The Center Square) – Minnesota’s special districts reported $5.4 billion in outstanding long-term debt in 2023, while increasingly relying on state funding as pandemic-era federal aid declined. This is according to a new report from the Minnesota Office of the State Auditor. The 91-page report examined 572 special districts that submitted financial data to the auditor’s Read More…
Former Montana utility regulator will lead the $4 billion federal power-marketing agency serving the Pacific Northwest U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright announced Travis Kavulla as administrator and CEO of the Bonneville Power Administration, putting the former Montana utility regulator in charge of the agency that markets wholesale power across the Pacific Northwest. “Travis Kavulla’s Read More…
Army Pvt. Joe Gandara was a paratrooper who fought in France during World War II. Little is known about him other than that he was the son of Mexican immigrants. However, his bravery and selflessness earned him a posthumous Medal of Honor — nearly 70 years after he sacrificed himself to save his battle buddies. Read More…
Five-day celebration in Helena will run June 24-28 with free tours, workshops and a Capitol Lawn finale The Montana Historical Society will host the Montana History Festival from Wednesday, June 24, through Sunday, June 28, a five-day community celebration marking the grand opening of the fully completed Montana Heritage Center. The festival will feature free Read More…
Montana Technological University is starting off the school year by introducing a new degree program: construction management. The new program will be under the School of Mines and Engineering and will take a multifaceted approach to construction management. Students will take courses in many different subject areas, including operational safety and health, mining, civil engineering, business communication and Read More…
Atlantic Richfield Company and ARCO Environmental Remediation (collectively known as Atlantic Richfield) have agreed to the cleanup of community soils – including both residential and non-residential yards and soil affected by the refinery’s operations – at the ACM Smelter and Refinery Superfund Site in Black Eagle, Montana. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said in Read More…
A Browning man who was convicted by a jury of raping a girl in Browning, on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, was sentenced on Aug. 15 to eight years and four months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today. After a two-day trial in March, the Read More…
Starting Tuesday, Montana homeowners can apply to get back up to $675 on their property taxes. The Montana Department of Revenue will open claims Aug. 15 for the property tax rebate approved by the state Legislature and signed off on by Gov. Greg Gianforte earlier this year. The deadline to apply is Oct. 1. “Property Read More…
Many Crow tribal members have been caught up in Arizona’s sober-living home scam, but when they return back to Montana, many often need treatment and recovery. The problem has caught the attention of Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte, who recently reached out to Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs for assistance. “This situation is very troubling because these crooks Read More…
North Dakota has never had a team make an appearance at the Little League World Series in Williamsport in the league’s 75-year history. The Fargo 12U All-Stars have changed that though. After losing to Sioux Falls, SD in the semi-finals of the Midwest Region Tournament and defeating Iowa the following day in the elimination bracket, Read More…
The Federal Reserve has tried hard to buck Wyoming’s digital banks, but Custodia Bank CEO Caitlin Long comes from a state where the motto “Cowboy Up” comes as natural as breathing. And that she has done, quietly in some cases, like the recent “soft” opening of Custodia Bank last month without fanfare or press release, Read More…
The rejection of the plan to send water from the Hungry Horse Reservoir to raise Flathead Lake in northwest Montana has sparked frustration among elected officials and local communities heavily reliant on the lake for their economy and livelihoods. The lake’s water levels have reached a record low for this time of year, dropping nearly Read More…
It’s been six days since the Williams County Commission ordered the power turned off for part of the Atlas Power Data Center west of Williston. Since then, the utility that handles the power to the facility has refused to do so, instead seeking a judge’s opinion on the matter. Court documents given to Your News Read More…
A tornado struck the largest coal mine in the US while workers were in the midst of a shift change Friday in northeast Wyoming, injuring at least 8 people, officials said. The tornado hit the North Antelope Rochelle Mine in Campbell County at around 6:20 p.m. MT Friday, according to county government spokesperson Leslie Perkins. “It has Read More…
On Sunday, Gov. Greg Gianforte got an up-close look at the Montana Rail Link train derailment and bridge collapse that happened early Saturday morning over the Yellowstone River. Montana Rail Link officials updated the total number of train cars that derailed to 17. Ten of those cars ended up in the river. Of the ten in Read More…
