Living
Billings … Montana’s river port that never was
What if Billings had become the head of steamboat navigation on the Yellowstone River in the 1870s? If that had happened, Billings might have become a sister city to Fort Benton, Montana’s oldest city and the famed river port on the upper Missouri River. And what if Billings had become a gateway to the newly […]
Storing guns away from home could reduce suicides, but legal hurdles loom
HELENA, Mont. — Mike Hossfeld unlocked a heavy black steel door to his home’s gun safe, unveiling both modern and antique firearms, some dating from the early 1900s. “Most of this is mine. There are a few weapons in here that belong to other folks,” he said. Hossfeld regularly stores firearms for others who are […]
Problems plaguing small outdoor recreation businesses explored at U.S. Senate hearing
WASHINGTON — Operators and promoters of outdoor recreation companies said at a U.S. Senate hearing that small tourist businesses like theirs are a critical part of the rural U.S. economy facing multiple challenges. Witnesses before the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship on Wednesday listed climate change, inflation, high gas prices and a potential […]
Montana Supreme Court: ‘Retroactive’ punishment for sexual, violent offenders is unconstitutional
Randall Menges has technically been a free man since 2015 – that’s when he completed his sentence in Idaho. That seven-year sentence in Idaho was for violating a ban on homosexual sex, even though court records show it was a consensual act between two minors. Even though homosexual sex has since been decriminalized, Menges wanted […]
Residents of Midwest, Mountain West see biggest pay bumps
Residents of some Midwestern and Mountain states gained the most income per capita during the past four years, a Stateline analysis shows, as competition for workers drove up wages in relatively affordable places to live. With the COVID-19 pandemic now in the nation’s rearview mirror, Stateline’s analysis offers a more complete understanding of how some […]
Millions of grassland acres lost in Great Plains, new research report says
The Great Plains lost 1.6 million acres of grasslands in 2021. That’s according to a World Wildlife Fund report released on Thursday, detailing the loss of grasslands in the U.S. and Canadian Great Plains. From 2012 to 2021, grassland conversion in the Great Plains totaled 32 million acres, or 50,000 square miles. The Plowprint report […]
Millions of rural Americans rely on private wells. Few regularly test their water.
FORT DODGE, Iowa — Allison Roderick has a warning and a pledge for rural residents of her county: The water from their wells could be contaminated, but the government can help make it safe. Roderick is the environmental health officer for Webster County in north-central Iowa, where a few thousand rural residents live among sprawling […]
UAW announces tentative deal with Stellantis, expands strike against GM
The United Auto Workers announced Saturday that it has reached a tentative agreement to end the 44-day strike against Stellantis, following a similar deal with Ford earlier in the week. “On Day 44 of our Stand Up Strike, I am honored to announce that our union is again victorious. Once again we’ve achieved just weeks […]
Short-term rentals are on the chopping block in some Montana cities
Montana cities have been feeling the housing shortage in the state and are looking to what could be a solution: Banning short term rentals, like Airbnbs and VRBOs. The city of Bozeman banned short-term rentals where the owner doesn’t live on the property, and Missoula is considering taking similar action. The state is still looking […]
Pro-Palestinian protesters clash with white supremacists in Missoula during the weekend
Outside the Missoula County Courthouse, a pro-Palestinian demonstration on Saturday turned tense after a crew of white supremacists arrived. A shouting match started across an intersection between the two groups, with police in between, lasting for about 35 minutes before one man from the hate group was arrested and pro-Palestinian demonstrators denounced the group. The […]
First major snow, freezing temps of season expected this week across much of Montana
Most of Montana is likely to see its first major snowfall of the season this week and the first hard freezes of the season at lower elevations, according to Monday’s forecasts from National Weather Service offices across the state. Winter storm warnings and winter storm watches go into effect Tuesday from the Continental Divide eastward […]
Copper King Clark loved Montana only because of what he could take from it
“Those who succeed us can well take care of themselves.” – Sen. William A. Clark, U.S. Senate, Feb. 23, 1907 Butte would not be the unvarnished soul of Montana if not for William Andrews Clark. The state wouldn’t be so cocky and self-possessed, so vulnerable and beguiling if not for the Old Man, the Copper […]