Month: May 2022

by Travis Mateer

I posed the question about whether or not a chaplain should be begging God to kill people to my 13 year old over the holiday weekend, but before I get to WHY I posed this crazy sounding question, let’s just take a moment to define what exactly a chaplain IS.

Ok, with that established, let’s now delve into the fascinating world of Lowell Hochhalter, a many-hat-wearing guy who dreams of saving trafficked women with a Gianforte-foundation-funded cabin in the woods, but all that pressure of doing Godly savior-work might be fueling a professional freakout after career highlights that include an appearance on the STOLEN podcast, which my 13 year old HAD to listen to for a school project.

What my 13 year old ALSO had to listen to, thanks to Dad, is the clip that, in the video below, begins around 4 minutes and 20 seconds.

https://player.vimeo.com/video/715399966?h=c9ad7feda0&badge=0&autopause=0&player_id=0&app_id=58479

Context is important, so I suggest watching the full video here before someone has the presence of mind to remove it.

I suspect there is already some sensitivity on behalf of the church that platformed Lowell Hochhalter, considering the live feed was abruptly cut at 54:53, just as Lowell was getting going on his dream of saving trafficked women and taking them to Crooked Tree Ranch. Curious.

If you don’t feel like searching out the spot where the chaplain for the Missoula County Sheriff’s Department confesses to begging God to kill people, here is the exact language, as transcribed by me:

…that when we hate it’s equivalent to putting someone to death. And let’s just…let me be quite honest there are people in my life that I have begged God to end their life because it…it makes my life hard. And you don’t necessarily need to kill them, just…send them away somewhere, right? So I don’t have to listen to the ‘you know what you should do’ but…I know that God is tapping me on the shoulder…no, I’ve told you what to do…You’ve asked to finish strong! You’ve asked to finish excellent!

Reading this language is one thing, but actually seeing and hearing how heartfelt Hochhalter’s plea to God actually is, well, that’s something else.

One of the big themes in Hochhalter’s sermon was the idea of FINISHING. Also, the jawbone of a donkey played a significant role in getting Lowell’s blood pumping. I guess what Samson did with that donkey jawbone left a BIG impression on Lowell.

Am I disturbed by how excited the idea of killing a thousand men seems to be to Lowell Hochhalter? Yes.

Do I wonder WHO this chaplain is begging God to kill? Yes.

Do I wonder how many REAL jawbones this man has handled after listening to him fantasize about the flaps of fleshy skin he imagined met Samson’s hand as he took hold of this odd Biblical mechanism of slaughter? Yes indeed.

While my overall writing style is trending hard toward sarcasm, let me say something with unequivocal seriousness: victims of INSTITUTIONAL abuse need a REAL chaplain to attend to the trauma and RE-traumatizing that occurs when people like Lowell Hochhalter are allowed to be unchecked cogs of dysfunction (or worse) in a system that seems to fail the worst of them upward to larger spheres of influence.

Now that the holiday weekend is over, I hope cogs who have jobs like IDENTIFYING BODIES at state crime labs can FINISH the work that began two weeks ago when a 26 year old fisherman found a body by the river.

I guess only time will tell. Thanks for reading!

by Travis Mateer

That was my first thought after confirming the Asian equivalent of “Smith” is a shared last name between two people pushing BIPOC wilderness programs in Montana.

I wrote about Frances Kim and her side-gig getting BIPOC people into the wilderness just over a week ago as a tangent about the research firm hired to assess Missoula’s 10 Year Plan To End Homelessness. That’s where I ran across Kim’s advocacy through the organization Earthtone Outside MT.

While that organization is in Bozeman, an entity closer to home pushing the BIPOC/wilderness interface just had a BIG breakup with Parks and Rec, and the person at the center of this breakup is Alex Kim.

Here’s the story of HERE MONTANA and the sad lack of commitment Donna Gaukler’s Parks and Rec exhibited, which led to this breakup. From the link:

Here Montana is splitting up from the city after about two and a half years as a city Parks and Recreation Department program.

