The final decision reverses a Biden-era authorization that allowed non-production bison to graze on more than 63,000 acres of federal land, ending a four-year legal and political fight by Montana’s governor, attorney general, and congressional delegation. The Bureau of Land Management issued a final decision canceling the American Prairie Reserve’s bison grazing permits on more Read More…
The governor held a town hall in Sidney and visited a string of small businesses and nonprofits across five counties, using the tour to tout property and income tax reforms ahead of the next legislative session. Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte brought his 56 County Tour to the state’s southeast corner this week, holding a town Read More…
Montana has topped the nation in year-over-year increases in single-family home permits, according to a new report from the National Association of Home Builders. The Washington, D.C.-based trade association, which represents over 140,000 members in the residential construction industry, reported that seven states recorded year-over-year increases in single-family permits in January. Gains ranged from 25.5 Read More…
Governor Greg Gianforte announced that the Montana Registered Apprenticeship Program (MRAP), administered by the Montana Department of Labor and Industry (DLI), reported record participation in 2025, reinforcing its role as a key driver of workforce development in the 406 JOBS initiative. “The Montana Registered Apprenticeship Program is opening doors for hardworking Montanans to earn while 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…
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…
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…
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…
With the stroke of President Donald Trump’s pen, the biggest land conservation legislation in a generation became law Tuesday morning, prompting widespread praise on a measure that sets a new standard of stewardship for public lands. The bill, called the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), authorizes billions in funding for two major conservation needs — Read More…
Despite clouds of uncertainty hanging over higher education from the coronavirus pandemic, Montana State University took an optimistic step Tuesday by celebrating the completion of its new $50 million freshman student dormitory, Hyalite Hall. President Waded Cruzado and other officials, all wearing face masks and sitting at a distance, gathered outside the new six-story, Read More…
Jessica Dehn had been thinking for a few years about what kind of school she might want to run. After four and a half years directing a childcare center, Dehn put together the pieces in June to focus on launching a new school. In September, just three months later, she plans to open Explore Academy. Read More…
This story is part of an NPR nationwide analysis of states’ revenue and budgets during the pandemic. Montana’s finances are somewhat stable despite the economic hit the state has taken during the coronavirus pandemic. That’s the word from the state’s budget office. “This is essentially a manageable situation, which is pretty remarkable in the face of a Read More…
The letters of three Montana women politicians offer historic insight as the nation celebrates the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment in August, which gave women the right to vote. Women’s earliest known role in Montana politics began in 1882 when Helen Piotopowaka Clarke was the first woman and first Native American elected as county Read More…
Flathead County health officials say with the rise in COVID-19 cases is becoming harder to trace within the community. Interim Flathead County Public Health Officer Tamalee Robinson explained to MTN News that with the busy tourist season in the Flathead Valley has seen an increase in virus cases. She says that many locals and visitors Read More…
MISSOULA, Mont. — A homeless camp along Missoula’s North Reserve Street continues to grow amid the coronavirus pandemic. In the winter, officials estimate 15 to 20 people were living along the banks of the Clark Fork. That number grows every summer, but due to the pandemic they now estimate 60 to 80 people are living there. Read More…
The warning had been in place for a long time: The 100-year-old St. Mary River diversion system was likely to fail at any moment. On May 17 it happened. A concrete structure on the St. Mary Canal near Glacier National Park crumbled and washed downstream, shutting off flow to the Milk River and leaving the Read More…
BILLINGS, Mont. – There have been reports of Montanans getting unsolicited packages in the mail from china containing packets of seeds. We reached out to a local botanist at MSUB to find out why it’s important not to plant or throw away any unsolicited seeds you may have received in the mail. Dr. Jason Comer Read More…
The old federal building in downtown Missoula may soon be declared a national monument. Missoula County Commission chair Josh Slotnick agreed to sign the official letter to the General Services Administration asking for the building to be turned over to local government. The county wouldn’t have to pay for the building as long as they Read More…
Montana university officials approved guidelines for colleges and universities statewide to reopen campuses in the fall. These measures, known as Montana University System Healthy Fall 2020 Task force Guidelines, would be used as the framework for campuses to form their own individual safe back-to-school plans. A few of the key points listed in those guidelines Read More…
Two members of Congress have written a letter to officials at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) demanding that former Indian Health Services pediatrician and convicted pedophile Stanley Patrick Weber be stripped of his pension. Congressmen Greg Gianforte, R-Montana, and Dusty Johnson, R-South Dakota, wrote Monday that by allowing Weber to continue Read More…
GREAT FALLS, Mont. — A Montana man is recovering after being mauled by a grizzly bear Monday in an abandoned barn. Shannun Rammell, 50, was looking for the bear after a neighbor reported seeing tracks in the area, the Great Falls Tribune reported. The family drove to an unoccupied farm nearby but saw no signs of Read More…
