The commission in charge of drawing Montana’s new political boundaries remains stuck in a deadlock over how to split the state into two congressional districts. The bipartisan Districting and Apportionment Commission failed to find consensus Thursday. Instead of putting forth a single map for consideration as planned, they advanced two. Still, commissioners are getting closer Read More…
A tenured professor at the University of Montana announced through his attorney that he has resigned amid an investigation into his blog. This comes after a student newspaper reported the blog shared homophobic and misogynistic views. Rob Smith’s statement, which was shared on Twitter, said the university previously told him his blog, which he says expresses Read More…
MISSOULA, Mont. – As available housing continues to be a challenge across the state, rent is also skyrocketing, forcing some Montanans out of their current home and looking for a more affordable one. Arabella Dowell moved to Missoula at the end of December 2020. She signed a six month lease for an apartment and when Read More…
Montana recorded its first confirmed case of bovine tuberculosis in more than 50 years in a beef herd in Blaine County, the state veterinarian confirmed. Meat inspectors discovered a single cow with bovine TB at a processing plant in Minnesota. It was traced back to the Blaine County herd, Dr. Marty Zaluski, Montana Department of Read More…
Former chairwoman of the Montana Native Women’s Coalition, Meredith McConnell has been sentenced for stealing federal grant funds for unapproved travel to Las Vegas, Nevada, and other unauthorized expenses. McConnell was found guilty at a trial on April 2 by a federal jury on all counts in a superseding indictment, including theft from a program receiving federal Read More…
North Dakota’s Health Department on Monday urged volunteers and people with medical experience to join the health care workforce due to what it called an “unprecedented staffing need.” Active cases of COVID-19 in North Dakota have dropped to the lowest level in a month and the average test positivity rate appears to have started Read More…
FARGO (KVRR) – Two major blood suppliers are reporting a critical blood shortage and urging all eligible donors to make an appointment to donate blood as soon as possible. Vitalant says Type O blood, which is the most transfused blood type, and vital to helping patients in emergencies, has plummeted to under a two-day supply, Read More…
GREAT FALLS — Memorial arrangements have been announced for Chief Earl Old Person, who died in Browning last Wednesday at the age of 92 after a battle with cancer. He was the longest serving elected tribal official in the U.S. Old Person was elected to the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council in 1952 and served for Read More…
BUTTE — As universities across the country deal with dwindling enrollment, a recent report out of Montana Tech shows the Butte university had an enrollment increase in the fall, albeit a very minimal one. “We’re really pleased with it; again, looking at the trends of higher education across the country, in particular those schools similar Read More…
GREAT FALLS — Delta is rebuilding its flight schedule across the nation. The airline is raising its capacity to 80% later this year. It’s been operating at 71% of its regular capacity. Here in Montana, it’s a bit of a different story right now. Recently, Delta cut its direct flight from Great Falls to Minneapolis. Read More…
Southwest Airlines has scrapped a plan to put unvaccinated employees who have applied for but haven’t received a religious or medical exemption on unpaid leave starting by a federal deadline in December. Southwest Airlines and American Airlines are among the carriers that are federal contractors and subject to a Biden administration requirement that their employees are vaccinated against Covid-19 by Read More…
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell died Monday from complications of COVID-19, his family said in a statement. He was 84. “General Colin L. Powell, former U.S. Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, passed away this morning due to complications from Covid 19. He was fully vaccinated,” the family said Read More…
FBI agents on Tuesday swarmed the home of Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska in Washington, D.C., an agency spokesperson confirmed to NBC News. The reason for their presence wasn’t immediately clear. The spokesperson said the agency is conducting “law enforcement activity at the home” but wouldn’t elaborate. The investigation is being led by federal investigators in Read More…
