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The four day week is half way through its first year of implementation in Big Sandy Schools. This story started out as a “Man on the Street” story but it simply did not work. People either loved the concept or hated it. All were vociferous in their comments. So, we took some of those comments, both pro and con and framed them as an interview with Brad Moore, the Superintendent of Schools, thinking that he could answer them best. There is going to be a presentation at the next School Board meeting on January 19 about the four day week and how...
With the awards of money just announced by the Lippard-Clawiter Foundation for 2015, "the Mountaineer" decided to look at one small but vital segment of our society and how they would fare without those funds and how they are doing generally. We looked at the Big Sandy Senior Citizen's Center. Center Director Linda Rutledge stopped in last week and talked about funding the Center here in Big Sandy. All the Senior Citizen's Centers in Chouteau County are funded by County taxes. That money is...
Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau announced public high school juniors will no longer be required to take the annual Smarter Balanced assessment, and instead will take the ACT. “Montana is one of 13 states that provides the ACT to all juniors for free, it doesn’t make sense to ask juniors to take the ACT and the Smarter Balanced assessment,” Superintendent Juneau said. “The change will cut testing time for public high school students by two-thirds, and allow them to focus on preparing for college and career.” Testing time will...
Norovirus leading cause of gastroenteritis in Montana Cold weather means more indoor time for many Montanans. Close contact indoors often helps spread illnesses, such as norovirus, anywhere people gather together. Holiday gatherings, schools and settings such as long-term care and assisted living facilities are especially vulnerable to outbreaks. “Norovirus can spread very quickly and can make some people very ill,” Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) Director Richard Opper said. “To protect yourself and others it is impor...
Montana’s Next Generation Conference set for Jan. 29-30 in Shelby Registration is now open for Montana’s Next Generation Conference which will focus on succession planning and general producer education. The conference begins Friday at 1 p.m. at the Shelby Civic Center. Kevin Spafford of Legacy by Design, an agribusiness succession planning company, will lead participants through an introductory planning session that will include hands-on activities for all generations. Events Friday evening will include a trade show, a roast beef dinner and...
Effective January 1, 2016, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has authorized an increase in the Federal Universal Service Charge (FUSC) line item for all telephone subscribers nationwide, except those participating in the Lifeline assistance program. Beginning with the January statements, residential and single-line business subscribers who have local phone service with Triangle Communications will notice the FUSC increase from $1.42 to $1.55 per month. Multi-line business subscribers will see the charge increase from $2.04 to $2.22...
Winter can be an especially perilous time to be on the roads. Snow, ice, fog and longer nights present challenges to drivers that can lead to crashes. People do less driving in winter, yet we have more crashes per mile driven. Some 10,780 people were killed in car crashes between December and March in 2013 -- fully one-third of the total for each year. Non-fatal collisions also occur with greater frequency in winter months. You may be an ace behind the wheel when the sun is shining and roads are dry, but driving in winter weather can be a...
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA Wednesday, January 13, 2016 7:00 P.M. City Hall 1. Pledge 2. Approval of meeting minutes 3. Public Comments 4. Sheriff Report 5. Wastewater Project a. WW Improvement Phases 2 & 3 b. Bear Paw Development c. New water project d, Brownfield project 6. New Business a. Oath of Office – Ted Pursley and Andrew Page b. Code Enforcement Officer c. Close out of Fund 2810 – Police Reserve Training d. NCMRWA Resolution 7. Old Business a. Street Improvements b. Charge for Inactive/vacant properties connected to water/sewer system c. She...
On reaching the remarkable age of 75 there may be some thoughts I could share with you. It has been a long and bumpy road fraught with danger along the way. Disease, insolvency, unhappiness and depression can rear their ugly heads any time. Some say they feel like spring chickens at 75. I am not one of them. I feel my age in every step I take. In every twist and turn I make from dressing in the morning to just getting through the day unscathed. But remember I have been more or less ill for a long, long time. That seems to have taken a toll on...
Many of us started indoor gardening as a child. We had our own plant or some seeds to plant and grow inside. We grew the orange or lemon seeds or an avocado seed. We were probably encouraged by our mothers. Now we have the joy to share this interest with our children and grandchildren. One of the many joys of growing houseplants is sharing with others. Take an evening to relax and make an inventory of your gardening summer and its pleasures, problems and hopes. Set realistic goals to make your coming garden as usable, productive and beautiful a...
This week Vicki recommends “AFRAID TO DIE” by Lisa Jackson. Others may dread the chill of winter but he relishes it. The way the frigid water preserves his victims, the feel of their icy skin beneath his fingers and soon the world will see their beauty and his vengeance. The town of Grizzly Falls is on edge in the wake of a serial killer and detective Selena Alvarez is no exception. That case was solved but a new nightmare is about to unfold. There are two victims so far. Their bodies found frozen solid and deliberately displayed. Both are wom...
