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For years the GOP has controlled the Montana Legislature, and the Democrats have fought against them. Prior to this partisan divide both parties worked together for the greater good of all Montanans. This is no longer the case. Instead of both parties working together for the good of the people, they have focused primarily on the needs of their respective parties. When you have politicians that are more willing to vote to satisfy their party’s agenda rather than what is best for the people you HAVE A HUGE PROBLEM. This system is obviously not w...
Dear Voters, My name is Dustin Manuel; this is to announce my candidacy to run for the Fairview School Board. I am asking for your support. Growing up in New Town, ND I know the challenges of a small town and the importance of a good education. When I was 17 I joined the Army National Guard, serving for 11 years during which time we were deployed to Iraq - 2004-2005. My wife, Sarah and I moved our family to Fairview in 2008 for the small community and better education for our 2 children. There is no reason to doubt the education here, our...
I’m a loud and proud Democratic socialist and atheist. Bernie Sanders is my candidate, yet I will be casting my vote for Casey Brock, a Republican, Christian candidate for Senate District 18 during the primary on June 7. Why? A recent decision of the Montana Supreme Court has left many Veterans without access to legitimate medicine that treats injuries sustained fighting for our freedom. Many more Veterans do not have access to a drug that is proven to alleviate the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. I have multiple military friends w...
The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is an attack on American sovereignty and must be stopped. Of all the TPP’s attacks on Americans’ prosperity and independence, perhaps the worst is its termination of American sovereignty and property rights. The TPP gives foreign investors special rights to buy American land, businesses, natural resources, ports, and investments but doesn’t require they follow American laws. Even worse, if we ask them to follow our laws, the TPP lets these foreigners actually SUE the U.S. for prohibiting them from makin...
I am not sure how to start. Do I start at the end or the beginning? I thought that I would start at the end then go back to what I believe is the beginning. My son Ryan James Chatterton committed suicide on November 25th 2015. He shocked his family and friends because none of us saw this coming. He left us all wondering WHY? I am going to piece together his story as best as I can through my eyes and the eyes of many of his friends and family. I am thinking back and I believe that 1 ½...
Dear Editor, Since launching my campaign a few weeks ago, I have been asked by a few friends and family members who knew of my political leanings in high school and college, why I am such a committed Republican now, when I used to support Democrat candidates then. I thought it would be good to set the record straight and explain how my political and especially my economic world views have matured since then. During parts of high school and college I felt the government should be in the position to help the poor and disadvantaged. This was a...
If it’s broke, let’s fix it. That’s what Montanans need to do with our dysfunctional office of Lt. Governor. The dysfunction dates back for at least a half-century. After serving as Governor in the nineteen fifty’s, Republican Hugo Aronson once commented in my presence that he rarely left the state because of his deep distrust for his Lt. Governor, Democrat Paul Cannon. In the 1960’s the relationship was probably even worse between fellow Republicans Governor Tim Babcock and Lt. Governor Ted James. Babcock was out of state when a car crash kil...
It has been a privilege to watch the progress as the Northeast Montana Veterans Memorial takes shape in Fort Peck. This summer, with the help of some heavy equipment, cleared and leveled ground gave way to the 38-foot high main monument, 10 walls of honor, pathways, and bases for sculptures. The dedication on May 29, 2016, will fulfill five years of planning and work by scores of Northeast Montana volunteers. On that day next May, nearly 900 black granite tiles carrying the names of veterans and their branch of service should be placed on the...
For nearly three years, individuals and organizations across Montana have been working hard to expand Medicaid and increase access to affordable health care for the lowest-income Montanans. Even though we lost a legislative battle in 2013, we kept fighting because we knew we could not give up. There are too many people in our state who need help. In Montana, we find solutions to problems. For a problem of this size, doing nothing was not an option. We are so proud of our state and our legislators for passing the Health and Economic Livelihood...
Every summer I receive calls asking, “Can I prune trees now or when is a good time to prune?” Unfortunately summer is not the most ideal time. The preferred time is late winter or early spring while the trees are still dormant. This is true for deciduous and coniferous woody plants. In North Dakota, March is generally the best time to undertake this work to minimize excessive sap flow. Exceptions to this would be trees noted for heavy sap flow such as maples and birches. Pruning of these spe...
Every three years both private (farm operators) and commercial applicators must be re-certified to legally purchase and apply herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and fumigants. For private applicators the certification applies only to those pesticides that are classified as “restricted use”. For commercial applicators certification is a “must” for all pesticides. To assist in the certification process we have scheduled a training meeting for private applicators on Wednesday, March 18, 9:30 a.m....
Last week I promised to explain why I prefer pine, specifically ponderosa trees over blue spruces. The answer is they are more drought tolerant, native to parts of North Dakota, more specifically to the southwest. Because of this, they are more commonly planted in the northern plains. Ponderosa pine has similar growth patterns as compared to blue spruce. They both can grow upwards of 50-70 feet and have a crown width of 15-30 feet. The crown width of the spruce may tend to be a little narrower t...
