Aug142024

Tester Back-and-Forth on V.P. Harris

Politics

Recently, Senator Jon Tester has been attempting to distance himself from Vice President Harris’s presidential bid, having refused to endorse her so far despite her being the presumptive nominee of his party.

Tester is in a political pickle, as he hopes to keep his seat in a state that will likely go to President Trump by 15 plus points in the presidential election. Harris, according to GovTrack, has the second most liberal voting record as a U.S. Senator since the turn of the century, which will not play well in Montana.

Tester serves as one of Montana’s 24 delegates to the Democratic National Convention, which will take place next week in Chicago. According to Montana Public Radio, he has decided to be Montana’s sole Democratic delegate to withhold his vote. According to Punchbowl News, he will also be joining other vulnerable Democratic Senate incumbents Sherrod Brown (OH) and Jacky Rosen (NV) in not attending the Convention.

In a video Scripps News congressional correspondent Nathaniel Reed posted on X after Kamala was made the presumptive nominee, Tester was asked if he would endorse her. His response was “we’re in the middle of the process; it’s not over yet”, while Chuck Schumer offered to “block” journalists from reaching Tester.

This refusal to vote or endorse Kamala Harris is in stark contrast to Senator Tester’s previous history with the Democratic presidential candidate. From 2015-2017, Tester served as the chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. The DSCC is an organization that’s sole purpose is to get Democrats elected to the United States Senate. In his role as chair, Tester personally recruited Kamala Harris in 2015 to run for Senate in California.

In March of last year, the Daily Caller asked Tester if he would support keeping Harris on the ticket with President Biden, to which he replied, “Of course.”

As vice president, Harris holds the responsibility of breaking tied votes in the U.S. Senate, and despite only serving one term so far, she has broken more ties than any other vice president in American history at 33. In every single one of those votes, Jon Tester has voted with Kamala Harris. This includes the “Inflation Reduction Act”, which many economists believe worsened inflation and added 89,000 new IRS agents.

Aug132024

Trump Rally Recap: Team Takedown of the Tester Persona

Politics • Top Stories

US Senate Candidate Tim Sheehy addresses the crowd as former President Donald Trump invites Sheehy to come back up on the stage at the Donald Trump rally in Bozeman, MT Friday August 9, 2024. (Jonathan McNiven Photo)

On Friday, August 9, President Trump held a rally in Bozeman with one central mission–to make sure Jon Tester is not re-elected to the United States Senate. 

In a state President Trump has won by 20 points in the past, Senator Tester’s chances of winning are reliant on convincing Trump voters to split their ticket and vote Democrat for U.S. Senate. It’s apparent that Tester understands this mission, having recently taken out a two-page ad in a local newspaper to highlight certain Republican supporters, and has so far chosen not to endorse Vice President Harris for president.

The tag team of Republicans included Montana GOP Chair Don Kaltschmidt, former U.S. Attorney General Matt Whitaker, Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, Montana Auditor and candidate for U.S. House of Representatives Troy Downing, U.S. Representative of Montana’s 1st Congressional District Ryan Zinke, U.S. Senator Steve Daines, Montana Governor Greg Gianforte, candidate for U.S. Senate Tim Sheehy, U.S. Representative from Texas Ronny Jackson, and former President Trump.

Former President Donald Trump poses for a moment before approaching the stage to speak to a packed Brickbreeden Fieldhouse of some 7,500 + Trump supporters in Bozeman, MT Friday August 9, 2024. Over 15,000 tickets were requested for the event. Those that did not get into the event watched outside from a big screen tv. (Jonathan McNiven Photo)

The Attorney General combo of Matt Whitaker and Austin Knudsen attacked read more

Aug132024

File a Claim for Another Property Tax Rebate.

Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor,

Taxation is the price we pay to live in a civilized society?

Those who paid property taxes in Montana will be eligible to file a claim for another property tax rebate of up to $675 beginning August 15. The details are in a letter sent by the Montana Department of Revenue to all property tax payers. The letter explains how to ask the State how to get your own money back. I probably should know, but don’t, exactly how much we overpaid in taxes in the last two years. The last time I checked, the surplus tax collections ran to over $3 billion with some read more

Aug112024

How many schools across the country are ready to handle the Biden administration’s rewrite of Title IX changes?

Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor,

The school year is fast approaching. How many schools across the country are ready to handle the Biden administration’s rewrite of Title IX changes? Are children going to have their First Amendment rights trampled on by being federally mandated to use preferred pronouns? How many more girls are going to be forced to share bathrooms, locker rooms, sports, and field trip hotel rooms with confused boys?

