News

New Katie’s House director understands the struggles of substance abuse

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Kate Metcalf knows what it’s like to be down on her luck.

The new director of Katie’s House, a non-profit, faith-based transitional living center, knows how it feels to lose it all.

“The reason I moved to Montana is because I had a substance abuse problem,” she said. “I had a large problem with meth and moved here to get clean. I’ve been clean 14 years now.”

Metcalf has found a home in the Lewistown community. She’s found resources she needs, such as Together Our Recovery Center Heals, and she’s found friends rooted in faith.

Community Cupboard helps keep hunger at bay

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If you are hungry, come to the Cupboard.

That’s the main message Russell Epperson wants to get out to the Central Montana community. Epperson is chairman of the board of the Community Cupboard, the area’s food bank.

“In 2018, we had more than 4,000 shoppers,” Epperson said, explaining each “shopping trip” could be one person shopping for themselves or one person shopping for a family.

Epperson said the Cupboard, located on Broadway, sees shoppers of all ages coming in for food, but he said recently they’ve seen more young families showing up for help.

Honoring veterans

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First female

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Moore’s Mamie Hertel has done it again. Hertel is the first female from the state of Montana to be elected as a national officer in FFA. Just prior to the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis earlier this month, Hertel was one of six officers selected for the 2019-2020 National Officer team. She was selected as the central region vice president. 

WAAC, WAC, WAVE or WIN

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Twenty-something Roberta Mae Deal had a choice to make. The time was the early 1940s and war was raging in the Pacific and in Europe. As a jazz musician, traveling gigs were slim for the Lewistown native. Her father, Dr. Arter Deal, was housebound with encephalitis, and she was engaged to two men pressing for a wedding date. Her choice was to join the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps and serve her country.

Doctors address climate change concerns

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Before every Rotary International meeting in Lewistown, Rotarians recite the four-way test, which they consider an ethical guide for the things we think, say or do: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build good will and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

On Monday, this four-way test applied to climate change, as Drs. Robert and Lori Byron of Hardin led a discussion called “Climate Change: Opportunity for Service.” 

New look for county property tax bills

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This past week, property owners across Fergus County opened mailboxes to find their annual property tax bills waiting for them. According to Fergus County Treasurer Gwen Gehlen, over 10,600 bills were mailed out.

“This year we went with a new company that prints and mails the property tax bills,” Gehlen said. “I talked to other treasurers across the state and those using this company said, ‘once you use them, you’ll never go back.’”

She Believed

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Five-year-old Daizee Dae Douglass has not had the most ordinary childhood. In June of 2017, she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and she’s been going from one treatment to the next ever since.

But now – after two and a half years of fighting – Daizee Day is cancer free.

Good beginning

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Fergus High School junior Trace Martin is building his registered Angus herd one cow at a time. Well, actually, just one heifer so far, but that one is the start of something much larger.

Martin was the lucky recipient of an Angus heifer awarded through the NILE Merit Heifer Program. Recently he showed his heifer with good results at the Northern International Livestock Exposition in Billings, and now, with the heifer bred, he is anxiously awaiting spring calving.

No end in sight for early winter weather

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While the weather outside looks frightful, or at least unseasonal, it’s following a trend that’s made 2019 one of the coldest years on record.

“We call it a northerly flow,” said Lead National Weather Service Meteorologist Jim Brusda, speaking from his Great Falls office Wednesday. “What’s happening, and what’s been happening for much of this year, is there’s an upper level high pressure ridge over the Pacific that’s pushing warm air up over the Arctic. That warm air is displacing cold air that’s being pushed south, right across Canada and into Montana.”

Poll

A handful of states are making efforts to eliminate daylight savings time in favor of one standard time. Would you support this change in Montana?