Gov. Doug Burgum unveiled a task force to examine the governance structure of North Dakota’s higher education system Tuesday, a move he said was intended to ensure the state is keeping up with rapid workforce changes. Burgum will chair the task force and appoint its 15 members, who will represent “the interests of students, faculty, Read More…
CHEYENNE, Wyo.- Wyoming Governor Matt Mead has recommended an almost $2.9 billion budget, which he says will leave about $24 million on the table. The governor said, “It looked like, to me particularly, earlier in the year we were going to have some great challenges, and we do have some challenges. But because revenue has Read More…
BILLINGS – A Billings business with deep downtown roots will be celebrating its 80th anniversary Friday night, during the Holiday ArtWalk and the annual Christmas Stroll. The celebration will run from 5 to 9 p.m. at Montague’s Jewelers, 2810 Second Ave. N., presided over by Chris Montague, who returned the third-generation store to downtown Billings after Read More…
MISSOULA, Mont. – In a highly anticipated announcement, The University of Montana is officially naming Bobby Hauck the 37th head football coach for the Grizzlies. Director of Athletics Kent Haslam will formally reintroduce the returning coach in the Washington-Grizzly Stadium Canyon Club this morning at 10:30 a.m. READ THE FULL STORY.
The Montana State Fund’s board of directors has decided to withdraw a lawsuit seeking to stop the state from putting a $30 million charge on some of the fund’s investment holdings. During an emergency meeting Wednesday afternoon, the board voted 5-2 to pull out of the lawsuit, filed earlier this month in district court in Read More…
HELENA – U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, bracing for another tough election battle in 2018, has received at least 81 percent of his nearly $8 million campaign war chest from sources outside Montana, an MTN analysis shows. Tester, one of several Democratic incumbent senators up for election in states won handily by President Trump last year, Read More…
When you’re running a small business, you fight for every customer, client and sale. That’s why it’s frustrating whenever something unexpected throws a wrench in the works. One of those unexpected wrenches for many small businesses is online reviews. Positive reviews can springboard your business toward success, while negative reviews can seriously poison the well. Read More…
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, 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…
BUTTE, Mont. – Black Friday may be the busiest shopping day of the year, but small businesses have their eye on another big day. Butte shops are busy preparing for their own rush on Small Business Saturday. This year they’ve come up with some new ways to lure customers in. The Butte mall was packed Read More…
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…
CASPER — One Wyoming doctor is concerned about a potential new law that would heavily regulate the prescription of opioid painkillers in the state. Anne MacGuire, a rheumatology doctor based in Casper and a member of the state Board of Medicine, said she was alarmed by the bill because it could lead to many patients Read More…
U.S. Sen. John Barrasso’s campaign committee has raised almost $3 million in 2017, according to the committee’s most recent filing with the Federal Election Commission. Of that money, only $66,225 — around 2.2 percent — appears to come from the state he represents. In the first three quarters of 2017, Barrasso’s campaign committee, called Friends Read More…
A new study is warning mouthwash users to take it easy on the commonly used dental hygiene routine. Researchers at Harvard say using mouthwash products more than once a day can greatly increase your risk of developing diabetes. Professor Kamudi Joshipura of Harvard’s School of Public Health says the fresh-tasting cleaners kill both harmful and helpful Read More…
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…
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…
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…
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…
The maneuvering to fix the state budget is still playing out following the special session earlier this month as some key pieces have yet to slide into place. Lawmakers left the state Capitol about a week and a half ago with a package of bills that filled the state’s projected $227 million budget shortfall. As Read More…
Most of us are well aware that sexual harassment was a problem in America well before the Harvey Weinstein scandal erupted this summer. But there is no denying the Weinstein story has taken the wraps off of a massive number of alleged and confirmed cases of this kind of misconduct in Hollywood. Now, the same Read More…
Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) on Monday became the second GOP senator to oppose the upper chamber’s tax bill in its current form, raising concerns it does more to help corporations than other types of businesses. “Sen. Daines has concerns with how the tax bill looks at main street versus large corporations,” an aide to the Read More…
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…
HELENA – The Trust Lands Management Division for the state of Montana made $86.2 million gross revenues in fiscal year 2017, with $43 million of that going to schools, members of the state Land Board were told Monday. Shawn Thomas, division administrator for the Trust Land Management Division for the Department of Natural Resources and Read More…
It has been 30 years since the last time our nation’s tax code has been overhauled. In that time, the tax rate we levy on businesses has become one of the highest in the world, the tax code itself has become an incomprehensible mess, and special interests have drilled it full of loopholes that benefit Read More…
Less than two weeks after filing suit to block a $30 million transfer of its funds to help balance the state budget, the state workers’ compensation fund board may vote to withdraw the lawsuit. The Montana State Fund’s board of directors has scheduled an emergency meeting this Wednesday, to consider whether it should withdraw the Read More…
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…
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…
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…
The Montana Scene opened its fifth location on Nov. 3 at 219 S. Main St. in downtown Kalispell. The Montana Scene’s other locations are in Bigfork, Whitefish, Missoula and Bozeman. Only open for three years, the family-owned business has seen tremendous growth. The mission of the The Montana Scene is to share their passion and Read More…
(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…
The so-called corruption crackdown in Saudi Arabia over the weekend may be the beginning of a bigger power struggle by the heir apparent to the throne which destabilizes the region for a time and keeps oil prices elevated . Following the creation of an anti-corruption committee by current King Salman, security forces Saturday swept up Read More…
(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…
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…
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…
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…
Donna Brazile, former interim chair of the Democratic National Committee, said Hillary Clinton gained control of the political party before she won the presidential nomination in an effort to squeeze out Bernie Sanders. She began investigating whether Clinton “rigged the nomination process” as emails hacked from the DNC and published by WikiLeaks last year had Read More…
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…
The Wyoming Legislature will have an additional $141 million in revenue to use while setting a budget for the next three years, a new report shows. The annual document, released Tuesday by the Consensus Revenue Estimate Group, also reveals that the state earned $244 million more than expected during the fiscal year that ended in Read More…
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…
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…