Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913
Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913
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Anyone eating, selling, or serving morel mushrooms should use caution when doing so. The toxins in morel mushrooms that may cause illness are not fully understood. However, it is known that using proper preparation techniques, including cooking, can help reduce toxicity and risk of illness when consuming mushrooms. There are varieties of poisonous wild mushrooms that look very similar to morel mushrooms. Public health officials recommend those preparing morels should confirm the identity of each individual mushroom, and consult with a...
Block Management Area (BMA) Program information for 2023 will be available to hunters beginning Aug. 10. Hunters can request their BMA Access Guide online and can print individual BMA property maps and rules at fwp.mt.gov/hunt/access/blockmanagement. The Block Management webpage allows hunters to download the Access Guide, up-to-date BMA maps and rules for every individual BMA enrolled in the program. These individual BMA property maps and rules are important for hunters to know and understand for each property they plan on hunting. Not all...
In the “Montana Department of Revenue Property Appraisal Meeting” story published Aug. 2, 2023, it was incorrectly stated that the Property Tax Rebate application window closes on Aug. 15. The application window will open on Aug. 15. The Glasgow Courier apologizes for the error....
Dear Editor, As I meet with Montanans in every corner of our state, I hear the same concern often –taxes are too high. And they're right. Taxes are too high and need to be reined in. Two years ago, we enacted a fiscally responsible budget, and as a result, the State of Montana today has a historic budget surplus. Ultimately, that means you overpaid your taxes, and we're giving it back to you. When we released our Budget for Montana Families last November, we again held the line on spending, a...
The Montana Department of Revenue (DOR) held a meeting July 25, at the Valley County Courthouse, to discuss the details of the income tax rebates and the property tax rebates. They also took time to discuss the guidelines and methods they use to appraise property in the Property Appraisal Department of the DOR. The two rebates are coming. The income tax rebate is already processed and there is no need to apply. If you qualify, they are either in the mail or still in the process of being mailed. The property tax rebate, however, you need to...
I am struggling to make train reservations today. Do you remember when we had a staffed depot and you could purchase your tickets at the train depot? Much simpler than trying to do it online, especially if you belong to the older generation. Of course, back then you could always call the depot to get times for departures and arrivals also. I have not traveled by train for some years and am well aware that I see many changes from the days my family or myself used the train to travel a distance. Got to meet some really nice porters and...
Dear Editor, I was reading in the Montana Senior News (April-May issue) about how veterans can go to the Double-H Ranch in Bozeman, Mont., and start getting their lives back on track after they get out of the service. Now young people should take note of this when you are fooling around with your idle time getting into trouble. These veterans have all kinds of problems and want to heal themselves and have something to look forward to. A lot of you young people are healthy or were healthy and...
I am sure that many of you guys out there can remember getting a summer job picking up bales. It seemed like many of the young high school football players liked to get the job as they got to “keep in shape” over the summer. When I go outside to help, I can’t help but remember my days in the hay field and I got to run air-conditioned outfits. I can’t imagine what it would be like picking bales the hard way on those 90-degree days. Thankfully, modern equipment and bale size has brought about many changes in that respect. For those of you loo...
From The Valley County Sheriff's Office Dear Editor, The recent showing of the movie Sound of Freedom has caused a buzz across the country. The movie, about child and human trafficking, takes a two-hour dive and offers a tiny glimpse into a world that we pretend does not exist. The immense problem seen worldwide is aptly portrayed in this feature film that pulls at your heartstrings. If you have not seen the movie, I would encourage you to do so. When you leave the theater, your mind replays the...
Dear Editor, Each June, National Healthy Homes Month raises awareness on housing-related health hazards and the steps to take for safe, healthy homes. This year's theme is "Connecting Home, Health, and YOU" to highlight the important relationship between housing quality and health. One substantial way to maintain a healthy home is to keep it smoke free, whether it's a private home or an apartment. There is no safe amount of secondhand smoke exposure, and the home is the main place many children...
Dear Editor, Property tax appraisals are currently arriving in the mail. It's important to review the valuation and appeal it if you do not agree with the valuation. The appeal instructions are in the letter that was mailed to you. You only have 30 days, so do not wait. If the value of your property increased by 30 percent that does not mean your taxes will increase by 30 percent. However, generally if the value of your property increased, most likely your taxes will be increasing. Property tax...
Dear Editor, Montana's 1972 constitution guarantees its citizens a right to "a clean and healthful environment in Montana for present and future generations." The 2023 trial of Held V. State of Montana, a lawsuit brought by 16 Montana youth, attempts to show how the state government's longstanding energy policies violate this constitutional right by favoring fossil fuel industries with high carbon emissions. The lawsuit is named for plaintiff Rikki Held, age 22, a fifth-generation Montanan...
Dear Editor, In 2022, Governor Greg Gianforte faced criticism for the delay in applying for Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) funding, which would have provided up to $10 million in food assistance to over 73,000 Montana children and families. After public pressure, Greg finally submitted an application to the federal government. Instead of investing the received funds in Main Street Montana, the Gianforte administration has taken actions that hinder vulnerable Montanans from...
