Week of September 26, 2025
The Carter County Chamber of Commerce is bringing the community together, one movie night at a time. Through a new initiative to promote local businesses and foster community spirit, the Chamber has introduced a series of outdoor movie nights, an effort that kicked off with a successful inaugural event in September. Earlier this year, the Chamber invested in a large outdoor movie screen and a high-quality projector. This purchase was a strategic move to address the lack of a...
On the evening of September 18, Ekalaka Public Schools hosted its Second Annual Reading Under the Lights, a heartwarming event that combined literacy, community connection, and a lot of fun. Students, families, and community members gathered to enjoy stories and the shared joy of reading under the sky. The featured book for the night was "Pencils on Strike" by Jennifer Jones. It is a playful, imaginative story that brings pencils to life as they express their thoughts,...
America’s Halloween sweet tooth: 2025 candy and decor trends from Instacart data These days, Halloween doesn’t wait for October — the season seems to sneak up sooner and sooner. From candy corn to cobwebs, consumers dive into the festivities well before pumpkins take over porches and store aisles. From sweet treats to spooky décor, Instacart data shows that October is one of the most festive times of the year, and candy takes center stage. Candy’s Biggest Day of the... Full story
Get ready, young hunters! The annual Youth Pheasant and Waterfowl Weekend is set for Sept. 27 and 28. In preparation for this weekend, FWP will release nearly 2,800 pheasants across various wildlife management areas and state lands, giving youth hunters the chance to experience success in the field. Release areas in southeast Montana will include Isaac Homestead Wildlife Management Area, Amelia Island WMA and Angela Farms (Department of Natural Resources and Conservation)....
How much does it cost to raise a child in 2025 Thinking about starting a family—or already expecting? You’re not alone in asking the big question: Can we actually afford this? The average cost to raise a child to age 18 is now estimated to be between $297,000 and $331,933, depending on income and geography—not including college. That breaks down to $16,000–$30,000 per year, with costs rising sharply in high-cost states, Domain Money reports. Key Takeaways - Top 3...
Free, fast and convenient sampling for chronic wasting disease (CWD) is available by appointment during archery season at Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks headquarters in Miles City. Hunters can call CWD regional coordinators at 406-234-0496 for sampling appointments during weekday business hours. Southeast Montana is a Priority Surveillance Area in 2025 for collecting samples from deer, elk or moose. Hunters are encouraged to voluntarily submit their animal for sampling to help gather additional data for that area. This...
FWP wildlife biologists in southeast Montana's Region 7 have seen an increase this fall in epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) and blue tongue virus (BTV) reports in white-tailed deer and antelope along the Yellowstone River corridor and out in prairie habitats. These cases are suspect but have not yet been confirmed through lab testing. EHD and BTV are hemorrhagic diseases that are caused by slightly different viruses but have very similar clinical signs. Both EHD and BTV...
Montana taxpayers are taking advantage of available property tax relief, with the Montana Department of Revenue receiving over 197,000 rebate applications to date. The Montana Property Tax Rebate provides qualifying Montanans up to $400 of property tax relief on a primary residence for tax year 2024. Qualified Montana taxpayers have until October 1 to claim their rebate. The fastest way for taxpayers to claim the rebate is online at getmyrebate.mt.gov. Mailing a paper...
The Carter County High School Bulldogs and Scobey Spartans delivered one of the most exciting games of the 8-man football season on September 19 at Rowley Field in Ekalaka. In a battle between the East's two remaining undefeated teams, Scobey emerged victorious 42-38 in a contest that featured five lead changes and non-stop action from start to finish. The game got off to an ominous start for the Bulldogs when they fumbled on their third play from scrimmage after receiving the opening kickoff. Scobey capitalized...
The Carter County High School volleyball teams enjoyed a successful evening at home on September 20, with both squads defeating the Wibaux Lady Longhorns in their respective matches. The JV Lady Bulldogs battled through an exciting five-set thriller, winning 25-21, 23-25, 15-13, 13-15, 15-10. The back-and-forth contest showcased the determination of both teams, with Carter County ultimately prevailing in the deciding set. The varsity Lady Bulldogs secured a four-set victory over Wibaux, winning 25-12, 22-25, 25-16, 25-15....
The Carter County High School Bulldogs remained undefeated with a convincing 68-26 victory over the MonDak Thunder from Westby-Grenora on September 12 at Rowley Field in Ekalaka. The win improves the Bulldogs to 3-0 on the season. Stats and game highlights were not made available for the contest. The victory sets up a crucial showdown this Friday when the Bulldogs host the equally undefeated Scobey Spartans. Both teams enter the contest with perfect 3-0 records, making it a...
The Carter County High School volleyball teams had a busy week of competition, traveling to Savage on September 11 before the varsity squad headed to an early season tournament in Scobey on September 13. Savage Matches - September 11 The JV Lady Bulldogs showed tremendous resilience in Savage, losing the first two sets 25-19 and 25-2 before storming back to win the final three sets 15-10, 15-13, and 15-7. The comeback victory highlighted the team's ability to regroup and finish strong when facing adversity. The varsity Lady...
