BOZEMAN—Gov. Greg Gianforte and the Montana Chamber of Commerce will host the third annual Big Sky, Bright Future Economic Summit on Oct. 15 in Bozeman, with this year’s event focused on technology and innovation in Montana. The summit will bring together business leaders, policymakers and technology executives to discuss artificial intelligence, national security, precision agriculture, Read More…
WASHINGTON—The Justice Department said UCLA School of Law discriminated against white and Asian applicants in admissions for its 2023, 2024 and 2025 incoming classes, finding that the school continued to consider race after the Supreme Court restricted race-conscious college admissions. The department’s Civil Rights Division said its investigation found UCLA Law violated Title VI of Read More…
(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…
KALISPELL — One Glacier High School senior is a contributing way beyond the football field. Senior Noah Jensen created the Cleats for Kids program, which donates cleats to kids all throughout the Flathead Valley. Noah has been recognized for the impact he has made on the community with The Spirit Of Montana Award from Gov. Read More…
FORSYTH, Mont. – A $500 check was delivered by Rosebud County Sheriff Fulton and Deputy Stradinger to an organization that makes blankets for nursing home residents. Crocheted With Love was surprised with the donation Saturday. “With Covid still restricting interactions, the residents just came up and picked out a blanket,” the Rosebud County Sheriff’s Office Read More…
The U.S. has had a massive surge in immigration this year, with as many as 1.5 million newcomers and a record 46.2 million foreign-born people, according to a report for the Center for Immigration Studies. After a deep trough last year, likely because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the travel and migration restrictions imposed to Read More…
Major hospital systems across the country are quietly scrapping their vaccine mandates amid worker shortages and growing confusion as to whether such requirements on the national level are even legal. Two separate federal courts found in late November that President Joe Biden’s attempt to impose a nationwide vaccine requirement for healthcare workers likely exceeded the authority of Read More…
BILLINGS – Senator Steve Daines honored Will James Middle School teacher Hunter Jones, for his nearly two decades of supporting Montana veterans. A release from the office of the senator says Jones also makes sure to teach his students about those who serve our country and how to honor them. In September, Jones was recognized Read More…
BOZEMAN, Mont. – As game day nears, Montana State University Bozeman graduate Senator Steve Daines is ramping up a new, friendly rivalry with South Dakota State University graduate Senator Mike Rounds. “I’ve never seen a bobcat run from a jackrabbit,” Daines joked. “You’ve never seen a South Dakota jackrabbit have you?” Rounds replied. Before placing Read More…
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Wyoming will soon be the home of an adored part of Nebraska cuisine and culture. Restaurant chain Runza is aiming to open its first location in the Cowboy State at an undetermined place in Cheyenne, per a release from the company. The Nebraska-headquartered franchise is known for its namesake sandwiches — at its Read More…
A Flathead Valley woman accused of stealing tens of thousands of dollars from donors in an alleged cancer fraud scheme has been charged in Flathead County District Court. Amy Elizabeth Glanville, 46, of Kalispell, is charged with one felony count of theft. She faces a maximum of 10 years in the Montana State Prison. A Read More…
A CNN staffer was arrested on three charges related to sexual abuse Friday after allegedly enticing women over the internet to allow him to teach their daughters sexual acts. John Griffin, a CNN producer who has since been suspended, was indicted by a grand jury in Vermont of “using a facility of interstate commerce to attempt to entice minors to engage Read More…
BOZEMAN, Mont. — From the moment Montana State took the field it was apparent they were ready to beat the best as they beat Sam Houston State 42-19 down in Huntsville, Texas. The Cats got things going when, Tommy Mellott, threw a deep ball to, Lance McCutcheon, early in the first getting the team across midfield. Read More…
TOWNSEND — In a press release sent Friday afternoon, Prickly Pear Land Trust (PPLT) says they acquired thousands of acres of farmland that will be added to its protected properties list. The Tri G River Ranch between Townsend and Toston is the second conservation easement in Broadwater County that PPLT has acquired. The easement will Read More…
On Monday afternoon, a Cascade County District judge sentenced a Great Falls woman for mitigated deliberate homicide for killing her mother in 2017. Pamela Jean Courtnage, 49, will spend 40 years committed to the care of the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services at the Montana State Hospital (MSH) in Warm Springs. She was Read More…
