Bozeman city commissioners Tuesday night worked through goals for the upcoming Montana legislative session, drawing off of the city’s strategic plan to identify some potential priorities for the lawmaking session set to begin in January 2021. Major goals identified in a report presented by city manager Jeff Mihelich and echoed by several commissioners were a Read More…
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mike Cooney Thursday unveiled his education plan, which calls for more spending on public schools and state colleges, state funding for preschool, and steps to reduce student debt. Cooney also said at a Missoula news conference that he wants to expand career and technical education in high school and middle schools. “Now Read More…
FORSYTH — Lance Lawrence received more than a hero’s welcome last Friday. The Forsyth 5-year-old with the Iron Man mask got a welcome-home parade fit for the superhero he’s become. “The parade was pretty awesome, the amount of people that came out. We’re like, ‘They’re here for you, you know that?’ He’s like, ‘Yeah, I Read More…
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines has weighed in on whether Montana schools should allow fans at sporting events. In a recent Facebook post, Daines said parents should be allowed to watch their children play fall sports. Daines called on Gov. Steve Bullock, who is challenging him for his Senate seat in the upcoming election, to develop Read More…
The Census Bureau released new phase two data from its Small Business Pulse survey last week, showing some of the sectors most impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. What they found: Hiring and rehiring have slowed and businesses now broadly say they expect recovery from the pandemic to take much longer than previously thought. 44% of respondents expect recovery will take Read More…
Though she’s still in her 20s, billionaire heiress-turned-Tinseltown film producer Erika Olde (“Home Again,” “Woman Walks Ahead,” “The Female Brain”) is already a veteran player in the high-end Los Angeles real estate market. Now she’s set her sights on pristine Wyoming — records reveal the Cayman Islands native has purchased a 4.27-acre spread in a private community just outside Read More…
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Postmaster General Louis DeJoy told senators Friday that the cost-cutting fixes he has made to the U.S. Postal Service transportation system were designed to improve service. “The only change I made, ma’am, was the trucks leave on time,” said Postmaster General Louis DeJoy on Friday. But an investigation by Scripps station WTVF in Nashville Read More…
In the campaign money chase for Montana’s 2020 gubernatorial race, Republican Greg Gianforte and Democrat Mike Cooney are drawing pretty much from the same well – except when it comes to their own pockets. Gianforte, Montana’s U.S. congressman and a wealthy businessman from Bozeman, has loaned or donated about $2.6 million to his campaign – Read More…
Montana’s tourism industry might not be seeing the complete “pandemic devastation” we feared in early spring. But University of Montana researchers say 2020 is still shaping up as one of the worst tourism business years in a decade. If there was ever a year for camping in Montana, this is it. The re-opening “COVID cascade” Read More…
U.S. Senators Steve Daines and Jon Tester have announced that the Economic Development Administration (EDA) will be directing $3,900,000 through the EDA’s CARES Act Recovery Assistance program and $11,209,000 through the EDA’s CARES Act Recovery Assistance Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) to support Montana communities, small businesses and jobs amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. “This funding Read More…
Several communities across southwest Montana are beginning to see smoke move in from wildfires in northern California. Fine particulate levels in Bozeman shifted into the unhealthy category around 8 a.m. Saturday, according to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality’s air monitoring website. Butte’s air quality also shifted into unhealthy territory around 10 a.m. Hamilton, Dillon Read More…
Elon Musk’s personal wealth is soaring along with Tesla’s stock. The CEO’s net worth increased by nearly $8 billion on Monday as Tesla’s stock price jumped 11% and closed at an all-time high. Musk’s net worth is now $84.8 billion, making him the world’s fourth-richest person, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Musk overtook Bernard Arnault, the French billionaire and Read More…
Hospitals in Xinjiang aborted late-stage pregnancies and killed newborns as part of China’s mission to erase Uighur culture, a doctor who worked in the region told Radio Free Asia on Monday. Since 2016, China has interned at least 1 million Uighurs in hundreds of prison camps, which it euphemistically calls “reeducation centers,” where Uighurs are forced to abandon their heritage Read More…
