Because I am a farmer, naturally I find myself in places like Tractor Supply. They have stuff that farmers need that some local stores with a partially overlapping inventory don’t carry. That creates temptation to buy items where inventories do overlap from the Tractor Supply type places because you already are in the store for a non-overlapping item.
 
But let’s pause for a moment and think about this again.
 
This morning I pulled out a new belt that I had on hand for the day that my old belt would give out. Apparently, I weigh less today than I thought when I bought this reserve belt. It is too big. I needed a leather hole punch.
 
I have a punch at the farm, but that is 90 miles away. Maybe it is time to have one here in town, I thought. So I got in the pickup and started for the store. Tractor Supply does carry a fair amount of stuff for animals, and with animals, people use stuff made of leather. So, Tractor Supply is likely to carry leather punches, I thought.
 
But then I also thought, when the community was threatened with devastation in the Defenders of Wildlife irrigation lawsuit, it was Johnson’s Hardware & Furniture, and particularly Phil Johnson, who led the defense of our community. The threat certainly was just as great to Tractor Supply as to Johnson’s, but I don’t recall Tractor Supply being visibly involved in defending our community.
 
Issue settled. Johnson’s Hardware it is for my leather punch.
 
The cheery and helpful Keith Osborne was there, and he helped me find the leather punches. They have so much stuff packed into that store that sometimes I need to ask for help.

At the checkout counter, guess what? Johnson’s was giving a 13% discount in celebration of the recent victory for our community in the irrigation case. I saved $1.66 on my leather punch.
 
So, that is Episode No. 38 in shopping locally. Even though both stores are in town, one is more local than the other, and it makes a difference to me where I buy.

The United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit ruled earlier this week that Minnesota must pay North Dakota more than 1.3 million dollars in costs and attorney fees.

North Dakota incurred the costs and attorney fees in its suit again Minnesota over a 2007 Minnesota law barring utilities in that state from buying power from new plants that emit carbon dioxide. North Dakota has six coal-fired electric generating plants that export most of their electricity to other states including Minnesota.

North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem sued Minnesota in 2011. In the suit, Stenehjem said the Minnesota law attempted to regulate out-of-state utilities in violation of the Commerce Clause of the U. S. Constitution. The Commerce Clause is Article 1, Section 8, Clause 3 of the U.S. Constitution, which gives Congress the power “to regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes.” The lawsuit was based on the claim that Congress, not the legislature of Minnesota, has that power.

In earlier rulings, the federal courts agreed with North Dakota on the substance of the case. The ruling this week allows North Dakota to recover its expenses in the suit.

Joining the State of North Dakota in the suit were rural electric utilities and energy companies who serve the needs of consumers in the upper Midwest. They said that, left in place, the Minnesota law would have restricted North Dakota utilities from selling power into the Midcontinent Independent Transmission System Operator (MISO) market – hurting businesses and customers in both Minnesota and North Dakota.

On news of the victory in the 8th Circuit, Stenehjem said:

The victory this week is the most recent demonstration that Wayne Stenehjem is a highly effective attorney general for the state of North Dakota.

​This four day event depicts the first 20 years of Bannack’s history. Demonstrations are historically researched, and accurately portrayed by Montana History “Live” Inc. in cooperation with Montana State Parks.
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​For example, instead of only being able to read a placard at a diorama of a blacksmith shop, step into the authentic blacksmith and see a real blacksmith actually working the way they did in the 1860s, and hear him give explanations of what he is doing. Step into an 1860s school room, have your children actually be taught by a teacher referencing the methods and materials of those days.

TEACHERS AND EDUCATORS:

Consider the Bannack Living History Weekend event as an excellent field trip. Thursday and Friday prior to the third full weekend in September are good days to schedule a school trip. The activities will run from 9am until 5pm Thursday through Saturday and 9 to 2 Sunday. Relive the excitement of the Gold Rush era in Montana. 
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Reservations are required for schools so please call to arrange a time for your school to participate. This event is free to Montana residents who have paid their park fees through their vehicle registrations. Out of state vehicles pay a $6.00 park entrance fee. State Park Pass holders (free).
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For more information or to schedule a school visit please call the park at 406-834-3413.

View official Bannack State Park video for this Living History Event below. In case of any problems with the video, click here to view it directly on YouTube.

​Judge Greg Mohr, very long time Justice of the Peace in Sidney, Montana, and his wife, Marilyn, very long time Registered Nurse in Sidney, Montana, have received sudden and devastating news. Marilyn has been diagnosed with a form of cancer that is under-publicized and frequently escapes early diagnosis. On first learning of her condition, already her cancer is stage 4.

You know what news like this would do to you and your family.

So, please, let's all add Greg, Marilyn, and their family to our daily prayers. Thank you for befriending in this way these wonderful people.