State Superintendent Kirsten Baesler on Friday announced the four outstanding educators selected as finalists for North Dakota’s 2026 Teacher of the Year award, praising their dedication and commitment to shaping the future of the state’s students. The finalists are: Julie Dawes, Grand Forks County Jared Sagvold, Ransom County Kelsey Tunseth, Traill County Holly Wheeling, Burleigh Read More…
Texas State Senator Angela Paxton filed for divorce Thursday from her husband, Attorney General Ken Paxton, ending nearly four decades of marriage between two prominent Republican political figures. The filing, made in Collin County, cites adultery and irreconcilable differences as grounds for the split. Angela Paxton publicly confirmed the divorce on the social media platform Read More…
For Elizabeth Arnold, mathematics has always been a family affair. While growing up, she spent lots of time solving problems and mathematical puzzles with her father, a now-retired community college professor of mathematics. She remembers going with him to campus as a fourth grader on “Take Your Child to Work Day,” attending his lectures and Read More…
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen is leading a 23-state coalition in a federal court case defending parental rights after a Delaware father alleged that school officials violated his constitutional rights by concealing his child’s gender identity decisions from him. The coalition filed an amicus brief Monday in Heaps v. Delaware Valley Regional High School Board Read More…
The Montana Department of Commerce announced today that three communities in coal-impacted areas will receive more than $240,000 in grant funding to support critical public safety upgrades and community development initiatives. The funding, distributed through the Montana Coal Board, will aid local governments and school districts in enhancing infrastructure, improving emergency services, and investing in Read More…
Governor Greg Gianforte continued his 56 County Tour today with a stop in Chouteau County, where he held a ceremonial bill signing for legislation aimed at strengthening Montana’s water rights system and improving water administration across the state. Standing along the banks of the Missouri River, the governor was joined by Department of Natural Resources Read More…
(The Center Square) – Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown proposed several measures on Monday to “jumpstart” the city’s affordable housing supply with hopes of building more than 22,000 units by 2046. The proposals build on Brown’s H.O.M.E. Starts Here initiative, which the Spokane City Council passed last month as part of her overhaul of the local homelessness Read More…
(The Center Square) – As lawmakers begin crafting the 12 annual appropriations bills to fund the federal government in fiscal year 2026, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has implied that his party will refuse to cooperate in the process if Republicans revoke billions in funding from previous years. The Senate is set to vote Read More…
The national conversation around cannabis has shifted dramatically in the last few years. What was once a fringe issue is now a mainstream discussion, with a broad consensus emerging across the political spectrum: it’s time for federal cannabis policy to catch up with the reality on the ground in America. The proposed rescheduling of cannabis Read More…
Amberly Guerrero, a senior at Montana State University who is pursuing a dual degree in chemical and biological engineering, earned a prestigious award from the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation this spring. Guerrero was one of 74 undergraduate students from 51 institutions across the country to receive the award. The scholarship is offered to college juniors and Read More…
The Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) will host an open house later this month to update the public on a multi-year study of water quality in the middle segment of the Gallatin River, stretching from Yellowstone National Park to Spanish Creek. The public meeting will take place on Tuesday, July 29, from 5 p.m. Read More…
Travelers heading to Montana this summer may face sticker shock at the rental car counter. Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN) has been named the most expensive airport in the country for car rentals, according to a new survey from travel website Cheapcarrental.com. The survey, which analyzed rental rates across 100 U.S. airports for the peak Read More…
Marley Miller came to the University of Montana as a pre-med student, but quickly discovered a different path through the College of Business to pursue his passion for music and entertainment. Miller switched his major to business management and marketing and joined the UM Entertainment Management certificate program, which offered him real-world experience connecting with Read More…
