Montana Public Service Commissioner Brad Molnar will remain unable to work from the PSC’s offices in Helena for now, after a federal judge denied his request for an order allowing him back into the building. The ruling means the commissioner, who represents Billings and much of south-central Montana, will continue participating in the regulatory body’s Read More…
The Department of War’s Office of the Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Policy announced the launch of an interactive public website tracking the department’s investments in domestic and allied supply chains, mapping more than $6.7 billion in Defense Production Act and Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment funding made since 2015. The Investment Intelligence Read More…
Appointees offer insight on community banking, regional economy, including one from Montana Three community bank executives were appointed this spring to an advisory council by Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis President and CEO Neel Kashkari. The Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council provides information, advice and recommendations to the Minneapolis Fed president from the perspective of Read More…
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen led a coalition of 23 state attorneys general in urging the U.S. Senate to confirm Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche as the next attorney general of the United States. In a letter sent to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, Ranking Member Richard Durbin and other committee members, Knudsen urged Read More…
Gov. Steve Bullock says he believes the Montana Board of Regents would have to at least consider closing a state campus to make up for the $23.3 million budget cut proposed in the current Legislature. Bullock made the comment Wednesday while meeting with the Chronicle’s editorial board. The Democratic governor came to advocate Read More…
High tech companies brought in more than $1 billion dollars in revenue in 2016 and the industry is growing seven times faster than the rest of the Montana economy. A University of Montana Bureau of of Business Economic Research (BBER) study showed $1.09 billion in revenue last year, up from $867 million in 2015. Companies in Read More…
On Wednesday morning, the United States Senate voted to confirm Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke as Secretary of the Depart of Interior on a vote of 63 to 31. Both of Montana’s Senators Steve Daines and Jon Tester voted to confirm Zinke. The Whitefish native will become the first Montanan to serve in a Cabinet position. Read More…
People who live in Missoula or are just going to be in the area will no longer have to leave their cars to pay for parking downtown. On Friday, the Missoula Parking Commission will roll out a pay-by-phone option. Tiffany Brander, administrative services manager with the Missoula Parking Commission, says people will never have to wait in line or Read More…
Someone is poaching bald eagles and hawks in the Mission Valley and selling their feathers. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service along with Tribal game wardens are working the case to find whoever is doing it. Last weekend, residents in the Saint Ignatius area between Missoula and Polson found several bald eagles and hawks dead Read More…
Obamacare is in a “death spiral,” the influential CEO of Aetna, Mark Bertolini, declared Wednesday morning. Bertolini’s doomsday prophesy: More insurers will pull out of the government-run marketplaces in the coming weeks and many areas will have no insurers to provide Affordable Care Act coverage in 2018. From Politico
Federal prosecutors may be investigating Fox News Channel’s parent company for not reporting settlements related to sexual harassment cases to the Securities and Exchange Commission, an attorney representing a former Fox News host said in open court on Wednesday. The lawyer, Judd Burstein, said that he had received a federal grand jury subpoena from the Read More…
Could a collection of tiny home-style units, clustered into a village with on-site social workers, help Bozeman get a handle on homelessness? It’s worth trying, say advocates with St. James Episcopal church and social service agency HRDC. From Bozeman Daily Chronicle
People stood up again during the public comment period at the Bozeman City Commission meeting Monday evening to again ask commissioners to consider making Bozeman a sanctuary city. After everyone supporting the request had commented, Mayor Carson Taylor read aloud the proclamation he presented last week declaring Bozeman a safe and inclusive place for everyone. From KTVQ
Yellowstone County Commissioners are recommending naming Highway 3 near the Billings airport after Montana’s late U.S. Sen. Conrad Burns. Commissioner Denis Pitman sent the recommendation letter to the Montana Department of Transportation after gaining approval from commissioners Robyn Driscoll and John Ostlund. From KBZK
The first firearm forensically proven to have been used at Custer’s Last Stand sold for $258,750 with the buyer’s premium on Sunday. The rifle was auctioned at Brian Lebel’s Old West Auction in Mesa, Arizona. From KPAX
