U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., and Congressman Matt Rosendale, R-Mont., on Monday, April 4, urged the Biden administration to extend the protest period on the proposed decision affecting grazing allotments on the American Prairie Reserve in Phillips County. “As you are aware, BLM received over 2,700 comments on the draft Environmental Assessment from Montana state government agencies, businesses,

Spring public meetings to discuss Missouri River Water Management operations and plans are scheduled for April 11-15. Spring public meetings provide a status of mountain snowpack, a runoff forecast for the year and how operations during the runoff year will meet the authorized purposes for the Missouri River Mainstem System. The meeting dates are as follows: April 11: Fort Peck; Bismarck,

NASA has announced two winners and acknowledged 18 honorees in the Lunabotics Junior Contest, a national competition where K-12 students were challenged to design a robot that can dig and move lunar soil (regolith) from one area of the lunar South Pole to a holding container near a future Artemis Moon base. One of these honorees is Colton Tolman of Poplar who is a finalist and submitted this

Reach Higher Montana is celebrating the Montana high school class of 2022 with a Senior Send-off event May 6. This year’s event will again see more than $30,000 in the form of scholarships, tool/ equipment packages, laptops, iPads, and AirPods given to participating high school seniors. “We want to know what the class of 2022 is going to do after high school, whether that is college, military,

Roosevelt County had one active COVID case as of Monday, April 4. There have been 72 COVID-related deaths in the county. County health officials encourage all residents aged 5 and up to be vaccinated and those over 16 should consider getting booster doses. Immunizations are by appointment only. For questions or to schedule an appointment, call 406-653-6223. There is an adult vaccination clinics

Roosevelt County Fire Warden Mike Olson told the Northern Plains Independent at press time Tuesday, April 5, that a countywide burn ban was put in place Monday due to high winds. He said he expects the fire threat to diminish as winds die down in the area but added that similar warnings and restrictions will be issued intermittently. “It’s all driven by the wind right now,” said Olson.

As a part of his efforts to support livestock producers across the country, U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., has announced that $750 million in disaster relief for ranchers impacted by drought or wildfire in 2021 will soon begin receiving relief payments. In this phase one of funding, livestock producers who have approved applications through the 2021 Livestock Forage Disaster Program for forage

More than 5,000 Hutterites live in nearly 60 colonies scattered throughout Montana. The Anabaptist group is a spiritual cousin of the Amish and Mennonites. They embrace technology and live a communal lifestyle based on a 500-year history. Ten women from Hidden Valley Colony south of Gildford in neighboring Hill County brought bologna and cheese sandwiches and fed passengers in the gym from 6