We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
Sorted by date Results 875 - 899 of 1340
In an effort to promote the idea of shopping local, the Montana Small Business Administration (SBA) set a challenge for themselves: To visit one of the small businesses in each of Montana's 56 counties in seven days. In Blaine County, Shores Floral & Gift was the business visited on December 15 by Andy Shirtliff and Brent Donnelly on their "Peaks to Plains Business Resiliency Tour." On Tuesday afternoon, Shirtliff, who serves as Outreach and Marketing Specialist for the SBA, and Donnelly, who...
During winter break, starting December 19 and continuing through January 3, ZooMontana in Billings is offering all teachers FREE admission to the Zoo and an invitation to "Take a Walk on the Wild Side, which is the facility's motto. They will also once again be "lighting" up the holidays by presenting ZooLights 2020. ZooMontana is a zoological/botanical garden, accredited arboretum, and educational facility. Executive Director Jeff Ewelt and his staff are dedicated to the conservation of...
With their Fill the Sleigh competition, Meadowlark Elementary School students contributed over 300 non-perishable food items for Angel Tree families. Because the fourth graders in Miss Shandel Fouts' class collected the most food, with 140 items, they will get a Sundae Party. According to Fouts, the students conveyed excitement about the food drive. "I think it helped that the sleigh sat right inside the door, giving them a daily visual of their progress. Every morning, they would ask me how...
Area youth are creating holiday cheer by participating in traditional activities such as caroling, cookie decorating, and constructing gingerbread houses or wreaths. Traditions such as these not only nurture the spirit but are an important part of bonding as friends, family, or a community. For example, December 7 turned into Gingerbread Night 2020 at the home of Suzanne Farmer when a group of Chinook basketball players arrived after basketball practice. Farmer, who teaches third grade at...
The Chinook Chapter of the FFA met last week to work on setting up their Christmas tree pickup plan following the holidays. During that meeting, Advisor Karyn Billmayer learned that the Chinook Green Waste area has been closed down due to improper use. This situation resulted in the group's needing to revise their original service project by determining the trees' final resting place. In devising a Plan B, the Chapter heard from an FFA Alumni member at the meeting, Lori Swanson, who mentioned th...
Superintendent of Chinook School District, Darin Hannum released a report on Monday, December 7 to update the community on the status of the school district and to share current details about student populations and various programs. Enrollments are about average. Meadowlark Elementary School recorded 161 students. That figure is down from 204, a total which was reported three years ago. At the junior high school, 60 students are enrolled, and the high school turned in a count of 105 students. According to Hannum, these numbers include online...
At Meadowlark Elementary School in Chinook, each month the teachers choose students from their classes based on positive behavior, kindness, getting work done on time, staying on task, and otherwise exhibiting behavior worthy of recognition. These students become the month's dynamic dozen, winning Student of the Month designation. To honor their efforts, each member of this group of twelve students receives an award certificate, a profile and picture for the school's bulletin board, and his/her...
In this final month of 2020, Jupiter and Saturn, the two largest and brightest planets in our solar system, have been putting on a celestial show. Through the entirety of December, skywatchers can look up each evening to watch these two gas giants approach one another. Their apparent merging will occur on December 21, in what astronomers are calling the Great Conjunction of 2020. During this close encounter, Jupiter and Saturn will form a rare "Christmas Star" on winter solstice when the...
For the past fifteen years or more, the December newsletter at Meadowlark Elementary School has carried an announcement about packing Santa's Sleigh with food donations. It also alerts parents of school children about the Angel Tree, which typically goes up at Finley's Food Farm just after Thanksgiving. With the holiday season often focused on giving, residents find ways to share their resources. To fill Santa's Sleigh, Meadowlark Elementary School conducts a food drive. The sleigh, which was...
With loss so prevalent-whether considering incomes, people, routines, security, connections, or comforts-and with risk quite literally in the air we breathe, the Friends of the Pool and Park Foundation, along with Chinook Pharmacy, are proud to present Chinook's Wishing Tree. Although this tree has a variety of purposes, its focus is on hope and healing Those involved in the project invite anyone interested to simply write a wish on one of the tags provided at Chinook Pharmacy between now and De...
Turner Public School District has received two separate COVID Relief Grants, one from the Governor’s office and another from the Montana Department of Health and Human Services. Both grants will enhance educational opportunities for students in the district. Monies for the first grant came in the amount of $35,784. These federal relief dollars were made available through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) Act. Turner School District applied for this additional funding through the Education Assistance Program administ...
As is their tradition, Harlem Elementary School officials have selected two staff members for the month of November and nine students for the last week of November in their quest to honor inspirational actions and displays of appropriate behavior. The two distinguished educators for the month of November are fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Cathy Bear, and first grade instructor, Mrs. Rhawnee Hopkins. According to the administration at Harlem Elementary School, Mrs. Bear and Mrs. Hopkins have...
Many tears were shed and stories swapped in remembrance of the ten family members lost from Sweet Memorial Nursing Home due to the invasion of COVID-19. As the staff and administration of the Home move beyond their grief, they are happy to report that currently the Sweet Home has no active cases and twenty recoveries. Due to Centers for Disease Control guidelines, the residents of Sweet Memorial Nursing Home (SMNH) remained in their rooms for the most part in November. There, some passed the tim...
