Montana State’s Christina Anderson wins national educator award




BELGRADE - The Belgrade City Council has appointed Matthew McGee, 34, to fill a vacant Ward 1 seat following a competitive application and interview process. McGee will serve on the council through the next general municipal election in November 2027. If he chooses to run at that time and is elected, he would complete the original term ending in 2029.
McGee replaces Council Member Mike Meis, who was elected mayor in November and will begin his mayoral term in January. Because Mayor Russ Nelson is retiring at the end of this year, he granted Meis the authority to oversee the appointment process and make a recommendation to the City Council.
Two candidates applied for the vacancy. Meis interviewed both applicants and recommended McGee for appointment, a recommendation the City Council unanimously supported.
“I was impressed with his knowledge of Belgrade and the challenges we face,” Meis said. “I think he'd be an excellent addition to the team.”
A Butte native, McGee has lived in Belgrade since 2015. He serves as vice president of the Belgrade Kiwanis, frequently volunteers with Belgrade Chamber of Commerce events, and works for Pierce Flooring in Bozeman. He previously managed Gallatin Subaru.
In his application, McGee wrote, “Our community is stronger if we can work together and strive for a common goal. And if I plan to stay in Belgrade for the next 20 years at least, I'd like to be a part of that change and growth.”
McGee also noted that his interest in public service was heavily influenced by his father’s example. “Being a voice in your local government and being able to help influence and guide what the town is going to do next is a really big not only opportunity but responsibility,” he said. “I appreciate the opportunity and look forward to serving the City of Belgrade.”
McGee will be sworn in on Monday, Dec. 15 at 7 p.m. in the Belgrade Library Community Room.
The Gallatin City-County Health Department (GCCHD) is advising the public of several potential exposure sites in Gallatin County from a recently confirmed measles case. A list of potential exposure sites – and recommendations for those exposed – is available on the GCCHD website and will be updated as new information becomes available. The times listed on the website include when the potential exposure occurred and two hours after.
The GCCHD confirmed an additional case of measles in Gallatin County on December 1, 2025. This follows a previous case confirmed on November 28, 2025. The latest confirmed case is believed to have been exposed at one of the previously identified public exposure sites. These sites, which date back to early November, were recently shared with the public as part of our ongoing eƯorts to notify those who may have been at risk, and to limit further spread of the virus.
Please note: If you were at any of the locations listed on November 28, please verify that you are immune to measles immediately. If you determine you do not have immunity to measles or are unsure, please call your primary care provider or the Gallatin City-County Health Department as soon as possible at 406-582-3100 and ask to speak to a Communicable Disease Specialist. You may be eligible for Post Exposure Prophylaxis in the form of the MMR vaccine if administered today, Monday December 1st, 2025 (within 3 days following exposure).
Measles can spread before symptoms appear—even before a rash is visible. The virus is highly contagious and can remain in the air for up to two hours after an infected person has left the area. This makes early exposure diƯicult to detect and increases the risk of transmission.
"With holiday activities and gatherings this month, it is especially important to know your vaccination status," said Lori Christenson, Gallatin City-County Health OƯicer. "We encourage everyone to take proactive steps by speaking with their health care provider about the MMR vaccine, which oƯers strong protection against measles. Informed decisions about vaccination are key to keeping our families and communities safe and healthy."
Vaccination is the best way to help prevent the spread of measles. Please contact your health care provider for more information. The MMR vaccine is 97% eƯective against preventing the spread of measles. Individuals without prior immunity to measles have a 90% chance of contracting the disease if exposed. If you are unsure of your immunity status, consult with a health care provider. Maintaining high vaccination rates within the community protects those who cannot be vaccinated.
Measles is a highly infectious airborne disease with initial symptoms including fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes, and white spots in the mouth, followed by a red rash that typically starts on the face and spreads downward. Measles infection can also result in serious complications, including pneumonia, brain swelling, and even death. It poses significant risks to infants, who are generally not eligible for vaccination until 12 months of age.
The GCCHD offers MMR vaccinations and encourages residents in need of the vaccine to contact their health care provider. We believe in working together to help you make the best choice for your health. For more information or to schedule an appointment, visit our website or call 406-582-3100.
