Featured Articles in News

Montana State awarded $1.1 million to expand facility for photonics research and development

The Montana Microfabrication Facility at Montana State University recently received a $1.1 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration through its Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs program. The funding will support current and new Montana Microfabrication Facility customers to rapidly develop, assemble and test photonic integrated circuits, or PICs. In this 2023 file photo, Read More…

Original Governor’s Mansion to Close for Major Restoration Work

The Original Governor’s Mansion will temporarily close to public tours beginning November 1, 2025, as contractors begin a series of critical exterior repairs aimed at preserving one of Montana’s most cherished historic landmarks. The restoration effort, funded through the Governor’s Long-Range Building Program, will address both the mansion and its adjacent historic carriage house. Planned Read More…

Retailers Scramble as U.S. Penny Phase-Out Forces Price Rounding

Now that the United States has officially stopped making pennies, a nationwide scramble is underway among gas stations, fast-food chains, and major retailers to adjust prices and handle cash transactions — a shift that could quietly erode profits for many high-volume businesses. The transition follows President Donald Trump’s decision earlier this year to halt production Read More…

Death threats against ICE officers up by 8,000%, DHS says

(The Center Square) – Death threats against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers are up by 8,000% compared to the same timeframe last year, the Department of Homeland Security said on Friday. Assaults against ICE officers remain at a 1,000% increase, The Center Square first reported. Targeted removal efforts prioritizing arresting violent offenders are ongoing as Read More…

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Ratings of Black-White Relations at New Low

WASHINGTON, D.C. — For the second consecutive year, U.S. adults’ positive ratings of relations between Black and White Americans are at their lowest point in more than two decades of measurement. Currently, 42% of Americans say relations between the two groups are “very” or “somewhat” good, while 57% say they are “somewhat” or “very” bad. Read More…

Govt Workers Sue Connecticut to Avoid Returning to Work

Government employees are suing Connecticut to avoid returning to work, arguing that commutes contribute to climate change. Public employee unions in Connecticut are insisting their members continue to have the option to work full time from home, citing environmental and legal concerns. Democratic governor Ned Lamont allowed government employees to work exclusively from home during Read More…

Judicial vacancy to be filled in Mandan

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – District Court Judge John Grinsteiner retires in one month, which left the Supreme Court questioning whether the South Central Judicial District chambers would be filled, relocated or abolished. Because of the increasing caseload in the area, the judgeship will remain in Mandan. The district consists of nine counties with more than Read More…

Wyoming Department of Transportation warms of phone text scam

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (Wyoming News Now) – Wyoming Department of Transportation has received notification from their public affairs office, that a driver’s license phone scam had started circulating July 16th. Text messages are being sent to cell phones regarding false final notices for license waiver validations. Other D.O.T. offices have been experiencing the same scam for the last 6 to 8 Read More…

Montana Drops ‘Bad Actor’ Case Against Hecla Mining Company

Montana environmental regulators are dropping their case to disqualify Hecla Mining from getting future mining permits in the state. The company’s CEO was previously an executive with Pegasus Gold, which abandoned mines in Montana. Critics say there could be consequences for not seeking penalties under Montana’s “bad actors” law. Montana Department of Environmental Quality Director Read More…

Glacier Park Charts Second-busiest June on Record

Glacier National Park drew more than a half-million visitors last month, charting its second-busiest June on record despite imposing a ticketed-entry system aimed at blunting the acute congestion that in recent years has led to paralytic gridlock in the park’s key arterials. As approximated through June, the overall visitation estimates peg Glacier’s year-to-date totals as the second Read More…

SALES IN WYOMING SLOW TO RECOVER FROM PANDEMIC

Based on data from the Wyoming department of administration and information, the state’s economy continues to struggle to recover, as taxable sales are still negative, while some counties see greater gains. Dr. Wenlin Liu, Chief Economist with the state of Wyoming, Economic Analysis Division, said: “As the resurgence of the virus diminished, Wyoming’s economy continued to Read More…

Billings YWCA plans to build 2nd emergency shelter due to increase in partner/family member assaults

BILLINGS, Mont. – The Billings YWCA is looking to build a second emergency shelter due to the nearly 40% increase in partner and family member assaults during the pandemic. “We have been really struggling to figure out how to house everyone who needed support,” Billings YWCA CEO Merry Lee Olson said. “So, during  the pandemic, we ended up Read More…

Glacier Institute Offers New Educational Program, Shuttles

To address transportation and ticketing issues while simultaneously offering guided hikes, the Glacier Institute is taking enrollment for its Going-to-the-Sun Road Day Program. New in July, the program offers educational hikes and can shuttle 70 passengers per day using five 14-passenger buses leaving from Columbia Falls. The course acts as a Going-to-the-Sun Road ticket, and Read More…

ServeMontana awards presented

GREAT FALLS — Governor Greg Gianforte, Montana Commission on Community Service Chair Kevin Myrhe, and the Governor’s Office of Community Service Director Sarah Sadowski presented five people and two organizations with their 2021 ServeMontana Awards. The awards were presented on June 25th in Helena. A news release says the purpose of the awards is to Read More…

Mystery surrounds suspected mastermind of Haiti presidential assassination plot

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — A Haitian man arrested under suspicion of playing a leading role in the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse appears to have presented himself as a potential leader of the impoverished Caribbean nation for as long as a decade. Police say Christian Emmanuel Sanon, 63, planned to assume the presidency and hire some of the men involved Read More…

Hundreds take to the street to protest in Cuba

Protesters took to the streets in Cuba on Sunday to protest shortages and the high cost of food amid the coronavirus pandemic. According to the Associated Press, protesters believe the Cuban government isn’t doing enough to help. The protests, which began around 2 p.m. local time, saw hundreds take to the street of San Lázaro, the Read More…

North Dakota sending Guard soldiers to US-Mexico border

About 125 soldiers from a Bismarck-based National Guard unit will be sent to the U.S. border with Mexico later this year for an undetermined amount of time, the North Dakota guard said Tuesday. The soldiers from the 957th Engineer Company are expected to begin the deployment this fall, the military said. READ FULL STORY

Kalispell records 4th hottest June

Last month was the fourth hottest June on record in Kalispell, thanks in large part to the extreme heat wave that roasted the region the final week of the month. According to climate statistics from the National Weather Service in Missoula, the average temperature in June for Kalispell was 63.9 degrees, which is 6.3 degree Read More…

Bill Cosby released from prison after Pa. Supreme Court overturns sexual assault conviction

Bill Cosby was released from prison Wednesday after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned his sexual assault conviction and barred him from being retried. The 83-year-old comedian was released from custody just before 2:30 p.m., roughly two hours after the divided high court issued its decision, upending the first high-profile celebrity conviction of the #MeToo era. Read More…

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…