Opinion

By Ravalli County Board of Health Members: Dr. Michael Turner, Dr. Wayne Chilcote, Katherine Scholl and Roger DeHaan; Ravalli County Interim Health Officer: Tiffany Weber; Ravalli County Public Health Director: Dr. Carol Calderwood We understand there is much uncertainty with what appears, at times, to be contradictory information. The COVID-19 virus is a new virus […]

By Sharon Gee, Stevensville We have a good Mayor that a small group of people have been trying to run out the door since the minute he took office.   How many mayors have resigned in the past 10-15 years? How many have been harassed to the point that they threw in the towel?   Our […]

By Cinda Holt, Stevensville I believe Steve Bullock is the man for us. He is not going to answer to party bosses in DC, and he is going to make Washington look a little more like Montana.  Gov. Bullock believes in the importance of finding common ground. His leadership on Montana’s healthcare/Medicaid expansion resulted in a […]

By Scott Mendenhall, President, Montana Business Leadership Council, former state legislator and House Majority Leader As we debate how to improve our country’s healthcare system, we must consider how any proposal would affect small businesses and the millions of Americans they employ. As a small business owner, I know that a new government-controlled health insurance […]

By Archie L. Thomas, Corvallis What has happened to the local and national Republican Party? As a native Montanan, born into a Republican heritage, I read Terry Nelson’s, Republican County chairman, reservations about mail in elections. He implied conservative voters either wouldn’t or couldn’t find a single polling place and would not vote by mail. What […]

By Sue Kronenberger, Helena I urge you to stand up and speak out AGAINST the Trump campaign and major components of the Republican party including the Montana Republican State Central Committee which has filed a lawsuit challenging the voting plan for the general election. This is sheer madness and a greedy grab for power which would, […]

By Frank Novotny, Victor The letter “Response to political parties” was good, as far as it went, but, I must say that from observing the TV ads for candidates, it appears to me that Montana’s politicians are every bit as lying and self serving as any other state’s politicians. Between democracy (mob rule), Democrats/Socialists/Communists and RINOs […]

By Joseph G. Gallagher Jr., Stevensville What have we become and what is manifested in almost these last four years? A people and a nation that is tearing itself apart before its own eyes… We must all realize we must get back our senses, our rule of law, justice and empathy before it is too late. […]

By David Leslie, Corvallis Laura Merrill proposes to work on real issues that affect us in Ravalli County: protecting our public lands; how to accommodate the influx of new residents without undermining our farming/ranching economic base; educating our kids for the future they’ll inherit; accelerating high speed internet access across the valley. Her opponent seems to […]

By Ryan Busse, Kalispell To my fellow hunters and anglers, there are people trying to lock you out of your favorite spots. In November it’s time to vote like your access depends on it.   Montana Republicans have nominated the most anti-public lands, anti-conservation slate of candidates in modern Montana history.  Led by Greg Gianforte, who […]

By Hillery Daily, Darby My father was a proud Korean war veteran. He died 2-1/2 years ago and although I miss him every day, I am glad that he doesn’t have to hear President Trump’s cruel and disrespectful comments about American military personnel and veterans. Words such as “losers” and “suckers” and calling wounded and fallen […]

By Scott Turner, Corvallis I’m sure I’m not the only one wondering what a real pandemic looks like. First off, an explanation of a concept that I use as an important yardstick. Dunbar’s Number is a number proposed in the 60’s by an anthropologist estimating the number of people an individual could cognitively recognize and place […]