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One of the hardest things to think about having to do is making the decision of what to do when a loved one has a terminal condition. Or perhaps you have been in the position of having made the decision in the past. You know the reality of how difficult the decision is to make but also wonder if it was the right decision and was it was your loved one would have wanted. Under the Montana Rights of the Terminally Ill Act, Montanans have the right to complete a declaration, another name for advanced directives or living will. This allows an indivi...
HAVRE – Bear Paw Development Corporation is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and, as part of the celebration, is sponsoring a free concert for area residents. On Thursday, June 13th, the band The Mighty Flick will perform in the outdoor amphitheater behind Pershing Hall on the MSU-Northern campus. The band will perform at 6:00PM and will play three 70-minute sets with 15 minute breaks in between. The Mighty Flick is comprised of band members Stacy Olson of Belgrade and Brij Coleman and Luke Duran, both of Helena. “To celebrate fiv...

Big Sandy pulls out all the stops to celebrate Memorial Day....
Alan Merrill, President of Montana Farmers Union, looks at the future of agriculture after talking to bank presidents, who asked to not be acknowledge admitted the future of agriculture doesn’t look promising. Alan remembered the 1970s and the 1980s and comparing them to the current farm economics. “I will try not to be negative, although it is difficult not to be. Comparing then and now makes it difficult to stay positive.” “I started full time farming in 1975 after I graduated. I decided to take a break from school and delayed getting...

Memorial Day Weekend will also be a celebration for the Virgelle Mercantile as it will be 40 years since he first opened the doors. Don told me he remembers his first customers Ruth and Angus Merrill and myself. He even remembered what we bought. While driving to Virgelle I thought of the history I had found on their web site. The town and the Mercantile were "founded in 1912 by Virgil and Ella Blankenbaker along the tracks of the Great Northern Railroad near Coal Banks Landing on the Upper...

Every school year ends on the FE Miley Extravaganza event. This year on May 23rd. Every class does something special to invite the public in to see what the teacher and the students are doing. This year was especially awarding. Every student prepared something for the public. I'll be choosing one in each class to highlight, although everyone should be recognized. Samantha Weaver, the Kindergarten teacher, prepared a Tour Through the Kindergarten National Park. As you walked into the room you...
MSU Central Agricultural Research Center (CARC) and MSU Extension will be hosting a field day on the Highwood Bench on Wednesday, June 26, from 10:00 a.m. to noon. The field day will take place approximately one mile east of the Long farm on 1221 Shonkin Road. Dr. Luther Talbert (MSU Spring Wheat Breeder) will cover spring wheat varieties at the test plot, and provide producers with an update of his spring wheat breeding program. Joe Jensen (MSU Graduate Student under Jamie Sherman) will cover barley varieties and share acidic soil research...
The Big Sandy School board hired a coach for every sport for the 2019-2020 school year. There was only one applicant per coaching post for each sport. Those coaching will be Thomas Dilworth, Pioneer Boys’ Basketball, Pete Jerrel will be coaching Pioneer Girls’ Basketball, Larry Jappe will be Head Coach for the Pioneer’s Football team, Melanie Schwarzbach will once again be the Pioneer Head Track Coach, Tyler Taylor will coach Pioneer wrestling and Head Coach for the Pioneer Volleyball Team is once again Shersteen Cline. The school board also...

Jim Dumas and The Big Sandy Meat Shop has won two state awards for his beef products. The 2019 Cured Meat championship/Grand Champion for his Fresh Cased Sausage and Blue Ribbon Cheddar Brats. He also took the 2019 Cured Meat Championship Reserve Grand Champion Whole Muscle Jerky. The top six were all within one point of each other. Out of a thousand points Jim got 994, so only six points from perfect. Jim is most proud of this Reserve Champion because there was so many in the category. Jim...

Every year the Big Sandy Masons give away bikes in their Bikes for Books Program. It is a Nation-wide program that is considered one of their most successful program encouraging students to read. This year they gave away three bikes in Big Sandy alone. Students in grades 3rd, 4th, and 5th could participate in the program simply by reading a book. Every time a student read a book he/she would get a ticket and put it in the can so the lucky winners name could be drawn. So, even if they only read...
In 2016, Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) reported one in six Montanan adults provided unpaid care or assistance to a friend or family member with a health problem or disability within the past 30 days. You may be a caregiver yourself or know others who have been, are currently or will end up becoming a caregiver at some point in their life. People who provide unpaid care for an elderly, ill or a disabled family member or friend in their home are called informal caregivers. Nearly half of informal caregivers...
Spending time outdoors around water and in swimming pools is a great way to stay active and healthy during the summer season in Montana. The Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS), along with local health authorities, want to remind Montanans to stay safe while having fun in the water this summer, and to be aware of the related health and safety risks. Over the past 10 years, there have been an average of 20 unintentional drowning deaths per year in Montana. Almost 50% of the drownings occurred in natural water, while others occ...

