(The Center Square) – Fraud could cost federal taxpayers as much as $521 billion annually, according to a Foundation for Government Accountability report citing a federal estimate. The report estimates that improper payments by the federal government have totaled about $3 trillion since 2003. Liesel Crocker, the report’s author and senior research fellow at FGA, spoke with Read More…
HELENA—Gov. Greg Gianforte has named Larry Flynn director oAll Postsf the Montana Department of Transportation, elevating a longtime agency official who has spent more than three decades working for the department. Flynn replaces outgoing Director Chris Dorrington and takes over one of Montana’s largest state agencies, with more than 2,000 employees and an annual budget Read More…
MINNEAPOLIS—Laura Vedder has been appointed assistant vice president in Treasury Services at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, expanding her leadership role at the bank less than two years after joining the organization. In the new position, Vedder is responsible for Treasury Services’ compliance and risk program, including vendor management and Treasury-specific compliance efforts. She Read More…
For some students, earning an undergraduate degree can create financial pressure to enter the workforce immediately, putting graduate school – and the specialized knowledge, research experience and expanded career opportunities an advanced degree can provide – seemingly out of reach. In this MSU file photo, a student works in a lab in MSU’s Norm Asbjornson Read More…
MISSOULA – Neel Kashkari, the president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, will visit the University of Montana on Monday, April 8, to conduct a public townhall meeting. Kashkari, one of the nation’s leading monetary policymakers, oversees all operations of the bank and leads numerous initiatives that aim to improve the economic Read More…
BOZEMAN – Dr. Bruce Beutler, winner of a 2011 Nobel Prize, highlighted the importance of curiosity and access to research opportunities as he visited Montana State University this week to give a public talk and meet with students and faculty. Beutler won the Nobel in the physiology or medicine category for his research on innate Read More…
(The Center Square) – Mexican cartels for decades have devised creative ways to smuggle narcotics and other contraband across the southern U.S., including using produce, law enforcement officials say. This month, in one week, thousands of pounds of meth were seized hidden in shipments of peppers, tomatillos and carrots. At the Otay Mesa, California, cargo Read More…
Pyramid Mountain Lumber officials have announced their intention to sell the mill rather than resorting to an auction, although no concrete plans have been finalized apart from the impending closure. The company’s decision to shutter operations has sent shockwaves through the lumber industry, with many individuals and stakeholders deeply impacted by the news. Dick Rossignol, Read More…
BOZEMAN — Montana State University will recognize I-Ho Pomeroy, a restaurateur who served on the Bozeman City Commission for a decade and was known for her generous support for the people in her community, with a posthumous honorary doctorate in humane letters at spring commencement. Pomeroy passed away from cancer March 12, 2024, at her Read More…
(The Center Square) – Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray wants the U.S. Postal Service to withdraw a proposal to move mail processing from Casper’s distribution center to Montana. The USPS would move processing operations from Casper to Billings is part of a broader plan to help save money, improve service, and retain employees. Gray also opposes the Read More…
The Center Square) – Teachers in South Dakota will see raises and a new minimum salary under a bill Gov. Kristi Noem signed into law Wednesday. Noem also signed a literacy bill into law, which will appropriate $6 million to the Department of Education to fund professional development in literacy education for teachers. The teacher Read More…
(The Center Square) – The amount of fentanyl seized in Montana last year was over double the amount in 2022, according to Attorney General Austin Knudsen’s office. In 2023, the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task forces seized a total of 398,552 dosage units of fentanyl, up from 188,823 dosage units compared in 2022 and Read More…
(The Center Square) – The National Association of REALTORS announced Friday an agreement where it will end the 6% commission that is routine in home sales. In the settlement with homeowners, the association will pay $418 million in damages and end litigation on the matter. Experts say that Americans pay $100 billion a year in Read More…
(The Center Square) – Most major industries in North Dakota will add jobs over the next two years, according to a new report released by the state’s Labor Market Information Center. The state-level report looks at short-term projections through 2025. It predicted only three North Dakota industries would shrink in job numbers. The agriculture, forestry, Read More…
