(The Center Square) – As demand and scarcity drive property values up, Montana’s property tax structure may get a second look. Attorney and former Montana state lawmaker Matthew Monforton is proposing an “acquisition-value” property tax system, the Missoula Current reported. Such a system would keep property taxes from inflating along with market property values by Read More…
BOZEMAN, Mont. – The Bozeman School Board voted 7-1 to update the face-covering policy which requires a mask to be worn inside school district buildings. The new policy is effective as of Tuesday, Aug. 24 and requires face coverings for all students, faculty, staff, parents, volunteers and visitors on campus. Enforcement of any masking requirement will not Read More…
CARBON COUNTY, Mont. — The body of a 23-year-old from Idaho who disappeared on a solo mountain-climbing trip in July has been found. The Carbon County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the remains belong to Tatum Morell, a graduate student at Montana State University who had been attempting to climb five mountains in five days when she went Read More…
A hydrogen hub is on the horizon for the Bakken, in about half the time it usually takes, according to a release from Bakken Energy. The infrastructure development company announced Monday, Aug. 16 that an agreement has been reached with Basin Electric Cooperative to purchase the assets of the Dakota Gasification Company, which owns Read More…
For the first time since the pandemic began, Montana’s oil industry is seeing renewed activity. In August, two drillling rigs set up shop in eastern Montana. Both are horizontal rigs targeting oil production for Kraken Oil & Gas. It’s been more than 16 months since Montana reported any oil rig activity along the western edge Read More…
CASPER, Wyo. — Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon said during a conference call on Monday, August 16 that he and other governors are monitoring the situation as disruptions to the global supply chain continue to impact supplies in a number of industries. “There are a number of shortages,” Gordon said during the call. “Aviation fuel is Read More…
An agreement has been reached by Bakken Energy and Basin Electric on key terms and conditions to purchase the assets of the Dakota Gasification Company (Dakota Gas), a subsidiary of Basin Electric, and the owner of the Great Plains Synfuels Plant (Synfuels Plant). Located near Beulah, ND, the Synfuels Plant holds a distinguished place in Read More…
Drought that has plagued North Dakota all summer worsened again in the past week, with exceptional drought beginning to creep into the southwest after appearing in the east last week. Exceptional drought — the worse of four categories, now covers nearly 16% of the state, up from 14% last week, according to the latest U.S. Read More…
A group of Arizonans filed the “Arizonans for Voter ID Act” ballot initiative on Monday, asking the secretary of state’s office to further ID requirements for in-person voting, individuals returning a voter’s ballots, and mail-in voting. In a news release, the political committee chaired by Arizona voter Vicki Vaughn said that the initiative would make it Read More…
A 41-year-old Cheyenne anesthesiologist who disappeared while hiking in the Wind River Mountains over the weekend was found dead on Monday by a Sublette County search and rescue team. Tip Top Search and Rescue announced late Monday afternoon that the body of Thor Hallingbye was discovered in Fremont County. Earlier, the rescue unit said Hallingbye was last Read More…
U.S. troops do not currently have the capability to help people reach Kabul airport to be evacuated from Afghanistan because they are focused on securing the airfield, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Wednesday. The speed with which Taliban forces retook Afghanistan, as U.S. and other foreign forces withdrew after a 20-year war, has Read More…
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health officials on Wednesday announced plans to dispense COVID-19 booster shots to all Americans to shore up their protection amid the surging delta variant and signs that the vaccines’ effectiveness is slipping. The plan, as outlined by the chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other top health Read More…
President Joe Biden defended his decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan Wednesday, blaming the Taliban’s swift takeover of the country squarely on the Afghan army and a peace deal brokered with the Taliban by the Trump administration. In an interview with ABC News‘s George Stephanopoulos, Biden argued that there was no way the intelligence community could Read More…
