Last Best News (https://montana-mint.com/lastbestnews/category/blog/page/34/)
This is the weblog page of Last Best News. Here you will find some news, perhaps, but also lots of commentary, opinion and satire. Just so you know.
I don’t know how widely this video has circulated, but I only just saw it, and it is crazy. It shows people “competing” in the Big Sky Pond Skim and it features some of the most spectacular crashes I’ve ever seen. There are at least half a dozen crashes that would have ended all my pond skimming, and probably every other activity, for the rest of my life. Ouch! Continue Reading →
Here’s a great idea from a great photographer: Kurt Wilson, who works for the Missoulian, is planning six one-week tours throughout Montana. His goal is to visit all of the 250-some historical markers in Montana and to photograph whatever catches his fancy along the way. The first batch of more than 100 photos went up last week, from his driving tour of southwest Montana. Years ago, Kurt went down to St. Petersburg, Fla., to attend a training session at the Poynter Institute, but instead of flying straight to St. Continue Reading →
When I was interviewing Milt Gunderson at the Daniels County Leader in Scobey last week, for a story about his amazingly long tenure at the paper, publisher Burl Bowler told me they were going to write a story about me writing a story about Milt.
And they did, and it went out to the Leader’s 1,500 subscribers yesterday. They were kind enough to mail me a copy, too, and it arrived today, in all its yellow glory. The Leader is old-school and doesn’t use bylines, but the story was written by Mike Stebleton, who mostly covers sports. You can access the Leader’s e-edition here. It looks good, but online the newsprint is white and the photos are in color, so you lose something of its distinct flavor. Continue Reading →
I think this qualifies as news: The Humanities Montana board of directors is sending me and my brother, John, on the road with our presentation, “Jimmie Rodgers: The Life and Times of the Father of Country Music.” We will be taking this around the state under the auspices of the Speakers Bureau program of Humanities Montana. We have the Western Heritage Center to thank for this. I think it was Community Historian Kevin Kooistra who came up with the idea of having a monthly series of presentations in 2013 that focused on individual musicians or musical genres. For me it was kind of a dream come true. Continue Reading →
This is too good to pass up: Jim Romonesko, the media blogger who rightly gave the Billings Gazette grief for getting all squeamish about posting the affidvait in the Jason Priest assault case, is now relaying more news about Lee Enterprises bonuses. It seems that the head carpenter at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, like the Gazette a Lee-owned newspaper, recently quit in disgust because of the $700,000 bonus award to CEO Mary Junck. First of all, what? A head carpenter? Continue Reading →
As the ugly, confusing squabble over Evel Knievel Days continues in Butte, a Colorado filmmaker’s plans for making a documentary about Knievel are moving forward. Daniel Junge, the director of what will be called “Being Evel,” was awarded more than $94,000 in state incentives by the Colorado Economic Development Commission. (more…) Continue Reading →
I don’t know if we will ever solve the mystery of what was thrown at Bob Weir’s head during the only concert the Grateful Dead ever played in Montana, but we now have some interesting evidence in the case. (more…) Continue Reading →
When I saw the news yesterday that Mary Junck, CEO of the newspaper chain that owns the Billings Gazette, had received another substantial bonus, I didn’t think I’d write anything. I mean, this is the news business, right? Mary Junck getting a substantial bonus for questionable work stopped being news a couple of years ago. I was also hesitant to say anything because I don’t want the scent of sour grapes hanging over Last Best News. As I have said before, I have few regrets about my nearly 25 years with the Gazette. Continue Reading →
The Christian Science Monitor has an interesting story on Red Lodge bookstore owner Gary Robson, a former computer programmer, author of a popular series of kids books and a knowledgeable vendor of cigars and tea as well as books. (more…) Continue Reading →
A friend sent me a link to Dead.net, a website devoted to all things Grateful Dead. The current posting on that site reads:
“We’re kicking off Dave’s Picks 2014 with a visit to the Wall Of Sound era. Dave’s Picks Volume 9 features the complete show from May 14, 1974, at Adams Field House at the University of Montana in Missoula, the Grateful Dead’s only appearance in the state of oro y plata.” (more…) Continue Reading →