As the nation’s capital prepared to celebrate the inauguration of the nation’s 45th President, Senators confirmed President Donald Trump’s nominees for Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Retired Generals James (“Mad Dog”) Mattis and John F. Kelly were approved by votes of 98-1 and 88-11, respectively. Attorney General nominee Read More…
The Great Falls Police Department wants to warn people of a new scam that has hit the Electric City. It was reported that a phone scam has called Great Falls residents, and the number shows up as the police department’s phone number. They released this message on their Facebook page earlier Wednesday. From KFBB
Grizzly bears near Wyoming schools got national attention after Donald Trump’s Education Secretary nominee mentioned them in a Senate hearing. She suggested teachers in Wapiti, Wyoming, near Cody, may need guns to fend off bears. Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, was asked in a Senate hearing Tuesday, “You can’t say today Read More…
According to a new report by insuranceQuotes, credit has a significant impact on what you pay for car insurance. Drivers with poor credit often pay double, or even triple, depending on where they live. Montana ranks top ten of all 50 states – with a 167% premium increase when credit drops from excellent to poor. Read More…
Gas prices in Montana are rising even as the national average begins to fall. “Average Gas prices in Montana continued their climb rising about three cents a gallon this past week ( January 8 – 14), the state wide average is about $2.28 while the national average has actually fallen about two and a half Read More…
Renewable energy and Wyoming jobs received a boost Wednesday as the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) approved the first 500 wind turbines for the Chokecherry Sierra Madre (CCSM) Wind Energy Project. The BLM action followed the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Record of Decision (ROD) indicating that it would issue an Eagle Take Permit Read More…
The Clinton Foundation’s long list of wealthy donors and foreign government contributors during the 2016 elections provoked critics to allege conflicts of interests. Clinton partisans defended the organization’s charitable work, and dismissed claims that it served as a means for the Clintons to sell off access, market themselves on the paid speech circuit, and elevate their brand Read More…
When Donald Trump walks into the White House for the first time as president on Jan. 20, his suits will be hanging in his closet, his personal photos will be displayed on perfectly placed tables, and his toothbrush will be near his favorite brand of toothpaste in his bathroom. “The entire house has to be just Read More…
A new federal lawsuit says U.S. Bureau of Indian Education schools are chronically understaffed, lack systems to provide special education and have a deficient curriculum. Advocacy groups said Thursday the lawsuit was filed on behalf of Havasupai students at an Arizona school within the Grand Canyon. Lawyers say the lawsuit potentially could impact other BIE Read More…
The former British intelligence agent at the center of the maelstrom over a 35-page dossier about Donald Trump and the Russians is named Christopher Steele, but an ex-colleague refers to him by a more familiar moniker. “He’s James Bond,” said Nigel West, the intelligence historian and spy-novel author. “I actually introduced him to my wife Read More…
Officials with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency say Lincoln County residents who have not had their property inspected as part of the massive Superfund cleanup have until March 31 to contact them. The EPA announced a “last call” for residents of Libby and Troy to participate in the asbestos cleanup. Since the early 2000s, more than Read More…
Attorney General Tim Fox said Tuesday in court papers that the term of Montana’s top political enforcer should have ended Jan. 1 – and the state Supreme Court should take over and decide the lawsuit trying to extend the term. Fox asked a state judge to allow him to intervene in the lawsuit seeking to Read More…
Drivers throughout the country are expected to pay more at the pump in 2017 than they did in 2016, according to GasBuddy’s new 2017 Fuel Price Outlook. GasBuddy, a company that tracks gasoline prices, forecasts the price of gas will climb to a national average of $2.49 a gallon this year. The average price in Read More…
Legislative Republicans Monday introduced a bill to shore up the state highway fund this year – a move they said would enable the state to finance $144 million worth of construction projects that have been delayed. “We know it’s a temporary fix, but we’ve got to get the money back in there, so we can Read More…
Year over year, the number of human trafficking cases in Montana continues to climb, but thankfully the number of victims rescued is climbing too. In 2014, there weren’t any human trafficking cases in Montana, but Attorney General Tim Fox says there was a substantial increase in cases last year. “We just finished the tabulations for Read More…
