News you can use
News you can use
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Press release MISSOULA — The Montana Department of Transportation Great Falls District US-2 has announced a free opportunity for the public to join an infrastructure tour from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. June 20. The tour will include stops at Havre East, Lohman, Chinook, Zurich, Belknap, and the Milk River Bridge as an opportunity to learn firsthand of current projects enhancing Montana communities. Staff from the Montana Department of Transportation and Transportation Commissioners, including Great Falls District Transportation C...
By MATT VOLZ, Associated Press HELENA — Montana State Auditor Matt Rosendale will challenge Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Tester in November as Republicans look to take back Tester’s seat and complete a sweep of Montana’s congressional delegation. In Montana’s other top primary, former state legislator Kathleen Williams defeated four other candidates to win the Democratic nomination for the state’s U.S. House seat and take on Republican incumbent Greg Gianforte. Her win punctuated a big night for women running for office in...
Eddie Harmon, Turner Track A year ago, Eddie Harmon made Turner track and field history with a Class C state championship in the 800 meters. One year later, he did it twice. Last weekend in Great Falls, Harmon repeated as the 800-meter champion at the State C track meet, but he also added a state title in the 400 meters to his incredible track career. Harmon, who also finished third in the 200, teammate Cody Welsh, combined to help Turner to an outstanding fourth-place finish...
By MATT VOLZ Associated Press HELENA — Republicans are taking out an attack ad against Sen. Jon Tester in an attempt to make good on President Donald Trump’s pledge that the Montana Democrat will pay for scuttling his Department of Veterans Affairs nominee. The ad by the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which will air statewide for at least a week starting today, says Tester spread reckless allegations and lies about White House physician Ronny Jackson. The ad shows a clip of Trump saying that what Tester did to Jac...
Press release HELENA — Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana’s Healthy Kids, Healthy Families initiative is a centerpiece of its charitable giving, and the 2017 grant application process is open from April 1 through May 15. Entering its fifth year, the HKHF initiative has already contributed $650,000 to programs benefiting the state’s youth and families, such as a $50,000 grant to Rocky Boy schools last year. This year, BCBSMT will again award four $50,000 grants — one in each of the following Montana regions: western...
By MATT VOLZ Associated Press HELENA — Montana Gov. Steve Bullock wrapped up a two-day tour of Iowa on Friday to campaign for that state’s Democratic attorney general and test the waters for a possible 2020 presidential run. Bullock headlined a fundraiser for Attorney General Tom Miller’s re-election campaign on Thursday and on Friday was to speak to Polk County Democrats in the state’s largest county. In between, Bullock’s schedule was packed with meetings with local elected officials and party leaders across central I...
By MATT VOLZ Associated Press HELENA — The Montana Supreme Court heard arguments Friday on reinstating a ban on tax credits for donations that go toward scholarships for students who attend private religious schools. Montana revenue officials and public education advocates urged the justices to reverse a Kalispell judge’s order last year and prevent religious schools from benefiting from the tax credit program. Attorneys for the parents of three religious school students, however, asked the justices to toss the ban bec...
By MATTHEW BROWN Associated Press BILLINGS — A brewing trade war between China and the U.S. comes at an inopportune time for Montana ranchers, who are seeking to close a multi-year deal to export up to $200 million of beef through China’s largest online retailer, industry representatives said Thursday. The export agreement between the Montana Stockgrowers Association and Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com was touted as a landmark agreement when it was announced in November, soon after the lifting of longstanding res...
By DAVID ERICKSON Missoulian MISSOULA (AP) — There’s a stark difference in the job growth around the Montana cities of Billings, Missoula, Bozeman, Kalispell and Helena compared to the rural areas in the state. Huge portions of rural Montana are being left behind as the state’s economic growth — which is hotter than the U.S. overall — is restricted almost exclusively to counties with larger urban areas. There are 56 counties in Montana, but from 2000-2016, just five counties have captured 75 percent of new jobs, according...
By MATT VOLZ Associated Press HELENA — U.S. Sen. Jon Tester has a message for the Republican Senate candidates who have bashed him in recent public appearances: Focus on your primary election first, then get ready to “arm wrestle.” The two-term Democrat made his comments Thursday to reporters in Helena, in answer to a question about his potential opponents’ criticism of his leadership on veterans’ issues. “I think what they really need to focus on is getting through a June election, and then we can get down to it, start t...
HELENA (AP) — Montana’s government bodies and agencies must give some details about whose privacy rights they are protecting when justifying closing a meeting that would otherwise be open to the public, the state Supreme Court ruled. Justices in a 5-0 decision Tuesday said that the Wolf Point School District Board of Trustees’ explanation for closing a four-hour meeting to the public before firing a schoolteacher in 2015 was insufficient. Teacher Kristine Raap had waived her right to privacy to keep the meeting open, but t...
Over the weekend, cooler and wetter weather helped ease the effects of this year’s fire season, but most of the counties within the Lewistown Fire Restriction Area have decided to stay in fire restrictions, with the exception of Chouteau and Phillips Counties. These two counties along with Montana Department of Natural Resource & Conservation rescinded Stage 1 fire restrictions effective immediately. Blaine, Golden Valley, Hill, Roosevelt, Sheridan and Valley Counties are currently in Stage 1 fire restrictions, including a...
BILLINGS (AP) — Authorities say a school bus taking students on northeastern Montana field trip to Havre has collided head-on with a pickup truck in a crash that killed the bus driver and the pickup's driver. The Montana Highway Patrol said Tuesday that four eighth-graders were injured along with an adult field trip chaperone. The highway patrol says the accident happened about 15 miles west of Glasgow as the students headed to Havre on the trip focusing on Montana state history. Trooper Mitch Willett said the woman d...
