By DARRELL EHRLICK | Editor-in-Chief
"Our founding fathers, George Washington in particular, recognized the sovereignty of Almighty God in some of his quotes. And I personally can't do anything about the weather, but our farmers and the forest needed moisture, and that's why I called for a Day of Prayer for Rain, and I'm thankful that He answered,"– Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte in a comment on Wednesday in Kalispell, which has received rain every day since May 16. Gianforte proclaimed Sunday, May 17, a statewide "Day of Prayer for Rain.".
Eastern, northern Montana hit with ‘disastrous’ wind storm
by Jordan Hansen
Jared Miller, a farmer who lives south of Havre, was at a high school conference track meet on May 13 when a “disastrous” wind storm whipped through eastern Montana. The storm stopped the track meet for an hour. “There was no visibility, and the winds were nuts,” Miller said. “Everyone headed to buses. We only […]
Laurel mayor resigns citing health concerns while facing possible recall
by Darrell Ehrlick
Embattled Laurel Mayor David Waggoner has submitted his resignation as the leader of the city, effective at the end of the day Friday. The news of Waggoner’s resignation came just before the city council meeting on Tuesday and just two days before the deadline of a recall petition effort by a group of citizens who […]
Protesters at the US Capitol rally for voting rights after Supreme Court ruling
by Ashley Murray
WASHINGTON — About 100 rallygoers gathered on Capitol Hill Wednesday to hear from activists and members of Congress protesting the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision to strike down federal protections for the voting power of minorities. The justices diluted a major part of the Voting Rights Act in their 6-3 decision on April 29 that declared […]
MORE FROM MONTANA
We all know that Montana’s history is award-winning — and now the Montana Heritage Center, the expansive new museum and a collection of the state’s most treasured historical artifacts has been one of four sites selected for a museum impact award.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
While Republicans in Congress have prioritized more mining and mineral extraction — especially rare-earth elements, residents in South Dakota have been staging considerable opposition to the idea of mining for uranium in the Black Hills.
After the United States Supreme Court’s recent decision on voting rights, especially how they affect “minority majority” districts, protestors from various parts of the American South were speaking out against the court’s ruling, trying to raise awareness about the redistricting in the nation’s capitol, and evoking historical connections to Jim Crow.
The United States House of Representatives passed a large bill aimed at restricting public schools from changing students’ names or preferred pronouns without parental consent. The bill also prohibits any teaching of “gender ideology.” Fifteen members of the House did not vote, while eight Democrats voted with the remaining Republicans to pass the measure which will now go the United States Senate.
GOOD READS
Note: some links may lead to stories behind a news organization's paywall
Today, we feature two articles about the primary races across America on Tuesday night. The first is a piece from The Atlantic that broke down Thomas Massie’s expected defeat for violating the single rule of Republican politics: Do not cross the boss. In addition to the keen political insight, it also has an interesting account of Massie’s appeal to anti-Semitic voters, which wasn’t as widely reported as his break with President Donald Trump.
Meanwhile, The New York Times features eight interesting takeaways from the results, especially as many states start looking ahead to the future make-up of Congress after the midterm elections.
THE HOOK
OK, so if you looked at the subject line of today’s newsletter, we’re going to guess that you anticipated today’s “The Hook.” Yes, it’s the monster hit of Kansas’ “Dust In The Wind.”
Apparently, Treasure State residents are both literally and figuratively dust in the wind, especially after powerful cyclone-grade winds swept across much of Montana. That is adding insult to injury since more than 60% of the state was already facing drought conditions, and we’re already seeing early evidence of a challenging fire season.
The song, possibly Kansas’ signature hit (with a hat tip to “Carry On My Wayward Son”) is instantly recognizable with its haunting lyrics, tight vocal harmonies and sparse acoustic guitar. According to the captions on the official video so generously provided by YouTube, the introduction features “wistful guitar music.”
That should be an entire genre on its own.
Band member Kerry Livgren told Guitar World about the genesis of the song:
“I was reading a book of American Indian poetry at the time, and happened to come across this line: ‘All we are is dust in the wind.’ It really struck me and stuck with me. I was humming that line along with this fingerpicking exercise, and 15 minutes later I had a song. I put it down on a little four-track analog tape recorder and took it to a rehearsal.”
As a really lousy but earnest student of the guitar, you can take two lessons from this song. The chord pattern is easy. Playing the song well is much, much harder.
If you have a song that you’d like to share, or would like to get in touch with us, please send us a note at [email protected]
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