Fallon County
T IMES BAKER, MONTANA
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November 27, 2020
Substitute teachers help local schools battle COVID-19 impact, challenges Staff Report
There is a weapon in their arsenal that local school districts have found invaluable in the current battle against the COVID-19 pandemic which has been hitting Fallon County hard in recent weeks. After only having a few cases of the pandemic hitting the county for most of the year, its impact started hitting the region in late September when a late surge hit and forced the adoption of a mask requirement in public. In July, Gov. Steve Bullock had set a standard that would force Fallon County to adopt a mask requirement when it reached four active positive cases at once. That happened in the final week of September, forcing the Fallon County Health Depart-
Plevna School Superintendent Nick Schumacher has been wearing protective equipment on campus since school started. FILE PHOTO
ment to enact the mask requirement. The number of cases grew throughout October, then really increased in November, reaching 80 at one time. At the local schools, the districts have had to meet and match the impact of the increasing number of positive cases and how it impacts the students, the faculty, the staff and their families. One of the big weapons they have had in the battle to keep the schools running comes from the communities themselves. Substitute teachers have been able to help filling in at the local schools when needed. According to Nick Schumacher, the superintendent at Plevna School, those substitutes have helped a lot. “We have have seen an increase in the number of students using our distance options,” he
explained. “We haven’t changed anything as far as as classrooms or schedules. We haven’t found that necessary to do that thus far. “A great pool of strong substitute teachers is something the school districts want to have every year, pandemic or no,” he said. That pool of substitutes has increased in size this year. “We have a number of community members that have come forward and asked to be put on the substitute teaching list, just so they can be of help if needed.” The pandemic has made some changes at the school in upcoming activities, the superintendent explained. “Winter sports will start on the 7th of December but we are not to have games until after the first of the year.” See SUBSTITUTES on Page 10
Ryan Varner (above) celebrates winning the Stanley Wagner Memorial Game Feed’s Big Raffle sitting in his brand new 2020 Polaris ATV, while Brian O’Connor and Forst Eichhorn show off their new winnings (top right) Jamie Updike won the Commemorative Legendary Frontiersman 38-55 in the Big Raffle (at right). Submitted photos
O’Connor wins Weatherby set, Varner gets Polaris ATV in Wild Feed raffles Staff Report
The annual Stanley Wagner Memorial Game Feed may have been postponed because of a pandemic, but the raffle went on live – at least on Facebook – Nov. 14 when it had been planned. There may still be a Wild Game Feed in the future, but a date would have to be set. For Wendy Wagner, the Facebook Live event went really well. “At one point in time we had about 110 viewers,” she explained. “The raffle tickets were great.” But, there is still something to look forward to, she added. “There’s still lots of stuff that we do at the Wild Game Feeds. There is still lots of guns to be won, but we are not sure when that date is going to come,” she said, noting that people can keep up to date by checking in on the feed’s
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Facebook page. The Big Raffle which was limited to just 250 entries and the Weatherby Raffle had more entrants. The Big Raffle had a first prize of a 2020 Polaris Ranger ATV Side by Side and just one entry was allowed, Wagner said. “Ryan Varner was the winner of the 2020 Polaris 500 Ranger Side by Side,” she said. The Weatherby Raffle had an assortment of weapons for the grand prize – including a 270 Weatherby Weathermark, a 6.5-300 Weatherby Mag Weathermark, a 257 Weatherby Mag Vanguard Deluxe and a 300 Weatherby Vanguard Deluxe. Brian O’Connor won the Weatherby Raffle. “Second, third, fourth and fifth got their choice of the remaining raffle weapons.” Second place went to Cassidy Jesperson, while third place
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went to Scott Leonard of Sidney and fourth went to Scot Buerkle and fifth was Jon Griffith. The second prize in the Big Raffle was a $3,000 gift certificate for Guns N Things and was won by Eddie Smith. The third prize of a John Wayne Commemorative 32-40 Winchester went to Forst Eichhorn. The fourth place Commemorative Legendary Frontiersman 38-55 Winchester was won by Jamie Updike. The Wild Feed still has sweatshirts and T-shirts available at Sew What Embroidery in Baker, Wagner said. “She’ll hook you up with whatever you need.” There were about a dozen people participating in the event drawing on the scene, she added. Casey Koenigsfeld was the designated person drawing the entries out of a drum for the raffles. See MORE WINNERS on Page 2
What is there to be grateful for in 2020? By Pastor Rod Kilsdonk it.
If your list is short - my health, my family - I get
Life is uniquely challenging right now. When unsettling news about the pandemic, politics and protests leave you paralyzed in your chair or ignites a slow-burning anger that destroys your hope, gratitude gives you back your power. I don’t know if you’ve ever done this, but I know that I have. You walk in the door, and by the look on your spouse’s face, you’re pretty sure that you’re supposed to be thankful for something right now. You look around, stammering, “Hmm, the house… you’ve done… It’s not the house, is it? It’s not the house. It’s your hair! It looks...brown. It’s not the hair? Really? I thought it was the hair. The lamps! The lamps are multiplying! I don’t know, just tell me. Like, what is it exactly that I am supposed to notice and be thankful about?” Don’t we all want to be around people who are grateful and thankful? I know I do. The question is: Does that gratitude do something for us? Here’s what’s real. Gratitude is a game-changer. It’s a game-changer mentally. It’s a game-changer physically. It’s a game-changer emotionally. It’s a game-changer socially. But what I want you, the reader, to consider is that gratitude is also a game-changer spiritually. There is something powerful about it. There is something about gratitude that shapes your soul. In ancient times there was a guy named David. He started out as a little brother sent to tend sheep, but God had huge plans for David. Along the way to becoming a soldier and military leader, a musician and performer, a husband, father and King, David faced huge obstacles. He was overlooked and mocked by his brothers, hated and disdained by his father-inlaw and wife Michal, betrayed by many, and a betrayer to others. His son died because of David’s sin. Where does gratitude fit into tragedy like that? In a song/poem that David wrote, known as Psalm 136:1, it says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good and His love, it endures forever.” Paul, a follower of Jesus Christ, who wrote a significant portion of the New Testament, sometimes from a prison cell, also knew the transforming power of gratitude, would say it like this in Ephesians 5:19, 20: “Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God our Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” So, here we are in the Thanksgiving season of 2020. I think for most of us the question is What is there to be thankful for?, or maybe How can I be thankful in such a divisive culture? It’s not that I don’t want to be grateful or thankful. The challenge is finding and feeling genuine gratitude. Instead we excuse our lack of gratitude, qualifying it: I’d be more thankful if… if I See GRATEFUL on Page 8
Christmas comes early in Baker park Nov. 29 The annual Christmas in the Park event is scheduled to be held Nov. 29 starting at 3 p.m. The celebration at the City Park is meant to get all attendees into the Christmas spirit, according to the sponsors. There is still time for vendors to make arrangements to sell items. There is no vendor fee but you are required to provide your own table. For more information, please contact Alissa Miller at 406-852-3735 or milleralissa392@gmail.com. The Eastern Plains Economic Development Corporation is also looking for people wanting to donate spare working Christmas lights to drop them off by Friday (Nov. 20) to its offices at 101 South Main Street in Baker. Masks are required for this event. Anyone in the park or on the wagon must wear a mask and practice social distancing during the event.
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