MISSOULA, Mont. — Unordered packages containing unknown seeds are arriving in mailboxes across the country with return addresses in China. Montana officials started getting reports of the unsolicited packages this week. According to the Montana Department of Agriculture, it’s important that recipients of these unsolicited packages of seeds do not plant them. “Could they be harmless Read More…
Gov. Steve Bullock this week said his administration has “allocated” two-thirds of the Montana’s $1.25 billion in federal money for Covid-19 impacts – but, so far only $160 million has actually been distributed. Bullock, a Democrat running for the U.S. Senate, has been under fire from Republican legislative leaders for not getting the money out Read More…
A Montana college graduate, who accused a national student-loan agency of bungling his opportunity to have his loans forgiven, can sue the firm in state court, the Montana Supreme Court has ruled. The high court last week unanimously overturned a lower-court decision that said federal law pre-empted James Reavis’s ability to sue the Pennsylvania Higher Read More…
HELENA- The State of Montana is partnering with Montana State University to expand surveillance testing for COVID-19 for critical front-line health care personnel, essential workers and other groups. Researchers with the Montana State University will begin surveillance testing next week and will have a capability to test 500 people per day according to a release Read More…
Montana State Prison Warden Lynn Guyer submitted his letter of resignation last week after almost two years on the job and amid a public health crisis through which the state correctional system has been carefully treading. Montana Department of Corrections spokesperson Carolynn Bright on Wednesday confirmed Guyer had submitted his letter of resignation on July Read More…
GREAT FALLS- William Edward Miller Jr. has been sentenced to 1 year deferred with unsupervised probation after a plea deal was reached earlier this year. Miller Jr., plead guilty to one of the 64 counts of sexual abuse of children after detectives found several photos and disturbing web searches on his cell phone and laptop. Read More…
Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Wade Palmer retired Monday afternoon after an eight-year career. Trooper Palmer is taking a medical retirement after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds to the face, head, and neck while searching for a suspect in March of 2019. His survival after such critical injuries has been called miraculous. On Monday, Palmer, accompanied by Read More…
PRAIRIE GROVE, ARK. — Columbia Falls bull rider Matt Triplett hit a home run aboard Louisville Slugger in the second round Saturday night at the Professional Bull Riders Buckin’ at the Ranch stop here. Triplett unleashed a 92-point effort to seal the Touring Pro Division victory and $10,000. He also had an 86.5-point ride Read More…
BIG TIMBER — The streets of Big Timber are quiet, but that’s not uncommon for this small community on a Sunday afternoon. Amy Smith has worked as the head chef at the Grand Hotel downtown for thirty years. She says people in town know how to keep to themselves, which is why she believes the Read More…
KALISPELL, Mont. — The Kalispell Public Schools Board of Trustees had a meeting Tuesday night to talk about their back-to-school plans. The superintendent went over phases and what school might look like. In phase two, the governor’s order requires group sizes not to exceed 50 people. READ FULL STORY
MISSOULA, Mont. — Montana Gov. Steve Bullock has issued a directive requiring face coverings at indoor public spaces and at larger outdoor gatherings in counties where four or more people are known to be currently infected with COVID-19. Bullock says too many people continue to meet in large gatherings and too few are wearing masks. The Read More…
At the base of the Montana State Capital, construction began on the Tribal Flag Plaza on July 13. The plaza will showcase flags from Montana’s eight Tribal Nations, next to the United States and Montana flags. Construction of the project comes a little over a year after Governor Bullock signed the bill, paving the way Read More…
GREAT FALLS — On July 6, the Retail Industry Leaders Association sent a letter to the National Governors Association asking governors to require face masks while shopping or in public places nationwide, barring any medical exemption. Governor Steve Bullock has encouraged Montanans to wear face masks when in public and social distancing is not possible, Read More…
(CNN)Almost three years after a tiny Montana company ignited a firestorm of controversy when it signed a massive contract to repair Puerto Rico’s hurricane-battered electricity grid, the firm’s CEO has won another disaster relief deal: supplying the federal government with protective gear in the fight against the coronavirus. A new company co-led by Andy Techmanski, Read More…
The Gallatin County sheriff said he is looking into the history of a yellow patch on both arms of Gallatin County deputies’ uniforms in the wake of national movements to get rid of imagery offensive to Indigenous people. In the center of the patch is a depiction of a Native American with long hair Read More…
Two employees at two different state health offices in Billings have tested positive for COVID-19. The positive cases came from the Office of Public Assistance (OPA) and Child and Family Services Division (CFSD). The CFSD employee tested positive last week and the OAF employee tested positive this week, according Jon Ebelt, public information officer for Read More…
The Helena City Commission heard testimony Thursday for and against keeping uniformed police officers in Helena public schools. The city held the first meeting in a planned review of the Helena Police Department’s operations, announced in the wake of nationwide calls for police reform after the death of George Floyd. City leaders decided to focus Read More…
A Montana University System task force has changed course on face masks, recommending that students and employees be required to wear face coverings this fall, rather than being urged to do so, to limit spread of the coronavirus. The MUS Healthy Fall 2020 Task Force reached consensus on the recommendation Wednesday during an online meeting Read More…
There is no dearth of extravagant homes in America. Celebrities and prominent personalities in different fields of work are often seen indulging in big-budget real estate deals to own some of the fanciest homes on earth. If you are on the lookout for a home that you wish left you astonished, we have just the Read More…