Last Best News (https://montana-mint.com/lastbestnews/category/montana/page/16/)
The evolution of news in our region continues. Billings-based Yellowstone Public Radio has joined with five other public radio stations to produce in-depth coverage of subjects unique to the Rocky Mountain West. (more…) Continue Reading →
A national civil rights group based in Washington, D.C., has filed a class-action lawsuit against the state of Montana for suspending the licenses of people who have safe driving records but are otherwise too poor to pay their traffic tickets or court costs. (more…) Continue Reading →
Glacier National Park’s historic and much-loved Sperry Chalet was destroyed late Thursday when high winds pushed the Sprague fire to the east and it overtook the building, despite firefighters’ best efforts. The main building was lost at about 6 p.m., according to Glacier Park officials, who made the announcement via Facebook. (more…) Continue Reading →
The Sweetgrass Border Patrol Station, which last month reported the apprehension of an Irish national attempting to sneak into the United States, publicized another arrest on Thursday. In a press release, the Border Patrol said its agents arrested a 25-year-old man from Alberta, Canada, trying to enter the United States illegally while carrying “large amounts of U.S. currency.” The release said agents saw a “suspicious vehicle” traveling along a road near the border in the vicinity of the Sweetgrass Port of Entry, northeast of Cut Bank on Tuesday evening. They stopped the vehicle and questioned the driver, who said he had illegally entered the country by cutting down border fencing. The man, who was not named, was arrested and his vehicle, a white Chevy pickup, was impounded. Continue Reading →
Joined by Missoula teachers and students, U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., announced legislation on Tuesday that would do away with standardized tests and give local school districts more control over the education and assessment of their students. Standing in the foyer of Sentinel High School, Tester said his new bill would replace federally mandated tests, required annually, with three standardized tests offered once in elementary, middle and high school. (more…) Continue Reading →
If you feel parched, the statistics say you’re justified. Montana has the most intense drought conditions in the nation, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor published by NOAA. And conditions aren’t expected to improve in September, either for the drought or for the wildfire danger. (more…) Continue Reading →
Another Montana politician accused of illegally accepting campaign contributions from corporations has admitted his guilt and agreed to pay a fine. Pat M. Wagman signed a settlement agreement in which he agreed to pay a civil fine of $19,599 by Oct. 1, and to pay $100 a day for every day after that if the fine is not paid in full. Wagman signed the settlement on Aug. 8 and it was signed Friday by state Commissioner of Political Practices Jeff Magnan. Continue Reading →
Driving home from witnessing the total solar eclipse in Casper, Wyo., on Monday, I saw my chance to take a backroad-drive I’d been thinking about for months. When I went down to Wyola last spring, to write a story about the school there (it ran first in the Montana Quarterly, then on Last Best News), I brought along my trusty DeLorme Montana Atlas & Gazetteer, 2013 edition. (more…) Continue Reading →
The Montana Supreme Court has denied former state Sen. Art Wittich’s four-part appeal of his conviction on charges of violating Montana’s campaign finance laws. Justice Beth Baker said in the 42-page opinion that the high court affirmed all of the District Court judge’s rulings in the case, and it found that former state Commissioner of Political Practices Jonathan Motl did nothing illegal in filing the action against Wittich in District Court. (more…) Continue Reading →
The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem has, heretofore, never had a single journalistic presence devoted entirely to making sense of our vast region. Now it does. Mountain Journal was just launched this week as an online, not-for-profit entity devoted to the mission of public-interest journalism. (more…) Continue Reading →
