Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913
Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913
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Montana senators Steve Daines (R) and Jon Tester (D) have not given up Savanna’s Act, with both senators vowing to move forward with the legislation. The bill failed to pass last session when retiring Representative Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) refused to bring the bill up for a vote in the House Judiciary Committee. Savanna’s Act was introduced by former Democratic Senator from North Dakota Heidi Heitkamp. The bill seeks to address the continuing epidemic of missing and murdered Native American women and children by boosting Justice Department dat...
The Frazer community came together with the Frazer High School and Poplar High School to honor and raise awareness for missing and murdered indigenous women and girls last Friday, Jan. 25. The event, which occurred between the boys and girls basketball games in the Frazer gymnasium, sought to raise funds and provide support to the family of Henny Scott, a 14-year-old freshman at Lame Deer High School, who went missing for a number of weeks before being found murdered in late December. Her...
After 35 days of being furloughed workers, members of the community who serve the public in government-funded agencies such as the National Weather Service, FBI, Bureau of Land Management, USDA Farm Service Agency and Fish, Wildlife Services are all back to work as of Jan. 28 and the agencies are fully operational. During a press conference on Jan. 25, President Trump announced he has approved legislation to open the government until Feb. 15, allowing all federal government employees the...
The closure of the United States Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development offices threatened to affect Glasgow’s upgrade to the water infrastructure prior to the end of the government shutdown on Friday, Jan. 25. According to the Director of Public Works Robert Kompel, if the Rural Development Office had not been able to process loan and grant payments for the project within the next month, then the city may have been forced to delay the upgrade. With parts on order and contractors lined up to begin work, that would have added additional c...
In an unanimous decision, the Glasgow City Council voted to advance Ordinance No. 960 to extend the Glasgow Police Department’s arrest authority out five miles from the city limits at their regular meeting on Jan. 22. During the meeting, Chief Brien Gault presented the Council with a powerpoint presentation highlighting the needs the ordinance would address, such as officer and city liability and the Montana Municipal Interlocal Authority’s ability to pay out those liability claims. That presentation also addressed concerns that any arrest not...
On Jan. 16, Shopko announced they have filed voluntary petitions for a court-supervised financial restructuring under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code. As a result, the Plentywood store will be closing March 3, and the Wolf Point store will be closing April 8. As of press time, the Glasgow Shopko was still open with no information available on if the location will stay open in the future. The Courier did reach out to the store to inquire about the future status of the Glasgow location, however they were unable to provide...
Both the Fort Peck Fine Arts Council (FPFAC) and the city of Glasgow have been awarded grants by the Department of Commerce to help attract visitors to the community. The FPFAC received a grant of $20,000 to upgrade the sound system at the Fort Peck Summer Theatre. The city of Glasgow was awarded $33,700 to construct and install wayfinding signage on the highway and in the downtown area. FPST Artistic Director Andy Meyer tells the Courier, “Keeping up with all the technical advances in ‘show biz’, we are thrilled to receive this grant to updat...
With expectations premised by just under a week of rehearsals, crowds turned out to view the Missoula Children's Theatre's rendition of "The Emperor's New Clothes," written and conceived by Jim Caron and Matt Loehrke, and what they found was a delightful, funny and well-rendered performance by some talented area youth. The play told the story of what can happen when we fall victim to the notion that appearances matter more than character and the comical antics that can ensue when the Royal...
Following the success of last year's Glasgow High School Poetry Slam event, Desiree Johnson had planned to continue hosting one each year. However, as plans do, that intent changed. Having introduced her students to a deeply personal form of expression, this year's project took a much different format. Johnson found the Poetry Out Loud competition, a program designed to encourage learning about poetry, to grow public speaking skills and self-confidence, and to learn about literary history and...
Attorneys for TransCanada Corp. argued in front of Judge Brian Morris in Great Falls on Jan. 14, requesting that construction of worker camps and pipe yards begin again after being halted in November. Construction on Keystone XL was anticipated to begin this spring and in preparation, pipe was being trucked in and stored as early as last October. Preparations were also underway for worker camp construction at camps projected to go in near Glendive and Hinsdale. However, all of those...
The Valley County Food Bank is offering furloughed U.S. Government workers and their families in the county the opportunity to utilize their services during the partial government shutdown. Those affected are asked to contact Pat Hallett, 263-3353, or Laurie Koessl, 228-4647. A bag filled with a combination of fruit, veggies, pasta, pasta sauce, soup, a loaf of bread, half gallon of milk, peanut butter, crackers and cereal will be provided as well as meat. More information on the services of Valley County Food Bank and how they are assisting... Full story
Only nine members of the public alongside the County Attorney, Sheriff and the Commissioners administrative assistant attended a public hearing Jan. 14, to hear public opinion on establishing a medical marijuana dispensary ordinance in the county. Three of those in attendance represented the medical marijuana industry directly and only one person expressed opposition to allowing dispensaries in the area. Participants were asked not to discuss the legality or morality of medicinal use of the drug, but rather to discuss favor or opposition to...
The Glasgow School Board met in regular session on Jan. 9. All trustees and school administrators were present, along with GEA representatives and one dozen other school staff and community members. Glasgow resident Doug Nistler utilized the public comment period to voice a concern that the cement islands in the high school parking lot are not being cleared of snow. Kim Girard updated the trustees about the math department’s efforts to assist students during study hall throughout the day. Girard reported that in 83 days, 642 students have taken...