The train car containing sodium hydrosulfide closest to the Yellowstone River has been successfully moved and will be re-railed and moved to a secure location, Montana Rail Link (MRL) announced. MRL also said chunks of asphalt have been found down river which may be associated with the derailment. A sample of the asphalt is being Read More…
Come July, 262 Tyson Foods employees in Dakota Dunes, including some executive staff, won’t be working for the food giant. That’s according to a notice from Tyson’s Jamison Smith, vice president of human resources, that was filed on May 26 under the South Dakota Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act website. The news comes after Tyson announced Read More…
It was the right opportunity at the right time, Schweitzer Mountain officials said in announcing the sale of MKM Trust’s Sandpoint, Idaho resort operations assets to Alterra Mountain Company. “With room for growth and plans for future expansion and development, MKM’s decision to exit the mountain resort business puts Schweitzer in a favorable position to Read More…
For Miss Montana 2023 Mady Rigg, failing to make Glacier High School’s volleyball squad her junior year opened a door she never imagined existed. “I was … a little devastated,” Rigg recalled late last month, not long after securing the title of Miss Montana. Still feeling the sting of not making the team she found Read More…
Yellowstone provides millions of visitors one of the greatest wildlife viewing displays in North America. In recent days, some actions by visitors have led to the endangerment of people and wildlife and resulted in the death of wildlife. The park calls on visitors to protect wildlife by understanding how their actions can negatively impact wildlife. Read More…
Montana children up to the age of five are now able to receive a free book each month thanks to Dolly Parton’s “Imagination Library” and a State of Montana partnership. “I’m so excited to be launching my Imagination Library statewide in Montana!” said Parton in a message announcing the expansion into Montana. “I want to Read More…
Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week’s contribution is from Michael Poland, geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey and scientist-in-charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. A common question asked of YVO scientists is “when will Yellowstone erupt?” And the usual reply is that Read More…
An 80-megawatt solar farm in southwest Montana should be coming online by month’s end. An 1,100-acre solar project slated for Baker secured a contract Wednesday to sell power to Basin Electric Power Cooperative and its Montana members. Boise-based Clēnera told Montana Lee Newspapers recently that the company’s 600-acre solar array is in its final phase Read More…
Helena, MT – Susan Gianforte, in collaboration with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, has unveiled the Imagination Library of Montana, an initiative that will be implemented across the entire state. This non-profit endeavor aims to enhance early childhood literacy by offering complimentary, top-notch books tailored to the age of Montana’s children. “Literacy is critical for our Read More…
Montana’s Department of Environmental Quality will move forward with a court-ordered environmental review of the controversial gas-fired power plant in Laurel, now that a new state law banning regulation of carbon dioxide is on the books. A state permitting agency, DEQ, announced Thursday that it had limited its environmental review of the Laurel gas plant Read More…
Just weeks old, new Montana laws intended to clear legal challenges to coal mining have landed in court. At issue are two laws passed by the Montana Legislature this spring, one that allows violations of water quality standards, a second that allows mining companies to collect legal fees from people challenging state permits. The Department Read More…
Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week’s contribution is from Michael Poland, geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey and scientist-in-charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. New Mexico is a volcanic wonderland, home to numerous types of volcanic features like lava flows similar to Read More…
Tourists who picked up an elk calf and hauled it in their car to the West Yellowstone police station are being investigated. Yellowstone National Park announced the Memorial Day weekend incident in a press release, noting several animal vs. human incidents. The visitors likely placed the calf in their car while driving on Highway 191. Read More…
Efforts to pass privacy legislation at the state level are intensifying as progress on the issue remains stagnant at the federal level. Montana recently became the latest state to enact its own privacy law, with Governor Greg Gianforte signing SB 384 into law on May 19. Advocates claim that Montana’s privacy law is one of Read More…