Attorney General Austin Knudsen and Division of Criminal Investigation administrator Bryan Lockerby joined officials at Stockman Bank in Billings on June 15, on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, to remind Montana seniors to be aware and take precautions as bad actors commonly prey on the elderly population. Older Americans are frequently the targets of scammers trying to make a quick buck, and can also be victims of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. According to AARP, there are more than 369,000 nationwide incidents of financial abuse that...
Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen announced on June 9 that 2024 Annual Report filing fees will be waived for all Montana businesses. The elimination of the Annual Report filing fee will result in millions of dollars in savings for Montana businesses. “Our Montana businesses work hard to provide services and products to their communities, and I want to make it easier to do business in Montana,” said Secretary Jacobsen. “I previously cut registration fees in half for Montana businesses, and our state has experienced record new busin...
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen and nine other state attorneys general are suing the Biden administration over its new “Equity in Action” methodology used to calculate flood insurance rates that would force Montanans to pay hundreds of dollars more per year. Under the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) new “Risk Rating 2.0 – Equity in Action” methodology, policies for 2,170 single family homes in Montana would see their flood insurance costs skyrocket by an average of 84 percent, or $757 per year. Using a methodology...
Dear Editor, When I arrived at the Highland Cemetery to get set up for placing flags on veteran grave sites on May 27th I was blown away with, first the entry gate and secondly by the way the cemetery looked. The flowers and new gate really made a welcoming sight and were beautifully displayed. The entire cemetery was meticulously manicured and looked peaceful as a cemetery should. The work that Dan Miller and his crew put in showed the great pride they have and made it a show place for family...
The Montana Association of Counties (“MACo”), of which Valley County is a part of, filed suit on June 7 to compel Governor Greg Gianforte and Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen to fulfill their constitutional obligations and allow the Montana Legislature their lawful opportunity to override the Governor’s veto of Senate Bill 442 (“SB 442”). On May 1, 2023, 130 out of 150 legislators passed SB 442, a bipartisan, politically popular measure that touches the state from border to border by redistributing recreational marijuana tax revenues...
The Science Math Resource Center at Montana State University, a STEM outreach center housed in the Department of Education, is offering free citizen science kits to 10 Montana programs that serve middle school students. Applications are due Friday, June 23, and kits will be sent to successful applicants immediately afterward. Programs are asked to use the materials by Sept. 30 and fill out a short post-program survey. Each kit includes a video tutorial, instructor’s guide and physical materials to complete two citizen science projects from i...
Continuing his aggressive push to fully reopen the northern border and resume full trade and commerce with Canada, U.S. Senator Jon Tester on June 7 led a bipartisan letter to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) pressing the agency to return the hours of operations at northern ports of entry to pre-pandemic hours or, at minimum, match the operating hours of Canadian ports. “As Members of Congress who represent states across the northern border, we write to request U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) expand the hours of o...
With all of the smoke filled skies we had in the past month I thought Burma Shave #2 appropriate. Chaperone your cigarettes, they shouldn't go out alone! On to other memories. Be careful what you wish for. At one point in my younger life I wished for an exercise bike. My husband happily purchased one for me at an auction that he attended. Needless to say, it was not what I had in my mind, but I was told I could sharpen my knives while I exercised. Many of our parents and grandparents used this...
Following the passage and signing of SB 109, the Montana Public Service Commission announces the creation of new boundaries for the five PSC districts. SB 109, carried by Senator Keith Regier and signed into law by Gov. Gianforte, uses the newly established Montana House of Representatives district map to create the boundaries of the revised PSC districts. PSC districts are no longer determined by county boundary lines. Under the recently enacted legislation, each of Montana's seven most populated cities, excluding Butte, will now be...
Dear Editor, With all the checks and balances ingrained in the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights, it is incomprehensible how one election is totally destroying the foundation of our very successful republic. Wayne Hage, in his book 'Storm over Rangelands', extensively documented how the eastern industrialists coveted the natural resources of the western states and since the 1880's had been using the federal government to keep these resources out of the hands of the western settlers (i.e....
Dear Editor, Every year on May 31, World Health Organization and its partners mark World No Tobacco Day, highlighting the health risks associated with tobacco use and advocating for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption. Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of death globally and is currently responsible for killing one in 10 adults worldwide. The theme of this year's World No Tobacco Day campaign is "Ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship." Tobacco addiction is...
Dear Editor, With the weather finally warming up here for spring time, I've been spending a lot of time out on my tractor finishing up planting. Every year, I plant my fields with crops like wheat, barley, peas, and millet. The days are long – Sharla and I start early in the morning and work late until the job is done – but as Montanans know, hard work is rewarding and always reminds us how lucky we are to live here in Montana. Our Montana way of life is what makes us The Last Best Place, and...
