WASHINGTON — Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen joined Vice President JD Vance, the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, and attorneys general from 15 other states at an anti-fraud roundtable focused on combating wasteful spending, abuse, and fraud in federal benefit programs including Medicaid and SNAP. The White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud Read More…
The Department of War has awarded $27.3 million to Pacific Scientific Energetic Materials Company, bringing its total investment in the solid rocket motor supply chain to $191 million since December 2024, as the Pentagon moves aggressively to close production gaps in a segment it considers strategically vital. The latest award, funded through the Defense Production Read More…
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen is leading a coalition of ten state attorneys general in calling on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to conduct a rigorous review of any filings submitted by OpenAI ahead of the company’s anticipated initial public offering, citing concerns about undisclosed conflicts of interest involving chief executive Sam Altman. In Read More…
As the fourth largest state in the U.S. with the sixth smallest population, each agency relies on another for niche expertise, whereas bigger agencies can potentially accomplish everything on their own, said Adam Pankratz, deputy chief of Montana State University’s police department. These relationships start to form during basic training, which 14 future officers from Read More…
MEDICINE BOW — Only one multi-story building exists in this tiny town of under 300. The Virginian Hotel rises up 3 1/2 stories and sits in the heart of the town. On a late October day, an American flag in front of the hotel fought the ferocious northeast winds, as they cut through a Read More…
President-elect Joe Biden has named several key appointments to his health team, including the nomination of Xavier Becerra to the role of Secretary of Health and Human Services. If confirmed, Becerra will be the first Latino to hold the position. Becerra comes to the Department of Health and Human Services as the 33rd attorney general of California and the Read More…
Recently, there has been much debate about whether billionaires should exist, an idea popularized by Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. But to former Alphabet executive chairman and investor Eric Schmidt, who is worth more than $17 billion, the idea that extreme wealth is a moral failure is reductive. “We would probably all be better off spending more time understanding Read More…
The Honorable Ted O. Lympus, a former Flathead County Attorney and Flathead District Court judge for decades, died peacefully Thursday morning, surrounded by family members at home in Missoula. He was 77. Lympus served as a judge for the 11th District Court in Montana for 23 years, retiring in 2015. Prior to that he spent Read More…
BILLINGS — As the cold weather starts to settle in Montana, snow and ice can make getting from point A to point B difficult on the roads and rails. Luckily, BNSF Railway, which moves everything from groceries to medicine to automobiles, has some interesting methods to keep its trains running during the winter. READ FULL Read More…
MISSOULA — The Montana Food Back Network reports that approximately 10% of Montanans struggle with hunger — a problem only made worse by COVID-19. Once again KPAX and First Security Bank have teamed up for our annual holiday food drive to help keep our community fed. We spoke with First Security Bank president and CEO Read More…
Casper, Wyo. • The owner of a Montana coal mine filed for bankruptcy and laid off nearly half of its workforce at the facility near the Wyoming border. Lighthouse Resources Inc. filed a petition for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Wednesday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, The Casper Star-Tribune reports. The company based in South Read More…
WARSAW — The $156.6 million Wyoming County budget was approved Tuesday in a special meeting. The county’s Board of Supervisors approved the budget nearly unanimously after a public hearing. Supervisor Daniel Leuer of Middlebury abstained from the budget vote, along with a separate vote to breach the state’s tax levy. No members of Read More…
Gov. Steve Bullock on Wednesday announced that Montana could receive the first shipment of vaccinations for COVID-19 as soon as Dec. 15. The state is expected to receive an initial shipment of around 9,750 doses of the vaccination developed by the drug company Pfizer, with several thousand more doses in subsequent weeks. If approved, another Read More…
A man shot at Belgrade police officers Monday night when they responded to a disturbance on NorthHoffman Street in Belgrade. The incident occurred at approximately 10:30 p.m. According to a press release, shortly after officers arrived on the scene, a man opened fire on officers from a second-story apartment window. A Belgrade police car that Read More…
