Christian Castro was released a day after a federal judge rejected Minnesota’s bid to keep him jailed while Gov. Greg Abbott decides whether to sign extradition papers. BROWNSVILLE — The immigration officer at the center of a Minnesota-Texas legal fight was released from a South Texas jail Thursday, a day after a federal judge rejected Read More…
Gov. Kelly Armstrong appointed Tony Hillig, recreation division chief for the North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department, as the agency’s new director, effective immediately. Hillig has served as chief of the department’s recreation division since December 2020, overseeing recreation grants, trail management, motorized recreation and safety programs statewide. He joined the department in 2019 as Read More…
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…
HELENA, Mont.- A new program seeks to help victims of trafficking or kidnapping. Bryce Ackart, manager of the Helena Zip-Trip, said convenience stores are at the front lines for helping human trafficking victims and spotting their captors. The “More than Convenience, We Care” program has only been in place less than six months, but officials Read More…
MISSOULA, Mont. – Incoming University of Montana President Seth Bodnar faces a number of challenges as he takes the helm. Enrollment has fallen since 2010. Budget challenges remain. A process to set academic and administrative priorities is far from complete. Bodnar has a deep enthusiasm for the work of the institution, and he is optimistic Read More…
Sinclair Broadcast Group announced Friday it will pay a one-time $1,000 bonus to nearly 9,000 of its employees as a result of the recent tax reform bill’s passage in Washington. READ THE FULL STORY.
Five Montana Highway Patrol (MHP) troopers have been involved in crashes within the last month alone, according to a Facebook post by the MHP. In each case, drivers were not driving appropriately for the conditions. In some cases troopers were in their vehicles when their patrol cars were struck. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries. Read More…
The wife of Orlando nightclub shooter Omar Mateen told the FBI just hours after the June 2016 rampage that she knew about her husband’s plot ahead of time, USA Today reported Friday. Noor Salman reportedly told authorities that she knew that Mateen was “going to do something bad,” and that she was aware that Pulse Read More…
NEW YORK — Donovan McNabb and Eric Davis have been dismissed from ESPN following an investigation into accusations of sexual misconduct while employed at NFL Network. “They are no longer working for us,” ESPN said in a statement to CBS Philadelphia. The pair worked for ESPN Radio and were taken off the air Dec. 12, Read More…
During his election bid, Missoula City Council member Jesse Ramos was a vocal critic of the $25 million dollar “accounting error” discovered by a local citizen in the city budget. Now that he is in office, Ramos has a front row seat to Missoula’s most recent error, one that has already led to dramatic cuts Read More…
Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Thursday rescinded a trio of memos from the Obama administration that had adopted a policy of non-interference with marijuana-friendly state laws. The move essentially shifts federal policy from the hands-off approach adopted under the previous administration to unleashing federal prosecutors across the country to decide individually how to prioritize resources Read More…
LARAMIE – As the fall semester wound down, University of Wyoming students taking Computer Science 2030 found themselves facing each other to explain the success or failures of creating an essential data structure used in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, cryptocurrency and electronic voting. Pretty heady stuff for freshmen and sophomores, many of whom were unfamiliar with Read More…
HELENA – Montana state Sen. Cynthia Wolken, who played a key role in the 2017 enactment of sweeping criminal-sentencing reforms in the state, will be the state’s new deputy director of corrections. State Corrections Director Reginald Michael announced Wolken’s hiring on Tuesday and said her role in the reforms “will prove invaluable to the (Department Read More…
