Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen is leading a 24-state coalition urging the Trump administration to investigate the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and the National Science Foundation, and to cut off federal grant funding tied to a climate science chapter used in a judicial reference manual. In a letter sent this month to Read More…
First Interstate and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines are providing $700,000 in combined support to 34 nonprofit organizations across South Dakota, expanding funding for groups working on some of the state’s most pressing community needs. The total includes a $200,000 contribution from First Interstate, matched up to three times through FHLB Des Read More…
Montana’s Land Board approved a series of revenue-generating actions at its March meeting expected to produce more than $1.63 million for the state’s trust beneficiaries, including support for public education. The actions approved by the board included an estimated $1,093,308 from timber sales and $532,944 from an oil and gas lease sale. Combined, the measures Read More…
The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality has released its 2025 State of the Environment Report, highlighting the agency’s work over the past year in air monitoring, water management, land reclamation and regulatory compliance. According to the agency, the report focuses on DEQ’s core responsibilities across air, land, waste and water, while also pointing to ongoing Read More…
At the base of the Montana State Capital, construction began on the Tribal Flag Plaza on July 13. The plaza will showcase flags from Montana’s eight Tribal Nations, next to the United States and Montana flags. Construction of the project comes a little over a year after Governor Bullock signed the bill, paving the way Read More…
GREAT FALLS — On July 6, the Retail Industry Leaders Association sent a letter to the National Governors Association asking governors to require face masks while shopping or in public places nationwide, barring any medical exemption. Governor Steve Bullock has encouraged Montanans to wear face masks when in public and social distancing is not possible, Read More…
(CNN)Almost three years after a tiny Montana company ignited a firestorm of controversy when it signed a massive contract to repair Puerto Rico’s hurricane-battered electricity grid, the firm’s CEO has won another disaster relief deal: supplying the federal government with protective gear in the fight against the coronavirus. A new company co-led by Andy Techmanski, Read More…
The Gallatin County sheriff said he is looking into the history of a yellow patch on both arms of Gallatin County deputies’ uniforms in the wake of national movements to get rid of imagery offensive to Indigenous people. In the center of the patch is a depiction of a Native American with long hair Read More…
American Airlines executives have told Boeing they will not take delivery of 17 737 Max airplanes unless the carrier can secure financing to pay for the aircraft, people familiar with the discussions told CNBC. The 17 Max planes are already built, but will not be delivered until the Federal Aviation Administration recertifies the aircraft and removes a grounding Read More…
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and top education leaders in the state announced Thursday that California was suing the Trump administration in an attempt to stop a directive that would force international students to leave the country should their schools conduct classes exclusively online. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced on Monday that students on F-1 and Read More…
Two employees at two different state health offices in Billings have tested positive for COVID-19. The positive cases came from the Office of Public Assistance (OPA) and Child and Family Services Division (CFSD). The CFSD employee tested positive last week and the OAF employee tested positive this week, according Jon Ebelt, public information officer for Read More…
The Helena City Commission heard testimony Thursday for and against keeping uniformed police officers in Helena public schools. The city held the first meeting in a planned review of the Helena Police Department’s operations, announced in the wake of nationwide calls for police reform after the death of George Floyd. City leaders decided to focus Read More…
A Montana University System task force has changed course on face masks, recommending that students and employees be required to wear face coverings this fall, rather than being urged to do so, to limit spread of the coronavirus. The MUS Healthy Fall 2020 Task Force reached consensus on the recommendation Wednesday during an online meeting Read More…
There is no dearth of extravagant homes in America. Celebrities and prominent personalities in different fields of work are often seen indulging in big-budget real estate deals to own some of the fanciest homes on earth. If you are on the lookout for a home that you wish left you astonished, we have just the Read More…
