Montana’s unemployment rate fell to 3.2% in July, Gov. Greg Gianforte announced, continuing the state’s record stretch of low unemployment and remaining nearly a full percentage point below the national rate, which also declined over the month to 4.1%. “As Montana’s unemployment rate continues to decline, businesses across our state are expanding, creating high-paying jobs, Read More…
South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley commended the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals after it dismissed a legal challenge brought by suspected members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua who were seeking to avoid removal from the United States. The en banc Fifth Circuit dismissed the case on August 13 as moot after the Read More…
The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Board of Directors has appointed Cara Kolb as senior vice president of Risk and Compliance, the bank announced. In her new role, Kolb will be responsible for ensuring bank staff effectively manage risks while rigorously complying with procedures and policies. She will also oversee functions related to data privacy Read More…
A federal court upheld the Trump administration’s authority under the Defense Production Act to oversee operation of the Santa Ynez Pipeline on the California coast, rejecting California’s efforts to block federally mandated oil production through state-level legal barriers — though the same ruling fined Sable Offshore Corporation nearly $1.5 million for violating a federal consent Read More…
Eleven people were struck by a barrage of gunfire in the Marquette Park neighborhood late Sunday, leaving a woman dead in the second of two mass shootings of the night in Chicago, according to police. The attack happened in the 6300 block of South Artesian Avenue about 10:55 p.m., police said in a media notification. Read More…
NEW YORK – Eight people were arrested in Manhattan’s Washington Square Park Sunday during another weekend of mayhem. According to police, a woman in her 20s bit an officer, another woman in her 20s struck an officer with a bottle, a man in his 20s slapped an officer and another man in his 20s went through a Read More…
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Carson Wentz will be looking to set some new ways with a fresh start, but there are some traditions he is keeping alive. Among them is his annual charity softball game in North Dakota. Wentz, along with several other former players from North Dakota State, partake in the event to help raise money for Read More…
In 2017, Caitlin Long, a former managing director at Morgan Stanley, was just trying to donate some Bitcoin to her alma mater, the University of Wyoming, she says. But the University of Wyoming wasn’t set up to accept Bitcoin donations, and because her Bitcoin had appreciated in value, her donation would go much further if Read More…
LAUREL – The current Montana real estate market is nothing short of crazy. As more people pour into the state, what was once just a Bozeman boom, seems to be impacting big and small home prices across the state. But, if you think picking up and moving to Laurel will help you escape this crazy Read More…
Fentanyl-related deaths in Montana doubled from 2019 to 2020 and this year’s deaths have already outpaced the tally from two years ago. There were 41 fentanyl-related deaths last year, a dramatic jump from 19 in 2019. This year there have been 22 fentanyl-related fatalities confirmed by the state crime lab, according to a press release Read More…
A drug dealer and MS-13 member pleaded guilty in a Maryland federal court on Thursday to charges stemming from the brutal murder of a rival gangster just outside Washington, D.C. Moises Alexis Reyes-Canales, known to fellow gang members as “Sicopita,” admitted to his involvement with the 2016 stabbing death of Jose Hernandez-Portillo in a Maryland Read More…
BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) – Governor Brad Little and State Controller Brandon Woolf announced Monday Idaho cities with populations below 50,000 will start receiving their share of $54 million from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Governor Little and the Idaho Legislature unanimously accepted the federal funds, which will be used by local government in Idaho to respond Read More…
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A $2.75 billion project aimed at protecting Fargo and Moorhead, Minnesota, from chronic flooding is gaining ground. It’s getting a $569 million loan from the Environmental Protection Agency. Also, local officials have picked an international consortium to build and provide some up-front capital for a key piece that involves diverting Red Read More…
CASPER, Wyo. — 15 cars on a Union Pacific train derailed at around 2:15 am Monday near Hillsdale, Wyoming, UP Senior Communications Manager Mike Jaixen said in an email on Monday afternoon. No injuries were reported and crews are working to clear the tracks, according to Jaixen. Those efforts are expected to continue into Monday Read More…