Tens of thousands of federal employees earn more money than any U.S. governor, according to a new report that reveals some eye-popping stats on government spending for the federal workforce. The 40-page report, titled “Mapping the Swamp” and released by government watchdog group OpenTheBooks, focused on the “size, scope and power” of the federal government Read More…
Southwest and American Airlines have joined a handful of corporate giants that have announced $1,000 employee bonuses following the GOP tax overhaul that President Donald Trump signed into law last month. In a pair of press releases on Tuesday, both airlines specifically cited sweeping new tax reforms that passed Congress on December 20. Among other Read More…
Some of the most vulnerable people in our society are at risk of becoming a casualty of a disturbing crime. It could start as innocently as a young person befriending a stranger on the Internet, or a teenager feeling entrapped and looking for a way out. The criminals might use flirtation, or psychological manipulation, to Read More…
Like many young Montanans, Ella Anderson’s first time pulling a trigger was on a BB gun. She took to shooting right away and it wasn’t long before she was begging her parents to shoot the “big gun,” a bolt-action .22 rifle. On Christmas morning children across the state ripped wrapping paper from new BB guns, Read More…
A tractor-trailer crashed into and totaled a Gallatin County Sheriff’s vehicle on Saturday morning. The collision occurred on the Bozeman Pass on I-90, where Deputy Randy Schott had responded to the scene of an accident. Deputy Schott parked behind the accident scene to protect it when a semi truck slammed into his vehicle. No one Read More…
A few million people will start work this year with a bit of a raise. The minimum wage in 18 states is ticking up, giving workers increases of between 5 cents and $1 per hour. In half of those states, the minimums will be rising automatically, to keep up with inflation. The other half, including Read More…
Chief Justice John Roberts has ordered a “careful evaluation” of the judiciary’s standards of conduct and policies, saying the federal courts are not immune to the nationwide focus of sexual misconduct in the workplace. The remarks came in Roberts’ annual year-end report Sunday on the third branch of government, which he heads as chief justice. Read More…
Amazon has been quietly experimenting with various advertising products across its portfolio and off its website, according to interviews with half a dozen ad buyers and technology partners. And it’s getting ready to make waves in 2018. Most of the conversations are focusing on new ad opportunities on Amazon’s e-commerce search and video products, sources Read More…
Attorneys representing several members of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa have filed a new complaint challenging North Dakota’s latest voter ID law. The amended complaint, filed Dec. 13, asks a federal judge to declare House Bill 1369 unconstitutional and prevent it from being implemented, arguing that it violates the national Voting Rights Act. The Read More…
Thirty four people died on the job in Wyoming in 2016, the same as the year before. The workers were a cross section of the most well-known careers in the Cowboy State, from truck drivers and coal miners to agricultural workers and oilmen, according to a workplace fatalities report released Thursday by the Wyoming Department Read More…
BILLINGS — The Office of Public Assistance will close 19 locations in Montana because officials say the Legislature’s recent budget reductions forced them to cut back. The Montana Department of Public Health & Human Services, which oversees Public Assistance, had to reduce its budget by $49 million, so it’s closing half of its 38 OPA Read More…
CODY, Wyo. – West Park Hospital is adding a new name, to reflect it’s network in Northwest Wyoming. The hospital and its clinics will not be called Cody Regional Health. CEO Doug McMillan said expansion over the past 15 years has made West Park more than a hospital. He said the organization now includes Spirit Read More…
Senators Steve Daines and Jon Tester and U.S. Representative Greg Gianforte push a bill to honor the life of renowned Montana conservationist, Alex Diekmann, by naming an unnamed peak in his memory. The previously unnamed 9,765-foot peak will be named “Alex Diekmann Peak.” READ THE FULL STORY.
