Last Best News (https://montana-mint.com/lastbestnews/category/montana/page/24/)
Teachers from around Montana received a joyous lesson in the power of music Wednesday at Montana State University Billings. First they watched “The Music of Strangers,” a 2015 documentary about the Silk Road Ensemble, an international-music project founded 16 years ago by the cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Then they had the chance to listen to and speak with two dynamic members of the ensemble—a bagpiper from Spain and a bamboo-flute player from Japan. (more…) Continue Reading →
Kent Harris took Walt Disney’s words to heart: “If you can dream it, you can do it.”
Gear Head Land was not in the headlights for Harris in his youth. And the retired banker admits that he was never really much of a motorcycle or car guy. He had, and does own, some nice wheels, but he had never gone in for the nitty-gritty part—the dirty, oily hands, scratched-up knuckles and sleepless nights thinking about projects. (more…) Continue Reading →
Editor’s note: This is reprinted with permission from Montana Mint, a website whose stated mission is to “Bring the best of Montana to the internet.” The Montana Mint recently had the opportunity to speak with Rob Quist, the Democratic candidate in Montana’s special election for our lone seat in Congress. We spoke with Quist between campaign events and discussed the campaign, his thoughts on President Trump, his past financial issues, and his favorite pizza in the state. (more…) Continue Reading →
HELENA — The Montana Senate is considering a bill passed by the House 62-38 late last month that would provide partial forgiveness of student loans for farmers. Introduced by Rep. Zach Brown, D-Bozeman, House Bill 631 would repay up to half of a farmer’s student loans if he or she commits to farming or ranching for a minimum of five years. “Student loan debt is a big issue facing our economy in general,” Brown said. “It’s holding back young professionals.”
Brown said the issue is particularly relevant to the agriculture industry, which he described as “aging.” According to the latest statistics from the USDA’s Ag Census, which is done every five years, the average age of the American farmer in 2012 was 58. That’s five years older than the average age in 1992. Continue Reading →
HELENA — When it comes to balancing the state budget, there are two schools of thought—raise taxes and generate revenue, or cut spending and save money. With the state facing a budget shortfall, that ideological difference has become all the more prominent throughout Montana’s 65th legislative session. Often, it defines party lines. (more…) Continue Reading →
Thanks to the never-ending fascination with the Battle of the Little Bighorn, a rifle linked to the battle recently sold at auction for a quarter million dollars. The Sharps rifle was billed by the company, Brian Lebel’s Old West Events, as “The first firearm forensically proven to have been used at Custer’s Last Stand,” using the old name for the famous battle. (more…) Continue Reading →
All across the country, voters often sit elections out because they lack access to good, reliable information about the candidates and issues. With a special election coming up in Montana on May 25 to find a replacement for Ryan Zinke, until recently Montana’s lone House member and now secretary of the Interior Department, Forward Montana is hoping to change that. (more…) Continue Reading →
HELENA — With so much talk of money during Montana’s 65th legislative session, it can be difficult to comprehend how all that money affects everyday Montanans. This session, one group has become the de facto human face of the budget—direct care workers. (more…) Continue Reading →
On April 6, 1917, the United States entered World War I, and the still young state of Montana was shaken and shaped by the events taking place across the ocean in the war to end all wars. This Thursday, on the 100th anniversary of U.S. entry into World War I, the Montana Historical Society will present “What Can We Learn from World War I?” at 6:30 p.m. at MHS. (more…) Continue Reading →
Forsyth Public Schools were hit with computer malware over the weekend, causing problems for teachers, students, parents and district administrators. The good news, Superintendent Dinny Bennett said, is that whoever did the damage “did not hack our system to take information, just to corrupt it.” (more…) Continue Reading →
