Oct282018

Voting for the Democratic Party?

Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor,

Voting for the Democratic Party? Anybody know who these people and party stand for? This party was formed by Andrew Jackson. Since then and now this party has persecuted Jews, Christians, African Americans (slaves in the early times) and Native Americans. (Indians in early times.)

They simply want to be in control of your life. Also, it is a known fact that Hitler took all of his ideas from the Democratic Party to form his agenda to try and rule the world.

One of his first things on his agenda was to read more

Oct282018

Parties seek mediation to resolve city franchise fee lawsuit

Top Stories

Originally published in the 10/26/18 print edition of the Yellowstone County News.  

BILLINGS — A lawsuit filed against the City of Billings by six residents who say utility franchise fees are illegal may be resolved through mediation or negotiation.

But first, city officials and the plaintiffs have to reach a “good faith” agreement from which to reach a settlement, an attorney for the defendants said in a letter to the city.

At issue is whether franchisee fees charged on bills for city services including water, sewer and trash collection were actually illegal sales taxes. A group of six plaintiffs filed a civil suit against the city in May seeking an end to the fee collection and refunds for city residents who had paid them. The plaintiffs seek “class action” status for the lawsuit, which is being heard by a Great Falls judge after all  Yellowstone County District judges either recused themselves or were removed by request of parties to the lawsuit.

In a letter send this week to the city, plaintiff’s attorney Matthew Monforton said the city’s actions have read more

Oct272018

Sue exemplifies honesty and fairness.

Letters to the Editor

Dear editor:

Re-elect Vinton to HD 56.

With proud enthusiasm, we encourage voters to re-elect our current representative, Sue Vinton, to House District 56.

Having known Sue in our community professionally and personally for many years, we can attest to her strong work ethic and absolute integrity. Sue has lived in Lockwood for over 20 years raising her family alongside her husband Mike.

Sue’s credentials as a dedicated public servant, local business owner, supporter of our military, and advocate for education are well documented. She served on the Lockwood School Board for 12 years and also served as the board chair for over five years. She worked as a litigation paralegal for 15 years. Sue’s tireless involvement in the community demonstrates that she is read more

Oct272018

I first joined the Libertarian Party in 1980.

Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor:

I first joined the Libertarian Party in 1980. I am urging voters to vote Republican in the federal races. However, I urge everyone to vote for Roger Roots for Montana Supreme Court clerk. He not only has a law degree, but also has a Ph.D. All of his degrees are from fully accredited universities. I have known him for some time.

It is unfortunate that there was not a public debate involving the candidates for this office. This is also a statewide race. Dr. Roots has also run as a Libertarian for several different offices in past years. read more

Oct262018

It’s time for common sense

Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor:

I don’t understand how anyone can vote for a candidate running in today’s Democratic Party after the shameful antics during Judge Kavanaugh’s hearings. 

The left-supported protesters that were screaming, hollering and bullying people, shameful. No due process.

This week they lashed out at horribly at Kanye West, why? Because he’s black and he sat down with the president to discuss issues in the black community, the nastiness is terrible. The left thinks they own blacks. Didn’t they do that once before? They attack the first lady relentlessly. They chase people out of restaurants; scream at them in the halls of Congress and in airports. All of this is accepted and even pushed by leadership in the Democrat Party. They have become the party of incivility.

There should be no workers, union or not, in heavy industry that should ever consider voting for a Democrat. The Democrats and their lobbyist and environmental groups have done nothing but work against the oil, gas, coal, logging, mining, rail, farm, and ranch and trucking industries.

To say nothing of the fact that they despise our military, law enforcement and border patrol agents.They opposed the tax cuts for American workers; not one Democrat voted for the tax cuts that are keeping peoples own money in their own pocket read more

Oct262018

Obituary: Bruce Duane Harris

Obituaries

Bruce Duane Harris

Bruce Duane Harris was born to Owen Harris and Amy Hebert Harris on May 22, 1947, in Sidney.

He grew up a rambunctious youth, playing football and riding motorcycles with his brothers. Later in life, he discovered the joy to be had hunting and fishing. His “Happy Place” was along the Stillwater River.