Graduation is always a wonderful time of celebration. Families come from every direction, mother's cry, memory booths for each graduate surround the walls of the gym, and of course the Pomp and Circumstance grand march. Speeches were given by Jaylyn Cline, Valedictorian, and Georgia Wortman, Salutatorian. Georgia Wortman mentioned the class has so many opportunities in the future. She gave parents, teachers, and her class mates praise and thank you's. She ended with a FFA quote "As we mingle...

My father, David J Clowes, died in 2016 at the age of 85. He did not die in the Korean War. He served as a gunner's mate on the USS Walton, serving in the Formosa Sea during the Korean War. He would often tell stories about his buddies or tell stories that were funny. One time when he had KP duty they had made a huge pot of stew. He had to carry it down below the kitchen to the Mess Deck where the sailors all waited to chew down. He had to maneuver a ladder going down and just when he started...

Editor's Note: We will be profiling 3 seniors. Here is the first. "You are at the end of your senior year." Grace Finke is the only child of Linda and Fred Finke and according to them she has always wanted to go to school, except starting this January she's been ready to move on. When asked what the highlights were of her 12 years of school here she said, "I think spending time together as a community would be the highlight. Attending football games and basketball games which really brought the...
EPA Orders Measures to Protect Paraquat Applicators and the Public Due to increased human health concerns, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its final decision regarding pesticide products containing the herbicide active ingredient, paraquat. In summary, EPA has ordered the following measures to adequately protect applicators and the public: 1. Label changes emphasizing para...
Food Nutrition Facts Label Reading food labels is essential to making healthy food choices. It is common to think we know what the nutritional content and ingredients are but when you take a look at the label, you may be shocked at what you discover. At the top of the nutrition facts label, you will find the serving size. Many times, it is surprising to find out the serving size is less than we typically end up eating or drinking. Thus, we end up consuming more than one serving and also increasing the amount of calories and other less...

Chouteau County Cancer Support Group is made up of cancer survivors and Trish Eklunds, from Geraldine, who was a hospice social worker. It was formed 19 years ago. They have a board comprised of six people that meet once a month. According to Trish they try to have other activity, presentation or education opportunities around the county. They recently meet with Rotary in Big Sandy to make connections with the Big Sandy community. The three ladies presenting were cancer survivors and there was...
For Immediate Release HELENA — A program to offer student debt assistance to young farmers and ranchers in Montana was signed into law on Friday, May 10, and will encourage young people to pursue a career in agriculture, Montana’s leading industry. Governor Steve Bullock signed HB 431, which will create a student loan debt assistance program to aid young farmers and ranchers in paying off up to 50 percent of their student loans when they commit to at least 5 years of farming or ranching. Students must have graduated from a Montana Uni...

Mother's Day includes, spraying, working the fields, and grabbing quick hugs, and celebrating out rural way of life....
When you think of Mother’s Day and what you do for Mother’s Day it usually doesn’t included tractor work. Driving long hours trying to get caught up with the spring’s late start. You think of flowers and homemade cards. It doesn’t matter how old we are, or if our mother has been gone a long time, we think of our mother and wish our best friend was still present. But rural life sometimes just means special days, even Mother’s Day, is placed on hold. There is no other holiday more emotional as Mother’s Day because a mother’s heart is so imp...

The Big Sandy High School awards assembly was held on May 7. A large potluck was set up on three table, and it was almost all eaten by the end of the night. Years ago, when my own children went to Big Sandy High School there was award banquets all through-out the year, celebrating each sport season. Now they holdit on one night and all awards and scholarships are presented. The evening started with Jessica Jaramillo, BSHS art teacher, presenting the new members of the National Honor Society...

The senior class is on their Senior Trip, their last class trip. They flew to Los Angles. Those class trips start young in Big Sandy. On May 2nd, Kindergarten teacher Samantha Weaver informed me the "Kindergarten through 3rd grade attended a field trip to Fort Benton. K-3 were guided through the Interpretative Center. They saw very interesting animal mounts and learned pioneer period history. The students participated in a discussion on animal furs and skulls. Students in 2nd and 3rd also toured...
Sudangrass is a viable forage alternative for Chouteau County Sudangrass is a good haying and grazing alternative for Chouteau County livestock producers. Sudangrass can be seeded and harvested with conventional equipment in normal crop rotations. Secondly, working with a warm season crop helps distribute the farming workload because seeding takes place in late May or early June. Lastly, later seeding results in effective weed and disease management. Sudangrass must be seeded after soil temperatures are consistently above 60 degrees...
In January 2019, the Big Sandy FFA Alumni was chartered with 10 founding members. This organization is meant to support the local Big Sandy High School FFA Chapter. It is open to anyone who wishes to support this worthwhile organization; NOT just for FFA Alumni. In fact, two of the executive board members are not FFA Alumni. Those officers include; Mark Gasvoda, President; Jon Sheehy, Vice President; Kristie Rutledge, Secretary; and Mary Ophus Treasurer. The annual fees are $10 per person. High School graduates who participated in FFA that...