Briefs
Gianforte solicits applications for two judicial vacancies
Gov. Greg Gianforte said he is accepting applications for judicial vacancies in Yellowstone and Gallatin counties. First reported by the Billing’s Gazette, Yellowstone County District Court Judge Gregory Todd, the county’s longest sitting judge, will retire on Dec. 31, 2021. The other vacancy was created by the state legislature at the proposal of Gianforte to […]
Yellowstone announces August 2021 was most-visited August on record
Yellowstone National Park hosted 921,844 recreation visits in August 2021, making it the most-visited August on record, according to a news release from the park. This is a 4.5% increase from August 2020 (881,829 recreational visits) and a 12% increase from August 2019 (820,006 recreation visits), the park said. Previously, the busiest August on record […]
Missoula expected to break active COVID-19 case record Wednesday morning
Missoula County reported the highest amount of daily new cases on Saturday with 157 and said in a press release Tuesday that it is on track to break its record high of active cases by Wednesday morning. The county’s record of active cases came in November 2020 with 1,217. On Tuesday, the Missoula City-County Health […]
Gov’s budget office gets new director
Gov. Greg Gianforte will be getting a new budget director starting Oct. 1 as the current director, Kurt Alme, transitions out of his role to return to Billings to be with his family, the governor’s office announced in a news release on Tuesday. Alme will be replaced by Buffalo Republic Sen. Ryan Osmundson. Osmundson was […]
Gov’s briefing: Fires slowing down, for now
Changing weather patterns have begun to slow down the ferocious pace of wildfires, though Montana isn’t quite out of the (rather dry) woods yet. Gov. Greg Gianforte met with state fire officials for an update this Tuesday. There are 60 active fires in the state currently, and 18 are considered large incidents. The state saw […]
Former DPHHS head Sheila Hogan named Montana Democratic Party director
The Montana Democratic Party has hired former Department of Public Health and Human Services Director Sheila Hogan as its executive director, the party announced Monday. Hogan’s pick fills the vacancy created by the departure of labor organizer Sandi Luckey as party director during the summer. Legislator Moffie Funk had been serving in an interim role […]
State and Montana State Prison employees agree to reconvene in Sept. as negotiations continue and possibility of strike looms
Contract negotiations between the Montana State Prison and the state are ongoing as of Monday afternoon, with both parties agreeing to meet in mid-to-late September, according to the Montana Federation of Public Employees. The two groups met Thursday for the first time since the employee union voted 60-0 to engage in concerted activity, bringing the […]
Three Yellowstone County residents die of COVID-19 related illness over the weekend
Yellowstone County health officials are hoping the Federal Drug Administration’s full approval of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine will help slow the spread of the infection as deaths and cases rise in the county and hospitals fill up. In a press release on Monday, Riverstone Health reported that three people had died from a COVID-19 related […]
‘Hoot owl’ restrictions lifted for some Montana rivers
Several “hoot owl” restrictions currently in effect on portions of some Montana rivers have been lifted. Restrictions will be lifted on: Missouri River from the Cascade boat ramp to Holter Dam (river mile 2,166.2 to 2,202.1) Madison River from Ennis Dam to the border with Yellowstone National Park (river mile 40 to 131) Stillwater River […]
Gov’s fire briefing: 50 residences have burned this year, top-priority fire is Thorne Creek
Montana may be in for a cold, rainy spell, and most of the state might have breathable air for the first time in what feels like forever, but wildfire season is still in full swing. There are 25 active large fires in the state, which has seen 792,000 acres burn so far since January, Gov. […]
Full fishing closures for portions of the Big Hole River
Full fishing closures will go into effect on portions on the Big Hole River Aug. 17. Full fishing closures prohibit fishing at all times of day. These closures will stay in effect until conditions improve. These closures go into effect, Tuesday, Aug. 17, at 12:01 a.m.: Dickie Bridge to North Fork Big Hole River. Tony […]
Volunteers sought for cleanup on Three Forks of the Flathead Wild and Scenic River
The Flathead Rivers Alliance is seeking volunteers for the 2021 Flathead Waters Cleanup event on Saturday, August 14, 2021 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to a news release from Glacier National Park. Volunteers are needed in several capacities including hiking the shoreline and floating or scuba diving the three forks of the Flathead […]