The organization facilitates outdoor recreation opportunities for local BIPOC — Black/Indigenous/people of color — community. Leaders of the group met Thursday with the Missoula Department of Parks and Recreation to envision a partnership between the newly independent organization and the city.

“I think it’s in a better place now,” said Alex Kim, who founded Here Montana in 2019.

If you’re confused about how a split-up can so quickly lead to a partnership, you’re probably not alone, as I imagine the two other people still reading the Missoulian are probably thinking the same thing.

The rest of the article is such a whiny complaint-fest I can only assume its intended to exacerbate generational disdain. Like this:

Despite the mutual enthusiasm, Kim said there were a series of frustrating “communication mishaps” that led to Here Montana’s split with the city.

“The city doesn’t have the infrastructure to support something like this,” he said, “so realistically the best place for this program is to be its own independent entity where it can have freedom of funding, freedom of programming and freedom of making its own decisions.”

Kim said he had to work four other jobs while running the program part-time under Parks and Recreation, but there were no opportunities for him to pursue the work full time.

“I just kept being met by a persistent ‘no’ as well as a persistent lack of understanding in terms of why this program is important on a fundamental level,” he said.

Kim decided to pursue another opening at the city working in a newly created position surrounding Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. But he said the city prevented him from staying involved with Here Montana while working full time in another city role. Kim said he felt excluded from participating in the program he founded.

“It was in that moment I decided that that program couldn’t be at the city,” he said.

While I might get a little chuckle from seeing Donna Gaukler held hostage by an entitled wokeist, that doesn’t make seeing the expectation so brazenly articulated worth it by any means.

Here is Alex Kim, the hostage taker, issuing his demands:

Kim hopes the city will support Here Montana by providing funding, gear, transportation and the occasional staff.

“It’s important to grow a community in conjunction with the city but I don’t think that the city necessarily needs to be in charge or have power in any of these situations,” he said. “I think that their role is more effective as a partner as opposed to kind of running this.”

Gaukler said the city is still ironing out the details of its partnership with Here Montana, and Parks and Recreation wants to take its cues from Kim as he navigates the organization’s newfound independence.

“I think the relationship with Here Montana is yet to be determined,” she said. She listed program services and help with permits and reservations as a few possible areas for partnership opportunities.

While Frances and Alex Kim are doing noble work, I will continue to be worried that a blindspot exists if the use of machetes is in any way encouraged because I think it might be a risk factor for men of a certain age, skin color, and set of behavior traits.

I think this is an especially important thing to consider during this Memorial Day weekend, which is almost over.

Stay safe out there! And thanks for reading!

by Travis Mateer

While the days go by without a positive ID of the body thought to be Rebekah Barsotti, I’m turning my attention to the political arena where former protectors (like Bill Burt) and non-profit helpers (like Lowell Hochhalter) position themselves for opportunities.

One opportunity for Lowell Hochhalter’s organization, the LifeGuard Group, is to affix onto a political figure like HD 97 candidate, Michael Burks. I recently reached out to Burks to confirm what I thought was the obvious support his campaign was getting from the LifeGuard Group’s head honcho, Lowell Hochhalter, but maybe I misread this Facebook post:

Since Michael Burks has obviously met the Hochhalter’s, and is SO excited to LEAD THE FIGHT against human trafficking, I was a little confused about my text exchange with this political candidate.

I wasn’t sure what to expect after sending Burks the link, but I got a pretty hilarious response about the graffiti’d dollar that greets readers at the top of the blog. I guess using an image of a defaced piece of fiat currency lowers my credibility in the eyes of some political candidates.

If I was Michael Burks I’d try to focus on something other than my oblivious response to a journalist about an organization I have obvious ties to as well.

One would think a philanthropic-minded candidate like Michael Burks would be more attuned to the helpers associated with the Missoula County Sheriff’s Department, helpers like chaplain Lowell Hochhalter, who also runs the LifeGuard Group.

Heck, a former Missoula County Sheriff’s Deputy turned documentary filmmaker even made a film about Michael Burks and the philanthropic group he flies for, Angel Flight West. From the first link (emphasis mine):

An award-winning, short documentary film called “Angels Do Fly West” was released nationwide on Friday, and it was made by a Missoulian.

