I hunkered down in the driver's seat of the Ford Focus, sliding the seat to its furthest-rear position. Frost glistens at the base of the windshield, though it's no surprise since I can see the cloud-like appearance of my breath. A quick adjusting of the mirrors to my liking and it was time to throw her in drive and go. I caught one last glance of 10th Avenue South before it disappeared from the rear-view mirror. With that, Great Falls, Montana was gone.
It's been over a year since that blistery day in February of 2014 when Fallon and I began our move from Montana to Arizona. It's an adjustment moving from the mountains and plains to the desert. I could complain about the thermometer reaching 97 degrees in early May. How I have suffered through baseball and softball games in metal bleachers reflecting the sunlight and heat directly at me. One dog has a sunburned nose. The other needed a shave just to keep cool on our daily walks. Yes, Arizona truly is different than Montana. Then again, it sounds like Montana is different as well. I'm proud to be a Montanan. From her magnificent mountains to the endless acres to the true residents the cattle, I couldn't imagine a superior place to grow up. The Treasure State is large. She boasts a quiet and peaceful vastness. I remember relaxation being one of her greatest assets. Apparently, the tranquility is not as I recalled. I continue to pay close attention to the happenings in Big Sky Country. Which teams are capturing state championships during the school year? Who is running for office in the upcoming elections? Why are the elk and moose paving new trails through the mountains? These are only a few of the interesting articles I find myself skimming through. Sadly, they have been overshadowed, nay, eradicated by the recent headlines. In early May, the Montana media I follow on Twitter all displayed posts with similar headlines: MSU-Northern students stabbed. As the news unfolded, it became clear that a 17-year-old male broke into an apartment and used a knife to critically injure three students of the nearby Montana State University-Northern. (AGoFundMe account has been created for the three injured students.) The teen told authorities he "blacked out" and would "never injure someone like that." Hours later news surfaced that the teen had a felony warrant for a previous rape charge. That case involved a 13-year-old. I am aware Havre doesn't have an outstanding reputation but crimes like this should not happen in a town of less than 10,000 (or anywhere for that matter). Days after reading about the disgusting occurrence in Havre, the town minutes from my parents house, I discovered a headline perhaps more disturbing. One that hit closer to home.
A triple shooting rocked Missoula, Montana at 6:30pm on a Wednesday night. Two people were pronounced dead at the scene while the gunman was sent to a nearby hospital with an apparent self-afflicted gunshot wound. ABC Fox Montana notified its viewers one of its employees passed away in the shooting. Thursday they confirmed their news director, Kalee Scolatti, was killed. As of this post, police are unaware of the cause for the shooting and the relationship the victims had with the shooter. You may recall Missoula making national headlines as the subject in bestselling author Jon Krakauer's book, Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town. I have yet to read Krakauer's narration, but I am familiar with the content: the 350 sexual assaults reported to police in just over a four year span; the case of star Montana Grizzlies' quarterback Jordan Johnson who allegedly raped a fellow student; and the supposed mishaps and cover-ups by the university and local law enforcement. Whether the book holds truthful statements or not, Missoula is a town tarnished, its reputation gone. I am a proud Montanan but I am not naive. Hundreds of these stories have fluttered on social media over the years. Montana's headlines have not always been those of the "feel-good" variety. Still, these horrific events leave me questioning: What happened to the Montana I remember? Where is the Big Sky Country with her beauty and peace? I thought she was the place the rich and famous left for when they needed relaxation. The Treasure State has always been a destination known for its blue skies. Suddenly they seem a little darker. It's true. Montana, you're not how we left you. I'm ready to have the old you back.
6 Comments
Connie Foust
5/7/2015 08:22:35 am
Great article, I too left Montana to live in the SW and keep up on events and news from Montana. Missoula is so dramatically changed that I don't think I could ever move back. Naked bicycle race, really! The entire community has been taken over by progressive liberals who moved in because it was such a neat place to live. Unfortunately they brought their values with them and the locals did not stand up to them. If I were to move back it would be to a very small rural community that still has Montana culture. It is a culture to be proud of.
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Marilyn
5/7/2015 12:38:46 pm
I think the answer is pretty simple. Our population grew and grew because so many out of stators moved in. So many many people with problem children seem to think that bringing them to Montana would solve all their problems. They blamed their surroundings as opposed to being real parents and addressing the real problem, their kids.more population always means more problems.
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Les
5/7/2015 01:14:03 pm
Thanks for a well-written article. We are so sad, disappointed, shocked, etc. at the recent events as well. I want the old Montana back too. I am not saying either case had drugs involved, but I know the arrival of meth has not helped our state..
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Charlene
5/7/2015 04:34:33 pm
Montana misses you too! It is so sad to see our self centered world closing in on us here in Montana too . 9 out of ten people that you say hi to don't even acknowledge your exsistance anymore, Montana use to be so friendly! Sad to see, but let's keep on saying hi someday it may rub off!
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Stewart
5/8/2015 03:30:07 am
I love my hometown of Billings. It was incredible to grow up in that small city. I hate the "big city" Billings has grown into. This is one of the main reasons I moved away. Murders, rapes, rampant drugs, drunk vagrants on display all over downtown Billings, panhandlers, and general mistrust of strangers. This isn't the Billings of my youth. Just like others have commented, Montana has changed, and not for the better.
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Anita Stevenson
5/8/2015 04:50:08 am
Very well said Richie. We've only been here 5 years, and we see the dramatic difference. I still love it here though and wouldn't want to live anywhere else! I see your mom every now and then and oh how she always brightens my day :)
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AuthorRichie is a small-town boy chasing big-city dreams. When he's not involved with sports, he's spending time with his wife, Fallon; their yorkie, Tinker; and their Rhodesian Ridgeback, Rosie. Archives
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