We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
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Driven by supply chain disruptions, rising fuel prices, and increases in production costs—whether with labor or energy, the trend towards escalating costs inevitably affects every business and every individual. Given those conditions, as well as rising costs in postage, the price of The Blaine County Journal—News—Opinion and the Havre Weekly Record is due to go up on May 1. An issue of the newspaper will increase from the current price of $1.00 to $1.50. Keri Hanson, Co-Owner of the two publications, explains: “When we purchased the paper i...
People across the globe celebrated Earth Day 2026 on Wednesday, April 22. With the theme "Our Power, Our Planet," the celebration marked the 56th anniversary of the environmental movement. In the spirit of responsible stewardship, the students at Zurich Elementary School gathered for their Fifth Annual Community Clean-up. As explained by current Sixth-Eighth Grade Teacher, Mrs. Brooke Pruttis, the litter collection day is a tradition. "We started cleaning Park Road from the school to the dump...
Local community members were encouraged last week to support Carson Kelly as a finalist in the Reach Higher Montana Sticker Design Contest. With that intention in mind, several residents visited the Reach Higher Montana website to vote for Kelly’s sticker, an art piece entitled “Strive to Create.” In speaking about the contest, Kelly explains what prompted him to enter: “At the beginning of March, I found out that Reach Higher Montana was hosting their annual design-a-sticker competition. To be honest, anytime anything in my life has the wor...
Although most FFA Chapters across the country observe National FFA Week during the last week of February, the Chinook FFA usually waits until May to implement their activities. This year, FFA Week in Chinook will be May 4-7. As explained by FFA Advisor Mitzi Cecrle, this change is mainly due to inclement weather conditions typical for February and the time of season. "It has been written in our POA from past years to make this change," she explained. Monday will be celebrated by wearing the FFA...
While attending the State FFA Convention in early April, the Chinook Chapter of the FFA learned that two of their members had joined the ranks of proficiency award winners. A senior at Chinook High School, Falyn Cecrle earned a gold proficiency in beef production, and sophomore Bryce Elliot won a silver in forage production. These awards provide recognition to members who are exploring and becoming established in agricultural career pathways. To win her Gold Proficiency Award in beef...
During Meadowlark Elementary School's March Awards Assembly, in addition to their regularly scheduled monthly honors, Seed Show art winners were announced and presented with their prizes. Elementary Music and Art Teacher, Mrs. Amy Spence delivered some student art work to the Seed Show, and those who earned ribbons received them during the assembly on March 26. Kindergarteners receiving ribbons were Taelynn Thompson, Raija Weinheimer, Harper Crane, Quinn Fetter, and Brixlee Hammond. From the...
On April 2, the KRTV television station carried a news report about the 96th Annual Montana FFA State Convention being held in Great Falls, Montana. During that 5:30 p.m. broadcast, the Chinook FFA's Hall of Chapters entry was featured. While it didn't rank in one of the top three places at State Convention, thereby enabling it to advance for competition at National Convention, the exhibit did win newsworthy status. According to Chinook FFA Advisor Mrs. Mizti Cecrle, although FFA Chapters...
For anyone who missed opening night on April 16, Montana Actors’ Theatre (MAT) will have three more showings of The Government Inspector by Nikoli Gogol, translated by Mattius Rischard. The script unveils a “sharp, fast-paced satire that thrives on excess, including larger-than-life personalities and absurd misunderstandings.” Presented by Bear Paw Mountain Outfitters, evening shows will resume at 7:30 on April 23-25. In this locally translated adaptation, the spirit of Gogol’s original Russian text is preserved while the language, lighting, co...
On Sunday, April 12, the Chinook FFA held its biennial Donkey Basketball fundraiser. This year's competition featured four teams with the Blaine County Sheriff's Deputies eventually taking the crown as the 2026 Chinook Donkey Basketball Champions. Travelling from Entiat, Washington, Donkey Sports furnished referees, game equipment, animals wearing rubber shoes, and helmets for the protection of the players during the fundraiser. The Chinook FFA rounded up players to form four teams: Sheriff's...
With the arrival of March, the school year's third quarter winds down and spring fever begins to heat up. Given those conditions, this round of monthly award winners might be considered a group that managed to rein in their energy in such a way that they channeled 'rowdy' into enthusiasm, determination, and positivity. On Thursday, March 26, Meadowlark Elementary School held an awards assembly to recognize that vivacious group. Among the awards presented were a Recess Award, a Mountain Mover...
As we continue to celebrate talent from the 75th Annual Montana Seed Show held last month, Harlem High School Art Teacher, Mary-Kate Nienhuis-French shared the names of several artists who walked away as winners. The students' art was organized and presented at the Seed Show by the Harlem High School Art Club with Nienhuis-French as their advisor. The big winner was Harlem High School freshman, Naeleigh Main, who scored status as Best of Show overall for the Junior High/High School Division....
Havre Trails hosted a Pray for Sun Pint Night at Triple Dog Brewery on Thursday, April 16 from 4:00-8:00 p.m. The purpose of the event was to outline upcoming trail projects and community hike events. Those who gathered had been invited to wear their best Hawaiian/beach clothes and head down to Triple Dog to pray for sun. There, they learned about the tentative hike schedule. First on the calendar is a stargazing event slated for late April/early May at Second Lake in the Bears Paw Mountains....
