The U.S. Supreme Court threw out a federal appeals court ruling in an immigration case Tuesday and returned the case to the court for an alternative ruling. In a 6-3 decision along partisan lines, the Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that immigration officers have broad authority to decide if restrictions should be placed on a returning Read More…
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…
Car manufacturers including Ford, Volkswagen and Daimler are still struggling to deal with the impact of the global chip shortage, with executives from each of the companies warning a lack of silicon is likely to remain a problem. Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess, Daimler CEO Ola Kallenius and Ford Europe chairman of the management board Gunnar Herrmann told CNBC’s Annette Weisbach Read More…
The Biden administration on Monday unveiled a major permanent increase to the food stamp benefits that help 42 million Americans buy groceries — a record bump up for one of the country’s largest safety net programs. The average monthly benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will be roughly 27 percent higher than they were Read More…
Rapid City has issued 3,111 building permits so far this year with a valuation of $245,820,725. The valuation from January to August is the second-highest in the city’s history with the highest from 2018 with a total of $262,030,115 for the same time period. The May to August valuation is also the second highest with Read More…
BOZEMAN, Mont. — The Gallatin County Planning Department released the final draft of a new growth policy for the county. The policy is called Envision Gallatin: Tomorrow Together. It centers around three major themes — open space, heritage and opportunity. The Gallatin County Commission will vote on the policy at the public meeting Sept. 21. Developing Read More…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Attorneys for three former Minneapolis police officers charged in George Floyd’s death asked a judge Thursday to bar their upcoming trial from being livestreamed, saying some witnesses won’t testify if the proceedings are broadcast. The request from attorneys for Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao is an about-face from their earlier request to Read More…
Citing rising Delta variant COVID-19 cases, Crow Tribal Chairman Frank Whiteclay announced he is reinstating a mask mandate inside all public buildings, including schools, on the reservation. The Apsalooke Service Corp main office in Crow Agency at the old casino will help provide masks and cleaning supplies for the community, Whiteclay said in a release. Read More…
A federal judge has rejected a lawsuit by the state of Missouri seeking to stop a project that would supply Missouri River water to parts of central North Dakota. The Wednesday ruling will enable the federal Bureau of Reclamation to move ahead with a water service contract for the Central North Dakota Water Supply Project. Read More…
Heartwrenching details began emerging Friday about some of the 13 U.S. troops killed in suicide bombing at Afghanistan’s Kabul airport, which included 20-year-old father-to-be and Bondurant native Rylee McCollum. Eleven Marines, one Navy sailor and one Army soldier were among the dead, while 18 other U.S. service members were wounded in Thursday’s bombing, which was blamed on Read More…
Unlike Wyoming, PacifiCorp is turning away from fossil fuels. The parent company to Rocky Mountain Power, the state’s biggest electric utility, announced Friday that its biennial Integrated Resource Plan is expected to include substantial investment in renewables — and no new investment in coal or natural gas. The 2021 plan will be finalized next Read More…
“One of the first things he asked me … was whether or not I was vaccinated,” Firlit, 39, told the Chicago Sun-Times. She was not, she said, explaining that she has had “adverse reactions to vaccines in the past” and that a doctor advised her against getting inoculated against the coronavirus. “It poses a risk,” she Read More…
NEW ORLEANS, La. — All of New Orleans is without power as Hurricane Ida continues to hit Louisiana with high winds, heavy rain, and storm surge. Entergy New Orleans said Sunday evening that all of Orleans Parish was without power due to “catastrophic damage” to its transmission system. Entergy’s outage tracker on its website showed more Read More…
Montana’s agency responsible for certifying law enforcement officials alleges a former Whitefish Police chief engaged in a wide range of misconduct. The Flathead Beacon first reported the allegations. The 12-page complaint from the standards and training bureau within the state justice department alleges former Police Chief Bill Dial engaged in, condoned and/or failed to disclose acts Read More…