Congressman Ryan Zinke announced that the Montana Department of Labor and Industry has been awarded $4 million in federal funding to expand apprenticeship programs across the state. The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Labor’s State Apprenticeship Expansion Formula Round 3 (SAFE3) grant program. The grant will be used to grow Registered Apprenticeship Programs Read More…
Governor Brad Little and Lieutenant Governor Scott Bedke welcomed top officials from the Trump administration to Idaho this week for a wildfire preparedness roundtable and the Governor’s annual trail ride, bringing together state, federal, and local leaders to coordinate efforts ahead of the 2025 wildfire season. The visit included senior leaders from the U.S. Department Read More…
Montana’s U.S. Senators Tim Sheehy and Steve Daines praised the Senate’s passage of a sweeping legislative package dubbed the “One, Big, Beautiful Bill,” calling it a major victory for working families and a key step in advancing the America First agenda. The comprehensive reconciliation bill, backed by President Donald Trump and Republican leadership, includes provisions Read More…
Attorney General Austin Knudsen today announced the appointment of Billings attorney Emily Jones to the Montana Judicial Standards Commission, a key body responsible for upholding the integrity and ethical standards of the state’s judiciary. With more than 15 years in private practice, Jones brings extensive legal experience to the commission, which investigates allegations of judicial Read More…
Governor Greg Gianforte and U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz has signed a historic Shared Stewardship Agreement between the State of Montana and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, launching an ambitious new partnership to accelerate forest restoration and wildfire risk reduction across the state. The agreement establishes a long-term framework to dramatically increase Read More…
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen announced Friday that his office has opened an investigation into Lee Enterprises following a February cyberattack that compromised the personal information of nearly 40,000 employees and subscribers, including an undisclosed number of Montanans. Lee Enterprises, based in Davenport, Iowa, owns several major newspapers in Montana, including the Helena Independent Record, Read More…
Montana State University’s most prestigious scholarship has been awarded to 20 high school graduates from across the nation and world, including 15 students from Montana. The MSU Presidential Scholarship is awarded based on scholastic achievement, demonstrated leadership and exemplary public service. Students receive an annual stipend plus a tuition waiver. The scholarship is renewable for Read More…
(The Center Square) – The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs slammed a Democrat governor who sent out a mass email falsely claiming that veterans could be denied care based on how they voted even after the initial report had been changed and both the VA and the White House said it was false. Illinois Gov. Read More…
Litigation cannot be pursued by a disabled Florida firefighter against the city of Sanford under the Americans With Disability Act, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Friday. Karyn Stanley, in Stanley v. City of Stanford, sued the city after officials said that her disability entitled her to only 24 months of insurance coverage. Stanley was hired Read More…
South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announced that the state is expected to receive approximately $10.1 million as part of a nationwide $7.4 billion settlement with Purdue Pharma and its owners, the Sackler family. The agreement, signed by 55 Attorneys General, resolves litigation accusing the company and family of fueling the national opioid epidemic. “South Read More…
Bridger Aerospace Group Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: BAER), one of the nation’s leading aerial firefighting companies, today praised the recent Executive Order aimed at restructuring the U.S. wildland firefighting system and emphasized the impact of a significant increase in the Department of the Interior’s fiscal 2026 budget request. Sam Davis, CEO of Bridger Aerospace, said, “Bridger Read More…
Montana State Auditor and Commissioner of Securities and Insurance James Brown praised the Montana Board of Land Commissioners this week after approving an estimated $1.7 million in revenue to support the state’s public schools. The decision, made during the Land Board’s May meeting, reflects the board’s continued efforts to responsibly manage Montana’s trust lands in Read More…
In a major legislative milestone for freshman U.S. Senator Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), President Donald J. Trump on Friday signed into law the Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act, Sheehy’s bipartisan bill to expand and modernize the federal government’s aerial wildfire suppression capabilities. The signing ceremony took place in the Oval Office, where President Trump also issued a Read More…
