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Budget problems, budget cuts and lower than expected revenue. Such has been the news from Helena this past year. The budget cuts even hit Sidney. The Office of Public Assistance closed, ending three jobs and Richland Opportunities Inc. suffered a 3% cut for state reimbursement, which will result in a loss of more than $60,000 for their care of developmentally disabled people. Our State Health and Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), which counsels hundreds of seniors annually regarding choosing...
Dear Editor: “America will ever be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.” Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) I have known Tanya Rost for years. In fact, her husband Shawn worked for Mitchell’s Oilfield Service in Baker back in the 90’s. I know Tanya is a hard working dedicated Christian wife, mom and a woman or integrity she will stand for what is correct. A real lady of character and principals. When Tanya said she was going to seek the state House of Representative seat distric...
Dear Editor: I am writing to give my personal endorsement to Joel Krautter for Representative of House District 35, ahead of the June 5th Election Day. Since I’ve known Joel, I’ve been able to see Joel’s passion to make a positive difference for this area, through his involvement and support of many community organizations. Joel does not just talk about making a difference, he will take the initiative to meet a need where he recognizes one, like he has by co-founding the Sidney Young Professionals, a very needed new area organization. We can e...
Ref: Candidate for Richland County Attorney, Janet Christoffersen I have been a law enforcement officer for 40 years with 37 of those years as a criminal investigator. I have served with the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation as a Narcotics Agent for 23 years, with the last 16 as a Supervisory Agent. In that capacity I supervise Agents and oversee investigations many of which take place in Richland County. In order to investigate violations of various dangerous drug statutes we often time rely upon County Attorneys and their Deputies...
Dear Editor: I admire Joel Krautter. I admire that Krautter has been able to fit in and plug into Sidney when he’s from a place that is startlingly different from here. I admire that Krautter has come to change his worldview so dramatically some time between when he campaigned for Barack Obama and worked for John Tester and when he came to Sidney. I truly admire the ability of someone to admit they’re wrong, and that’s commendable. I admire that Krautter has been able to employ his skill as a de...
Krautter is Best Choice for Representative Dear Editor: I am writing today to give my endorsement to Joel Krautter in his campaign for Representative of House District 35. As a former Chairman of the Montana Republican Party, I've had the chance to get to know many past and current legislators and to identify rising individuals that will make a positive difference on public policy. Joel Krautter is such a rising individual, who is well regarded and respected by fellow Republicans and...
Despite claims to the contrary, the lawsuit against the Lower Yellowstone Irrigation Project is not a suit only to stop a new weir and fish bypass. It threatens to terminate irrigation from the existing Intake weir. In response to my previous article, “Buffalo Commons by way of the pallid sturgeon, “a new Facebook user named Ictiobus Bubalus, said: “Tom, as an attorney I’d expect you to understand the arguments in the filed complaint. This litigation has absolutely nothing to do with taking anyone’s water or changing livelihoods.” Ictiobus Bu...
Dear Editor: Radioactivity Welcomed to Montana or “Obfuscation” – to make obscure or unintelligible. Governor Steve Bullock and his party have been considered very environmentally conscious, but it seems they are forging a new direction. North Dakota is not currently allowing the disposal of Bakken oilfield radioactive or hazardous garbage. But the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is moving briskly to welcome a veritable torrent of those toxic materials to a site near a Sidney subdivision and rural school. Imagine having your...
Because I grew up as a dry land farmer, when the Buffalo Commons was proposed in 1987, it didn’t take long for me to realize what was really going on. While on one side, it involved repopulating the Great Plains with buffalo, on the other side, it was a push to depopulate the Great Plains of people. That would be people like my family, church, friends, neighbors, and entire communities. What had been promised in homesteading – and earned by homesteaders and each succeeding generation – would be stolen back. Sometimes we dry landers are not a...
On Wednesday night, March 7, I attended the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) meeting regarding the Yellowstone Disposal landfill, being proposed 4 miles southeast of Sidney and in close proximity to many family residences. During the Public Comment portion of the meeting I outlined my opposition to the project, in its proposed state, due to the many unanswered questions, the potential for harm it poses to our area and its location in relation to family residences. I said I didn't want...
The U. S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals heard the appeal from the federal district court’s preliminary injunction against improvements to the Lower Yellowstone Irrigation Project on March 5, 2018 in Portland, Oregon. Video of the arguments is posted on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjFrJO_ei2A. Here are some first impressions of how the arguments went. Whenever I get the chance to go back through the video again, I might have some changed or additional impressions. A. All three judges knew the file. That is good B. Just like w...
Community health centers, including Sidney Health Center here in Sidney, provide access to quality care to one in 10 Montanans. Community health centers are vital across rural America. That’s why, after Congress let them sit in limbo for more than 130 days, I rattled some cages back in Washington to finally secure much-needed funding and certainty for them. Last year, I held a series of listening sessions across our state. I heard time and again how much folks rely on these clinics, and appreciate the quality care they provide. Congress’ fou...
As a parent, there are often countless concerns and tales of when you were growing up that you would want to share with your children. However, do our children absorb those experiences that we are sharing and when is it the right time to talk about those concerns? Even in close-knit communities like Richland, that are built on strong family values, talking to youth can be difficult. Parents are busy and often it is easy to go days without more than a few minutes talking with your child. The urgency and seriousness of some conversations about...
