With so much of our attention rightly focused on all of the coronavirus news, and the economic fallout from the COVID-19 closures- much of the election news has been pushed off to the sideline. But, as absentee ballots are soon to be shipped out to voters all across Montana- the important primary debates will come back Read More…
Montana’s Democratic governor, Steve Bullock, who has called for eliminating super PACs, appears to have a new outside super PAC backing his Senate run. The Big Sky Voters PAC—a Montana-based super PAC—was created April 23 and looks positioned to boost Bullock’s Senate bid against incumbent Republican senator Steve Daines. Its treasurer previously held the same role for Read More…
SEATTLE — Face masks will soon be mandatory for all passengers and flight crews on Alaska Airlines planes, the airline announced Friday. The policy goes into effect on May 11 for passengers, but on Monday for employees whose jobs makes it difficult to maintain 6 feet of space between others, including pilots, flight attendants and customer Read More…
MISSOULA, Mont. — The Kettlehouse Northside location is closing permanently in Missoula due to COVID-19 pandemic. They posted the following on their Facebook page: We have some difficult news to share. We have made the decision to permanently close our Northside taproom in response to the global pandemic we are currently experiencing. As a result of Read More…
BILLINGS, Mont. — Restaurants and bars around the Treasure State are gearing up to reopen, but they can only do so under certain restrictions outlined by Governor Steve Bullock and the Yellowstone County Unified Health Command. One restaurant in Billings is making sure all employees follow these new protocols, by putting staff through a web-based Read More…
Appearing via video conference from the Sheridan County Detention Center, 55-year-old Dana Beartusk pleaded “not guility” to three counts of First Degree Murder. Beartusk was charged with the crimes for allegedly killing three family members in Big Horn during the evening hours of Sunday, March 29, reports Sheridan Media. District Court Judge John Fenn set the Read More…
Montana State University is planning to reopen the Bozeman campus to students this fall and is working on ways to protect students, faculty and employees from the threat of coronavirus. MSU President Waded Cruzado said in a statement Thursday that MSU wants to keep people safe while offering “a high-quality, on-campus educational experience.” “Thankfully, as Read More…
Although not needed right now, a training project has the Montana National Guard building a 90-bed surgical medical facility in Billings. If ever needed, the beds would be for non-acute and non-COVID patients for Montana and across the region. The guard has built similar projects in the state and around the world. It gives the Read More…
Commercial air service into Missoula International Airport has fallen to a trickle over the past month, and airport officials are bracing for a challenging future as airlines respond to the economic headwinds. Fewer than 125,000 passengers are passing through airport security nationally on a daily basis, leaving commercial air travel just 5% of what it Read More…
BOISE, Idaho — Even in a pandemic, entrance fees at Idaho state parks still apply. State parks have seen a major increase in visitors since the coronavirus outbreak spurred closures and event cancellations across Idaho. But officials with the parks department say many of those visitors are not paying the required fees to get in. Read More…
Republicans Brian Putnam will challenge incumbent David Dunn – currently in his first term – for the Montana House District 9 nomination in the June 2 primary election. The winner of the primary election will be uncontested in the Nov. 3 general election. Early voting begins May 8. David Dunn Age:32 Family: Bachelor, dog, cat, Read More…
You can check out the full map by clicking here. Montana’s jobless claims numbers were worse than nearly every other state in the Rocky Mountain West and Great Plains Region stretching from Canada down to Mexico. This is also interesting news from another standpoint- why is Montana’s economic data so much worse than North and South Read More…
Researchers at the University of Montana and two Missoula-based biotech companies with ties to venture capitalist Mike Goguen are engaged in separate efforts to develop a COVID-19 vaccine and gain authorization for a mass-scalable viral test. Inimmune, a private company involved in UM’s vaccine work and founded by nationally reputed vaccine scientists, is also gearing Read More…
HELENA- On Wednesday, Governor Steve Bullock outlined protocols to increase testing capacity in Montana. A part of the state’s core preparedness responsibilities in the Reopening the Big Sky plan is ensuring those who are symptomatic can be tested for COVID-19 and trace contacts Bullock said. A testing target of 60,000 tests for the virus per Read More…