JACKSON, Wyo, — With Fourth of July on the horizon, a report produced by WalletHub shows that Wyoming is ready to celebrate American independence. Ranked the 7th most patriotic state in the U.S., statistics indicate that Wyomingites demonstrate a distinct love for one’s country. To determine where citizens have the most American pride, WalletHub compared the Read More…
BILLINGS — Come Saturday evening, “the biggest football event in Montana barring a football game” is scheduled to occur. After two days of festivities leading up to the event, the Montana Football Hall of Fame Induction Banquet is scheduled from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Saturday at the Billings Hotel and Convention Center. READ FULL STORY
HELENA — Law enforcement officials referring individuals to Montana’s Adult Protective Services (APS) is on pace for a 50% increase in 2021. This is because Elder Abuse is on the rise in Montana and the Department of Justice partnered with the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) to now train law enforcement officials Read More…
Kiwi weightlifter Laurel Hubbard will make history at the Tokyo Olympics by becoming the first transgender athlete to compete at the Games. Hubbard has been named among five weightlifting athletes selected to the New Zealand Team. Hubbard, who won silver at the 2017 world championships and represented New Zealand at the 2018 Commonwealth Games before Read More…
On Monday, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of former NCAA athletes who claimed the organization violated anti-trust laws by limiting education-based compensation. The Supreme Court’s ruling on Monday orders the NCAA to remove the limits by which member schools can offer education-related expenses to college athletes. READ FULL STORY
Washington on Friday said it was cutting the number of troops and air defence units deployed to the Middle East, including Patriot batteries and an anti-missile system, called THAAD, from Saudi Arabia. “This will not affect the Saudi air defences,” coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki told reporters. “We have a strong understanding with… our allies about Read More…
Worden- The Worden Ballantine Yellowstone County Water District has asked Yellowstone County commissioners for federal dollars coming from the American Recovery Plan Act to help resolve continued water issues. District chair Dan Ewen and Board member Gary Fredericks passed along the request Wednesday morning and gave an update on what the water district has done Read More…
HUDSON, S.D. — A 10-year-old boy who died in the Big Sioux River saved one of his younger siblings who had fallen into the water, family members said. The body of Ricky Lee Sneve was recovered Saturday night, Lincoln County sheriff’s officials said. His mother, Nicole Eufers, told the Argus Leader that Ricky was out on the Read More…
CASPER, Wyo. — When Governor Mark Gordon announced this June that Wyoming has been selected for the construction of a new “advanced” nuclear reactor, he said it would be “game-changing and monumental” for Wyoming. The system that would be built at one of four sites in Wyoming is called the “Natrium” reactor. It was co-developed by TerraPower, founded Read More…
BOZEMAN, Mont. — Bozeman’s Urban Renewal District received its request for over $1.71 million from the city budget. The district incorporates the heart of downtown Bozeman, made up of businesses and homes. A big chunk of funding from the city is dedicated to building a parking garage downtown. READ FULL STORY
BOZEMAN, Mont. – Starting this fall, Montana State University’s Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering will be offering a new bachelor of science degree for those interested in biomedical engineering. Jeff Heys is a professor and graduate of Montana State University who has worked to get this valuable program started for students looking to be in the growing Read More…
HELENA — The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) confirmed Tuesday evening that a DNRC helicopter incident happened while responding to the Deep Creek Fire in Townsend, MT on June 15, 2021 at approximately 5:00 pm. While en route to the Helibase, the aircraft experienced a hard landing that resulted in a fire. Read More…
HARDIN — While visiting Hardin Wednesday, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte donated his first quarter salary to One Health Big Horn clinic and said he was proud of the work done at the facility to help people fighting addiction. “I became familiar with their work, their addiction recovery and mental health services and they are helping Read More…
BOISE, Idaho — The U.S. Marshals Service and numerous Treasure Valley law enforcement agencies conducted a joint operation for less than two weeks that resulted in 91 arrests. According to a statement released by the U.S. Marshals Service, police arrested 43 gang members of the Aryan Knights, a white supremacist prison gang founded in Read More…
MISSOULA, Mont. – The University of Montana’s Lady Griz women’s basketball team welcomes a new assistant coach with strong family ties in the program. Joslyn Tinkle played in three Final Four tournaments while she was at Stanford, and then went on to play professionally in the WNBA, Hungary, Turkey and Australia, UM Griz Athletics said Read More…
