The 405 Aired Nov 11th, 2026
I want to again welcome you to the 04:05 coffee break. Get your cup of coffee, glass iced tea, beverage of your choice. Let's see what's happening.
OK Solberg:Spring wheat $5.69 a bushel. 550lb steer calf $4.40 on the top end if they're shiny, and a 100lb fat lamb in Billings tapering off $2.93 to $2.94 a pound.
OK Solberg:But guys, there's more, much more. November 11, Veterans Day. Yeah. It's Remembrance Day. I wanna take this moment to thank all our service members across the country.
OK Solberg:Yes. Thank you for serving our country. Today, we honor those who answered the call to serve, who sacrificed more than most of us will ever know, and who helped preserve the freedoms we are privileged to enjoy today. To our veterans, thank you. Guys, a job well done.
OK Solberg:Now if you listened yesterday, you know I found the date that the Equity Co op had a grain dust explosion which injured our own Alan Crowder. I searched high and low and finally found it in the November 23 edition of the Phillips County newspaper from 1967.
OK Solberg:Dan Perry put me onto this story, and I didn't give up. Thanks, Dan. So as is always, when I go and search old newspapers, I always find a lot of interesting stuff even if I don't find what I'm looking for.
OK Solberg:With that in mind, have you ever said out loud, I'm sure glad I live in Phillips County, Montana? I say that often. Where we know each other, where we grew up, where we grew up with so many people that are still here today. It's just great. It's grand.
OK Solberg:So as I was searching for the elevator explosion, I look at every page from January through December. And guys, I find this very interesting. At least once a month, and very often twice a month, you'll see on the front page a report of an automobile accident. Car wrecks were happening often. Now do you think I'm pulling your leg?
OK Solberg:Well, look at February 16th. We have a report of 3 vehicle accidents. On March 16th, we have 3 injured in a car accident. April 20th car accident injures 3. June 8th, we have a death of a North Dakota man and his family was injured.
OK Solberg:On 06/15/1967, we have patrolman reports several auto mishaps. June 22nd, we have a man killed. July 16th, injuries reported in vehicle accident. July 13th, two accidents on Highway 2. July 20th, several [paccidents. August 24th, 3 accidents.
OK Solberg:September 7th, 2 killed and 4 other vehicle accidents. Are you kidding? No. I'm not. September 14th, several auto accidents. September 28th, 3 accidents. October 19th 6 accidents. November 9th 2 accidents. November 23rd 2 accidents and the elevator explosion.
OK Solberg:December 7th 2 highway accidents, and December 14th death on Highway 2. What? Are you kidding me? No. I'm not.
OK Solberg:I looked them up myself. What in the world was happening? When is the last time here in Phillips County that we had an automobile accident? Oh, sure. They still happen.
OK Solberg:I understand that. But only once in a while. Not like over 37 reported in the year of 1967 in our own Phillips County newspaper. So what has changed? What's the deal?
OK Solberg:I did some research and I think I know the answer. Now bear with me. I'm gonna go rogue for a moment. You're gonna think I'm wandering off. Stick with me.
OK Solberg:I love movies. And one of my all time favorites is Foul Play from 1978 with Chevy Chase and Goldie Hawn. I hope you've seen it. If you haven't, you got to. But if you remember, there is gonna be a murder and the cops are digging up nothing on nothing.
OK Solberg:Then we have Delia Darrow, and she says, listen, ten years ago, we attempted a peaceful campaign for the taxation of these billion dollar corporations, but they support the economic system, and so the economic system supported them. We were attacked, laughed at, and finally imprisoned.
OK Solberg:But it was there in those hell holes where the mind is bound and the spirit is shackled that we realized that the single most effective way to bring about radical change is a historically proven path of violence. Okay. Now at that...
OK Solberg:This point, you've come to realize that Orvin often goes on a tangent and then brings it around to make perfect sense. But this time you're thinking, there's no way, no way that he can use that line from a movie 48 years ago to tell us what's the difference today in our driving conditions compared to 1967.
OK Solberg:But listen, did you pick up the part where she said that we realized that the single most effective way to bring about radical change... Did you hear that? Well, to this.
OK Solberg:After I studied, all the accidents in 1967 and before, I realized that the single most effective way to bring about radical change on The US highways was the addition of wide paved shoulders. For it is the most critical engineering improvement responsible for the dramatic reduction in crashes on rural 2 lane highways.
OK Solberg:And we have the highway department to thank for that great addition. A wide paved shoulder on an open highway saves more skin than all the seat belts, anti lock brakes, and crumple zones in the world. And guys, they widened Highway 2 in the fall in 1967.
OK Solberg:I'll give you a report sometime when I can find where Malta and Saco had a celebration and planted a tree as Highway 2 was widened and straightened. Listen to our bible verse, Proverbs 22 verse 3. The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it. Proverbs 22:3
OK Solberg:Sometimes preventing an accident isn't about being a better driver. It's about building a safer road. So today, we will not mock our government. We will thank them for the good roads that we drive upon.
OK Solberg:So until next time, as you go out there, remember now, don't be bitter.