Sorted by date Results 126 - 144 of 144
For many who have driven along US Highway 2 for years, the old weathered telegraph poles littering the landscape between the ditches and railroad tracks are nothing more than weathered reminders of the old telephone lines the railroad decided to have cut down years ago. During the years they lay on the earthen ground intertwined with weeds and prairie landscape causing the wood to crack and stress, a rustic reminder of how unforgiving the elements can truly be in this part of the country. For...
The pace of ringing telephones has quickened in recent days at the Roosevelt County Agricultural Extension Services Agency, Culbertson, as more people are getting anxious about getting in the garden. The unseasonably mild winter has many locals ready to get out and get planting. “Everyone seems to be getting the itch to plant but at this time it is still a gamble. There is still time for Mother Nature to throw us a curve and then all of that effort would have been for nothing,” said Ann Ron...
In the midst of a rapid population explosion it isn’t just the private sector businesses and community members who are struggling to adjust to a constantly changing Sidney. The U.S. Postal Service is experiencing major growing pains of its own as it struggles to keep up with a constantly expanding residential landscape with more growth on the way. “In the future we plan to adjust our routes to allow them to better fit our needs for delivery. It will be a continual process but the difficulty is...
While Democrats and Republicans sort out who is going to take the lead and run the strongest campaign in the 2012 run for Montana Governor, it appears Republican Rick Hill and Democratic Attorney General Steve Bullock are ahead of everyone in funding their campaigns. Governor hopeful, Rick Hill stopped in Sidney on his campaign trail last week to meet with various business owners and government officials. Hill’s story includes a humble childhood as one of four children who grew up in a one r...
Small gestures of empathy and kindness can go a long way toward improving the quality of life for those finding themselves in hard times. It can even create award winning programs that work to better the quality of life for community members finding themselves in the middle of a whirlwind of expansion and turmoil during the Bakken oil boom. The Fellowship Baptist Church, Sidney, recently received the “Ready Montana Award” from the Governor’s Office of Community Service, the Montana Commi...
Areas receiving large increases in population because of the oil boom that has hit Northeast Montana and Western North Dakota aren’t the only people adapting to the times. As new types of housing come into the area the Montana Department of Environmental Quality is experiencing growing pains of their own as they scramble to define how these subdivisions are to be regulated and how to fit them into their statutes. In the last 20 years, there have been less than 30 new lots created in Northeast Mo...
The body of a man found near Bainville has been identified and one man is in custody. Charles Bowman Bowen, 46, Florida, has been arrested and charged with negligent homicide for the death of Brian Doyle, 49, also of Florida. Doyle’s death was discovered after a call was placed on Jan. 20, to the Roosevelt County Dispatch Center reporting that a male body had been discovered in a ditch off U.S. Highway 2. Area law enforcement spent several days processing the scene and transported the body to t...
The dynamics of Sidney are changing. What was once a sleepy, small community is evolving into a busy town with a population that is swelling by the day. With an increase of people, also comes an increase in crime. Following a number of recent businesses break ins, local business owners may be starting to rethink the steps they need to take to ensure their assets are secure. Of recent several Sidney businesses have all been targets of burglary attempts as well as private homes. While many locals...
For one local woman the inspiration to take a still photograph is derived from everywhere and at times, seemingly from nowhere. It can be conjured up from the way the light hits an old abandoned barn or from the way frost gathers on a stumpy head of echinacea. It could be mustered from the way a greasy country mouse looks while running across a dusty floor or from the more obvious and awe inspiring fog rolling over the Missouri River. Capturing these images is a talent and passion Kitty Kolden,...
Residents of Sidney who had altered their driving commute by taking residential streets to avoid the construction taking place along Central Avenue seem to have resumed use of the now completed and reconfigured three-lane street and life for motor vehicle drivers appears to be getting back to normal. Last April, the renovations got underway after the city approved street changes at the recommendation of the Montana Department of Transportation that converted Central Avenue from a four-lane...
As discussions and controversy continue about whether or not the McKenzie County Commissioners should enact a county-wide land use plan, the divide seems to continue with some residents adamantly for it, others opposing it and others somewhere in between. With the oil boom expansion and population explosion, the landscape of Northeast Montana and Western North Dakota is changing rapidly with buildings going up seemingly overnight. How community members feel about the rapid expansion and creep...
As the candy cane resumes its place temporarily on the top of the food pyramid and community members watch to see who will be the first to hang up their festive Christmas lights, plans are underway to celebrate a growing Culbertson tradition; the annual Christmas open house. The evening of merriment offers community members the opportunity to take in a local concert and visit fellow community members over a hot cider and tasty treats. This year’s event is taking place on Dec. 19, in downtown C...
In some corners of the world, nostalgia is hard to come by. New buildings are sitting on every concrete corner and it becomes quite difficult to envision what yesteryears may have looked like. But in our corner of the world, images of bygone days are oftentimes just a gravel road away and although they may not be easily accessible, they are certainly readily available. In keeping with that tradition of preservation, members of the Northeastern Montana Threshers and Antique Nonprofit Corporation...
A Poplar youth recently traveled to Washington, DC, after winning a national essay contest about a subject he feels intensely strong about; youth and violence. The trip, as well as his life experiences and renewed outlook on life, have served as a catalyst, sparking a passion in him that has helped him find his identity and the leadership role he would like to take on for his community. Joshua Failing, 15, is like many other freshmen at his school. He enjoys hanging out with his friends. He...
With reality television shows on the rise, viewers can see what it’s like to ride the high seas as crab fisherman, build some of the tallest superstructures, haul in a 600-lb. swordfish and even catch a glimpse of some of the world’s dirtiest jobs. Yet, major networks aren’t airing any reality show about the perils faced by the American farmer each seeding and harvest season. Perhaps they should. Farming is one of the most hazardous industries from a health perspective; leaving farmers at risk...
When most people are planning trips to the lake and inviting friends over for outdoor barbecues over the long Labor Day weekend, one former Lambert resident will be competing for a national title in pageantry. Gillette Vaira, 24, currently of Billings, is competing in the Miss National Sweetheart Pageant being held in Hoopeston, IL. No stranger to the competitive side of beauty, grace and poise, Vaira is a two-time competitor for the title of Miss Montana. In 2011, she came in as third runner up...
As the Lewis and Clark Expedition returned up the Columbia from the Pacific, John Colter’s tomahawk was stolen by a band of Native Americans. Afraid they were too much for one man to handle, he was forbidden to go after his stolen weapon. Colter could not stand the thought of his ‘hawk’ in foreign hands. Just before dark, he slipped back into camp, bruised and bloody with the battle hawk in his belt. He slowed near Captain Meriwether Lewis writing with his quill. “Though shalt not steal...
It’s a moment the entire sporting world braces for. The results are in and the news is good for the U.S. team. Flags are waving wildly. Red, white and blue colored confetti is pouring down in streams. The announcer’s voice resonates loudly. A young wrestler extends his arm triumphantly accepting his medal. The U.S. has taken the Olympic Gold for wrestling. It’s a scene Toby Erickson, 19, formerly of Sidney, has replayed over in his head from a young age. Some day he hopes to stand on the U.S. pe...
Everyone’s toyed with the idea of what it would be like to win a million dollars. During the 12th Annual Ag Golf Tournament taking place on June 11, at the Sidney Country Club, one area farmer might just get an opportunity to find out. The addition of the 3rd Annual Million Dollar Shot event into the golf tournament has participating farmers dreaming about the potential for paying off tractors and buying vacation homes. On a more realistic note, they’re just there to have a good time. The Mil...
