up again. There's so much to accomplish before the first frost hits in our area. Typically that happens any day now. And rain is in the forecast. I did get almost...
Investing involves risk — and so does not investing. You should know how both these types of risk can affect your ability to reach your financial goals. Let’s start with the risks associated with investing. There’s not a single investment risk because different types of investments carry different types of risk. Here’s a look at three investment categories and some of the risks connected with them: • Stocks – When you invest in stocks or stock-based mutual funds, you will incur the risk that the value of your investments may decline. St...
Mary Honrud / For the Courier We spent the past week (plus a few days - there were some weather delays) harvesting our wheat crop. I really appreciate the Courier holding over my column from two weeks ago. It freed up a bit of my time so instead of writing I was cooking. I usually cram in my writing Sunday evenings (as I'm doing with this column) after spending the afternoon golfing. At least that's what I do in the summer. Last week I played piano for church (service is at 11 a.m.), then came...
Sept. 6, 2024 The LCHS held a Rest and Relaxation Day at the Fort Peck pavilion on Aug. 28. The speaker was Mr. Nathan Lu who spoke on "What's Your Spiritual Health Like?" He asked the students to draw a tree picturing how they evaluated themselves. That was among the various activities that "drew students together into a unity as a student body," Mr. Burkhard declared. "It was a very good day," and he was pleased with their deportment and how they cleaned and worked together. On the first day...
Investment opportunities don’t stop at the U.S. border. But what should you know about investing internationally? To begin with, what is an international investment? Essentially, it’s an investment in companies based outside the United States. Investors can purchase individual foreign stocks, but many people choose international mutual funds or international exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which can be traded like stocks and track a specific market index. It’s also possible to invest in bonds issued by foreign governments or entities. Howev...
Editor's Note: Mary submitted this column on Aug. 25. It has been many years since I planted zucchini, and so I forgot how prolific they can be. Luckily, a small section of my brain flashed a warning so I only put in one plant. That single plant is doing its best to out-produce every other plant in my garden. I haven't foisted any onto friends (yet!), nor have I dropped any onto neighbors doorsteps or into unlocked cars on Front Street. I'm not saying that couldn't happen... This past week I mad...
It’s probably not on your calendar, but September is Life Insurance Awareness Month. And it’s indeed a pretty good idea to be aware of what life insurance can do for you. Life insurance can help you in two main ways. First, life insurance policies offer a death benefit that can assist your family if you’re no longer around. And second, some types of life insurance offer the chance to build cash value, which can work for you during your lifetime. Let’s look at the death benefit first. If something were to happen to you, your life insuran...
Aug. 30 We want to thank the families who have hosted the dorm students from before school began until the dorm parents, Mr. & Mrs. Jones Cumpios, are able to come from the Philippines. They have their papers and have been able to make the travel arrangements now. Principal Bob Burkhart welcomed the parents and community to the Aug. 25 at the opening program of LCHS. He introduced this year's theme "Walk Worthy," based on Colossians 1:10. It says, "That you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully ple...
Aug. 24, 2024 High winds and sudden rains impeded harvest efforts this week. We got 4/10 of an inch on Tuesday, in time for busses to go on muddy roads for their first day of school. The temps were in the 90s. Wednesday, Aug. 21,, the schools began with a good enrollment, 42 students in Lustre Grade School and 36 in LCHS. I doubt that many of the grade school students were too excited to start school, and the kindergaten-grade two gave a hearty "NO" to my question if they were glad to be at...
During your working years, you know where your income is coming from because you’re working. But once you retire, you’ll have to identify your income sources, know how much you can expect from them and know how to manage them to help support a retirement that could last two or three decades. So, where will your retirement income come from? And what decisions will you need to make about these income sources? Consider the following: • Retirement accounts – If you’ve regularly contributed to an IRA and a 401(k) or similar employer-sponsored retire...
Aug. 16, 2024 Smoke from the forest fires in western Montana and Wyoming came in behind the cool breeze on Wednesday evening so that the smoke was evident Thursday morning. Our skies have remained hazy. Wheat Harvest has begun. We can begin planning school clothes and Harvest Festivals. We extend many thanks to Ken Zerbe for coming to the aid of our area farmers needing combine repairs. Lustre Repair has been a blessing to our community for years, and we are so thankful. School for both LGS and LCHS begins Wednesday, Aug. 21. The teachers are...
