NorthWestern Energy has announced agreements to supply significant amounts of electricity to two proposed data centers in Montana, with combined power demands set to exceed the capacity of the state’s newest gas-fired power plant. The development raises questions about Montana’s energy infrastructure and its ability to meet growing demand while maintaining reliable service. The larger Read More…
Montana’s unemployment rate remained at 3.2% in November, continuing an unprecedented stretch of low unemployment that has persisted for 41 consecutive months, with rates at or below 3.4%. The state’s historic run surpasses the previous record set in 2006-2007 when unemployment rates stayed at or below 3.4% for 15 months. In November alone, Montana added Read More…
Frontier Asset Management, an independent asset management firm, has officially launched its suite of actively managed exchange-traded funds (ETFs) on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). These ETFs are designed to enhance Frontier’s multi-asset Active ETF Strategies, with the goal of providing attractive risk-adjusted returns for investors. The Frontier ETF suite consists of six actively Read More…
(The Center Square) – Methane emissions from the largest oil- and natural gas-producing basins fell 44% between 2011 and 2013, according to newly published data from the Environmental Protection Agency. According to the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program, methane emissions dropped in seven oil- and natural gas-producing basins by up to 87% from 2019-2023. The Read More…
HELENA — It’s been more than three years since the last store in Helena’s Capital Hill Mall closed its doors, and nearly two years since the former mall building was demolished. Now, the first new construction at the site is getting underway. Contractors are currently putting up the frame for a new building south of Read More…
Fast-food workers in 15 cities around the country will be walking out Friday in a strike for the federal government to increase the national minimum wage to $15 an hour. The strike is being organized by Fight for $15 and a union. “Fast-food workers are going on strike January 15, on what would be MLK’s 92nd Read More…
(Bloomberg) — While the jury is still out on whether Bitcoin is a bubble, one thing is certain: it’s unlike any other bubble we’ve seen. Previous speculative asset-inflation episodes were either a one-off, like tulip mania in the 17th century, or the boom-doom cycle took many years, like gold. Bitcoin, by comparison, has survived three Read More…
BOZEMAN, Mont. – Despite the increase in air travel over the holidays the Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN) still reported a 43.5% decline in passenger numbers in 2020 compared to the record 2019 year. On a national basis, the Transportation Security Administration reported a 60.7% decline in passenger throughput across 440 U.S. airports. Bozeman Yellowstone Read More…
Fort Worth-based BNSF Railway has proposed a plan to reduce the number of grizzly bears killed by its trains in Montana. In 2019, BNSF trains killed eight grizzlies. That year, one of its locomotives killed a cow and that carcass attracted grizzlies. Two of them died in train collisions and three others were killed by Read More…
MENLO PARK, Calif. – Facebook has reportedly sent out an internal memo about employee safety, warning staff to avoid wearing or carrying company branded items in public. According to Business Insider, the Menlo Parked-based social media company sent out the memo on Monday, stating, “In light of recent events, and to err on the side of caution, global Read More…
BILLINGS — Applications are open for Montana business owners to receive a second round of Paycheck Protection Program loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration, with a few more caveats in the application for second-time borrowers this go-around, said Kevin Kraft, president of the Shiloh branch of Yellowstone Bank Sunday. “The biggest difference is you have to Read More…
Helena, MT- With the start of the 2021 Legislature fast approaching, Montana’s premier business advocacy organization is laying out its top policy priorities for the new year, the focus of which is aimed at near-term recovery and maintaining long-term, sustainable economic growth. “As businesses continue to navigate the public health and economic challenges presented by Read More…
BOZEMAN — Manufacturing continues to be a significant driver of Montana’s economy, according to a report recently released by Montana State University’s Montana Manufacturing Extension Center, whose positive impact is discussed in the annual snapshot. The 2020 Montana Manufacturing Report, prepared by the Bureau of Business and Economic Research at the University of Montana, analyzes trends in the state’s Read More…
BILLINGS — The fast-food chain Chick-fil-A is headed to the Billings West End after a developer filed a request for zoning clarification to construct a restaurant in the Planet Fitness parking lot on the corner of 24th Street West and Marketplace Street. TFC Rosebud, LLC of Utah filed the request on December 1, 2020, and the plan Read More…
