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Articles written by George Fergson


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  • Northern basketball looks to bounce back

    George Fergson|Updated Jan 25, 2024

    After sweeps at the hands of Providence and Carroll College, the Montana State University-Northern basketball teams are hoping for a turnaround this week. Tonight, Northern is in Butte for games at Montana Tech. The Skylights beat Tech at home two weeks ago, and will be looking to do so again, as MSU-N brings a 2-3 Frontier Conference record into tonight’s tough game. Things won’t get any easier for Northern when the Skylights (8-10) return home to face Montana Western Saturday afternoon. Northern opened league play with...

  • From the Fringe … Reversed roles: I know many of you aren't cheering for the Griz on Saturday and that's OK

    George Fergson|Updated Jan 4, 2024

    Sunday will be the biggest day in Montana Grizzly football history. At least in the last 14 years anyway. After all, it’s been that long since the Grizzlies have played for an FCS national championship. And while they’ll be decided underdogs against defending national champion South Dakota State this Sunday in Frisco, Texas, with the Griz having come this far, things couldn’t be more exciting for the team, the program, Griz Nation and a portion of the state of Montana. Notice, I said portion. I said that because Montana...

  • Skylights on early-season road trip

    George Fergson|Updated Aug 24, 2023

    The Montana State University-Northern Skylights are off and running in the 2023 college volleyball season. And now Northern will take its first long road trip of the new year. After going 1-2 at the Big Sky Challenge last week in Butte to open the season, head coach Jerry Wagner's Skylights head to Arizona for four more matches this weekend. MSU-N will open the ACU Tournament with matches against Park-Gilbert University and Ottawa University Friday before taking on NAIA...

  • Changes to HDN sports coverage

    George Fergson|Updated Aug 22, 2023

    This column however, is about both. First, the Havre Daily News recently bid a fond farewell to Kason Clark. Kason gave the HDN nearly three years of dedicated service to the sports section. And as the one who hired him, I not only want to say thank you to Kason for all he did, but I also want to tell him what an incredible job he did. Kason not only carried on the traditions we have built at the HDN, but he helped make them better. Kason was an excellent writer, and he soon...

  • Still dry as summer turns to fall

    George Fergson|Updated Sep 21, 2021

    As if it hasn't been dry enough, don't expect that to change any time soon, even now that the first day of fall approaches. According to the National Weather Service Great Falls, Havre and the Hi-Line, as well as almost all of Montana will see yet another warmer-than-average and drier-than-average trend over the next two weeks. "We are definitely seeing high confidence of it being warmer and drier over the next one to two weeks," Forecaster Christian Cassell said at the NWS...

  • Lights, Skylights excited to host the MSU-Northern Rodeo

    George Fergson|Updated Oct 2, 2020

    With last spring's schedule and the College National Finals Rodeo wiped out due to the emergence of COVID-19, the Montana State University-Northern men's and women's rodeo teams have certainly enjoyed the fall season. And now, the Lights and Skylights are really going to enjoy the end to the Big Sky Region's fat schedule. That's because the end comes this weekend at home when they host the annual MSU-Northern Rodeo inside the Bigger Better Barn in Havre. The rodeo will...

  • Summer outlook: It could be a hot one

    George Fergson|Updated May 29, 2020

    After two historically bad one’s, the winter of 2019-2020 was anything but. In Havre, temperatures were more than seven degrees above normal from Dec. 1 to Feb. 29, while a meager 13 inches of snow fell in that same timeframe. By Havre standards, the winter wasn’t just mild, it was downright balmy. Now, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said that, the summer months will be warm for Havre, too. NOAA released its full summer outlook last week, and for Havre, the Hi-Line and north-central Montana, the...

  • From the Fringe … Thank you Class of 2020, for giving us a future

    George Fergson|Updated May 22, 2020

    What hasn’t COVID-19 changed? What life hasn’t the coronavirus altered in some way, shape or form? The answers to those questions are simple. We know, it has changed everything. We know the virus has touched us all in some way. And that is especially true for the high school class of 2020 all over the world. Just try to imagine what the last three months have been like for our Havre High graduates, who will have an altered commencement ceremony on Sunday at Blue Pony Stadium. Back on March 1, these seniors lives were...