I am pleased to support Charlie Loveridge for Billings City Council. Born and raised in Billings, a small business owner, community volunteer and dedicated family man, Charlie will bring a pragmatic, commonsense approach to the city council. His opponent, Denise Joy, is a self-described Democrat Socialist and has been endorsed by some of the most Read More…
The former head of the Food and Drug Administration said Sunday that the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for children will be a “multiyear effort.” “I think that’s a very long way off,” Scott Gottlieb said on CBS’s Face the Nation. “The older kids, the high school kids, the middle school kids, do seem to get into trouble more with COVID. It’s harder Read More…
ELKO, Nev. — The first Nevada marijuana store on the Idaho border has been cleared to open in the rural Elko County town of Jackpot. Despite opposition from county commissioners in Idaho, the Elko County Commission unanimously approved a business license for the Thrive Cannabis Marketplace this week after authorities confirmed dispensary workers had Read More…
The 2021/22 ski season will be Dan Graves’ last as chief executive officer of Whitefish Mountain Resort, a position he has held for 15 years. Graves was promoted to the role of CEO in 2007, and the resort said in an Oct. 6 press release “the list of accomplishments under Graves is long and the Read More…
U.S. Senator Jon Tester visited with AP government students at Hamilton High School via Skype on Monday. Educator Kiah Nisly had arranged the opportunity for her students to have a visit with the senator. “The future electorate of America sits in my classroom so I like to create as many opportunities as possible for the future voters Read More…
BILLINGS, Mont. – Plans are underway to bring a sobering center to Billings. The Gratitude in Action Foundation said it would be a place for people to sober under medical supervision and then, be offered services as needed. “We have been working on the sobering center for a few months,” Director of Development at the Gratitude Read More…
SHEPHERD — A U.S. Army veteran in Shepherd is on a mission to raise money to create a long lasting memorial in Yellowstone County honoring every soldier from Montana who was killed in action in Iraq and Afghanistan. Frederick Baker, known to his friends as Rick, grew up in Shepherd and Huntley and served as Read More…
The demand for statewide childcare services outstripped supply before the start of the global pandemic. COVID-19 exacerbated the problem. State officials hope a new pool of federal grant money will bolster the availability of childcare services. The state health department Thursday announced the funding is now available through the American Rescue Plan Act. The $31 million can help registered Read More…
It was the early afternoon of June 17, 1876, when a bullet ripped through Cpt. Guy Henry’s cheek. For several hours, he was one of more than 2,000 people fighting in the largest battle of the Plains Wars. The fighting involved the United States government, committed to confining the Indigenous peoples of the continent to reservations, and the Cheyenne and Read More…
In early 2017, China appeared to be on a roll. Its economy was beating estimates. President Xi Jinping was implementing the country’s Belt and Road infrastructure initiative and was on the cusp of opening China’s first overseas military base in Djibouti. Most important, Xi seemed poised to take advantage of President Donald Trump’s determination to Read More…
If the growing scrum of land and development interests bearing down on the intermountain west were to attend a formal gala, the region’s swaths of privately owned forestlands would surely stand out as the belle of the ball. And yet, as America’s working forestlands endure an unprecedented degree of pressure to convert their traditional bases to Read More…
BILLINGS – They’re calling it L.A. traffic jams in the shipping lanes of the Pacific Ocean, but the backlog of cargo ships waiting for a turn to dock and unload is impacting businesses in Billings. On both the West and East coasts, ships are hanging out in the ocean for days, filling up a so-called Read More…
GREAT FALLS — The proposed Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine took a big step closer to reality on Wednesday with a ground-breaking ceremony near the corner of 26th Street South and 18th Avenue, close to Benefis Health and Great Falls Central Catholic High School. A large crowd gathered to hear representatives from Touro, Benefis, Read More…
MISSOULA — The University of Montana confirmed to MTN News Thursday morning that the Dean of the Alexander Blewett II School of Law, Paul Kirgis, submitted his resignation. University spokesman Dave Kuntz said Kirgis sent an email to UM President Seth Bodnar shortly after 5 p.m. Wednesday announcing his resignation. READ FULL STORY