MISSOULA — A $500,000 grant from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) will double SNAP benefits in Montana for the next four years. Now, for every one SNAP dollar spent on items like fruits and vegetables, the user will receive one extra dollar to spend. This round of grant funding secures the program for four Read More…
In recent years, Wyoming created some of the most attractive laws in the country for establishing blockchain and cryptocurrency companies in our state. But by allowing the laws to be shaped and written by those who benefit from them, our legislative hard work accomplished everything the blockchain industry wanted but nothing the state needs. Namely, Read More…
A couple weeks ago, the City of Jackson, Wyoming’s START bus system got something new: an electric bus from Proterra. The system plans on getting at least 7 more of the vehicles. START hosted Proterra representatives for a small ribbon-cutting ceremony on Nov. 12, but due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, they were unable to Read More…
BOISE, Idaho — The U.S. Air Force is appealing a federal court ruling preventing exercises that had military jets coordinating with plain-clothed soldiers on the ground in cities in Idaho as part of an urban warfare training program. The Air Force filed the appeal with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday. The Read More…
KALISPELL, Mont. (AP) — Flathead County’s interim public health officer is resigning at the end of the year, saying she’s frustrated with the lack of support from county officials for any efforts to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Tamalee St. James Robinson submitted her letter of resignation Friday to the county commission and the Read More…
BOZEMAN — Well-known sources like sunlight, moving water and wind generate sustainable energy which can be stored for later use. But what if we could turn the air around us into usable fuel when the wind isn’t blowing? Montana State University researcher Michael Mock envisions a future in which homes have solar panels on the Read More…
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (Wyoming News Now) – On Thanksgiving day, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) shared dinner with Wyoming National Guard troops serving in Qatar. Senator Barrasso sat down with members of the 153rd Airlift Wing and 187th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, who are supporting airlift operations and medical evacuations in the Middle East. “Spending Thanksgiving with Read More…
TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) -The Idaho Transportation Department is looking at the possibility of building a third bridge to cross the Snake River canyon in Twin Falls and Jerome counties. ITD is exploring five potential areas in the Twin Falls and Jerome areas for a possible future bridge, but they stress that this is so Read More…
The city of Fairbanks has petitioned the United States Supreme Court to review a 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision allowing the Fairbanks Four to sue the city for wrongful imprisonment. The decision… READ FULL STORY
CASPER, Wyo. — The National Museum of Military Vehicles opened near Dubois this summer. The museum is among nominees to become USA Today’s “Best New Attraction 2020.” People are able to vote for the museum on the “USA Today 10 Best Readers’ Choice” website. As of noon Tuesday, the National Museum of Military Vehicles is in third place in Read More…
BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — You’ve waited years (decades for some) for this news, Treasure Valley. But, yes, In-N-Out says it’s officially coming to Boise. It’s fair to say that In-N-Out has a cult-like following — did you see the local, national or international news about 12-hour waits for some customers in Colorado after the burger joint opened a location in Read More…
HELENA — Montana is known for its beautiful mountain scenery, and some would even consider it the best place on earth for fishing so when avid fisherman Patrick Hogan was out on the Missouri River near Townsend and saw it sprinkled with old water bottles, he couldn’t let it go. Hogan says, “When you put Read More…
Two U.S. citizens have settled a lawsuit with Customs and Border Protection after they were detained by a Border Patrol agent who heard them speaking Spanish at a convenience store in Havre, Montana, and demanded that they show identification. The monetary settlement was announced on Tuesday by the American Civil Liberties Union, which filed the lawsuit on Read More…
All tickets for the 2020 drawing of Montana Millionaire have sold out, once again selling out in record time. Tickets sold out before 5:00 p.m. on Monday Nov. 23, nine days earlier than 2019 and four days before the first early bird drawing. “Sales for Montana Millionaire have been more and more brisk every single Read More…
As Montana U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme prepares to step down Dec. 2, he spoke with MTN News about the biggest challenges facing his successor. First and foremost, the new U.S. attorney for Montana will be dealing with COVID-19 and its impact on Montana’s justice system, including an alarming jump in violent crimes. According to new data Read More…
