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Many of you may not remember who “Dr Dirt” was. I am an Internal Medicine physician who has worked in this area since 1986. I took a sabbatical from medicine for several years. I have been back in medicine for over six years, doing what I was always meant to do. During my sabbatical I ran a small landscaping business with my three sons. I did a variety of other things as well. I wrote a weekly newspaper column for “The Roundup” for five years that was entitled “Dr Dirt.” After reading the obituary on the legendary Russ Wells and attending his m...
Dear Sidney Community, On behalf of Richland Opportunities, Inc. I would like to personally thank the many people in our community that helped make the 1st Annual ROI Prom a huge success. There were many staff that put in a lot of hours of their own time to help make this night special, but I want to give a big “shout out” to all the community members and businesses that contributed to the ROI Prom 2019 “Summer Nights” on June 22nd in the Sidney High School Gym. Having a Prom for the individuals at ROI has long been a thought, but to actuall...
The E-rase your E-waste Committee would like to thank everyone who participated in our 2019 Spring E-rase your E-waste events in Sidney and Fairview. The official tallies are now in and, altogether, more than 80 MonDak area businesses and residents recycled another 14,385 pounds (more than 7 Tons) of electronic waste! That brings our grand total to 487,000 pounds recycled since the program's inception 15 years ago. That's more than 243 Tons of e-waste with its toxic substances and heavy metals...
The legislature has finished its work after 87 days. The session was filled with many long days at the Capitol but we saw many legislative breakthroughs that will benefit our district and all of Montana. The driving force behind these victories was the Conservative Solutions Caucus. The Conservative Solutions Caucus is made up of fellow Republicans from all across Montana who believe, like I do, that our constituents expect us to go to Helena to solve problems and work to find solutions and govern, not just vote “no” and go home and point fin...
The past two weeks have been some of the biggest weeks in the House during the session. Contentious bills we took up in the House included Representative Buttrey’s Medicaid Reform and Integrity Act, as well as the Infrastructure Bonding Bill. I supported Representative Buttrey’s bill because I believe in the reforms it makes to the Medicaid law set to expire in June without reauthorization. The resolution from the Sidney Health Center Board of Trustees asking me to support continuation of the...
I will never forget the day I learned the cost of my husband’s new medication: $9,000 per month, totaling $108,000 per year. Panic set in as we wondered how we would pay. We researched alternatives. There weren’t any, even though the drug has been on the market for over 20 years. To our great relief, our health insurance covered - and continues to cover - this expensive medication, which we could otherwise not afford. With this drug my husband stays out of the hospital, can go to work, pay taxes and remain a productive member of society. My...
This Letter to the Editor is in response to a news-article in the April 3rd edition of The Roundup titled "Farm Bureau Members Attend Advisory Meetings, Meet With Congressional Offices In D.C." Wild horses stand ready to reduce the incidence of wildfire. If released in remote areas where dry old grass and twigs abound, they would graze down those "one-hour fuels" that could otherwise feed fires. The "Wild Horse Fire Brigade" would provide a safe, smoke-free, cost-free method of reducing the fuel-load. In fact, immediate and ongoing savings...
The 2015 Montana legislature passed the Medicaid Expansion program in Montana, providing healthcare coverage to low income and disabled individuals. Importantly this act included work/training programs, premiums, as well as a 4 year expiration “sunset” date to allow the legislature to review the data and consider whether to leave the program unchanged, make reforms or discontinue it. Initially the Federal government paid for 100 percent of the program, tapering down to 90 percent by 2020. The program is set to sunset in June of 2019, unl...
It’s often said that Montana is like a small town with long streets. Montanans may be separated by hundreds of miles but it’s amazing how many mutual friends you find you have after talking with someone for five minutes in this giant small town. A defining characteristic of small towns is that people care about one another and rally together in challenging times. Chances are you’ve attended at least a few community benefits to raise money for medical bills or to help a family that had some other misfortune strike. Today, our giant small town...
I am a third-generation farmer and rancher in Montana. My family has a long history of working the land and raising cattle. I understand full well the negative impact low commodity prices have on agriculture and the communities that rely on Agriculture to survive. The ag economy of the United States is in increasing trouble, one only needs to see the following stats to understand this: FDIC reports that U.S. Farm real estate loan delinquencies for Q3 in 2018 are the highest rate of delinquencies on all bank loans for the first time in...
To the editor: The E-rase your E-waste committee would like to thank everyone who participated in our 2018 E-rase your E-waste event in Sidney this fall. The official results are now in for our fall event held Sept. 7-8 in Sidney where MonDak businesses and residents recycled another 16,213 pounds (more than 8 TONS) of electronic waste. That brings our grand total to 472,637 pounds of e-waste recycled since this program’s inception 14 years ago. That’s nearly 238 TONS of e-waste that DIDN’T go into our local landfill! Our thanks to every...
“I am a cancer survivor, as is my 22 year old son. It is frightening to think that both of us may be uninsurable in the future if this trend continues.” That is a portion of the letter I recently received from a Montanan named Karen. Karen wrote to me from Belgrade to express her anxiety about the U.S. Justice Department’s recent decision to stop defending a law that prevents health insurance companies from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions. These protections have been in place to help Montanans access health insur...
