Week of June 10, 2026
Week of June 10, 2026
Two days after winning her primary, state Representative Valerie Moore was travelling to California for her grandsons' high school graduation – a vacation supporters would no doubt say was hard-earned after a bitter re-election campaign. "Feeling good and happy to have it behind me," Moore said of the primary. "It was just a very difficult campaign. I never expected it to be on that level, nor did anyone else that was up against this." The Montana Republican Primaries were especially...
Two Bureau of Land Management road-maintenance projects in south Valley County, Montana, will soon begin construction, thanks to Great American Outdoor Act funding, officials with the BLM's Glasgow Field Office announced, today. On or around June 10, contractors will begin to repair a 2022 washout on Cactus Flats Road, restoring public vehicle access to the north side of Willow Creek, weather permitting. Following that work, contractors will replace three large (48-60 inches in diameter)...
Despite low approval ratings, incumbent Representative Troy Downing – who ran unopposed in last week’s second congressional district Republican primary – is largely expected to win reelection this November. A Montana Free Press-Eagleton poll conducted in late April and early May found Downing’s approval rating across the district, which includes Valley County, was 34% compared to his disapproval rating of 40%. Yet the prediction market Kalshi currently has Downing’s odds of reelection...
The Montana primary elections were held on Tuesday, June 2. 2,193 ballots were cast in Valley County representing 41.85% turnout, according to the Montana Secretary of State’s office. Kurt Alme won the Republican primary for U.S. Senate with 75% of the votes in Valley County, closely approximating the 76% of votes he received statewide. Alme defeated challengers Lee Calhoun and Charles Walking Cloud. Alani Bankhead won the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate with a plurality of 44% statewide....
The days are getting longer and hotter, with temperatures already reaching record-breaking highs this summer. Thankfully, the wait to cool off is over. The Parke Place Pool opens today! The original swimming pool opened in June 1974. After 48 seasons, it closed due to disrepair in 2022. "Patching the existing pool is akin to putting a band aide [sic] on a broken bone," the Valley County Community Pool Campaign said at the time. The city, along with the Kiwanis swim team, spent hundreds of hours...
The main action may have taken place along the Milk River, but this year's Catfish Classic wasn't just for anglers. Downtown Glasgow was bustling with activity Saturday as revelers celebrated the end of school and the start of summer. Whether cooling off in the hot summer day by zooming down a waterslide to dancing the night away to the dulcet tones of Sideways, area residents turned out in scores for a weekend of community fun. Despite cool temperatures and rain throughout the week, the...
Encompassing both the Assiniboine and Sioux and the Dry Prairie Rural Water Systems, the Fort Peck Reservation Rural Water System provides drinking water for many tribal and non-tribal communities in Valley County. When Congress established the project in 2000, it was set to be completed within 10 years. More than a quarter-century later, it is still incomplete. That could change in the next two years. A bill sponsored by Republican Representative Troy Downing passed the U.S. House of...
It's hard to surprise Brenner Flaten. For more than a quarter-century, the Glasgow native has organized the Catfish Classic. "Anytime you run an event for 27 years you will be hard-pressed to see a new record or things that haven't been accomplished before," he said. This year, however, defied expectations and made tournament history. Knoxsen Harris, who just completed sixth grade, and his father Clancy Harris won the 27th annual Catfish Classic. Knoxsen became the youngest angler ever to be a...
63 All-Conference selections. 25 All-State selections. Nine athletes continuing their careers in college. Six Golden Scotties. Four state champions. These are just some of the athletic achievements honored on June 2 at the Glasgow All-Sports Banquet hosted at the St. Raphael's Parish Center. "They've set the bar high. Their commitment to wearing a Scotties uniform is absolutely unbelievable, and it set a standard for years," said Glasgow High School Athletic Director Mike Erickson. The banquet...
Last week, young Scotties took to the high school track to learn and compete in track and field events. Fourth, fifth, and sixth graders competed in events such as the 100-meter dash, 400-meter dash, hurdles (or as it was called, the obstacle race), long jump, and the shot put. "It's a good deal for the kids, they get to come out and have fun for a few hours," said Randy Darcey, a parent of a kid at the camp. This is the third year Kayla Larsen has hosted the camp. Previously held during the...
