Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 3379
Recently, Big Sandy hosted the 35th Annual Middle School Mass Band Festival. 165 musicians represented the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. Schools participating besides Big Sandy were Havre, CJI, Harlem, Box Elder, Chinook, and North Star. The 6th grade band concert band was conducted by hi-line music teachers. They played 12 The Clock Strikes, Farwell at Dawn, and Legend of Boudica. Guest conductor Cole Bass conducted the 7th and 8th grade Symphonic Band. Cole Bass is from East Helena High School....
Big Sandy Medical Center is pleased to welcome Amber Groves, PA to our full time staff! Amber lives full time in Wisconsin, but is no stranger to the area or to Big Sandy Medical Center. She worked for IHS for six years and helped out as a locum provider here during that time. She fell in love with the place and has continued to come and help out a few weeks per year, until 2025 when she decided to come on full time. In the recent past she has been working internal medicine in a large health sys...
The Big Sandy Rotary held its annual Spring fundraiser on Saturday night, the Jurassic Park Benefit and Banquet. The first thing you noticed was the incredible stage that Shon Tester built. Carla Courtnage says, "Shon spent hours and hours building it." It was a very tall stage, clearly representing the tall gate going into Jurassic Park. The jungle's vines fall from the ceiling over the entire stage. Four dinosaurs roamed across the room. Three dinosaurs were in costumes, and one, the smallest...
New Blister Beetles of Montana MontGuide Available at Extension Office MontGuide MT200209AG was developed by Hayes Goosey, MSU Forage Specialist; Tiziana Oppedisano, MSU Agronomic Entomologist and Agricultural Extension agents from Madison-Jefferson, Broadwater, Gallatin and Dawson Counties. The complete MontGuide is available at the Chouteau County Extension office or can be downloaded at MSU Publications. Blister beetles are leaf-feeding insects that secrete a liquid that can cause blisters and can be toxic when accidentally fed to livestock...
John Saksa was born in 1911 to immigrant parents. The family lived in Sheridan, Wyoming, at the time but moved to Sand Coulee, Montana, by 1920. John was one of 10 children in this large, close family. By September 1931, John was working in Fort Benton. For the next decade, John could always be found in the Fort Benton paper because of his athletic skills in the game of baseball. He played pitcher and outfielder for the local team, and as the paper wrote, he was an "all-around player and could...
In March the Sunshine Snippers 4-H Club met at Saint Margaret Mary's Catholic Church. We started our meeting out with an archery report from Ella, Lucy and Parker. We also talked about our annual fundraiser. We are doing "Egg My Yard" for Easter. This year the Sunshine Snippers will be donating all the proceeds from the Egg My Yard fundraiser to the Big Sandy Pioneer Producers. You can order your pre-filled eggs to be hidden in your Big Sandy yard the night before Easter along with a special...
For two years, Coach MacDonald of the Box Elder Bears steered the Bears to two state championships, and I visited with him about his coaching philosophy. What does he believe? They have been so much fun to watch over the years. I asked him, "Why are you a coach? And what do you think is the most important thing you coach besides basketball skills?" Coach MacDonald said, "I grew up in a home where basketball was always around and in a community where basketball is a big part of our activities. I...
Ninety-two boxes of meat-3,600 pounds, or 14,000 meals-were delivered to Big Sandy by local ranchers working through the nonprofit Producer Partnership, which provided the meat to the community. Both the school and Senior Citizens will benefit. Shane Chauvet, Co-Founder of Pioneer Producers, was interviewed by KRTV and the Havre paper. He explained that this beef was raised and processed with one goal: feeding local families. "In November, we sent 12 beef to Producer Partnership to get...
Many of you have approached me, expressing the need for accurate information about the closures initiated by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and their potential impact on Big Sandy. Will it affect the school lunch program, the Big Sand Medica Center, and the FSA? Let’s seek the facts together. “According to the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, the Trump administration plans to shut down multiple Social Security offices, Border Patrol facilities, wildlife stations, and other buildings used for federal work across Mon...
“‘Tarzan of Tetons’ Appears to Have Escaped Trap” shouted the headline on the cover of the Havre Daily News from March 24th, 1939. The story is nearing its 86th anniversary, which is perhaps why Doug Giebel sent the edition to me with a note about the unusual story. ‘Tarzan of the Tetons’ sounds like something that would have appeared on the cover of a tabloid rather than Havre’s city paper. I couldn’t help but dive into the story and research the background. While it’s not a Bigfoot style narrative, the real tale is no less interesting. The...
Initial Private Pesticide Applicator Training in Great Falls MSU Extension Cascade County will host an Initial Applicator Training on April 22, 2025 at Great Falls College MSU, 2100 16th Avenue South, room B101. The class will take place from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm. Private applicators need 6 credits in the 5-year cycle to renew their license. District 3’s cycle started January 1, 2020 and will end December 31, 2025. Lunch will cost $20.00 per plate and will be paid for during the registration process. Registration is required for this event and...
Craig Edwards will be showing during Art Week in Great Falls at the 4 Seasons Arena at Montana ExpoPark, March 20-23. This will be his ninth year participating in the show. He is part of the Legends West group, one of five shows that exhibit together at the fairgrounds. Craig's work is unique at the show, as he is the only exhibitor that focuses on the North Central Montana area, highlighting our unique part of the state. "Putting on the show requires a lot of work, but it's worth it to be a...
Big Sandy Medical Services Foundation would like to remind BSHS seniors, BSHS graduates attending college, and/or BSMC employees who are pursuing a medical career that the deadline for these scholarship applications is March 31, 2025 for the 2025-2026 college year. Applications may be picked up either at the high school by contacting Mrs. Dianna Keane or by writing: Big Sandy Medical Services Foundation, PO Box 530, Big Sandy MT 59520. You may also call 378-2163 and ask Nora Grubb, Secretary. BSMC employees may request an application from...