For several years Andrew Swenson and Ron Haugen of the NDSU Extension Ag. Economics Department have been providing yearly crop budgets for individual regions of the state. These have provided an estimate of revenues and costs for selected crops grown in the region. They acknowledge there is considerable variation in soil type, productivity, weather conditions, as well as management and production practices within each region. These profitability budgets account for full economic opportunity...
One of my very favorite parts of the Wheat Show has been the photo contest. I look at the photos as art seen through the eyes of other people. The photos are placed into four categories; a) landscape, b) people, c) equipment/buildings and d) animals. Any photo that does not fit into one of these four is put into the miscellaneous group. The photos are also grouped by the experience of each exhibitor. The “Advanced” division is for people who have been a member of a camera club for two years or...
There has been great interest in a new variety name Joppa which was developed by the NDSU Durum Breeding Program. It was released by the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station in 2014 but production problems prevented its release in time for the 2014 growing season. As a fresh release for the 2014 planting season there is an above normal amount of Foundation seed available for 2015. Some of the people in-the-know tell me there is approximately 10,000 bushels available statewide to be...
Last week I described two new varieties of American elm which have resistance to Dutch elm disease. This week I will share information about a new white birch and a new columnar spruce which should replace one of my most disliked evergreen, the arborvitae. Parkland Pillar® Asian white birch is a selection of Dakota Pinnacle®, an introduction from NDSU. It is noted for its columnar shape and dense branching. It grows fast and can be used for screening, in boulevards, or as a specimen plant in t...
As the year comes to an end crop growers are beginning to solidify their plans for the 2015 growing season. One decision which often is difficult is choosing the variety. Often growers will give serious consideration to the variety planted the previous season as they were satisfied with the yield and have seed from their own production. However, many growers wish to select a new variety simply because new varieties frequently out produce the old. It wasn’t too many years ago when a common y...
One of the grasses used in grass seed mixtures is intermediate wheatgrass. The reason for its use in such mixtures is because of its vigor, ability to grow fast and sod forming characteristic. It produces an abundance of both basal and stem leaves. Of the many varieties, they will differ in the amount of pubescence on the seed head and leaves. The pubescent varieties are reported to be more drought-tolerant and form a sod more rapidly than intermediate varieties. This species has produced more...
Leon Osborne, Director of the Regional Weather Information Center and the Surface Transportation Center at the University of North Dakota is scheduled to speak during the breakfast meeting of the Wheat Show on Tuesday, February 3rd. Leon is a nationally recognized speaker for his ability to predict long-term weather patterns. The program planning committee has requested that he share his outlook for the 2015 growing season. Many other speakers, approximately 22, will provide information about...
The great fall weather psyched us into believing it will last into December. However, recent cold weather changed plans because I could not keep up with providing ice-free water. Even though the calves had been weaned I felt the light covering of snow was not enough for cows about to enter the third trimester of pregnancy when fetal growth is rapid. Good nutrition during the last trimester has many consequences. Fetal growth must be met with greater levels of energy and protein feeds. If extra...
The 62nd Annual National Hard Spring Wheat Show will focus on a variety of issues but much emphasis will be given to strategies of preventing Fusarium head blight (SCAB) and marketing this year’s crops which are heavily infested with scab and vomitoxin. These issues will be discussed by Dr. Senay Simsek of the Northern Crops Institute, NDSU Crop Quality Specialist and Grain Marketers. Another hot issue on the agenda is grain transportation. Dan Wogsland, Executive Director of the Northern Grain...
Montana’s next Congressman will soon be chosen and it is vital that our next representative will fight to do what is best for our state and for our nation. The challenges we face- our $18 trillion national debt, rising healthcare costs, and threats to our national security are real- and to continue to ignore them puts our country and our way of life at risk. At the heart of solving these issues is ensuring we have a prosperous economy and good paying jobs so Montanans can succeed and we can keep the promises we have made to our seniors, v...
As a young boy I remember Dad and Grandpa talking about how valuable manure was to plant growth. I didn’t recall any of the specifics and maybe they really didn’t know either. However, I do recall strips in the fields which looked better than other areas. My mother insisted that we apply manure to her garden area. Since then I have learned that manure provides valuable nutrients such as nitrogen which enhances plant growth. It also serves to build organic matter levels of the soil which the...
Last week I attended the statewide conference of NDSU Extension and Research staff. The conference offered a multitude of sessions making it impossible to attend all. One of the sessions I attended involved the use of antibiotics in the livestock industry. Dr. Gerald Stokka, NDSU Extension Veterinarian and who is also involved in the Livestock Stewardship Program, presented a report given to the President on combating antibiotic resistance. This is part of an effort by the President’s Council of...
Isn't it amazing that the Keystone XL pipeline has been being "studied" by federal agencies for over six years, yet the EPA is giving Americans only 180 days to look at the impacts of their overhaul of our entire national energy system? Sometimes Washington, DC works in mysterious ways. And sometimes the mystery happens in Montana as well. In record time, the Montana Department of Environmental Quality has cranked out not one, but five plans for how Montana could comply with the EPA's proposed...
