U.S. Senator Steve Daines urged Senate leadership Sept. 21 to stop the reduction of services and staff for Amtrak along the Hi-Line. Daines stressed the need to protect jobs and the local economy that Amtrak supports in Montana. “Amtrak’s plan to cut staff by twenty percent, and reduce service on the Empire Builder from daily to tri-weekly on October 19, would decimate rural economies in Montana

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks encourages early mailin certification for eligible apprentice hunters in order to avoid crowds and frustration prior to season openers and the youth hunt. COVID-19 safety protocols are in place at FWP offices and lobby occupancy is very limited, therefore wait times outside may be long. The “Apprentice Hunter” law allows anyone 10 years of age or older

Fish, Wildlife and Parks invites Montana students ages 14 to 18 to create a video highlighting bats and their importance to Montana’s ecosystems and industries. Videos should include research that helps people understand “why bats matter.” The deadline for video submissions is Friday, Oct. 16, at 5 p.m., just in time for national Bat Week. Videos can be formatted as a news report,

Sen. Frank Smith, D-Poplar, doesn’t believe that meeting through video conferencing is the best route to take once the Montana Legislature goes into session in January. “I hope we don’t do the Legislature through Zoom because you can’t watch the people testify,” Smith said. “You just don’t get the feeling of the testifiers.” Last week, the Joint House and Senate Rules Committee