U.S. markets lost momentum this week as investors stepped back from recent highs, digesting mixed economic signals and growing uncertainty around the outlook for interest rates and growth. After several weeks of gains, the S&P 500 fell roughly 2.4% for the week, while the Nasdaq Composite dropped about 3%, its steepest decline since April. The Read More…
The North Dakota Department of Commerce announced this week that the Automation Tax Credit (ATC) Program Portal is now open for applications. The program is designed to support primary sector businesses that invest in automation to improve productivity, efficiency, and competitiveness in manufacturing and animal agriculture. Authorized under N.D.C.C. § 57-38-01.41, the ATC allows eligible Read More…
South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announced Wednesday that nine individuals—eight men and one woman—have been indicted by a Davison County Grand Jury for their alleged involvement in a cocaine distribution network operating in the county. Three of the suspects are also facing immigration-related investigations. The indictments, returned on Oct. 29, encompass 36 felony charges Read More…
A class action lawsuit has been filed against Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana (BCBSMT) over a data breach that allegedly exposed the sensitive personal and medical information of hundreds of thousands of members. The filing comes as Montana State Auditor and Commissioner of Securities and Insurance James Brown launched a separate investigation into the Read More…
Gov. Doug Burgum welcomed the White House’s Coronavirus Response Coordinator, Dr. Deborah Birx, to North Dakota Saturday to discuss the state’s efforts to save lives and livelihoods in the fight against COVID-19. Birx, an ambassador-at-large and U.S. Special Representative for Global Health Diplomacy, met with the governor and first lady and held a round-table discussion Read More…
Autility company serving 146,000 customers in Wyoming has taken the next step to bring $2 billion in energy transmission lines to fruition across the state. Rocky Mountain Power announced on Wednesday it had submitted an application for regulatory approval with the Wyoming Public Service Commission, a necessary step before it can break ground and Read More…
BILLINGS, Mont. – You may have seen these Strongman competitions on TV, but have you ever seen them in person? Residents of the Magic City got their chance Saturday with Ron Wilson’s Iron Barn Gym hosting Montana’s first-ever strongman competition. When you think about lifting weights, many people may think of lift barbells or dumbbells, Read More…
Montana airports might have been spared the worst damage from the COVID-19 pandemic this summer. According to a new analysis from industry group Airlines for America, Montana experienced the smallest percentage decline in passenger flights out of any state in the country when compared to July of last year. Montana saw a 25% reduction in Read More…
MISSOULA, Mont. — The Teton County Health Department confirmed Montana’s first case of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children, otherwise known as MIS-C, associated with COVID-19. In a press release, officials say the patient is a resident between 10 to 19-years-old. They added that the patient was hospitalized in Salt Lake City, and is now recovering at Read More…
Morgan Rose rode horses for as long as she wanted growing up. She woke up early in the morning and basked in life on her parents’ ranch in Dillon. Rose knew what she wanted to do when she was older: live on a ranch, raise cattle and pursue a career in agriculture. “You think this Read More…
FORSYTH — Lance Lawrence received more than a hero’s welcome last Friday. The Forsyth 5-year-old with the Iron Man mask got a welcome-home parade fit for the superhero he’s become. “The parade was pretty awesome, the amount of people that came out. We’re like, ‘They’re here for you, you know that?’ He’s like, ‘Yeah, I Read More…
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines has weighed in on whether Montana schools should allow fans at sporting events. In a recent Facebook post, Daines said parents should be allowed to watch their children play fall sports. Daines called on Gov. Steve Bullock, who is challenging him for his Senate seat in the upcoming election, to develop Read More…
Though she’s still in her 20s, billionaire heiress-turned-Tinseltown film producer Erika Olde (“Home Again,” “Woman Walks Ahead,” “The Female Brain”) is already a veteran player in the high-end Los Angeles real estate market. Now she’s set her sights on pristine Wyoming — records reveal the Cayman Islands native has purchased a 4.27-acre spread in a private community just outside Read More…
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Postmaster General Louis DeJoy told senators Friday that the cost-cutting fixes he has made to the U.S. Postal Service transportation system were designed to improve service. “The only change I made, ma’am, was the trucks leave on time,” said Postmaster General Louis DeJoy on Friday. But an investigation by Scripps station WTVF in Nashville Read More…
