The Blaine County Journal News-Opinion - We've Got The County Covered

With 2019 just a few days away it is once again time to reflect on what we will remember about the previous year. In the past we at the Blaine County Journal~News Opinion have tried to categorize stories, and then reflect on the 'biggest' story in each group. We tried Top 10 lists, sports, events and a number of other variations.

Blaine County is full of good people, great stories and wonderful happenings; county line to county line. We are passionate about our children, committed to agriculture and proud of our heritage. From Fort Belknap and all of its wonderful events to Turner and the Big Flat to Zurich, Chinook and all the way south to the Missouri River Breaks, so many things happen each year in Blaine County, way more than most people even realize.

So this year we decided to break down the year into quarters: January - March, April - June, July - September and October - December and highlight a few of our favorite stories in each. Then provide you, our readers, with a reference to read the story again, in its entirety online at blainecountyjournal.com.

Remembering Robbie Lucke

January 10, 1941 - April 21, 2018

Before we begin looking back at individual stories we would like to pay our respects to Robbie Lucke who passed away on April 21, 2018. Robby was an integral part of the operation here at the Journal as well as the Big Sandy Mountaineer, but his reach extended well beyond the Hi-line. His obituary appeared in newspapers all over the state and Robbie was honored posthumously by having the Stockade Lounge in Lake McDonald Lodge renamed the Lucke Lounge, ensuring his memory will live on in Glacier National Park.

Robbie's articles were a 'must read' for many subscribers of the Blaine County Journal, Big Sandy Mountaineer and numerous other publications across the region. He will always be remembered through the words he penned and will not be forgotten by those who read them.

Steve Edwards

As 'Local' as they get

Small towns have a reputation for being very friendly and cordial to visitors as they welcome them to town with open arms and then wish them well when they leave.

It has been said in books, magazines, on the silver screen and in many a Tavern that it takes at least 25 years for a transplant to be accepted as a 'local', if they ever truly are.

Steve Edwards and his wife Sherry came to Chinook in 2013 with the intention of Sherry serving as a interim minister at the Chinook Presbyterian Church.

Sherry arrived in town first and Steve later joined her, after serving his time at the 'Pumpkin Patch' that we all seem to know, but have never been too.

To avoid the boredom often associated with retirement Steve came to the Journal and expressed interest in writing articles for us. The timing was perfect, as we were currently looking for someone to fill the shoes of the great Alan Sorensen.

It seemed like it took just days for Steve to acclimate himself to the community and ingrain himself in its identity. Steve was on the go, meeting people, asking questions and researching stories and history related to Blaine County that more times than not, evoked serious conversation and debate amongst the elders of the community.

It wasn't long before Steve was as knowledgeable of the area as anyone. He learned family history, researched agricultural and economic change that led the region to be where it is at today. Steve interjected himself in annual gatherings and it quickly became, accepted, that Steve was needed to be a part of it.

Steve wasn't afraid to get his feet wet when learning about Blaine County people and it's traditions. He went to branding's, took part in a cattle drive, went on an ag tour and was a part of the Sugarbeet Festival and Seed Show among many things.

Steve let the community get to know him in many ways through his writings, especially his travels. He often wrote about trips he went on. He even organized a couple of bus trips for local seniors that departed from the Chinook Senior Center and Harlem Senior Center en-route for Colorado and South Dakota in 2017 and 2018.

Steve wrote many stories on his travels and this year alone he submitted several articles regarding his trips. The first was to Door County, Wisconsin, published in the June 20th edition. The July 11 edition contained a story on the Bitterroot Valley and the '50 Mile Garage Sale'.

In the August 15 edition Steve wrote about a trip he took to the eastern part of the state, mainly Fort Peck. He later included a story entitled: Poking around Eastern Washington, Baseball technology, the Bull on the bench and Dry falls. Published August 29, 2018.

