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Brad Moore, Big Sandy resident and the former Superintendent of our local school system, is taking a position as Assistant Superintendent for Havre Public Schools in the coming academic year. This takes place after he was recognized as superintendent of the year for Central District of the Montana Superintendents' Association. Brad has been recognized as Superintendent of the Year for different districts in the state several times during his career. "There are 9 regions in the state of Montana...
Virgelle's Annual Flea Market took place on Sunday, with area antique shoppers visiting the outdoor event to shop for treasures old and new. My children and I braved the 90 degree heat to make our traditional after-church trek to the Virgelle Mercantile to shop and enjoy lunch on the lawn. As in years past, Chandee Bomgardner's food truck served Indian tacos and sandwiches to visitors. Waiting in line, I listened as visitors to the area received impromptu lessons on fry bread cuisine and the...
A Special Thanks in Advance to our Chouteau County 4-H Fair Superintendents 4-H, the nation’s largest youth development organization, grows confident young people who are empowered for life today and prepared for a career tomorrow. 4-H programs help develop nearly six million young people across the U.S. through experiences that develop critical life skills. 4-H is the youth development program of our nation’s Cooperative Extension System and USDA. Cooperative Extension serves every county and parish in the U.S. through a network of 110 pub...
The biggest news coming from the City Council is that it is that the stormwater project for downtown will become a reality without any loans or rate increases or special districts. The city would like to thank Chouteau County for sharing some of their ARPA money with the town. The cost of the project is over one million dollars. The new stormwater project will go from the Catholic Church to the highway. Although new streets are seldom paid for as a part of the project, it was argued that Big...
One thing is for sure the laws have changed since I was in school. I attended a training session by Andrew Vegland, a lawyer from the Helena Montana School Board Association. He handed out a 57-page document discussing current laws governing the Big Sandy School Board. I will not attempt to cover the entirety of the meeting here. However, we need to understand how the local school works and cover various issues further in-depth. There were a variety of issues briefly discussed. Title XX sets out the legal code if you want to look that up. Open...
Although it appears that everyone is tired of talking about COVID-19, I felt it very interesting to discover the long-term effects it was having on so many people. Gwen Ophus came into the Mountaineer and quickly visited me about some long-term effects she is still experiencing. She wondered if anyone in town is still struggling with the same issues she is or if they are struggling with different effects. She has joined an online support group and hopes that she’ll be healing quicker than later. She got COVID in the second week of November 2...
Last week, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) completed their treatment of around 40,000 acres of rangeland southeast of Big Sandy. Their objective was to control grasshopper populations which are projected to reach critical levels in the coming weeks. The weather over the past few years has presented the perfect storm of conditions to produce massive rangeland grasshopper populations. This is particularly the case for the Big Sandy area, which has a high density grasshopper...
The United Methodist Church did not win a monetary lottery; no, we won the lottery of "who we got for a pastor"! As all churches can admit, waiting to find out what your new pastor will be like is a very anxious time. We have met our new pastor, the Reverend Doctor Susan King. She has asked us to call her Sue and has already made a very positive impression on our group. I will relate all her academic achievements, which are undoubtedly praiseworthy but what has captured me is how she has...
The 2021 Montana Department of Agriculture waste pesticide disposal program will take place in Central Montana. The first collection event will take place in Havre on September 21 followed by Great Falls on September 22, Lewistown on September 23, and Big Timber on September 24. Participants must pre-register their unusable pesticides with the Montana Department of Agriculture before the disposal event. Acceptances for these events occur on a first-come, first-served basis and early registration is encouraged. The 2021 deadline to register is...
Stress and/or keeping your body in one position for an extended amount of time, such as sitting, negatively impacts muscles by causing them to get tense and tight. Tight muscles can make daily activities such as standing, bending or walking difficult. Keeping your muscles flexible is important for maintaining mobility and independence of performing your daily activities. Our muscles can be compared to rubber bands. The longer and more elastic the rubber band, the more force it can endure and the less likely it will break. When muscles and...
State and local public health officials are reminding Montanans to take steps to avoid mosquito bites and prevent infection from West Nile Virus (WNV). In Montana, WNV season usually begins in July and ends in October, as this is when the mosquitoes responsible for it emerge. “As we head into West Nile Virus season all Montanans are encouraged to take the necessary precautions,” Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) epidemiologist Erika Baldry said. “There was only one case in 2020, and we want to keep it that way. Howev...
As of June 2021, the Canadian government has extended border closures between the US and Canada. This was not a popular decision on either side. People have been cut off from loved ones, have been unable to access property on the other side of the border, and some people's businesses have been drastically affected, especially those reliant on travel. Hopes were high on either side that by summer, rules would be relaxed. However, Canada has entered what they call Phase One of their return to...
“If you have a kiddo that a teacher says ‘they can’t focus’ or that kind of thing, and you say ‘Yes he can, he plays with his favorite toys or video games for hours. It’s just things he doesn’t like to do that he can’t focus on.‘ That a lot of times is the first clue for me because kids with ADHD can focus if it’s something they are really interested in. It’s the every day things and the non-preferred activities that they have a hard time focusing on,” explains Amy Terry, the special education teacher for FE Miley Elementary when I asked...