KALISPELL, Mont. – Over the summer months, the Kalispell Fire Department has had to close or reduce services more frequently due to short staffing. Now, it sounds like these closures will happen less often. The Kalispell City Council approved a request to add two more firefighters in this upcoming year’s budget. This will make it Read More…
HELENA — Law enforcement officers and dispatchers dedicate their lives to keeping the community a safe place, Helena Police Department held an awards ceremony dedicated to outstanding members of law enforcement for their dedication to their jobs. But what makes the officers continue their service to the community? “When we when we first start out Read More…
HELENA — There are a couple of unavoidable aspects of getting older. Firstly scammers are more likely to target you, and secondly, there will be BINGO. A group of senior citizens and residents at Edgewood Senior Living Facility enjoyed a fun round of BINGO and learned how to protect their wallets from scammers this week Read More…
BOZEMAN, Mont. – The Bozeman School Board voted 7-1 to update the face-covering policy which requires a mask to be worn inside school district buildings. The new policy is effective as of Tuesday, Aug. 24 and requires face coverings for all students, faculty, staff, parents, volunteers and visitors on campus. Enforcement of any masking requirement will not Read More…
CARBON COUNTY, Mont. — The body of a 23-year-old from Idaho who disappeared on a solo mountain-climbing trip in July has been found. The Carbon County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the remains belong to Tatum Morell, a graduate student at Montana State University who had been attempting to climb five mountains in five days when she went Read More…
An agreement has been reached by Bakken Energy and Basin Electric on key terms and conditions to purchase the assets of the Dakota Gasification Company (Dakota Gas), a subsidiary of Basin Electric, and the owner of the Great Plains Synfuels Plant (Synfuels Plant). Located near Beulah, ND, the Synfuels Plant holds a distinguished place in Read More…
Drought that has plagued North Dakota all summer worsened again in the past week, with exceptional drought beginning to creep into the southwest after appearing in the east last week. Exceptional drought — the worse of four categories, now covers nearly 16% of the state, up from 14% last week, according to the latest U.S. Read More…
A 41-year-old Cheyenne anesthesiologist who disappeared while hiking in the Wind River Mountains over the weekend was found dead on Monday by a Sublette County search and rescue team. Tip Top Search and Rescue announced late Monday afternoon that the body of Thor Hallingbye was discovered in Fremont County. Earlier, the rescue unit said Hallingbye was last Read More…
U.S. troops do not currently have the capability to help people reach Kabul airport to be evacuated from Afghanistan because they are focused on securing the airfield, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Wednesday. The speed with which Taliban forces retook Afghanistan, as U.S. and other foreign forces withdrew after a 20-year war, has Read More…
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health officials on Wednesday announced plans to dispense COVID-19 booster shots to all Americans to shore up their protection amid the surging delta variant and signs that the vaccines’ effectiveness is slipping. The plan, as outlined by the chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other top health Read More…
President Joe Biden defended his decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan Wednesday, blaming the Taliban’s swift takeover of the country squarely on the Afghan army and a peace deal brokered with the Taliban by the Trump administration. In an interview with ABC News‘s George Stephanopoulos, Biden argued that there was no way the intelligence community could Read More…
A Washington state man who admitted to selling methamphetamine on the Flathead Indian Reservation was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen. Alberto Escareno-Sanchez, 27, of Sunnyside, Washington, pleaded guilty in March to possession with intent to distribute meth. Escareno-Sanchez also will be on probation for five years, according Read More…
GREAT FALLS — It’s back to school time and it’s not just families who sometimes struggle with the increasing cost of school supplies. East Middle School teacher Adrienne Culliton is one of the many who has benefited from a Facebook page called ‘Adopt a Teacher, Great Falls Helping Great Educators.’ She says a box of Read More…
Montana State University issued a stronger message urging people on campus to wear masks indoors but again stopped short of mandating face coverings ahead of the Aug. 25 start to the semester. MSU President Waded Cruzado in a letter sent to students, parents, faculty and staff on Tuesday evening urged them to voluntarily wear masks “because Read More…