The September 19 edition included a story on a road trip to the Montana Preservation Alliance's 2018 Roadshow in the Flathead. The Senior trip to that Black Hills of South Dakota was included in the October 17th paper. His final road trip story was published on November 14 and covered his final trip to the 'Pumpkin Patch' in Washington.

In the November 21 edition Steve wrote his 'Farewell' to readers of the Blaine County Journal. The story began with a reporters note thats said, "In mid-December my wife, Sherry, and I will be leaving Chinook to live in Whitlash, Montana for a year. She'll be the "pastor in residence" at the Whitlash Community Presbyterian Church and I'll, well, I'll be going with her. That means I'm ending my stint as a reporter for the Blaine County Journal. It's been a great run for me the past five years at the newspaper and I thank readers for their support, story ideas and helpful comments about the stories I've written."

In the short five years that Steve and his wife Sherry were working and living in Blaine County they became as much a part of it as anything you'll find in a history book. We look forward to the two of them returning to visit again soon and who knows, maybe in a year they will come back to town. Regardless they will be missed by a community that considers them to be one of their own, a 'local'.

We all have been blessed with the many hundreds of stories that he wrote for us, which can all be found online as well of the many stories he told us and the memories he helped create. Good luck Steve and Sherry, you are always welcomed here.

The Blaine County Journal

Photo Contest

This year the Journal ran a photo contest in which one photo was chosen from entires submitted to the Journal to be featured as the stand alone photo on our front page. The winning photo would receive $100 at the conclusion of the contest.

There were several great photo's entered in the contest, and in the end it was a tough decision coming down to two photos.

The first, submitted by Toni Collins and published in the August 8 edition that included a farmer bailing hay early in the morning. The way the sunlight highlighted the dust being kicked up and the seagulls hovering close behind was visually pleasing.

The second photo was submitted by Tyler Hewitt titled 'Harvest Dinner from the field to the table'. This photo was fantastic as it was taken from high above of a dinner gathering right there, smack dab in the middle of the field, tractor and truck nearby.

In the end and after much deliberation the Toni Collins photo was selected by a 5-2 margin. Thank you to all of you who sent in photos, it was greatly appreciated and fun to see how you, the reader, captured the beautiful area we call home.

January - March 2018

As we begin our look back at 2018 we search articles published in the first quarter of the year, a year that began with record snowfall and bitter cold temperatures.

From the March 7 Edition:

Harsh winter hard on everyone, including Livestock

The harsh winter complicates an already delicate process as calving season gets underway

The winter of 2017-18 will be talked about for many years to come just as the winter of 1978-79 is still fresh in the minds of those there to experience it.

The average snowfall for the region in February is 5.8", this year we had 31.8" breaking the record set in 1978. For the season the record set in 1977-78 for total snowfall was 68.5", in 2018 we have recorded 78.3".

In addition this winter ranks as the fifth coldest on record. The average daily temperature in February was 1.5˚, normal is 22.2˚ a departure of - 20.7˚. The coldest on record is the winter of 1936 with an average daily temperature of -12.8˚.

For the full story, find it online at blaincountyjournal.com

From the January 10 Edition:

Owen Powell's Bird Tail Butte artwork celebrates family history

By Steve Edwards

BCJ News

Owen Powell likes to build things, especially using his welding and metal working skills. I first met Owen a couple of years ago, while he was still in high school, when he and a friend, Justin Kellam, built some custom bumpers and headache racks for their pickups. At that time the two friends got sticker shock when they went bumper shopping and decided they would make their own, which they did. They said at the time, "We like to build stuff."

Owen was looking to use his skills with metal to make a unique gift for his grandparents, Ted and Annette Powell of rural Chinook. Owen said, "I wanted to make something that would have real meaning to my grandparents." The 2016 Chinook High grad is currently a student at Helena College University of Montana studying welding and metal fabrication.

