Jan122023

Obituary: Arvin Huck

Obituaries

Arvin Huck

Arvin Huck, transferred to heaven, while shoveling snow on New Year’s Eve Day. Arvin was 59 years young and was born number 7 out of 13 kids, to Louie and Rose Huck of Ballantine, Montana. He and his “womb-mate,” Ron, tipped the scales with a combined birth weight of 18.5 pounds. Arvin and his siblings have an incredibly close bond. Growing up their family raised their own livestock and harvested a huge family garden. Arvin joked that lots of family dinners consisted of “Chicken and corn, chicken and corn, chicken and corn.” Family reunions were always filled with stories, laughter, and endless enjoyment of one another. 

Arvin and Beth were high school sweethearts and have been together for 42 years and married for 34 years. They moved to Nevada for Arvin’s job and made a wonderful life. You can see his love in the house he built for his wife and daughter and his green thumb in his yard and garden.  read more

Jan62023

Obituary: Neil Danielson

Obituaries

Neil Danielson

Neil Danielson, 69, of Worden, Montana, passed away on December 28, 2022, with his family by his side. He was born on October 13, 1953, to Duane and Jean in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He graduated from Rapid City Stevens High School in 1972, where he wrestled and was ranked 4th in the state. After graduation, he moved to Billings, Montana, and became a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW). He had two sons, Pat and Tim during this time from a previous marriage. He was a member of the IBEW for many years. Throughout his career, he worked for many electrical contractors, retiring from Reddi Electric in 2005. 

He met the love of his life, Tammy, and started their lives together on Christmas Eve in 1987. They married on May 26, 1990, where he became a dad to Tammy’s son, Brandon. They lived in Ballantine and had their only daughter, Stephanie in 1993. Shortly after, they moved to Tammy’s family farm in Worden and built their forever home.  read more

Jan62023

Obituary: Sylvia Ann Campos Mason

Obituaries

Sylvia Ann Campos Mason

Sylvia Ann Campos Mason, 73, of Corpus Christi, Texas, passed away on December 15, 2022. Sylvia was born on July 14, 1949 to Eloisa Saldaña Campos and Rosario Campos in Corpus Christi, Tx. Sylvia was a smart, witty, creative, and adventurous woman with a young heart. She enjoyed (crossword) puzzles, crocheting, painting, and riding shotgun on a Harley. Sylvia spent her latter years living in Ballantine, Montana, where she was a proud member of the Beartooth H.O.G. Chapter. 

Sylvia was predeceased by her husband Louis Warren Mason who adored her with his all and shared their lives together for over forty years. She is survived by her four children, Louis Mason II, Melissa McAfee, Eloisa Peña, and Theresa Peña Sanchez. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Tiffany, Laura, Jessica, Michael, David, Sarah, Mariam, Mikah, Khloe, Kaiden, Maddox, her nine great-grandchildren and her snowbird, LeRoy.  read more

Jan62023

Obituary: Connie Ellingston Bone

Obituaries

Connie Ellingston Bone, 76 years old, of Billings, Montana, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on December 29th after a yearlong struggle with dementia. Connie was born on October 14, 1946, to Helen and Con Ellingston of Great Falls, Montana. Connie was an only child and was raised by two hard-working parents. She would often tell stories of them working side by side on their rental properties as Connie played in the dirt nearby. Connie was so proud of her upbringing in Great Falls and would always call it home.  From a very young age, Connie wanted to be a school teacher. She started to pursue her college degree at the University of Great Falls for the first year and achieved her bachelors of science degree in education from Montana State University in Bozeman. She proudly worked in the Great Falls School district as a kindergarten and first grade teacher for a few years. She then married Gary Bone of Great Falls and they moved to Missoula, Montana, for Gary’s career. read more

Dec302022

County Officials Sworn into Office

Politics • Top Stories

by Evelyn Pyburn

On Tuesday, District Court Judge Ashley Harada swore in newly elected and re-elected county officials during a ceremony in the County Commissioners’ office.