(The Center Square) – A swimmer who competed at N.C. State is among 16 collegiate athletes, including 12-time All-American Riley Gaines, suing the NCAA for letting men who say they are women compete against them and use the same locker rooms. Kylee Alons, a two-time national champion and 31-time All-American for the Wolfpack, in the Read More…
(The Center Square) – Embattled Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis on Friday stayed on the case involving former President Donald Trump and accepted the resignation of her lead investigator following a judge’s ruling that one of them had to step aside. Judge Scott McAfee, overseeing Trump’s election interference racketeering case, said Willis can remain on Read More…
BOZEMAN — This semester, Montana State University’s Jake Jabs College of Business and Entrepreneurship held its first career symposium, a casual event intended to help students become comfortable talking to potential employers and collaborators. About 300 students attended the event, which was held Feb. 12 in the Strand Union Building on the MSU campus. There, Read More…
HELENA – Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen announced today an over 20,000 percent increase in fentanyl seizures by anti-drug forces in Montana since 2019. Additionally, over twice as much fentanyl was seized in 2023 compared to 2022, shattering previous records. In 2023, Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task forces seized a total of Read More…
BOZEMAN — A team of six Montana State University students from the Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering drew recognition at a recent competition that pitted them against 1,400 other students from across the region. The undergraduate students, each majoring in construction engineering technology, were among 40 MSU students who competed in the Associated Schools of Read More…
BILLINGS, Mont. – Rounding out Invest in Veterans Week, Governor Greg Gianforte highlighted community support for veterans today at the Montana Veterans Meat Locker in Billings. “Because of the sacrifices of service members and their families, we live in the greatest country on Earth,” Gov. Gianforte said. “While our debt to them will never fully Read More…
BOZEMAN — Steven Swinford, a longtime faculty member and administrator at Montana State University, has been named the university’s new vice president for student success, MSU President Waded Cruzado announced today. Swinford, who has been serving as interim vice president for student success since July 2023, was selected for the role after a national search. Read More…
BOZEMAN – Registration is now open for the three-day 406 Grazing Academy, an annual workshop aimed at ranchers seeking to hone their grazing management skills and learn new strategies. This year’s event will be held June 11-13 in Miles City, and registration is open until April 26. Registration costs $200 per person and includes materials, Read More…
(The Center Square) – As the U.S. Armed Forces have struggled to meet recruitment goals, the Army is reducing its troops by 24,000 soldiers. According to an “Army Force Structure Transformation” document first published by American Military News, the Army announced its restructuring plan due to a “changing security environment and evolving character of war.” Read More…
BOZEMAN — The Mark and Robyn Jones College of Nursing at Montana State University has taken another step toward improving health care for state residents, particularly those living in rural, frontier or Native communities. The nursing college has been authorized by the national Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education to start a nurse-midwifery track in its Read More…
BOZEMAN – For the third year in a row, Montana State University’s club men’s hockey team will play in the American Collegiate Hockey Association’s Division 2 national tournament later this month. The team, with a 34-3 record this year, will travel to St. Louis for the tournament, where the Division 2 competition will be held Read More…
MISSOULA – Kyle Fickler grew up in Drummond, Montana. From a young age, he was always drawn toward motorsports and racing. He loved tinkering on cars and figuring out how to make them go faster and with more power. “My cousin took me to my first drag race in Spokane when I was around 14 Read More…
(The Center Square) – A Montana think tank and special interest groups have filed an amicus brief in the state supreme court case known as Held v. Montana. The coalition is asking the Montana Supreme Court to overrule a lower court’s decision that struck down recent changes to state environmental permitting laws and said 16 minors Read More…
(The Center Square) – Twenty-two state attorneys general said Monday more than 85,000 migrant children could be lost based on a report from the Department of Health and Human Services. The report issued this month shows many of the children could be in the labor market or sex trafficked, they said in a letter. “By Read More…
Donald Trump is aiming for a decisive victory on “Super Tuesday” as 15 states hold Republican contests in the primary season’s biggest voting day. Trump, despite facing numerous criminal charges, has dominated the Republican campaign, leaving Nikki Haley as his lone challenger. With a string of victories in early nominating contests, Trump has narrowed down Read More…
