The recent challenges that newspaper publisher Darla Downs encountered when trying to have a county attorney removed from office has brought awareness to the inadequacies of the process. Downs successfully won the challenge when district judge Katherine Bidegaray ruled in February that Frank Piocos wasn’t an eligible candidate because he wasn’t a resident of Roosevelt County at the time

Several Dickinson State University athletes from the area have earned honors during the indoor track season. Selected All-Conference were Wolf Point’s Tori Nygard in the weight throw, Wolf Point’s Jewel Olson in the 4 x 800-meter relay and 400-meter dash, Wolf Point’s Nick Page in the 600-meter run and Culbertson’s Abbey Granbois in the high jump.

Flanked by dozens of Republican lawmakers on the steps of the state Capitol, Gov. Greg Gianforte signed a tax cut, rebate and spending package totalling more than $1 billion Monday, March 13. The eight-bill package, which provides short-term property and income tax rebates and also cuts state income taxes on an ongoing basis, puts a major slice of the state’s estimated $2.5 billion budget surplus

Education quickly emerged as one of the leading issues in the 2023 Montana Legislature. Republicans have put up a package of bills targeting major reforms within the K-12 public school system, and Democrats are pursuing a heaping helping of policy changes of their own. A good number of proposals from both sides have garnered bipartisan support, while a series of measures from the Republican caucus’

In these times of rising costs for employers, there may be a bright spot in terms of their workers’ compensation premium rates. Recently, Montana State Fund’s board of directors announced an average 5 percent rate reduction for their policyholders. “As the state’s largest workers’ compensation insurer, it is our goal to be a predictable and stabilizing force for the Montana economy,” said Richard Miltenberger, MSF chairman. “With this reduction, MSF has now kept rates steady or lowered them for 17 consecutive years. In fact, rates are now 56.4 percent lower than they were in 2006.” Several factors go into policyholder rate reductions, but two factors are especially noteworthy: fewer workplace accidents and getting workers back to work as soon as medically appropriate. Holly O’Dell, MSF’s president and chief executive officer, explained, “It is our mission to partner with our customers to lower their rates. We do this by helping them create a culture of safety at their businesses. This rate reduction is a testament to their diligence, which is paying off.” Historically Montana has had high injury rates, but according to O’Dell, Montanans are trending in the right direction. Gov. Gianforte noted, “This rate reduction is great news for hardworking Montanans and job-creating businesses throughout the state. Thanks to the Montana State Fund team, we’re taking a step in the right direction, but better is always possible. That’s why we must remain diligent in ensuring workplace safety to continue reducing rates for both employees and employers.”

Several watercraft inspection stations begin operation in early March to check snowbird boat traffic returning from mussel-positive areas such as Lakes Mead, Havasu, Pleasant and Powell. Boat owners coming to Montana must have their vessel inspected for aquatic invasive species at a Montana watercraft inspection station prior to launch. The stations near Dillon, Ravalli and Anaconda opened