Featured Articles in News

Second Amendment Foundation Files Second Lawsuit Challenging Constitutionality of National Firearms Act

The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) announced Wednesday the filing of a new lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the National Firearms Act (NFA), seeking to eliminate registration requirements for certain firearms. Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas under case number 2:25-cv-00223, the case — Jensen v. ATF — names the Read More…

Knudsen Leads 20-State Coalition Supporting Trump’s Response to Portland Riots

Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen is leading a coalition of 20 states in backing President Donald Trump’s deployment of federal and National Guard forces to Portland, Oregon, in response to violent protests and threats against federal officers. The coalition filed an amicus brief Wednesday in the case State of Oregon and the City of Portland Read More…

Gianforte, Montana Chamber to Host Energy Summit in Bozeman

Governor Greg Gianforte and the Montana Chamber of Commerce will host the 2nd Annual Big Sky, Bright Future Economic Summit on Thursday, October 16, in Bozeman, bringing together business leaders, policymakers, and energy experts to focus on the theme of unleashing American-made energy in Montana. “With rising demand on our energy grid, Montana must continue Read More…

Kurt Alme Confirmed as U.S. Attorney

The U.S. Senate has confirmed Kurt Alme to serve as U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana, returning the Great Falls native to a post he previously held from 2017 to 2020. A seasoned prosecutor and respected public servant, Alme brings decades of experience in both state and federal law enforcement. His confirmation drew strong Read More…

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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…

Federal prisoners hold $100 million in government-run accounts, shielded from some criminal scrutiny and debt collection

Federal prison inmates are keeping large sums of money — in some cases more than $100,000 each — in government-run deposit accounts effectively shielded from court orders for things like child support, alimony or other debts, and not subject to the same scrutiny as accounts owned by non-incarcerated citizens, according to court documents and interviews. Read More…

Despite her vow of poverty, nun stole more than $835,000 from a Catholic school, prosecutors said

With each new school year, fresh checks for tuition and fees streamed into the principal’s office at St. James Catholic School in Torrance, Calif. But for 10 years, those checks, along with donations, scarcely made it to the school’s bank account. Instead, the school’s principal, Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, 79, was stealing the money and Read More…

Seeking ‘rent we can afford,’ California BBQ chef moves here to open Boise restaurant

A freshly transplanted barbecue pitmaster is on the verge of opening a new Boise restaurant. Neighbor Tim’s BBQ is preparing to launch in a small space at 7802 W. Goddard Road, across from Capital High School. Hungry Idahoans can watch the business’ Facebook page for updates on the opening date: “Very, very soon,” Neighbor Tim’s proclaimed in 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…

Ex-CDC Director Robert Redfield Says He Received Death Threats From SCIENTISTS After Embracing Wuhan Lab Leak Theory

Former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Robert Redfield said he received “death threats” from other scientists for broaching the possibility that Covid-19 leaked from a laboratory in Wuhan, China. The former CDC director said the threats came after a March 26 CNN interview, when he told the network, “I am of the point of Read More…

Bill Gates-backed firm announces proposed advanced nuclear reactor plant in Wyoming

Wyoming is partnering with tech mogul’s Bill Gates nuclear power company to build the state’s first Natrium advanced nuclear reactor power plant. The state’s partnership with the firm founded by Gates, TerraPower, and Washington state power firm Pacificorp was announced Wednesday in an event hosted by Gov. Mark Gordon, according to Wyoming U.S. Sen. John 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…

MLB sued for $100M after pulling All-Star Game from Atlanta

ATLANTA (SBG) — A small business advocacy organization filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Major League Baseball, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, the Major League Baseball Players Association and executive director Tony Clark. The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York by the Job Creators Network. READ FULL STORY  

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…

Governor selects new Wyoming public records ombudsman

Gov. Mark Gordon has tapped his constituent liaison to serve as Wyoming’s next public records ombudsman, his office announced.   Darlena Potter had served in the liaison role since September 2019. She has previously worked in state and local government, the governor’s office said. In her new role, she will attempt to resolves challenges over Read More…

EU summit to discuss Belarus sanctions after ‘state-sponsored hijacking’ of passenger plane

European Union leaders will discuss retaliatory measures against Belarus at a summit dinner on Monday night, after the country’s president Alexander Lukashenko scrambled a jet fighter to force a Ryanair RYAAY, -0.13%   RYA, -1.13% flight carrying a dissident journalist to land in Minsk on Sunday. The Irish plane was on a regular flight from Athens, Greece, to Vilnius, Lithuania, and was forced to Read More…