Gross domestic product fell 4.8% in the first quarter, according to government numbers released Wednesday that provide the first detailed glimpse into the deep damage the coronavirus wreaked on the U.S. economy. Economist surveyed by Dow Jones had expected the first estimate of GDP to show a 3.5% contraction. This marked the first negative GDP Read More…
WASHINGTON — Joe Biden’s remarkable comeback from the depths of a fifth-place finish in the New Hampshire primary to all but locking up the Democratic nomination this month can be traced to his overwhelming support among black voters. And one critical endorsement — from South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn — helped reinforce that support at a tenuous moment in his Read More…
A planning commissioner for the city of Vallejo, Calfornia has resigned from his position after throwing his pet cat and appearing to consume an alcoholic beverage during a publicly-accessible Zoom meeting between city officials, Vallejo Times-Herald reported. During the Planning Commission’s meeting on April 20 — the group’s first teleconference amid the coronavirus pandemic — Chris Platzer told Read More…
Half the country has been personally economically impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, and overwhelming numbers of Americans do not think schools, restaurants or sporting events with large crowds should reopen until there is further testing, according to a new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll. President Trump does not fare very well as far as his handling of the Read More…
Car-rental company Hertz is preparing for a potential bankruptcy filing, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday, as the coronavirus pandemic brings nearly all travel to a standstill. People familiar with the matter told the paper that Hertz is working to reduce its debt payments and is in talks on a forbearance agreement that could help it Read More…
NORFOLK, Va. — The Navy hospital ship sent to relieve stressed New York City hospitals as coronavirus cases surged is set to leave this week and return to its homeport in Virginia, the U.S. Navy said. The USNS Comfort will set sail for Norfolk on Thursday, officials said in a statement Tuesday. The ship docked in Manhattan on March Read More…
LARAMIE — Wyoming will be handsomely compensated for its trip to Texas during the 2023 football season. UW announced the pending matchup with the Longhorns, scheduled for Sept. 16, 2023 at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, earlier this year. Texas, which won’t be making the return trip to War Memorial Stadium, will pay UW $1.85 million for Read More…
CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — Some Wyoming school districts are deciding to remain closed for the rest of the school year. The Casper Star-Tribune reports that Natrona County on Monday joined a handful of other districts in deciding against reopening amid the coronavirus pandemic. Others include Albany and Campbell counties, and the Green River-based Sweetwater County Read More…
Former Montana congressman Ron Marlenee, a Republican who served for eight terms representing the state’s old eastern district, died Sunday in Bozeman. He was 84. Marlenee, a farmer and rancher from Scobey in Montana’s northeastern corner, won the eastern district congressional seat in 1976 and was re-elected seven times. He then lost a close statewide Read More…
When Bryan Kirkland started taking appointments for haircuts Monday, the schedule filled up fast. Kirkland, co-owner of The Barbershop and Shaving Parlor, had 67 messages from people who couldn’t get a spot on his list. “They were so ready to come back to get their hair cut,” Kirkland said. READ FULL STORY
HELENA — Montana main street and retail businesses that closed their doors due to COVID-19 restrictions, were able to open up again Monday as part of the State’s “Phase One” of reopening. Gov. Steve Bullock told MTN this milestone was only possible because Montanans took the virus seriously. “We’re one of the few states in Read More…
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) argued Wednesday that many Americans should protest economic insecurity by refusing to work after coronavirus-related restrictions are lifted. “When we talk about this idea of reopening society, you know, only in America does the president — when the president tweets about liberation — does he mean go back to work. When Read More…
In 2017, actress Alyssa Milano became one of the early advocates for the #MeToo movement when she tweeted, “If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted, write ‘me too’ as a reply to this tweet.” Legions of women went public with their stories in response. Two-and-a-half years later, Milano took to Twitter again — this time, to explain Read More…
