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, As I wrap up my eight years on the Public Service Commission, I think back on all that I have learned. Having previously run an employment agency for 37 years, it's second nature for me to ask, "What are the most important qualifications for being a good commissioner?" As a life-long Republican, my answer may surprise you, because the stuff that makes for a great PSC commissioner is uniquely different from other political offices. Truthfully, the nature of the job – the wise r...
Dear Editor, Did you know that every three hours in the United States, a person or vehicle is hit by a train? My organization, the national rail safety education nonprofit Operation Lifesaver, Inc., partners with the American Farm Bureau Federation and other groups to remind farm equipment operators to pay extra attention where field and farm access roads cross train tracks. To raise awareness of the dangers for drivers and pedestrians and share tips for avoiding these incidents, OLI and its...
Dear Editor, For those unfamiliar, Resolution 3039, an initiative to allow backyard chickens, will appear on this November's ballot. The proposed initiative would allow a maximum of six hens, no roosters, require a permit and limit coops to backyards only. In last week's Letters to the Editor, Shirley Seifert brought up some specific concerns regarding this ordinance and I would like to address these one by one. 1. The simplified phrasing of the ballot initiative is common practice in most...
Dear Editor, I live in NE Montana near Scobey. Austin Knudsen was my representative for eight years, four as the most powerful person in the Legislature as Speaker. The western half of Daniels County has over half its land owned by the State. The State used to pay an in lieu payment to the county to make up for the property taxes they don't pay. The local taxpayer make up the difference. I have always followed this as my father Ed got the in lieu payment enacted in the '60s and Sam Kitzenberg...
Dear Editor, I've had two kidney transplants and I depend on immunosuppressants to prevent my body from rejecting the new kidney. My insurance requires that I receive my medication through the USPS. I could die if my medication does not come in the mail on time. The procedural changes that Postmaster General DeJoy has made have delayed mail delivery all over the county. I'm incredibly worried that these changes and the federal government's inability to appropriately fund the USPS will cause my...
Dear Editor, To Glasgow city residents: More things to ponder before voting for the chicken referendum in November. 1. The wording on the ballot does not say it will follow, to the letter, Resolution No. 3039. It just says, chickens will be allowed in city limits, yes or no. Go to the City Council web page and read the whole resolution. Can random changes be made concerning the chickens if the wording is invalid or unconstitutional? 2. It isn’t clear whether or not the debris collected when cleaning is ‘legal’ to put in the dumpsters. Is there...
Dear Editor, The recent lawsuit alleging that Montana’s mail-in elections are risky discredits Montana’s election administrators. Montanans can vote safely and securely by mail in this election and every election. Over 70 percent of Montana ballots cast in the 2016 general election were absentee. Montana’s June 2020 primary all-mail election had the highest voter primary turnout in recent history with a record-breaking number of ballots filed. Our county elections offices and U.S. postal workers capably handled this surge in mail-in ballo...
In 2014 the Valley County Conservation District (VCCD) submitted to the voters of Valley County an ordinance (2014-1) that called for the protection of soil and water from wild, free roaming or domestic bison/buffalo grazing the District. It easily passed since a majority (74%) of the voters was in favor. However, subsequent reviews and events indicated an amendment was in order. As a result the VCCD supervisors are submitting to the voters an amendment to the ordinance that greatly simplifies it, removes identified problems and addresses...
The Montana Chamber of Commerce (Montana Chamber) is dedicated to ensuring the opportunity for business growth and prosperity by improving Montana’s business climate, talent pipeline, and entrepreneurship through workforce development. The Montana Chamber has carefully considered the implications of the I-190 initiative, also known as Montana Marijuana Regulation & Taxation Act. Upon doing so, its Board of Directors voted last week to oppose the initiative’s passage this fall. Legalizing recreational use of marijuana could have devastating effe...
Dear Editor, When I was a teenager, I allowed a few words spoken in jest to affect me to the core. I was always thin and athletic, and prided myself in being different by not following the crowd on any issue. Yet, I slowly began to let words and advertising into my thought-life. I started to exercise more and eat less and soon found myself with an eating disorder. What people do not realize when they see someone like this, is that the issue is not over-exercise and lack of food. Rather, the eati...
Dear Editor, It's not about values. I believe Senator Daines when he says he joins the majority of Montanans who value public land, protecting it for this and future generations. There are few values as "Montana" as public lands and very few things that we all agree on more. In the latest (2020) Colorado College Poll of the West, 84 percent of Montanans agree that public lands are important when deciding whether to support an elected official. You can't get to 84 percent of anything without a...
Dear Editor, As Montana hunters and anglers, we know a lot about restoring wildlife and habitat through solid conservation efforts. We've been doing it for over a century and those decades of conservation work have led to the abundance of wildlife we enjoy today. At the turn of the 20th Century, we had reduced the massive big game herds to a boneyard. There were roughly 5,000 elk in Montana and nearly every other species was faring just as poorly. Montana hunters, working closely with...
