We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
Sorted by date Results 751 - 775 of 972
4-H members from clubs around Blaine County converged on the fairgrounds in Chinook last Friday for the annual 4-H Project Day. A parent at the event said Project Day is to introduce 4-H members to a variety of projects they might eventually pursue with 4-H. There were several classes, a showmanship clinic and, in the afternoon, lots of cleaning and tidying up before the fair that runs July 13-17 this year. While some 4-H members were in a class to learn about food handling safety, other...
Organizers are hoping some major changes in the Blaine County Fair will continue to attract a great crowd this year. The Fair will run July 13-17 at the county fairgrounds on the west side of Chinook. Combining the Bear Paw Roundup rodeo with the fair and the signing of Dreamland Carnival for the midway will give fairgoers plenty of new entertainment options. Cal Moon, a rising western singer, will be doing entertainment between events during the fair. Return events, including the Demolition Derby, Pig Wrestling, 4-H activities and the Sunday...
Frank and Bettie Barber celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in early June. The Barbers are widely known for their love of hosting friends and family and putting on great parties. To help celebrate their own 50th anniversary, they invited four other couples, also celebrating 50 years of marriage, to join in a group celebration. Imagine the five couples being celebrated, about 200-250 guests, a fantastic array of food, five anniversary cakes, a bagpiper playing to the host couple, a country...
Jim Kizer and Carrie Sunwall, with the Great Falls Rescue Mission, were in rural Chinook recently packing and loading hanging art and collectible dolls for transport to the rescue mission located about three blocks southeast of the Great Falls Civic Center. Started in 1963 as a refuge for men down on their luck, the rescue mission now serves men, women and children through programs from temporary housing to free medical clinics conducted by local volunteer medical personnel. The art and dolls...
Kelsey Harry, Blaine County Library's Assistant Librarian, is no stranger to putting together the library's summer reading programs for kids. For the prior summer's, she used a nationwide reading program put together specifically for libraries. This year Kelsey said, "I didn't really like the program that was available. There were several activities I've wanted to try but they never fit with the prepared program so this summer I decided to put together my own program. The summer program is all...
Steve Edwards BCJ News The Chinook City Council approved payment for work on some of the final phases of the nearly two-year long water treatment plant upgrade. A final walk through to check the punch list on the downtown sidewalk project will complete that work and release funds to pay the contractor. Council considered the need to reduce costs of certifications to city pool lifeguards in order to attract and keep adequate numbers of pool employees each season. Mayor Keith Hanson called the Jun...
Blaine County’s election results from the June 7 primary have been announced by Sandra Boardman, County Clerk and Elections Administrator. The results are ‘unofficial’ until canvassed by the Board of County Commissioners. Commissioners will canvass the results on June 17 to complete the primary process. The following county wide results are totaled as reported from the various voting precincts: Federal offices A matter of days before the 2016 Montana primary, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump were essentially their respective party’s presump...
The spring field trip season is done for this year. It's that time of the year that you see a lot of school buses parked in front of regional museums and historic sites. Along the Hi-Line the kids were taking to the highways and byways for their annual field trips. Students and teachers seem to relish a few hours away from the classroom and a chance to learn in a new environment. Museum directors and volunteers look forward to the visits as it gives them a chance to showcase their facilities...
Steve Edwards BCJ News Reporter's note: A reader asked me to write about the Fred Robinson Bridge and how it's completion changed life in north central Montana. The bridge was dedicated in 1959 and described as the "crowning achievement of the Montana Highway Department's bridge program during the 1950's." The bridge provided a much needed connection between the north and south sides of the Missouri River between the areas of Malta and Grass Range. The dedication ceremony for the bridge, on...
A sudden mid-afternoon shower and mini-hail storm threatened to drive the Sweet Medical Center's Business After Hours inside. By time for the outdoor set up in the parking lot south of the building, the sun was out and it was a beautiful summer evening, perfect for an outdoor party. The event was co-sponsored by Drs. Larry Obie and Robert Chaffin, whose clinics are also located at the Sweet Center. Dr. Obie operates the vision and eye service and Dr. Chaffin operates Chinook Dental. The...
Kelly Mills began his new duties as Blaine County Superintendent of Schools on June 1. Last school year the Arkansas native was the teacher at North Harlem Colony and the head coach for the Harlem/Turner football program. Kelly, and his family, currently live in a church parsonage at the Fort Belknap Agency. He replaces former superintendent Terry Brockie who resigned the end of April to take a position with Island Mountain Development Group, located in Hays. Mills and his family moved from...
New York Street in Chinook was lined with emergency vehicles, the Sweet Park was packed with firemen, EMT's, law enforcement officers and a few 'gawkers.' Normally the only time that many emergency responders would be together would be some sort of regional training event or a major catastrophe. Fortunately, this gathering was for fun, but also purposeful. The event was a "meet and greet" organized by several local people involved with emergency services and law enforcement. Organizers...
The Blaine County Commissioners approved the construction contract that will launch the third floor remodel project at the courthouse. After the bidding process was completed on April 20, the commissioners asked the architect to make some modifications to get the cost of the project more in line with the budgeted amounts. That work all came together in June when commissioners approved the contract for $444,400. Commissioners said earlier there were three bidders on the project. The funds for the project will come from the county’s Building I...