U.S. Senator Tim Sheehy introduced the COVID-19 Military Backpay Act of 2025 on Friday, aiming to provide backpay and compensation to thousands of service members who were discharged from the military due to non-compliance with the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The legislation seeks to restore benefits, pay, and retirement accruals to the roughly 100,000 Read More…
The Montana Department of Commerce announced today the 2025 recipients of its Opportunities in Rural Economies (ORE) planning grants, awarding nearly $500,000 in funding to support projects that aim to strengthen local economies across rural Montana. “The ORE Program plays a vital role in creating good-paying jobs, stimulating economic growth, helping businesses grow, and building Read More…
Society tends to protect the identity of cadavers, so not much is known about No. 817. We know the 72-year-old woman was from Montana and that her final cause of death was cancer. One can infer she was a giving person, as she and her caregivers elected to donate her earthly remains to the education Read More…
Governor Brad Little and the Idaho Board of Examiners approved a request Tuesday to allocate up to $300,000 from the Governor’s emergency fund to support U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in transporting hundreds of dangerous illegal alien criminals from Idaho jails. This move follows the recent announcement that the Idaho State Police (ISP) entered Read More…
In 2026, as the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, North Dakota will mark a historic milestone of its own: the grand opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library (TRPL). Scheduled to debut during Independence Day festivities in early July, the Library will pay tribute to the 26th President of the United States on the Read More…
Congressman Ryan Zinke is calling on the U.S. Department of the Interior to take immediate action to prevent what he warns could be a “catastrophic drop” in Flathead Lake levels this summer. In a letter sent to Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, Zinke urged coordinated efforts to stabilize the lake, including increased water releases Read More…
U.S. Senator Steve Daines (R-Mont.) is once again championing Montana’s outdoor heritage on the national stage, as the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bipartisan resolution he co-led to designate June as “Great Outdoors Month.” Joined by Senator Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and a coalition of colleagues from across the country, Daines highlighted the importance of outdoor Read More…
Governor Greg Gianforte applauded the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in United States v. Skrmetti, upholding Tennessee’s Youth Protection Act and reinforcing the right of states to restrict certain medical and surgical treatments for minors experiencing gender dysphoria. The ruling comes as Montana’s own Youth Health Protection Act faces legal challenges in state courts. “Today, the Read More…
Governor Greg Gianforte this week recognized four distinguished Montana veterans with the 2024 Montana Governor’s Veteran Commendation during ceremonies held in Ravalli, Flathead, and Missoula counties. The award honors veterans who not only served with distinction in uniform but who also continue to make a lasting impact in their communities. “Montana’s veterans lead by example. Read More…
he Montana Highway Patrol (MHP) welcomed 17 new troopers into its ranks during a graduation ceremony Friday, marking the agency’s largest graduating class in the past 20 years. Attorney General Austin Knudsen and MHP Colonel Kurt Sager addressed the graduates before the formal badge pinning ceremony, commending the new troopers for their commitment to public Read More…
Governor Greg Gianforte announced the appointment of State Representative Marta Bertoglio as the new Director of the Montana Department of Commerce, signaling a continued focus on economic growth and job creation in the state. “Marta has been a strong partner in the Legislature and is a driven leader, dedicated to making Montana the best place Read More…
A Rasmussen poll conducted June 8-12, 2025, found that 53% of voters approve of former President Donald Trump’s job performance, reflecting robust support across racial groups. Notably, 54% of Black voters, 53% of Hispanic voters, and 53% of White voters expressed approval, a rare instance where a Republican president’s support among Black voters slightly exceeds Read More…
Lately, you may have come across articles from some members of the Legislature promoting the new property tax bills (now laws) that were passed this year. It appears they have been on a publicity tour highlighting the benefits of these new laws while criticizing those who opposed them. There were legislators, including myself, who opposed Read More…
Most student projects made in Gallatin College Montana State University’s carpentry program are eventually disassembled, rebuilt into something new and then taken down again. And again. And again. However, a special few each year stand the test of time. This year, those projects are providing winter shelter for calves at Rocky Boy’s Nation near Havre Read More…