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Montana doctors, nurses argue for public health; state argues for power to protect citizens
Mark Carpenter is a kidney transplant recipient who thought the COVID-19 vaccine would work for him, and he also figured health care providers who treat him would be vaccinated. But his body didn’t develop much immunity with the vaccine, and COVID-19 could severely affect his heart, lungs and one functioning kidney, he said. He’s had […]
Montana State Prison over capacity, shutting down visitation due to staffing shortages
Visitation for inmates at the over-capacity and short-staffed Montana State Prison will be suspended Oct. 31 until further notice. “The vacancy rates at the facility are holding steady,” Department of Corrections Carolynn Bright said Friday in an email. “However, while we recognize the importance of in-person visitation to inmates and their friends and families, we […]
Brrr … Montana mountains, some cities, to get snow this weekend
Put your flip flops away and get your skis waxed. A cold front is moving across Montana, and it’s going to drop snow in the mountains this weekend just as rifle season starts, according to the National Weather Service. Billings and Great Falls could see snow, and more than 12 inches could fall in a […]
Montana’s western U.S. House district goes from ‘likely to ‘leans’ Republican in national analyses
Democrat Monica Tranel faces “an uphill climb” to represent Montana in the U.S. House of Representatives, but Republican and favorite Ryan Zinke “has a unique image problem,” said the Cook Political Report as it shifted its projection for the district from “Likely Republican” to “Leans Republican.” Wednesday, the Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball […]
Montana’s elected officials weigh in on Holland Lake Lodge expansion proposal
Talk to the community — and listen. Do a thorough environmental analysis. Pay attention to conflicts with grizzly bears. Those are just some of the comments in the mix from elected leaders in Montana regarding the proposal to expand Holland Lake Lodge, a private resort operating on public land. The thousands of people commenting include […]
Zinke continues to out-raise Tranel, but Tranel pulls more Montana money
Republican Ryan Zinke has pulled in $5.5 million since Montana’s U.S. House of Representatives race started, more than double the total $2.4 million Democrat Monica Tranel has brought in — but Tranel has raised roughly twice as much money from Montana. That’s according to data provided from her campaign, information Lee Enterprises attributed to the […]
Holland Lake Lodge expansion controversial, but owner said it’s a plan for the future
Thousands of people are raising objections to a controversial plan to expand Holland Lake Lodge, especially after the U.S. Forest Service admits it made errors at the beginning of the process. For one, a group that formed to fight the expansion on public land noted the number of acres currently permitted — 10.53 acres, according […]
Yellowstone announces Northeast Entrance Road opening, Cooke City getting busy
Yellowstone National Park announced Thursday its Northeast Entrance Road will open Oct. 15 — effectively opening up 99 percent of the park’s roads after historic flooding in June closed much of Yellowstone. Already, tourists are making their plans. In Cooke City, Kenny Polk said the High Country Motel and Cabins he manages are already sold […]
Montana’s first domestic violence treatment court launches
If a domestic violence case drags on, a victim might wonder if she’s going to be living in a home with someone she’s going to have to testify against in court. Already, domestic violence cases are difficult to prosecute, and delays create even more challenges, said Ryan Mickelson, deputy county attorney with Missoula County. “Oftentimes, […]
Power bills grow this month, and PSC commissioner wants any ‘brownouts’ directed at Missoula
Your electricity bill is going up 12.6 percent this month, or $11.19, if you’re an average residential customer with NorthWestern Energy. That’s $134.28 a year, but it’s less than the $170.16 a year the monopoly requested in its interim rate increase. That would have been nearly 16 percent more. Last week, the Montana Public Service […]
Montana House candidates split on abortion, but debate shifts following Dobbs
The abortion debate has taken a different turn on the campaign trail in Montana since the U.S. Supreme Court released the Dobbs decision, which overturned Roe vs. Wade. Last week in Butte, moderators asked candidates running for the U.S. House of Representatives in Montana’s western district to clarify at what gestational age and under what […]
Judge: Gender discrimination case against University of Montana not a “class action” — yet
Federal District Judge Brian Morris won’t certify a lawsuit by plaintiffs alleging gender discrimination at the University of Montana as a class-action case just yet because he said their claims are too broad, but he left the door open to the possibility in the future. In a ruling this week, Morris said the women may […]