Glasgow Middle School eighth-graders demonstrated their command of physics, motion, design, construction and flare Jan. 11 in the middle school gym. The challenge was part of their science class, taught by Wade Nelson, in which they were to design a car using any means of propulsion available to them that would travel quickly and accurately across the gym floor. Students were assessed for speed, how straight and how far the car travelled. If a car veered off course then the total distance off...
The partial government shutdown is now officially the longest government shutdown in history, currently on day 24 as of press time, breaking the previous shutdown record of 21 days, which occurred at the end of 1995 through the beginning of 1996 under President Clinton. Certain agencies within the federal government, including the Department of Commerce, Department of Agriculture, Departmentn of Interior, Department of Homeland Security, among others, ran out of funding when the budget for these agencies expired on Dec. 22. Employees of the...
Former Valley County Undersheriff Luke Strommen pleaded not guilty to the charge of Felony Sexual Intercourse Without Consent Jan. 14, in District Court in Glasgow. Strommen also maintained his plea of not guilty on an earlier charge of Felony Sexual Abuse of a Child from back in October. As a result of the plea and in light of the new charges, Missoula-based Judge Jon Larson vacated trial dates set in May and will allow both counsels for Strommen and the State of Montana to pursue trial dates i...
Glasgow High School senior Taylor Johnson was just one student of many who took part in the 39th Montana Youth Challenge Academy (MYCA) commencement ceremony on Dec. 15, 2018, on the University of Montana-Western campus in Dillion, Mont. The graduation ceremony was the end of a 22-week process where Johnson learned the academic and life skills necessary to not only be a better person but to also be successful in whichever life endeavor he chooses. Johnson decided to enroll in the MYCA and start...
The Valley County USDA Farm Service Agency office, 54059 US Hwy 2, Suite 1, Glasgow, will be open temporarily Thursday, Jan. 17, Friday, Jan. 18, and Tuesday, Jan. 22, during normal business hours, to assist producers with specific services including processing payments made on or before Dec. 31, continue expiring financing statements and open mail to identify priority items. While staff are available in person during this three-day window, most available services can be handled over the phone by contacting the office at 406-228-4321. Services...
The Valley County Search and Rescue, in partnership with the three local wrecker services (Thompson & Sons, Glenn’s Automotive and Hi-Line Collision), gave rides to 206 New Year’s Eve celebrants Dec. 31 and Jan. 1. According to Search and Rescue director Rob Brunelle, that number more than doubled the 2018 New Year’s celebration. As a result of the ride program, the Valley County DUI Task Force will donate $500 to Valley County Search and Rescue. According to Sheriff Tom Boyer, the program likely contributed to a New Year’s Eve that saw no...
In what is becoming a much-anticipated annual tradition, the Johnny Holm Band once again rocked Glasgow. The band, well-known to many residents of the area, performed at the Glasgow Civic Center this past Friday, Jan. 4. The group did not disappoint, launching into classics and getting bodies on the dance floor. And as has become tradition, they "outsourced" some singing to exceptionally talented locals. While ticket sale numbers aren't yet finalized, a Chamber of Commerce board member said, "Fr...
The Glasgow City Council is expected to take up the issue of expanding the Glasgow Police Department’s arrest authority out five miles from the current city limits at their next regular meeting on Jan. 21. The measure, if approved, would add roughly 100 square miles to the current GPD coverage area. According to Chief of Police Brien Gault, the reasoning is to alleviate concerns the department and the city have regarding liability for Glasgow police officers. Gault asserts that as it stands now questions on the liability of officers could c...
A vehicle was riddled with bullet holes during the night of Jan. 5 or morning of Jan. 6, while it sat parked on the side of Highway 24 heading north towards Saint Marie about a half mile past mile marker 4, according to Valley County Sheriff Tom Boyer. The owner of the vehicle was traveling along the highway when his tire went flat the evening of Jan. 5. After determining he would not be able to fix the vehicle he made his way home and upon returning the next morning found the car full of bullet...
The Pankratz family from Malta received a special Christmas present with the birth of Augustus Sage Pankratz, at Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital in Glasgow, on Tuesday, Dec. 25, at 10:15 p.m. Augustus' birth was to the surprise of his parents, Dustin and Megan Pankratz, and brother, Wylie, however oldest brother Cooper was more proud of the fact of being right as he had been telling his family for awhile there would be a new addition to the family on Christmas day. Augustus was not due to make...
With the farm bill being signed into law by President Trump reauthorizing a number of programs to help farmers and ranchers get back on their feet, receiving word the second round of direct payments for those who were affected by the trade war with China were going to be distributed and resolutions were being made between the U.S., Canada and Mexico, farmers seemed like their luck was turning around as 2018 came to an end. However when the government shutdown as a result of lapse in funding, direct payments for farmers who haven’t yet c...
On Dec. 26, the Montana Department of Justice amended charges against former Valley County Undersheriff Luke Strommen adding the charge of Sexual Intercourse Without Consent, a felony. Strommen has already been charged with the offense of Sexual Abuse of a Child, a felony, as a result of allegations of improprieties of a sexual nature with a 17-year-old victim four years ago. Strommen pled not guilty to that charge in District Court on Oct. 16. According to the amended court documents, Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) was contacted in...