There is a lot of confusion on the litigation against this blatantly unconstitutional and unlawful rewrite of regulations. MT Attorney General Knudsen joined a lawsuit against this rewrite earlier this year with several other states, and due to this a federal judge has issued a temporary injuction, preventing the rule from taking effect in MT.

I’m definitely not a read more

Aug102024

Between the Lines: the Supreme Court is neither SACRED nor sacred

Politics

by David Crisp
When I was a cub reporter, still wet not only behind the ears but from the peak of the hair I once had to the soles of my feet, I interviewed a school board candidate who then gave me a tub of honey his bees had produced.

I was too embarrassed to refuse it, but my editor said not to worry. The honey was so old and thick that the guy probably was just trying to get rid of it.

The point is that nearly 50 years ago in the backwoods of East Texas, journalists held themselves to higher ethical standards than the U.S. Supreme Court does today. Any reporter who accepted without disclosing even a tiny fraction of the grift Clarence Thomas wallows in would be immediately invited to pursue other career opportunities, such as going to law school.

So, I was interested in President Biden’s read more

Aug102024

New Shepherd Football Coach Ready to Take on Head Coach Position

Sports • Shepherd

Josh Casares

As the summer ends, football season starts. For Shepherd Public Schools, this means a new head football coach. Josh Casares, a Public Resource Officer (PRO) for Shepherd in the Shepherd area, has been hired for the head coach position at Shepherd.

“This is something I have wanted to do for quite some time,” said Casares in an interview with Yellowstone County News. “Once the opportunity presented itself, I jumped on it.” Casares has been coaching for a while from Little Man Football to assistant coaching at Senior High School and Shepherd.

“We are definitely going to change what we do offensively and defensively,” Casares said. Shepherd has been known for read more

Aug102024

Former State Legislator from Billings to Co-Chair Republicans for Tester Group

Politics • Billings

Mallerie Stromswold

Senator Jon Tester’s campaign has launched a new support group, Republicans for Tester. With Montana likely to go red in the presidential election, Tester’s chances of re-election seem to lie in his ability to get Republican voters to split their ballots between President Trump and himself.

One of 16 Co-Chairs of this new committee is a former state legislator from Billings, Mallerie Stromswold. She joins former Governor Mark Racicot, former Montana Secretary of State Bob Brown, and a read more

Aug102024

DEQ Dispute with Shepherd Schools

Shepherd

A special board meeting was held by Shepherd Public Schools to address an issue with Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). The issue includes the removal and replacement of an above-ground fire sprinkler pipe. The route of the pipe was determined acceptable by the DEQ, but there were points in the discussions that implicated that they may have read more

Aug92024

I’ll Keep This to the Point

Politics • Meanderings

Well, Folks, with so much going on, I’ll keep this to the point as I’ve got so much to do.

First, Dig It Days is next week, so make sure you set your calendars to come and join us. Bring the family, kids, grandkids and everyone. If you want to get into MontanaFair FREE on Friday August 16th, grab free tickets from any Dig It Days sponsor or call our office to get some free tickets. In fact, I’ll allow you call or text my cell phone 406-672-5941, and I’ll personally give you some free tickets. This is free entry into MontanaFair, and these free tickets are only from 12-3 pm on Friday, August 16. You can also go to www.digitdays.org and find all the rest of the sponsors and get free tickets from them.

Second, I’ll be going to the Trump rally in Bozeman this Friday. It will be read more

Aug92024

Conservative Corner: Drug Dealing the DC Way

Politics

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during 2023 roughly 75,000 US citizens died from synthetic opioids. The Obama administration might have explained this away as the “new norm.” They said “new norm” began in 2013 and continued on a rocketing increase until 2017. Then there was a slowdown for two years. In 2019 the “new norm” rocket took off again and continues today.

What does the Drug Enforcement Agency have to say about all this? Nearly seven out of every ten confiscated pills contain a lethal dose of fentanyl. 70% of pills confiscated would have killed the consumer by taking just one pill! Casual drug indulgence has changed to casualty drug indulgence. Where does the responsibility lie?

The core responsibility lies with the “Czar of the Southern Border,” Kamala Harris, and team player, Senator read more

Aug82024

MDT Restricts Overweight Permits on Newly Built I-90 Bridge

Top Stories • Yellowstone County

Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) has restricted overweight permits for the newly constructed I-90 bridges over the Yellowstone River in Billings. The new bridges just recently completed in the last year were the subject of MDT routine inspections for newly constructed bridges. The inspections of the I-90 bridges found the bridges to have 24 improperly tensioned bolts out of the read more

Aug72024

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson to Visit Billings

Politics • Top Stories • Billings

With President Trump coming to Bozeman this Friday, August 9th, for a rally with Senate hopeful Tim Sheehy and current United States Representative Ryan Zinke, Montana has suddenly become a focal point in national politics.