President Joe Biden should keep Jerome Powell at the helm of the Federal Reserve for another four years to build confidence in an improving economy that still faces significant risks, Sen. Steve Daines said in a letter to the president on Thursday. “Changing the top leadership at this sensitive time could foster uncertainty across the financial Read More…
A Washington state man who admitted to selling methamphetamine on the Flathead Indian Reservation was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen. Alberto Escareno-Sanchez, 27, of Sunnyside, Washington, pleaded guilty in March to possession with intent to distribute meth. Escareno-Sanchez also will be on probation for five years, according Read More…
GREAT FALLS — It’s back to school time and it’s not just families who sometimes struggle with the increasing cost of school supplies. East Middle School teacher Adrienne Culliton is one of the many who has benefited from a Facebook page called ‘Adopt a Teacher, Great Falls Helping Great Educators.’ She says a box of Read More…
Montana State University issued a stronger message urging people on campus to wear masks indoors but again stopped short of mandating face coverings ahead of the Aug. 25 start to the semester. MSU President Waded Cruzado in a letter sent to students, parents, faculty and staff on Tuesday evening urged them to voluntarily wear masks “because Read More…
LOCKWOOD — It’s been eight years since Jessica Stiles was in Afghanistan doing detainee operations at the prison on Bagram Air Base. It’s a time she still sometimes lives with. “I get night terrors and had a hard time adjusting at first,” the Lockwood resident said this week. Stiles is one of the thousands of Read More…
After more than a decade in the making, Limberlost Brewing Co. is open in Thompson Falls. Two northwestern Pennsylvania natives — Zach and Kate Whipple-Kilmer — learned from a close friend how to brew beer more than a decade ago. They saved their money, bought their equipment and bided their time. In 2015, the couple Read More…
MISSOULA, Mont. – As tourism bounces back across the treasure state, hotel availability is dwindling while prices are skyrocketing. To put this in perspective, when I search for a hotel room here in Missoula for Friday, there’s absolutely nothing available. The city’s completely sold out. So, just how hard is it to find a place Read More…
HELENA — Democrat Steve Bullock had an oversized influence on the Montana judiciary during his eight years as governor, appointing 28 judges and justices – half of the state’s entire judiciary. In part, that influence led to a controversial change this year in how the Montana governor can fill judicial vacancies. READ FULL STORY
If Montana voters approve a Referendum on HB273 (Rep. Skees’ attempt to expedite nuclear development in Montana), the 1978 Nuclear Vote Initiative will once more be Montana law. The referendum asks Montana voters to repeal HB273 for five reasons: In 1978, Montana voters approved Initiative-80, “Nuclear Vote” by 65% to 35%. READ FULL STORY
BILLINGS- The carnival has arrived in Billings setting the stage for the 2021 MontanaFair. However, as COVID-19 cases rise, officials with MetraPark say they’re keeping some safety precautions in place while adding an emphasis on personal choice. Ray Massie with MetraPark says there are some new attractions this year, including fun for the entire family Read More…
GREAT FALLS — The Great Falls Police Department recently acquired two new incident response vehicles thanks to a federal program. One is a mobile crime scene unit, the other is for the department’s High Risk Unit. “These two vehicles provide a lot of different capabilities for us,” noted Captain Doug Otto of the GFPD. He Read More…
Through a small Zoom square from inside a Texas prison, nine immigrants in orange jumpsuits appeared for the first court hearings Wednesday under Gov. Greg Abbott’s new directive for state troopers to arrest people crossing the U.S.-Mexico border and jail them for state crimes. Over three hours, each of the men — all from Venezuela — pleaded guilty Read More…
Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates said his climate investment fund will commit $1.5 billion for joint projects with the U.S. government if Congress enacts a program aimed at developing technologies that lower carbon emissions. A roughly $1 trillion infrastructure bill passed by the Senate this week would give the Energy Department $25 billion for demonstration projects funded Read More…
HELENA, Mont. – The Montana National Guard is adding 25 personnel to state active duty to provide logistics and security support to the Lolo Complex Fire burning southwest of Missoula. Beginning Tuesday, a 20 person hand crew will aid in the Alder Creek Fire located southwest of Butte. On Wednesday, the CH-47 crew located in Read More…