The Re-Imagining Rural gathering that occurred in September and October 2020 on a virtual platform was reported a success. As an incentive to capitalize on what they learned during these sessions, representatives from community foundations and other public entities were invited to submit grant applications for funding. Two local entities receiving grants are MSU Blaine County Extension and Fort Belknap Community Economic Development Corporation. MSU Blaine County Extension was awarded a $2,000 grant to support inclusion in Chinook. According...
During this pandemic when critical resources are stretched thin and the very essence of our freedom is shrinking under mandates, stay-at-home directives, and social distancing guidelines, many of us have grown introspective. We have turned our thoughts inward to imagine a different reality than the one we're living. Quarantine, although stressful, has given all of us time to think. In this time of crisis and isolation, art can play a healing role. Art slows us down, forcing us to notice and to...
Given unusual circumstances, schools have had to devise innovative ways to carry on old traditions. For instance, Harlem Elementary School's ROARing students program has undergone a renovation to include both Hybrid A and B groups, as well as those students who are working remotely. What used to be a once a week drawing has evolved into a three times a week affair in order to accommodate all groups. At Harlem Elementary, students who follow the school rules and display appropriate behavior may...
Anyone who has shopped local businesses recently has likely noticed that it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! However, Chinook Area Chamber of Commerce President, Daniel Dahl announced on Friday, November 20 that Chinook's 35th Annual Parade of Lights, Festival of Trees, and Downtown Stroll will look different this year on November 27. Because of the Governor's recent directives and the increase in the number of COVID cases, the Chamber had to forego the Festival of Trees and the...
The Friends of the Pool and Park Foundation are the recipients of another generous donation, this one from Richard, Rose, Elizabeth, and D.J. Stuker. Last week, Richard and Rose Stuker stopped by American Garage-where at least two of the board members of the non-profit organization work-to present the Foundation with a $1,000 check. About that gift, President of the Friends of the Pool and Park Foundation (FPPF), Heather DePriest said, "We live in one of the most giving communities! We want to...
On Saturday, November 21, from noon until 3:00 p.m., the local Knights of Columbus organization in collaboration with the Great Falls Council and several local businesses distributed 2000 pounds of food and gave-away more than three dozen coats in an act of charity. Using St. Gabriel's Catholic Church in Chinook as a distribution center, the District Deputy for the Knights of Columbus (K of C), Frank LaTray and his team of trusty Knights and other volunteers took requests from the front door of...
On Saturday, November 28, from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., Shores Floral & Gift will be hosting photographer Adrianna Standiford Reid from Images by Adrianna, who will be set up to photograph children and families, just in time for the holidays. After a successful Mother's Day photography shoot in May featuring Reid, Bonnie Weber, owner of Shores Floral & Gift who has a history of supporting artists, decided to again collaborate with Reid and create an event for the community. Each portrait...
The local Knights of Columbus organization in collaboration with the Great Falls Council and several area businesses are sponsoring a Coats for Kids Program. Councils across North America can purchase new winter coats at a discount to be distributed to needy children in local communities. According to the District Deputy for the Knights of Columbus (K of C), Frank LaTray, many families use their scarce resources to meet the most basic essentials, so they often need help to provide this vital winter necessity. “We want to make sure that no c...
This year's Tenth Annual John Deere Ag Expo (JDAE) took place November 12-14 as a hybrid event. Most contests were hosted online with the exception of a few that were held at local levels around the state. The Chinook and Harlem FFA Chapters were invited to in-person events at Frontline Ag Solutions in Havre, but neither Chapter travelled, citing COVID restrictions as the deterrent. On Thursday, November 12, the Montana FFA Foundation invited FFA members to the first ever Virtual Keynote Session...
On Sunday, November 8, and again on Wednesday, November 11, Chinook School Superintendent, Darin Hannum, in cooperation with Blaine County Health Official Jana McPherson-Hauer, announced that Chinook Schools were notified of school related cases of COVID-19. In the notification, the school learned that one of the cases is in a student from the elementary school and another in a staff member from the junior/senior high school. Through the case investigation, it was discovered that the Meadowlark...
Harlem Elementary School District wishes to recognize ROARing Teachers of the Month. Every month teachers are nominated by their peers for acts of inspiration, and those nominated will then have their names put into a spinning wheel style drawing and selected at random. "Although we've been busy, we wanted to show our appreciation for our hardworking teachers," Harlem Elementary School Principal Shiloh Seymour stated. For the month of September, Harlem Elementary selected kindergarten teacher,...
Starting a business isn't easy, and being your own boss isn't as glamorous as people might think. "There's a constant struggle between the right way and the easy way," Cord Anderson, co-owner of Hi-Line Honey explained. "It's too easy to take time off and to say, 'I'll get to it later.' But that kind of procrastination can put a business in jeopardy." Cord and his older brother Winston, the owners of Hi-Line Honey, discovered that fact during their first winter in business. The bees that they...