Shon Tester has a way of expressing himself concerning the Big Sandy Rotary Banquet so that it brings excitement to everyone in Big Sandy! “This is a big thing, and it’s an exciting thing, and it’s a fun thing. I do want to encourage people to attend this community event. Involvement is a wonderful palate cleanser for the majority of people, but getting them actually to get involved is sometimes rough. The Rotary banquet has been a wonderful success for many decades now, and it’s because the community is always showing up, and March is intenti...
There are three libraries in Chouteau County: Geraldine, Big Sandy, and Fort Benton. Emily Wicks is the Director of all three. Emily Wicks said, "As far as libraries in Montana: we have 56 counties, and there's like 55 different ways libraries are run in Montana. Ours is an example of a county library. The county is responsible for the funding and the governance. There are some city libraries. There are some city/county libraries. There are also library districts." Wicks puts in the initial...
Charley Overbay, who grows corn for Dave Christensen, had a great year this year. They are still processing it, but the rough estimate would be around 12,000 pounds this year! Every piece of corn cob has to be handled one piece at a time. Some kernels need to be removed one at a time to ensure that their genetics are preserved! To compare the crop from last year when they got 2-3 thousand. "Over eleven years, this year was by far the largest total harvest. But it was also the highest or the...
Chouteau County Invitational 4-H Archery Shoot Results The 4-H Shooting Sports 2025 Chouteau County Invitational Shoot was held March 1 in Fort Benton with 73 members registered to shoot. Participants were mostly from the Golden Triangle Counties. Other counties participating were Beaverhead, Flathead, Lewis and Clark, Wheatland, Madison, and Gallatin. Medals went to the following Chouteau County participants: REGULAR TARGET Name Division Award Score Brentlee Bomgardner Primitive Bow (ages 15-18) gold 217.02 Kaleb Axtman Primitive Bow (ages...
Last week was the beginning of the season of Lent on the church’s calendar. I decided that it would be a good idea to teach my middle school Sunday School Class about Lent and the church calendar. When we started talking about it, the kids were full of questions, which made me think it would be worthwhile to explain a little about Lent, Ash Wednesday, and the church calendar. “Lent” comes from the German word for “Spring.” The observance of the season of Lent isn’t universal in the church, as many Protestant groups don’t observe various parts...
16-1958 Sherriff John "Jack" Bradley was born in 1882 in Minnesota. When He was 5 months old, his father died suspiciously. The death was suspected of being murdered then the body was thrown under a train. John married Inez Ramey in 1905 in Dassel, Minnesota. The young family was next found in 1911, residing in Montague, where John worked on a Ranch in the Ridge section. While living in the Ridge area, their names were listed numerous in the social columns of the Chouteau County Independent ne...
This year, the Big Sandy Pioneers have an entire cheer squad: Brooke Cope, Camielle Nissen, Ali Moresette, Natalie Lavenger, Jamie Jones, and mascot Chase Gasvoda. They were joined by a new Cheer Coach, Leslie Gregory. It was exciting to see more than two or three out there. Leslie said, "I didn't have any experience with cheer-leading and I am still learning. My goal this year was to get them to look and sound like a team." They ordered new uniforms, which was decided on by the whole team. If...
Less than ten years ago, the Big Sandy Medical Center saw record lows in patient census. With only eleven people living here, there was a dire need to figure out how to get more folks in the door. Goals were set, big changes were made, and now the facility is bursting at the seams! For the first time, Big Sandy Medical Center has a wait list for those who desire to come live in the facility. What does that mean for you and your loved ones? Simply, you cannot move in with us tomorrow. You may not be able to move in next month, or even in the...
18-1930 Frank Zimmer was born in Chicago in 1892. He was one of ten children born to German Catholic immigrants. At the age of 18, Frank headed west to work at his brother's farm at Eagle Butte in Chouteau County. In 1913, he made a Homestead entry land in section 34, township 25N, Range 112 East. During WW1, Frank served as a Private with Company B, 160th Infantry. In 1918, Frank was listed as Missing In Action in France. After several weeks on the missing list, his name was moved to the...
The Sunshine Snipper's February meeting was held on the 9th at St. Margaret Mary's Catholic Church. Before the meeting, the club members met at the Big Sandy Medical Center and presented a $200 check to the activities department. They will be using the money to go towards the beauty salon renovations. They also presented a $200 check donation to the Big Sandy Sheriff's department for the Shop with the Sheriff program. After the regular meeting, the Sunshine Snippers attended a gun safety...
The Big Sandy Rotary Club has announced that its benefit banquet will occur on March 22, 2025. The gala event this year brings Jurassic Park to our town. Fun seekers and dinosaurs of all kinds will gather at the 40th Annual Rotary Benefit Banquet on March 25, 2025. The annual Big Sandy Rotary benefit banquet will be the place to join the community in an evening of fun, great food, auctions and prizes. Your local Rotarians have their tickets available for anyone who wants to purchase one. Tickets are still $100.00, which is the same price they...
On June 5, 2012, my wife, daughter, and I drove into Big Sandy for the first time. A couple of months later, Robbie Lucke interviewed us for a story on “the new pastor in town.” After our conversation, he asked me to consider writing a weekly column, which I agreed to with a great deal of excitement. After 13 years of pastoring in our little community, writing Patching Cracks, and in the neighborhood of 6 years as a regular reporter for the paper, I am going to indulge myself by sharing a little of what I have learned and seen from our com...