On Tuesday, Republican primary voters will effectively choose their state’s next US senator. Sen. Mike Enzi, the four-term Republican incumbent who’s served as chair of the Senate Budget Committee since 2015, is retiring. He and the state’s junior senator, John Barrasso, have both endorsed former Rep. Cynthia Lummis for the seat. Lummis held Wyoming’s one and only House Read More…
KALISPELL, Mont. — Sen. Steve Daines made a trip to the Flathead Valley Monday morning to talk about a bipartisan forest management reform bill. Daines was joined by elected officials as well as conservation and timber leaders. The bill is about addressing wildfires, wildlife, watersheds and workers. READ FULL STORY
HELENA, Mont. — Actress Sharon Stone is criticizing the availability of COVID-19 testing in Montana, where her sister and brother-in-law are hospitalized with the respiratory virus. Stone posted a video on Instagram on Sunday expressing frustration at a lack of testing for front-line workers and people who have been on contact with someone who has COVID-19. Read More…
The state of Montana has applied for federal grant money to add $400 per week to individual unemployment benefits. President Donald Trump ordered the boost in payments a week ago. People had been receiving an added $600 per week in unemployment payments under the CARES Act, but that expired at the end of July. Trump Read More…
The state health department is abandoning a proposed rule that would have banned the sale of flavored vaping products in Montana. The contentious rule was supported by health care advocates and others who cited studies showing that flavored vaping products enticed young adults and led to a lifetime of tobacco use. Vape shop owners opposed the rule, saying that Read More…
The following is a joint release from the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative and the office of Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon. The State of Wyoming supplies 40 percent of the country’s coal used to power electric grids. The production of coal and other energy resources contributes over half of the state’s revenue, funding the government and Read More…
The Idaho Business Review has selected 21 top legal professionals as 2020 Leaders in Law honorees, recognizing them for leadership, professional achievements, mentorship and community service. The winners range from relative newcomers to the industry who are rapidly making their mark to legal aces with decades of experience. They represent five awards categories: partner, associate, Read More…
North Dakota oil production recovered slightly in June but was still near historic lows as the pandemic-induced petroleum slump continued. North Dakota, the nation’s second-largest oil-producing state, pumped out 890,109 barrels per day in June, up 3.6% from May when output hit a seven-year low. Natural gas production in June increased 2.3% from the previous Read More…
The Wyoming County Fair may have been canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but that doesn’t mean you still can’t enjoy the taste of the fair. Doug Anderson of the Pike Fire Department organized the Wyoming County Food Truck Rally for two reasons. “You take a big loss when it’s one of your biggest revenues Read More…
The Senate Intelligence Committee has sent a bipartisan letter to the Justice Department asking federal prosecutors to investigate Stephen K. Bannon, a former Trump confidant, for potentially lying to lawmakers during its investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. The letter, a copy of which was reviewed by The Times, was signed by Read More…
President Trump is withdrawing his controversial nomination of William Perry Pendley to lead the Bureau of Land Management. A White House official confirmed the Pendley nomination is being withdrawn. The nomination will not be officially withdrawn until the Senate returns from its annual summer recess in September, multiple sources said. The move to pull back Read More…
Crow Tribal Chairman A.J. Not Afraid, speaking for the tribe, has endorsed the reelection of U.S. Sen Steve Daines. In a proclamation posted to the Crow Tribe of Indians Facebook page, Not Afraid credited Daines, a Republican for working on several Indigenous issues for Montana tribes, including Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons, federal recognition for Read More…
HELENA – The Montana Department of Commerce’s Office of Tourism and Business Development have launched a campaign to help slow the spread of COVID-19. The ‘Montana Aware’ Campaign promotes Safety First, Adventure Second. With this slogan, the message they want to get across is safe and responsible behavior to those who are traveling in the state. The public health initiative aims to educate residents and Read More…