KALISPELL — Conor Rogers is an 11-year-old boy in Kalispell who donated more than 12 inches of his hair to Wigs For Kids. He says he saw his father’s friend donate hair, so he thought why not join. “I was just like, let’s grow my hair and donate it,” Conor said Friday. He says he Read More…
An Absarokee tradition returned with the 19th Montana BBQ cook-off on Saturday. The event was canceled in 2020 because of COVID and came back this year on the downtown street. Texas Smoke Whisperer beat 27 teams for the Grand Champion title and gets a chance to compete nationally with the Kansas City Barbecue Society (KCBS). Read More…
HELENA — A U.S. bankruptcy judge has upheld court decisions that the state of Montana lacked legal standing to file an involuntary bankruptcy petition nearly a decade ago against Yellowstone Club co-founder Tim Blixseth. Judge Mike N. Nakagawa of Nevada on June 3 confirmed the ruling by previous judges to dismiss the involuntary petition, noting Read More…
BOISE – On Tuesday, May 18, Idaho Governor Brad Little appointed Lori Wolff to take over as administrator of the Division of Human Resources (DHR). “Lori Wolff has a proven track record leading several major projects for operational and technology improvements within state government, and I am confident she will carry over that focus on Read More…
Governor Greg Gianforte launched a website as part of the administration’s new campaign to encourage Montanans, who have moved to other states, to come back home to Montana. “For too long, Montana’s most valuable export has been our kids and grandkids,” Gov. Gianforte said. “Our quality of life is second to none, and we’re reminding Read More…
BUTTE — A civil lawsuit between Montana residents and an oil company that dragged on for more than a decade has ended quietly after a judge dismissed the case as a result of a settlement agreement. District Court Judge Katherine Bidegaray referenced a settlement between state residents and the Atlantic Richfield Co. but provided no Read More…
Is Whitefish Lake an airport? Can it be considered a “landing field”? What’s the difference between an aircraft hangar and a big garage that just happens to store a floatplane? The Flathead County Board of Adjustment wrestled with those questions last week as a couple sought permission to build a hangar on their property near Read More…
DEER LODGE, Mont. – An inmate is dead after he disemboweled himself in the Montana State Prison. Now, Disability Rights Montana is calling for an investigation. According to his death certificate, 39-year-old Shaun Morrison killed himself by cutting into his stomach on May 19. He then died of his injuries four days later. Morrison was serving Read More…
Federal prison inmates are keeping large sums of money — in some cases more than $100,000 each — in government-run deposit accounts effectively shielded from court orders for things like child support, alimony or other debts, and not subject to the same scrutiny as accounts owned by non-incarcerated citizens, according to court documents and interviews. Read More…
With each new school year, fresh checks for tuition and fees streamed into the principal’s office at St. James Catholic School in Torrance, Calif. But for 10 years, those checks, along with donations, scarcely made it to the school’s bank account. Instead, the school’s principal, Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, 79, was stealing the money and Read More…
A freshly transplanted barbecue pitmaster is on the verge of opening a new Boise restaurant. Neighbor Tim’s BBQ is preparing to launch in a small space at 7802 W. Goddard Road, across from Capital High School. Hungry Idahoans can watch the business’ Facebook page for updates on the opening date: “Very, very soon,” Neighbor Tim’s proclaimed in Read More…
MISSOULA, Mont. — Country Billboard-charting artist Stephanie Quayle is returning to her home state of Montana and raising funds for a new safe house for human trafficking victims. Quayle is releasing new music this year and about to start touring again. The Bozeman native has been recording in Nashville for 10 years and has performed at Read More…
Researchers at Montana State University discovered a variant that originated in Bozeman early in the pandemic. The Bozeman variant, a strain that actually weakened the effectiveness of the virus, was found by postdoctoral researchers Anna Nemudraia and Artem Nemudryi. The pair published a study on their findings last month in the journal Cell Reports Read More…
BILLINGS — Evacuated residents from a section of the Billings North Side were allowed to return to their homes around 6 p.m. Sunday after water depths in the canal located north of the homes lowered to a safe level. Local officials held a press conference Sunday afternoon to update the community after water overflowed from the Read More…
HELENA — The Helena City Commission is slated to hear two proposals at their June 7 meeting that would significantly change restrictions on open containers of alcohol. Two options are being presented Monday evening. The first would completely repeal all open container restrictions in city limits. The second would keep the current ordinance intact but would create an exception Read More…