We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
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In late June the oldest operating business in Chinook moved to a 'new, old location.' The "Journal," which published its first edition in May of 1890, moved south on Indiana Street to the set of buildings recently referred to as "the old Chinook Hardware." The newspaper is now operating from a building that was built around 1912, then modified over the years with additions and, more recently, the remodel of one of the original buildings and the removal of the wooden structure on the southside...
An especially dry spring and warming temperatures are resulting in several official actions that will affect commerce and life in Blaine County. Montana Governor Steve Bullock issued an executive order and an official request to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. Both actions have to do with providing help to nineteen eastern Montana counties as well as Fort Belknap and Fort Peck Indian Reservations. An inter-agency order for Stage I Fire Restrictions affected several areas in north...
Fresh from a success in the recent special election to fill Montana’s sole Congressional seat, Montana’s Republican Party held its annual state convention in Billings on June 9 and 10. Delegates selected a new state chairman, heard from Republicans who hold statewide elected offices and were updated by Montana’s Republican U.S. Senator Steve Daines and new House member Greg Gianforte. There were 37 of Montana’s 56 counties represented by 162 voting delegates. Convention attendees also heard from four probable challengers who plan to seek th...
For some time I've been wanting to do a story about snow planes...those exotic looking forerunners of the modern snowmobile. Snow planes were popular on the upper plains of the Midwest, first as a means to travel over the snow, later as a form of recreation. Many were built on the chassis of old airplanes-using the plane's cabin as a passenger compartment, moving the engine and propeller to the rear for push and adding skis. In Montana ranchers built and used the machines to check on cattle and...
Two Blaine Countians received "Senior Citizen of the Year" awards at the regional meeting of the North Central Agency on Aging's gathering on July 21 at the senior center in Choteau. Karin Roehm, Director of Area III, said, "The annual award program is an opportunity to honor volunteers who have made significant contributions at the various centers in our region." The Area III Aging Council includes senior centers in Blaine, Chouteau, Liberty, Pondera, Teton, Glacier and Toole counties. Award...
Reporter's note: Jim Nissen told me about the upcoming August 3rd induction of Harlem native Bob Ragsdale into the PRCA's Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame. I'd seen bits and pieces of the National Finals (NFR) on television and attended a few local rodeos. That was about the extent of my knowledge of the world of rodeo and I knew nothing about Bob Ragsdale's illustrious career as a professional cowboy. I soon learned more about rodeo and the Ragsdales. I met Bob Ragsdale and his wife, Ree, in their...
Plans for the Blaine County Fair are in place. Starting with a daytime horse show and Kids' Rodeo on the evening of Wednesday, July 12, the five-day event concludes on Sunday afternoon with the 4-H/FFA livestock sale just after lunch and Pig Wrestling at 5pm. In between will be the PRCA Bear Paw Roundup Rodeo, premium judging from canned goods to livestock, the Blaine County Showdown Demolition Derby, live music by Cale Moon, Pipi the Clown entertaining the kids, fair food of all sorts, a...
Clifford the Big Red Dog was in Blaine County, first in Chinook at the library last week, then in Harlem earlier this week. Anyone who's watched children's programming on Public Television during the last half century, has likely seen "Clifford the Big Red Dog." But to see Clifford up close and real, that was a special treat for kids and parents alike. Perhaps some viewers will be surprised to learn that Clifford will turn 55 this fall, he already qualified for AARP membership a few years ago....
Kiley Huravitch, of Chinook, was recently named a "top Cookie Entrepreneur" for the Girl Scouts bi-state council that includes both Montana and Wyoming (GSMW). As part of this year's celebration of the 100th anniversary of the iconic cookie sales program, GSMW named its 100 top cookie sellers and recognized them with a special patch. Kiley, who will be a third grader at Meadowlark Elementary next year, sold 1006 boxes of cookies. She's no stranger to cookie sales sharing "this was my third year...
Reporter's note: Back in mid-spring my wife and I made a 3,500-mile road trip to Louisville, Kentucky and back. She went to attend a church-related conference and I was, well, going as a tourist. About 20 years ago I had gone to a conference in Louisville but saw virtually none of the city as I was tied to the conference while there. Interestingly, we stayed this time at the same hotel I'd stayed in years ago-the Gault House, a large hotel and convention complex located downtown right on the...
Reporter's note: If you happen to be near the Chinook Assembly, at the corner of West Fourth and Pennsylvania in Chinook, and smell coffee, you are enjoying a whiff of 'coffee with a purpose.' The new ministry called Ground Breakers is described on the church website as "a donations-based coffee shop operated within Chinook Assembly for the purpose of giving to missions both locally and globally, so that Jesus Christ may be known everywhere!" How the Assembly started the ministry is a story itse...
It's the time of the year when student athletes are recognized and celebrated for their sports accomplishments during the previous sports seasons. Forty graduating high school football players from across the state of Montana have been nominated and selected to play in what many call the premier, "best of the best" post season game-the Annual Montana East-West Shrine Game. This year's game will be played Saturday, July 15 in Billings on the campus of Rocky Mountain College. Coach for the East...
