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Since southern Montana lost passenger rail service in 1979, Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority (BSPRA) Chairman Dave Strohmaier said there have been various attempts over the past four decades to try and bring it back. Strohmaier feels this was due to a lack of a motivating force to sustain this type of project into fruition during that time period. With the BSPRA celebrating its first anniversary in November of 2021, he can now see a path forward to restoring the North Coast Hiawatha or the other...
Last week, the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) published a draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for a proposed expansion at Logan Landfill, a Class II landfill operated by the Gallatin County Solid Waste District (District) . The District accepts approximately 160,000 tons of waste per year and services Gallatin County, including the West Yellowstone/Hebgen Lake Refuse District, the cities of Belgrade, Three Forks, Bozeman and the town of Manhattan. The Logan Landfill also receives... Full story
As yet another winter storm wallops western Montana, the Montana Department of Transportation is trying its best to keep the 12,923 miles of road in its care clear of snow and ice. But this year, it's doing that with about 60 fewer people than normal, thanks to a national labor shortage that continues to impact nearly every facet of life. Fewer drivers means fewer plow trucks on the roads, and that means roads might be snow-covered longer than normal following a big storm. State officials are... Full story
It was a dominant week for the Three Forks High School girls basketball team. In the first two games of the 2022 portion of their schedule, the Wolves (4-4, 3-2 5B) were phenomenal on the defensive end of the court, picking up a 39-27 home win over rival Manhattan and a 40-22 road victory Saturday at Townsend. Following the victory over the Tigers, Head Coach Mike Sauvageau praised the defense's play. "We spend ¾ of our practices on defense. We figure if we can play defense, we might be... Full story
With the ringing in of the New Year, we have much to be thankful for and a lot to look forward to in 2022 in Gallatin County! One of the things we are most grateful for is our newest judge, Andrew Breuner, who has joined the ranks as our fourth District Court judge in Gallatin County. With a growing population, our three District Courts – which handle the most serious of our citizens' issues – have been handling rapidly increasing caseloads for years. With more cases on their plates, our thr... Full story
More than a year after voters approved legalizing marijuana for recreational use in Montana, anyone older than 21 can now walk into a dispensary and buy cannabis. That has medical marijuana user Joylynn Mane Wright worried. Wright lives in Prairie County, the state’s fifth-least-populated county, with nearly 1,100 people. She already drives about 35 minutes to get to the marijuana dispensary nearest her home, which is 2½ hours northeast of Billings. And now she wonders how much more difficult it will be to get the cannabis she uses to re... Full story
Following two months of below normal precipitation across most of Montana, snow was welcomed during the month of December. October and November did bring above normal precipitation to portions of southwest and northwest Montana; however, uncharacteristically much of it was rain. As of Dec. 1, the snowpack measured by the Natural Resources Conservation Service's (NRCS) SNOTEL network was below normal across the state. Fortunately, in December, shifting upper-level circulation brought Arctic air... Full story
UM News Service In a new study published in Science Advances, University of Montana researchers found that climate change drives native trout declines by reducing stream habitat and facilitating the expansion of invasive trout species. "This study had three main questions: How have the distributions of native and invasive trout shifted in Montana over the last 30 years, how will they change in the future, and what factors are causing those changes?" said Donovan Bell, the study's lead author...
During a 6-0 start before Christmas break, Three Forks High School boys basketball Head Coach Terry Hauser praised his team's defensive play. The intensity on defense was once again prevalent in their return to the court last week, with the Wolves (8-0, 5-0 5B) picking up a dominant 70-49 home win over Manhattan and a workmanlike 59-49 road victory Saturday at Townsend. Following the victory Friday, Hauser said he could not have scripted the start to the game in which Three Forks took a massive... Full story
STAFF REPORT In their return from winter break, the Three Forks High School wrestling team again proved they are one of the best programs in the state at last week's Tom LeProwse Tournament in Bozeman. The Wolves had three wrestlers place at the tournament, which fielded some of the best competition from all classes in Montana. Leading the way for Three Forks was Cole Rogers, who finished second at 103 pounds. Rogers opened the tournament with a pin in 42 seconds against Gage Hartnell of Great...
HELENA – Montana Housing announced today that more than $30 million in rent and utility assistance has been paid to support Montanans who have experienced financial hardships due to the COVID-19 pandemic and were at risk of housing instability. The federally funded assistance is provided by the Montana Emergency Rental Assistance Program. “We’re proud of our caring and dedicated Emergency Rental Assistance team members for helping thousands of Montana families and individuals stay in their homes,” said Montana Department of Commerce Directo... Full story
BOZEMAN — A new study from a Montana State University researcher and his colleagues provides evidence that the labor market tightened for the nursing workforce throughout the first 15 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, a period marked by falling employment and rising wages across the industry. The paper, “Nurse Employment During the First 15 Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic,” was published today in the January issue of the journal Health Affairs. Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Current Population Survey, which is admin... Full story
HELENA, Mont. – After proclaiming January as Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month in Montana, Governor Greg Gianforte today teamed up with Attorney General Austin Knudsen to encourage Montanans to join the fight to end human trafficking. "Generating an estimated $150 billion worldwide per year, human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery whereby traffickers, which are often organized criminal enterprises, profit at the expense of adults or children by compelling them to p... Full story
HELENA - The 2021 Legislature passed House Bill 303, changing how Montana taxes business equipment. The new law increases the business equipment tax exemption from $100,000 to $300,000 for Tax Year 2022. Businesses whose statewide market value of equipment is $300,000 or less are exempt from the business equipment tax. These businesses will not have a reporting requirement in 2022 unless: (1) they have acquired new personal property that would increase their equipment’s aggregate market value above the exemption amount; or, (2) the department r...
HELENA – The Montana Department of Commerce announced today that applications will now be accepted for Recovery Destination Event Grants. Available through the Tourism Grant Program, a total of $500,000 of funding is now available to support established and new destination events that will increase non-resident and resident visitor attendance and generate revenue to Montana communities. “Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, several major events have been either rescheduled or canceled across the state, causing a negative economic imp... Full story
Road ecologists say wildlife crossings are one of the best ways to reduce wildlife-vehicles collisions and mitigate one of the most significant human impacts on ecosystems. This three-part series examines Montana's approach to crossing initiatives as the federal government prepares to implement a $350 million pilot project - the largest investment of its kind in U.S. history. During a Nov. 17 hearing, Martha Williams answered dozens of questions you'd expect an incoming director of the U.S.... Full story
