A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction preventing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from using Medicaid data obtained from Washington and 19 other states for immigration enforcement purposes. The order also bars the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from sharing such data with DHS. The injunction comes after Washington and Read More…
Governor Greg Gianforte continued his 56 County Tour this week, visiting communities across eastern Montana to spotlight infrastructure upgrades, workforce initiatives, public safety investments, and new business openings. “It’s great to hit the road to see firsthand how communities are thriving across eastern Montana,” Gianforte said. “Thanks to our pro-family, pro-jobs agenda, we’re connecting Montanans Read More…
(The Center Square) − A federal grand jury has returned a 45-page indictment charging Mayor LaToya Cantrell and New Orleans Police Department officer Jeffrey Vappie with conspiring to defraud the city by conducting a secret personal relationship while Vappie was on duty, falsifying records, and obstructing investigations. The indictment, unsealed Friday in the U.S. District Read More…
U.S. stocks closed the week within striking distance of all-time highs, buoyed by renewed expectations that the Federal Reserve will begin cutting interest rates in September and a flurry of upbeat corporate and economic news. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose roughly 1% for the week, briefly touching a fresh intraday record on Friday before Read More…
Montana colleges and universities stand to receive $31 million from the $2 trillion coronavirus relief package just passed by Congress. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, announced the aid to higher education in a news release Monday, saying it was part of a total of $1.25 billion heading to Montana local governments, small businesses and individuals for Read More…
After a hopscotching process, Montana got the OK to call off standardized testing for students usually required by the federal government. The move had been likely since the U.S Department of Education indicated that it would offer statewide testing waivers as most of the nation’s public schools closed because of the new coronavirus. Montana education officials Read More…
Washington — Americans who are eligible to receive one-time payments from the federal government as part of a massive coronavirus economic relief package will see that money deposited into their bank accounts “within three weeks,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Sunday. “We expect that within three weeks, that people who have direct deposit with information with us will Read More…
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Three Wyoming gun shops say their businesses have seen an uptick over the past week, mirroring a national trend fueled by the spread of the novel coronavirus continuing across Wyoming and the nation. “It’s borne out of fear that people are going to go crazy,” said Larry Frandson of Cody Wyoming Guns and Ammo, adding Read More…
EVANSTON – Wyoming gets an F in social distancing practices. National data company Unacast has utilized cellphone location data to rank every state in the nation on social distancing practices in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. As of March 25, Wyoming was the only state in the country to earn an F grade. The Read More…
On Thursday, March 26, Governor Steve Bullock clarified essential businesses and operations in a Directive where he declared Montanans must shelter in place and stay at home. We have summarized the list of essential businesses and operations listed in the Directive: Businesses that sell, manufacture or supply needed products: Stores that sell groceries, medicine, including medication Read More…
Crow Tribal Chairman Alvin Not Afraid Jr. issued an executive order mandating all tribal members to stay home in order to control the potential spread of the novel coronavirus, according to a press release issued by the tribe Friday. The order, which goes into effect March 28 at 12:01 a.m. and stays in effect until Read More…
Even though the Montana Science Center is temporarily closed, executive director Abby Turner was keeping an eye out for what the center could be doing for Bozeman. “We had been watching the ways that people are helping out,” Turner said. “For us, we knew that some of the resources that we had available at the Read More…
LIVINGSTON — One day late last week, Dan Vermillion, owner of Sweetwater Travel in Livingston, woke up to a flurry of emails. There were seven different requests to book his vacation rentals for up to six months. Normally, a booking is three days, five days, maybe a week. By: Johnathan Hettinger – Montana Free Press LIVINGSTON Read More…
While families’ cats and dogs are enjoying the upside of spending days with their owners working from home during the coronavirus shutdown, wild coyotes in San Francisco are reportedly also taking advantage of the benefits of a suddenly empty city. There have been several recent fake stories circulating about unusual wildlife showing up in cities during the Read More…
