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On June 20, Anita Cook will celebrate a remarkable milestone—her 95th birthday. Born and raised in the Big Sandy area, Anita’s life story is woven into the history of the community itself. Through decades of change, she has remained grounded in the values of hard work, family, faith, and service that have long defined rural Montana life. Anita was born at home about 21 miles from Big Sandy to Walter and Elsie Buchholz. The youngest of four daughters, she grew up alongside her sisters Erma, Ber...
By Erik Sietsema The annual Montana Actors Theater (MAT) production in the park and Renaissance Faire is fast approaching. The free faire and production of Shakespeare’s A Comedy of Errors will take place the weekend of June 19–21 at Bear Paw Bowman Campground in Beaver Creek Park. The event will feature vendors, food, a ventriloquist performance, combat games, and other family-friendly activities. Festivities run from 4:30 to 8 p.m. on Friday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, and noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday. The Renaissance faire has been an ann...
By Marla Ray, director The first week of June found Grace Lutheran Church filled with sounds of praise as seventeen youngsters from Preschool age through fourth graders met from 9:00 until 11:30 each morning. The whole area was being mightily blessed with rain, but that did not dampen the spirits of these young explorers. Opening and closing each day with great songs set the mood for realizing that Jesus is with us no matter where we "trek." If we get lost, He will seek and find us. Monday's...
May 4-H Meeting By Ella Chauvet The May Sunshine Snippers 4-H meeting started with our annual trash clean up along Highway 236 from Napa to the Warrick Road turn-off. We put on our gloves and bright orange vests and worked hard cleaning up the roadway. All total, we gathered about 9 big, black garbage bags of litter. Thank you to all the members, leaders and parents who helped keep our town clean! After the cleanup we went back to the Catholic Church for our potluck meeting hosted by the...
BIG SANDY - Academic achievement, leadership, service, and character were on full display Monday, May 17, as the local chapter of the National Honor Society (NHS) hosted its annual induction ceremony, honoring both its current members and welcoming a new group of future leaders. The ceremony marked a significant passing of the torch for the chapter, celebrating the achievements of five current members while officially inducting six new candidates into the prestigious organization: Elaina Weaver, Bailey Heppner, Korbyn Jurenka, Tommy Sant,...
By Your Accidental Journalist For nearly 14 years, Erik Sietsema has been a familiar face in Big Sandy as pastor of the Big Sandy Church of God. What some community members may not realize is that alongside his ministry work, Sietsema has spent years building an entirely different world—one filled with talking animals, fairy-tale kingdoms, daring adventures, and timeless lessons about courage, faith, and friendship. That world has now found its way into print through The Frog Prince A...
Here it is June and our summer is off to a great start. It is time for the Big Sandy Senior Citizens Center to have its Annual Meeting. The Senior Citizens Annual Meeting will be June 17, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. All are welcome. The Senior Citizens Board wants everyone to know that all people are welcome to come have lunch with us weekdays at noon. The meals at the Senior Center are better than home cooked (because you are not doing the cooking) and are only $7.00. During the fall and winter months the Senior Citizens Center hosts pinochle players...
Big Sandy High School students were recognized for their academic achievements, leadership, community involvement, activities, athletics, and scholarships during the annual Awards Banquet. The evening highlighted the work students put in throughout the 2025-26 school year, while also celebrating the generosity of local organizations, families, businesses, and colleges that continue to invest in Big Sandy students. This year’s scholarship list included more than $32,000 in local scholarships and renewals, with additional previously awarded s...
By Lauren Darlington Pioneer Producers hosted our 2nd Annual Year-End BBQ for students and faculty on May 28. As we wrap up the academic year, we want to thank our donors who provided beef for our students all year long. Our farm-to-community program not only provides healthier, locally raised beef to our youth, but it also enriches our community by connecting our schools with local producers and promoting awareness of where food comes from. Through this program, students gain a better...
By Northern Montana Hospital Jean Winchell, RN, is celebrating a momentous milestone this year – 50 years working at Northern Montana Hospital. Winchell said in an interview that the five decades she has worked in health care has seen a lot of changes, and she has made many friends in co-workers and patients. “Your co-workers become your family, your work family,” Winchell said. She said she also attends the Oldies Luncheon that is held every couple of months. “Anybody that used to work here is...
HELENA, Mont.—Superintendent Susie Hedalen is pleased to announce the launch of Montana’s 2026 Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), ensuring children and teens across the state have access to healthy, nutritious meals throughout the summer months. Sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the program provides free meals to all individuals 18 years old and younger, helping support student wellness and encourage healthy eating habits while school is out of session. “Ou...
As Chouteau County voters prepare to cast their ballots in the upcoming sheriff’s election, The Mountaineer invited both candidates to answer a series of questions regarding their experience, leadership philosophy, public safety priorities, and vision for the future of the Chouteau County Sheriff’s Office. The candidates were asked identical questions covering topics including rural law enforcement challenges, emergency response, community outreach, recruitment and retention, and acc...
