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Randy Pinocci is the top choice to be our Public Service Commissioner in District 1. This district represents 19 counties, from Cascade county north to the Canadian border then east to North Dakota. Randy Pinocci is the only candidate with experience working with the Public Service Commission. Pinocci served on the House Federal Regulation, Energy and Telecommunications Committee during the 2015 session. During this time, Pinocci worked with Travis Kavulla, our current PSC Commissioner, on issues affecting Montana ratepayers. Pinocci’s o...
Janet Christoffersen will be a strong county attorney for Richland County. Eastern Montana will always be home to me. I was raised in Sheridan County, Montana, and resided there for more than thirty years. Because of that, I have personally known Janet’s family for many years as driven, independent, reliable, and trustworthy individuals. Janet exhibits all of those quality traits, and more. I have primarily practiced in Red Lodge, Montana since, 2005; however, my criminal defense practice has recently expanded to take me home to eastern Montana...
What do you look for in a leader? Experience, intelligence and commitment. These are all qualities Joel Krautter possesses. Joel has extensive experience in leadership that makes him the best person to represent us in Helena. Currently, Joel serves as the Chairman of the Richland County Republican Central Committee, an organization he has been involved in since 2014, he is the Vice President and co-founder of the Sidney Young Professionals and serves as President of the Northeast Montana Bar Association. Joel also participated in the...
Dear Editor, One thing that is disappointing to me is when candidates campaign one way and then vote the opposite once they are elected. In Eastern Montana candidates like to campaign like a conservative Republican because they can't get elected if they admit they are a liberal. This is what concerns me about candidate for HD 35, Joel Krautter. He encouraged legislators to vote for the gas tax raise in 2017 (Sidney Herald March 15, 2017) and criticized those who did not vote for the bonding (infrastructure) bill, which requires more taxes to...
Montana Public Service Commission District #1 will lose a valuable asset this year due to term limits. Travis Kavulla, Vice Chairman, (Rep) will be replaced after the November 2018 General election. Commissioners' on the PSC normally do not get a lot of press, but the positions are critically important for all citizens, especially those in rural areas. District #1 covers 19 north central and northeast counties. The PSC works with a professional staff of approximately 30 economists, engineers, attorneys, rate analysts, and others to regulate pri...
I support Joel Krautter for House District 35 Representative. Joel is one of my associates, a shareholder in my firm and a friend. He is the best candidate for HD 35. But who is Joel? He’s a compassionate, diligent, hardworking lawyer. He’s familiar with adversity. He’s a lawyer to call upon for all matter of representation: contracts, real estate, criminal defense and probate. Yes he defends persons charged with crimes. This is the area of the law where the defense attorney brings up constitutional protections from the overreaching actio...
Like many Montana ranchers, I know the importance of having good neighbors. When harvest time rolls around and neighbors are shorthanded, we help load up the wheat or the sugar beets in the field and get them to market. When a prairie fire rips through, good neighbors help rebuild fences. This isn’t done for reward or payment, it’s just what we do here in Montana. When you’re ranching and people are counting on you, you don’t put up with nonsense. You have to get things done. It’s about time Washington D.C. work that way. As I travel across th...
Dear Editor: The June 5 Republican primary election will give Richland County voters the opportunity to decide what kind of new leadership we want in the next Representative we send to Helena. These are a few key leadership qualities I believe our next representative should have. We need a leader in Helena who listens to the people of our district and understands the issues our county and towns are facing on roads and bridges, property taxes and schools. We need a leader who can effectively communicate these issues to other legislators and...
Dear Editor: Janet Christoffersen is the right choice for the next Richland County Attorney. She has the ability to work with people and for the people. Janet has always been approachable, honest and hard working without any hidden agendas. While I served as Sheriff of Richland County, I saw a number of Deputy County Attorneys come and go. To me it takes more than just knowing the law and applying it across the board. You are still dealing with people and we are all different. Janet Christoffersen understands that. I watched first hand how she...
The determinants of success and failure in life are complex. People who have had advantages in life are more likely to succeed, and people who have not had these advantages are more likely to fail. The seeming inevitability of this trend is depressing. Is there no remedy to this situation? This question is more than just theoretical in nature. When I was doing my premed studies and getting a psychology degree at the University of Minnesota (before I went to medical school) I took a lot of classes that said a person’s behavior was determined o...
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...