FARGO — North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum has been in daily contact with lawmakers about the coronavirus and hasn’t ruled out the possibility of calling a special session, a spokesman said Wednesday. Mike Nowatzki, Burgum’s communications director, said that although “it’s too early to speculate” about whether to call in lawmakers, the governor’s office continues Read More…
The businesses lining the main streets of Wyoming speak volumes about the communities they inhabit. Successful restaurants reflect the tastes of the local residents. Retailers, and the wares they carry, often resemble the demographics of a community. Art galleries, music shops and others can indicate the existence of tourist traffic and a creative class that Read More…
GREAT FALLS — Governor Steve Bullock on Thursday afternoon issued a directive requiring Montanans to stay home and temporarily closes all nonessential businesses and operations as efforts to curtail the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus) continue. The order goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday March 28; Bullock said implementation of the order will buy Read More…
BOZEMAN — An organic chemist from Montana State University is one of 25 educators in the 2020 class of Cottrell Scholars, an award honoring both academic leadership and innovative research in the physical sciences. Sharon Neufeldt, an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry in MSU’s College of Letters and Science, received the award last month Read More…
Washington (AFP) – Just because there’s a pandemic going on, doesn’t mean the party has to stop. And one DJ has kept it going — for 10 hours at a time. The coronavirus has upended daily lives, with thousands of deaths around the world. Many people are staying at home in an effort to stem Read More…
Boeing on Monday said it is shutting down production at its factories in the Seattle area for two weeks as the manufacturer grapples with the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. The company’s move to suspend its production at its facilities in the Puget Sound area comes as Washington state, where most of Boeing’s production is centered, Read More…
In the spring of 2018, the Yale psychology professor Laurie Santos unveiled a new course, Psychology and the Good Life. The subject was happiness. Santos’ course was a blend of abstract and concrete. It combined positive psychology with the real-life applications of behavioral science. It debunked popular notions of what makes people happy (like the Read More…
The coronavirus has caused the price of gasoline in North Dakota to drop 15 cents in the past week, and some industry analysts say the downward spiral could see gas plummet to 99 cents a gallon. According to travel and navigation application GasBuddy, gas prices in the state are 37 cents lower than one month Read More…
The Wyoming State Health Officer signed an order, effective immediately, that prohibits gatherings of 10 or more in a single room or confined space due to the novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, according to a news releasee from Gov. Mark Gordon’s office on Saturday. “People of any age can spread this disease to others who are Read More…
BOISE, Idaho — Editor’s note: In the above video, Idaho State Epidemiologist Dr. Christine Hahn answers viewer questions about the coronavirus, COVID-19, pandemic. We have received many questions from viewers regarding the accuracy of the confirmed coronavirus cases reported on the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare website. Local public health districts may be confirming cases of Read More…
On March 11, before there were any confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Montana, 57 Montanans filed a new claim for unemployment benefits. On March 18, with 15 cases of the virus in the state, there were 2,830 new claims — an increase of nearly 50 times in seven days. Gov. Steve Bullock and the Department Read More…
The State of Montana will be implementing emergency onsite and remote work procedures for many state employees begining Montay, Mar. 23. The change is to reduce potential exposure to the COVID-19 virus while maintaining necessary state-government operations. The State of Montana is one of the largest employers in Montana with more than 20,000 employees. READ Read More…
BILLINGS – Hospitals and other medical facilities around the country have been facing a shortage of masks in recent weeks, as the threat of COVID-19 has spread. In Billings, surgeons who typically would use a new mask for every procedure have been asked to use just one mask a day so that they don’t eventually Read More…
The spread of the new coronavirus has halted travel and prompted a price war between two of the world’s biggest oil producers, putting many in the Bakken on edge as the outlook for the oil industry turns bleak. “It’s been extremely brutal,” said Ron Ness, president of the North Dakota Petroleum Council. “We’re going to Read More…
The Wyoming state government has launched a webpage to keep residents up to date on the latest information on the COVID-19 outbreak as well as available resources. Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon made the announcement on Wednesday. According to a release from the governor’s office: “We want to offer a single location to share information and resources from multiple Read More…