  • From the Fringe … : Opening nationals parks is needed but complicated for Montana

    George Fergson|Updated May 15, 2020

    We’ve learned a lot about coronavirus in the last couple of months, including how to slow it down, even. But, perhaps the most important thing we’ve learned thus far is, it’s not going away. So, given that, the virus is here to stay for the foreseeable future, anyway, it only complicates how we, as a society, move forward. In fact, in just about every single choice we have to make, COVID-19 is complicating those choices. And the same holds true for the re-opening of our two great national parks here in Montana. It’s...

  • From the Fringe: We really, need to salute and thank our teachers, now more than ever

    George Fergson|Updated May 8, 2020

    Teacher Appreciation Week. It’s always one I try to remember. After all, I have a lot of teachers in the family, and, being a coach for the last 18 years, I not only know about every teacher in our district, but I pretty much feel like one too. And in my humble opinion, teachers don’t ever get enough credit for what they do. Simply put, they work their butts off every day for nine months, a year or more to ensure that our young people not only get the best education they possibly can, but to also help ensure that our...

  • April showers? More like snow showers

    George Fergson|Updated May 7, 2020

    Summer is coming, even if spring hasn’t completely felt like spring. And, certainly, April didn’t feel like spring. Earlier this week, the National Weather Service in Great Falls released its April weather summary, as well as a summer for north-central Montana with data compiled from last October through April. And two things about April stood out for Havre. The first was, in a relatively short window, it snowed a lot in April. Havre received 11.1 inches of snow for the month, with a normal April seeing just 3.0 inches...

  • From the Fringe … It's up to us to make sure kids get the chance to return to school

    George Fergson|Updated May 1, 2020

    Allow me to sound like broken record for a few minutes. But, I promise, it’s for a good cause. Last week, I wrote a column imploring residents of Havre and Hill County, and really, residents of humanity, to continue following the basic guidelines that help stop the spread of COVID-19, so that we can protect our health care workers. The timing of that column came as Montana Gov. Steve Bullock announced his plan for beginning to re-open our great state of Montana. Now I’m asking for the same thing, but with an added...

  • A true Blue Pony says goodbye

    George Fergson|Updated Apr 27, 2020

    Dennis Murphy once said an emotional goodbye to what was a brilliant career coaching girls basketball. But, as tough as that day was for Murphy, it wasn't the end of his journey in education. Instead, Murphy went on to serve as Havre High's activities director for another 18 years after he walked away from coaching basketball. Last Friday however, Murphy again said a heartfelt goodbye, only this time, he signaled the end to his career at Havre High, as well as the end to 35...

  • From the Fringe:Now more than ever, it's our job to protect our local health care workers

    George Fergson|Updated Apr 24, 2020

    So, we’re going to start to open back up. That’s the announcement by Montana Gov. Steve Bullock Wednesday, though, Bullock did ultimately leave all decisions on opening, or not opening, the services in his Phase I up to counties and cities and school districts. So now the question becomes, is Montana ready? That’s not for me to say, and that’s not what I’m debating. Instead, my question is, are we, as residents of Havre, ready to open back up, but still do our part to keep coronavirus under control in our neck of...

  • Kegel talks about quarantine, decision making during pandemic

    George Fergson|Updated Apr 23, 2020

    So many people around the country over the last couple of months have had the same experience. They get a phone call telling them they've been in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.  The call, of course, can be jarring, downright scary. Then comes the request from the caller for that person and others they've come into contact with to self-quarantine until they either have been tested for the virus, or until 14 days have passed with no symptoms. That... Full story

  • From the Fringe: Hey forecasters, we sure could use some good news right now

    George Fergson|Updated Apr 17, 2020

    We all know spring weather can be rough around these parts. And April has been exactly that. This month has been rough.  Because it can be so bad, often times, we want to “kill the messenger” so to speak when it comes to meteorologists and forecasters telling us “don’t put your shovels away just yet.” Yeah, how often do we hear that here in Montana during the months of March, April and May? Of course, deep down, we understand that the folks who tell us what the weather may or may not do, don’t create the...