All additional updates for measles information will be made available on our website unless the risk to public health changes.

Introduction to Blue Lock Rivals and Its Codes
Blue Lock Rivals has quickly captured the attention of sports and simulation gamers with its high-octane soccer mechanics and character-driven progression system. Inspired by the popular manga and anime series, the game challenges players to train, scout, and compete with a roster of unique characters to become the ultimate striker. One of the most popular features among players is the Blue Lock Rivals codes, which provide bonuses such as currency, rare player unlocks, skill boosts, and cosmetic rewards. These codes allow players to accelerate progress, try advanced strategies, and enjoy the game without excessive grinding.
What Blue Lock Rivals Codes Can Unlock
The codes in Blue Lock Rivals offer a wide variety of rewards:
By providing these bonuses, codes give both newcomers and experienced players opportunities to experiment with different team compositions, maximize character performance, and explore advanced gameplay mechanics without waiting through long grind sessions.
How to Redeem Blue Lock Rivals Codes
Redeeming codes is simple and straightforward:
Some codes are time-limited, especially those tied to events, livestream announcements, or seasonal campaigns. If a code doesn’t work, it may have expired or be restricted to specific regions or platforms.
Why Codes Matter for Progression
Although Blue Lock Rivals can be enjoyed casually, progression depends heavily on character development, skill leveling, and tournament performance. Codes help players:
For competitive players, codes are especially useful for PvP events and ranking challenges, where every small advantage can determine victory. They let players test optimal striker combinations, timing, and special moves in high-pressure matches.
Staying Updated on Codes
Because codes are frequently added and can expire quickly, staying informed is key. Many players rely on centralized platforms to track active codes. bo3.gg is one of the most reliable sources, providing a regularly updated list of Blue Lock Rivals codes. It includes both newly released and still-active codes, covering event-specific rewards, seasonal bonuses, and developer drops. Using such a resource ensures that players do not miss valuable bonuses and always have access to fresh content.
Tips for Using Codes Effectively
While codes provide a boost, skill and strategy still determine success in Blue Lock Rivals. Here are some tips to maximize the impact of codes:
By combining codes with smart gameplay, players can climb the ranks more efficiently while still enjoying the full challenge of the game.
Event-Specific and Seasonal Codes
Blue Lock Rivals frequently releases codes tied to limited-time events, such as seasonal tournaments, collaborations, or special challenges. These codes often include unique strikers or event-only cosmetic items, making them highly desirable.
Participating in these events and redeeming codes promptly is crucial, as many rewards expire after the event ends. Being proactive in tracking codes ensures that players can access these exclusive items without missing out.
Conclusion
Blue Lock Rivals codes are a valuable resource for both new and experienced players, offering rewards that enhance gameplay, accelerate progression, and provide access to rare characters and exclusive items. By redeeming codes and staying updated through reliable platforms like bo3.gg, players can ensure they are maximizing every advantage in both casual and competitive play. Whether you are aiming to improve your team, unlock rare strikers, or explore advanced strategies, codes remain a central part of the Blue Lock Rivals experience.

Preparing for a move can be one of the most stressful life events we face. The sheer volume of tasks—from sorting personal items to packing, cleaning, and coordinating with movers—can feel overwhelming. But with the right strategy and approach, it's entirely possible to transition from chaos to calm.
This guide dives deep into home organization tips designed specifically to simplify your move, including smart decluttering before moving, creating an efficient moving preparation checklist, and practicing streamlined household inventory planning for a smoother, stress-free relocation experience. Whether you're moving across the state or across the country, these tips will help you start fresh without the mess.
Relocation isn’t just about changing your address; it’s about creating a fresh beginning. And the foundation for that new chapter starts with tidying up the current one. Organizing your home for a move helps reduce the volume of what you take with you, cuts down on packing time, and can even save money on moving services. Plus, living in a well-organized space during the transition process contributes to a calmer, more manageable experience for everyone involved.