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen is leading a coalition of 20 states against Mexico’s lawsuit against the American firearms industry. In an amicus brief filed Thursday, the 20 attorneys general seek to shield the law-abiding firearms manufacturers within their borders. The Mexican government is pursuing a $10 billion claim against multiple prominent U.S. firearms manufacturers, Read More…
The state of Montana is facing a setback in its attempt to enforce a newly created ban an abortion procedure used in the state after 15 weeks’ gestational age. District Court Judge Mike Menahan issued an order preventing the ban from taking effect, stating that Planned Parenthood of Montana has demonstrated “immediate and irreparable harm” Read More…
Over the past three decades, the local adoration for Homeboy Industries has nearly been matched by the nonprofit’s innovation and ability to form high-level connections. Founded by Father Gregory Boyle in East Los Angeles in 1988 with the aim to help gang members change their lives, it has gained legendary status. The program that early on was Read More…
The Federal Reserve raised the target range for its benchmark interest rate by 0.25% on Wednesday while leaving its options open on future rate hikes. The central bank’s move pushed its benchmark policy rate, the fed funds rate, to a new range of 5%-5.25%, the highest since September 2007. The Fed said future rate hikes Read More…
A McDonald’s franchisee in Kentucky employed two 10-year-old children in violation of federal labor laws, the Department of Labor said Tuesday. Bauer Food, LLC, a Louisville-based operator of 10 McDonald’s franchise locations across two states, employed the children, the DOL said in a news release. Officials said the children were not paid, yet sometimes worked as late Read More…
The City of Williston has named two finalists for their city administrator position. Interim Administrator Shawn Wenko and Airport Director Anthony Dudas were selected by the city and a recruiting firm. A total of 12 applicants filed for the position. Two other finalists withdrew from the process last week. The recruitment process involved semifinalists completing a detailed Read More…
Seven agencies requested thousands of dollars in county funding during the Park County Commission’s May 2 meeting. Representatives of Crisis Intervention Services, Powell Economic Partnership, Powell Senior Center, Park County Animal Shelter, Forward Cody, Caring for Powell’s Animals, and Meeteetse Senior Center appeared before the commission Tuesday. READ THE FULL STORY: https://www.codyenterprise.com/news/local/article_cab07cfa-e9e3-11ed-88cd-4b21ba3c02a2.html
State and federal wildlife agencies in Wyoming are investigating a case of a grizzly that was found shot dead, 14 miles outside of Yellowstone National Park. A wildlife photographer in Wyoming came across a bear that had been killed. Pictures have been posted on social media, and it’s not clear exactly what happened. READ THE Read More…
Montana Highway Patrol (MHP) troopers had a big drug bust in Yellowstone County where they seized approximately 25 pounds of methamphetamine. According to Colonel Steven Lavin, on April 28th a MHP trooper stopped an out of state vehicle for a traffic violation. The trooper saw indications of drug smuggling and applied for and was granted Read More…
A year after being named the top principal in Montana, Jeff Uhren is leaving Billings Senior High for a new career, which means big changes are coming to the school. There’s a reason why Uhren was named Montana Principal of the Year in 2022. “He is super, super passionate about what he does, and he Read More…
Thousands of dollars will soon make its way into the greater Helena area to help support children aged zero to five. “…the research shows that children who are supported early on do better, out, do better later on in life. They have better outcomes in so many different areas of their life,” says Zero to Read More…
In his initial bid for Senate, Jon Tester, denounced legislators who hire lobbyists, vowing to end the “revolving door.” However, as he seeks reelection to his fourth term, Tester’s campaign is being managed by a former lobbyist. On April 4, Tester expressed his utmost satisfaction in hiring Shelbi Dantic, a former lobbyist, as his campaign Read More…
Jaron Fry is one of Wyoming Department of Transportation’s snow plow drivers, but he used to be a truck driver in a former life. As he was working 12-hour shifts to plow roads in the Evanston area, his eye wandered often to all of the stranded truck drivers. He knew exactly how they were feeling. Truck Read More…
U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development in Montana and Wheatland Memorial Healthcare are pleased to announce that the USDA will invest more than $19 million to build a new health care facility in Harlowton. “Everyone deserves quality, accessible health care, no matter where they live, which is why it is critical that we invest in Read More…
The Montana Highway Patrol trooper who was run over by a suspect’s vehicle following a pursuit near Eureka is headed out of state to continue his recovery. Trooper Lewis Johnson was seriously injured on Feb. 16 and was flown by ALERT helicopter to Kalispell’s Logan Health to receive life-saving care. He suffered multiple critical injuries, Read More…