From the looks of it, the Montana Supreme Court has a lot of friends. That’s one conclusion to be drawn from the stacks of paper submitted as “friends of the court” briefs in a lawsuit regarding House Bill 102, which expanded the right to carry firearms in Montana, including on public campuses. Late last year, a district court found parts of the law unconstitutional because Montana vests

Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus was detected in a snow goose from Canyon Ferry and a Canada goose from near Belgrade last week, according Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials. HPAI was detected earlier this month in domestic poultry in Judith Basin and Cascade counties. Several more birds from around the state are currently undergoing testing for the virus. Avian influenza virus is

U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., issued the following statement on Monday, April 18, after a federal judge struck down President Biden’s mask mandate for travelers. “This is a big victory for Montanans and commonsense,” Daines said. “It’s past time we let families get back to normal and put an end to all of Biden’s unscientific, unconstitutional mandates for good.” This ruling

Know the consequences before signing the petition to put CI-121 on the November ballot. At face value, CI-121 and freezing your residential property taxes may sound like a good idea. But if you further investigate the details of this misleading ballot initiative, you will find several adverse consequences. What is CI-121? It is a ballot initiative proposing a constitutional amendment that would

Area I Agency on Aging housed in Action for Eastern Montana announces a new program that we are going to be offering for our residents of eastern Montana, Home Modification Program. The goal of the home modification program is to enable elderly persons to remain in their homes through home modifications to reduce older adults’ risk of falling, improve general safety, increase accessibility,

Roosevelt County had zero active COVID cases as of Monday, April 18. There have been 72 COVID-related deaths in the county. Adult vaccination clinics are scheduled from 3-5 p.m. for Thursday, April 21, in Wolf Point and Thursday, April 28, in Culbertson. A children’s vaccination clinic is scheduled for Friday, April 29, from 1-4 p.m. in Wolf Point. The clinic is for ages 5-11. County

A national report by the Poor People’s Campaign that tracks the intersections of race, poverty and the effects of COVID-19 shows that nationally, counties with more poverty and more people of color suffered the effects of the pandemic more severely than other wealthier, White communities. The statistics for Montana largely support that trend, showing that many rural counties with a higher percentage

tive American studies program. He said he hasn’t heard a report from consultant Dr. Crystal Redgrave yet this school year and he now doesn’t want to lose a teacher that students like. “I want to know about it,” Hamilton said. Hansen answered that she is just working off her agenda for the meeting. Resignations included Patrick Drapeau as Southside principal, Katie Noser as Northside

A year after a new Montana law stripped local health boards of their rulemaking authority, confusion and power struggles are creating a patchwork oversight system that may change how public health is administered long after the pandemic is over. The law, which took effect last April amid criticism of mask mandates and other COVID restrictions on businesses, gave local elected leaders the final