Author

Blair Miller

Blair Miller

Blair Miller is a reporter based in Helena who primarily covers government, climate and courts. He's been a journalist for more than 12 years, previously based in Denver, Albuquerque and mid-Missouri.

Thirteen bison die after being hit by semitruck north of West Yellowstone

By: - December 30, 2022

Thirteen bison were killed or euthanized after they were hit by a semitruck Wednesday evening north of West Yellowstone on U.S. Highway 191, according to the police department there. The crash happened around 6:30 p.m. near mile marker 4. West Yellowstone Police Chief Mike Gavagan said in a news release the semitruck hit all the […]

Montana Republicans to form election integrity committee for 2023 session

By: - December 29, 2022

Montana Republicans will form a select committee for the 2023 legislative session to discuss the state’s elections laws and processes months after a judge struck down three voting laws they passed in 2021 that restricted voting access. Multiple lawmakers confirmed three members from each chamber — two Republicans and a Democrat from both the Senate […]

Joint commissioners meeting to pick HD 80 representative moved to Helena

By: - December 29, 2022

The meeting at which commissioners from Lewis and Clark and Powell counties will pick a new representative for House District 80 next Tuesday will be held in Helena instead of Deer Lodge, a county official said Wednesday. Commissioners will now meet at 2 p.m. Jan. 3 at the City-County Building, 316 N. Park Avenue, in […]

Gianforte to appoint next Commissioner of Political Practices from open field

By: - December 28, 2022

The field is wide open for Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte to select the next Commissioner of Political Practices after a Nomination Committee failed to find consensus Wednesday on applicants who interviewed for the job. The committee of two Republicans and two Democrats put forth two motions at the end of the meeting – one from […]

Panel picks three nominees for consideration for Montana HD 80 vacancy

By: - December 27, 2022

A joint panel of Lewis and Clark County and Powell County Republicans on Tuesday picked three nominees to send to county commissioners to fill the House District 80 seat vacated by Becky Beard earlier this month when she was picked to fill the Senate District 40 seat. In no particular order, the committee advanced Hailey […]

Committee to interview applicants for Commissioner of Political Practices job Wednesday

By: - December 27, 2022

Lawmakers on the Nomination Committee will meet Wednesday to interview five people who applied to be Montana’s next Commissioner of Political Practices and decide whether any of them should be forwarded to Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte for appointment and Senate confirmation.  The five applicants who will be interviewed in Wednesday’s 2 p.m. meeting are Chris […]

Snow-covered mountains and roads during -26-degree temperatures in northwest Montana

Arctic air breaks cold weather records across Montana

By: - December 22, 2022

The Arctic air mass that moved into Montana late Tuesday night has broken decades-old records in parts of the state and will threaten record low maximum temperatures on Thursday, according to forecasters.  Temperatures in central and western Montana reached the -30s and -40s early Thursday morning and are only expected to warm to the -10 to […]

EPA proposes settlement for Clean Water Act violations on Blackfeet Reservation

By: - December 21, 2022

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday announced a proposed settlement with a tribal water company on the Blackfeet Reservation that has agreed to pay $40,000 to settle violations of the Clean Water Act at two treatment facilities. Two Medicine Water Company agreed to the proposed settlement after it was found to have failed to […]

Centers serving unhoused Montanans preparing to exceed capacity during bitter cold

By: - December 20, 2022

With the coldest temperatures in 30 to 40 years set to hit Montana this week, organizations that serve Montana’s population experiencing homelessness are preparing to be well over capacity, and some are looking to overflow sites to protect people from freezing to death.  Low temperatures are expected to reach -30 to -40 degrees across the […]

Record-breaking cold expected across Montana on Wednesday, Thursday

By: - December 20, 2022

Record-breaking cold temperatures not seen in Montana in more than 30 years are expected statewide Wednesday night and Thursday morning as an Arctic air mass drops down from Canada.  “We’re expecting the possibility for cold on historic proportions this Thursday — temperatures quite possibly colder than anything we’ve seen in 40 years,” said C. Corby […]