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The full school board met along with guests on Google Meet for the school board meeting on April 21. They also met on Monday, April 27, but that meeting took place after the printing deadline of Monday morning, therefore, we were not able to cover that meeting till next week’s Mountaineer. During old business, they showed pictures of the upgrade to the storage room at the FE Miley Grade School. This was the former stage area. The project came $3,500 under budget. The pictures showed a well-organized area with lots of room for storage. Travis B...
Severin Heimbigner, a member of the Big Sandy FFA, has won an SAE Grant from the National FFA. He won one of the 176 SAE grants given nation-wide. Severin received $1,000 to support his lawn mowing business. Severin started applying in September 2019 but he didn't get it done until mid-Nov. Severin plans to buy some equipment and repair some of his old equipment with his dad's help. I asked him if he was surprised he won and his smile told me everything. We were doing the interview outside at...
Earth Day came and went without a mention from me. Surprisingly, because right now, walking outside is what brings normalcy to my life. My granddaughter was the one that brought it to my attention. She said to me, "yesterday on the 22nd was Earth Day. We don't have to celebrate the day, because we take care of the earth every day. Because we are farmers!" She's only six but the truth none the less. Every year on April 22, Earth Day is celebrated. This year marks 50 years of celebration. The...
During this COVID-19 crisis, the Internet and our cell phones have been a lifeline. The technology we currently have has allowed us to connect. The school, though different as continued to be able to teach students long distant. You can take free tours of famous museums, learn how to paint or how to play the guitar. You don’t have to step foot into a bank, order anything you may need online. However, maybe the most important thing is you can talk to and visit with anyone anywhere in the world. We must have these abilities, and we are very t...
Editor's note: OK, so during these times, there isn't much news, but it is also true that during these times when we need to pull together as a community. Get to know one another better, reach out and celebrate who we are. Find ways to support each other. With that regard, I decided to run a series of articles to do just that. We started the interview over FaceTime. A first for me as I needed to take notes instead of recording the conversation. Larry said I had to excuse him because he had homem...
The community is the first responder and the first line of defense. The public is responsible for stopping the spread of COVID-19, and it is going to be harder to continue social distancing the longer it delays. Recently there was an internet conference call with local medical personnel and city and county officials. Those present were Shaud Schwarzbach, Big Sandy Mayor; Darin Schuster, County Commissioner; Heather Wolery, Principal of Big Sandy Public Schools; Leah Griffith, CEO of Big Sandy...
Bailey Gasvoda will be one of the state's FFA officers during her first year at MSU. She doesn't know which office yet, Usually, they travel to Bozeman to be interviewed, but this year Bailey was interviewed remotely. She also watched the FFA Facebook page as her name was announced. Bailey told me it was surreal. "Honestly, this is something I have always wanted to do since the 7th grade. When I was just new to FFA, I remember going to the DLS fall kickoff, and I saw all the state officers. Ther...
Editor's note: OK so during these times there isn't much news, but it is also true that during these times when we need to pull together as a community. Get to know one another better, reach out and celebrate who we are. Find ways to support each other. With that regard, I decided to run a series of article to do just that. Terry and Twila Grant first met at Rocky Boy High school, where Terry was teaching, coaching basketball, and cheerleader. Twila worked in the office and took over the...
During this time of trial, I see a lot of caring people, reaching out to help, to bless those who are in need. But I also hear and read a lot of negativity. It is during times like this I am reminded of my favorite verses. Philippians, starting with verse "4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your...
It's Easter whether or not we have our traditions or not. It can be an incredible time for families if we use our creativity and allow for personal or family time to revisit the foundations of our faith. Sean Janssen, Pastor of Christ Lutheran Church, wrote, "The Resurrection of our Lord comes whether or not we can celebrate as we have become accustomed. We are used to coming together in our sanctuary for a great celebration. We will have that at a later time. But for this Sunday, we may find...
Reece Ophus finally made up his mind to run for Chouteau County Commissioner. "I was going to file a long time ago. I've been talking about running for County Commissioner for a while. I was encouraged by friends and people in the community to run, but there was a lot of chatter to who was going to run, so I waited till the last week to file to see how it was all going to turn out. In the end, we have three different candidates besides myself. The main reason I am running is the roads, of...
Shaud Schwazbach is First Bank's new loan officer. Shaud said, "The community has been very supportive so far, so that's awesome." It's been several years since a Big Sandy bank has had anyone, locally, who was a loan officer. April 2, was his first day. He said, "It was surreal. This whole process has been eye-opening and surreal. I have always considered myself a loyal person, so it took something special for me to consider making this move." Shaud started his banking career with US Bank,...
The Big Sandy School board held a quick board meeting over the internet. Although the governor said school need to be closed for two more weeks, the school board had to officially declare the school closed per regulations. They voted to do so. It was noted by Kelly Haaland, Superintendent, that all students can receive free breakfast and lunch from the school Monday through Thursday. All teachers, K-12, at Big Sandy schools have been teaching students remotely for the past two weeks. This will continue indefinitely until we are no longer under...