On Saturday, the Glasgow community came together for the 27th annual Catfish Classic. While the evening was for the fishermen, the rest of the day was filled with family and community events. The day started with family runs, was filled with pop ups for the community, and ended with a cornhole tournament with a prize of $525. "It's the kickoff of summer for us in Glasgow essentially. So we're just trying to make it a family-friendly community event, with the whole community and anybody else,"...
By: Lisa Baxter, Aging Services Specialist In many rural Montana communities, long-term care decisions are deeply personal—and often financially complex. When a loved one needs nursing home care or other long-term services, Medicaid can provide essential support. But there is an important piece of the program that often catches families by surprise: liens and estate recovery. This article aims to explain these concepts in straightforward terms so Montanans can plan ahead and avoid unnecessary hardship. Why Medicaid Matters in Rural Montana...
Congratulations to all those who participated in the Class C Montana State Track Meet on behalf of Lustre! Lustre Lions boys finished in second place with 71 points, behind Cascade. For girls, Kencia Brown placed second in Javelin with both personal and state records. Johnslee Pierre medaled first in four races, setting a state record in the 400m, the 300m Hurdles and placing first in long and triple jumps. Congratulations to their coach Lynn Unrau and staff. Beacon Bible Camp is in full...
Saving for retirement is important, but it’s only part of the picture. If you’re within five to 10 years of your target retirement date, it’s time to start thinking about what you actually want your retirement to look like. After all, getting to retirement isn’t the end goal — it’s what you want to do once you’re there that matters. Start by asking yourself these five questions. When do you want to retire? The age at which you retire matters more than you may realize. Retiring early sounds appealing, but it means saving more and...
While vacations are fun as well as needed breaks from everyday life, eventually one must return home to “real life.” And that means the chores you’d normally do at the proper times have piled up. I’ve started making a list, and it’s daunting! Guess I’ll do as the adage says, one step at a time. The first thing will be to unload the car. Sort laundry. Water the houseplants. Inspect the yard. I’m sure we had winds, so there will be more tree limbs to pick up before I can mow. I’m sincerely hoping the greenhouse will still have...
The recent reversal by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on American Prairie’s (AP) permit to graze bison on public land is a narrow administrative ruling on whether the Taylor Grazing Act of 1934 allows bison to graze on BLM lands for conservation purposes or whether the Act only authorizes domestic livestock raised for commerce. It is easy to see how everyone on every side of the political spectrum suspects that either the initial ruling allowing bison or the subsequent ruling disallowing bison was politically motivated. There are,...
Hey y’all, Folks keep asking me how I like living in Northeast Montana. So I thought I’d tell you. Two months in, I love this place. Sometimes I fear when I say that people think I’m blowing smoke up their behinds. What’s the editor of the local newspaper supposed to say, that he hates the people he covers? That’s a great way to get run out of town on a rail. But I do. Love the place, I mean. Not hate the people. I’ve not met a person here I don’t like. Well, but for that one woman who was very rude to me at the supermarket. She...
Montana is at a crossroads. In agriculture, we are in the challenging position of trying to thread the needle between preserving our way of life and supporting the growth our communities have been dreaming of for years. As a rancher myself, I have seen firsthand the friction between our traditional Montana values of hard work, freedom, and caring for our neighbors and the thousands of new neighbors who have moved in. Since 2020, it is estimated that our population has increased by 60,000. This growth puts pressure on every aspect of our...
Saturday, May 23rd, and Saturday, May 30th, local 4-H members and Pony Club members worked together to bring new life to the Ridge Runners riding arena. They put up new, wooden top rails all around and replaced the rotted out posts with brand new ones. Some of the metal rails will get welded where they have come apart. The group put up fifteen foot posts and a cross member to rehang the original gate because it was sagging. The members improved the crow’s nest with a new door, a new roof, and new tin on the corners. Inside the crow’s...