Montanans voted to legalize recreational marijuana earlier this month, but there are still hurdles to overcome before people without medical marijuana cards can head to the pot shop. I-190, one of the two initiatives that legalized recreational marijuana in the state, may still be changed by the Montana Legislature during the upcoming 2021 session, Read More…
BILLINGS — Warrior Wishes Montana works to provide veterans in Billings and surrounding areas with assistance and connect them to the right resources, and veterans can come get the fixings for a warm Thanksgiving meal in Billings on Tuesday, November 24. “Warrior Wishes Montana is going to be giving our annual Vetsgiving Meals to the Read More…
The Montana Department of Commerce announced November 19th, 2020, it has completed a bond sale worth more than $52 million to help finance the construction of a new facility for Shodair Children’s Hospital. The bond issuance by the Montana Facility Finance Authority will support a new facility in Helena, which will include 82 private rooms Read More…
BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – Teachers, staff and school administrators in Fargo and West Fargo school districts will be the first to get rapid testing for COVID-19 this week. The districts are part of a pilot program with the North Dakota Department of Health to identify asymptomatic COVID-19 cases. READ FULL STORY
The impacts of Wyoming’s COVID-19 surge are being exacerbated by spikes in neighboring states and the concurrent strain on the region’s healthcare resources. Demand for Wyoming’s scarce hospital capacity is expected to build, at least in the short term: County health officers have counseled that the state could soon see 3,000 new cases a day Read More…
The highest legal needs in Wyoming are family law, medical debt and housing issues – and the coronavirus pandemic has the potential to create an even greater need in each area for Wyoming’s low-income population. Equal Justice Wyoming, the Equal Justice Wyoming Foundation and Legal Aid of Wyoming recently partnered to conduct and fund a Read More…
Dustin Johnson may be the champion of the moment, but the golfer’s future father-in-law knows more than a thing or two about winning. Wayne Gretzky — known to hockey fans as The Great One — is an NHL icon, winning four Stanley Cups during his illustrious career. He’s also the father of Paulina Gretzky, who Read More…
LIMA, Peru — Peru’s political crisis appeared on the verge of resolution Monday as Congress cleared the way for an elder statesman and consensus candidate to become the country’s third president in a week. People waved the nation’s red-and-white flag and blared horns outside the gates of Congress as Francisco Sagasti of the centrist Purple Read More…
MISSOULA, Mont. — Starting Wednesday, through next Tuesday, Bozeman School District administrators say Meadowlark Elementary will be on a remote learning format. Officials say a large number of staff members have to quarantine, so there is not enough coverage for classes and other positions. READ FULL STORY
Governor-elect Greg Gianforte unveiled advisory teams on Monday that will help him find new directors for the Department of Commerce, the Department of Labor and Industry and Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Gianforte was elected governor Nov. 3 and takes the oath of office Jan. 4. All members are voluntary and are not compensated. Last week, Gianforte Read More…
Montana Gov. Steve Bullock proposed a two-year state budget on Nov. 16 that he says preserves essential services while boosting education and infrastructure spending. YPR News’ Kevin Trevellyan reports it’s the two term Democratic governor’s final budget proposal. During a news conference at the capitol, Bullock proposed using $75 million, or two thirds of the state’s rainy Read More…
BOISE, Idaho — Gov. Brad Little is mobilizing 100 members of the Idaho National Guard to help out hospitals and long-term care facilities across the state in response to the influx of COVID-19 cases. Little signed an executive order on Friday to help with Idaho’s response to the pandemic. The National Guard will help when Read More…
As the coronavirus surges in the U.S., now topping eleven million cases overall with new cases averaging 150,000 a day in the past week, university revenues are being pounded, leading to a new round of budget cuts and personnel terminations. Within the last few days or weeks, several major institutions announced new cost-cutting measures. University of Read More…
Camping World Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CWH) (“Camping World”), the nation’s largest network of RV and outdoor lifestyle – centric retail locations, today announced an agreement to acquire the Outlet Recreation dealership based in the Fargo market. This acquisition marks the Company’s first location in North Dakota, with plans for the deal to close in December Read More…
That’s when Kraken Financial became the first entity to receive a special purpose depository institution (SPDI) charter in the Cowboy State, giving the cryptocurrency industry insight into roughly how long it takes to become a bank. It’s also the first newly chartered (de novo) bank the state has approved since 2006. While Kraken Financial still has some hoops Read More…