Dear Ekalaka, For many years I have taken the paper from your community and I never thought I would ever get there. But this past spring my daughter asked me to join her and my granddaughter on a trip out west. She knew that I got the paper, so she suggested that we visit there while on our trip to the Little Bighorn Battlefield. When she called back and said she had booked an AirBnB for 10 days, I was a little surprised. So, the first ten days of August I got to live in your town. You were all I had hoped you would be. You...
The Carter County Museum will host a special evening with author B.J. Hollars on October 2 at 7 p.m., featuring a presentation from his new book, Dinosaur Dreams: A Father and Daughter in Search of America's Prehistoric Past. This program is part of the Montana Dinosaur Trail 20th Anniversary event series and will begin with a short business meeting of the Carter County Geological Society, followed by a reading, Q&A, and book signing. Montana teachers may earn up to one...
On September 3, 2025, Lola Crystal Palmer of Kenedy, Texas passed away. She was born on February 21, 1944, in Spearfish, South Dakota, to parents Crystal and Ray Palmer. Lola spent most of her childhood in Ekalaka, Montana. There she enjoyed visiting her aunt Gussie's ranch and helping her cousins tend to their usual responsibilities. As well as occasionally getting into a little mischief with her cousin Sharon and her siblings Burch and Diana.They bonded over their love for...
When early season rifle opens on September 15, the bull elk start to bugle. There is a chill in the morning air, which makes me homesick for the smell of wood smoke coming from the cook tent. I spent most of two decades cooking in hunting camp in the Scapegoat Wilderness for the Todd's K Lazy 3, and I have hundreds of great memories of those years. I retired from 25 years of teaching junior high English in the spring of 2006, and I did not start my County Superintendent of...
September 21, 2025 It has been a rainy week at Capitol and on Tie Creek. Early each day we had showers or dense fog. It is keeping the countryside beautiful. The week was cooler, and nice to be outside between rains. Ronda Cordell was busy with vaccinating and pre-conditioning cows, this week. On Monday, the group vaccinated at the Buck place. Clint Zolnoski had some helpers, and they were Diane Wear, Dave Adams, Jake Reynolds, and Jerry Britt. On Tuesday, Jake and Ronda made a trip to Spearfish to shop for groceries. Ronda...
submitted by Carter County Extension Office (Revised 04/2020) Information obtained from MSU Extension MontGuide: A Self-Learning Resource; Cheryl Moore-Gough, Extension horticulture Specialist Modern plant breeders have come a long way toward developing vegetable cultivars of the highest quality. Until the end of World War II most gardeners saved their own seeds in an effort to cut costs and/or because high quality seeds were not always readily available at a reasonable...
August, 2025 The first of August brought moisture to our neighborhood along with strong damaging winds. On Tuesday the 5th the residents just watched it pour and form puddles in our courtyard. They were thankful to be inside. August 6 Ernie Comes Last celebrated the day of his birth with a carrot cake and ice-cream. The normal group of ladies gathered to play cards and joining them was Ernie along with Milton and Alva. After several rounds Virginia served cake and ice cream to the party goers. Happy Birthday Ernie! The Days...
Hello God, it's me, Mara: You know, Lord, several friends chatted about how life, right now, felt like a zoo. One gal shared this poem: 'When Life is a Zoo' – author unknown. "When the ark started rolling, they learned the hard way, how a seasick hippo can spoil your day. The turtles refused to come out of their shells. The bloodhounds were sneezing because of the smells. The lovebirds were fighting; the doves were at war. A sow was complaining her mate was a bore. A...
The founder of Turning Point USA, Charlie Kirk, was tragically killed on September 10, 2025, by a coward who silenced him with a gunshot from 200 yards away. His sudden passing sent shockwaves across the nation, especially among those who followed his outspoken defense of faith, freedom, and America's future. In life, he was both celebrated and criticized, yet even his fiercest opponents acknowledged that Kirk spoke with conviction and led with courage. Kirk created the...
Hello God, it's me, Mara: You know, Lord, several working girls sat outside the school, near the playground, chatted, watched kids playing, having a good time. Two boys walked slowly by, talking quietly. The gals listened, the boys had stopped and quietly talked; one said, "I'm finally learning how to read. I can see that sign over there, it looks like it says, 'Hitch-hike'. I think it means to 'hitch' your pant-legs up so you don't step on them, and the 'hike' word, I think,...
submitted by Carter County Extension Office 4-h.org, extension.sdstate.edu, extension.arizona.edu 4-H animal projects have evolved over the years to encompass a broader scope of animal than just market animals; slowly, 4-H members with animals have been moving towards what some refer to as “club animals” or show animals. But why the transition? In the early 4-H days, animal projects focused heavily on market animal production with members raising pigs, cattle, and lamb for slaughter and sale. The emphasis was to teach...
September 14, 2025 Capitol and Tie Creek have gotten nice early morning rains on three days, this week. We missed out on the Sunday downpour that they had over at Buffalo. It was black in that direction, but the clouds bypassed us here. The activity at Ronda Cordell’s, this week, has mostly been fixing fence, and moving cows. On September 3rd, they had gotten ultrasound done on yearling heifers. Then on Thursday, Ronda needed some supplies, so she and Jake Reynolds drove to Belle Fourche in the early morning, watched some...