We’ve been complacent. We thought everybody knew how important a free press was to our world and that all this talk about us being the enemy of the people would be dismissed for the silliness that it is. But the reckless attacks have continued, instigated and encouraged by our president. When the leader of the free world works to erode the public’s trust in the media, the potential for damage is enormous, both here and abroad. We once set an example of free and open government for the world to follow. Now those who seek to suppress the fre...
Federal district court judge Brian Morris issued his summary judgment ruling in the lawsuit that threatened to end irrigation in the lower Yellowstone valley. The ruling is cause for joy and celebration with caution. The ruling is a solid win for our community. In addition, some of its points, besides contributing to this win, can be beneficial in future cases. There are, however, several reasons for caution about further litigation. Let’s look at points that can help us in future cases. At last, due consideration was given to the fact that Con...
Elections bring out some very interesting advertising by candidates. I’m concerned about a term called, ‘campaign conservative,’ meaning someone is a conservative but only until after the election. As that relates to our area, we have our share of ‘campaign conservatives’ seeking election. It seems the chore is to seek and find the truth. After more than forty years of involvement on our county and state Republican committees, it is quite clear to me how to sort out the chaff from the wheat. Tanya Rost is a newcomer to election politics...
Most voters requesting absentee ballots have noticed that in this primary election the Public Service Commission in District 1 is up for election in June. Travis Kavulla, our current Public Service Commissioner for District 1, is at the end of his tenure and cannot seek re-election. Randy Pinocci worked directly with Travis Kavulla in the 2015 Legislative session, serving on the Federal Regulation, Energy and Telecommunications committee in the House of Representatives. Kavulla and Pinocci worked side-by-side, representing the energy...
Randy Pinocci is the top choice to be our Public Service Commissioner in District 1. This district represents 19 counties, from Cascade county north to the Canadian border then east to North Dakota. Randy Pinocci is the only candidate with experience working with the Public Service Commission. Pinocci served on the House Federal Regulation, Energy and Telecommunications Committee during the 2015 session. During this time, Pinocci worked with Travis Kavulla, our current PSC Commissioner, on issues affecting Montana ratepayers. Pinocci’s o...
Janet Christoffersen will be a strong county attorney for Richland County. Eastern Montana will always be home to me. I was raised in Sheridan County, Montana, and resided there for more than thirty years. Because of that, I have personally known Janet’s family for many years as driven, independent, reliable, and trustworthy individuals. Janet exhibits all of those quality traits, and more. I have primarily practiced in Red Lodge, Montana since, 2005; however, my criminal defense practice has recently expanded to take me home to eastern Montana...
What do you look for in a leader? Experience, intelligence and commitment. These are all qualities Joel Krautter possesses. Joel has extensive experience in leadership that makes him the best person to represent us in Helena. Currently, Joel serves as the Chairman of the Richland County Republican Central Committee, an organization he has been involved in since 2014, he is the Vice President and co-founder of the Sidney Young Professionals and serves as President of the Northeast Montana Bar Association. Joel also participated in the...
Dear Editor, One thing that is disappointing to me is when candidates campaign one way and then vote the opposite once they are elected. In Eastern Montana candidates like to campaign like a conservative Republican because they can't get elected if they admit they are a liberal. This is what concerns me about candidate for HD 35, Joel Krautter. He encouraged legislators to vote for the gas tax raise in 2017 (Sidney Herald March 15, 2017) and criticized those who did not vote for the bonding (infrastructure) bill, which requires more taxes to...
Montana Public Service Commission District #1 will lose a valuable asset this year due to term limits. Travis Kavulla, Vice Chairman, (Rep) will be replaced after the November 2018 General election. Commissioners' on the PSC normally do not get a lot of press, but the positions are critically important for all citizens, especially those in rural areas. District #1 covers 19 north central and northeast counties. The PSC works with a professional staff of approximately 30 economists, engineers, attorneys, rate analysts, and others to regulate pri...
I support Joel Krautter for House District 35 Representative. Joel is one of my associates, a shareholder in my firm and a friend. He is the best candidate for HD 35. But who is Joel? He’s a compassionate, diligent, hardworking lawyer. He’s familiar with adversity. He’s a lawyer to call upon for all matter of representation: contracts, real estate, criminal defense and probate. Yes he defends persons charged with crimes. This is the area of the law where the defense attorney brings up constitutional protections from the overreaching actio...
Like many Montana ranchers, I know the importance of having good neighbors. When harvest time rolls around and neighbors are shorthanded, we help load up the wheat or the sugar beets in the field and get them to market. When a prairie fire rips through, good neighbors help rebuild fences. This isn’t done for reward or payment, it’s just what we do here in Montana. When you’re ranching and people are counting on you, you don’t put up with nonsense. You have to get things done. It’s about time Washington D.C. work that way. As I travel across th...
Dear Editor: The June 5 Republican primary election will give Richland County voters the opportunity to decide what kind of new leadership we want in the next Representative we send to Helena. These are a few key leadership qualities I believe our next representative should have. We need a leader in Helena who listens to the people of our district and understands the issues our county and towns are facing on roads and bridges, property taxes and schools. We need a leader who can effectively communicate these issues to other legislators and...
Dear Editor: Janet Christoffersen is the right choice for the next Richland County Attorney. She has the ability to work with people and for the people. Janet has always been approachable, honest and hard working without any hidden agendas. While I served as Sheriff of Richland County, I saw a number of Deputy County Attorneys come and go. To me it takes more than just knowing the law and applying it across the board. You are still dealing with people and we are all different. Janet Christoffersen understands that. I watched first hand how she...