(Bloomberg) — As Hong Kong sees life change rapidly under a new security law, protesters have quickly learned that actions that weren’t worthy of police attention a little more than a week ago could now warrant an arrest, DNA sample and search of their home — in addition to the possibility of jail time. Hong Read More…
Chief Justice John Roberts fell last month while walking, received stitches to close a wound on his head and spent the night in the hospital, a Supreme Court spokeswoman said on Tuesday. The episode was not announced at the time, but the court confirmed it late Tuesday after a query from The Washington Post. “The Read More…
CASPER, Wyo — Soon more locations in Natrona County will be offering simulcast gaming machines that will let residents bet on live horse races taking place at the Wyoming Downs racetrack near Evanston. The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) passed a resolution Tuesday, July 7, authorizing Wyoming Downs, LLC to expand pari-mutuel wagering operations on Read More…
International students attending the University of Montana could be forced to leave the country this fall if the flagship institution is forced to revert to online only instruction due to COVID-19. The Trump administration this week said international students attending U.S schools who switch to online classes will be required to leave or risk violating Read More…
BILLINGS, Mont. – The number of active cases in Yellowstone County prompted Senator Steve Daines to host a virtual roundtable with county medical leaders. According to Mayor Bill Cole, Yellowstone County is the epicenter for coronavirus, with 16 out of the 45 new cases reported Sunday coming out of Yellowstone County. City health leaders met Read More…
(CNN)Several players have decided to opt out of the rescheduled Major League Baseball season due to health concerns amid coronavirus outbreak. Washington Nationals infielder Ryan Zimmerman and pitcher Joe Ross will not be playing the 2020 season, the team confirmed on Monday. Arizona Diamondbacks right-handed pitcher Mike Leake also has decided not to play this season, Read More…
Not wearing a mask in South Beach may cost you $50 beginning on Tuesday. Amid a rising number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in Miami-Dade County, the mayor of Miami Beach announced Monday the city would begin issuing fines to those who ignore rules requiring the use of facial coverings indoors and outside if social Read More…
Checking temperatures at airports might not be the best way to weed out travelers with Covid-19, the head of the Transportation Security Administration said Tuesday. TSA and other industry officials urged all travelers to wear masks throughout the airport and onboard, but the federal government hasn’t determined if it will perform temperature checks on passengers. “No Read More…
After nine years as an offensive lineman in the NFL, Glendive native Mike Person is retiring, as first reported by the Billings Gazette. “It just felt like the time. It had to come at some point and it just felt like the right time,” Person told MTN Sports by phone. Person was a seventh-round pick Read More…
A Montana Technological University student whose personal experiences inspire her dream of being an engineer has been named a 2020 Barry Goldwater Scholar, one of the nation’s top accolades for STEM students. Kathryn Bozer, a junior from North Liberty, Iowa, will receive up to $7,500 from the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Read More…
To protect public health and reduce overall spread of COVID-19, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has temporarily cancelled all in-person Hunter and Bowhunter Education classes. Please take advantage of the opportunities to get certified now. If you require Hunter Education, please take the free, online-only course using code MThnDbeHtbWkJf20 at hunter-ed.com/montana. You must be 12 years of Read More…
BILLINGS — U.S. Sen. Steve Daines of Montana is calling on the U.S. Postal Service to review and correct policy after a Billings veteran’s remains were lost in the mail. Daines recently sent a letter to the USPS inspector general asking for an in-depth investigation into the matter, which took place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Billings Read More…
At the Black Lives Matter rally this month in Bozeman’s Bogert Park, Shane Doyle stood on the stage before the large crowd, beat a hand-held rawhide drum and sang a Crow Indian honor song. The moment felt hopeful to Doyle, 48, a member of the Apsaalooke or Crow Tribe. Native Americans are Montana’s Read More…
BOZEMAN — At least one Montana State football player has tested positive for COVID-19, multiple sources close to the program told MTN Sports. The case comes after the university opened up some of its facilities for voluntary athletics-related workouts on June 1, the same day that Governor Steve Bullock announced that Montana was moving into Read More…
MISSOULA — One Salish and Blackfeet musical artist is joining the Confederated Salish Kootenai Tribe in their campaign to create awareness about COVID-19 for Flathead Reservation youth. “I think I was inspired by the Navajo Nation because I didn’t want my people to go through the same thing,” said Shadow Devereaux. Devereaux is a Salish Read More…
