Our View: Hi-Line darts and laurels

Laurel: Residents of Fort Belknap Indian Reservation have declared a state of emergency because of the methamphetamine epidemic. It is fantastic to see the tribal government take such a strong stand against meth, and we hope it will continue in fighting the battle. Meth has taken a terrible toll on people on the reservation and in non-reservation areas throughout the Hi-Line. We hope municipal governments throughout the Hi-Line will follow the lead of Fort Belknap. Meth use is a serious problem and it has to be dealt with promptly

Dart: Armed “protesters” who had taken control of a wildlife refuge near Burns, Oregon, have surrendered to authorities. They complained about excessive control over our lives by the federal government, but they did a great deal of harm to their cause. Protesters was a rather nice name to call them. We can’t help but think that had they been members of a Black Lives Matter group or an Islamic organization, they would have been called armed terrorists.

Laurel: The Havre Food Bank is reaching a critical time of the year. Winter is always rough on needy families. They need food now more than ever. Fortunately, because people were so generous this Christmas season, the folks at the food bank have a supply of food for a while. Thanks to shoppers at Gary & Leo’s Fresh Foods, $8,500 of food is headed toward the hungry of Hill County.

Dart: A story in Thursday’s Havre Daily News told the story of how a Havre man, Rick Magnussen had a hard time making an appointment to see an eye doctor. He worked for more than six weeks through the Veterans Administration bureaucracy to get the appointment with a doctor in Havre. He found it easier to make the appointment himself and get it paid for through Medicare. Once the Havre Daily News got involved, the bureaucracy started moving.