With a team name like the Tornadoes, what else would their boosters be called if not the Storm Chasers? And in that spirit of the whirlwind, a group of community members, supported in part by Booster Club dollars, have undertaken the project of updating the track. Because of generous monetary donations and many hours of volunteer time, the Tornados will soon have an actual track instead of prairie grass on which the athletes can run, compete, and perform. On Monday, March 30, Miller Trucking...
On April 7, the Havre Elks Lodge #1201 announced the winners of their 2026 Most Valuable Students (MVS) Scholarships. Two of the recipients are from Blaine County: Carter Rayburn of Chinook and Bridget Reed of Turner. To win the scholarship, Reed and Rayburn were judged on scholarship, leadership, and financial need. As part of the application process, the candidates wrote about leadership, how they developed that leadership and how they are currently applying the skill. Rayburn's essay...
Over 1600 FFA members and guests gathered in the Pacific Steel and Recycling Arena at Montana Expo Park in Great Falls, Montana, on the Opening Session of the 96th Annual Montana FFA State Convention and Career/Trade Show. Both the Chinook FFA and the Turner FFA travelled to the Convention, which was held March 31-April 4. While in Great Falls, the two Chapters had the opportunity to tour the Montana Air National Guard base, the Wilcox Egg Packing Plant, the Montana Shed Center, and the...
On April 1, for the first time since 1972, NASA launched a rocket to the Moon, although there is no plan to land on the lunar surface. No, that's not an April Fool's joke. With its crew of four astronauts on board, Artemis II lifted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida at approximately 4:30 p.m. Mountain Time to test human deep space capabilities. NASA's Artemis II test flight will take Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist Christina Koch from NASA, and Mission...
Nearly one hundred people gathered at the Chinook Senior Center on Friday, March 27 to join the group of seniors celebrating their birthdays that month. According to Director Ginger Hansen, counting the meals delivered, the Center prepared for over one hundred diners that day, given the popularity of the menu. In the south-east corner, a pastel archway shaped by muted pink and sage green balloons and a gossamer-looking backdrop provided a stage for Elaine Campbell, Roger Fischer, and Brad...
The word "prom" often brings to mind elegance, celebration, and the exchange of corsages and boutonnieres. In the context of high school, prom is about getting all glammed up, taking photos, dancing, and making memories while surrounded by friends and classmates. On Saturday, March 28, the annual prom took place at Chinook High School's Floyd Bowen Gymnasium with Grand March beginning at 7:30 p.m. In Chinook, the prom is traditionally hosted by the juniors, and this year's Class of 2027...
Because absentee ballots will be mailed to voters on May 8, the Blaine County Election Office wishes to remind voters about the regulations of House Bill 719 (HB 719). The legislation requires the elector to provide his/her date of birth on the signature envelope. The year of birth box will also appear on the envelopes for the upcoming school election. Those ballots will go out on April 15, During the 69th Legislative Session in 2025, HB 719 revised voting laws related to an elector’s date of birth. The text of the new law reads, HB 719 is ...
After April 2, Keith and Keri Hanson, Editors and Owners of the Blaine County Journal-News-Opinion, will be acquiring the mailing list of subscribers for the Havre Weekly Chronicle-formerly the Havre Daily News-as that newspaper will cease operations. Mullen Newspaper Company owner, Jesse Mullen announced that he would be informing his staff about the decision by the end of March. Founder of the Mullen Newspaper Company in 2018, Mullen has worked with publications across the U.S. in various...
With the arrival of the 2026-2027 school year, the Chinook School District will welcome Mr. Brian Rayburn, who will return in a new capacity wearing two hats instead of one. During their March meeting, the Chinook Board of Trustees hired Rayburn to perform in a combined role as principal/superintendent. Working in such a role will not be the first for Rayburn, who has previously served as a Superintendent/Principal in Montana for seven years in the community of Lima for a K-12 school....
On Wednesday, March 18, the Chinook Chapter of the FFA was invited by the Havre FFA to join them in a Leadership Workshop hosted by this year's National FFA Central Region Vice President, Claire Woeppel from Nebraska. In an interactive program that lasted roughly two hours, Woeppel spoke on the topic of "Knowing Your Cup." Metaphorically, the cup represents one's personal energy supply and illustrates how each of us is filled with a unique purpose and poured out with intention. Woeppel...
On Monday, March 16, several members of the Chinook Junior High band participated in a concert hosted by Havre Middle School (HMS). After a period of rehearsal and preparation, the musicians performed for the public at 6:30 p.m. in the HMS Gymnasium. Besides representation from Chinook and Havre, other participants included students from the Box Elder, Big Sandy, CJI, and Harlem communities. Under the direction of Guest Conductor Mr. Jacob Bradshaw, the mass of middle school musicians performed...
March Madness may in many minds reference the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournaments, also branded as The Big Dance, but Blaine County teachers might say the term also identifies a version of competitions, activities, and unmatched spring fever as students and teachers alike approach the fourth quarter of the school year. One of those competitions took place on March 25 at Glasgow High School. Nine students from Chinook participated in the High School Academic Olympics. As a team, they...
When March comes to Montana, along with the warmer weather coaxing new growth into being, the Montana Council of Teachers of Mathematics (MCTM) plays host to a series of math competitions. In Havre, the contest is held under the coordination of Miss Kaitlin Anderson, and on Wednesday, March 18 from 2:00 until 4:30 p.m., Havre High School welcomed schools from across the region whose students vied for individual, regional, and state awards. At Wednesday’s event, students competed in one of three grade bands: 7-8, 9-10, or 11-12. Because MCTM v...
