5 Things to Know in Montana for July 24

Your daily look at news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today.

WALSH SAYS ALLEGATIONS WON'T HURT ELECTION CHANCES:

Sen. John Walsh said his extensive, unattributed use of others' work in his master's thesis was not plagiarism, but "a few citations that were unintentionally left out of a term paper" that he blamed in part on post-Iraq war trauma. He says the plagiarism allegations first reported by The New York Times should not harm his campaign to keep his seat in the race against U.S. Rep. Steve Daines this fall.

STATE DISPUTE WITH XEROX RESOLVED:

State officials say they've resolved a breach of contract issue with Xerox over developing a new computer program for Medicaid payments. Montana Department of Health and Human Services Director Richard Opper says his department has accepted a revised work plan and that they have been encouraged by Xerox's cooperation.

SUPREME COURT REJECTS FORMER TOURISM DIRECTOR'S APPEAL:

The Montana Supreme Court is upholding the 2010 firing of former state tourism director Betsy Baumgart. She was fired in 2010 for leaving millions of dollars of agency funds unspent. Baumgart contended that her firing was politically motivated.

WILDFIRE SEASON OFF TO SLOW START:

Despite widespread drought in the West, wildfires have burned less than half the 10-year average area so far this summer. U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell says that has largely been a matter of luck, with the hot, windy weather known as "red flag" days not lining up with the lighting strikes that start fires.

COPPER MINE PROPOSAL DRAWS HUNDREDS OF COMMENTS:

A proposal to dig test wells at the site of a planned copper mine near White Sulphur Springs has drawn about 940 public comments. A Tintina Resources subsidiary plans to apply for an operations permit for the Black Butte mining project, but first is asking state regulators permission to drill four wells to test how pumping water for the mining operation will affect the groundwater table.