I read a story once about a distinguished professor who gave a lecture about his sabbatical travels in Europe. During his presentation, he announced that the trip had placed him in debt. Instead of talking about the sights and expenses of his trip, he told of the kindnesses people had offered along the way. And his sense of indebtedness. When he was lost in Paris, a young man took time to personally lead him to his destination. In a village, an elderly couple invited him to their home for dinner. He told about the patience and helpfulness of a...
Community programs educating both youth and parents on underage drinking is old news to most. Communities that understand risks associated with underage drinking are constantly trying to come up with ways to combat this issue more effectively and find ways to improve collection of accurate data. Most strategic solutions to ease underage drinking, has become a continuing effort within communities & schools. However, why don’t we streamline the process with schools? Our schools play a huge part of a child’s life growing up. From elementary to...
I decided that this year my husband and I would celebrate an old-fashioned Christmas. Then it hit me that this year I will see my 69th Christmas season. I don’t feel that old, I can’t remember all my previous sixty plus holiday seasons, but I celebrated them. Some years stood out as exceptional, other years lacked true Christmas spirit and festive feelings, but I did manage to see sixty-eight Yuletide seasons come and go. I obviously can qualify as an old-fashioned person in my own right. After surviving more than six decades of holiday sea...
Everybody knows that life has ups and downs. Life sometimes seems to have too much pain and misfortune. Hundreds of books have been written about the subject – dating back to Old Testament times. We still do not understand why people have to suffer. I will try to briefly discuss the medical, religious, and psychological aspects of this topic. It is a subject I can relate to (medically and personally), have researched at length, but certainly do not have all the answers. A large amount of physical pain is actually useful. If you didn’t feel pain...
Our school superintendents, administrators, and teachers have a great deal of responsibility to our children. Year round they provide opportunity for our children to learn, grow, adapt, excel and succeed; not just in the academic field, nor just in athletic areas either. The school has also become the place to learn good behaviors, positive self-image and the six pillars of character: TRUSTWORTHINESS, RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY, FAIRNESS, CARING, and CITIZENSHIP. In building our youth using these pillars, the school invariably is involved in preve...
One of the greatest privileges of serving Montana in Washington, D.C. has been hearing the most admirable stories of Montanans who have fought for our nation all across the globe. Dr. Joseph Medicine Crow served as an Army scout during WWII and fulfilled the requirements to become a war chief. Ben Steele served in the U.S. Army Air Corps and was captured by the Japanese – he was a prisoner of war for 1,244 days during WWII. David Thatcher took part in the Doolittle Raid and was awarded the Silver Star. If you’ve ever seen the movie, “Thirty Sec...
Underage drinking is a problem that costs Montanans significant financial burden each year. In 2013, it cost $0.3 billion! That’s $300 million tax dollars “spent on medical care, work loss, and pain and suffering associated with the multiple problems resulting from the use of alcohol by youth.” Taylor DM, Miller TR. (2015). Methodology: Underage Drinking Fact Sheets. These costs also include criminal justice expenses and property damage expenses. To put this cost into perspective: at most local drinking establishments or bars, an adult can e...
What changes an environment into something better? Information, education, knowledge! The following information is for those who want to know, and those who need to know. It is the coalition’s hope that this information will assist your decisions about youth drinking in Richland County and how you, as an adult, can impact them. Alcohol is a depressant and over time, the more alcohol you consume, the more you may be impacted by depression. According to www.drugfreeworld.org, “Although classified as a depressant, the amount of alcohol con...
I have teenagers at home. Three girls to be exact. I know that there are many people out there who can relate to the crazy that is my house right now. Sometimes however, when I need to remember why I love them, I reminisce about when they were young, really young, like just walking. (They were easier to control then.) They were so cute and happy waddling around; but they still needed me for almost everything. Every step they would take, I would always have the awareness to know when they were about to fall or head toward something dangerous....
We are proud people of Montana and the 406 area code. Family traditions and our hardworking lifestyles are stubbornly imbedded and even showcased in our everyday culture here. The strength of family and community is mighty, and regardless of tragedy we keep moving on, keep building up, keep on keeping on. Over the next 8 weeks, the Change Your Impact series will cover topics that relate to Richland County residents in terms of the perception of alcohol use and it's impact on the lives of our you...
For most Montanans, this is not just another fire season. The 2017 season started early and is predicted to continue until a season-ending event such as rain or snow by November. Unfortunately for the thousands of people evacuated from their homes, and the tens of thousands that breath unhealthy air every day, we are in it for the long-haul. Montanans know that summer brings wildfire, however, over the past 15 years fire season starts earlier, ends later, and burns hotter. According to the Northern Rockies Coordination Center, over 5 million...
Summer is not the only major event that arrives in June of every year. Another annual occurrence is the appearance in mailboxes all over the State of new property appraisals from the Montana Department of Revenue. The receipt of this document is met with trepidation by taxpayers of all sizes. It is the rare occasion that the value of a taxpayer’s property decreases. The more likely circumstance is that the value has increased, sometimes at an alarming rate. When this happens the taxpayer has several options from doing nothing to paying their t...
