Area residents can expect colder than normal temperatures during the short term, and maybe the long term, according to the National Weather Service’s Eastern Montana Drought Briefing and Climate Outlook. Although the area experienced above normal temperatures from Dec. 1-15, an Arctic front then created colder weather conditions. Regarding the short-term forecast through Dec. 23, Patrick

Montana State University Extension has an updated MontGuide about filing a homestead declaration and the benefits it gives homeowners. Montana defines a homestead as a house a person lives in and the land on which it sits. A mobile home or manufactured home where the owners do not own the land is also considered a homestead. The property must be a person’s primary residence to be eligible

Together with the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, Gov. Greg Gianforte announced last week that the state distributed $2.7 million in federal funding to public and private schools this fall to help them remain open during the ongoing pandemic. “We prioritized getting this funding out the door as quickly as possible to ensure staff and students were safe at schools this