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The Office of Public Instruction and Montana University System announced on Tuesday that Montana juniors will have the opportunity to take the ACT free of charge this coming fall semester of their senior year. Normally, current juniors would take the ACT in the spring as Montana’s statewide standardized test for federal accountability. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak and Montana’s pending waiver request from standardized tests, it is likely that juniors will not be taking the ACT this spring. “In this time of uncer...
The outbreak of the novel coronavirus throughout the United States this month has transformed American lives in ways many might never have imagined possible. Social distancing recommendations and restrictions on gatherings of more than a handful of people have had a ripple effect on the economy that has adversely affected many small businesses. Small businesses are the backbones of local communities. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small businesses make...
The U.S. Small Business Administration is offering low-interest federal disaster loans for working capital to all Montana small businesses suffering substantial economic injury as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19), SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza announced today. SBA disaster assistance is now available in all counties within the state of Montana and the neighboring counties below. Neighboring Idaho counties: Bonner, Boundary, Clark, Clearwater, Fremont, Idaho, Lemhi and Shoshone; Neighboring North Dakota counties:...
Valerie Joy Poppema, 38, of Ekalaka, Montana went to be with the Lord on Saturday, March 21 after a courageous fight with cancer. Valerie was born in Zeeland, Michigan on November 15, 1981, the daughter of Bruce and Patricia Payne. Valerie grew up in Holland, MI, graduating high school in 1999. She continued her education at Grace Bible College in Wyoming, MI, where she earned her Human Services Bachelor's Degree and a minor in Biblical Studies. Along with excelling in the...
This week, I had a conversation with U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to discuss national responses to the COVID-19 outbreak and how the U.S. Department of Education can assist Montana schools. I encouraged flexibility for Montana schools. We also discussed equitable alternative education delivery and what that looks like in rural Montana, especially for special education and other at-risk student groups. As communities across Montana were forced to rapidly adapt in...
I was sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee on the morning of March 5, 2020 when the cruise ship The Grand Princess came across the screen. Somehow I knew that was the ship my friends, Judy Vidack and Theresa Hopkins were on. The report said that a passenger on the ship on a cruise to Mexico prior to their Hawaii cruise had tested positive for Coronavirus so they were going to do testing on the ship. By noon that day, the passengers were sequestered in their rooms and a Coast Guard helicopter was delivering testing sup...
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: You know, Lord, recently, we ran across some interesting truths. When a friend stated that You, Lord, are like an ‘eyelid’, we were like “What? What are you talking about?” Amazingly, we discovered some interesting and surprising pictures in the Bible, things like You, Lord God, as a laboring mother (ISA 42:14) or as a beekeeper (7:18); now that surely was all news to those of us listening! We read in Deuteronomy 32 where Moses praises the way You took care of Your people, and in verse 10 how You s...
Depression and anxiety are the two most common mental health disorders, and every person will experience one or both at some point in their life. Some people experience depression or anxiety over a short period, while others have a lifelong diagnosis. Occasional anxiety is a normal part of life. We all experience anxiety at some point, like before a big test, a job interview, or before making a big decision. However, anxiety disorders involve more than temporary fear. Those with anxiety disorders experience anxiety lifelong,...
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is enrolling new landowners in Region 7 who are interested in participating in the Block Management Program. Block Management is a cooperative effort between landowners and FWP to help manage public hunting activities and provide equitable public hunting opportunities. In the Block Management program, landowners and FWP enter into voluntary agreements that determine how hunting will be conducted on the landowner's property. Items such as...
The Montana History Foundation announces its 2020 grant cycle will put $164,800 into 29 historic preservation projects in 27 communities this year. That brings the total funding from the History Foundation for historic preservation across the state since 2012 to just over $1 million. "The projects we fund through our grant program are vital in order to continue telling Montana's story for generations to come," says History Foundation President/CEO Charlene Porsild. "We are...
Over the last few weeks a great deal of visible progress has been made on the new hospital facility. Warmer weather has helped keep construction crews busy, especially with concrete work. Much of the steal framing of the building is now complete. Dahl Memorial CEO Ryan Tooke said on Wednesday morning that they have all of the materials they need to complete the project so it won't be slowed or affected by any manufacturing delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The central...
Local health officials directed the closure of Ekalaka businesses last week as another aggressive step to curtail the spread of COVID-19. The move came prior to a state mandate from Gov. Steve Bullock last Friday that directed all bars and restaurants, gyms, theaters and casinos to close. "Both young and older Montanans, in urban and rural communities, have tested positive for coronavirus, making it even more clear that this virus impacts us all and that these actions are...
During this time of uncertainty, people need people and we need each other. As we have read and listened to the news, the healthcare system may potentially become overwhelmed with COVID-19, not to mention the daily maintenance of the health of the community. With that being said, I am inviting you to consider becoming a certified nurses aide (CNA). A CNA does not translate into being at the bottom, but rather the base of a rewarding healthcare career. It’s rewarding because you get to care for people in their most v...
A HONOR ROLL (3.5 GPA or higher) Tegan Diede Seth Kennedy Kari Kittelmann Kendall Kittelmann Whitney Kittelmann Wyatt Kittelmann Hannah LaBree Heather LaBree Heidi LaBree Brynn Loehding Tylee Loehding Nicole O'Connell Mick O'Connor Tyra O'Connor Jaden Pardee Jared Pardee Rose Rychner Ryan Rychner Darin Schallenberger Travis Schallenberger Jennifer Schmid Grace Tooke Kendra Tooke Kenzie Tooke B HONOR ROLL (3.0 - 3.49 GPA) Grafton Bonsell Brayden Bucholz Ryker Carroll Caiden...