HELENA, Mont.- There are some shocking numbers out of the office of public instruction, last year, about 10 percent of Montana high school students attempted suicide. Now Superintendent Elsie Arntzen announcing her plan to help save Montana student’s lives. Arntzen selected 16 educators, parents, and experts to serve on the Suicide Prevention and Response Negotiated Read More…
MISSOULA, Mont. – The following is a press release from Montana Department of Justice: Attorney General Tim Fox announced today a $13.5 million settlement with Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (BIPI). This settlement is in regard to BIPI’s alleged off-label marketing and deceptive and misleading representations made in its promotion of four of its prescription drugs: Read More…
The Stimson Lumber Company owns forestland across the Pacific Northwest, but it sees challenges in Northwest Montana’s growing population. Barry Dexter, the firm’s director of resources, says that developing areas’ lands “come out of timber production and go into mini-ranches or home sites for folks, and so that’s a little challenging for a fire management Read More…
A reward has been offered for information about the murder of Matthew Grant. Grant’s body was found in Browning last December. The Federal Bureau of Investigation announced the reward of up to $10,000 during a press conference in Great Falls on Thursday. Grant had recently arrived in Montana from Canada and was reported missing on Read More…
Papa John’s CEO John Schnatter, who overcame the odds to build his home-delivery pizza chain into a national powerhouse against entrenched rivals, is stepping down. Schnatter, who founded the pizza chain in 1984, will remain as chairman of the board. No immediate reason was given for his decision, which takes effect Jan. 1. He is Read More…
BOZEMAN – With the big winter season in Montana you would think hockey would be a popular sport. But in it has found itself struggling to catch on with the community. However, the Bozeman Amateur Hockey Association is changing that. This winter they are hosting five youth hockey tournaments at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds for Read More…
BILLINGS — A pair of films shot in Montana will make their world premieres in 2018 on the big screens at the Sundance Film Festival. The Sundance Institute recently made the announcement that the two films – “Wildlife” and “Dark Money” – will premiere in January. “Wildlife” is based on the 1990 novel by Richard Read More…
Brooke Lynn Crews has pleaded guilty to the murder of Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind. Crews pleaded guilty in Cass County court Monday to charges of conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, and providing false information to police. Crews is one of two defendants accused of killing 22-year-old LaFontaine-Greywind and abducting her newborn daughter in August. Read More…
The State Department says President Donald Trump’s travel ban on citizens of six mainly Muslim countries, North Korea and Venezuela is now fully operational. The announcement follows the Supreme Court’s decision earlier this week to allow enforcement of the ban as it is challenged in lower courts. The department said it began fully implementing the Read More…
MISSOULA, Mont. – The following is a press release from the Montana National Guard: Fifty-four Montana wildland firefighters and 16 wildland engines are headed to California to assist in firefighting efforts. The state of Montana received a request from the California Office of Emergency Services Tuesday afternoon to provide critically needed firefighting resources to support Read More…
It’s hard to miss Wheat Montana’s giant silos outside Three Forks, but now with their partnership with Walmart, you’re going to see their sign a whole lot more. The Montana-based company was chosen by the superstore to be part of a tour that has committed Walmart to purchase an additional $250 billion in American-made products. Read More…
Five men are facing charges in federal court related to two outfitted mountain lion hunts in 2013 near White Sulphur Springs and Wolf Creek that authorities allege were illegal. Charged in U.S. District Court are Ernest Jablonsky, a licensed outfitter with Montana Big Game Pursuits; Mitch Theule, a guide with Montana Big Game Pursuits; James Read More…
The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders visited Malmstrom Air Force Base recently to spend time with airmen and families of deployed service members as part of their 82nd USO tour. The cheerleaders met with airmen and had lunch with family members of deployed airmen to enhance morale and welfare and show appreciation for their service. READ THE Read More…
HELENA – Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks and Trout Unlimited are offering a reward of up to $35,250 for information on illegally introduced fish in Swan Lake. According to a Facebook post from FWP’s Region 6 Office, two walleye were found in Swan Lake in October 2015. The two walleye were caught in a gill Read More…
Airbnb has a scary problem on their hands: People keep finding hidden cameras in their rental homes. Another host was busted last month trying to film guests without their knowledge — marking the second time since October that the company has had to publicly deal with this sort of incident. Officials have been forced to Read More…
HELENA- Montana Attorney General Tim Fox announced Dec. 4 a consumer protection lawsuit against Purdue Pharma, which manufactures opioid medication Oxycontin. Fox’s office claims that Purdue should be held partly responsible for the prescription opioid epidemic. In a press release, Fox said: “As our investigation revealed and our complaint alleges, for years, Purdue knew the Read More…
Northwest Montana’s county commissioners want to see more fire-scorched timber salvaged from Lolo National Forest. The Forest Service is racing to complete the assessments, environmental reviews and public review processes required for area salvage operations to proceed. If timber isn’t cut within one year of a wildfire, weather and insect damage can render it useless. Read More…