By MATT VOLZ Associated Press HELENA - A judge has ordered Montana Rep. Greg Gianforte to be photographed and fingerprinted for assaulting a reporter, opening the possibility of the congressman's mug shot to be used by political opponents next year when Gianforte is up for re-election. Justice Court Judge Rick West ordered Gianforte, a Republican, to report by Sept. 15 to the Gallatin County Detention Center in Bozeman, Montana, to be booked for the assault charge. The judge...
BOZEMAN (AP) — Montana's next congressman, Greg Gianforte, avoided jail time Monday after pleading guilty to assaulting a reporter the day before he was elected. Gallatin County Justice of the Peace Rick West sentenced the Republican technology entrepreneur to 40 hours of community service, 20 hours of anger management counseling and ordered him to pay a $385 fine for the misdemeanor. If he remains law abiding for 180 days, he can petition for the conviction to be removed from his record. Gianforte's attorneys noted that h...
By BOBBY CAINA CALVAN Associated Press BOZEMAN — Today's nationally-watched election for Montana's sole congressional seat got a last-minute twist when the Republican candidate, Greg Gianforte, was charged with misdemeanor assault for grabbing a reporter by the neck and throwing him to the ground. Gallatin County Sheriff Brian Gootkin made the announcement shortly before midnight Wednesday in a written statement, about six hours after the attack on reporter Ben Jacobs of The Guardian. Gianforte would face a maximum $500 f...
HELENA (AP)— A reporter said the Republican candidate for Montana's sole congressional seat "body-slammed" him Wednesday, the day before the special election. Democrats say Republican Greg Ginaforte must quit the race. Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesman Tyler Law said the Republican Party should publicly denounce Gianforte and apologize for the millions of dollars they spent on his behalf. Gianforte campaign spokesman Shane Scanlon said Gianforte was in a private office giving an interview to another n...
By BOBBY CAINA CALVAN Associated Press HELENA — Republican Greg Gianforte loaned himself $1 million to finance his bid for Montana's only seat in the U.S. House, as his Democratic opponent raked in huge sums of cash from small, individual donors ahead of a nationally watched May 25 special election to fill the seat vacated by now-Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke. New filings made with the Federal Election Commission over the weekend show that Gianforte, who made millions from the sale of his software business, has raised more t...
By MATT VOLZ and BOBBY CAINA CALVAN Associated Press HELENA - Dozens of Montana schools that were counting on state funding to replace crumbling roofs and old boilers are out of luck. The same goes for rural areas looking to upgrade their aging water systems and colleges and universities that planned to expand or renovate buildings on their campuses. Montana lawmakers adjourned the 2017 legislative session Friday just like they did two years ago - failing to authorize bonds to...
By BOBBY CAINA CALVAN Associated Press HELENA — In his unsuccessful bid to be elected as Montana's governor last year, Republican Greg Gianforte convened town halls, held press conferences and publicized his travels. Months later, he has shifted his strategy as he campaigns for the state's only congressional seat left vacant after Ryan Zinke became the U.S. Interior Secretary in March. Gianforte is maintaining a relatively low profile that keeps him out of the reach of Democratic operatives and protesters who have shown up a...
HELENA (AP) — State prosecutors decided to drop their attempts to put a convicted murderer who was granted clemency back in prison on Friday, a week after the city of Billings dismissed a misdemeanor charge against him. Assistant Attorney General Ole Olson filed a court motion to dismiss a petition of revocation against Barry Beach, citing the dismissal of the Billings case and the testimony of a witness. "The State agrees that in light of this evidence, that the case cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt or by a p...
Staff and wire report Legislation sponsored by a Rocky Boy legislator aimed at reducing the number of suicides by youth in Montana could soon head to the governor's desk for his signature. The state Senate overwhelmingly endorsed a bill by Rep. Jonathan Windy Boy Saturday that seeks to provide additional resources to anti-suicide programs. It would authorize grants using existing money from a special revenue account. The Senate approved the bill, which combines parts of...
By BOBBY CAINA CALVAN Associated Press HELENA — Gov. Steve Bullock revived debate over mail-only voting today when he used his veto power to rewrite a routine bill to allow counties to conduct the May 25 congressional election by mail. The governor's action caught Secretary of State Corey Stapleton off guard. His fellow Republicans in the House, who had killed the bill last month, were scrambling to see if there was a way to prevent the governor's changes from being debated and getting a floor vote. They might be able to r...
By BOBBY CAINA CALVAN Associated Press HELENA — Montana House Democrats failed to win committee approval Wednesday for a measure that would allow counties to conduct the May 25 congressional election by mail. The legislation is a priority among Democrats who hope that vote-by-mail ballots will increase participation in the special election to fill the seat vacated by Ryan Zinke, who resigned his seat to lead the Interior Department. A majority of the state's 56 counties are pushing lawmakers to consent to mail-only voting, a...
By MATT VOLZ Associated Press HELENA — Montana U.S. Attorney Mike Cotter said Friday that he was shocked by the unprofessional manner in which he and 45 other Obama appointees were asked to turn in their resignations by the end of the day. Cotter told The Associated Press that he received a call Friday afternoon from Acting Deputy Attorney General Dana Boente telling him that President Donald Trump had requested that he and other U.S. attorneys submit their resignations effective at 5 p.m. "I thought it was pretty u...
