Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913
Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913
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Dear Editor, Hay prices, blizzards, drought, grasshoppers, fuel prices, wildfires. It's a tough time to be an agricultural producer. We're reaching out to see if you know of a rancher or farmer who has had a hardship in recent months. New this year, we will be gifting free tickets to our festival in hopes that some of these producers can have something additional to look forward to. Free tickets will be randomly drawn from our pool of nominated producers. Devastating weather events including...
Changing the Narrative on Rural Mental Health Dear Editor, We got a call this week from a friend and listener who said, "Maybe you ought to be careful about getting into this mental health stuff. My Mom, used to say, 'buck up, buttercup.'" Fair enough. There are days when we do have to buck up and go feed the cows in a foot of snow. And it just takes a little push to get us headed out the door. Sometimes we do have to "buck up" and do the hard stuff. I'll tell you from my personal experience...
There are some of us that remember the days of hauling water, not just for drinking but for all household necessities. You learned early to conserve that commodity. Needless to say, you didn’t use an automatic washing machine or dishwasher, nor did you turn on the faucet at the sink and let it run while you searched for something in the Frigidaire. I can recall names of a few persons that delivered water to folks that did not have useable water. These people, us being one of those, usually had a cistern that held the water that these fellows h...
Greetings Everyone! The Glasgow High School All Class Reunion, June 16 thru June 19, 2022, is fast approaching and a lot of fun events and gatherings have been planned for returning alumni, family and friends and us locals too!! Starting with registration and social on Thursday followed by Friday night BBQ and music entertainment and a street dance downtown on Saturday night there will be plenty to do during the Reunion. Many individual class gatherings and group events are also planned during...
Dear Editor, I would like to encourage you to vote YES to extend the previous approved mill levy to support Valley View Nursing Home. Ten years ago, I would probably have voted no, but I got a wakeup call when my mother ended up at Valley View a few years ago. I was so thankful that she could be taken care of in Glasgow. I couldn't imagine having to drive to Billings, Great Falls or other places to visit her. She spent two years at Valley View and in that time, I got to know a lot of the...
Dear Editor, We, the below signed members of the State-Tribal Relations Committee, the Montana Legislature's liaison with tribal governments, write to congratulate Montana high school and postsecondary graduates and their deservingly proud families. Way to go! We extend our deep gratitude to the educators, administrators, and support staff who have contributed in countless ways over multiple years to the myriad achievements of the class of 2022. Thank you for all you do! We also write as a...
Remember watching the trains traveling along the railroad track and always ending with a red caboose?I think that the caboose was used to house the crew or part of the crew anyway. I think this may have been a safety requirement but like so many things, technology has changed all of that. Our railroad crews no longer have to manually throw switches, however I think that this little red caboose often offered a nice little place for relaxing by an old cast iron stove that provided heat both for warmth and cooking. The coffee was probably always...
Dear Editor, Since 1998, more than 900 children across the United States have died from heatstroke when unattended in a vehicle – an average of 38 deaths per year. Every one of these deaths could have been prevented. May 1 was National Heatstroke Prevention Day and Safe Kids Montana and Montana Children's Trust Fund are reminding parents, caregivers, and community members of the things we can all do to protect children from vehicular heatstroke. Heatstroke, also known as hyperthermia, occurs w...
PAID POLITICAL CONTENT Dear Editor, Rosendale has a long history of saying one thing and doing the opposite. He has told Montanan's how much he values and supports protecting Public Lands, supports Montana farmers, ranchers and agriculture, supports our veterans, wants to improve healthcare and wants to promote fiscal responsibility. However his actions tell a different story. Rosendale's relationship with the Wilks Brothers not only extends to the fact that he earns income from the Wilks...
Dear Editor, There is a saying in northeastern Montana that a couple of good rains make every rancher a good grass manager. The converse is that a couple of years of severe drought show who the good grass managers really are. Over the years grazing management has morphed from continuous grazing to incorporating rest periods to facilitate vegetation recovery. Often, during periods of ideal growing conditions, the benefits of rest periods are not readily noticeable. However, they really show up...
Dear Editor, After four years of analysis and public input, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) issued their proposed decision on American Prairie's application to restore bison across 63,000 acres of public lands in north central Montana. As Director of Bison Restoration for American Prairie, it is my job to manage those bison as an ecological tool to benefit wildlife, protect our public lands, and improve the prairies where they graze. My team does this work by relying on sound science,...
Dear Editor, Know the consequences before signing the petition to put CI-121 on the November ballot. At face value, CI-121 and freezing your residential property taxes may sound like a good idea. But if you further investigate the details of this misleading ballot initiative, you will find several adverse consequences. What is CI-121? It is a ballot initiative proposing a constitutional amendment that would freeze residential property value at the 2019 level and changes the assessed value to the...