Montana’s tourism industry might not be seeing the complete “pandemic devastation” we feared in early spring. But University of Montana researchers say 2020 is still shaping up as one of the worst tourism business years in a decade. If there was ever a year for camping in Montana, this is it. The re-opening “COVID cascade” Read More…
U.S. Senators Steve Daines and Jon Tester have announced that the Economic Development Administration (EDA) will be directing $3,900,000 through the EDA’s CARES Act Recovery Assistance program and $11,209,000 through the EDA’s CARES Act Recovery Assistance Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) to support Montana communities, small businesses and jobs amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. “This funding Read More…
Several communities across southwest Montana are beginning to see smoke move in from wildfires in northern California. Fine particulate levels in Bozeman shifted into the unhealthy category around 8 a.m. Saturday, according to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality’s air monitoring website. Butte’s air quality also shifted into unhealthy territory around 10 a.m. Hamilton, Dillon Read More…
Hospitals in Xinjiang aborted late-stage pregnancies and killed newborns as part of China’s mission to erase Uighur culture, a doctor who worked in the region told Radio Free Asia on Monday. Since 2016, China has interned at least 1 million Uighurs in hundreds of prison camps, which it euphemistically calls “reeducation centers,” where Uighurs are forced to abandon their heritage Read More…
HELENA, Mont. — Actress Sharon Stone is criticizing the availability of COVID-19 testing in Montana, where her sister and brother-in-law are hospitalized with the respiratory virus. Stone posted a video on Instagram on Sunday expressing frustration at a lack of testing for front-line workers and people who have been on contact with someone who has COVID-19. Read More…
The state of Montana has applied for federal grant money to add $400 per week to individual unemployment benefits. President Donald Trump ordered the boost in payments a week ago. People had been receiving an added $600 per week in unemployment payments under the CARES Act, but that expired at the end of July. Trump Read More…
The state health department is abandoning a proposed rule that would have banned the sale of flavored vaping products in Montana. The contentious rule was supported by health care advocates and others who cited studies showing that flavored vaping products enticed young adults and led to a lifetime of tobacco use. Vape shop owners opposed the rule, saying that Read More…
The Idaho Business Review has selected 21 top legal professionals as 2020 Leaders in Law honorees, recognizing them for leadership, professional achievements, mentorship and community service. The winners range from relative newcomers to the industry who are rapidly making their mark to legal aces with decades of experience. They represent five awards categories: partner, associate, Read More…
North Dakota oil production recovered slightly in June but was still near historic lows as the pandemic-induced petroleum slump continued. North Dakota, the nation’s second-largest oil-producing state, pumped out 890,109 barrels per day in June, up 3.6% from May when output hit a seven-year low. Natural gas production in June increased 2.3% from the previous Read More…
The Wyoming County Fair may have been canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but that doesn’t mean you still can’t enjoy the taste of the fair. Doug Anderson of the Pike Fire Department organized the Wyoming County Food Truck Rally for two reasons. “You take a big loss when it’s one of your biggest revenues Read More…
HELENA – The Montana Department of Commerce’s Office of Tourism and Business Development have launched a campaign to help slow the spread of COVID-19. The ‘Montana Aware’ Campaign promotes Safety First, Adventure Second. With this slogan, the message they want to get across is safe and responsible behavior to those who are traveling in the state. The public health initiative aims to educate residents and Read More…
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota has new signs welcoming people to the state. The design features the new state logo and includes the first photo background used on a North Dakota welcome sign. READ FULL STORY
Aug. 7 (UPI) — A Wyoming sheriff’s deputy responded to an unusual loose animal call and ended up wrangling a runaway emu. The Laramie County Sheriff’s Office said Deputy Herlihey was dispatched to a neighborhood for an “emu on the loose call.” READ FULL STORY
MISSOULA — The popular “Yellowstone” series featuring Kevin Costner announced Friday it plans to move its production to the Missoula Valley and surrounding locations later this month. The series was formerly shot in Utah and will be filmed solely in Montana for the first time in its history, according to Friday’s announcement. The production secured Read More…
NorthWestern Energy is warning that scammers are likely to use the end of the temporary moratorium on service disconnections to steal money from Montanans. NorthWestern Energy voluntarily stopped service disconnections for non-payment in March to assist customers financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Several additional tools are in place now to assist customers who may Read More…
