Gov. Greg Gianforte has announced the appointment of Christy Clark as the director of the Montana Department of Agriculture. “Montana producers work hard to feed the world, and today they have a partner and established advocate in Christy Clark as the director of the Montana Department of Ag,” Gianforte said. “A fifth-generation rancher, Christy understands the challenges and opportunities

On the heels of a December which brought exceptional moisture to the Treasure State, January largely lacked needed precipitation. Monthly Natural Resources Conservation Service SNOTEL site totals across Montana show that January precipitation was below to near normal. “The first week of the month looked promising. The mountains received at least one to two feet of snow, but westerly flow brought

The Montana Department of Agriculture is now accepting applications for the Pesticide Container Recycling Collection Point Improvement Grant Program established to assist with the installation, maintenance, and improvement of collection sites structures throughout the state. The new grant program protects Montana’s environment by keeping pesticide container plastic out of landfills. “Montana’s

U.S. Sen. Steve Daines and U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale urged the Biden administration to extend the deadline for the Entry Level Driver Training program for all new commercial driver license applicants to give the State of Montana time to implement the necessary change, protect Montana trucking jobs and prevent more issues with the supply chain. “We write in response to the impending Feb. 7, 2022,

District Judge Olivia Rieger said on Tuesday, Feb. 1, she will not temporarily block a new state law resulting from House Bill 702 that bans discrimination based on vaccine status and employers from requiring workers to be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus. Joel Krautter, an attorney at Netzer Law Office in Sidney and a former state Republican representative, filed the lawsuit in October

Roosevelt County has 122 active cases as of Monday, Feb. 7. There have been 70 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. Adult vaccination clinics are scheduled

Property owners have several decisions to make when it comes to estate planning, and one of those is whether to give property to heirs before or after death. Montana State University Extension has released a new MontGuide that gives information on how to approach that choice. According to university educators across Montana, it is important to consider the income tax consequences of the timing

By Bill Vander Weele According to information from the Montana Department of Health and Human Services, Roosevelt County schools were hit with COVID cases during the month of January. For the two-week time period from Jan. 14-28, the DPHHS’ website shows that Wolf Point had four total cases, staff and students combined, for those two weeks. Wolf Point Junior High had two cases and Southside

Dear Editor: This letter is in response to Debbie Matejovsky’s letter to the Editor on the Feb. 3, issue of the Northern Plains Independent. Normally I ignore bad press. However, as the Roosevelt County attorney who is currently seeking election to that position I must clarify the facts and the law in this case. I started as Roosevelt County attorney on Feb. 1, 2021. At that time, I had

U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced last week that the agency is investing $1.4 billion into rural economies through job training, business loans and the expansion of technical assistance. “It’s a good day for rural America,” Vilsack, a former governor of Iowa, said during a call with reporters. Eight programs will dole out 751 awards across 49 states. Vilsack