We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
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On Sunday, December 21, 8:03 a.m. the Winter Solstice officially began. That time and date mark the shortest day and longest night of the year. For all creatures inhabiting Earth, the length of daylight is fundamental to life. After all, the sun is our ultimate source of light and warmth. The psychologically effect of this event is that starting on December 22, 2025, we stopped losing daily sunlight, a loss which has been progressing since June 20. Finally, daylight will begin to increase. According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, during the wee...
Press Release Northern Montana Hospital The Northern Montana Health Care Foundation is proud to announce a $42,000 donation from the Havre Women's Golf Association's "Golfing for a Cure" Tournament to benefit the Northern Montana Sletten Cancer Center. Held this past June, the annual Golfing for a Cure event brings together golfers, local businesses, and community members to raise funds for cancer care across the Hi-Line. In a joint statement, tournament co-chairs Shari Baltrusch and Shelbi...
January is recognized by the American Red Cross as National Blood Donor Month, a time set aside to honor the lifesaving impact of blood and platelet donors and to encourage new and returning donors to give during one of the most challenging seasons for maintaining a stable blood supply. Winter months often bring severe weather, packed holiday schedules, and an increase in seasonal illnesses such as the flu and RSV, all of which contribute to fewer donations and canceled blood drives. National Blood Donor Month was first established on December...
Staff and students at Zurich Elementary School presented the annual Christmas Program on the evening of 18th December. The program titled A Small Problem on Christmas Eve was written by Kenzie MacLeod, Kyleejai Baird (sixth graders), and Matthew Thompson (seventh grade). The Zurich staff did a wonderful job of delegating duties and assignments for the preparation of the program. Songs were selected and performed by all students. Students also engaged in set design and construction. In one way...
On December 16, Mrs. Mitzi Cecrle's third period Animal Science class played host to two State FFA Officers. Their guests: Morgan Bisel, State Secretary from Corvallis, and Kylee Finn, State Treasurer from Cascade, shared inspiration with Chinook students. The state officers' next stop was Turner Public School, where they visited with members of the Big Flat Chapter of the FFA. Bisel and Finn are members of the Montana FFA Association's eight- member officer team who, during their year of...
This year at the Harlem Christmas stroll, I'm sure everyone who went had fun. But, if you didn't have a chance to enjoy this evening, picture this: A December night in a small town, you just ate some AMAZING chili, and hanging out with people you love and some people who are strangers to you. That's the Christmas stroll. Chili, Christmas songs, Christmas lights, and a chance to visit Santa Claus at the library. Everything is that cool. With pun intended, that's a wrap on the 2025 Christmas...
The Public Schools District 10 Board Meeting was held on December 9th at 7:30 PM. The board met the required quorum to hold the meeting. Three members were not in attendance, and only one member of the general public attended. The meeting started after a call to order, the Pledge of Allegiance, and roll call. Student Council President Carson Kelly gave insight to the statewide Student Council Convention held in Bozeman. Speakers at the convention addressed students on leadership, while students participated in workshops to include self-defense...
On November 14, when Commissioner Shane Fox read an email from the Local Government Center, suggesting that he was a Local Impact Award Recipient, he doubted the message's authenticity. A follow-up phone call confirmed the award's legitimacy, although the specifics of the award would remain a surprise until its presentation. During the Montana State University Local Government Center's (LGC) 40th Anniversary Gala held on December 11 at the Delta Colonial Hotel in Helena, Fox received the Public...
The Saluting America’s Band Directors project has assembled band directors from across North America to march January 1 under the theme, “America’s band directors: We teach music. We teach life.” Dan Owens, the music teacher at Harlem High School, has been selected to join a marching band of more than 300 band directors from across North America in the Pasadena Rose Parade® on January 1, 2026. The band will accompany a colorful, animated float along the 5.5-mile parade route. The Saluting America’s Band Directors parade entry will convey the...
The Montana Association of Counties (MACo), in cooperation with the Local Government Center (LGC) at Montana State University in Bozeman, presented their 2025 Elected County Officials Training from December 10-12 at the Delta Colonial Hotel in Helena. Intended for all elected officials who wished to attend, three officials from Blaine County took part in the professional development opportunity. According to event organizers, the purpose of the training was twofold: to be both educational and engaging while providing practical insights and tool...
Fourteen amazing Young Medicine Movement (YMM) scholars attended the 2025 American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) National Conference, themed as We Are All Scientists. The conference was held October 2–5 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This year's event brought together Indigenous students, professionals, and educators from across the country to celebrate achievement, share research, and build pathways in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, and Medicine (STEMM) fields. YMM p...
The December 8th city council meeting was the last city council meeting of the year 2025, and the last council meeting Shannon Sattleen and Lane Schmitt will attend as council members. Their work and dedication did not go unnoticed. If you see them about town, please share your appreciation for their service to the community. December was the expiration of term for both council members. As you will recall, 2025 was an election year. However, residents who applied for mayor and city council seats ran unopposed, meaning no other resident of the...
It is the dominating figure of the Chinook skyline, rising from the horizon as the first sign you are approaching town. The sugar beet factory smokestack and the factory that once powered it, has been welcoming people to the "Sugar City" for a century now. 100 years after it first rose over Chinook, we look back on the birth of the town's defining landmark. Why Chinook? As the 19th gave way to the 20th century, Chinook was a town of growth, a town of new. New buildings and new people popped up...
