Montana is not the only place with an economy that depends on its rich natural resources, though I would argue that it is the most spectacular. And I learned firsthand, making my living off the state’s timber, the importance of careful stewardship of the wealth that comes from our rivers and… Read Article
With the passage in Montana of I-190 we have joined California, Washington, Oregon, and a few other “Liberal” states in making the purchase and use of marijuana jail time free. It has been about 100 years since its use became a social stigma, then illegal in the United States. Marijuana use … Read Article
By Jonathan Thompson Read Article
Now that the election season is full upon us I, like you, have had my mailbox jammed full with large and glossy pieces of light cardboard informing me about the merits and flaws of the various candidates. While I am glad that the Post Office is making money off of politicians instead of havi… Read Article
As the summer comes to a close and the weather begins to cool off, our weekends usually are filled with trips to the stadium or the gymnasium. Fall sports in Montana are some of the most anticipated events of the year. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there are risks that need to be co… Read Article
Oregon voters have long cast their ballots by mail in many types of elections, including for local, state and federal offices. They started doing so in 1987 – and have voted exclusively by mail in all elections since 1998. Read Article
You don’t hear this from former Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt or the usual suspects whose goal is to end many water diversions from the Colorado River, but it’s true. Rural landscapes and wildlife need ranching and irrigated agriculture to survive. Read Article
As a longtime teacher who has heard every complaint under the sun about how horrible school is, how boring, arbitrary, irrelevant and unfair, I find myself somewhat taken aback by the fierce pressure to return to regular classroom instruction. Read Article
I love the Post Office as much as I love the flag that flies over it. In every city or small town in Montana the American flag flies proudly over the buildings that house the oldest public service in America. It was founded in 1775 and Benjamin Franklin was its first postmaster. I do not und… Read Article
It’s cool this morning. There is a different feel to the air. The days are slowly getting shorter, my bird dogs are getting restless and I am listening for that first bugle of a bull elk down in the river bottom. It’s that time when I, and all hunters, anxiously prepare for the glorious da… Read Article
Last month, as the nation grappled with the George Floyd killing and an outpouring of protests, The Monitor invited readers to share their views on race, Black Lives Matter, and justice. What does this moment mean to you? How does it relate to your own experience of race? What can be done? H… Read Article
Reclining in my favorite chair recently in vanishingly small Inez, Wyoming, I found myself close to tears. My wife Maria sat beside me to ask what was troubling me. Read Article
By JIM ELLIOTT Read Article
As I look out my window, the smoke from the Bush fire is belching upward behind the fabled profile of the Superstition Mountains. The fire has closed Highway 87 that joins the Phoenix metro area to Payson, one of its exurbs. Some small communities are evacuating. Read Article
We are at a good place in history, and we are at that good place because we are facing adversity together. It is sad to think that many had to die to spur us to action, but good times don’t seem to move us forward as a people, bad times do. Read Article
By QUINNE SHULTZ and JADYN BELLANDER Read Article
I arrived in Boulder in November 2018 with a $50 Town Pump card in my wallet. Google had given me the impression that the gas station was the closest thing Boulder had to a coffee shop, a state of affairs I lamented to my former boss; she bought me the card as a going away gift. Happily I so… Read Article
The recent outbreak of the new coronavirus and COVID-19, the disease it causes, has been devastating to nearly everyone. It has become a global pandemic sending a massive wave of fear to nearly everyone across the planet. The times in which we live are scary and uncharted. Nobody knows what … Read Article
I have a calendar stuck to the side of my fridge. Most days I scrawl notes across the squares to keep my family’s life in check: Dentist appointment, vet appointment, storytime at the library. But lately, the squares are empty and we’re hunkered down at home, confined by COVID-19. Read Article
Guest Column
There is something potentially more dangerous circulating through our cities and communities than even the dreaded COVID-19 virus. In a word: fear. Read Article
I thank John Ilgenfritz of Helena for looking at my ideas (‘Lots to ‘chew on’ in The Monitor,” Jan. 22). He wrote: “A couple of weeks ago [DeVries] talked about virtually shrinking Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services to 0 over 20 years by cutting its budget by 10% every se… Read Article
When assessing the maladies that ail our society, the cornerstone that is the family is turning to dust. The demise of the cornerstone is due to crumbling fathers, and parents in general. A society is built of families, a structure of micro-cultures that will only be as successful as each in… Read Article
The new year has begun: Second semester began Jan. 27, and numerous events will take place including plays, staff training, JHS days and school planning. Read Article
We are in a time of cultural division. A day of drawing sides, establishing positions and rallying sympathizers. Some preach civility and tolerance, others enjoin backbone and principles. At the crux of this societal seesaw is the struggle over the hilt of the sword of the state. Some desire… Read Article
Education is meant to nurture and prepare students for life after graduation, whatever that next step may be. Our students and educators face many challenges, but mental health stands out among them. It is no secret that Montana leads the nation in teenage and childhood suicide. Read Article
