Last Best News (https://montana-mint.com/lastbestnews/tag/david-crisp/page/2/)
In honor of the new year, let me offer up what I consider the best of the Last Best News stories of 2015. Early in the new year, in a Prairie Lights column, I wrote about a deeply religious overseas terrorist organization. The conclusions I drew from that slice of history would resonate throughout the coming year. (more…) Continue Reading →
The recent death of Billings Outpost columnist Roger Clawson created pause for reflection—not just about Roger—but life, death, obituaries and newspapering in general. The Outpost had a tribute to Roger as well as a formal just-the-facts-ma’am obituary. Outpost editor David Crisp’s account, and the obituary, appeared online via Last Best News even before the Outpost went to press. Later, Ed Kemmick of Last Best News published his own reflections on Roger. Neither charged a cent for the coverage. Continue Reading →
When the Billings Gazette hired me as a night editor in 1989, I was thrilled at the prospect of working alongside Roger Clawson. I had known of him since the mid-1970s, when I first started visiting Billings in the company of the Missoula Flying Mules, a gang of bar hounds masquerading as a hockey team. (more…) Continue Reading →
A few minutes after I posted David Crisp’s column on the Confederate battle flag this morning, I sat down to breakfast and opened the Billings Gazette. On the opinion page, I noticed a guest opinion piece headlined “Remove the battle flag, but then what?” And then I read the byline: “By JOHN M. CRISP, Tribune News Service.” I was reasonably sure that John was David’s brother. I met him years ago when he came up from Texas to visit. Continue Reading →
I suppose it’s still possible that Billings Gazette editor Darrell Ehrlick, in his Sunday column, will formally salute Chuck Johnson and Mike Dennison, the two experienced reporters whose last day as employees of Lee Enterprises was Friday. With more than 70 years of reporting experience between them, Lee’s Capitol bureau team certainly deserved a proper send-off. But because Lee treated them so shabbily, and because it seems to believe that closing the bureau is merely a cosmetic change in the way it covers the news, a proper tribute seems most unlikely. (more…) Continue Reading →
A local businessman is organizing a campaign to get downtown businesses to drop all advertising with the Billings Gazette. The spark was a December column by Gazette Editor Darrell Ehrlick, who described some of the least savory aspects of downtown Billings. (more…) Continue Reading →
Don’t miss this fine tribute to sportswriter Bill Bighaus, now retired, written by Gazette sports editor Jeff Welsch. Then there was the altogether fitting decision to devote this week’s 5 on 5 feature to reflections on Bill’s career and legacy. His colleagues took the opportunity to lob some witticisms his way, which was only fair. In person, on your your feet, it was difficult to match wits with Bill. His colleagues earned the right, after all these years, to have a little fun at his expense when he was not available to respond. Continue Reading →
We appear to be stumbling into another war in the Middle East. Pro football is buckling under the weight of its own violence. In Montana politics, the only issue appears to be whether Steve Daines wants to destroy the country overnight by gutting environmental laws or whether he is willing to wait a few decades for global warming to do the job. So let’s talk about grammar. (more…) Continue Reading →
Is it possible that Mayor Tom Hanel was right? I don’t mean right to cast the deciding vote against a nondiscrimination ordinance in Billings last week. I mean right that this town just isn’t ready for such an ordinance. (more…) Continue Reading →
Now that John Walsh has dropped his campaign to become elected to the U.S. Senate, we still have a chance to elect a real conservative this fall. I don’t mean Rep. Steve Daines, R-Mont. Daines’ brief tenure in the U.S. House has offered abundant evidence that he is not really conservative at all. (more…) Continue Reading →