From the February 21 Edition:

It was over quick but one day of spring was better than no day of spring

By Steve Edwards

BCJ News

One month ago I wrote a story for the paper titled "Finally, warmer weather allows locals to 'dig out.'" Readers may recall we had a brief warmup in mid-January, of a couple of days, and snow removal and clean up began in earnest. Before my story about the warm up could run in the paper, the bottom fell out as far as weather and we plunged back into frigid temperatures and more snow, snow and snow ad nauseum. I had to scrap that story and hope for another warmup.

From the April 11 Edition:

Wacee Simenson battles cancer with help from many "Wacee's Warriors"

By Steve Edwards

BCJ News

Wacee is a first grader, from Chinook, who has been battling cancer since early February. With Wacee's family still in the throes of dealing with his illness, I was unsure how to get the information to do a story and not intrude further on their lives.

I ran into Justin, Wacee's dad, and he said he thought Tomi, wife and mom of the Simenson family, would be glad to help share Wacee's story. Tomi was very gracious and provided a narrative with a lot of information about how the disease was identified, the ways treatment developed and what Wacee's prognosis is. She stated a number of times how much she appreciated the spiritual, emotional and financial support from family, friends, community and total strangers. This is the story, to this point in time, of Wacee's battle with cancer as expressed by his mother, Tomi Simenson.

"We found the mass at the Havre ER on February 9th this year."-Tomi Simenson

Tomi wrote, "Looking back on things now I can see when little things started." She said during the two weeks before the football-sized mass was found in Wacee's upper body he had not been sleeping well and would sometimes complain of "leg pains." Relying on the normal treatment for those childhood conditions, Tomi gave him Tylenol and assumed it was growing pains, not atypical for an active seven year old.

From the May 16 Edition:

Overwhelming support: Wacee Simenson's Benefit draws more than 600

By Kody Farmer

BCJ News

If there is one thing that seems to be a certainty, it's the way neighbors help neighbors in Blaine County and across the Hi-line. This past winter, the fire before that, the recent flood, the October snowstorm are all prime examples of communities coming together to help each other out.

Wacee Simenson has been a trooper these past few months and his 'Warriors' showed their support for his fight by holding a benefit in his honor. More than 600 attended the fundraiser.

"It was really something special, everything went to the family. The Fairboard provided the commercial building, the Eagles employees donated their time to work the event and while there was a small charge from the Eagles to cover some expenses but they made a donation on top of it." added Ramberg.

"It's such a wonderful community we live in, and beyond," said Ramberg. "We had donations come in from across the state to help out and the Facebook community did a wonderful job getting the word out and supporting the cause.

From the August 1 Edition:

New North Fork bridge to be open for traffic by the end of August

By Steve Edwards

BCJ News

The superintendent for the contractor replacing the North Fork bridge and the project manager overseeing the work for the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) said they believe the new bridge will be completed and open for traffic by the end of August. Planning for the $2.8 million dollar replacement project began about six years ago. Actual work began in March of this year under a contract awarded to COP Construction, a multi-state business doing work throughout Montana and surrounding states. The new bridge replaces a one-lane, steel K-truss bridge that was erected in 1910 per a plaque found when the old bridge was removed. The North Fork bridge crosses the Milk River about four miles south and west of Zurich.

From the September 26 Edition:

2018 Montana Angus Tour a big success along the Hi-Line

By Steve Edwards

BCJ News

The 44th Montana Angus Tour is history. This year's tour, sponsored by the North Central Montana Angus Association (Hill, Blaine and Phillips County Angus breeders), drew 200+ registrants from 17 states and two Canadian provinces. Tour participants stopped at nine host sites and heard 21 beef breeders describe their operations. Guests viewed 1,500 cattle and calves along the way at sites north of Havre, south of Chinook, north of Turner and east of Malta.

At some stops the guest list swelled to nearly 400 as producers invited their customers to join the traveling event. The Montana Angus Tour has the distinction of being the longest running Angus tour in the country. One event sponsor said, "This annual tour is an opportunity for breeders to see some of the best genetics in the world." The tour group was joined by CEO Allen Moczygemba of the American Angus Association and other officials with the breed.

