Ed Kemmick

Ed Kemmick has been a newspaper reporter, editor and columnist since 1980. Except for four years in his home state of Minnesota, he has spent his entire journalism career in Montana, working in Missoula, Anaconda, Butte and Billings. "The Big Sky, By and By," a collection of some of his newspaper stories and columns, plus a few essays and one short story, was published in 2011.

Recent Posts

Montana wins popularity contest with Wyoming, but…

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Here’s the good news: In a “Wild West Smackdown: Montana Versus Wyoming” posted on Yahoo! Travel, 67 percent of readers who had voted by Wednesday evening picked Montana over Wyoming. Here’s the bad news: There are so many laughable mistakes in the description of Montana that one wonders if the contest is worth winning. I’ve made a few blunders in my journalism career, some of them mortifying, but for the love of God, how many mistakes can be made in one short article? We read, for instance, of the Montana towns of Bannock (change that o to an a, please), and Harlowtown (-ton, please!). Continue Reading →

Filed under: Last Best Blog, Montana, Wyoming, Yahoo! Travel

For dogs and their human, a new favorite spot

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River

Coaxed out of my apartment a few days ago by one of the most beautiful stretches of fall weather in memory, I found myself on the banks of the Clarks Fork River just southeast of Laurel. I was enjoying myself, but the three dogs accompanying me were downright ecstatic. Miles of trails wind through a river bottom thick with chest-high grass and cottonwood trees, and for the dogs, plenty of opportunities to slide down the gravel banks for a swim or a drink of water. (more…) Continue Reading →

Filed under: Diversions, Bureau of Land Management, Fish, Nature Conservancy, Sundance Lodge Recreation Area, Wildlife and Parks, Yellowstone Chapter of Pheasants Forever

Circus, sound bites, cliches: A night at the great debate

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Debate

Amanda Curtis does not think the United States can be “the policeman of the world.” Nor does she believe that Congress should “kick the can down the road.”

Steve Daines said his policies are good “not only for this generation but our children and our grandchildren.” He also said “we need to have both sides coming to the table and coming to an agreement.” (more…) Continue Reading →

Filed under: Montana, News, Amanda Curtis, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, President Obama, Steve Daines, U.S. Senate

Terry Badlands beckon on a perfect fall day

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Chimney

TERRY — We went to the Terry Badlands on Saturday knowing that the natural bridges—huge spans of sandstone over a dry gulch—were prime attractions of the area. What we didn’t know was that one of the first things you encounter as you approach the badlands from the frontage road west of Terry is a bridge of an entirely different kind: the old Milwaukee Road railroad bridge across the Yellowstone River. (more…) Continue Reading →

Filed under: Diversions, Montana, Bureau of Land Management, Cameron Sapp, Lance Kalfell, Montana Wilderness Association, Prairie County Economic Development Council, Terry Badlands

Weighing in on the great yoga pants debate

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Yoga

Just about a month ago, a frequent correspondent wrote to express his surprise that so many people had commented on a Billings Gazette article about yoga pants. He was writing the day the Gazette ran the first story about a student at Skyview High who was organizing protests against the school’s new dress code. (more…) Continue Reading →

Filed under: Prairie Lights, Ashley Crtalic, Skyview High School, Yoga pants

Citizens appeal for transparency on gas flaring, oil spills

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Oil board

Two members of the Northern Plains Resource Council appealed to the Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation on Wednesday to make information on oil spills and gas flaring more readily accessible to the public. “We thought perhaps you could take a look at what North Dakota does,” Deborah Hanson told the board during one of its regular meetings in Billings. (more…) Continue Reading →

Filed under: Montana, News, Bill Hand, Board of Oil and Gas Conservation, Deborah Hanson, Eric VanderBeek, Gage Cartographics, Jim Halvorson

‘Absolutely True Diary’ author to speak at Rocky

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Alexie

If you want to hear author Sherman Alexie speak next week at Rocky Mountain College, Steve Germic suggests you get there early. Germic, an associate professor of English who is helping organize the event, said there is likely to be a full house, even though the speech will be in the biggest indoor space on campus, the gymnasium of the Fortin Education Center. (more…) Continue Reading →

Filed under: Billings, Culture, Common Read, Fortin Education Center, Jacquee Dundas, Rocky Mountain College, School District 2, Sherman Alexie