We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
Sorted by date Results 3 - 27 of 4934
I'm guessing most readers are amazed at all the insurance policies that are currently available. And the number of policies seems to be growing daily. From TV ads, alone, one can buy insurance to protect your home, your auto (both mechanically and in case of an accident), your health and your future economic status. These opportunities to buy insurance sometimes get pretty bizarre-like the policy available to insure a child prodigy's future earnings. Or, maybe some more practical policies, like...
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....
The 75th annual Montana Seed Show, held at Harlem High School, was a great success. This significant event would not have happened without our volunteers, sponsors, contestants, and patrons; thank you for a successful show. A special thank you to the biometric screening team, who provided health fair screenings for over 30 participants. "The show couldn't have gone better...this year's show was amazing!" One excited visitor commented. The Montana Seed Show is a longstanding event, scheduled...
Agriculture Winners: Seed - Gene and Eric Billmayer Forage - Larry Klingaman Forage Youth - Quirt Klingaman Traveling Trophy Winner - Larry Klingaman Educational Winners: Group Category: First Place - Dodson fourth-grade elementary (sweepstakes winner) Second Place - North Chinook Boosters 4-H Club Third place - Big Flat 4-H club Individual: First Place - Rainie Skoyen 2nd Place - Lillie Skoyen and Janna Snedigar 3rd Place - Kaylie Skoyen and Alexis Elias Bread Winners: Adult White Bread: 1st...
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...
Bear Paw School, a K-8 rural school currently serving eight students. In our classroom, we prioritize agricultural education to help students relate the curriculum to their lived experiences and apply learning to real-world skills. To support this, we have been wanting a greenhouse, as our current classroom environment is not conducive to growing plants. This addition will allow us to conduct farm-to-table lessons and help students make meaningful connections with their studies. I am pleased to...
On March 26, Havre High School Math Teacher Miss Kaitlin Anderson released the results of the 185 contestants who participated in the Montana Council of Teachers of Mathematics (MCTM) Math Contest that took place on March 18. Wednesday’s contest drew students from Havre, Shelby, Choteau, and Chinook. Seventeen of them came away as top winners. Collin Snyder and Lyvia Little, both from Havre High School, are the winners of the two Senior Scholarships. Furthermore, several students received the “Gold Award,” meaning they scored in the top 10%....
Even though we have not had much of a winter, Spring is beginning to show across the countryside, bringing with it the first signs of new life. Calving season is underway, a familiar and welcome sight that marks the changing of the seasons. As days grow longer and temperatures slowly rise, the cycle of renewal continues, reminding us that winter is giving way to brighter days ahead. Now all we need is some rain as we head into the summer season very soon. Spring showers bring May...
When the Chinook Board of Trustees met on Tuesday, March 10, they not only passed a resolution to set their levy requests for voter approval in the May 5 school election, they also discussed facility needs and budgets, announced trustee elections, and approved administration changes and contracts. Among the facility needs discussed were the elementary school boilers, which will require replacement in the next five years, according to Chinook School Superintendent Fred Hofman. In his report to the Board, Hofman stated: “We should only need to r...
Among the many action items on the agenda for the Chinook Board of Trustees on March 10 was the Chinook High School (CHS) Student Council's request to obtain a Sugarbeeter license plate from the State of Montana. Given that the school board approved their idea, the Council is moving forward with plans. According to Student Council Advisor Fay Friede, the thought of designing a Sugarbeeter license plate has been discussed a number of times over the years. Because the Student Council currently...
According to an analysis by the Montana School Boards Association, Montana schools are encountering difficulty when they seek to gain voter approval for discretionary funding levies. The Chinook Board of Trustees and District Superintendent Fred Hofman hope that when ballots go out on April 15, asking voters to approve their local school levies, they defy analytics and instead experience an outcome successful for the community after the May 5 school election. By definition, a school levy is a fixed-term increase in property tax that assists in...
Living in a rural county means we depend on solid, practical information to make decisions that affect our homes, our land, and our communities. Montana State University Extension provides exactly that. Our role is to bring the resources of Montana’s land grant university directly to Blaine County in ways that meet the real needs of the people who live and work here. As your local MSU Extension office, we focus on delivering education and support that are research based, useful, and grounded in everyday life. Whether you’re a producer see...
