Montana tales and trails: life in winter

When the temperature reaches far below zero, we often think of the outside as the dead zone.

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Deceptive politics and representation

GMA (Growth Management), VSP (Voluntary Stewardship Program) and other environmental regulation, as well as the Transgender policies and Same-sex marriage policies are all being forced upon society by a few instiga…

Notes from Helena

Starting Week 3 of Montana’s 65th legislature, and I have been busy. I serve on House Appropriations Committee where the two year budget for all state spending is put together. Due in part to lower incoming revenue…

The difference between health care, insurance

Merriam-Webster defines health care as “efforts made to maintain or restore health especially by trained and licensed professionals” and defines health insurance as “insurance against loss through illness of the in…

The Authoritarian regime could imperil the United States

President-Elect Trump is setting the stage for a rocky Presidency filled with conflict, bickering, turmoil, miscalculations, and potential diplomatic and military confrontations.

Save Montana highway jobs

Shortly before Christmas, men and women across Montana were notified that the road construction projects they were depending on to put presents under the tree this year would be canceled. The jobs they were dependi…

Letter from Steve Gunderson

Jan. 2 marked the first week of the 2017 Legislative Session, the 65th to be exact, and I’m honored to have the opportunity to participate.

Henry Kissinger gives CBS a shock

John Dickerson must have been shocked when interviewing Henry Kissinger for “Face The Nation.” Fully expecting the famous senior statesman to excoriate President-elect Trump for his petulance and lack of experience…

Honor heroes on Marin Luther King Jr. Day

We all need heroes — people with the courage to stand in their power without cowering before threatened violence, embarrassment or financial damage. People whose ideals are their motivating force in spite of the od…

Thank you Libby volunteers

I retired from the Operating Engineers after 34 years and prior to that I was in the Labor’s Union for eight years as a concrete placing foreman. The various crafts all have apprentice programs. We built defense pl…

Federal regulator halts move to toughen radiation exposure limits

Work has been halted on two rulemaking projects that would have reduced the amount of radiation the government permits workers and the public to be exposed to without their consent. The improved limits would have b…

New science contradicts EPA, but the asbestos isn't gone

Excellent. The article presented by The Western News “Asbestos and pre 1990 adolescent exposure” combined with two papers, one referenced therein, “The pre adult latency study” Szelnuk et al 2016 and the paper prec…

Pain management: this goes beyond the physical

When the word pain is mentioned, most of us think of something physical: shoulder pain, hip pain, headaches, back pain, fibromyalgia, etc… While these types of pain are certainly valid and should be addressed, ther…

Remain vigilant against neo-Nazis

The recent threat of neo-Nazi political activities in Whitefish has horrified Montanans, and rightly so. I am proud of our state for coming together, having each other’s backs and rejecting this proliferation of ha…