News you can use
News you can use
Sorted by date Results 1157 - 1181 of 2820
HELENA — Montana lawmakers are considering a proposal to repeal an obsolete state law that criminalized gay sex before it was struck down by the courts in the 1990s. Two years ago, a similar proposal to repeal the law cleared the Senate only to die in the more conservative House. But since then, the Montana Republican Party has removed from its platform the position that the GOP seeks to make homosexual acts illegal. The party remains opposed to gay marriage. More than a dozen advocates told the Senate Judiciary Committee o...
HELENA — A Montana family and their accountant are accused of tacking $70 million in bogus charges onto customer phone bills nationwide, then funneling some of that money through a religious organization to buy land and pay for the husband's legal bills. Steven Sann, his wife Terry, son Nathan and accountant Robert Braach run a maze of nine companies engaged in "cramming, " or adding unauthorized charges to a customer's phone bill, according to a civil complaint filed this month by the Federal Trade Commission. When c...
GREAT FALLS (AP) — Fort Benton Police say they are investigating a stabbing death. Police say a 21-year-old man died after being stabbed just before 2 a.m. Saturday. Police say a suspect is in custody, and that the suspect and victim knew each other. Names have not been released....
HELENA — As new gun laws are considered in the wake of recent mass shootings, the debate over such proposals in Montana is ramping up. One state senator has claimed that gangs of thieves are stalking gun owners, and a state representative is moving to resist any attempt to ban assault rifles. AP Photo/Matt Gouras David Phillip, left, and Kelly Phillip of Missoula pose at a pro-gun rally at the state Capitol on Saturday, Jin Helena. Rallies were held across the country this weekend to raise concerns about possible new gun l...
HELENA — A measure to strip jail time for some first-time misdemeanor offenders, leaving just fines in place, easily cleared the Montana Senate on Friday despite opposition from county attorneys. The proposal would mean that the state would no longer have to provide public defenders for those charged with the crimes. Backers argue it would save money, ease crowding in jails and free up busy public defenders. The Senate unanimously approved the measure 47-0. It faces another set of hearings in the House. The list of o...
DENVER (AP) — Imagine a political change favored by an overwhelming majority of voters but mostly ignored by politicians. That's what campaign finance activists in Colorado and Montana are facing these days. They're scratching their heads at why politicians aren't talking more about campaign finance just two months after voters in both states, by wide margins, approved a ballot measure calling for federal changes to limit campaign spending. Activists gathered in the Colorado Capitol basement Friday to remind politicians of t...
BILLINGS (AP) — A Billings man has pleaded guilty to his 13th driving under the influence charge. The Billings Gazette reports that 55-year-old William Dean Grussing pleaded guilty Friday in district court. Grussing is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 12 for the DUI from last June. If he's designated a persistent felony offender, he could receive up to five years in state custody. Grussing also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of contempt of court....
HELENA — Former NFL quarterback Ryan Leaf has been moved from a drug treatment center to the Montana State Prison for threatening a staff member and violating his treatment plan, a corrections official said Thursday. The former San Diego Chargers and Washington State Cougars quarterback was charged last spring with breaking into two houses and stealing prescription painkillers near his hometown of Great Falls. He pleaded guilty in May to burglary and criminal possession of dangerous drugs, and his five-year sentence called f...
HELENA (AP) — A series of emails shows plans by conservative Republicans to take over leadership of the state Senate from a more moderate faction. The documents obtained by the Great Falls Tribune also outline a long-term strategy that includes "changing the face of the Montana Supreme Court" and remapping legislative districts to favor Republicans, according to an email written by Sen. Jeff Essmann of Billings last September. "If we can implement the long term strategy we will be in a position to actually elect a majority o...
HELENA — Montana's 63rd Legislature opened its doors last week, welcoming a new governor, 150 lawmakers, and even more staffers and members of the public. Legislators attended a number of introductory events while also getting down to business on several bills, marking the first five of 90 busy days off their calendars. So far, the House voted 99-1 to pass a $9.2 million "feed bill" to fund the current session and the start of the next Legislature in 2015. Committees prepped for hearings on the budget and lawmakers l...
A smile radiated from Sarah Laszloffy's face as she recited the oath of office on the floor of the Montana House of Representatives. At only 21 years of age, she became the youngest member of Montana's 63rd Legislature. "It was surreal," said the new Republican lawmaker from Laurel. "It's really humbling, and I can't believe that it's actually happening." Photo by Jacob Baynham/Community News Service, UM School of Journalism. Sara Laszloffy stands in hte Montana House on her first day in office. Laszloffy isn't the only...
BILLINGS — An autopsy has confirmed a police officer's gunshot killed a 32-year-old Billings man who authorities say was reaching for a BB gun during a confrontation. Yellowstone County Deputy County Coroner Chad Fehr said Tuesday that Jason Shaw died of a gunshot wound to the abdomen. Police say the shot was fired by Officer Grant Morrison. Morrison confronted a combative Shaw in a residential neighborhood early Monday. He attempted to subdue Shaw with a stun gun but failed, then fired a single round after Shaw allegedly r...
HELENA(AP) — Republican-led legislative budget panels are axing the standard inflationary increases normally used as a starting point for spending bills. The joint appropriations committees were instead voting Friday to start all agency budgets at 2012 levels. Critics argue the move doesn't ensure there will be enough money to pay for current programs authorized by law. House Speaker Mark Blasdel of Somers says it will be better for lawmakers to determine how much is needed rather than relying on automatic predictions. B...