Have you noticed that you very seldom see stock corrals along the side of railway depots as you are traveling along the highways? Remember the days when most all livestock was shipped via rail car for their journey to feedlots? Almost all small towns (those I am familiar with) had a pole type corral sporting pens and alleyways, and maybe a scale house, located very close to the depot. These were there for the use of the local livestock people. I am not at all sure who was responsible for the building, upkeep and repairs on these important...
The following letter written by the Valley County Commissioners was sent to Field Manager Tom Darrington at the Bureau of Land Management Malta Office on April 13. Tom Darrington, Field Manager Bureau of Land Management Malta Field Office 50 I South Second Street East Malta, Montana 59538 4/13/2022 Dear Tom Darrington, The Valley County Commissioners protest your Notice of Proposed Decision concerning APR’s grazing applications in southern Phillips County. We believe your decision is in error because it would establish a precedent for p...
Remember when Easter meant new Easter bonnets and gloves and probably even a new outfit for spring? Of course, hats were always part of our Church attire, but that was before the casual church going attire. I am not sure that I remember when the changes came about but I cannot recall the last time I saw a lady wearing a hat at any occasion. Easter this year was also a day for head coverings, but I must say it would have been for warmth, not style. Hang on to those gloves for awhile too!...
Editor’s Note: This is part two of a four-part series regarding nicotine use and stress. The first part was printed in the April 13, 2022, edition of the Glasgow Courier. When a smoker puffs on a cigarette, nicotine is carried into the lungs via smoke particles where it is absorbed into blood and makes its way quickly to the brain. Once [it hits] the brain, nicotine increases the release of dopamine, a chemical that signals pleasure, which keeps them addicted to nicotine. Why Do So Many Tobacco Users Think That Nicotine Alleviates Stress? N...
JUUL vape products made headlines in 2019 as sales of sweet and fruity flavors were cancelled in the U.S., but the 2020 National Youth Tobacco Survey reports that Puff Bar has overtaken the e-cigarette giant. Puff Bars and competitors like FLUM demonstrate the tobacco industry’s aggressive efforts to skirt regulations that dethroned JUUL. Their goal is to get more people addicted to nicotine. The 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey reports 80 percent of Montana high school students that vape use fruity, sweet, or even alcohol flavored nicotine p... Full story
Dear Editor, Constitutional Initiative 121 or CI-121 is a proposed initiative petition currently circulating to gather enough signatures to qualify for the ballot this November. If asked, decline to sign the petition for CI-121! We must keep this misleading ballot initiative off the ballot. CI -121 is not in the best interests of Montanan communities, businesses, or schools. We need to protect new homeowners and keep families in their homes. Small businesses are already struggling. We need to...
Dear Editor, In March of 2020 the USDA made a statement that the present definition of the Product in USA label was confusing consumers. The admission came in response to a petition filed by the United States Cattlemen's Association about accurate labeling. At present, simply repackaging imported beef once it enters the USA allows this product to carry the Product of USA label. There is proposed legislation in Congress that seeks to redefine this voluntary label to be used only on products from...
Dear Editor, Unfortunately, the stars are lining up for the World Wildlife Fund's (WWF) grandiose plan to rewild the Northern Great Plains. Their pilot project in northeastern Montana, being coordinated by their spin-off, the American Prairie Reserve (APR), has recently received a shot in the arm. Emails, via the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), detailed the cozy relationship between the Bullock administration and the APR. Now two former members of the Bullock administration are heading the...
Dear Editor, In the next few weeks, it is believed that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will be releasing its Record of Decision (ROD) on the American Prairie Reserve's (APR) application for bison grazing in south Phillips County. Based on the language in the draft Environmental Assessment BLM released last year, it is likely that BLM will approve some form of APR's application for bison grazing on its federal allotments. BLM's anticipated decision comes as no surprise given the multiple...
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...
Dear Editor, As the son of a United States Marine, I know the sacrifices that our Montana veterans have made and the dedication they have to our great state and our great nation. Montana veterans risked their lives to protect our freedoms and make America and the world a better, safer place to live. When they return home, it is our duty to ensure they have reliable and accessible health care no matter where they live. Several weeks ago, it was reported that the U.S. Department of Veterans' Affai...
Dear Editor, It's no secret that Montana is seeing an uptick in tourism, and more Valley County residents are offering vacation rentals through services like Airbnb and Vrbo. To be the best host, be sure your rental is smoke free. Not only does tobacco smoke stain and stink up carpets and drapes but smoking inside can result in burn marks on counters and tabletops and increased fire risk. Worse yet, secondhand smoke is a health hazard for your renters, putting them at risk for cancer, heart...
Dear Editor, We are five of the youngest lawmakers in the Montana Legislature. At 20, 21, 24, 29, and 31 years old, we are in various stages of renting and home ownership, and all of us are concerned about the housing crisis facing Montana. In every one of our communities-Billings, Belgrade, Columbia Falls, and even Malta-housing is rapidly becoming more expensive and harder to find. Many of the factors causing the housing crisis, such as migration, supply costs, and the labor shortage, are...