MISSOULA — The Missoula County Airport Authority this week approved a $2 million state loan for Neptune Aviation to fund the purchase of two aircraft hangars and the creation of dozens of new jobs. Neptune, a national aerial firefighting company based at Missoula International Airport, purchased the hangars last September from Homestead Helicopters. The hangars Read More…
MISSOULA, Mont., Dec. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — FYR Diagnostics, a Missoula-based biotech company, has executed a contract with the State of Montana that will increase statewide COVID-19 testing capacity and reduce the time patients must wait to receive results. Adding FYR as a primary testing resource will keep test processing within Montana and alleviate pressure on the state laboratory in Helena. “Even with the Read More…
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — U.S. officials have approved a 5,000-well oil and gas project spread across more than 2,300 square miles in eastern Wyoming. Five major oil and gas companies proposed the development between Glenrock and Douglas that has stirred concern over its massive size and plans to drill year-round. Wednesday’s approval from the Bureau Read More…
There are 123 teams among the Big Four North American Men’s Sports Leagues (MLB, NFL, NBA and NHL). Only one of them received a loan under the Paycheck Protection Program. That team is the Pittsburgh Penguins, who received a loan of $4.82 million through the program authorized by the CARES Act. According to the Small Read More…
Grocery chain Kroger announced Tuesday that is plans to hire 1,000 people to administer coronavirus vaccines at the chain’s 2,200 pharmacies and 220 clinics. Kroger’s vaccine program launches this week in the state of Alaska as health care workers in Anchorage and Juneau will be vaccinated by Kroger staff. Kroger says that it is working Read More…
Move over, Europe. Tucked in near the end of the 130-page antitrust lawsuit Texas filed against Google last week are claims that could force the search giant to pay out trillions of dollars in damages, dwarfing previous levies against the company. That would be a serious blow even to a company as large as Google, with Read More…
BIGFORK — Bigfork during the summer is usually full of tourists and people enjoying Flathead Lake but one restaurant would have closed this past summer if not for state-funded coronavirus grants. “Bigfork is right at the north end of the lake and we have The Playhouse right beside the restaurant so that’s usually full — and then we’re Read More…
NFL legend Tom Brady’s sports company TB12 INC. secured an almost $1 million Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan from the federal government amid the coronavirus pandemic. Though reports of Brady’s PPP loan was initially revealed in July, the amount was unknown. Data released by the U.S. Small Business Administration in December revealed that TB12 received $960,855. The PPP loan Read More…
After a dreadful year for our local economy, this year’s “Small Business Saturday,” carried a little more weight than usual. “Last year, Small Business Saturday was our single largest retail sales day since we opened our doors in 2008,” said Amy Dolan, co-owner of Noteworthy Paper & Press. But that was last year — and 2020, Read More…
Italy’s competition authority on Monday fined Apple €10 million for misleading consumers about the water-resistance of its iPhones. Apple advertised several iPhone models as resistant to water for up to 30 minutes, even a few meters under water, but it didn’t make clear that this is only true under specific conditions (pure water in a laboratory), which Read More…
On March 9, less than a year after Gov. Steve Bullock signed House Bill 725 legalizing sports betting in Montana, the first betting terminals were placed inside bars and casinos across the state. Two days later, the NBA suspended the remainder of the professional basketball season. A day after that, the NHL and MLS suspended Read More…
A local Helena photographer celebrated five years in business. Kevin League hosted a grand opening of his new, permanent gallery this weekend in Downtown Helena to celebrate the anniversary. For League, having a full-time space to display his work is the first within his five years in business. League has numerous awards for his work Read More…
Comcast is adding a data cap for some of its home-internet plans starting in January. The telecommunications giant recently confirmed it’s introducing a limit of 1.2 TB on Xfinity Internet plans in 14 states and the District of Colombia. If customers that don’t have unlimited plans go over that cap, they must pay $10 for Read More…
The U.S. Supreme Court turned away a bid by Walmart Inc. to start selling liquor at its Texas stores, leaving intact for now a state law that bars such retail sales by publicly-owned companies. The rebuff, which came without comment, sends Walmart’s challenge back to a federal trial court, where the world’s largest retailer will Read More…
As COVID cases surge across the US, Waffle House CEO Walt Ehmer does not want to shut down indoor dining. And, he really does not want the government to force him to do so. “A lockdown is going to put a lot of people out of work,” Ehmer told Business Insider. “It’s really not about Read More…