BISMARCK, N.D. (KFGO) – Gov. Doug Burgum is clarifying that North Dakota businesses which are not covered under his statewide executive closure orders are allowed to be open. Burgum ordered schools and a select group of businesses to close in order to minimize the spread of COVID-19. “If you are closed and if you aren’t Read More…
One of the advocates of a movement urging Idahoans to disobey the governor’s stay at home order has been arrested at a protest in Meridian. Forty-year-old Sara Brady, who’s affiliated with the anti-vaccine groups Idahoans for Vaccine Freedom Health Freedom Idaho, was arrested at Kleiner Park in Meridian Tuesday afternoon. As a video posted to Read More…
JACKSON, Wyo. — Census season is in full swing and Wyoming is falling far behind in its responses. The national self-response rate currently hovers at around 50.5%; Wyoming is lagging behind that at 41.7%—the majority of that response coming from online responders. Only West Virginia (39%), New Mexico (39.7%), and Maine (41%) have been slower Read More…
CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Wyoming House District 45 Representative Charles Pelkey, who also serves as the Minority Whip said today in a Facebook post that Governor Gordon is “suddenly under a lot of pressure to “reopen” the economy no matter what the recommendations from health officials might be.” Gordon’s first of three orders was placed in mid-March in response Read More…
As governors around the country weigh reopening their economies amid the fight against COVID-19, a patchwork of stay-home orders and other business restrictions exist. Some states are moving faster to reopen, like Georgia, where the governor is allowing nail salons, bowling alleys and other businesses to reopen Friday. Other states such as New Hampshire are Read More…
BOZEMAN — On Wednesday Montanans heard from Governor Bullock about his plans to reopen the Treasure State. Now, it’s up to individual business owners on what they plan to do. Aaron Parker owns several restaurants in Bozeman, but before he makes a hasty decision to open them back up, he first wants to hear from Read More…
A Bozeman construction company last week received a $569 million addition to an existing contract to build about 17 miles of border wall between the United States and Mexico. The U.S. Department of Defense announced the modification to the contract held by Barnard Construction’s subsidiary BFBC LLC on April 13. It was first reported Read More…
The City Commission on Tuesday OK’d the final details of a $3.2 million bond sale needed to repay a developer for its up front costs for public improvements tied to a big project on the west bank of the Missouri River. D.A. Davidson and Co. will handle the bond sale for the city. A portion Read More…
Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic began closing businesses and lowering interest rates, banks in the Flathead Valley are reporting high numbers of phone calls, loan applications and mortgage refinances. Banks have seen a lot of activity through the Small Business Administration’s $349 billion federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which authorizes forgivable loans to small businesses Read More…
MILES CITY, Mont. — Miles City Community Improvements is a non-profit organization in Miles City that has donated Chromebooks to teachers in the Miles City School District. According to Miles City Community Improvements board member Marc Ingraham, Miles City Community Improvements has donated 20 Chromebooks to teachers in the Miles City School District. Ingraham says funding came Read More…
HELENA — Spring sports in Montana are officially canceled. The Montana High School Association and executive director Mark Beckman sent a release on Wednesday afternoon following Gov. Steve Bullock’s press conference detailing the gradual re-opening of Montana, beginning with “Phase 1” this weekend. In that press conference, Bullock said schools would have the option to Read More…
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., outlined the importance of a phased reopening of the Montana economy while discussing COVID-19 relief efforts on Capitol Hill during a virtual chat with the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday morning. Daines said the good news is that Montana has seen a steady decline in confirmed COVID-19 cases – Read More…
A meeting between protesters demanding an end to restrictions on businesses in Wyoming and Gov. Mark Gordon on Monday was by turns confrontational and civil as the protesters shouted chants at the Republican and later thanked him for his time. Gordon appeared unexpectedly at Cheyenne’s Rally for the Choice to Work, engaging the 50 or Read More…