News

Election 2018 – 6-Mill Levy Initiative

 

While talk of reductions at the University of Montana has grabbed a lot of the attention, the decisions Montanans make at the ballot box this fall may have much broader implications for the state’s eight public higher education institutions. 

Organizations and people across the state of Montana have been working to make sure  voters continue to support the property levy that has been a critical part of higher education support in the state since 1948. 

New ER doctor excited for small town life

 

 

New emergency room doctor Brian Lopez feels right at home in Central Montana.

Originally from Tucumcari, New Mexico, Brian said he is used to small town life and is ready to embrace it again.

“Tucumcari is strikingly similar to Lewistown,” he said. “It has right about the same population and the same kind of industry. It’s a ranching community.”

Brian enjoyed his small town childhood, but he had to step away from rural life to pursue his dream of becoming a doctor.

Joe Ward named Lewistown Fire Chief

 

 

After 33 years with the Lewistown Fire Department, Joe Ward has moved up to the highest rank: Lewistown Fire Chief.

“I first started with the LFD in 1985 while a senior in high school,” he said, “and I was a part-paid firefighter for 15 years. I worked some other jobs in that time. Then, in January of 2000, a full-time job opportunity came up here. I applied, was given the job and I’ve been here ever since.”

He can still remember his first days on the job.

Voters to decide if ballot collection should remain legal

 

Supporters of LR-129 claim their proposal will ensure mail-in ballots are secure and the state’s elections are free of potential fraud, but opponents argue the entire effort may cause unnecessary gridlock at the polls and distract from any actual security issue.

Guns of Teddy Roosevelt, Buffalo Bill on display at gun show

 

 

“This is about as good as it gets.”

That’s what gun dealer and historic gun collector Gary Asproth had to say about the guns he’ll display at the Lewistown Gun Show this weekend.

“I’ve got a Winchester that used to belong to Teddy Roosevelt and one that used to belong to Buffalo Bill,” he said proudly, hardly believing it himself.

Stopping by the News-Argus before setting up at the gun show, Asproth, a Minnesota resident with ties to Central Montana, shared his prized possessions, telling the stories behind the firearms.

 

Cold, wet weather a challenge for wheat growers

 

 

“We need the moisture” is the perennial cry of those living in the semi-arid West. But timing is everything, and the wet period Central Montana has been in since the end of September may have caused some issues, especially for wheat growers.

“Seeding early is the most important thing a grower can do to produce a vigorous plant with improved chances of winter survival,” according to the Western Winter Wheat Inititiative’s website.

It Takes Two

 

The Central Montana Community Health Center board shared some big news recently, as they announced a merger with Bighorn Valley Health Center. 

According to BVHC Chief Quality Officer Lara Salazar, this merger came into fruition after both organizations identified “significant health care challenges in the region, including high levels of chronic disease, lack of access to behavioral health and substance abuse treatment, provider shortages and an aging population – all in an increasingly complex and uncertain health care landscape,” she wrote in a news release.

Numbers at the crux of I-185 arguments

 

 

Much of the battle over I-185, the Extend Medicaid Expansion and Increase Tobacco Taxes initiative on the ballot in November, has to do with numbers.

How many people will keep or lose Medicaid coverage? How much of the cost of expanding Medicaid will the federal government pay? Will the new taxes cover the rest?

The answers may depend on who is doing the answering.

A hunting bond

 

 

When Dakota took a shot at a bull elk last month – one week after his father passed from multiple system atrophy – he had a feeling the arrow would connect.

All his life, Dakota, 30, would go hunting with his father, Mike Wahl, and – just like on their many outings – he could feel his father’s presence.

“I snuck out for the day after my family left and was pretty lucky to get an elk,” Dakota said. “I was doing a lot of reflecting while I was out. I did a lot of reminiscing, which really made it feel like my dad was there.”

Sign of the times

 

 

Lewistown City Planner Cathy Barta continued a discussion on the Lewistown Sign Ordinance during Monday’s City Commission meeting, where she received feedback and thoughts on possible revisions.

The updated sign ordinance came about after the U.S. Supreme Court made a ruling in Reed vs. Town of Gilbert, Arizona that their content-based sign regulations were unconstitutional.

“The language in Gilbert, Arizona’s sign ordinance is almost verbatim that of our sign ordinance,” Barta said, “which made us aware that we needed to revise our ordinance.”

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