U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, said that he changed his mind regarding voting for the vaccine mandate on private businesses with more than 100 employees after hearing from Montanans. Tester and Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia were the only two Democratic senators to vote in opposition of the vaccine mandate. The measure against the vaccine mandate passed by a 5248 vote on Wednesday, Dec.

Two Republican state lawmakers spoke to Montana’s Legislative Council last week to reiterate an appeal made earlier this fall for the formation of a special legislative committee to investigate alleged irregularities in Montana’s 2020 election. That appeal was originally submitted to legislative leadership in an Oct. 5 letter signed by 86 Republican lawmakers. Speaking to the council

Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen spoke Monday, Nov. 29, to a meeting of health care workers and community members in Sidney, where some employees of the Sidney Health Center have been protesting the hospital’s announcement that it will comply with a federal vaccine mandate for health care providers that receive Medicaid and Medicare funding. Employees at such organizations across the state

On Wednesday, Dec. 8, U.S. Sen. Steve Daines’ legislative effort to rescind President Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate against private businesses passed the U.S. Senate. Daines has been fighting back against Biden’s business vaccine mandate that would impact Montana small businesses and could force nearly 130,000 Montanans out of work. Daines has also been working to push back against Biden’s

The hunting of all mountain lions in Region 6, except for in hunting district 690, closed at one-half hour after sunset on Wednesday, Dec. 8. The order halting the hunt came shortly after Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials received word that the pre-established harvest quota for the combined districts had been met. For more information, visit FWP’s website at fwp.mt.gov/ hunt/by-species,

Redistricting in Montana has moved on to a new phase, with the state’s commission now tasked with drawing lines at the state level. An organization representing the interests of Native Americans in the state wants to ensure the commission keeps their interests in mind. Ta’jin Perez, deputy director of the group Western Native Voice, noted drawing lines for state lawmakers is a more complicated

Roosevelt County reports 19 active cases. There are six current hospitalizations. There have been 66 confirmed COVID related deaths in the county. Vaccination clinics are scheduled from 3-6 p.m. on Dec. 16 in Wolf Point, Dec. 22 in Culbertson and Dec. 30 in Wolf Point. Immunizations are by appointment only. For questions or to schedule an appointment, call 406-653-6223. Area Statistics

In response to recent report from the federal government that inflation surged to a 39-year high in November, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte called on President Joe Biden and congressional Democrats to turn off the spigot of out-of-control spending. “Montanans are struggling with the Biden inflation tax, seeing their paychecks stretched thinner and thinner as inflation hits a high we haven’t