Decluttering before moving is one of the most liberating steps in the entire process. It helps you let go of items that no longer serve a purpose, reducing unnecessary clutter and making packing simpler. Here’s a methodical approach:
The 4-Pile Method
• Keep: Items you absolutely need or that add value to your daily life.
• Donate: Gently used items that others may find useful—clothes, kitchen gadgets, books.
• Sell: Furniture or electronics in good condition that could fetch a good price before the move.
• Toss: Broken, outdated, or unusable items that don’t belong in your new home.
Room-by-Room Approach
Tackle one room at a time, starting with the least-used spaces (like guest rooms or basements). This makes the process feel less overwhelming and allows you to see tangible progress.
A clear moving preparation checklist ensures you don’t miss a thing. Here’s how to structure it for success:
1. 8 Weeks Out: Begin researching moving companies and gathering quotes. Start decluttering your home.
2. 6 Weeks Out: Create a moving folder with all imp
3. 4 Weeks Out: Notify schools, doctors, creditors, and postal services of your upcoming address change.
4. 2 Weeks Out: Start packing non-essential items. Label every box clearly.
5. 1 Week Out: Pack an essentials bag, confirm details with movers, and clean the rooms that are already packed.
6. Day Before: Defrost the refrigerator, finalize packing, and double-check all plans.
Household inventory planning is crucial for both organizing and protecting your belongings. Not only does it help you keep track of what you own, but it's also essential in the event of insurance claims or damaged property.
Tips for Effective Inventory Planning:
• Make a spreadsheet that includes item names, estimated value, condition, and destination room.
• Take photographs of valuable or fragile items as an added security measure.
• Use moving apps like Sortly or Moving Planner to digitize this process.
Inventory planning also helps you avoid duplication. When you see four slow cookers listed in your kitchen, you’ll know it’s time to pare down!
With your home decluttered and an inventory in hand, it’s time to pack smart. These packing preparation tips will help you avoid common pitfalls:
1. Start Early: Begin with items that are out of season or rarely used.
2. Label Wisely: Use a consistent system. For example, "Kitchen - Fragile - Dishes.
3. "Pack Similar Items: Keep similar items together for easier unpacking later.
4. Use Quality Materials: Invest in sturdy boxes, tape, and wrapping materials.
5. Don’t Overload Boxes: Especially with heavy items like books. Spread weight evenly.
For especially valuable, fragile, or difficult-to-pack items, consider hiring professional packing services in NV. They can ensure your items are treated with care, reducing the risk of breakage and streamlining your packing timeline.
Organizing your home for a move means more than just putting things in boxes. Use smart zoning systems to streamline your efforts:
Create Staging Areas
Zone 1: Items for donation or sale.
Zone 2: Items you’re keeping and ready to pack.
Zone 3: Essential daily-use items you’ll pack last.
Vertical space is your friend; use shelves and empty walls to stack sorted items clearly. Utilize clear bins for visual transparency, especially for essentials you’ll need quickly upon arrival.
A stress-free relocation starts with careful planning and ends with peace of mind. Here are the final touches that make a big difference:
Mind Your Mental Health
• Build in breaks—don’t aim to pack nonstop for 10 hours straight.
• Stay hydrated and get enough sleep during the last few weeks before the move.
• Celebrate small wins—finishing a room, donating a bag of clothes, checking off a checklist
Enlist Help
You don’t have to do it all alone. Whether you hire professional packing services or ask friends and family to pitch in, shared labor eases the emotional and physical burden of moving.
Moving doesn’t have to be chaotic. By incorporating strategic home organization tips, including early decluttering before moving, smart household inventory planning, and mindful packing preparation tips, you can shift your transition from stressful to seamless. Don’t let clutter follow you to your new home. From building an actionable moving preparation checklist to considering professional packing services, every decision you make today sets the stage for a smoother, more manageable tomorrow. Embrace the move as a fresh start—with calm, clarity, and confidence.
BOZEMAN – Historian Catherine Dunlop views wild environments as laboratories for studying how human societies are shaped by natural features and forces. For two months in 2017, she immersed herself in one such laboratory while researching a book about the famous mistral winds of southern France.
