All posts by Big Sky Headlines

Women-owned Businesses Increase 50% in Montana

Montana has an estimated 37,400 women-owned businesses, employing 35,000 and attributing to roughly $4,771,100,000 according to the seventh annual State of Women-Owned Businesses Report, commissioned by American Express OPEN. The report analyzes data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Business Owners and factoring in relative changes in Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Montana is ranked Read More…

GTUIT at Abu Dhabi Nation Exhibit

GTUIT, a Billings-based manufacturer of mobile gas treatment systems, will participate in the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference taking place in Abu Dhabi Nation Exhibition Center, November 13-16. The company will be showcased by Caterpillar in its exhibit as technology “that keeps our customers connected to their assets, contributing to their overall success.” Read More…

Business Council launches “Grown in Wyoming”

CHEYENNE, Wy.(KGWN)- The Wyoming Business Council has officially launched Grown in Wyoming, a program designed to open new markets for Wyoming farmers and ranchers and expand local food options for consumers. Grown in Wyoming promotes all types of agriculture, food and fiber raised and produced in the state. The program connects farmers and ranchers with Read More…

World War 3: North Korea launches ICBM with warning Kim could hit ‘EVERYWHERE’ in world

North Korea launched the missile at around 3am local time (6pm GMT) yesterday, sparking a furious response from Seoul. Within minutes of North Korea’s ICBM launch, South Korea had fired its own missile launch in retaliation. The North Korean missile was fired eastwards from the hermit state. The missile landed about 210km west of Japan’s Kyurokujima Read More…

Chinese investors sue McAuliffe, Rodham over green-car investments

Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe and former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s brother Anthony Rodham are facing a $17 million fraud lawsuit from Chinese investors in Greentech Automotive, an electric car company that appears to be struggling to survive. A group of 32 Chinese citizens filed the suit last week in Fairfax County, Virginia court, claiming Read More…

Michael Flynn’s lawyer meets with members of special counsel’s team, raising specter of plea deal

The lawyer for President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser Michael T. Flynn met Monday morning with members of special counsel Robert Mueller’s team — the latest indication that both sides are discussing a possible plea deal, ABC News has learned. Trump’s legal team confirmed late last week that Flynn’s attorney Robert Kelner alerted the Read More…

Franken’s apology fails the full candor test

U.S. Sen. Al Franken broke his self-imposed silence over the weekend, submitting to a series of media interviews on the sexual misconduct allegations against him, professing his shame and embarrassment. That was a necessary move — Minnesotans and the country at large deserved to hear from him. But his apology falls lamentably short in several Read More…

Claire McCaskill Took Action to Hide Travel on Private Plane From Public

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D., Mo.) took action earlier this year to make her family’s private plane untrackable by the public, according to documents obtained from the Federal Aviation Administration. McCaskill garnered much criticism ahead of her last reelection campaign over her use of a private jet at taxpayer expense, causing her to demand her husband “sell the damn Read More…

Lawmakers considering diverting savings

CHEYENNE – Facing deficits in a fast-approaching legislative budget session, Wyoming lawmakers are looking at diverting money that would have otherwise gone to savings to pay for services. For Rep. Mike Madden, R-Buffalo, identifying such diversions is part of a four-pronged approach to addressing the state’s budgetary woes. “We’ve got to look at diverting away Read More…

Governor Bullock calls special session to balance Montana’s budget

MONTANA – Governor Steve Bullock has called the Montana Legislature back to Helena for a special session to balance the state’s budget. The session will begin at 12:00 p.m. Tuesday, November 14, 2017. “I have put forth a set of reasonable and thoughtful proposals to balance Montana’s budget for consideration by the Legislature,” Gov. Bullock said. Read More…

Montana Officials Looking to Salvage Timber After Wildfires

MISSOULA — Montana officials are working on determining how much timber burned in summer wildfires at Lolo National Forest is salvageable. The Missoulian reports nearly 10 percent of the 3,125-square mile (8094-sq. kilometer) national forest in western Montana was burnt. Lolo National Forest Supervisor Timothy Garcia says based on their Forest Plan allocations and past experience with Read More…

Blue Cross-Blue Shield Montana announces Dr. Monica Berner as next president

(HELENA) Blue Cross-Blue Shield of Montana announced Monday that Dr. Monica Berner will be its next president. “I am humbled and excited to build on our past successes and celebrate innovation as we continue to navigate the ever-changing health care environment,” Berner said in a press release. “We are dedicated to making the health care system Read More…