The Chinook Chamber schedules its monthly Business After Hours on the first Thursday of the month. June's featured business was the Sweet Medical Center, which had its event set for 6-8pm, the normal time for the after hours gathering. The Blaine County Wildlife Museum scheduled the first public viewing of the new Foothills Exhibit, inadvertently, on the same night, from 7-9pm. The museum board wanted to make sure the Acorn Exhibits principals, who finished the exhibit, would still be in town....
On Memorial Day a group of Boy Scouts held a 'retirement ceremony' for 125+ U.S. flags that were no longer serviceable. The ceremony was part of an Eagle Scout project designed and carried out by Kougar Lanier. His idea for an Eagle project that would gather used flags to be "destroyed in a dignified way" was in large part based on inquiries from citizens to Scout troops about retiring flags. Lanier said, "I discovered there was no regular, ongoing process to retire U.S. flags." Lanier...
Meadowlark Elementary Principal Jon Martin gave the signal for the assembled students to quiet down, but there was still an undercurrent of excitement on the last day of school. It was Awards Day and students would be recognized for superior attendance, completing an online course to learn about managing money, being good citizens and reading achievements. Sixth graders, who would be moving on to junior high next fall, got a sendoff from their fellow students with a song, cheers and high-fives....
Reporter/grandfather's note: Many readers met our granddaughter, Kayla, who spent a couple of months living with us in the spring of 2015. Kayla has epilepsy and was recovering from a seizure while at college, that required her being flown from Pullman, Washington to Seattle for treatment. She was forced to withdraw from college for the semester while recuperating. While with us she worked some for the school system as a sub and did some writing for the "Journal." (she's studying communications...
A chance comment by a customer to a local merchant eventually resulted in a patented product now being used at Sweet Nursing Home in Chinook. Kelcey Diemert, a local pharmacist, said, "About 17 years ago Russell Benson came into the pharmacy and said, "I was just visiting some of my buddies at the nursing home. They were all rocking away in their wheelchairs but weren't going any place. You should invent a wheelchair that rocks." Diemert shared the idea with John Iverson, a classmate when the...
The public is invited to a preview of the recently completed Foothills Exhibit at the Blaine County Wildlife Museum on the evening of Thursday, June 1 from 7-9 pm. Museum Manager Tammy Edwards said the event is the opening day for the museum's summer season that runs through the end of August. She added, "There will be no charge for that evening and this will replace the regular free admission Saturday held each June." Kurt Wohnsen and Liz Marshall, the owners and operators of Acorn Exhibits,...
Reporters Note: Memorial Day, now the last Monday in May, will soon be on us. There will be memorial services from Arlington National Cemetery to local cemeteries. Blaine County will have a number of events at various cemeteries. Graves will be decorated, especially those of deceased veterans, and many of us will take a moment to remember our deceased family members and friends. When asked to write a short history of Memorial Day for the newspaper, I was interested to learn about a holiday I've...
Steve and Lesley Zellmer have opened Treasure State Title Company in Chinook. The couple bought the assets of Bear Paw Title on December 30, 2016 from Pauly and Perry Miller, then created the new business. Treasure State Title will soon be moving to the old "Blaine County Journal" office at 217 Indiana in Chinook. Pauly Miller will continue to operate Fidelity Escrow Company, a business she started in 2012. Steve Zellmer grew up in Blaine County, attending school in Harlem, Zurich and Chinook....
Hunter VanDonsel joined the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Chinook. The Helena native is working as a Farm Bill Wildlife Biologist, a position funded primarily by Pheasants Forever, Inc. with support from the NRCS and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP). VanDonsel will work with NRCS, Montana’s FWP and local landowners to promote creation and preservation of upland game bird and animal habitat. He said the position is funded through 2019. VanDonsel graduated from Capital High School, in Helena, in 2012. He completed...
At right of photo a postal customer at the Chinook Post Office drops mail in the recently relocated drive-through collection box. According to Postmaster Leta Buck the new location solves some concerns with safety and access encountered at the old site of the collection box behind the post office. The new box is off Third Street on the short access driveway to the post office parking lot.... Full story
The Zion Lutheran Church of the Missouri Synod is undertaking a major remodel and upgrade to its 103-year old building at the corner of 8th Street and Illinois in Chinook. In the fall of 1963 the entire building was jacked up and the basement was redone. There was another major remodel, on both the building and the basement, from 1989-1993. The current project involves a new roof, removal of the brick chimney, reconditioning of the bell tower, replacing the heating system and addition of...
A number of locals, including the son of famed Hays-based artist Clarence Cuts The Rope, have asked Wells Fargo executives to donate a large painting, done by Cuts The Rope, to be hung in the new Hays community center when it is completed. The painting was one of two commissioned by the bank in 1982 (it was Bank of Montana at that time). Clarence Cuts The Rope died in 2000. Ada Brekke, of Chinook, was a bank employee at the time. She said, "Clarence did two paintings, one of a buffalo hunt, and...
By Steve Edwards BCJ News Two Chinook firefighters, with a quarter century of firefighting experience between them, moved to reserve status at the start of the new year. Firefighters on reserve status are still members of the organization, can perform some related duties to fighting fires and, in specific situations, can be called to fight a fire. Gary Anderson and Billie Haugen were both granted reserve status and recognized for their years of service. Dan Friede, the other Chinook firefighter...