A federal appeals court on June 22 upheld a Montana judge’s 2019 order awarding $3.1 million to a Columbia Falls man who sued BNSF Railway for wrongful termination after he was injured on the job. The case involves Zachary Wooten, who sued BNSF in 2016 alleging the company violated the Federal Rail Safety Act (FRSA), Read More…
SHERIDAN — Athletes who planned to compete for teams at Sheridan College or Gillette College in the upcoming school year will not have a chance to play at the Division I level of the National Junior College Athletic Association locally. Faced with the need to cut nearly $4 million from its annual budget, Northern Read More…
FARGO, N.D. – Nearly three years ago, Elon Musk tweeted “You can now drive anywhere in the US using the Tesla supercharger network.” But he forgot about one state: North Dakota. “I joined Twitter on that tweet to tell him that we still exist,” said Brian Kopp, a North Dakota Tesla owner. For the past Read More…
Wyoming’s unemployment rate fell to 8.8% in May, as the state began to recover from the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. The Equality State had the nation’s third lowest unemployment rate for the month, trailing only Nebraska and Utah, federal figures show. The national unemployment rate, meanwhile, stood at 13.3%. In April, Wyoming unemployment Read More…
KALISPELL, Mont. — There is a new billboard on Highway 93 in South Kalispell near Murdoch’s. It reads “I can’t breathe,” in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. READ FULL STORY
Colin Kaepernick has long been a divisive figure in the NFL and beyond. But according to one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play in the league, the former San Francisco 49ers QB is a “hero.” In an interview with TMZ Sports, Hall of Famer Brett Favre said he suspects Kaepernick’s “hero status will be Read More…
BISMARCK, N.D. – In April, North Dakota saw a 500% increase in online sales tax revenue because more people were staying at home and shopping, according to North Dakota Tax Department officials. North Dakota Tax Commissioner Ryan Rauschenberger said last year North Dakota took in half a million dollars in April, in 2020 that number has Read More…
AMERICAN FALLS – Congratulations to Brett Jones, of Rock Springs Wyoming on a new catch-and-release state record rainbow trout. Jones caught the huge trout while fishing American Falls Reservoir on May 25. The 31.25-inch monster was just long enough to break the previous record of 30.5 inches, held by David Raisch since 2018. State records Read More…
He was a strong backer of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) as Montana’s congressman. And he got the ball rolling on historic conservation and infrastructure investments as President Trump’s Secretary of the Interior. Needless to say, former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke was very pleased to see passage of the Great American Outdoors Act in the Read More…
BOZEMAN- As the state reopens Governor Steve Bullock will visit a Bozeman business that is re-opening with support from the state. The governor will visit Café M which received a $10,000 business stabilization grant from the state to cover expenses to reopen safely. He’s hoping to hear how the business is utilizing the $10,000 business Read More…
The Trump administration is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a federal judge’s decision and grant a key permit to allow the Keystone XL pipeline to move forward. If the high court sides with the administration, it could open the door for Canadian developer TC Energy to move forward with construction of the pipeline, Read More…
Two public schools in Berkeley, California, will remove their names commemorating Presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson amid renewed and widespread calls from the Black Lives Matter movement for racial equality. The Berkeley Unified School District approved a “Resolution in Support of Black Lives Matter” last week, following weeks of nationwide protests and riots denouncing systemic racism Read More…
Around 600 goats in two separate herds are currently grazing their way through parts of the Palos Verdes Peninsula — in an effort to reduce fire risk and remove non-native plants. About 300 goats are hard at work in Lunada Canyon, part of the 1,600 acres the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy has preserved. And Read More…
The Supreme Court decided on Monday that they will not reexamine a doctrine that protects law enforcement and government officials from being sued over their actions while on the job. The doctrine, which the justices created nearly 50 years ago, gives “qualified immunity” for law enforcement officers, which protects them from frivolous lawsuits CNN reported. READ FULL STORY
Noting that the announcement came with “heavy hearts,” officials confirmed Saturday that the two bodies recovered from a backyard in Idaho were the remains of the missing children of “doomsday cult” mom Lori Vallow. Joshua “JJ” Vallow, 7, and Tylee Ryan, 17, had been missing since September. Their remains were found Tuesday, buried on the property of Read More…