Week of August 5, 2026
Week of August 5, 2026
By Ella Chauvet The July Sunshine Snippers 4-H club meeting was hosted by Russ and Nicole Allderdice at their home along the Missouri River at Virgelle. Thank you Allderdice family for opening your home to us! Before the meeting, we shared a potluck lunch of delicious salads, chips and hotdogs. The meeting was called to order by Vice President Garrett L. and we resighted the pledge of allegiance and 4-H pledge. The roll call question was, “Are you excited for fair?” The answer was mixed feelings—some members were excited, while others...
By Jessica Sheehy Summer is in full swing. Between the sound of laughing kids, afternoon bike rides, trips to the pool, and family travels, the familiar smell of sunscreen signals that school is officially out. But while the classrooms may be quiet, Big Sandy Schools are still hard at work serving local youth. Thanks to the district’s Summer Food Program, free meal boxes are being provided to every child in the district from ages 0 to 18, regardless of household income. Each box is packed with a well-rounded variety of fresh fruits,...
From Northern Montana Health Care Northern Montana Health Care is hosting a free presentation focused on helping older adults stay active, independent, and healthy. NMHC social worker Janet Blackaby said the presentation will include information about the signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, along with available resources for individuals and families. “Being knowledgeable about supportive resources is important to impact the quality of life for individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers,...
MADISON, Wis (July 20, 2026) - The University of Wisconsin-Madison has recognized students named to the Dean’s List for the spring semester of the 2025-2026 academic year. Students who achieve at a high level academically are recognized by the dean of their school or college at the close of each semester. To be eligible for the Dean’s List, students must complete a minimum of 12 graded degree credits in that semester. Each university school or college sets its own GPA requirements for students to be eligible to receive the distinction....
By Rachel Baumgarn We had a great turnout at today’s blood drive at Jerry Martin Memorial Hall! Out of 22 scheduled appointments, 18 people were able to successfully donate—including three awesome first-time donors who stepped up to give. We did have two deferrals and two no-shows, but overall, it was a fantastic day for our local supply. A huge congratulations goes out to two of our local donors who hit big milestones today: •Kurt Strutz hit an amazing 4 gallons (that’s 32 donations!). •Matthew Louvar reached his 1-gallon mark (8...
By Jessica Sheehy The Big Sandy Barracuda swim team has had a fast and furious swim season. Under the direction of coaches Travis Bauman and Leslie Gregory, 16 local athletes participated in daily morning practices and weekend meets braving early alarms and summer heat to hone their skills. June 25 and 26 the Barracuda's traveled to Cut Bank to compete for a spot at the state competition. The small but mighty team delivered an impressive performance, with nine out of 10 competing swimmers...
By Brittany Richard Our Lady Pioneers had the opportunity to play in the Chester Volleyball Tournament, which included some great competition. We brought two High School teams and one Junior High Team. Our first Big Sandy team (pictured above) received 2nd place in the Gold Bracket. Our second Big Sandy team got 2nd place in the Silver Bracket. We’ve spent a lot of time in the gym this spring and summer, so it was really great to see the hard work paying off. There is a lot of excitement...
Fall Fertilizer Advice for Farmers Information for this article was taken from the Fertilizer Guidelines for Montana Crops (EB161), which is available at the Chouteau County Extension office. •MSU Extension has an on-line tool designed to assist producers in determining the optimal N rate. The online tool can be found at www.sarc.montana.edu/AgTools/soiltest. •Fall soil tests can lead to over or under fertilized fields because soil nitrate can increase or decrease from November to April. •The historical average available N rate...
100 Years Ago — Aug 12, 1926 The August harvest season was in full swing as Big Sandy families balanced farm work with community celebrations. Arthur O. Butler and Howard Allderdice families welcomed new additions, with the birth of a son to the Butlers and a daughter to the Allderdices. William James returned from Sioux City, Iowa, after delivering several railroad cars of cattle, demonstrating the importance of livestock marketing to the area’s economy. Fashion also made local news when nationally known hatmaker John B. Stetson...
Sunday, July 26th sixteen players played eight rounds of pinochle in the Mint family room. Rod Courtnage had the top score of 8270 earning $30. Next high of 8080 was played by Maggie Cline for $20. $15 went to Joe Landinger for his 7900. Nora Grubb cashed in for $10 with her score of 7630. Linda Osterman had low of 3360 for $5. Rod and Maggie had the highest round score of 2300. Lowest was a negative 530 for Sue Knight and Roberta Whetham. Next play dates will be August 9th & 23rd (always subject to change depending on Mint’s schedule)....
Douglas “Doug” Giebel, 89, of Big Sandy, Montana, passed away at his home on July 28, 2026. He left behind a remarkable legacy as an educator, theater director, actor, writer, historian and lifelong advocate for the arts. Born and raised in Big Sandy, Doug was the only child of Ed and Fern Giebel. His imagination was nurtured by devoted parents, books, music and movies. As a child he staged backyard circuses. As a young man he discovered theater. He never forgot seeing touring productions...
