Reservoir inflows in the Missouri River basin above Sioux City, Iowa, were well-below average in March. The March runoff of 1.5 million acre-feet was 48 percent of average for the month. The updated 2022 upper Basin runoff forecast is 17.8 MAF, 69 percent of average, approximately 2.6 MAF less than the March 1 forecast. “Runoff was well below normal due to dry soil conditions and well below

The Montana Department of Agriculture’s Student Loan Assistance Program is now accepting applications. Established during the 2019 legislative session, this program provides student loan assistance to Montana’s college-educated youth pursuing careers in farming or ranching. “Any time we can keep a family ranch in family hands, that’s a win for Montana agriculture,” said MDA director

Starting April 4, the Montana Department of Livestock will implement an updated policy for recording, transferring and rerecording of brands. The policy was developed by a committee of state legislators, representatives of industry organizations, members of the Board of Livestock, and MDOL staff in response to the industry’s requests for increased availability of two-character brands. Major

Registration is now open for the three-day 406 Grazing Academy workshop to be held June 7-9 in central Montana. The workshop is hosted by Montana State University and its partners and is aimed at ranchers seeking to hone their grazing management skills. Classroom activities will take place at the Yogo Inn in Lewistown, and field activities will be held on working ranches near Winnett. Workshop

The Montana Historical Society is hosting their third Saturday Pop-up Exhibit event April 14. Paul Snyder will talk about how childhood interest in his local saloon’s large, ornate backbar led him to delve deeper into their history as well as the bars they graced. Fascinated by their artistic woodwork, Snyder captured both their history and took as many photographs as possible of Montana’s backbars.

The Montana Department of Transportation recently issued new load postings for the Cottonwood Creek Bridge, on MT 200, 8 miles northeast of Circle, in Mc-Cone County; the Bluff Creek Bridge, on MT 200, 14 miles southwest of Richey, in Dawson County; the Skull Creek Bridge, on MT 200, 18 miles west of Brockway, in McCone County; and the Horse Creek Bridge on Horse Creek Road, 1 mile west of Circle,

Average gasoline prices in Montana have fallen 0.8 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $4.04/g on Monday, April 11,, according to GasBuddy’s survey of 615 stations in Montana. Prices in Montana are 3.7 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and stand $1.31/g higher than a year ago. According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest station in Montana was priced at $3.77/g on Sunday

U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., is calling on President Biden to consult with Montana veterans about the impacts of closing rural Montana VA health care facilities. “For many elderly Veterans, VA facilities are the only place they seek care. The reasons Veterans often cite are that they are better understood, respected, and cared for at their local VA Medical Center (VAMC). VA facilities

in 2019, according to the CDC. Earlier this month, the Missoulian reported fentanyl- laced pills sold to teenagers resulted in three overdoses and one death. A representative from the Blackfeet Tribe said fentanyl has been in the community for a while but is now hitting a point that warrants special attention. To help with the effort, the tribe heard from the Blood Tribe of Canada, which

Five candidates are vying for two seats on the Montana Supreme Court currently held by incumbent justices Jim Rice and Ingrid Gustafson. The seat held by Rice, the court’s longest-serving member with 20 years on the bench, is being sought by Bill D’Alton, a Billings attorney. D’Alton filed his registration on Sunday, March 13, a day before the March 14 candidate filing deadline. Gustafson,