  • COVID-19 cancels first Bear Paw Marathon

    George Fergson|Updated Apr 16, 2020

    Like so many other sporting events in 2020, the first-ever Bear Paw Marathon is over before it ever started. Wednesday, the Havre Chamber of Commerce announced through a press release that the 2020 Bear Paw Marathon, set to be run on June 6, was being canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “The health and safety of our community is our number one priority right now,” a statement in the press release said. The Bear Paw Marathon was announced last year, and was going to be an exciting new event to come to Havre.... Full story

  • Don't put your shovels away just yet - Winter isn't over

    George Fergson|Updated Apr 10, 2020

    The National Weather Service in Great Falls has Havre, the Hi-Line, and much of north- and south-central Montana under either a winter weather advisory or a winter storm warning. For Hill and Blaine Counties, the area is under a winter weather advisory starting at 6 p.m. tonight and lasting through 6 p.m. Saturday. The advisory says the area could receive between 2-4 inches of snow at lower elevations, while the Bear Paw Mountains could see between 4-8 inches. Impacts listed...

  • From the Fringe: My birthday during lockdown …

    George Fergson|Updated Apr 8, 2020

    Stress is something we all deal with. But, the type of stress we’re going through right now is unprecedented. So, with that in mind, I promise that what I’m about to say is not coming from any place other than that of genuine concern for all of us in Havre, Hill County and the Hi-Line. We all live here, so we’re all in this coronavirus world together. And what I’m going to say is actually a question, and my question is this: Can we please just tough this quarantine, or stay-at-home-order or whatever we want to call...

  • Area sees record cold set two weeks into spring

    George Fergson|Updated Apr 3, 2020

    It's Havre. So of course the town breaks a record related to cold, even though spring began more than two weeks ago. Wednesday night and Thursday morning, Havre set its all-time low for the day when the temperature at the Havre-Hill County Airport fell to a chilling -11. According to the National Weather Service in Great Falls, that beat the old record for the same date. The record low for April 2 was set in 1936 at -8 degrees. The area also received some national recognition Thursday morning. Again, according to the NWS in...

  • Updated: Winter weather expected to return to region

    George Fergson|Updated Mar 31, 2020

    As of Tuesday afternoon, the National Weather Service in Great Falls has issued a Winter Storm Watch for Havre and Hill County as well as a Winter Storm Warning for Blaine County. The NWS says that a possible 4-6 inches of snow is expected to fall between 8 p.m. tonight and 8 a.m. Wednesday, and the storm will be accompanied by wind gusts up to 40 miles per hour, as well as temperatures falling into the single digits. Travel is not advised. It’s about to be month number eight. Yes, as March now turns to April, and spring...

  • From the Fringe … Havre Daily accepts the challenge of fighting COVID-19

    George Fergson|Updated Mar 27, 2020

    It’s been said often in the last few weeks that we’re in a battle with the coronavirus disease known as COVID-19. And while it took a little while longer, the battlefront has arrived in Montana, and even here in Hill County. And, with Montana Gov. Steve Bullock’s directive Thursday, ordering Montanan’s to stay at home as much as humanly possible, likely for at least the next couple of weeks, if not longer, it appears we too have begun to fight the COVID-19 battle. I’ve also heard, since the pandemic arrived in the... Full story

  • It's official: Winter was mild

    George Fergson|Updated Mar 24, 2020

    Officially, winter is over. But in Havre, is it really ever over for good? That's the question everyone wants to know as spring has sprung. Of course, Havre and much of Montana got a big gasp of winter just a week ago when 7.1 inches of fresh snow fell in the area, and a week later some of it still lingers, as below average temperatures followed. However, according to Matt Jackson of the National Weather Service in Great Falls, Havre's winter was not average, not by a long sho...

  • Lights punch tickets to nationals

    George Fergson|Updated Feb 24, 2020

    The Cascade Conference Championships are tough. And the Montana State University-Northern wrestling team knows just how tough. Last weekend in California, the No. 20 Lights got a champion, placed seven and automatically qualified three grapplers for the NAIA national tournament next month in Wichita, Kansas. Northern junior Isaac Bartel won yet another conference title Saturday at 197 pounds to lead the way for the Lights, who scored 75 points to finish fifth. Bartel beat...

  • Harlem star Brad Cichosz sets new state scoring record

    George Fergson|Updated Feb 22, 2020

    Harlem's Brad Cichosz has already had a special senior year, but it just got more special. Cichosz won a state championship in cross country in the fall. And even before Saturday night, his senior season in basketball was going well, with Harlem atop the District 2B standings, and Cichosz averaging more than 20 points per game. But he certainly made more memories in his final home game. On senior night, Cichosz scored a state record 68 points in Harlem's 101-53 win over the...

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