From the November 21 Edition:

Wellness Center planning meeting in Chinook

By Kody Farmer

BCJ News

Several community members have been getting together recently to discuss the possibility of bringing a Wellness/Community Center to the City of Chinook.

The idea generated plenty of interest within the group and some very preliminary discussions as far as possible locations have taken place.

Right now the group is taking it one step at a time and unless they land a huge grant or get a very generous donation the center will consist of a number of rooms with varying types of equipment that could be used by different groups. With that in mind the idea of the center including a basketball court is unlikely.

From the December 5 Edition:

Harlem Lumber is now in its new showroom, ready to serve the public

By Kody Farmer

BCJ News

Rod Wagner and his wife Lorie took over operations of the Harlem Lumber store back in 2012 when they purchased the operation from Lorie's parents Charlie and Kay Brekke. Rod worked at the store for ten years before relocating to Bozeman in 2002.

After 10 years away Rod found himself in charge of a business with a solid footprint within Harlem and the surrounding communities as well.

About 18 months ago plans began to improve the operation which included building an entirely new show room.

Brent Hotzer, a friend of Rod's from Bozeman did the architect design for the new facility and Jeremy Siemens, owner of Siemens Engineering Company in Havre did the engineering.

Pike Construction was called in to do all the ground work and Ed Fetter did all the framework. Loch Electric was tasked with the electrical work, Pete's plumbing was also on hand and Jim and Sam Jaha did the sheet rock work and painting.

With such an extensive project being taken on Rod and his crew were able to continue meeting the hardware and lumber needs of his customers without interruption.

When the new building was completed it meant a huge increase in available space and features a 4,800 square foot show room.

From the June 13 Edition:

Jessica Aberg named Branch President for First Bank of Montana in Chinook

y Steve Edwards

BCJ News

Jessica (Hansen) Aberg was named Branch President for the First Bank of Montana in Chinook effective June 7. Dean Comes, President of the branches that make up First Bank of Montana, made the announcement after reviewing applications from within the Glacier Bank system. A native of Harlem, Aberg began with First Bank in Chinook in 2007 as a loan processor and most recently served as a consumer lender. Aberg replaces Craig Lowham who took a banking job in Mountain View, Wyoming, to be closer to aging parents.

Remember, you can find the full story online at blainecountyjournal.com

From the July 4 Edition:

Frank and Bettie Barber recognized by Senator Daines, Representative Greg Gianforte

Editors note: Frank and Bettie Barber of Lloyd, Montana are easily recognizable throughout Blaine County and their generosity and kindness is known across the region. Recently Montana State Senator Steve Daines and Representative Greg Gianforte both recognized the Barber's, just days apart, for their Military service and community involvement with the Bear Paw Bowman Archery Shoot held annually at their ranch.

The edition contained the letters from both Senator Steve Daines and Representative Greg Gianforte in their entirety. Frank and Bettie were honored at their ranch during the Bear Paw Bow Shoot.

From the June 13 Edition:

Dillon Davies wins Emmy for work on "Under the Big Sky" TV series

By Steve Edwards

BCJ News

Dillon Davies and his colleague Shawn Newton were each awarded an Emmy in June at a Seattle awards ceremony recognizing outstanding television productions in the northwest region of the country. Davies grew up in Chinook and graduated from Chinook High in 2004. The two natives of the Hi-Line (Newton grew up in Glasgow) won the Emmys for their work with a Montana-based documentary TV series called "Under the Big Sky." The award was part of the National Academy's regional awards for the Northwest.

And on a final note ~

We are very grateful for the addition of Donna L. Miller and the anonymous 'Two Norwegian Girls' to our staff. Readers have already been delighted by their contributions and each unique style of writing and storytelling.

We look forward to seeing which roads these creative thinkers will take us down and the stories they will provide us with. Welcome aboard!

What will 2019 bring us? Whatever it is, we will do our best to bring Blaine County to our readers near and far.