By Erik Sietsema Dust storms swept through the Big Sandy area last Wednesday, creating conditions that vaguely resembled a blizzard for those unlucky enough to be caught out on the highway, piling up “sand dunes” along the edges of fields on the prairie west of town, and knocking out power for the community for several hours. The storm itself was the byproduct of a perfect mix of drought conditions and a severe thunderstorm passing through the area. The result was a dust storm that echoed the 1934 storm, dubbed “The Black Blizzard” by the Mou...
From BSMS Foundation Big Sandy Medical Services Foundation Board of Directors held their spring meeting at BSMC on Tuesday, May 12. President Shane Ophus presented checks totaling $30,000 to Interim CEO Carissa Bergren. The funds will go towards the maintenance and upgrade projects for the residents of BSMC. The BSMS Foundation thanks all who so generously donated in response to the fall fundraising letter. It is the mission of the Foundation to ensure Big Sandy Medical Center remains a vital...
By Erik Sietsema The Big Sandy High School music program closed out the 2025–2026 school year with a string of accolades from district and state festivals, capped by local concerts that showcased a growing pool of young talent. District and state festivals — the music program’s equivalent of competitions — bookend every school year, and Big Sandy had a particularly strong showing this time around, with students earning high scores at every level. The community concerts that followed made it...
A Letter of Thanks and Appreciation from the Big Sandy School District to our Community The Big Sandy School District owes our community and its voters and taxpayers a debt of thanks and sincere appreciation for the support that the school district and its staff and students received in the recent election. We are fortunate to have earned your continued support, and we realize how crucial that support is to our school district and its programs and the opportunities that we provide students....
Expectant mothers and young families took advantage of a wealth of information April 24 at Havre’s Holiday Village Mall during Northern Montana Health Care’s third annual Community Baby Shower. Local, regional, and statewide organizations and businesses were at the mall to show new and expectant parents what is available to them to help support their parenting journey. The shower included raffles, free gifts, and a chance to connect to other parents and expectant families, as well as local ser...
The Big Sandy Gun Club held its first trap and skeet shooting event of the year on Monday evening, April 20. Every summer, the Gun Club hosts weekly clay shooting get-togethers on Monday nights, generally drawing between 5 and 20 attendees, largely from Havre. The first shoot of 2026 drew a handful of participants, as many of the regulars had prior commitments. Attendance typically increases as hobbyists work the event back into their weekly summer schedules. Monday night trap shoots start at 5 p.m. and cost $5 to participate, which covers the...
From Northern Montana Health Care Northern Montana Health Care (NMHC) is proud to welcome a new provider to the Northern Montana Sletten Cancer Center, marking the first time in over two years the center has had a permanent, on-site physician dedicated to serving patients in our community. Dr. Thomas “Tom” J. Reid III, MD, PhD, FACP, brings extensive experience to the Hi-Line, strengthening our commitment to providing high quality cancer care close to home. Dr. Reid said he is excited for the...
Residents of Big Sandy may soon notice stronger cell service and more reliable emergency communication, as plans move forward for the installation of a new cell tower just outside of town. According to a member of the Big Sandy Town Council, the project began when Verizon approached the city with a proposal to construct a tower to address ongoing service issues in the area. Poor reception has long been a frustration for residents, and the council saw the proposal as an opportunity to make a...
As the ballots for the May 5 school elections are mailed this week, election officials are reminding voters that they must write their birth year and signature on their mail ballot envelope before mailing it or returning it to their elections office. Failure to provide either detail will result in the rejection of the ballot. The birth year requirement is a result of House Bill 719, passed by the 2025 Legislature, which took effect on October 1, 2025. For mail-in elections and absentee voters, the return envelope features two red arrows...
Ag leaders and community members celebrated local agriculture and innovation during the grand opening of Montana Safflower Monday in Great Falls. Montana Safflower uses Montana-grown safflower to create a new market for a drought-resistant crop for Montana farmers and craft unmatched oil in small batches, cold-pressed for flavor and nutrition. “Montana farmers are struggling to find a crop to grow that doesn’t lose them money. Safflower can be that crop. Safflower has a deep tap root that can...
On the 4th of April 2026 at about 6:40pm Detention Officers responded to a medical incident within our Detention Facility. Staff evaluated and rendered aid to the 76 year old male, Marvin Brodock. EMS arrived and it was determined that Mr. Brodock was deceased. The scene was secured and investigative agencies were requested, which is standard procedure in deaths that occur in a jail. Cascade County Coroner’s Office and Montana Division of Criminal Investigation will release any further information on this matter once the investigation is c...
Recently, Fort Benton community members connected with lawmakers and learned advocacy skills during a Legislative Advocacy Training for Farmers and Ranchers workshop hosted by Montana Farmers Union. At this free, public event, attendees learned how to use the Montana legislative website to connect with legislators in their region and how to join active sessions through the website. Attendees also practiced calling their legislators and writing letters to the editor and connected with local...