Following Trump’s rally,  Zinke will hold a rally with Ohioan Congressman and Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, Jim Jordan. This will take place in Kalispell on Saturday, August 10th at 3:00pm.

On Monday, August 12, Zinke will be appearing alongside House Majority Leader Steve Scalise for an event in Bozeman.

Most notably, on Friday, August 16th, Zinke will host yet another rally, this time with Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, in Billings. Johnson, a read more

Aug72024

Tester Praised Image of Dead Trump and Destroyed Monuments

Politics

In the wake of a harrowing assassination attempt in which former President Donald Trump came within fractions of an inch of losing his life and retired fire chief and father Corey Comperatore was killed just three weeks ago, many Americans are wondering how our political environment came to be so toxic that violence seemed acceptable for certain individuals. Many on the right have pointed to violent rhetoric and messaging from prominent Democratic figures. A recent Washington Examiner piece explored Montanan Senator Jon Tester’s history of rhetoric, especially pertaining to a controversial poster from a fundraising event in 2018 that he later praised.

In 2018, the rock band Pearl Jam held a fundraising concert for Tester in Missoula, which featured the following artwork which could be seen here done by the band’s bassist Jeff Ament:

 

The image depicts a burning down White House and read more

Aug32024

Get the T-Shirt! Win Cash! #digitdays

Features • Yellowstone County

Over 1,500 Dig It Days 2024 T-shirt will be given away for free to kids, teenagers and adults until shirts are gone.

Getting a Dig It Days t-shirt has come to be a tradition at MontanaFair. This year’s t-shirt is a bright green, one that you won’t want to miss.

Among the many give-aways at Dig It Days are one thousand t-shirts each of the two days – Friday and Saturday, August 16 and 17. There was a shortage of larger sizes last year, so more of the larger sizes were ordered this year. They are given away on a first come, first serve basis so don’t miss getting your t-shirt.

All our major sponsors are recognized for their tremendous support of Dig It Days with logos placed on the back. Dig It Days would not be remotely possible if it weren’t for the contributions and hard work of our sponsors, so be sure and tell them thank you when you have an opportunity.

Everything at Dig It Days is free, and this year entry into MontanaFair can also be free by picking up a complimentary ticket at one of our sponsor locations.

Dig it Days is meant for kids, teenagers and adults to have fun and learn about the construction and energy industries. It’s an opportunity for read more

Aug32024

You Can Trust Your Vote Will Count. Just Don’t Listen to the Whiners.

Politics

by David Crisp:

Two things we can be sure of about the 2024 election: Millions of Americans will be disappointed, and Donald Trump will accept the results only if he wins.

Trump has never backed down from his claims that the 2020 election was stolen, even though no solid evidence of that has surfaced. Dozens of lawsuits failed. Recounts confirmed that Trump lost. “2,000 Mules,” a widely promoted documentary arguing election fraud, was withdrawn by its distributor this year after read more

Aug32024

“Can Do Diesel” Repair Shop to Open in Ballantine

Huntley Project

Jeff Anderson, owner of Can Do Diesel poses for a picture in preparation for the announcement of his diesel repair shop. (Jonathan McNiven Photo)

A new diesel repair shop has opened in Ballantine. The shop, Can Do Diesel, focuses on everything diesel including but not limited to diesel pickup trucks, semi-trucks, tractors, combines and much more.

The shop owner and operator, Jeff Anderson, has worked on diesel engines for twenty years and counting. Starting as a diesel mechanic in the United States’ Navy and attending diesel mechanics school, Anderson has seen many different diesel engines and has worked on almost anything. After leaving the Navy, Anderson also worked for other diesel repair shops to help gain more experience on different vehicles. Now, he has read more

Aug22024

President Donald Trump to Hold Rally in Bozeman, MT

Politics • Top Stories

President Trump waves to the crowd at a rally in Billings on September 6, 2018 (Photo by Jonathan McNiven)

Just three weeks after an assassination attempt in which he was shot in the ear, President Donald Trump is set to make a high-profile appearance in Bozeman, Montana, with a rally scheduled for August 9, 2024, at 8:00 p.m. Trump will be joined by Republican Senate candidate Tim Sheehy. The event will take place at the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse at Montana State University. The event was confirmed by Sheehy in a video posted on his official campaign X account.

As the 2024 campaign season rages along, Trump’s visit to Montana is an interesting strategic decision. In 2020 President Trump beat President Biden by 16 points here, and in 2016 he beat Hillary Clinton by 20. Montana’s presidential electoral votes are likely secure for Trump. However, there is one specific election in Montana that has a chance to change the entire makeup of the federal government: the Senate race between Jon Tester and Tim Sheehy. read more