Glacier National Park will require tickets to enter the Going-to-the-Sun Road corridor in the 2022 summer season, park spokeswoman Gina Kerzman confirmed Friday. The park is also exploring the possibility of a ticketed entry system for the Polebridge entrance up the North Fork, she confirmed, but cautioned that has not been finalized. READ FULL STORY
The interim leader of Flathead County’s ImagineIF public library system resigned on Thursday, citing interference by a board of trustees that has devalued the institution by slashing salaries while entertaining motions to censor certain books and materials, particularly those that portray characters who are gay, queer or transgender. After serving in the director position for just four Read More…
A Norwegian Cruise Line ship docked in New Orleans over the weekend with at least 17 passengers and crew members infected with the coronavirus, according to local health officials, including one probable case of the omicron variant among the crew. The Norwegian Breakaway departed from New Orleans on Nov. 28 with more than 3,200 people Read More…
WORCESTER (CBS) – About 200 UMass Memorial Health employees are out of a job because they missed the health care system’s COVID vaccination deadline. UMass Memorial announced the mandate over the summer with a deadline to get vaccinated or receive an exemption by November 1. Employees were let go on December 1 if they did Read More…
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Mayor Bill de Blasio announced what he called a first-in-the-nation vaccine mandate for private companies Monday. He said the combination of the Omicron variant and holiday gatherings forced him to take “bold” steps. He’s giving businesses just three weeks to make sure their workers are vaccinated. “We in New York City have decided to use a preemptive strike Read More…
The Federal Reserve has an extraordinary responsibility to ensure a healthy economy and sound financial system for all Americans. Unfortunately, over the past year my faith in the Fed has been deeply shaken by its political approach to digital assets in my home state, Wyoming, greatly contributing to my concerns over President Biden’s nominees, Jay Read More…
MISSOULA, Mont. — Thanksgiving travel hit record highs at the Missoula airport, which is forcing officials to think about the kind of rush they will receive on Christmas. “We are just ticking up our expectations now for Christmas based on what we did for Thanksgiving, so we are actually coming up with some overflow parking plan Read More…
Nearly half of American households say inflation is causing financial hardship, according to a Gallup poll. Forty-five percent of Americans say inflation is responsible for their current financial difficulties—10 percent of whom describe those difficulties as “severe.” Among those most affected are Americans in the lowest income bracket, with 71 percent of households making $40,000 or less Read More…
Jussie Smollett’s legal team will get its chance on Thursday to poke holes in the credibility of Abimbola Osundairo, one of two Nigerian brothers who claimed the Empire actor paid them to stage a phony hate crime. Osundairo testified Wednesday in a Chicago courtroom that Smollett gave him and his brother instructions and money in advance of the Jan. 29, Read More…
Scientists claim to have discovered a “potential mechanism” that triggers rare blood clots in some people who receive the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine. Links between the vaccine and rare, sometimes fatal, blood clots have prompted some countries to restrict its use to older adults or favor alternative shots. To be sure, medical experts have repeatedly said the benefits of the Read More…
MEDORA, N.D. — The statue of Theodore Roosevelt astride a horse and towering over an American Indian and African American that has drawn criticism in New York City will move to the new Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in western North Dakota. The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation and city of New York on Friday announced Read More…
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (PRESS RELEASE) – – Despite record amounts of payments over the past few years, Wyoming’s Unclaimed Property Division of the State Treasurer’s Office is holding on to more money than ever as the amount of money now being held exceeds $100 million. Wyoming law stipulates properties that have reached the required dormancy period Read More…
VAN HORN, Texas — Texas state troopers deployed to the border in remote West Texas to serve as backup to the overstretched Border Patrol are overwhelmed responding to the increasing number of illegal migrants who try to outrun them. The Texas Department of Public Safety has rerouted more than 1,000 officers from their normal duties to the border Read More…
Jerome Powell, who guided the Federal Reserve and the nation’s economy through the staggering and sudden Covid-19 recession by implementing unprecedented monetary stimulus, is being nominated for a second term as chairman of the U.S. central bank. President Joe Biden made the announcement Monday morning following weeks of speculation that a push from progressives might Read More…