“It’s a very atmospheric place,” said Dunlop, a professor in the Department of History and Philosophy in Montana State University’s College of Letters and Science since 2010. “I lived for two months in Provence overlooking the Mediterranean. I got to see the sea whipped up by Mistral waves. The shutters would bang with the sound of the mistral, and I’d see the tables with wine glasses sent smashing and breaking from the force of the wind.
“It was important for me to spend time there getting to know the wind,” she said.
Dunlop said that experience was crucial as she began crafting her book, “The Mistral: A Windswept History of Modern France,” which examines how the violent and uncontrollable wind has not only shaped the region’s landscapes, industry and culture for centuries, but also played a decisive role in shaping the course of modern French history. As the inside cover flap explains, “Every year, the chilly mistral wind blows through the Rhône Valley of southern France, across the Camargue wetlands, and into the Mediterranean Sea. Most forceful when winter turns to spring, the wind knocks over trees, sweeps trains off their tracks, and destroys crops. Yet the mistral turns the sky clear and blue, as it often appears in depictions of Provence.”
To Dunlop’s surprise, the book, published in 2024, has been met with enthusiastic acclaim in historical circles and garnered her two national awards from the American Historical Association: the J. Russell Major Prize in French History, which is awarded annually for the best work in English on any aspect of French history; and the George L. Mosse Prize, which is awarded every year for an outstanding major work of extraordinary scholarly distinction, creativity and originality in the intellectual and cultural history of Europe since 1500.
“I was really shocked to receive these two national awards, because when I started writing the book and when I was trained as a graduate student, this was considered a bizarre topic,” Dunlop said. “Human ideas about freedom and liberty and how people govern themselves was traditionally how French history has been told.”
In the introduction to “The Mistral,” Dunlop writes that “scholars have tended to view the spaces of history from an anthropocentric perspective, downplaying the unruly weather features of historical landscapes while emphasizing people’s capacity to govern their surroundings.” For that reason, she says, when she set out to write the book, “I had to make the case that yes, we should pay attention to these nonhuman factors that can shape human societies.”
Dunlop’s interest in the mistral grew out of her lifelong affinity for France. It was nurtured by her mother, who was born there during World War II before emigrating with her family to the United States in the 1950s. Dunlop began studying French language in middle school, then studied abroad in Paris during her junior year of college, ultimately going on to study French history in graduate school.
“Over the course of a career, I’ve enjoyed getting to know different regions of France,” she said.
Dunlop believes understanding how societies are shaped by natural forces is relevant to the study of history anywhere, and she has incorporated that focus into the courses she teaches at MSU.
“I can easily work with students interested in the same interactions in the American West or elsewhere in the world,” she said.
Based on her research for “The Mistral,” Dunlop developed a senior level seminar course on nature and culture in Europe. She is currently on sabbatical researching a new book about the role of environmental knowledge in the planning, execution and aftermath of the D-Day landings at Normandy, and the project has given her some ideas for a class on the intersection of war and the environment.
“I enjoy the curricular openness of our department, which encourages thinking about history in broad and innovative and creative ways,” she said.
Dunlop said she also enjoys collaborating with her MSU colleagues, not only in the history department but across the university. While working on “The Mistral,” she bounced ideas off a geographer friend, learned from an MSU ecologisthow wind fits into ecological webs, and sought assistance from the Geospatial Core Facility, whose cartographers created the book’s maps.
Timothy LeCain, head of MSU’s Department of History and Philosophy, said he was not at all surprised that “The Mistral” has won so much acclaim.
“Besides being a joy to read, it really pushes the boundaries of how we historians tell our stories,” he said. “Catherine shows us how a force of nature can shape everything from the way farmers build their houses to the way Van Gogh paints his landscapes. This is cutting-edge history at its best.”
Fittingly, Dunlop will receive her awards in the windy city of Chicago at the annual meeting of the American Historical Association in January.
News Comments
Definitely not the quality it used to be. Mint cholate chip just has big chunks of chips stuck together not throughout the nearly mint flavored ice cream. Sorry you’ve lost me
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Why didn’t the Kagy and 3rd project get started when college was out? How is the football game traffic at MSU going to be handled? Timing of this project is awful.
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