Dickinson’s Fisher Industries won a new border wall contract Monday for $300 million. The wall will cover 17 miles in Laredo, Texas, next to the Rio Grande. Fisher already got more than $1.5 billion for two other contracts. READ FULL STORY
(CNN)Twelve people were hospitalized in Wyoming on Monday after a hot air balloon crash, officials said. Three hot air balloons carrying a total of 36 people crashed into the ground on Monday morning, according to Jackson Hole Fire Chief Brady Hansen. Hansen said authorities received a call just after 8 a.m. local time that Read More…
BEIRUT — A “colossal” explosion that rocked the port area of Lebanon’s capital Tuesday, killing dozens of people and injuring thousands more, happened at a warehouse where tons of ammonium nitrate were being stored, the prime minister said. “I will not rest until we find the person responsible for what happened, to hold him accountable Read More…
WASHINGTON—Saudi Arabia has constructed with Chinese help a facility for extracting uranium yellowcake from uranium ore, an advance in the oil-rich kingdom’s drive to master nuclear technology, according to Western officials with knowledge of the site. The facility, which hasn’t been publicly disclosed, is in a sparsely populated area in Saudi Arabia’s northwest and has Read More…
With the stroke of President Donald Trump’s pen, the biggest land conservation legislation in a generation became law Tuesday morning, prompting widespread praise on a measure that sets a new standard of stewardship for public lands. The bill, called the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), authorizes billions in funding for two major conservation needs — Read More…
Despite clouds of uncertainty hanging over higher education from the coronavirus pandemic, Montana State University took an optimistic step Tuesday by celebrating the completion of its new $50 million freshman student dormitory, Hyalite Hall. President Waded Cruzado and other officials, all wearing face masks and sitting at a distance, gathered outside the new six-story, Read More…
Virgin Galactic is making strides toward its goal of creating high-speed commercial aircraft that operates a little closer to Earth than its existing passenger spacecraft. The company revealed the initial design of the commercial passenger airplane it’s creating that’s designed to fly at speeds in excess of Mach 3 — faster than the average cruising speed of around Read More…
NEW YORK — As autumn nears and the coronavirus outbreak wears on, the next school year is becoming more uncertain for many parents. A new survey finds four in five parents are thinking about homeschooling their school-age children this fall. Of those parents, nearly half say they’re seriously considering keeping their kids home in 2020 and Read More…
Jessica Dehn had been thinking for a few years about what kind of school she might want to run. After four and a half years directing a childcare center, Dehn put together the pieces in June to focus on launching a new school. In September, just three months later, she plans to open Explore Academy. Read More…
This story is part of an NPR nationwide analysis of states’ revenue and budgets during the pandemic. Montana’s finances are somewhat stable despite the economic hit the state has taken during the coronavirus pandemic. That’s the word from the state’s budget office. “This is essentially a manageable situation, which is pretty remarkable in the face of a Read More…
The letters of three Montana women politicians offer historic insight as the nation celebrates the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment in August, which gave women the right to vote. Women’s earliest known role in Montana politics began in 1882 when Helen Piotopowaka Clarke was the first woman and first Native American elected as county Read More…
New Jersey lawmakers seemed close to supporting legislation on Thursday that could free more than 3,000 prisoners — about 20 percent of the state’s prison population — months before their release dates in response to the extraordinary threat posed by the coronavirus in tightly packed correctional facilities. Inmates who are within a year of completing Read More…
A U.S. appeals court on Thursday agreed to rehear arguments over whether the judge assigned to the criminal case against Michael Flynn, President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser, must grant a request to dismiss it. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said it would hold an oral argument in Read More…
WASHINGTON, DC (KOTA) – A former Indian Health Service doctor convicted of pedophilia continues to receive a government pension; but South Dakota Rep. Dusty Johnson wants that to end. Johnson, along with Rep. Greg Gianforte of Montana urged the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to hold pediatrician Stanley Patrick Weber fully accountable for Read More…
Flathead County health officials say with the rise in COVID-19 cases is becoming harder to trace within the community. Interim Flathead County Public Health Officer Tamalee Robinson explained to MTN News that with the busy tourist season in the Flathead Valley has seen an increase in virus cases. She says that many locals and visitors Read More…