BILLINGS — Yellowstone County voters will not get a second chance to overturn the legalization of recreational marijuana sales. A resolution voted on by the Yellowstone County Commissioners on Tuesday that would have put the issue of legalized recreational marijuana back on November’s ballot failed after a 1-1 tie. Board Chairman Don Jones voted in Read More…
GREAT FALLS — U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Port of Sweetgrass in Toole County recently seized 69.5 pounds of cocaine from a commercial vehicle. On Thursday, July 29, 2021, CBP officers encountered a commercial truck operated by a woman from Canada. The trailer contained a commercial load of watermelons and peppers Read More…
The Army recently inked a $3.5 billion contract with Pfizer Inc. for the pharmaceutical company to produce 500 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine. But those shots are not planned for soldiers’ shoulders. Instead, the contract award states, they are for “international donation” and procurement is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2022, according Read More…
The district attorney of Albany County, New York, said Tuesday that his office is criminally investigating Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has been accused of sexually harassing multiple women. DA David Soares also said his office would “welcome any victim to contact our office with additional information” about Cuomo. And Soares said he plans to request investigative Read More…
CLEVELAND — Mike Gibbons, a Cleveland investment banker running for the Republican nomination in Ohio’s 2022 U.S. Senate race, is planning to spend $10 million on television and radio advertising over the next nine months. The large figure of reserved airtime stands out as millions of dollars begins pouring in to the competitive GOP primary to Read More…
The Wyoming Democratic Party staff is unionizing as a part of the IBEW Local 415 union. Workers handed in their union cards Saturday to Joe Barbuto, the chair of the party, and he voluntarily recognized the union. “A big part of it is walking the walk,” said Lindsey Hanlon, the deputy communications director and a Read More…
Jay Pickett, the actor who starred in “Soda Springs,” an independent movie filmed in Idaho, died on Friday. He was 60. Pickett had credits in over 50 films and was featured in soap operas such as “Port Charles, “Days of Our Lives” and “General Hospital,” according to IMDB. An actor who often played cowboys, Pickett was Read More…
ROCK SPRINGS — Visitors to the Flyrks.com website will now have an easier time finding information about aviation and the range of amenities in Sweetwater County. The new and improved website is part of a wider effort to be more responsive to airline passengers, pilots, and the community in general, said Airport Director Devon Brubaker. “The Read More…
Goldman Sachs will see Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan’s six-figure salaries for entry-level bankers — and raise them $10,000. As early as this week, Goldman Sachs will announce junior bankers can expect an even more generous payday than their peers at rival firms, The Post has confirmed. First-year bankers will now pull in $110,000 in base Read More…
Reese Witherspoon’s media business, Hello Sunshine, is selling itself to a firm backed by private-equity giant Blackstone Group Inc., the companies said, part of a plan to build an independent entertainment company for Hollywood’s streaming era. The companies didn’t disclose the terms of the deal. People familiar with the matter said it values Ms. Witherspoon’s Read More…
Activists gathered at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) home to demand her eviction in jest. While organizing Saturday in conjunction with Rep. Cori Bush’s (D-Mo.) protest on the steps of the U.S. Capitol, activists demanded a congressional session to extend the eviction moratorium. The notice claims because of rising COVID case counts, people should be Read More…
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has asked businesses in the state to only serve customers who are completely vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to avoid a “worst case scenario,” the governor said on Monday. “I am asking them, and suggesting to them, go to vaccine-only admission,” Cuomo said during a press conference, referring to private Read More…
BILLINGS, Mont. – A new community impact study by Billings Police downtown resource officers said 93 people cost Billings’ taxpayers $10,327,665 in 2020. A link to the full study is available here. Officer Brad Mansur with the Billings Police Department said the cost comes from frequent contacts with law enforcement and visits to the hospital. A community Read More…