Billings AMC theaters will reopen at the end of August after being closed for almost six months. Nationwide AMC Theaters will begin to reopen on Aug. 20, with retro ticket prices of 15 cents per movie. The company said it expects to open doors to more than 100 cinemas, about a sixth of its Read More…
Kimpton Hotels and Resorts newest hotel, the Kimpton Armory Hotel in Bozeman, Montana, will debut August 18, becoming the brand’s first property in Montana. Located in a landmark National Guard Armory building joined by a new tower in Bozeman’s downtown, the hotel blend “Montana’s rugged beauty and the storied history of the building” with modern amenities. This Read More…
A slew of political books will be hitting bookshelves between now and Election Day, covering everything on the spectrum from communist propaganda to Trump hagiography. Many of those books, such as Sean Hannity’s “Live Free or Die,” will make millions of dollars for their authors and publishers. Some have the potential to influence the election, Read More…
(CNN)The first night of the Democratic National Convention is currently expected to bring a message of unity featuring Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, former first lady Michelle Obama and former Republican Ohio Gov. John Kasich, according to a source who has seen current convention plans. The speakers represent a wide political spectrum of support for former Vice President Joe Biden. Sanders is Read More…
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota has new signs welcoming people to the state. The design features the new state logo and includes the first photo background used on a North Dakota welcome sign. READ FULL STORY
Aug. 7 (UPI) — A Wyoming sheriff’s deputy responded to an unusual loose animal call and ended up wrangling a runaway emu. The Laramie County Sheriff’s Office said Deputy Herlihey was dispatched to a neighborhood for an “emu on the loose call.” READ FULL STORY
In the first debate in Montana’s high-profile U.S. Senate race, Republican Sen. Steve Daines on Saturday repeatedly called Democratic challenger Steve Bullock a pawn of D.C. Democrats, and said Bullock is “too liberal” for Montana. “If we lose this seat, there will be no check on Nancy Pelosi’s radical agenda coming out of the House,” Read More…
Congressman Greg Gianforte invited the National Rifle Association to relocate to Montana, following efforts of attorneys general in New York and Washington, D.C. to dissolve the organization. “As a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association (NRA), I was frustrated to see far-left activists and elected officials in New York, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., Read More…
MISSOULA — The popular “Yellowstone” series featuring Kevin Costner announced Friday it plans to move its production to the Missoula Valley and surrounding locations later this month. The series was formerly shot in Utah and will be filmed solely in Montana for the first time in its history, according to Friday’s announcement. The production secured Read More…
NorthWestern Energy is warning that scammers are likely to use the end of the temporary moratorium on service disconnections to steal money from Montanans. NorthWestern Energy voluntarily stopped service disconnections for non-payment in March to assist customers financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Several additional tools are in place now to assist customers who may Read More…
Denial is not just a river in Egypt, as the ancient joke goes. It’s the Democratic/media/left’s comprehensive response to the nationwide riots that rage on, seven weeks after the funeral of police-brutality victim George Floyd. His memory has been kidnapped by the most violent insurrectionists America has seen since 1968. “Do you disavow the violence Read More…
CASPER, Wyo — While out on his tractor baling hay, Wyoming House 38 Representative Tom Walters was happy to talk to Oil City News about room for growth in Wyoming’s agricultural industry, but wouldn’t say how many head of cattle he had. “That’s kind of an old Western tradition,” he said. “It’s like asking how Read More…
Dickinson’s Fisher Industries won a new border wall contract Monday for $300 million. The wall will cover 17 miles in Laredo, Texas, next to the Rio Grande. Fisher already got more than $1.5 billion for two other contracts. READ FULL STORY
(CNN)Twelve people were hospitalized in Wyoming on Monday after a hot air balloon crash, officials said. Three hot air balloons carrying a total of 36 people crashed into the ground on Monday morning, according to Jackson Hole Fire Chief Brady Hansen. Hansen said authorities received a call just after 8 a.m. local time that Read More…