Week of June 10, 2026
Week of June 10, 2026
By Lauren Darlington Pioneer Producers hosted our 2nd Annual Year-End BBQ for students and faculty on May 28. As we wrap up the academic year, we want to thank our donors who provided beef for our students all year long. Our farm-to-community program not only provides healthier, locally raised beef to our youth, but it also enriches our community by connecting our schools with local producers and promoting awareness of where food comes from. Through this program, students gain a better...
Big Sandy High School students were recognized for their academic achievements, leadership, community involvement, activities, athletics, and scholarships during the annual Awards Banquet. The evening highlighted the work students put in throughout the 2025-26 school year, while also celebrating the generosity of local organizations, families, businesses, and colleges that continue to invest in Big Sandy students. This year’s scholarship list included more than $32,000 in local scholarships and renewals, with additional previously awarded...
By Northern Montana Hospital Jean Winchell, RN, is celebrating a momentous milestone this year – 50 years working at Northern Montana Hospital. Winchell said in an interview that the five decades she has worked in health care has seen a lot of changes, and she has made many friends in co-workers and patients. “Your co-workers become your family, your work family,” Winchell said. She said she also attends the Oldies Luncheon that is held every couple of months. “Anybody that used to work...
By Your Accidental Journalist For nearly 14 years, Erik Sietsema has been a familiar face in Big Sandy as pastor of the Big Sandy Church of God. What some community members may not realize is that alongside his ministry work, Sietsema has spent years building an entirely different world—one filled with talking animals, fairy-tale kingdoms, daring adventures, and timeless lessons about courage, faith, and friendship. That world has now found its way into print through The Frog Prince...
Here it is June and our summer is off to a great start. It is time for the Big Sandy Senior Citizens Center to have its Annual Meeting. The Senior Citizens Annual Meeting will be June 17, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. All are welcome. The Senior Citizens Board wants everyone to know that all people are welcome to come have lunch with us weekdays at noon. The meals at the Senior Center are better than home cooked (because you are not doing the cooking) and are only $7.00. During the fall and winter months the Senior Citizens Center hosts pinochle players...
By Your Accidental Journalist After months of dry conditions and growing concern about drought across the Big Sandy area, residents were greeted with a welcome change over the weekend as widespread rainfall soaked fields, filled reservoirs, and replenished creeks throughout the region. Reports from around Big Sandy, the surrounding prairie, and the Bear Paw Mountains indicate that many locations received between three and four inches of rain during the three-day weather event. Even more...
EARLY SEASON FUNGICIDE ON WHEAT Information for this article was written by Andrew Friskop from NDSU Extension Plant Pathology. The complete article is located at https://bit.ly/4vm5mHP. Cereal crops residue-borne diseases such as tan spot and Stagonospora nodorum blotch (SNB) are the primary targets for early-season fungicide application. Tan spot is more common than SNB in North Dakota (ND), but both diseases have shown a downward trend in prevalence in ND wheat fields over the past eight years. This can be largely attributed to the use of...
Sunday, May 31st twenty players gathered to compete in seven rounds of pinochle in the Mint family room. Nora Grubb had the highest score of 8390 earning her $35. Second high of 8250 went to Jessica Sietsema giving her $25. Taking third and $20 was Sue Knight with her 8170. Shawn Webster had 8070 for fourth and $10. Karla Whetham won $5 for her fifth high score of 7850. Ken Darlington had low of 4050 for $5. Nora and Sue had the highest round score of 2190 followed by Karla and Maggie Cline with 2030, both including 1000 aces! Lowest was a...
100 Years ago June 10, 1926 Big Sandy High School’s Class of 1926 celebrated commencement exercises before a crowd of approximately 600 people at Community Hall. The Hopp School closed with a picnic, and teacher Dorothy Remmington departed for Belt. College students returned home for the summer, including Cora Parker from Cheney, Washington. Olga and Florence Holmes traveled to Missoula for summer school. The prairie continued to suffer from drought and high winds, with some fields completely destroyed. Albert Archibald was recovering from...
Celebrating the life of Donald “Jake” Haaland. June 20th, 2026. 2pm at the Alice Nash Cemetary 5pm at The Mint Bar in Big Sandy for food and loving memories of a life missed beyond...
Darlene Kessler Cavitt was born June 1, 1941, to Ira and Temperance (Beebe) Kessler in Hamilton, MT. She moved to Big Sandy with her family when she was a young girl. Darlene resided there until her passing February 5, 2026. A Celebration of Life Service will be 2 p.m. Saturday, June 20, 2026 at the Big Sandy Historical Society Museum located at 87 Johannes Avenue in Big Sandy. Pastor Marty Demarest will officiate. Please join the family in celebrating her life and treasuring her...