LOCKWOOD — It’s been eight years since Jessica Stiles was in Afghanistan doing detainee operations at the prison on Bagram Air Base. It’s a time she still sometimes lives with. “I get night terrors and had a hard time adjusting at first,” the Lockwood resident said this week. Stiles is one of the thousands of Read More…
BILLINGS- The carnival has arrived in Billings setting the stage for the 2021 MontanaFair. However, as COVID-19 cases rise, officials with MetraPark say they’re keeping some safety precautions in place while adding an emphasis on personal choice. Ray Massie with MetraPark says there are some new attractions this year, including fun for the entire family Read More…
GREAT FALLS — The Great Falls Police Department recently acquired two new incident response vehicles thanks to a federal program. One is a mobile crime scene unit, the other is for the department’s High Risk Unit. “These two vehicles provide a lot of different capabilities for us,” noted Captain Doug Otto of the GFPD. He Read More…
Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates said his climate investment fund will commit $1.5 billion for joint projects with the U.S. government if Congress enacts a program aimed at developing technologies that lower carbon emissions. A roughly $1 trillion infrastructure bill passed by the Senate this week would give the Energy Department $25 billion for demonstration projects funded Read More…
HELENA, Mont. – The Montana National Guard is adding 25 personnel to state active duty to provide logistics and security support to the Lolo Complex Fire burning southwest of Missoula. Beginning Tuesday, a 20 person hand crew will aid in the Alder Creek Fire located southwest of Butte. On Wednesday, the CH-47 crew located in Read More…
BILLINGS — Yellowstone County voters will not get a second chance to overturn the legalization of recreational marijuana sales. A resolution voted on by the Yellowstone County Commissioners on Tuesday that would have put the issue of legalized recreational marijuana back on November’s ballot failed after a 1-1 tie. Board Chairman Don Jones voted in Read More…
GREAT FALLS — U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Port of Sweetgrass in Toole County recently seized 69.5 pounds of cocaine from a commercial vehicle. On Thursday, July 29, 2021, CBP officers encountered a commercial truck operated by a woman from Canada. The trailer contained a commercial load of watermelons and peppers Read More…
The Army recently inked a $3.5 billion contract with Pfizer Inc. for the pharmaceutical company to produce 500 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine. But those shots are not planned for soldiers’ shoulders. Instead, the contract award states, they are for “international donation” and procurement is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2022, according Read More…
The district attorney of Albany County, New York, said Tuesday that his office is criminally investigating Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has been accused of sexually harassing multiple women. DA David Soares also said his office would “welcome any victim to contact our office with additional information” about Cuomo. And Soares said he plans to request investigative Read More…
Jay Pickett, the actor who starred in “Soda Springs,” an independent movie filmed in Idaho, died on Friday. He was 60. Pickett had credits in over 50 films and was featured in soap operas such as “Port Charles, “Days of Our Lives” and “General Hospital,” according to IMDB. An actor who often played cowboys, Pickett was Read More…
ROCK SPRINGS — Visitors to the Flyrks.com website will now have an easier time finding information about aviation and the range of amenities in Sweetwater County. The new and improved website is part of a wider effort to be more responsive to airline passengers, pilots, and the community in general, said Airport Director Devon Brubaker. “The Read More…
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has asked businesses in the state to only serve customers who are completely vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to avoid a “worst case scenario,” the governor said on Monday. “I am asking them, and suggesting to them, go to vaccine-only admission,” Cuomo said during a press conference, referring to private Read More…
BILLINGS, Mont. – A new community impact study by Billings Police downtown resource officers said 93 people cost Billings’ taxpayers $10,327,665 in 2020. A link to the full study is available here. Officer Brad Mansur with the Billings Police Department said the cost comes from frequent contacts with law enforcement and visits to the hospital. A community Read More…
BILLINGS — A new school year is on the horizon, and there’s still plenty of uncertainty about what in-person classes will look like. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the rise in online learning, and one company is trying to prepare the next generation of students, especially in the most remote areas. “We’re in the mountains Read More…