We wrapped up the 3rd annual Blaine County Fur Fest this past weekend. This year was a huge success with 50 teams registered for a total of 165 hunters. We had 27 Open Class teams, 17 Calling Class teams and 6th youth class teams. We also had 24 teams sign up for the raccoon side pot, 28 team sign up for the rabbit side pot, and 23 team sign up for the porcupine side pot. Over the weekend we checked in 286 coyotes, 637 rabbits, 41 porcupines, 5 raccoons, and 1 badger for a total of 970 animals....
A 1999 graduate of Chinook High School and an eight-year U.S. Navy veteran, Brandon Nissen had a vision two years ago that he has recently brought to life. On October 15 as president, he led his first founder's meeting at the home of Barb and Don Ranstrom. On that day, The Sugarbeeter Foundation (TSF) was formed, and the Foundation's first meeting was attended by his newly formed board: Members Barb Ranstrom, Jack Mattingly, and Rita Surber. The Foundation Board met again on December 9 to discus...
The Hill County Christmas Revue, which opened at the Montana Actors’ Theatre (MAT) in Havre on December 12 and 13, continues this week and into next month. Back for its third year, this holiday edition of locally written original skits features brand-new comedy, yuletide musical numbers, and cheerful stories inspired by local traditions, winter tales, and the colorful characters who make Hi-Line communities shine. Although Catfish Carl has passed, music lovers and theatre goers can experience Izaak Opatz on December 19-20 and Wailing Aaron J...
The city of Chinook held this month's city council meeting Monday, December 8th, at 7 PM. This was the regularly scheduled monthly city council meeting. The city of Chinook holds a city council meeting on the 2nd Monday every month. At this meeting, the mayor, city council members, city superintendents, and residents who may be in attendance discuss safety concerns and city matters from the previous four weeks. The meeting convened at 7 PM with the Pledge of Allegiance. From the agenda minutes, claims and reports, payroll checks, and canceled...
Blaine County Schools will be hosting their holiday programs in the coming days. From A Festive Night of Music in Chinook on December 15 to a gift exchange in Turner on December 19, and from several schools with schedules in between those dates, area youth will facilitate a festive spirit by sharing their talents. Music Instructor Alicia Noel at Chinook High School shares that the 6-12 band concert will be on December 15 at 7:00 when they present A Festive Night of Music in Lloyd Sweet...
Observed annually around the world on December 10, Human Rights Day commemorates the anniversary of one of the world's most groundbreaking global pledges: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on December 10, 1948, the Declaration states that fundamental human rights should be universally protected. According to the United Nations' website, "This landmark document enshrines the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to...
In an awards ceremony on September 25, 2025 Governor Gianforte named Allen Morris Jones of Bozeman to serve as Montana's Poet Laureate for 2025–2027. Jones carries on the poet laureate baton from Métis poet and storyteller Chris La Tray. In anticipation of Jones' service, John Knight, the Interim Executive Director of Humanities Montana, announced at the end of November that in January, the organization would launch its next Montana Poet Laureate Program. Despite experiencing what Knight de...
The holiday season is upon us, bringing lights, music, and good cheer; a time to gather with friends and family. But beneath all that merriment can lurk stress, exhaustion, and unmet expectations. In fact, a 2023 survey by the American Psychological Association showed that nearly 90% of adults in the U.S. feel stressed during the holidays; reasons for the stress include financial pressure, having too much to do, and difficult family dynamics. For some people, the holidays highlight what’s missing — a loved one who is gone, a relationship that’s...
Monthly awards were bestowed at Meadowlark Elementary School on November 25. Several students were named as winners of the Recess Award, Mountain Mover Award, and Principal's Award. Others were honored as Students of the Month and as Dog Man artists. Winners of the Recess Award who showed respect and good sportsmanship on the playground were Peighton Dawson, Raelynn Dawson, Raija Weinheimer, Josey Sather, Veda Nieft, and Dax Langford. For making improvements academically, behaviorally, or...
A fresh layer of snow turned Chinook into a true winter wonderland this past Friday as the community gathered for the annual Parade of Lights and Christmas Stroll. Because of the frigid temperatures and steady snowfall, Main Street stayed fairly quiet throughout the day, though a good crowd still came out for the parade and to support local businesses, including the Eagles, Shores Floral, and Prairie Pieces. Vendors set up inside the Chinook Senior Center beginning at 10 a.m., offering handmade...
The Annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner once again filled the Blaine County Fairgrounds Commercial Building with warmth, gratitude, and the hum of neighbors gathering together. This year, volunteers served a total of 220 meals including 100 dine in plates and 120 takeout or pickup meals, a welcome rise in in person diners after several quieter post Covid years. No one is quite certain when Chinook's Community Thanksgiving Dinner officially began, though most agree it started sometime in the...
Thirteen Student Council members from Chinook High School (CHS) attended the 70th Annual Montana Association of Student Councils (MASC) Conference at the Heritage Inn and Convention Center in Great Falls this past November 16-18. Explore Leadership was the theme for the annual conference hosted by Charles M. Russell (CMR) High School. Bailey Billmayer, who currently serves on the MASC Executive Board and is Vice President for the CHS Student Council, presented a workshop on anti-bullying and...