The film brings awareness to a volunteer-driven organization that arranges flights for people with serious medical conditions who might otherwise not be able to get the treatment they need.

The film’s director, producer and creator Joe McNeal worked at the Missoula County Sheriff’s Department for 25 years before he retired.

Isn’t that fantastic? I bet you didn’t know our local Sheriff’s Department had such talent. That’s probably because you don’t watch old episodes of Live PD like I do.

On this Memorial day weekend I’d like to give a special thanks to the protectors and helpers who heed the call to aid and assist the public in times of crisis. These brave Americans sworn to serve and protect would never restrain desperate parents from trying to save their children from a psychopath with a gun, or shoot a young black man in the back after a half hour of pretending to deescalate him.

It’s easy to be impressed by the exemplary work being done these days by proud members of law enforcement to the point I wonder if I should start emulating their swagger?

by Travis Mateer

If you’re a caring liberal member of our Missoula community, but sometimes feel that Christians are terrible threats to the utopia this valley represents for your amazing ideology, I suggest getting some vicarious joy out of this story about that hateful Christian pastor I gave money to last fall, Brandon Huber.

Yes, this terrible person who hatefully threatens all the liberal demographic piñatas with his refusal to participate in a sack lunch propaganda delivery program is back in the headlines because MORE complaints are coming into MOR. From the first link:

A Clinton pastor and Realtor accused of hate speech over homophobic remarks faces a second ethics grievance, this time filed by a fellow Realtor who identifies as part of the LGBTQ+ community.

The new ethics complaint says the pastor’s actions create an environment where the complainant doesn’t feel welcome to do business. MOR’s ethics hearing proceedings are confidential, and the names of ethics violations complainants are not disclosed. 

Isn’t this great? The complainant gets to remain under the radar as Pastor Huber gets ANOTHER headline bashing his faith. Good job, Missoulian! I think some specific gratitude should be directed to the reporter, Zoe Buchli, for covering this VERY IMPORTANT story. Good job!

In other news NOT reported by Zoe Buchli (despite her best texting efforts to get at Rebekah Barsotti’s mother, Angela Mastrovito), that body found “placed” by the Clark Fork river STILL hasn’t been identified by the state crime lab.

Why?

Maybe they’re waiting for a good day when people aren’t paying attention to the news, like the Friday of Memorial Day weekend.

Thanks for reading, and stay safe out there!

by Travis Mateer

It’s been over a week since a body was found on the banks of the Clark Fork River, but the State Crime Lab hasn’t released an ID, so as of this writing it is not known whether or not the body is that of Rebekah Barsotti.

How long should it take to produce a positive ID? Is there some other reason to withhold the results?

After an emergency guardianship hearing on Wednesday (where Rebekah’s mother, Angela Mastrovito, retained control of decision making in regards to possible remains) I was curious what Sheriff Toth might think, so I tracked him down to a hospital room in Billings.

Did Sheriff Toth speak with me? Yes, briefly, but once I identified myself, he quickly hung up, so I didn’t get a chance to wish him a speedy recovery in the hopes he can one day be compelled to testify in court.

You see, court is where I’d like to see things happen, preceded by, I don’t know, maybe the arrest of a hitman being promoted by a PI eager for attention, but that’s not what’s happening.

I called the Attorney General’s office and actually got the public information guy on the phone, but Kyler Nerison didn’t have much to say as I explained to him how bad things were about to look for his boss.

Or maybe it won’t, since it would take a functioning media and attentive public to produce the effects PR people are actually concerned about.

I was a little worried about seeing the hitman on Friday, since I was told by the PI he wasn’t in Missoula, but then I met the Beast your Biz guy and found out he’s also a search and rescue guy who was on scene when the body was recovered. Did I forget to mention he also knew Rebekah?

Since it’s become obvious to me we live in a cartoon clown world, I’ve realized there’s nothing to worry about. It’s all good. Nothing to see here.

If you disagree, listen to this.

Fun times.