Featured Articles in News

Applications open for Montana State’s $100K Venture Competition

Applications are open for Montana State University’s $100,000 Venture Competition, which is hosted annually by the Jake Jabs College of Business and Entrepreneurship and the MSU Launchpad. The competition provides entrepreneurs with the opportunity to present their business ventures, receive feedback and compete for startup funding. Those interested in competing must submit an online application by Sunday, March 29. The competition is open to all undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, Read More…

Knudsen Secures $29.5M Settlement with Vanguard in Coal Market Lawsuit

Attorney General Austin Knudsen announced a landmark settlement agreement with The Vanguard Group, Inc. this week, resolving allegations that the asset manager conspired to artificially constrict the coal market through anticompetitive trade practices. The settlement stems from a 2024 lawsuit filed by Knudsen against Vanguard, BlackRock, and State Street Corporation. The suit alleged the firms Read More…

Daines Visits Stillwater Mine

U.S. Sen. Steve Daines visited the Sibanye-Stillwater Columbus metallurgical complex last week, meeting with miners and touring operations as he praised recent federal trade action aimed at protecting Montana’s palladium industry. Daines credited Donald Trump for imposing a preliminary 132% tariff on Russian palladium imports, describing the move as a critical step toward leveling the Read More…

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Bridging the Gaps in Foster Care

In a household with five children under the age of 7, a simple date night away for the parents can feel like a spa day, a few hours to recalibrate and breathe, to ignore the kids’ menu and enjoy conversation with other adults.   Amanda and John Mark Creamer understand how important this sliver of Read More…

In a hopeful sign, Wyoming unemployment rate falls for first time in 18 months

Wyoming’s unemployment rate fell in August for the first time in 18 months, the Department of Workforce Services reported Tuesday. The shift from 5.7 percent unemployment in July to 5.5 percent last month is not a statistically significant drop, but it offers hope that the state economy is stabilizing. Natrona County had the fourth-largest decrease Read More…

DNRC: Montana fire season is below average

The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation that this year’s fire season has been near or below average in the Treasure State. During an Environmental Quality Council meeting in Helena earlier this week, the DNRC’s Bob Harrington reported that 252 fires this season have burned 23,000 acres of state-managed land. The total cost to fight the blazes is Read More…

Supporters of North Dakota pipeline protests gather in Great Falls

Members of the Chippewa Cree Tribe gathered along the bank of the Missouri River in Great Falls on Tuesday evening to show their support for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North Dakota. The group is joining in protest of the multi-billion dollar Dakota Access Pipeline that would cross the Missouri River several times across Read More…

Montana GOP asks high court to remove Libertarian SOS candidate

By Mike Dennison – MTN News HELENA –  The head of the state Republican Party Wednesday asked the Montana Supreme Court to remove the Libertarian secretary of state candidate from Montana’s November ballot, for not filing proper campaign forms. Jeff Essmann’s filing for “extraordinary relief” said Libertarian Roger Roots failed to file forms required of Read More…

Hacking fears over Clinton server: FBI reveal Hillary was sent ‘phishing’ email with porn links and ‘dark web browser’ was used to access another account

An unknown individual used an anonymous web browsing tool often used to access the dark web to get into an email account on the Clinton family server, the FBI revealed on Friday. Meanwhile, in another incident, top aide Huma Abedin revealed to an unidentified person that Clinton had fears she had been hacked after she Read More…

Miles City Council approves $23 million budget for 2016-17

The Miles City Council passed a $26.7 million city budget for 2016-17 Tuesday night. The $23,668,213 spending plan includes $5 million in General Fund expenditures, nearly $900,000 in cash carryover and various enterprise funds like ambulance, water, sewer, airport and library.. Finance Committee Chairwoman Susanne Galbraith said the police department requested an additional officer, which Read More…

Gianforte, Pro-Bullock PAC pouring money into MT’s gov race

Republican gubernatorial candidate Greg Gianforte has poured another $640,000 of his own money into his campaign, upping his total personal contributions to $1.7 million – about half his overall campaign funds. But Gianforte wasn’t the only one who opened his checkbook in Montana’s gubernatorial race last month. Good Jobs Montana, an independent political action committee Read More…

Malmstrom AFB Issues Bad Water Notice

Malmstrom Air Force Base residents woke up to potentially dangerous drinking water this morning.  The base put out a notice stating there were elevated chlorine levels in water and it was unsafe to drink or even wash with.  Some residents stated the water smelled a little funny as early as last night.  Base officials say Read More…

Wyoming reconsiders investment strategies

When you don’t have much new income, it’s great if you can pay your monthly bills using money coming in from smart investment of your savings. Not a lot of people have that. But public budgets in Wyoming have enjoyed some of that kind of security. Now the state is looking for the best strategy Read More…

Tourism cuts mean less advertising for Wyoming

CHEYENNE – Budget cuts will mean less marketing and advertising to attract visitors to Wyoming. The Wyoming Office of Tourism cut about $2 million from its 2017-18 budget as a result of massive cuts across state agencies. The bulk of that money, almost $1.4 million, was designated for advertising. That cut will mean a smaller Read More…

Montana Ranch Offers the Cowboy Life for $35 Million

Hobble Diamond Ranch offers a home on the range to fulfill your dreams of living the cowboy lifestyle on a 30,000-acre spread accentuated by the Yellowstone River running through the property. It can all be yours for the sum of $35 million. Bloomberg’s James Tarmy has the details on “Bloomberg Markets.” From Bloomberg  

Hamilton National Guard Armory closes

The Montana National Guard marked the end of an era as it closed its armory in Hamilton Tuesday. The Hamilton Armory on West Main Street is 57 years old. Detachment 2,230th Engineering Company, which called the armory home, will be transferred to Anaconda. Montana National Guard soldiers did a final walk through of the landmark Read More…

One of ND’s largest oil producers posts wider loss on oil price slump

HOUSTON—Continental Resources Inc., North Dakota’s second-largest oil producer, posted a quarterly loss on Wednesday that missed Wall Street’s expectations because of the slump in crude prices. The loss is an example of the difficulty facing the oil industry as it seeks to offset the period of low prices. Many companies have slashed costs to survive. Read More…

House Benghazi Committee chairman in Montana to stump with Zinke

The House Benghazi Committee chairman is in Montana this week stumping for Rep. Ryan Zinke’s re-election. Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-South Carolina, is scheduled to appear with Montana’s Republican congressman at four fundraising events across the state beginning with an afternoon event in Kalispell on Tuesday. A spokeswoman for Zinke said he will talk about “national Read More…

Enviro group spending $500K to defeat Gianforte

A Montana-based environmental group said Monday it will spend $500,000 to help re-elect Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock and defeat his Republican rival, Greg Gianforte. The Montana Conservation Voters Action Fund, a political action committee, will use the money to fund a door-to-door canvassing effort to encourage people to sign up for absentee ballots, and to Read More…