Republican Mark Morse was sworn in as County Commissioner, the only newly elected county official. The rest of the county officials were re-elected to new terms – in most cases unchallenged Republican candidates. read more

Dec162022

Youth Services Center Faces Increase in Demand

Top Stories
by Evelyn Pyburn

Before each shift, the staff at the Ted Lechner Youth Services Center compare notes. Pictured here are (L-R) Hank Richards, Amanda Cortez, Yuliya Johnson, Sandy Woodyard, Albert Marnolejo, Kim Foreman, Randy Spivey, and Tina Taylor. (Evelyn Pyburn photo)

At a moment in time that the population of the Youth Services Center (YSC) in Yellowstone County is soaring, it is struggling to find the help that is needed to operate. Director of the Center for 27 years, Val Weber, told county commissioners last week, that the population numbers at the center have been consistently elevated for the past several months. read more

Dec162022

Capt. Keith Kober Named as Deputy State Fire Marshall 

Local

by Evelyn Pyburn

State Fire Marshall, Keith Kober

A 35-year veteran of the Lockwood Fire Department, Keith Kober, has been named as a Deputy State Fire Marshall. In assuming the new job, Kober will be retiring from his position as Captain at the Lockwood Fire Department sometime in January.

Kober made the announcement at the Lockwood Fire Board meeting last Wednesday. Kober said it was a difficult decision to make because he will miss being part of the local fire department but it is an opportunity that would be hard to pass up.

Lockwood Fire Chief John Staley congratulated Kober saying that hiring Kober was a good choice on the part of Dirk Johnson, Montana State Fire Marshal. “It’s a testament to his career,” said Staley, who also noted that it is a credit to Lockwood that when it came to finding a high-caliber person, they came to Lockwood Fire Department. read more

Dec162022

Citizens Speak Out on Importance of Election Processes

Politics

by Evelyn Pyburn

Citizens who spoke to County Commissioners, many of whom were election judges or poll watchers, itemized a number of things they were concerned about when it comes to accurate and secure elections. From the integrity of machines, to a need to purge voter rolls, to failings in the chain of custody — the 50 or so citizens who attended the public hearing on Tuesday, were adamant that they were there to make sure changes are made.

read more

Dec162022

Obituary: Duane Allison Broadbent

Obituaries

Duane Allison Broadbent

Duane Allison Broadbent, 87, of Ballantine died on December 10, 2022, at his home surrounded by his wife, Jean; son, Tim; and daughter-in-law, Cindy.  Duane was born to Allison and Juanita Broadbent on June 26, 1935, in Corning, Kansas.  He was the second of seven children.  He was raised in Topeka, Kansas, and graduated from Seman High School.  Duane worked for Santa Fe Railroad in the office after graduation then joined the Marines.  

Duane married Jean (Oblander) on January 25, 1958.  They would have celebrated their 65th anniversary next month.  They lived in McPherson, Kansas, for a year while Duane worked for Farmers Alliance Insurance Company.  They moved to Topeka, Kansas, for a year while Duane worked for Retail Credit Company.  They moved to Ballantine, Montana, in 1960 where Duane worked for Yellowstone Valley Electric Company for thirty-two years.  Duane started out working on the ground crew and moved his way up through the company until he retired as the general manager.  After retiring from Yellowstone Valley Electric, he was the manager of Central Montana Power for a year.   read more

Dec112022

Evil Mastermind of China is Dead

Opinion

Dear Editor,

The mastermind of mass imprisonment, torture, and killing in China has died. For hundreds of millions in China, Jiang will mostly be remembered as the architect of the most systematic, deadly, and protracted assault on Chinese citizens in decades: the persecution of Falun Gong. Jiang ordered the genocide of 70-100 million people because he felt threatened by its popularity, and belongs alongside the worst tyrants in history. The dregs of humanity that caused unmeasurable suffering upon his fellow mankind. read more