Bruce retired a Major in 2007, after a long career in the United States Army and then the read more

Oct252018

The term “Useful Idiots” has been credited to many people.

Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor,

The term “Useful Idiots” has been credited to many people. But where it originated from is not important. The concept matters now because it is more applicable in today’s political climate than it has ever been before. Why? Because no matter what side people are on, there is a tendency to default to party tribalism. This behavior is not new, but it is increasing with the advent of social media.

Many voters vote with the “lesser of two evils” mentality. But because of their tribal behavior, they will also fail to overtly disagree with the people they voted for. Without voter consequence, the bad behavior of elected officials is condoned. Worse, it is defended by their supporters, who have become “useful idiots.” read more

Oct252018

Griffin elected president of Montana Medical Association

Billings

Dr. Jonathan Griffin

Originally published in the 10/19/18 print edition of Yellowstone County News. 

BILLINGS – Billings native and physician Jonathan S. Griffin has been elected president of the Montana Medical Association.

Griffin was elected at the association’s 140th annual membership and board of trustees Meeting at Fairmont Hot Springs Resort.

Griffin is a member of the MMA board of trustees and has been a MMA member since 2012. He is a thought leader in health information technology, and served on the Organizing Board of Big Sky read more

Oct222018

YCN Snap Shot runner-up winners

Features

Here are two images that achieved runner up status to the Yellowstone County News “YCN Snap Shot” contest for this year.  The first place image won $100 with 2nd place winning $50 and third place getting honorable mention.  

With about 60 images that were submitted to the Yellowstone County News, we thank all those who submitted pictures and images.  We also want to thank Western Security Bank for read more

Oct222018

Obituary: Preston Ray Sweeney, Sr. “Sweeney”

Obituaries

Preston Ray Sweeney, Sr. “Sweeney”

Preston Ray Sweeney, Sr. “Sweeney” was born on Nov. 2, 1931, and was just a few days from his 87th birthday when he left this world on Oct. 19, 2018. His parents, Wilbert Preston Sweeney and Alta Faye Kephart Sweeney, moved to Billings from Holt County, Missouri, in the 1920s. Sweeney’s first job was working in the family truck garden on Poly Drive.

At the age of 8 years old, he developed polio and spent several months in the hospital. He often recounted that, from his hospital window, he had watched the Northern Hotel burn down (fall of 1940). He never read more

Oct222018

Obituary: Richard Joseph Miller

Obituaries

Richard Joseph Miller

     Richard Joseph Miller passed away on Saturday, October 13, 2018, age 72. He was born to Harry and Minola (Grammar) Miller on June 26, 1946 at home in Keeline, WY.

     Dick was raised on the family ranch with his 9 brothers and 2 sisters before moving to Glenrock, where he excelled in high school football and track. During this time, he met his future wife, Dixie. After graduating Dick enlisted in the Army, serving in 1st Battalion, 321st Artillery, 101st Airborne Division from 1966 to 1968. On February 23, 1968 Dick and Dixie eloped to Colorado.

Dick began working in the oil fields starting in Lynch, WY and then moving to Belle Creek, MT to work for read more

Oct212018

U.S. Attorney: Arrests, drug seizures show Project Safe Neighborhoods is working

Montana-Statewide • Yellowstone County

Originally published in the 10/19/18 print edition of Yellowstone County News.  

BILLINGS — In the past six months, law enforcement officers have charged 105 persons in federal and state court, seized 160 pounds of methamphetamine and confiscated 52 firearms from the Yellowstone County community as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a federal program to reduce violent crime through a multi-jurisdictional law enforcement effort.

On Tuesday, the Montana U.S. Attorney’s office held a press conference to explain the program and its success so far. PSN is a reinvigorated U.S. Department of Justice read more

Oct212018

Vote like your freedoms depend on it, because they do!

Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor,

I am an emigrant from Communist China. My grandfather originally came to America as a Chinese coolie laborer in the early 1900s when America was building its transcontinental railroads. The Chinese men worked long hard hours to send their modest wages back to China to support their families. They had no intention of bringing their families to America until after read more

Oct202018

Weekly Ramblings: Krayton Kerns -Panic Attacks

Features • Politics

Krayton Kerns, Ramblings of a Conservative Cow Doctor. publishes a weekly column in the Yellowstone County News print edition.