Marlene Terry has been sewing for years. What she loves doing is sewing with scraps of material, like they use to do a long time ago, "in the older days." Quilts were made out of leftover material, and that is what Marlene likes to make; she calls them "Scrappy Quilts." Luckily Marlene has good friends that supply her with lots of scraps of material from their leftovers. She has, over the years, made numerous quilts and other sewing projects from these scraps of material, many of which she...
Matthew Gullickson is a farmer, an engineer, and now a manufacturer of 3-D masks. This new COVID-19 pandemic has made him do something different. He has to try to do something to make things better. He saw on-line the face mask they have developed in Billings using a 3-D printer. Matt can make two at a time using his 3-D printer. It takes six to seven hours to make two masks. He will also create, with his 3-D printer, the little square which holds the filter into the masks. These masks are...
It seems a little ridiculous to be writing an article that celebrates who we are. We know we make the food the nation eats. We know the facts, but it doesn't hurt to remind us about how important we are. I located the following facts from the American Farm Bureau Federation: 2 million farms dot America's rural landscape. About 98% of U.S. farms are operated by families – individuals, family partnerships, or family corporations. One U.S. farm feeds 166 people annually in the U.S. and abroad. T...
Editor's note: I am working from home currently and am connecting with individuals in a wide variety of ways. I asked Daren the same questions I asked the other candidate for county commissioners. Why are you running for Chouteau County Commissioners? Daren wrote, "I'm running for re-election first and foremost because I love my job, and I consider it an honor and privilege to represent the citizens of Chouteau County and want to continue to do so." Why do you think you are the best candidate?...
For the most part, everyone knows what is happening in our state concerning the COVID-19 virus. However, it doesn’t seem logical to put out a paper without letting everyone know what is happening locally. It doesn’t hurt to mention once again if you have any of the symptoms call the Medical Center and visit with them. Krystle Kulbeck said previously, “At this time, the illness ranges from mild to severe symptoms and possible death. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure and include fever, cough, and shortness of breath.” If your symptom...
During times of stress when I struggle, when it appears there is no answer, I have always gone to the scriptures to find solace. The scriptures always give me comfort. These are challenging times. We have to wait and see, but it is my hope we can stop this virus before it rages the United States like it has other countries. The other day while reading my bible in the morning, I came across a simple scripture verse. “Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus, our Lord.” 2 Timothy 1:2 Like most, I would typically move rig...
Under old business, they voted to pay for new drainage off of the annex. The issue is ice builds up, and it causes ice and dangerous conditions in the winter. Technology Projects-Heather is helping with the students that don't have Wi-Fi at home. Travis Bauman brought the Board up to where they currently are with homeschooling using the internet for all lessons. Triangle telephone will meet with, Box Elder, Rocky Boy, and Big Sandy. They visited with how they can get high-speed Wi-Fi to all the...
It was a terrible weekend for an interview. Rick Darlington was calving, and winter had arrived in full force. Rick has been a cattleman his whole life. So, I knew I was interfering at a terrible time, but as much as he cares about his livestock, he also cares about the county issues that he believes needs addressing. Rick Darlington is a man with few words. So, when I asked him why he was running for County Commissioner, he said, "Roads. Budget. We've lost something of the power in the office...
The medical center recently put out the following news release. “Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is now considered a pandemic and a rapidly evolving situation. It is important that everyone in Big Sandy take the appropriate steps to protect themselves, their loved ones, and the community.” “At this time, the illness ranges from mild to severe symptoms and possible death. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure and include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Older adults and people with severe underlying chronic medical conditions appea...
Taken directly from project summary presented by KLJ The Town of Big Sandy has hired Kadrmas, Lee & Jackson, Inc. (KL&J) to complete this preliminary engineering report (PER) for the storm water system. This Preliminary Engineering Report (PER) documents the study, conclusions, and recommendations for the Town's storm water system facilities. The PER identifies the planning area, evaluates the existing condition and operation of the existing infrastructure, identifies existing problems within...
Big Sandy High School science teacher Melanie Schwartbach wrote, "Congratulations, to Hope Gasvoda for qualifying for the International Science Fair in Anaheim, California." She went on to tell me that Hope did this project entirely on her own. Melanie had a class during the only time that Hope had to work on her project. So, from the beginning to the end and through the creation of her presentation, she did it without any input my her science teacher. The only time that Melanie talked to Hope...
The Big Sandy Booster Club voted to donate a sign to the FE Miley Elementary School. They were given three designs to choose from, and the design with the most votes was ordered and will be put in place on the front of the building before the end of school. (see picture above) There were discussions in many areas, with research still being looked at for each before making any further decisions. The following areas were discussed at length: Pioneer clothing and what should be done or not done at...