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The very first Thanksgiving was held after life had been so difficult the year before. Thanksgiving is a time to strengthen our attitudes, or maybe alter our emotions. We can finds ways to be thankful even during extremely difficult times. It was 1609, and on the coast of Massachusetts was a native tribe called the Patuxets. In that tribe, there was a boy about 12 years old called Tisquantum, or Squanto. A big ship of men from a different world sailed into the bay. Squanto and his friends didn’t fear them, so they ran to see who they were. At f...
For 7 years, my husband worked away from home in road construction: Sunday afternoon through Friday evening, from April to November, he was gone. It was an adjustment when he left for a job and an equally big adjustment when he returned, but it was doable for us, until we had our second child. Once we had two, I discovered how much I wanted a partner in raising our kids. Last year, we put a double wide out on the family farm and moved out to the farm. I never specifically wanted to be a “farmer’s wife” and it has not all been roses, but here ar...
Think Twice About Spreading Manure on Your Garden During my tenure as your Agricultural Extension Agent, I have observed five gardens in Chouteau County where gardens produced no vegetables. Plants that did emerge were stunted and did not produce. The cause of these devastated gardens is usually one of two things. Either pesticide contaminated manure has been applied to the garden, or too much manure has been added to the garden. One issue that can result from a manure application is pesticide contamination. Do not use manure from animals that...
Wreaths across America’s mission is to “Remember the fallen. Honor those who serve. Teach the next generation the value of freedom. Our volunteers are the beating heart of the program and work year-around to share this important mission and inspire others to join.” “Morrill Worcester, owner of Worcester Wreath Company of Harrington, Maine, was a 12-year old paper boy when he won a trip to Washington D.C. It was his first to our nation’s capital and one that would change the trajectory of his life and the lives of millions of others across th...
Blaine Ophus is the newest member of the Big Sandy City Council. He took Danielle Weaver's place when she resigned from the council in August. "It was probably a month and a half into taking a seat on the city council that I became a member of the Unified Dump Committee." Big Sandy is the only town in Chouteau County that is part of the Unified Dump Committee. It is an extension of Hill County but not owned by Hill County. It is important to realize that anyone who has paid the necessary fee to...
In late October, a team of 6 recent high school graduates set sail for adventure on the Missouri River in a boat they designed and constructed themselves. The Boys with a Bus' Instagram account documenting their 5-day journey and other adventures has attracted the attention of over 2.4 million followers on Instagram. Their vessel didn't resemble the barges Louis and Clark used to travel the Missouri River or the raft Huckleberry Finn and Jim used to travel the Mississippi. It's safe to say...
Christmas Tree Care There are many recommendations online for Christmas tree care that promote longevity. In truth, all a tree really needs to maintain freshness is adequate water. Longevity is easily achieved by using the proper tree stand and keeping the water level in the stand above the base of the tree. The following research-based recommendations will help to maintain the freshness and aroma of a live Christmas tree this holiday season. Use a tree stand that holds enough water for the size of the tree. The rule of thumb is one quart of...
This year's Veteran Program at the high school was a little different. They usually have a speaker. However, this year's speaker was an essay written by Walter Heimbigner and read by Tucker Taylor. Walter won 2nd place in the state with this essay. "I believe freedom is the ability to live in a country where I may think and act independently. I thank God for the men and women whose service to our country has allowed me to be free in this country. Freedom can also mean having the opportunity to...
Thank you, Veterans. Those who have never served don't fully comprehend the sacrifices made to serve our country in the armed services. But it is crucial to try to understand! They deserve that much. I tried to get a more accurate account, but it's unavailable. "As of 30 September 2023, there are approximately 85,000 veterans in the state of Montana. Of the 85,000 veterans, approximately 75,800 veterans are male, and 9,200 are female. More than 89% of the veterans in the state of Montana are...
Grain Storage Inspections Should Begin Close to Thanksgiving Inspecting grain bins for pests on or before Thanksgiving is a great rule of thumb for Chouteau County producers. The Lesser grain borer Rhyzopertha dominica is one of the most injurious beetles known to attack stored grain. The Lesser grain borer belongs to the Bostrichidae family of beetles, which are mostly wood boring insects. R. dominica causes major physical and off-odor damage to grain in storage. Identifying Characteristics: Adults are dark reddish-brown to black in color, and...
Hello Friends, In our previous article we described exploring a hemp crop's ability to reclaim saline seeps in the region. The article made references to an aerial photo of the seep, however the photo wasn't able to be printed in The Mountaineer that week. We think the picture gives a little more life to the story. So this week, we are posting that photo here with excerpts from the article that referred to the photo. Look out for more news from the Institute coming soon! Your friends, Bob,...
In last week’s presidential election, 2,988 of the 3,751 registered voters in Chouteau County cast their votes. That’s 80% of the registered voters in the county! The Big Sandy Medical Center Board of Directors would love to see an 80% voter response rate at this year’s annual meeting too! BSMC is a community owned hospital, so the community gets a say in who is on the Board. You have an opportunity to again, cast your vote, and let your voice be heard. To be allowed to vote, one must be a resident of Montana and a tax payer of the Chout...
By LeaAnn Williams The Big Sandy Christmas Stroll will be on the weekend of December 7th this year. We have a full roster of activities, including Breakfast with Santa and his Elves, the Vendor & Craft Show, Parade, Button Drawing, and, of course, visits from Anna, Olaf, and the Grinch. Main Street should be bustling this year with all the local shops open and all the activities planned. The Theme for the Stroll this year is “Farmhouse Christmas.” Every year, we pick a new theme for the stroll, and we are always so excited to see what our loc...