ALBANY, N.Y. — On Monday morning, the New York State Assembly Judiciary Committee released its findings from its investigation into former Governor Andrew Cuomo. The investigation, which started before Cuomo’s resignation in August, sought to examine allegations of sexual harassment against the former governor. READ FULL STORY
You’ll sooner have fewer options, when it comes to air travel in and out of Billings. Frontier Airlines is canceling all flights to both Billings and Bozeman until next August. Frontier Airlines confirmed the cancellations Thursday, providing this statement: “The Frontier business model is changing in many ways and we continually review our flight schedules Read More…
MISSOULA, Mont. — For the past ten years, the Veterans of Foreign Warfare (VFW) Post 2252 has hosted the Veterans Annual Food Drive. This year, their goal was to fill a moving van with food donations for holiday meals. The drive took place in the Rosauers parking lot on Saturday, where volunteers and Veterans came out Read More…
It’s been 86 years since the Jewish community of Helena, Montana sold its first synagogue, Temple Emanu-El, to the city of Helena for just one dollar. Now, the small Jewish community that remains in the town is trying to buy it for nearly $1 million from the Helena Catholic Diocese, which purchased the building in 1981. Rebecca Read More…
HELENA, MT- For decades, Sgt. Patrick McLaughlin has served the state of Montana with the Montana Highway Patrol. Before working for MHP, McLaughlin was a volunteer firefighter for the Belgrade Fire Department for many years, which launched his career in service. “Even before I met Pat he was serving this community as a volunteer fire Read More…
Thousands of Massachusetts parents opted their children out of a federally funded sex education curriculum that teaches kindergartners about genitalia. Worcester Public Schools this week announced that 13 percent of its students opted out of sex education, including 20 percent of K-4 students. The “Rights, Respect, Responsibility,” or “3Rs,” curriculum teaches elementary students about gender Read More…
MISSOULA, Mont. — Fish, Wildlife & Parks is proposing to develop a new archery range at Big Arm State Park outside Polson, and expand the current range at Lone Pine State Park in Kalispell. The state would put in a new gravel parking lot, a covered firing line, and an elevated shooting platform at Big Arm. Read More…
The first wave of Covid-19 peaked in the Flathead Valley exactly a year ago this week. Active cases in the county climbed to nearly 2,500 — the highest of the entire pandemic — and statewide hospitalizations and deaths were rising at an alarming rate. While vaccinations were still being developed at that time, promising research Read More…
The Kalispell Chamber of Commerce recognized local leaders during its 117th annual Grand Event on Nov. 10, honoring local attorney Tom Esch with its oldest and most prestigious award for his work facilitating the Kalispell Core Area Development and Parkline Trail projects. In addition to handing out the 50th iteration of its “Community Legacy” (formerly Read More…
BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – On September 25, Amtrak’s “Empire Builder” derailed in northern Montana resulting in several injuries and three deaths. Many first responders and good Samaritans worked together to help those onboard, including a Roosevelt County man who was honored by Senator Steve Daines. Sixty-one-year-old Daniel Hutchinson is a rancher, Navy veteran, and foster Read More…
GREAT FALLS, Mont. – Back in 2016, James Parker Shield of the Little Shell Tribe created the National Native American Hall of Fame (NNAHOF) to honor those who have accomplished a lot in their life. He saw there was a need for the NNAHOF after seeing a hall of fame for almost everything else. “Native Read More…
LIVINGSTON, Mont. – The residents of Park County are not alone when trying to find affordable housing options in a booming Montana housing market, but a recent needs assessment shows worrisome concerns for area housing. The Park County Housing Coalition launched by the Park County Community Foundation and Human Resource Development Council of District IX Read More…
BROOKINGS, S.D. — South Dakota State University may want to consider changing its mascot following an unusual incident. WDAY captured the moment that a lone moose ran free across the home field of the South Dakota State Jackrabbits in Brookings on Friday. Local police and stadium personnel worked together to chase the animal out through the Read More…
MISSOULA, Mont. — A mobile team of medical and behavioral health specialists in western Montana has reduced the number of people going to the emergency room or jail. Members of the Missoula Mobile Support Team respond to calls with local law enforcement and sometimes on their own with known clients. READ FULL STORY