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Opponents of a railroad that would open Montana's coal fields to new mining have asked federal officials to halt their review of the proposal, alleging it would be much larger than disclosed with impacts stretching to the West Coast. Backers of the Tongue River Railroad say it would haul up to 20 million tons annually from a planned Arch Coal, Inc. strip mine near the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation. But opponents said Thursday they want to turn the spotlight on the potential for the $416 m...
HELENA — U.S. Sen. Max Baucus is announcing priorities that include more help for jobless veterans, energy development and renewed focus on fixing the nation's debt. AP Photo/The Independent Record, Dylan Brown U.S. Sen. Max Baucus addresses the Montana Legislature Thursday afternoon,in the House Chambers in Helena. Baucus also says his New Year's resolution is to bring the troops home from Afghanistan after 11 years fighting in that country. Baucus spoke to the Montana Legislature on Thursday. The state's senior senator i...
HELENA — Gov. Steve Bullock's successful election campaign is announcing plans for the new governor's inaugural ball. Bullock took office Monday after beating Republican Rick Hill in November's election. Bullock takes office as lawmakers arrive in town to analyze his budget proposal. A release says that a celebration ball will be held Saturday, Feb. 9, at the Lewis and Clark County Fairgrounds. Tickets are being sold online at the fairgrounds web site starting next week for $25 each. The ball is scheduled to run from 7 p...
LIVINGSTON (AP) — A former state legislator accused of skirting a roadblock and resisting arrest asked for proof of a court's legitimacy, but kept disruptions to a minimum compared to a previous hearing. The Livingston Enterprise reports Joel Boniek appeared in Park County Justice Court Monday. Boniek pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charges from the July encounter with officers keeping people out of a wildfire area. Boniek told Justice of the Peace Linda Budeski he wanted proof her court is constitutional. She r...
HELENA (AP) — Gov. Steve Bullock's successful election campaign is announcing plans for the new governor's inaugural ball. Bullock took office Monday after beating Republican Rick Hill in November's election. Bullock takes office as lawmakers arrive in town to analyze his budget proposal. A release says that a celebration ball will be held Saturday, Feb. 9, at the Lewis and Clark County Fairgrounds. Tickets are being sold online at the fairgrounds web site starting next week for $25 each. The ball is scheduled to run from 7...
MILES CITY, Mont. (AP) — A physician is seeking $22 million in damages after Holy Rosary Healthcare in Miles City revoked his medical staff privileges in December 2009. The Miles City Star reports (http://bit.ly/NHrDV3 ) Dr. J. Randall Rauh is suing for breach of contract, unlawful restraint of trade and interference with the physician/patient relationship. The hospital argues Rauh didn't exhaust his remedies under medical staff bylaws before suing. A jury trial is set for June 10. Rauh is an obstetrician and gynecologist w...
BILLINGS (AP) — A Billings woman whose husband was shot while apparently trying to flee the scene of a weekend standoff in a police car has been charged with burglary. Heather Lynn Brawley, 25, made an initial appearance Tuesday in Justice Court, where her bail was set at $10,000. Justice of the Peace Larry Herman ordered her to appear for arraignment in District Court on Jan. 17. Brawley and her husband were taken into custody Sunday on suspicion of breaking into a house and were placed in separate patrol cars. Daniel Brawle...
HELENA (AP) — Just weeks after a University of Montana student claimed she was raped by the quarterback of the football team, the coach enthusiastically welcomed him back to spring drills and lauded his "character and tremendous moral fiber." The woman's lawyer, Josh Van de Wetering, quickly complained to the athletic department that the comment left his client "less than confident in the university's commitment to protect her." Since then, the case has played out against a backdrop of NCAA and federal investigations of t...
MISSOULA (AP) — Missoula's ban on the use of cellphones while driving transitions on Tuesday from an educational phase involving warnings to one with citations carrying fines up to $300. The Missoulian reports (http://bit.ly/X6HhQj) that a second citation can lead to a fine of up to $500. The ban allows for the hands-free use of cellphones, such as putting a caller on speakerphone or using ear buds with a microphone. Missoula Police Chief Mark Muir says officers issued 28 warnings in December. He says as daylight increases a...
KALISPELL (AP) — A 40-year-old Kalispell man who authorities say used his cellphone to record video of two girls taking showers has pleaded not guilty to two counts of felony sexual assault of children. The Daily Inter Lake reports (http://bit.ly/11ingwF) that Jeff Evinrude made the plea Thursday in Flathead District Court. Police say that Evinrude on May 13, 2012, hid his cellphone in a towel on the bathroom floor to record a 12-year-old girl taking a shower. Police say the 12-year-old spotted the phone and discovered it h...
KALISPELL (AP) — A man convicted of felony aggravated cruelty to animals in a Flathead County cat-hoarding case has failed to meet the requirements of his two-year deferred sentence by using drugs and failing to get a job or pay restitution. The Daily Inter Lake reports (http://bit.ly/U8f3rL Edwin Criswell was sentenced Thursday to two years with the Montana Department of Corrections. Criswell and his wife, Cheryl, were convicted in September 2011. He was given a two-year deferred sentence and they were ordered to pay $...
MISSOULA (AP) — A federal judge sentenced a medical marijuana provider on Friday to five years in prison under a plea agreement struck with federal prosecutors after a jury convicted him at trial. Chris Williams' sentencing in Missoula wraps up the prosecution of four co-owners of Montana Cannabis, one of the largest medical marijuana operations caught up in a federal crackdown that culminated with raids on more than two dozen homes and businesses in the state in 2011. U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen accepted the r...