It always seems like it’s the end of summer when all the young people head back to school. All of a sudden, the lazy care-free days of summer indolence turn into the fall frenzy, even though it isn’t really fall yet. There are still many weeks of outdoor-worthy weather to come. While I am looking forward to enjoying to cooler mornings and evenings, I’m definitely not looking forward to less sunlight/more darkness. Nor am I excited about actual cold weather. There’s so much that needs doing before that time arrives. We’ve had the fun of lots o...
As we transition from summer to autumn, change is all around us — leaves are taking on new colors, temperatures are dropping, and the days are getting shorter. But you can also experience different seasons in various aspects of your life — including when you invest. What are the seasons of an investor’s life? And how should you respond to them? The first such season may happen when you are in your 20s and just starting out in the working world. At this stage in your life, it’s especially important to prioritize your financial goals. At the top...
The school year will soon be here. And if you have young children, you’re one year closer to the day when they may be headed off to college. When that day arrives, will you be financially prepared? College isn’t cheap. For the 2023–24 academic year, the average cost — including tuition, fees, housing, food, books, transportation and other expenses — was nearly $29,000 for in-state students at four-year public colleges and universities, and about $60,000 for private schools, according to the College Board. Most students do get some type of f...
It's that time of year again when farmers are trying to harvest their crops. (Well, this has been going on for a while now, which is why I say my warning is tardy.) This means that there will be huge slow-moving pieces of equipment and machinery sharing the highways and roads with you. And when I say slow, I mean anywhere from 10 to 25 miles per hour. When you're driving 70 mph, you can come up on that combine/grain cart/hay baler very quickly. If you see the flashing hazard lights ahead of...
The harvest in Lustre is going full swing, and folks are enjoying the last two weeks of summer holidays for their students. The immediate family of the late Albert Wall travelled to Jordan Valley, Idaho, to attend the last Sunday service of their brother Roger's Pastorate of two very rural churches on Aug 4. Forty eight years ago, the Lustre E.M.B. commissioned Roger and Terry Wall, with American Sunday School Union as missionaries after he completed studies at Multnomah School of the Bible, in...
Temperatures were 103-106 degrees in Lustre on July 22, and hit 100 or more every day, coming down to 90 degrees on Thursday evening, and 75 degrees by Friday. What a welcome relief! July 31, it is 95 degrees and fields are ripe as the pea harvest is in progress. We extend our condolences to the Bill Johnson family of Circle, and the Haber families in the passing of Marian (Haber) Johnson on July 9, 2024. Marian was one of 12 students to graduate from LCHS in the class of 1965. Lustre Christian High School was a beehive of activity on July 29...
Do you worry about running out of money during your retirement years? If so, how can you help prevent this from happening? In the first place, if you have this type of fear, you’re far from alone. Consider this: 58 percent of retirement savers from all age groups, including current retirees, say that outliving their assets is their greatest retirement fear, according to a study by Cerulli Associates, a financial services research organization. This type of fear can certainly affect your quality of life when you retire. Still, there’s no nee...
We’ve enjoyed a brief respite from the heat this past week. In fact, some of us were feeling chilled at a balmy 70°, with that slight breeze and a few sprinkles Sunday. (I’m some people.) But having a high below 107° for fair entry day was unexpectedly nice. (I’m projecting here, as this column was penned last Sunday. I was contemplating actually entering a few items after many years of not getting to town on entry day. I’ll be in town all of that day, so I might gather enough items to make filling out entry forms worthwhile.) The garden is com...
All the visiting family members have gone home, so I’m trying to catch up with all the garden and yard chores that were ignored these past couple of weeks. Of course, there’s extra bedding and towels to be washed, dried, folded and put away. The last load of sheets are in the dryer as I write this. They’ll be ready for the next onslaught of family, who arrive early in August. These past few days of cooler weather are greatly appreciated. It’s easier to work outside for longer periods of time. The netting I’d planned to use to protect my peas f...