Thank you to each and every on of our donors. Story Hour is every Thursday at 10:45. The Library has “The Nightingales” CD for sale (Gaynell Gullickson, Tammy Upham and Marcia Peterson). Proceeds from the sales go to the New Library Fund. Donors: Andrea Schlimgen, Bill and Wendy Kleinsasser, Vicki Braun, Joanne Williams and Two Anonymous donors of children’s books. Books: “A King’s Ransoms” by James Gripppando, “Top Secret Twenty One” by Janet Evanovich, “Tricky Twenty two” by Janet Evanovich, “Willow Brook Road” by Sherryl Woods, “Blood R...
Ms. Pokorny has been coaching Science Olympiad for twenty-two years and has loved every minute of it. She started coaching when she was just a young teacher. She did not do Science Olympiad as a student when she lived in Miles City because it was not offered in high school, but Melanie Schwarzbach, our other science teacher, did. While interviewing Cindy Pokorny she told me about the popularity between events and she said that all events are popular because they all have students sign up to be...
In official minutes of the regular meeting of the Big Sandy School Board held December 15 trustees present were Kurt Strutz, Darin Genereux, Diana LaBuda, Brad Weaver and Brandon Gasvoda. Staff present was Brad Moore, Superintendent Maryetta Engle, clerk and Heather Wolery, elementary lead teacher. Visitors present were Charles Sipler and Walt Sivertsen. After the call to order and the Pledge was recited there was a welcome of guests, approval of minutes and no public comments. In correspondence it was noted that the Big Sandy Teacher’s Associa...
The Beatles once sang: “All you need is love.” While I love the Beatles, this is just incorrect when it comes to marriage. The fact is that men and women are wired differently and don’t interact with the world in the same ways. In Ephesians, Paul wrote a line that contains amongst the most disputed concepts in my 18 years as a teacher/preacher: “However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.” I find that many people argue over the meaning of this line and whether or not it’s the...
The Big Sandy Pioneers took to the court this past weekend for a pair of District 9C contest sagainst the Chester-Joplin-Inverness Hawks and the Box Elder Bears. Both girls and boys teams from the Hawks and Bears are expected to be at the top of the conference come tournament time so the young Pioneers had their hands full but neither the girls nor the boys backed down from the challenge. Friday in Chester it was the Hawks winning the girls game 76-18 and the boys game 87-26. Saturday the teams...
Thursday, January 14 wrestling at Fairfield Friday and Saturday, January 15 and 16 wrestling at Choteau Friday, January 15 basketball at home vs. Turner Saturday, January 16 basketball at North Star Monday, January 18 semester tests from grades 7 to 12 Tuesday, January 19 semester tests continue. Look at the school web page for the schedule Tuesday, January 19 end of second quarter and the first semester! Breakfast and lunch menus for the coming week are as follows: Wednesday, January 13 breakfast includes donuts, yogurt, assorted cereal,...
This is the time of year that the public gets hoodwinked by evil radio personalities, news reporters, television reporters and weathermen in general! This is the time of the year that early in the morning you are likely to hear the following words, spoken with sort of an evil glee! “It is five below zero but hold on to your hats radio audience. The wind is blowing so it is really thirty-five below zero. Maybe you should not go to work this morning.” The voice that is saying those words, is really saying, I got up early and faced the wind chi...
The average consumer today may be three to four generations removed from the farm, but they are far from indifferent when it comes to knowing how their food gets to the table. People want the facts about their food--and being entrusted with those facts can help increase their trust in farmers, ranchers and other suppliers throughout the food chain. A recent survey by the Center for Food Integrity uncovered this key to growing consumer trust in agriculture: transparency. Consumers are eager to learn more, straight from the farm, and the start...
College is expensive, and while families should focus on saving what they can, students should not forget to apply to the wealth of scholarships available nationwide. Millions of scholarships, worth billions of dollars, are awarded annually. Beyond in-house scholarships offered by the institutions themselves, a number of federations and organizations offer money to students with particular aptitudes, achievements and aspirations. “Scholarships can make a significant dent in out-of-pocket college spending, but finding and applying for them r...
(StatePoint) Did you know that the cold sore virus is very common? In fact, eight out of 10 people have it. And, if you’ve ever had one, you already know that an outbreak can be painful and unpleasant. Itching, burning, tingling, and blisters are some of the symptoms associated with cold sores, and many people are especially susceptible to them during cold and flu season. Blisters or sores usually appear when your body’s defenses are down -- when you are stressed, or your immune system is weak, making you especially vulnerable this time of yea...