According to Bozeman Police, this morning they responded to a call of a man walking near Bozeman High School, carrying an American flag and a rifle. The man was detained, questioned and then released when it was realized he wasn’t breaking the law. The man was asked to put the rifle away and then he Read More…
The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Storage Tank Program (STP) reported the highest underground storage tank (UST) operational compliance rates in the country to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) during federal fiscal year 2016. STP regulates the installation and operation of regulated storage tank systems (such as gas stations) and oversees cleanup Read More…
Auto manufacturers that sell cars directly to customers, like Tesla Motors, would be permitted to operate dealerships and sell vehicles directly to Wyoming residents in the state under a bill before the state Legislature. Tesla, which manufactures electric vehicles, has a nontraditional business model in which they sell cars directly to customers, bypassing third-party dealerships. Read More…
Rex Tillerson, former Exxon Mobil Corp. chief executive and President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for U.S. secretary of state, will relinquish control of about $240 million in company shares if confirmed as he severs ties to comply with conflict-of-interest requirements. If confirmed, Tillerson will sell the more than 600,000 shares he owns in the largest U.S. oil explorer Read More…
The House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday reviewed a spending plan for the House, Senate and Legislative Services Division then adjourned to discuss it another day after being told cuts may need to be made. Committee chairwoman Rep. Nancy Ballance, R-Hamilton, told members House Bill 1, also known as “the feed bill,” was 16 percent more Read More…
A Bozeman environmental group is challenging the state’s regulation of pollution from storm water runoff because, they say, the state’s standards don’t adequately protect streams from urban runoff. Upper Missouri Waterkeeper filed a lawsuit in Gallatin County District Court in late December contending that the Montana Department of Environmental Quality erred in how it Read More…
The upcoming Montana Legislature is likely to address many questions about medical marijuana, from taxes on its sale to cannabis storefronts, all while waiting to see what the Trump administration will do at the federal level. Montana voters in November passed I-182, a citizen initiative that repealed the three-patient limit placed on medical marijuana Read More…
Cattle prices have risen slightly since the beef market bottomed out in mid-October, but they’re expected to plateau for the rest of the marketing season. North Dakota State University livestock economist Tim Petry tells The Bismarck Tribune (http://bit.ly/2hEJzX5 ) that there’s been “a good spark,” but the rally isn’t likely to continue. From News Center Read More…
North Dakota’s largest power plant is making operational changes to remain competitive in a changing market. The Coal Creek Station will be able to ramp its electrical output up and down more quickly depending on whether the wind is blowing and more renewable energy is available, The Bismarck Tribune (http://bit.ly/2i4qZLx ) reported. Most of Read More…
A recent report by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) highlights the critical role that high-tech innovation plays in Wyoming’s economy. ITIF, the leading U.S. think tank for science and technology policy, examined 20 indicators of the innovation-driven high-tech economy—both traditional economic data such as technology exports and newer metrics such as broadband Read More…
With estimated shortfalls in the state highway fund, the Montana Contractors Association and other special interest groups are pushing for a 38 percent increase in the gas tax. Recently MTN reported that Governor Steve Bullock’s administration has spent $75 Million more than the fund has brought in since fiscal 2012. And now the balance has Read More…
A pair of New York City law firms have launched an investigation in to proposed acquisition of Montana based Stillwater Mining by Sibanye Gold Limited, a South African company. Harwood Feffer LLP and Levi & Korsinsky LLP both of New York City have announced that they are investigating shareholder concerns that the Stillwater Board of Read More…
The Gianforte Family Foundation once again has shown its dedication to supporting education and job creation in Montana, pledging $290,000 to the University of Montana’s Department of Computer Science. The two-year gift will help the department grow its enrollment capacity, ultimately graduating more computer science majors and minors for careers in Montana’s growing technology sector. Read More…
Helena – Fresh off a narrow re-election victory Governor Steve Bullock is laying out his priorities for the 2017 legislative session. Despite the gains made by Republicans on Election Day Mr. Bullock remains confident that he can secure legislative victories. Mr. Bullock told Lee Enterprises, “I don’t anticipate much different dynamics than we’ve seen in Read More…