GREAT FALLS — Blackfeet Tribe business owners can now apply for grants to help them make up for some of the money they’ve lost this year due to the pandemic. Application are being accepted through December 11. As of Tuesday, about two dozen businesses had submitted applications. The committee overseeing the grant was still in Read More…
HELENA – The Montana Chamber Foundation announced today its plans to host The Prospects, a statewide high school business plan and pitch competition. As a part of Envision 2026, the Montana Chamber of Commerce’s ten-year strategic plan, the organization is working to build an opportunity for business growth and prosperity by improving Montana’s talent pipeline Read More…
Fox News viewers appear to be deserting the network in droves as they tune into Newsmax TV. Nielsen data confirms the trend in the post-election period last week. During Wednesday through Friday last week, Newsmax TV led Fox Business and CNBC in all key day parts. Newsmax is also seeing a terrific surge across its media Read More…
McDonald’s chief executives joined Walmart’s CEO in calling for another stimulus package. “We need a stimulus measure, I think that is very clear,” McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski said in an interview with CNBC on Tuesday. Kempczinski called for President-elect Joe Biden and Vice president-elect Kamala Harris to address the coronavirus pandemic and climate change, as well Read More…
The New York Times Co. for the first time Wednesday reported higher revenues from its digital business than its print operations, a “watershed moment” in the newspaper’s nearly 170-year history, according to CEO Mark Thompson. “And we don’t think it’s likely we’re going to go back from this moment,” Thompson said on CNBC’s “Power Lunch.” The Times reported Read More…
New changes are coming to one of downtown Kalispell’s oldest historic buildings. Originally opened in 1912, the Kalispell Grand Hotel is now under new ownership. Noelle and John Barr of Houston, Texas, took ownership of the downtown landmark after it spent more than 30 years under the care of Janet and Butch Clark. “We’ve got Read More…
FRAMINGHAM — A Framingham development company is co-redeveloping a Montana mall and bringing the first Whole Foods Market to the western state. Framingham-based Grossman Development Group, LLC, is partnering with Boston Realty Advisors/The Broadway Company and the ownership of the Gallatin Valley Mall in Bozeman, Montana, to redevelop the shopping center that serves a five-county trade Read More…
First Interstate BancSystem (FIBK) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.76 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.68 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.79 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of 11.76%. A quarter ago, it was expected Read More…
HOUSTON, Texas — Just in time for the holiday, Amazon is doing a mega-seasonal hiring event, which includes new jobs available in Houston. According to a release, the company is adding 100,000 new seasonal jobs across the U.S. and Canada, to complement its regular full- and part-time positions. Some 2,800 of those positions are in Read More…
As the unpredictable nature of the coronavirus pandemic continues to affect every industry differently, sawlog prices in Montana are reaching record levels, said F.H. Stoltze Land and Resource Manager Paul McKenzie. “The product demand has increased dramatically in general forest products,” he said. According to the University of Montana Bureau of Business and Economic Research Read More…
Graphics chip giant Nvidia mopped up the floor with its competition in a benchmark set of tests released Wednesday afternoon, demonstrating better performance on a host of artificial intelligence tasks. The benchmark, called MLPerf, announced by the MLPerf organization, an industry consortium that administers the tests, showed Nvidia getting better speed on a variety of Read More…
The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday voted to subpoena Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey to testify about allegations of anti-conservative bias, ratcheting up GOP pressure on the social media companies’ content policies before the November elections. How the vote went down: The Judiciary Committee voted 12-0 to authorize the subpoenas, with all Read More…
MISSOULA — Over the past 20 years, Montana’s registered apprenticeship program has sent more than 3,300 workers into good-paying jobs, with another 2,400 on the way, according to a new report. On Wednesday, Gov. Steve Bullock summarized the findings of a Department of Labor and Industry report on Montana’s Registered Apprenticeship program and praised the role that Read More…
North Dakota’s oil output soared 14% in August as more wells shut down earlier in the spring because of the coronavirus crisis came back online. “It is nice to note that we are back on the road again to healthy production,” Lynn Helms, director of North Dakota’s Mineral Resources Department, told reporters Friday. Still, Helms Read More…
Southwest Airlines has asked its unionized workers to take pay cuts in an effort to stave off layoffs and furloughs during the coronavirus pandemic. Southwest CEO Gary Kelly made the request in a Monday message to employees after rival carriers American and United started furloughing more than 32,000 workers last week following the expiration of a $25 Read More…