Last week was a big week for Eva Yeadon and the MSU-Northern Skylights. Although Eva had other opportunities, she chose to sign a letter of intent to play for Northern. The press release from MSU-Northern Sports Information: "Montana State University-Northern women's basketball coach Chris Mouat has announced the signing of Eva Yeadon to join the program next fall. Yeadon, a 5'8" guard from Big Sandy, helped lead the Pioneers to their first state tournament appearance since 2009 last season....
The youth groups at Christ Lutheran Church and Big Sandy Church of God held their annual trick-or-treat food drive to benefit the Big Sandy Food Bank last Wednesday, October 30th. Organizers described the event as very successful, with students collecting around 1,000 non-perishable food items through the course of the evening. The food drive has historically been run as a friendly competition between the two church youth programs; Ultimately, Christ Lutheran squeaked out a tight victory with 6...
Estimating Hay Needs The following article was written by Mark Z. Johnson, Oklahoma State University Extension Beef Cattle Breeding Specialist. The article addresses some basic rules of thumb to follow when determining the hay supplies ranchers will need to sustain the cow herd over the next few months. 1. Determine your average mature cow size. This can be done by weighing your 4 – 7 year old cows and calculating the average weight. From mature cow size, approximate the amount of forage dry matter cows needed to consume per year or per day. F...
The Annual Board Meeting is slated for December 19 at 6:00 pm, at the Big Sandy Medical Center. You are invited to attend and explore the newly remodelled dining room, enjoy a warm meal, and be entered in for door prizes. While there is a Board meeting every month, the annual meeting functions a little differently. In this meeting, new members are elected, by-laws and policies are reviewed and the financial audit is explored. There will also be a “Year in Review” presentation to see all of the wonderful updates and changes that have been mad...
In September, we were busy preparing for our first bingo night in May. The school was in full swing, the weather was more tolerable, and we were planning menus for fall and winter while attending meetings to prepare for the 2024 Christmas stroll. Bingo night was fantastic despite all the other activities going on in town. We had a lively crowd and multiple bingo winners. Carol called the numbers, Rosella helped sell bingo cards, and Robin managed the food orders. We had local attendees as well as a few from Fort Benton; it’s always a p...
According to KFF, a nonprofit health policy research, polling, and news organization, Montanans have a higher rate of anxiety and depressive disorders than the natational average. If that is not concerning enough, Montana is also listed as a mental health care shortage area. To do our part to bridge the gap for some of the 27,000 people served by the Big Sandy Clinic every year, an Integrated Behavioral Health (IBH) Program will be launched at the BSMC Rural Health Clinic. With the help of a $125,000 2-year grant awarded from the Montana...
This week is Red Ribbon Week. Dianna Keane, LCC Big Sandy Public Schools K-12 School Counselor, sent me the following information. Everyone should consider what they are learning at school. It’s important for our physical and mental health to embrace the information given here. The Chouteau County Health Department donated most of the school’s giveaways this year. We should thank them when we get a chance. Similar training will occur at both the High School and the FE Miley. At the high school, each morning during the first period, the Cou...
CBS correspondent Janet Shamlian interviewed me, asking me if Big Sandy has changed because Montana is getting so many out-of-staters moving into our state. Shamlian said, "I am a correspondent for CBS News, the network out of New York, but I'm actually based out of Houston. I travel the country doing stories. She worked for NBC at one point in time. "I used to be with NBC for about 12 years before I made the move to the Tiffany Network, also known as CBS, and I worked in local news for many,...
The Big Sandy Last Best Ruck Club of Big Sandy held their first official "ruck" to qualify for membership in the national Go Ruck organization. Rucking is simply walking with a weighted backpack. The exercise routine is based on military workouts and is a simple, low impact workout that the Go Ruck website describes as activity that "humans are naturally good at." The fledgling club's first official foray into qualifying for membership was held on Sunday afternoon, October 27th. What was slated...
Lawn and Garden Advice for November Managing horticultural landscapes and house plants in November is important for healthy production during the growing season. Below are a few recommendations for Chouteau County gardeners. • Apply protective mulches to perennial beds. • Use a humidifier to maintain humidity for houseplants. • Prune out dead limbs of woody ornamentals. • Do not fertilize or transplant anything after Columbus Day. • Continue to water landscape plantings (trees, shrubs, and perennials) until the soil freezes. • Apply winte...
On October 15th to 17th, INDHemp in Fort Benton sponsored their “Goodness of Hemp” Summit at the Heritage Inn in Great Falls. We, at the Quinn Institute (QI), were invited to prepare a poster board to showcase our hemp research project, which we launched this season in collaboration with INDHemp and the Montana Salinity Control Association (MSCA). The conference covered a lot of ground, from exciting new hemp products (like hemp work shirts soon to be in North 40) and construction materials to market opportunities, funding, growing tips, new...
Board of Trustees Meeting Held on October 15th, 2024 Held in the Big Sandy High School Computer Lab This meeting has been recorded and will be available on the school website Trustees in attendance: Chairperson Brad Weaver, Vice Chairperson Jessica Sheehy, Amanda Hoffman, Matt Myers, Kyle Danreuther Staff in attendance: Superintendent Dan Schrock, Principal Heather Wolery, District Clerk Mary Merrill Guests in Attendance: Yes. 1. Call to order made by Chairperson Weaver at 7:03pm. 2. Pledge of Allegiance recited by all in attendance. 3. Public...