The City of Harlem and the Harlem Public Library's Summer Reading Program are sponsoring a bike safety workshop to be held the afternoon of Thursday, June 16. The Blaine County Sheriff's Department will be conducting the workshop. Workshop organizers said there will be information and practice on several safety aspects of bicycle safety. Sheriff Glenn Huestis explained much of the material to be used was from the National Safety Council and purchased through donations of local businesses and...
Chinook’s JUMP, a Christian youth group, will be offering a vacation Bible school program in conjunction with this year’s Loaves and Fishes summer feeding program. The four-day Bible school will meet at Sweet Park, next to the city swimming pool, on Monday through Thursday, June 20-23. Each day of Bible school will begin with lunch provided through Loaves and Fishes. Lunch will be served, at the park, at 12 noon each day before the Bible school program. After lunch will be crafts, Bible stories, songs and games. This year’s theme will be “Unlik...
Sara Chaffin and Koleman Anderson are both second graders at Meadowlark Elementary in Chinook. The two have formed a relationship that is quite unique. Koleman is a special needs student but spends part of his school day in a general education classroom. Sara, in the same general classroom, has taken on the role as a friend and helper to Koleman, and that pairing has taken them all the way to the Olympics-the Special Olympics. The Special Olympics are held each year to give special needs student...
Reporter's note: Well, the story I wrote about the shooting of Frank Mitchell, a camp cook, certainly brought responses from alert readers. The story ran in the April 13 issue of the "Journal" and by the next morning I had faxes, phone messages and copies of local history books waiting on my desk at the newspaper. Wow, I must have really messed up! Actually, the people offering corrections to the story did it in a gracious way, a way that made me thankful for more complete information about the...
Laura Shellman, Nurse Practitioner, will join the Sweet Medical Center the end of May. Shellman completed her graduate work in 2012 and has worked at a clinic in Glendive for the past three years. She and her husband, Jacob, will be relocating to the area from Glendive. The couple has two children and are foster parents to another. Shellman is a native of the Los Angeles area but after college found rural living more to her liking. Shellman said, "I always loved science and also helping people,...
The Chinook Rod and Gun Club will host its fourth Annual Youth Fishing Day on Saturday, June 4, north of Chinook at the Dry Fork Reservoir. Organizers said, "It's not competitive fishing, it's about getting kids and parents out for a day of fishing and fun." There is no charge for the event which will run from 9am-3pm. A BBQ lunch will be for sale and every kid will receive a Chinook Rod and Gun Club T-shirt. Elmer Zarn, club member and head of the Fishing Day program, said all kids 15 years...
The Blaine County Democratic Party recently held a meeting to reorganize. At that meeting Reuben Kuntz was selected to serve as the temporary chairman of the county party. After the state Democratic convention, to be held in mid-June, the Blaine County party will elect new officers for county party positions and state party posts from the county. According to Greg Jergeson, long time party activist and former state office holder, Blaine County Democrats will hold their county convention the evening of June 9 at the home of Reuben Kuntz in Harle...
Steve Edwards BCJ News Reporter's note: Last June I received a "notice of selection for jury panel" and a "questionnaire as to qualification for jury service" from the 17th Montana District Court. The letter told me I would be on a jury panel from July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016-meaning I could be summoned to serve on a jury in state court during that year. I was called this past April for jury duty to the Blaine County District Court. I was one of about 125 summoned, but wasn't selected for...
Perfect attendance during the 2015-2016 school year paid off in a big way for 10 students at Meadowlark Elementary in Chinook. For a year of perfect attendance, not even one tardy day, each received a brand new bicycle. The bicycles were courtesy of American Garage, a local automotive repair facility in Chinook. It was the first year for the 'school attendance promotion' but, according to American Garage co-owner Heather DePriest, "It won't be the last year for the program. We plan to continue...
In what Chinook Schools Superintendent Darrin Hannam described as an "informal sendoff" three longtime teachers, two from the high school and one from Meadowlark Elementary, were recognized for their combined 80 years of teaching in the district. Hannam, completing his first year as school superintendent, said, "I'm new to this part of the traditions for honoring retirees in Chinook but wanted to make sure these three knew how much their service was appreciated by our district and students." In...
Reporter's note: Last summer I wrote a story about the World War II-era camps in Harlem and Chinook that temporarily housed German POWs while the prisoners worked the sugar beets. Several readers told me, "You should write about the Japanese detention camp that was in Chinook during the war. That's how the Matsuoka family ended up in Chinook after World War II." While researching local stories I'd never come across any historical references to a Japanese relocation camp in or near Chinook....
The Sweet Medical Center will be hosting the Chinook Chamber’s June Business After Hours gathering. Each month a business member of the Chamber hosts an opportunity for guests to visit in a relaxed atmosphere and learn about what the sponsoring business offers. The events are always open to anyone wishing to attend. Dana Pyette, the Chief Executive Officer at the medical center, said, “At the After Hours we will be having a barbeque, tours of the facility, providing information about the clinic’s services and giving guests a chance to meet...
