Featured Articles in Montana News

Montana Attorney General Launches Investigation into Lee Enterprises Following Cyberattack

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…

President Trump Signs Senator Sheehy’s Aerial Firefighting Bill Into Law,

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…

Gianforte Honors Four Montana Veterans with 2024 Governor’s Veteran Commendation

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…

Gianforte Appoints Marta Bertoglio as Department of Commerce Director

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…

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Montana VA COVID-19 Vaccine Supply Outpacing Demand

A recent pop-up clinic intended to encourage hesitant veterans to get vaccinated against COVID-19 reflects dwindling demand for the shot in Montana. Nurse Tina Arvish sits behind a table at a temporary COVID-19 vaccine clinic tucked away from the bustle of a recent American Legion conference in Helena. “We have two nurses’ stations where we’re Read More…

Fentanyl-related deaths up in Montana

Fentanyl-related deaths in Montana doubled from 2019 to 2020 and this year’s deaths have already outpaced the tally from two years ago. There were 41 fentanyl-related deaths last year, a dramatic jump from 19 in 2019. This year there have been 22 fentanyl-related fatalities confirmed by the state crime lab, according to a press release Read More…

Worden Ballantine Water District asks Yellowstone County to share federal COVID relief funds for permanent water fix

Worden- The Worden Ballantine Yellowstone County Water District has asked Yellowstone County commissioners for federal dollars coming from the American Recovery Plan Act to help resolve continued water issues. District chair Dan Ewen and Board member Gary Fredericks passed along the request Wednesday morning and gave an update on what the water district has done Read More…

BBQ cooks compete in Absarokee

An Absarokee tradition returned with the 19th Montana BBQ cook-off on Saturday. The event was canceled in 2020 because of COVID and came back this year on the downtown street. Texas Smoke Whisperer beat 27 teams for the Grand Champion title and gets a chance to compete nationally with the Kansas City Barbecue Society (KCBS). Read More…

Judge Upholds Dismissal of Case Against Resort Developer

HELENA — A U.S. bankruptcy judge has upheld court decisions that the state of Montana lacked legal standing to file an involuntary bankruptcy petition nearly a decade ago against Yellowstone Club co-founder Tim Blixseth. Judge Mike N. Nakagawa of Nevada on June 3 confirmed the ruling by previous judges to dismiss the involuntary petition, noting Read More…

Gov. Gianforte Launches Come Home Montana Campaign

Governor Greg Gianforte launched a website as part of the administration’s new campaign to encourage Montanans, who have moved to other states, to come back home to Montana. “For too long, Montana’s most valuable export has been our kids and grandkids,” Gov. Gianforte said. “Our quality of life is second to none, and we’re reminding Read More…

Board mulls whether Whitefish Lake is an airport

Is Whitefish Lake an airport? Can it be considered a “landing field”? What’s the difference between an aircraft hangar and a big garage that just happens to store a floatplane? The Flathead County Board of Adjustment wrestled with those questions last week as a couple sought permission to build a hangar on their property near Read More…

Bozeman native uses Nashville success as platform to benefit human trafficking survivors

MISSOULA, Mont. — Country Billboard-charting artist Stephanie Quayle is returning to her home state of Montana and raising funds for a new safe house for human trafficking victims. Quayle is releasing new music this year and about to start touring again. The Bozeman native has been recording in Nashville for 10 years and has performed at Read More…

Montana State University researchers find coronavirus variant that originated in Bozeman last year

Researchers at Montana State University discovered a variant that originated in Bozeman early in the pandemic.   The Bozeman variant, a strain that actually weakened the effectiveness of the virus, was found by postdoctoral researchers Anna Nemudraia and Artem Nemudryi.   The pair published a study on their findings last month in the journal Cell Reports Read More…

Helena Commission to consider changes to open container ordinance

HELENA — The Helena City Commission is slated to hear two proposals at their June 7 meeting that would significantly change restrictions on open containers of alcohol. Two options are being presented Monday evening. The first would completely repeal all open container restrictions in city limits. The second would keep the current ordinance intact but would create an exception Read More…

Kalispell hires new fire chief

Kalispell has a new fire chief and for Dan Pearce, it’s a homecoming of sorts. Pearce spent several years in Kalispell, from 1990 to 1999. He worked as a home health care provider with Kalispell Medical Equipment and as a firefighter and paramedic as well as a hazardous materials technician for Flathead County. “I’m happy Read More…

Montana Supreme Court dismisses lawsuits related to university campuses

MISSOULA, Mont. — The Montana Supreme Court says two lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of campus-related bills passed in the 2021 legislative session should be filed in district court first. One lawsuit was filed by the Montana Board of Regents and the other by the Montana Federation of Public Employees, which multiple other parties joined. Wednesday’s rulings Read More…

Logan Health union nurses deliver strike notice

The union representing nurses at Kalispell Regional Healthcare, which rebranded this week as Logan Health, announced Friday they plan to strike from June 1 to June 3 “unless Logan Health bargains in good faith.” Nurses voted 372-199 in July 2019 to unionize as SEIU Healthcare 1199NW and have been negotiating for a union contract for Read More…

New database and portal aims to ‘streamline’ reports of missing indigenous people

MISSOULA, Mont. – The Blackfeet Community College unveiled a new portal that will help people report cases of Montana’s missing and murdered indigenous people. Kimberly Loring’s sister, Ashley Loring-HeavyRunner went missing on the Blackfeet Reservation in 2017. “When she went missing, there was a gap of when she was reported missing, because we had that Read More…