State leaders honor former Montana governor Judy Martz

(HELENA) Montana state leaders paid their last respects Friday morning to former Governor Judy Martz, the state’s first female governor. Montana Highway Patrol troopers and Butte-Silver Bow police escorted Martz’s family from Butte to Helena. When they arrived at the Montana State Capitol, Gov. Steve Bullock, Lt. Gov. Mike Cooney, Attorney General Tim Fox and other Read More…

GOP Responds saying no deal

Thursday the Governors Office said they were closer to reaching a deal which would resolve the $200 Million budget deficit. Friday Republicans said that is not the case at all. House Speaker Austin Knudsen wants to make it very clear there is no budget deal. He said they are not even close to a deal. $227 Million, that is Read More…

First Security Bank to Join First Bank of Montana

Inter-Mountain Bancorp, Inc., the Bozeman-based holding company for First Security Bank, has entered into an agreement to join the Glacier Bancorp family of banks.  Pending Board and regulatory approval, First Security will officially be under the Glacier Bancorp umbrella in early 2018. The new relationship will eventually lead to First Security Bank’s Golden Triangle locations Read More…

Montana’s Tester Sports Strong Approval Ratings Ahead of Red State Re-election Bid

Like three other vulnerable Senate Democrats seeking re-election next year in states where President Donald Trump won, Sen. Jon Tester in Montana sports strong job approval ratings at home. But Tester has an additional edge compared to Democratic Sens. Joe Donnelly in Indiana, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, and Joe Manchin from West Virginia, according Read More…

Poll: Wyoming voters prefer budget cuts to tax increases — but it’s complicated

Wyoming voters prefer spending reductions over tax increases to balance the state’s budget and are open to cutting administrative education spending, according to a poll released Tuesday by the Wyoming Business Alliance. The survey also showed that voters were opposed to increasing “sales and property taxes” in order to balance the state budget by a Read More…

US private sector added 235,000 jobs in Oct, vs 200,000 new jobs expected: ADP

The number of private-sector jobs created in October rose more than expected, with construction jobs surging in the wake of destructive hurricanes Harvey and Irma. The ADP National Employment showed private-sector businesses added 235,000 jobs in the month. ADP was expected to show private employers added 200,000 jobs in October, up from 135,000 in September. Read More…

Tester, Daines Grill Officials Over Whitefish Energy Contract

https://cpa.ds.npr.org/kufm/audio/2017/10/MN-PR-senate-update-10-31-17_0.mp3 Both of Montana’s senators questioned federal oversight of a multi-million dollar contract between Montana-based Whitefish Energy and the Puerto Rican electric utility during a Senate committee hearing today. Senators Jon Tester and Steve Daines grilled administrators overseeing power restoration efforts in Puerto Rico during the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Read More…

Full house: Wyoming couple welcomes quadruplets

SHERIDAN — A Sheridan, Wyo., couple was excited to learn they were pregnant earlier this year. But after they received their first ultrasound, they were stunned. “We went in and the doctor scanned and got a serious look on his face and went, ‘Oh, there are twins,” Dustin Olsen said.  “And we’re like, ‘OK, that’s OK.’ Then Read More…

Montana Supreme Court says that Marsy’s Law is unconstitutional

(HELENA) The Montana Supreme Court has found that voter-approved Constitutional Initiative 116, commonly referred to as Marsy’s Law, is unconstitutional. The court concluded that the initiative made at least five substantive and not closely related to changes to the Montana constitution. Montana’s Constitution requires a separate vote for each unrelated change to the constitution. The court Read More…

Bullock appoints Democrat campaign donor to Billings judge post

Helena – Governor Steve Bullock has appointed Billings personal injury attorney Don Harris as the new district court judge in Yellowstone County. Mr.  Harris will replace Judge Russ Fagg who retired earlier this year. Mr. Harris is currently a partner at the law firm of Harris, Gannet & Varela PLLC. He received his undergraduate and Read More…

Trump pollster: Sanders would have won general election

The pollster for President Trump’s campaign says that he believes Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) would have defeated Trump in the general election had he secured the Democratic nomination. Tony Fabrizio said at a Harvard University Institute of Politics event Monday that Sanders could have prevailed where Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton did not. “There’s no question that if Read More…

Economic Excitement Rises in Columbia Falls

COLUMBIA FALLS — The prominent hotel and convention center. The lineup of renovated and emerging storefronts and apartment buildings populating almost half of Nucleus Avenue. Even the aerial photo of the “Gateway to Glacier” placed front and center on the city government’s website. All courtesy of Mick Ruis. It’s impossible to walk through Columbia Falls Read More…