“I am incredibly grateful to have this opportunity to serve, and I look forward to a challenging and rewarding career on the bench,” said Dvorak. “I have a history of wanting to make a difference in the lives of others, whether as a social worker, as a volunteer or in my practice. I hope to Read More…
(The Center Square) – An Operation Lone Star task force that has seen a number of successes is expanding throughout the state to combat cartel and gang crime, led by Goliad County Sheriff Roy Boyd. Law enforcement officials from over 30 agencies met for an operational meeting this week to discuss future goals as well Read More…
BOZEMAN – Nobel Prize-winning geneticist and immunologist Dr. Bruce Beutler will speak at Montana State University next month as part of the Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology’s Hilleman Research Lecture Series. Beutler currently serves as the director for the Center of Genetics and Host Defense at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He Read More…
HELENA – The Montana Highway Patrol (MHP) commissioned 12 new troopers at a graduation ceremony at the Civic Center in Helena Friday. Attorney General Austin Knudsen and Lieutenant Colonel Kurt Sager addressed the new troopers prior to their badge pinning and taking the oath of office. “I’m confident that the new troopers are prepared to Read More…
(The Center Square) – North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum said a protest over the Dakota Access Pipeline was a “disaster” for the state during a court hearing Monday over whether the federal government should reimburse the state for $38 million in costs related to the pipeline. More than 5,000 people camped near the pipeline site Read More…
(The Center Square) – Former President Donald Trump asked a federal judge Friday to push back the start of his trial for allegedly mishandling classified documents. The case was previously set to go to trial on May 20. Trump and his defense team asked Judge Aileen Cannon on Friday to set the trial for Aug. Read More…
(The Center Square) – The monthly costs for healthy meals for a family of four participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program increased by 31% over the past three years. The United States Department of Agriculture stated the food stamp benefit amounts are based every year upon the cost of the Thrifty Food Plan. SNAP Read More…
(The Center Square) – North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum said Wednesday that Lt. Gov. Tammy Miller has his complete support in her bid to take his place. Burgum announced last month he would not seek a third term. Voters approved a ballot measure in 2022 limiting governors to two four-year terms but grandfathered in current Read More…
(The Center Square) – California vehicle emissions standards may be coming to Illinois. An Illinois state legislator has introduced a measure that would limit the types of trucks the trucking industry could use. State Rep. Edgar Gonzalez, Jr., D-Chicago, has introduced House Bill 1634, seeking to have Illinois adopt the vehicle emissions standards of California. The Read More…
MISSOULA – Spring semester enrollment is rising again at the University of Montana, marking the sixth consecutive semester of enrollment growth at the public flagship institution. UM reports 10,349 students enrolled in classes this spring, a 2.4% increase over the spring 2023 semester. More students are enrolled at UM for spring semester than any year Read More…
Dan Kasowski, who has served in multiple roles throughout more than 40 years at UND’s John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences, will be inducted into the North Dakota Aviation Hall of Fame in March. A native of Buffalo, N.D., Kasowski began working at UND in 1979 as the Odegard School’s second full-time aviation mechanic. Read More…
BOZEMAN – Spring enrollment at Montana State University set a new all-time record, with 16,110 students attending classes at the state’s largest university. It’s the first time in the university’s 131-year history that the spring headcount has surpassed 16,000. The new total represents a 3% increase over last spring, or 393 students. It’s the fourth Read More…
BOZEMAN – Montana State University junior Sophia Adams says her childhood experiences as the younger sibling of a brother with autism shaped her wish to serve people living in difficult circumstances. “I felt a responsibility to look out for other people,” said Adams, an aspiring medical doctor and Honors College student majoring in biochemistry in Read More…
(The Center Square) – Texas is building a new military base camp at the border to continue its efforts to block illegal entry from Mexico. Gov. Greg Abbott made the announcement on Friday in Eagle Pass, Texas, with Adjutant General of the Texas National Guard Major General Thomas Suelzer and border czar Mike Banks. The Read More…
(The Center Square) – A hearing into whether Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis had an improper relationship with an attorney she hired to prosecute the state’s election interference case against Donald Trump continued Friday without resolution. The testimony of a key witness, Terrence Bradley, a former law partner of prosecutor Nathan Wade who represented Read More…