News Briefs for Jan. 5, 2022

Kiwanis Sing Christmas Carols

The Glasgow Kiwanis Club was joined by five students from the Glasgow High School Key Club, and 15 from the Glasgow Middle School Builders Club (2 advisors and 13 students) to sing Christmas Carols at Nemont Manor at noon Wednesday Dec. 15 .

They also teamed up with local churches to ring the Salvation Army Bell at Reynolds.

Kiwanis also thanked all who helped with this year's Kiwanis Salvation Army Bell Ringing project.

Local churches took the first weekends raising $940.15, $883.29 and $478.90; and Kiwanis took the last few days leading up to Christmas and raised an additional $1461.40 for a total this year of $3763.74.

This money is used locally to assist families and individuals in need.

Rocky Zimdars was the Kiwanis chair of this project this year.

Kiwanis also thanked Reynolds Market for putting up with the noise created with the bell ringing, to all who helped ring the bell, and to all those who made contributions.

Kiwanis was formed in Glasgow in 1923.

Its motto is Serving the Children of the World. If you would like to join Kiwanis, find out more or visit a club meeting.

They meet at the Cottonwood Inn at noon on the second and third Wednesday of each month. For more information, contact any Kiwanis member.

Glasgow School District Superintendent Wade Sundby is President.

Setting Inspired Goals

Each new opportunity opens the door to endless possibilities.

As folks consider New Year resolutions, they can focus on goals that improve multiple aspects of their lives.

They may consider setting goals in the following four categories to keep them more balanced.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has developed a program to help individuals set and achieve effective goals to help them become more like Jesus Christ, who spent His life in such a way that He provided us an example of Spiritual, Intellectual, Social, and Physical perfection.

As described in the gospel of Luke, “Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.”

Just like Christ, folks can increase their capabilities in these areas and become more like Jesus, as spiritual goals play a pivotal part of who people become.

Missionaries dedicate their lives fully to helping others strengthen their spiritual demands.

This new year, you can reach out to a missionary who can help you make goals that will strengthen your spirit, and in turn add balance to every part of your life.

December 4H Lucky Clover Meeting

On Dec. 12, 2021 the Lucky Clover 4-H club hosted their monthly meeting.

Before the meeting, they decorated the outside of the Senior Center for Christmas.

Roll was taken by Anna Prysmak, secretary.

New members were introduced to the club.  Demonstrations were done by Kaitlyn Miller on scrapbooking and Anna Prysmak demonstrated the Ukrainian tradition of egg painting.  Minutes were passed from the November meeting, and new minutes were approved as presented.

The club has decided to host two home basketball game meal fundraiser this year. 

After the meeting was adjourned the club enjoyed a pulled pork meal. 

We also did the annual Secret Santa gift exchange.

The Club welcomes the public to come support Nashua Lions Club/Lucky Clover 4-H Club Roller Skating every Sunday from 1 p.m.-3 p.m.

Wokal Field Gets Grant Funding

Following the passage of his bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, U.S. Senator Jon Tester has announced he secured $28,610,817 in Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Fiscal Year 2022 funding for 69 Montana airports as part of the law.

Wokal Field in Glasgow will receive $159,000.

“Montana’s airports are essential to keeping our state connected and our economy strong,” said Tester. “This funding from my bipartisan infrastructure package will ensure that our airports can make urgently needed repairs, continue to grow and support Montana travel, and create good paying jobs in the process.”

Tester secured approximately $144 million for 69 Montana airports through his bipartisan infrastructure law, which will be awarded over five years through the FAA’s Airport Improvement Grants, which can be used to construct or repair runways and taxiways as well as make terminal and gate improvements. Tester was the only member of Montana’s congressional delegation to vote for the legislation.

Tester worked across the aisle for months to negotiate this agreement with a group of five Republicans, four Democrats, and the White House. Tester’s law is projected to create more than 800,000 American jobs and lower costs for businesses by making targeted investments that will strengthen our nation without raising taxes on working families.