Stockman Bank has been recognized by S&P Global Market Intelligence, for the third consecutive year, as one of the top 50 best-performing U.S. community banks of 2025, among banks with $3 billion to $10 billion in assets. Ranking 23rd on the list, Stockman is the only Montana bank to be included. S&P Global Market Intelligence ranks institutions based on returns, growth and funding but places a premium on the strength and risk profile of balance sheets. The rankings were launched in 2011 to assess the performance of community banks. “We are h...
Last year, you may remember reading about the 30-year-old 'Jackpot" bus that Sweet Memorial Nursing Home was hoping to be able to update. The story of how Sweet Home acquired that bus involved a lucky Lotto winner and a whole lot of kindness and gratitude. Fast forward to the fall of last year, and would you believe it - Sweet Home is again the lucky recipient of an incredibly kind gift, this time from an anonymous donor. Richard Cronk received a phone call from the donor after the article about...
As we march into this new month and towards the country’s 250th birthday, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Susan Hedalen reminds local students and teachers about opportunities with the Montana Seal of Civics Literacy program. The Seal of Civics Literacy is a statewide recognition program developed through a joint effort between Montana’s Office of Public Instruction (OPI) and the Montana 250th Commission. According to Hedalen’s office, “the Seal honors students who demonstrate strong knowledge of civics and active engagement in their c...
Mrs. Alicia Noel, Sixth Grade Science Teacher at Chinook Junior High School, travelled to Great Falls with a group of sixth graders for the Montana Region II Science and Engineering Fair on March 10. Two came away winners. The Great Falls College MSU Regional Middle School Science Fair is affiliated with the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge (JIC), a program of the Society for Science & the Public. Five Chinook students qualified for the event after having placed at the...
In an assembly on February 26, Meadowlark Elementary School Principal, Danelle Gibson announced the names of monthly award winners. Among those honored were Mountain Movers, Recess Award recipients, and Accelerated Readers. Students of the Month also received honors, as did those securing the Principal's Award. The Mountain Mover Award recognizes any students who have made improvements during the month in one of the following categories: academics, behavior, or social skills. Bowie Skoyen, Lando...
To conclude their I Love to Read Month festivities, students at Zurich Public School celebrated on Friday, February 27 with Character Interview Day and a party. During an impromptu assembly near the event's conclusion, school officials also presented third grader Eloise Gonzalez with her certificate and prize for winning the "I Voted" Sticker contest sponsored by the Blaine County Deputy Clerk & Recorder/Elections office. The event began with pairs of students asking and answering questions as...
Students from surrounding communities attended the 4th Annual Opportunity in Trades Day hosted by Triangle Communications in Havre on Monday, March 2. At the event, students explored jobs available in the North Central Montana area related to various trades. Triangle Communications partners with multiple organizations to put on this event, which this year was open to eighth graders thru high school seniors. During lunch, there were presentations by MSU–Northern, Vermeer, and JKL Associates. A...
As part of an ongoing effort to keep local community members informed, school district officials wish to add a layer of awareness about school budget concerns. In that spirit of demystification, Superintendent Fred Hofman and Chinook School District Board Members wish to shed some light on costs and current conditions. Much of this information has already been shared in inserts that have accompanied the printed athletic programs made available at sporting events. For example, Hofman wishes for readers to know that schools are not allowed to...
In the early morning hours of March 3, a total lunar eclipse occurred. Although the overall duration of the eclipse, including the penumbral and partial eclipse phases, was five hours and 39 minutes, totality was most visible in North Central Montana from 4:04 until 5:04 a.m. When Earth passed directly between the sun and moon, it cast a shadow across the lunar surface, turning the moon a deep reddish-orange. According to NASA, a total lunar eclipse can occur only during a full moon phase. The moon appears dark red or orange because planet...
A blood drive was held in Chinook on March 3, 2026, with 39 donors stepping forward to help meet the ongoing need for lifesaving blood. Volunteers Judy Johnson, Roxanne Townsend, and Linda Thompson staffed the reception table and helped ensure the event ran smoothly. Door prize winners included Trish Merrill, Chuck Wasser, Lyndsay Hutton, Valerie Blackcrow, Wilma Melville and Mara Edwards. We welcomed one first-time donor, Ryder Hofeldt. Hofeldt has helped with blood drive setup for several...
