On Tuesday, March 21, one day after a hearing that drew pointed opposition from representatives of the cannabis and media industries, the Senate Business, Labor and Economic Affairs Committee voted down — and then tabled — a bill to ban most marijuana advertising in Montana. In its current form, House Bill 351, sponsored by Rep. Kerri Seekins-Crowe, R-Billings, prohibits the “publication,

White-tailed jackrabbits can change their color with the seasons, growing snowy white fur in the winter and brown fur during the summer. But shorter winters brought on by rapid climate change can create color mismatch, making jackrabbits stand out like lightbulbs for predators on snowless landscapes. Populations of jackrabbits can display brown, white, or intermediate-colored coats during the

The Montana Stockgrowers Association launched its first in a series of rollover auctions at markets across Montana to raise funds for its appeal of Bureau of Land Management’s decision regarding American Prairie’s grazing allotments. The first auction was held on Tuesday, March 21, at the Lewistown Livestock Auction house. The auction was supported by 32 donors and raised more than $15,000.

National Weather Service meteorologists Patrick Gilchrist and Cory Mottice provided a weather briefing for the eastern Montana last week. They noted that the twoweek forecast is for temperatures to be at below average levels and for precipitation to be at near normal amounts. Forecast for the rest of this week include high temperatures in the high 30s and low temperatures in the teens.

Roosevelt County reported 16 active COVID cases as of Friday, March 24. There have been 4,060 total cases in the county. Daniels County had zero active cases as of Friday, March 24. The county has 486 cumulative cases. Valley County reported four active cases as of Friday, March 24. The county has 2,175 cumulative cases. In McCone County, there were zero active case as of Friday, March

Despite population growth, fewer Montanans unemployed than at any point since 1976. Montana’s unemployment rate set a new alltime low in February, declining 0.1 percent to 2.4 percent according to data compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Montana Department of Labor & Industry. The February rate of 2.4 percent is the lowest level of unemployment in Montana since recordkeeping

Sadie Branham, a student with the Malta FFA Chapter, scored first place in the Montana Farm Bureau Foundation (MFBFo) Youth Speech Contest held during the 2023 FFA State Convention, March 23, at the Montana ExpoPark in Great Falls. Branham tackled the challenging topic regarding Gen Z Consumers: What makes them unique and how will their purchasing power affect the agricultural industry, how