District Judge Katherine Bidegaray ruled last week that Frank Piocos wasn’t an eligible candidate in the Roosevelt County attorney election held in November. The ruling came after Northern Plains Independent and Community News publisher Darla Downs filed a complaint against Piocos in Roosevelt County District Court. Downs filed the complaint Friday, Jan. 20, which claimed that Piocos

( Publisher’s Note: Each week, the Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Office distributes an inmate roster with the names of persons incarcerated at the jail and does not necessarily mean there is a new charge or conviction.) Prisoners housed in the Roosevelt County Detention Center included: Wilbert Ackerman, 32, Frazer, hold for Fort Peck Tribes. James Allen, 28, Lame Deer, hold for other agency.

The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) Aeronautics Board approved more than $2.85 million in funding during its Helena meeting Jan. 17-18. The requests were for a variety of improvement projects that focused on runway, taxiway and apron reconstruction, master plans, lighting enhancements, land easements, perimeter fencing, building construction and snow removal and weather equipment.

An economic staple in Eastern Montana for many years appears to be closing its doors. Sidney Sugars, the sugar beet processing plant owned by American Crystal Sugar Company, has informed its employees that the plant will close its operations beginning on April 14. The letter to employees stated, “There is not enough interest in growing sugar beets in the area to make it financially sustainable

Photojournalist Recalls Seeing Chinese Balloon Before It Was Identified The two Billings photojournalists who captured the Chinese surveillance balloon told their story Monday, Feb. 6, to a national television outlet and are talking with a statewide radio show as well. Chase Doak, who provided his photo of the balloon last week to the Daily Montanan, told Fox News he thought the ground