The Montana Office of Public Instruction said in a news release on Wednesday that it has submitted state and federal waiver requests to ensure that schools in Montana continue to receive funding, do not have to make up lost hours due to school closures, continue to have nutrition resources for students, and do not have Read More…
GREAT FALLS — Governor Steve Bullock on Wednesday evening said that two new cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) have been confirmed in Montana. The two new cases are a Missoula County man in his 50s, and a Gallatin County man in his 60s. The tests, conducted by the DPHHS Public Health Laboratory, were confirmed Wednesday evening. Read More…
HELENA – A sprawling lawsuit to force the state to rewrite its energy policy, to combat climate change, has been filed in state District Court – and most of the lead plaintiffs aren’t even old enough to vote. 16 Montana youths, acting through their guardians and with the help of two environmental law groups and Read More…
Governor Doug Burgum makes a historic announcement Sunday night closing schools statewide. Burgum says schools will be closed this week in North Dakota, for five days. Schools public and private will be closed by executive order March 16-March 20. A decision at the end of the week will be made as well. The Governor says Read More…
CASPER, Wyo. — The Wyoming Department of Health said on Monday, March 16 that they will continue to monitor COVID-19 coronavirus in the state. “We don’t yet know exactly how easily COVID-19 spreads and how many people will experience severe illness,” said Dr. Alexia Harrist, state health officer and state epidemiologist with WDH. “We expect Read More…
U.S. airlines are seeking government assistance of more than $50 billion, including a mix of direct aid and loan guarantees, as the industry reels from the coronavirus outbreak, a lobbying group that represents 10 U.S. passenger and cargo airlines said Monday. The aid, if received, would be the industry’s first bailout since the wake of Read More…
In an effort to contain the spread of Coronavirus, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is closing the Canadian border to all non-citizens. “We can still slow the spread of this virus,” Trudeau said. “It is time to take every precaution to keep people safe.” READ FULL STORY
The Lewis and Clark Public Health Officer issued an order Monday afternoon closing most food, drink, and fitness establishments in Lewis and Clark County, beginning at 6 a.m. Tuesday, March 17. The order specifically applies to bars, breweries, distilleries, casinos, restaurants, fitness centers, athletic centers, gyms, and workout studios. It exempts food establishments that provide Read More…
BILLINGS, Mont. – The Yellowstone County Health Officer has declared a public health emergency and ordered the closure of bars, brew pubs, wineries, and casinos in Yellowstone County to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The order also includes restaurants, with the exception of takeout and delivery services. Excluded from the order are food service Read More…
Congressman Greg Gianforte (R-Mont.) invited high school students in Montana to participate in the 2020 Congressional Art Competition. “Through the Congressional Art Competition, Montana’s high school students can showcase their talents. The winner’s artwork will hang in the U.S. Capitol where hundreds of thousands of visitors will see it,” Gianforte said. “I look forward Read More…
HELENA — The Montana High School Association executive board has decided to suspend spring activities across Montana following the growing threat and concern of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). “All MHSA spring activities will be indefinitely suspended until further notice,” stated a release sent Monday morning. “This includes practices and contests/meets/festivals.The Executive Board will reevaluate this Read More…
The North Dakota Emergency Commission voted Tuesday to accept up to $6 million in federal funds to contain and mitigate the spread of the coronavirus disease, COVID-19. Congress passed and President Trump signed legislation last week appropriating $8.3 billion for COVID-19 preparedness, prevention and treatment efforts. Of the total, $950 million will go to state Read More…
BILLINGS, Mont. — A Canadian company said Wednesday it has started preliminary work along the route of the proposed Keystone XL oil sands pipeline through the U.S. in anticipation of starting construction next month, as opponents await a judge’s ruling on their request to block any work. TC Energy spokeswoman Sara Rabern said the Calgary-based company Read More…
Montana State University and two Bozeman schools have cancelled international trips due to concerns over the spread of the novel coronavirus, and students studying in Italy will cut their trip short. Seventeen MSU art students and one professor in Italy are leaving Rome this week, and have been asked to self-quarantine off-campus for 14 days Read More…