HELENA, Mont. – Multiple police and sheriff’s offices in Montana have had grants approved that will help them obtain and train new canine units. The canine units will help local law enforcement crackdown on illegal drugs being trafficked into Montana according to the Department of Justice. “Dangerous drugs like methamphetamine and fentanyl are coming in Read More…
GREAT FALLS, Mont. – Governor Greg Gianforte traveled to the Texas-Mexico border as the fight to re-open the southern border continues. Gov. Gianforte joined nine other GOP governors addressing the issue of illegal immigrants and brought forth a security plan they believe will help the situation. The security plan includes 10 steps, like continuing Title Read More…
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans’ trust in the media to report the news fully, accurately and fairly has edged down four percentage points since last year to 36%, making this year’s reading the second lowest in Gallup’s trend. In all, 7% of U.S. adults say they have “a great deal” and 29% “a fair amount” of Read More…
A Delaware judge should order Elon Musk to repay $9.4 billion to Tesla for the benefits he received by pushing the electric-vehicle maker in 2016 to buy an ailing solar company he partly owned, according to Tesla investors in a court filing late Friday. The investors said a “simple and practical” way to undo the benefits they Read More…
White House press secretary Jen Psaki dodged specifics on Hunter Biden’s ownership stake in a Chinese government-linked investment firm, saying only that “he has been working to wind that down” and directing reporters to speak with the president’s son for further details. The lack of transparency comes despite promises from President Joe Biden that his family would not have Read More…
“TPD along with other law enforcement agencies are working a very active scene near 400 N. Toole Ave. in the downtown area,” Tucson Police Department said on Twitter. “Please avoid the area on Toole Ave. between N. 4th Ave & N. 6th Ave. Information is limited at this time, updates to follow.” The shooting aboard Read More…
Katie Couric has been banned from promoting her new book on CBS after she slammed the network — and its former boss Les Moonves’ bad breath — in her dishy tome. The former “Today” anchor — who disastrously hosted “CBS Evening News” from 2006 to 2011 — had been booked to promote her bombshell memoir, “Going Read More…
WELLINGTON, New Zealand—New Zealand is ending its effort to keep Covid-19 out of the remote South Pacific country as the economic costs mount and after its latest lockdown failed to halt the spread of the virus. Pandemic restrictions in the country’s largest city, Auckland—in place after a Covid-19 outbreak in mid-August—will be eased in stages starting this week, Read More…
Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Monday urged the Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate whether three Federal Reserve leaders violated insider trading rules in 2020, when they bought and sold assets as the central bank ramped up efforts to save the U.S. economy from economic turmoil. Warren, who sits on the congressional committee that oversees the Fed, pressed Read More…
MISSOULA, Mont. – Montanans kicking off the first weekend of October with the Missoula Scheels grand opening. Making it the third Scheels store in Montana and 30th store in the country. As the opening ribbon came down, the energy ran high as people came piling through the doors, in Missoula Southgate Mall’s new addition. Some Read More…
BILLINGS — The family of soldiers in the Montana National Guard 1063rd Maintenance Company said goodbye to their loved ones in Billings on Saturday before a 400-day deployment to Southwest Asia. The 147 soldiers in the 1063rd are primarily from Montana and headquartered in Billings with a detachment that drills in Dillon. The company will Read More…
BILLINGS – Rocky Vista University – Montana College of Osteopathic Medicine (RVU-MCOM) broke ground Monday for its new Billings campus. RVU-MCOM will be the first ever four-year medical school with a dedicated campus in Montana. Langlas & Associates began construction on the 12-acre campus and 135,000 square foot state of the art building on Billings Read More…
MISSOULA, Mont. — A district judge in Missoula has denied a request by several parents to halt mask mandates in Missoula schools while a legal challenge of the mandates is underway. The parents sued several Missoula schools in August over their mask requirements, arguing they violated the state’s constitution. READ FULL STORY