Dear Editor, Nick Chiechi did not out of the sky raise rates! Due to the additional cost of Dry Prairie $14.25 EDU for all St. Marie water users, public hearings were held and a proposed rate increase was discussed. Montana Rural Water provided their formula arriving at the needed rate increase to cover the $7,000 monthly water source bill from Dry Prairie. Alice Hawkins, who was working on NVCW/S District budgets at that time, arrived at about the same dollar amount fee increase. With our main...
Editor's Note: This letter was updated by the Montana Farmers Union on Aug. 27. Dear Editor, Montana Farmers Union is pleased to see Senator Jon Tester put the issue of right to repair front and center via a letter to FTC Commissioner Christine Wilson. The letter explained the importance of right to repair when it comes to production agriculture and urged the FTC to take action. Walter Schweitzer is President of Montana Farmers Union and operates a ranch near Geyser, Mont. Schweitzer is...
Despite daily life being different this year, one thing that hasn’t changed is our desire to enjoy the summer season with family and friends. Historically, Labor Day weekend is a popular travel time with increased traffic on the roads, and this year is anticipated to be no exception as people drive instead of fly and Montanans stay to enjoy our outdoor recreation opportunities rather than travel out-of-state. It is more important than ever to drive safely and plan for a sober ride. The Valley County Sheriff’s Office, Glasgow Police Dep...
Dear Editor, To whom it may concern: Our Medical Staff, as an independent body of physicians and advanced-practice professionals (including nurse practitioners, physicians assistants, and nurse anesthetists), convene regularly to discuss the global COVID-19 pandemic, our national response, the latest scientific breakthroughs, and the situation here in Valley County. We care for patients who live in many areas of Northeastern Montana and we work collaboratively with our county health department t...
Dear Editor, I was encouraged to read, in the Aug. 12, 2020, edition of the Glasgow Courier, that Glasgow School District's Superintendent Sundby wanted to assure parents "that while the school will have tentative plans in place, any plan that is implemented will be done in conjunction with recommendations from the Valley County Health Department and Dr. Anne Millard." Unfortunately, based upon my recent conversations with Valley County Health Department Director Lynn Miller, I understand that...
Dear Editor, There is no better place to be during the summer than Montana. Wide open spaces and long August days have been treasured more than ever this year. As summer comes to a close, though, we shift our focus to harvest and sending the kids back to school. It's a good time to remind friends and family about safety near railroad tracks. Remember that if you see railroad tracks, there will be a train! As you approach railroad tracks, remember that trains are big, heavy, fast, and extremely...
Dear Editor, The Water Use Act (Act), passed by the Montana Legislature in 1973, mainly dealt with free flowing streams, irrigation and ground water. It did not address livestock water use. So why is this an issue? Irrigation from free flowing streams requires a specific point of diversion and a specific place of use. Priority dates and the amount of water allocated to a user become important when drought conditions reduce the amount of water in the stream. Similarly, ground water can become an...
Dear Editor, It's cool this morning. There is a different feel to the air. The days are slowly getting shorter, my bird dogs are getting restless and I am listening for that first bugle of a bull elk down in the river bottom. It's that time when I, and all hunters, anxiously prepare for the glorious days we spend pursuing our quarry in the forests and uplands of our Montana. But this year things are different, and as we take to the field we must acknowledge that difference and change our...
Dear Editor, Farmers and ranchers feed our state, our nation, and in fact, our world. You work long hours to provide essential resources for us all, and in these challenging times, I want you to know that USDA is here to support you and your operation through our Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, or CFAP. Whether you farm one acre or many more, grow food for local markets or big supply chains, CFAP can help. We’re accepting applications through Aug. 28 and encouraging producers to apply now. In Montana, we have already approved 7,642 applica...
Dear Editor, Wednesday, July 29th, I witnessed two very patient officers. Officer Robert Weber and his partner that night, had a unique situation to handle and both officers handled the situation very well. I wished I knew the other officer’s name. Both showed what a true peace officer is. Kudos to you both for a job well done. Sincerely, Mike Carney...
Dear Editor, Only five percent of Americans hunt, and for those of us that do, fewer return to the field every year. Even in Big Sky Country, where we pride ourselves on our strong hunting culture, there has been a small but measurable decline in resident hunters over the past decade. The decline in the hunting population across the country tracks the decline in the number of acres open to public hunting. If we want to pass on the opportunity to pursue wild animals in wild landscapes to the...
Dear Editor, Putting water to beneficial use in a semi-arid state like Montana is dependent on two truths. Water must be physically available, and the corresponding truth is that there must be a legal right to use that available water supply. As the recent failure of Drop 5 on the St. Mary/Milk River Diversion system and the impending lack of adequate supplies in the Milk River later this summer make clear, the infrastructure to make the physical delivery of that water must be rebuilt and repair...
Dear Editor, A recent survey by the University of Montana revealed information about how Montanans feel about our public lands and how we use them. The phone survey of 500 registered voters was done by Republican Lori Weigel, a Republican pollster with New Bridge Strategy and Dave Metz, a Democratic pollster with Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates. The survey's findings indicate that more than three-quarters of Montanans visited public lands 10 or more times in the past year, and...
