from Conrad received the award in 1957. In the years after Bearskin’s death, it was bestowed by Vic’s parents, Claude and Minnie Bearskin themselves — traveling over 400 miles from Wolf Point to grant the honor. Bearskin’s death stunned Montana fans. “I remember when it happened,” recalled Haugen, who graduated from Sidney High School in 1954. “I really do.” Haugen recollects multiple

Strong communities don’t just happen. They rely on connection — residents knowing what’s going on, businesses reaching the customers who keep them open, and citizens having the facts to make good decisions. Local newspapers provide that connection in ways no other source can. In today’s fractured media environment, trust is the rarest commodity. Confidence in “the media” is low. Only