As a lead author of the bill, Tester made sure that the law does not raise taxes. He secured significant wins for Montana in the law, including $2.82 billion for Montana’s roads, highways and bridges; up to $100 million for the Milk River Project and $1 billion to complete all authorized rural water projects through the Bureau of Reclamation; $42.45 billion for broadband deployment to low-connectivity areas across the country; and $3.37 billion to reduce wildfire risk nationwide, among others. Tester also worked to ensure that all iron, steel, and construction materials used for these projects must be made in America.

New Election Management System Delayed

hrough the partnership between the Montana Secretary of State’s Office and county

election administrators, the decision was made to not implement the new election management system

at this time. The decision comes following a scheduled meeting between the Secretary of State Office’s

Elections Division, a representative of the county election administrators, and the software vendor.

“The decision to implement a new system was a data-driven decision since the project began in 2019. If

the established criteria had been met, the system would have been implemented. Montana will not

launch an election management system that isn’t ready, and it’s not ready,” said Secretary Jacobsen.

“We all share the common goal of voter confidence, election integrity, and transparency. The strengths

for election integrity in Montana include our election officials, paper ballots, post-election audits, and

tabulating equipment that does not connect to the internet. The election system Montana uses is a key

component of election integrity.”

The Secretary of State’s Office partnered with county election administrators and that partnership will

continue going forward. The Secretary of State’s Office will be discussing the next steps for the project

with the software vendor. The new system, once ready, will provide a modern, user-friendly platform for

local and state officials to administer elections.

The state will continue to utilize its current election management system, MT Votes.

Injunction Against Head Start Vaccine and Toddler Mask Mandate

A federal judge granted a preliminary injunction against President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine and mask mandates for Head Start programs, Montana Attorney General Knudsen announced today. The mandate required all Head Start staff and volunteers receive the COVID-19 vaccine by January 31 and required children as young as 2-years old to wear a mask.

Attorney General Knudsen and 23 other state attorneys general filed a lawsuit against the mandate and requested the preliminary injunction on December 21, 2021.

“This is a win for Montana’s Head Start programs, which are already stretched thin – and I’ve heard firsthand that this mandate would have made it even worse. It is ridiculous to expect toddlers to wear masks and no one should be forced into getting a vaccine they don’t want,” Attorney General Knudsen said.

Head Start seeks to improve school readiness by providing early childhood education and resources to kids who are largely from low-income families. There are 20 Montana Head Start organizations with 1,500 employees serving families in dozens of communities around the state. A needs assessment conducted earlier this year by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services found that staff and child recruitment are the most pressing issues facing Head Start programs in Montana.

In addition to Montana, the preliminary injunction issued today prevents the federal government from enforcing the Head Start mandates in Louisiana, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

Last week, the coalition of attorneys general also filed formal comments in opposition to the mandate with the federal Office of Head Start.

Law Banning Discrimination Based on Vaccination Status Reaffirmed

Governor Greg Gianforte today provided guidance to Montana employers and employees impacted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rule mandating vaccines for employers with 100 or more employees nationwide.

“Montana law is unequivocal: employers are prohibited from discriminating based on vaccination status,” Gov. Gianforte wrote in guidance to Montanans. “While employers may encourage employees to vaccinate, they may not tie or modify any terms of employment based on vaccination status.”

On November 5, 2021, OSHA published the “COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard” applicable to employers with 100 or more employees nationwide. The OSHA mandate violates Montana law prohibiting discrimination based on a person’s vaccination status.

The OSHA mandate was immediately challenged, and its enforcement was stayed nationwide by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals until December 17, 2021, when the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling allowing implementation of the OSHA mandate. The Sixth Circuit ruling has also been challenged and is presently pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.

In a letter accompanying his guidance to Montanans, the governor wrote, “The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling is clear that no employer is obligated under the OSHA mandate to include a vaccination requirement in its COVID-19 workplace plan.”

He continued, “Montana employers, in exercising their discretion under the OSHA mandate to determine the details of their COVID-19 workplace plans, must do so in a manner that complies with Montana’s non-discrimination policy as expressed in HB 702 and codified at Mont. Code Ann. 49-2-312, and may not include any provisions that discriminate based on a person’s vaccination status.”