Several decades back, the trophy wife and I hauled our three little ones to Disneyland. On the second night, we were touring Cinderella’s castle during their end-of-day parade and firework display. We tourists were crammed shoulder to shoulder when the night sky exploded in brilliant pyrotechnics. I was staring up into the darkness when Druann jabbed my ribs and hollered, “Grab Chelsie!”

I looked down to see our 3-year-old daughter screaming in panic and running in place. She was terrified and seconds from bolting into the crowd. Panic is a survival mechanism common to every animal species and the confirmation of Justice Kavanaugh has triggered this fight-or-flight reaction in progressives.

State-approved news broadcasts and social media are filled with video clips of activists pounding the doors of the Supreme Court, screaming hysterically at conservatives in D.C. restaurants and torching trucks sporting MAGA stickers.  As deranged as these perpetrators are, they are not panicked, and instead, are read more

Oct192018

McNiven Meanderings

Meanderings

Jonathan McNiven

Well, folks, can you believe that we have surpassed four years in owning and operating this fiscal rag (as Carl claims)? Yep, October 1 was our anniversary of taking over the helm.  In fact, I have been so busy trying to set the foundation for even more success that I forgot to even bring it up until now. There is just that much good going at YCN that we just keep forging forward with more options, legal ads, obits,  news, and content that is not anywhere else.  

From Carl’s Outdoors “Me Too Movement” articles to Krayton Kern’s Panic Attacks, we’ve got the good stuff right here in your hyper-local weekly newspaper! 

Did you notice we went 24 pages again this week?  We’ve come a long ways to get a 24 page newspaper out to the masses.  A big difference from an eight and 12 page paper to now this.  It can’t be done without the support of advertisers, great staff, readers like you and great columnists like Krayton Kerns and our Favorite Euthanized Outdoorsman Carl Wolf, even if there is a lackluster editor like myself.  I’m read more

Oct182018

Your power, your vote – choose against this Socialist nonsense

Top Stories

Dear Editor:

Rosendale and Gianforte – Real Montana Values

Has the Democratic Party been exposed?  Reasonable people who value truth, the rule of law and the Constitution will vote yes after watching the Kavanaugh hearings.  This was not some anomaly — some irregularity — this is what these Socialist Democrats have and are becoming. If you look at voting records and issues, you know that Tester and Williams are not the exception. You didn’t hear Jon and Kathleen decrying these tactics.  

Democrats have been exposed as a group who care only for raw power, will destroy anyone to get it, and believe the public is ignorant and won’t recognize their tactics.  When you see emotional-accusation trump “innocent until proven guilty,” you know this is not an America you want to live in. 

These are the bottom line reasons I have confidence in two men of integrity I have gotten to know — Matt Rosendale and Greg Gianforte. read more

Oct182018

People prefer work to welfare

Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor:

People prefer work to welfare.  Brazil and some countries in Africa where work is not available are fighting poverty and unemployment with “UBI,” Universal Basic Income.  This is a program of cash transfers to the poor. These transfers result in people eating better, less domestic violence, and improved “mental health.”

However, in the U.S., joblessness is perhaps more debilitating than a low paying job. Suicide, divorce, and opiod use are all associated with non-employment. In a recent survey, only 7 percent of men in households earning less than $35,000 per year reported being dissatisfied with their lives. But among the unemployed of all incomes, dissatisfaction soars to 18 percent.

Being rewarded for personal responsibility — for showing up on time each day, for getting the job done, and knowing that read more

Oct182018

U.S. Attorney: Arrest, drug seizures show Project Safe Neighborhood is working

Top Stories

BILLINGS — In the past six months, law enforcement officers have charged 105 persons in federal and state court, seized 160 pounds of methamphetamine and confiscated 52 firearms from the Yellowstone County community as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a federal program to reduce violent crime through a multi-jurisdictional law enforcement effort.

On Tuesday, the Montana U.S. Attorney’s office held a press conference to explain the program and its success so far. PSN is a reinvigorated U.S. Department of Justice initiative that identifies the most read more