Last Best News (https://montana-mint.com/lastbestnews/category/montana/page/25/)
COLUMBUS — Stillwater County residents who have been working for more than two years to establish zoning rules that would regulate oil and gas activity in a small part of the county found out Tuesday that they have more waiting to do. At a meeting called to take action on the zoning proposal, the Stillwater County Commission voted to postpone the issue until at least Aug. 9, to give the county clerk time to authenticate petition signatures. (more…) Continue Reading →
HELENA —With the special congressional election quickly approaching, Montana lawmakers heard heated testimony on a bill last week that would allow counties to opt for mail-in ballots. Senate Bill 305, introduced by Sen. Steve Fitzpatrick, R-Great Falls, would apply only to the upcoming special election between Republican Greg Gianforte and Democrat Rob Quist, who are vying for the U.S. House seat vacated by Ryan Zinke, now President Trump’s Interior secretary. (more…) Continue Reading →
Liz Schwartz’s brother overdosed in their parents’ garage after sucking prescription opioids out of a used fentanyl patch. His mother found him on the floor and immediately called an ambulance. He made it to the hospital in time and survived. Within a year, Schwartz’s father overdosed the same way. He, too, survived. Continue Reading →
Bob Ream, a pioneering wildlife biologist whose study of the first wolves that wandered across the Canadian border into northwest Montana laid the groundwork for the species’ recovery, died this week at age 80. Nearly 40 years ago, Ream led a team of biologists who monitored first one wolf and then others that naturally recolonized the mountains and meadows in and around Glacier National Park. (more…) Continue Reading →
An Army veteran from Laurel has been working for years to prepare for an event that will take place on April 6—the dedication of a memorial to women with ties to Yellowstone County who served in the military during World War I.
But Ed Saunders’ work is far from done. He continues to search for the records of female veterans of the war from all over the state—and just this week he made one of his most exciting discoveries yet. (more…) Continue Reading →
A veteran of the Nevada Department of Corrections has been hired as the new warden of Montana State Prison. Montana Department of Corrections Interim Director Loraine Wodnik announced Thursday that Michael Fletcher, whose most recent job was superintending a maximum-security juvenile detention facility in Nevada, will replace Warden Leroy Kirkegard. Kirkegard, warden for the past five years, is retiring on April 14. (more…) Continue Reading →
The spring rain will find few obstructions as it falls over the Missoula Mercantile, with some drops now making their way to the dusty basement without interference. Deconstruction crews with Home ReSource continued to dismantle the downtown building this week, and expect to have the salvage job completed by April. (more…) Continue Reading →
The Montana History Foundation announced the awarding of grants totaling $117,000 on Wednesday. “Our grant recipients are new and unique every year,” MHF President and CEO Charlene Porsild said in a press release. “We are so proud to support projects from Libby to Ekalaka and all points in between this year ranging from interpretive signage of outdoor exhibits to curation of dinosaur fossils to restoration work on a log cabin or an historic hotel.” (more…) Continue Reading →
Thirty-some years ago, Jay C. Lyndes received an unusual package in the mail. The package, with a return address from the Lame Deer Trading Post, was literally oozing with black, oily gunk. Lyndes wondered whether he should even open it. But he’d done some business with the trading post before, and curiosity prevailed. (more…) Continue Reading →
HELENA — As Republicans and Democrats grapple with how to fund statewide infrastructure projects at the Montana Legislature, one bill in the House aims to put that decision in the hands of local voters. House Bill 577, introduced by Rep. Dave Fern, D-Whitefish, would allow cities and towns to adopt an infrastructure tax on luxury goods and services at a maximum rate of 4 percent. However, the tax would have to be approved by local voters. (more…) Continue Reading →
