Opinion / Columns

August 14, 2024 7:05 a.m.

Pols losing touch to the land

Tim Sheehy, the Republican seeking to unseat Montana Democratic Senator Jon Tester, is a business executive born and raised out of state. That same description applies to Troy Downing, a Republican running for one of Montana’s two Congressional seats. Same for Montana’s Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte and his challenger, Democrat Ryan Busse.

August 14, 2024 8:05 a.m.

Coalition announces meetings

The Coalition For A Clean CFAC will be hosting public meetings on Aug. 20 and 21. These meetings invite the public’s input regarding the proposed Columbia Falls Aluminum Plant Superfund cleanup plan. The August presentation and discussion sessions will focus on the barriers and opportunities to removing some or all of the waste from the CFAC Superfund site. Karmen King, as an independent expert and consultant on Superfund site cleanup projects around the country, will be part of the presentation.

August 28, 2024 7:45 a.m.

Rez dogs of the lodge

They are as much a harbinger of spring as are the swallows of Capistrano … and like the said swallows their return is about as punctual.

September 4, 2024 7:30 a.m.

Celebrating the Wilderness Act at 60

On Sept. 3, 1964, President Johnson signed the Wilderness act; it preserved 54 areas as wilderness, totaling 9,100,000 acres in 13 states. More importantly it envisioned additional areas being added to the newly created national wilderness preservation system.

September 4, 2024 8:35 a.m.

Thoughts on NorthWestern Energy

As someone who helps people make financial decisions, I am worried about our state’s largest utility, NorthWestern Energy. NorthWestern provides electric and natural gas services to over 400,000 households and businesses across the state. The utility, therefore, has a responsibility not just to provide energy on demand but also to consider the well-being of Montana’s residents and environment.

October 2, 2024 8:15 a.m.

Ode to the Glacier Park Lodge

“She sleeps! My lady sleeps!” refers to a sleeping lover in the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem, Serenade. I speak not of this person, but to the Grand Lady of East Glacier Park, Glacier Park Lodge, which by the time this is read will be preparing for a long and well-deserved winter nap.

October 9, 2024 12:40 p.m.

Zinke on Tranel, his record

It’s the definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Since Joe Biden and Kamala Harris took office, grocery prices have climbed 21.5 percent, rent has increased by 22.5 percent, and electric bills have skyrocketed by 30.7 percent. Those are national averages, and in Montana, we’re feeling it a lot more. Electing Kamala Harris and other radical left Democrats to fix the economy they tanked sounds a lot like doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome.

October 16, 2024 5:05 a.m.

Daines talks energy

Few decisions made in Washington impact Montanans more than those made about our nation’s natural resources. Unfortunately, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ pursuit of radical environmentalism and a liberal climate change agenda is shutting down our state’s energy and mining and threatening our Montana way of life.

October 30, 2024 10:15 a.m.

Dealing with disappointment when visiting national parks

There is still something rewarding to be found in travel experiences that don’t live up to our initial expectations.

November 13, 2024 7:45 a.m.

The joys of rabbit joints

So a few weeks ago I decided to get some quotes on new kitchen cabinets and they came in exactly where I expected, which is to say, way more money than I want to spend or even can afford. Not only that, they were made out of woods or finishes I just didn’t like.