As one person told me when I asked which Freedom came to mind when you think about your rights, “There are so many of them. Our right to have Freedom. I guess.” Actually, that sentence, “There are so many of them,” was repeated numerous times. Some had difficulty putting their thoughts into words, but I understood. It is the “Freedom to do things. The Freedom of choice.” And as an afterthought, they told me, “to remember to say thanks to all those who protect our rights.” The truth is we don’t stop to think about our rights that often. I ask...
This July 11th, the Virgelle Mercantile will be holding its annual Flea Market. The weather will cooperate; in fact, it will probably be hot. Don Sorenson, the owner of the Virgelle Merch, said, "we'll have ice cream, soda's, pop to help keep people cool." Besides the refreshment, there will be up to 20 vendors scattered around. There is one food vendor. "She has a great menu; Indian tacos, wraps that are pre-wrapped, so you can grab it and go. She always has great food," Don exclaimed. It's...
Terry Jurenka has played host to a pair of Canadian geese for 5 consecutive years. Every year, the visiting couple nest in his yard until their flock of goslings hatches, then they head off until the following year, when they will nest again. Terry explains that their first year of nesting was not so successful: "The first year they came was the year that hail storm came through and took out the airport hangars and stuff. The eggs didn't survive. Every since then, they've come back, and they've...
It was a hot weekend for last weekend's Summer Celebration in Fort Benton, which was a total success after its cancellation last summer due to the Covid lockdowns. This year's theme was Fort Benton's 175th Birthday, commemorating the founding of the town in 1846. Turnout was strong this year, despite last year's cancellation and ongoing concerns about the spread of Covid. I spoke with Dianne Jones, who helps out with the fundraising for park repairs and maintenance at the Pool Repair Committee...
Because of the increase in grasshopper pests this year and last year, many folks are spraying insecticides to save their crops and landscapes. The following article comes from the University of Nebraska and is available at: https://bit.ly/3vQPhuz. Do not treat fields in bloom. Be especially careful when treating crops, such as alfalfa, sunflowers and canola, which are highly attractive to bees. Insecticide labels carry warning statements about application during bloom. Always read and follow the label. Examine fields and field margins before...
WEST GLACIER, Mont. [June 25, 2021] – Going-to-the-Sun Road officially opened this morning for the 2021 summer season. The road may now be accessed by motorized vehicles all the way through from both the West Glacier and St. Mary entrances. An entry reservation ticket in addition to an entrance pass is required for access to Going-to-the-Sun Road via Camas Road, West Glacier and St. Mary entrances between 6 am and 5 pm daily through September 6, 2021. Visitors should expect long lines and delays if entering the park at 5 pm. With G...
Each month, Montana WIC provides healthy food, nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and a community of support from both experts and peers to more than 16,000 moms and children. Nationwide, WIC serves more than 7 million people. Montana WIC participants say they would recommend WIC to their friends, and when asked what they value most about WIC, more than 75 percent say they value the nutrition information and appreciate the support from WIC staff. As the nation’s most successful and cost-effective public health nutrition program, WIC i...
Anton Poelman at Tillemans told me he really enjoys his job because he likes fixing problems. Solving maintenance issue on equipment so they can last is rewarding work for him. “We get trade-ins with over 400,000 miles” Those cars get regular maintenance service. All professional maintenance manual says the same thing. “It is important to stick to the schedule. So easy to let what needs to be done slide, I know. Experts all say to “Follow the maintenance schedule in your car’s owner’s manual. It spells out when to take care of every servi...
The annual Big Sandy Community 4th of July Celebration is back this year. It has been absent since 2018, it fell on a Thursday in 2019, and everyone was gone camping for the long weekend we did not have it, and then Covid hit last year, making it impossible to have it. We are resurrecting it this year. Getting back to normal is a great way to celebrate the Independence of our country. As in years past, the event will occur on the 4th of July at the Big Sandy ballpark. We will begin serving Hamburgers and brats at 6:00 p.m. The meal will include...
There was a School Board Meeting held in the computer room. The new Student Council gave the school board members the goals they hope to achieve during the next school year. The Booster club's report is the new football room's lockers have been purchased will be installed by the Booster Club before the football season is here. Maintenance projects have been started. The Annex/Weight room has a new floor. It was a big project removing all the weight machines. The Gym floor has a 10' X 15'...
Big Sandy's own Wyatt Williams went to Boys State from June 6th-11th to learn more about how our state, county, and city governments work. The American Legion Boys State is a program dedicated to educating high school students in the legislative process, bill writing, and the election system. It presents students with a simulation of various government situations so they can learn well-rounded and realistic lessons. Boys state was first organized by the American Legion in 1935, hoping to foster...
The following overview of blue green algae poisoning in livestock was written by Rachel Endecott (Former MSU Extension Beef Cattle Specialist). Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) are photosynthetic bacteria that live and grow in aquatic environments. Many species exist: some species are harmless, while others can affect the nervous system and liver function of livestock. Large blooms of cyanobacteria can occur when conditions are favorable, leading to elevated concentrations in water sources. When livestock or other animals ingest high...