In the movie “Hondo,” John Wayne’s character throws a boy in the water to learn to swim so he might get to the other side of the pond for better fishing. The mother was horrified, but the boy survived and was not traumatized. In fact, he was elated to achieve better fishing and the skill of … Read Article
The worst thing about a Congressional closed-door hearing is that the opposition does not get any press when they posture and pontificate on the unfairness of whatever. The best thing about closed-door hearings is that, “The private ones always produce better results.” That’s not my opinion,… Read Article
I was asked, and happily comply with the request, to respond to readers who voice concerns over my positions. I deeply appreciate the effort by Dean Grenz of Boulder to contact me personally in addition to submitting letters to The Monitor. All of my contact info is included in each piece an… Read Article
(Editor’s note: At the start of the school year, Jefferson High School teacher Kelsey Voeller assigned an essay to her Honors English I class to get to know her new students. “It was to be a personal narrative with a lesson learned in the end that altered their perception of something they o… Read Article
I’ll respond to the following three excerpts from a concerned citizen about HB302, a bill calling for an amendment to the Montana Constitution declaring personhood beginning at conception: Read Article
Montana Viewpoint
It was fascinating last week to watch as British legislators did what American legislators would be wise to do: stand up for principle. Read Article
Commissioners’ Report
The Jefferson County budget for Fiscal Year 2020 reflects the Commission’s desire to continue to progress while keeping taxpayers in mind. For the past couple years, we have been able to reduce the mill levies at the county level, and this year we reduced them by four mills. We are not sure … Read Article
The cold bite in the air signals that school is upon us. As a fifth-grade teacher, I know it’s an exciting time for students, teachers and parents. Like other Montana teachers, I have been preparing for my new students. My goal as a teacher is to create a learning environment that engages st… Read Article
Montana Viewpoint
“Any company that has a union probably deserves one.” Read Article
Commissioner’s Report
We held our board meeting in Elk Park on July 30 at the fire station. It was a great meeting with around 20 folks attending. We had reports from the county planner and county extension agent. We also had some good discussion about roads and their maintenance in the area. There were some conc… Read Article
It appears that some readers think it is far fetched and fantastical that a society might be moral and religious — in need of little state intervention — and also that I am calling for the abolition of all government, and thus, anarchy. Read Article
Oh, how I’ve enjoyed my time in Jefferson County this summer. Coming from the small town of Troy, I’ve heard once or twice that if you’ve seen one small town, you’ve seen them all. But I’ve learned this summer that that isn’t always the case. Read Article
Montana Viewpoint
When a large company decides to expand or move its headquarters it considers many factors: labor market, transportation, “amenities” that make employees want to live there (or at least not leave), and bribery. Read Article
As the month of July has ended, the busy schedule of prepping JHS for the coming school year continues. The custodial crew has been working diligently with cleaning, waxing and painting. The FCS room is currently being updated and remodeled, and the library has received new carpet. Additiona… Read Article
Why do some desire to continue to raise taxes? Because they falsely assume that, with enough money, the government can solve our problems. Read Article
Checkpoint Jefferson County: The Veteran’s Perspective
Addiction is a cunning and deadly disease, and it’s killing more of us than ever before. In the last half-century, the United States has endured three major drug epidemics. Read Article
Commissioner’s Report
Our road department has been busy with projects throughout the county this summer. They have been fixing parts of roads that had major frost heave damage from the significant winter we had earlier this year. They have been prepping roads for dust oil but have had to postpone the application … Read Article
I have had the honor and privilege to serve as a Montana legislator in the House and the Senate since 2009. I am proud to represent Jefferson County as your Montana state senator. I have learned a great deal about our wonderful state of Montana. For a legislator, the learning experience is n… Read Article
Commissioner’s Report
Hello everyone, I have another quick update from the Jefferson County Board of Commissioner’s office. Read Article
In “The Secret Garden,” Colin Craven is treated as a cripple and pandered to, which causes him to become selfish and hostile. Everyone pities him and caters to his whims, thinking he is helpless. Ultimately, it is discovered he was fine all along, and respect and independence is what he need… Read Article
Commissioner's Report
Recently we Jefferson County Commissioners have been getting a number of questions about some of the projects we are working on. It has become obvious that most people have little or no knowledge about what their local government is doing. This has been an issue forever. It seems that about … Read Article
Checkpoint Jefferson County: The Veteran’s Perspective
The availability of quality, inexpensive health care has always been important to individuals and families across the nation. In fact, health care has already become one of the most hotly debated topics in the run-up to the 2020 Presidential election. Part of the debate must be centered on p… Read Article
Commissioner’s Report
A lot has been going on throughout Jefferson County these last few months. Read Article
Our dear governor aspires to the presidency and is touting his ability to work across the aisle with a Republican controlled House and Senate to pass Democrat priorities. With the “solutions caucus” acting as if they are in heat, this is about as challenging as falling over and hitting the g… Read Article