Daily News Roundup
July 17, 2024
Hunter Peffers Escapes from Great Falls Pre-Release Center
By Denise Rivette Hunter Peffers, 26, is wanted by law enforcement for escaping from a Montana Department of Corrections Pre-Release Center. His absence was noticed when he failed to return from his place of work on July 14, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. He is 6 feet tall and weighs 200 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a black polo shirt, tan pants and using a walking stick. He was most noticeable around Carbon County before his incarceration for wearing “mountain man” style clothing. If you see or know where Peffers is, please call 911.
30th Annual Beartooth Rally Starts Tomorrow With a Poker Walk Followed by the First Annual Bike Night Concert
By Denise Rivette The 30th Annual Beartooth Rally begins tomorrow with a Poker Walk in Red Lodge and culminates with the Iron Horse Rodeo on Sunday. A new addition this year is the First Annual Bike Night on Thursday with a concert featuring Kalyn Beasley and the Honky Tonk Arcade (including locals Levi Luoma and Wells Reitz) at the Carbon County Fairgrounds at 7:30 p.m. with gates opening at 6:30 p.m. Price for an admission wristband is a suggested donation of $10 with proceeds going to your choice of
Smoke Forecast for Wednesday, July 17, 2024
From the Montana Department of Environmental Quality website Wednesday morning’s satellite reveals areas of smoke surging into Montana from numerous regional wildfires. Forecast A strong ridge of high pressure will remain in place through Friday. It will continue to produce unseasonably warm air, low relative humidity, and light winds. Existing wildfires will experience some growth because of these conditions. Because of light surface winds, some pooling and draining of the smoke can be expected, particularly in communities adjacent to large wildfires. Light easterly surface winds through Wednesday night will send plumes of smoke into the Helena Valley from the Horse Gulch fire, leading to compromised air quality.
Fire Weather Conditions Continue
The Billings office of the National Weather Service warns of elevated fire conditions that will continue with no break in the overall weather pattern in the near future. Temperatures will be in the 90s. Grasses are curing quickly and we have seen fast fire spread in some grassland areas. Please do your part to avoid sparking a fire!
Pollution Knows No Borders
Kylie Mohr for High Country News When coal miners north of Fernie, British Columbia, blast into the mountains, the piles of rocks left behind leach selenium into the Elk River, which flows south into the Kootenai River. In small quantities, selenium is an essential nutrient, but larger amounts are toxic to humans and other species. The Kootenai’s levels are so high that some local tribal members are wary of fishing in Lake Koocanusa, a reservoir on the U.S.-Canada border. “People are very cautious about what they put in their bellies up there,” said Rich Janssen (Qlispe), head of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes’ Natural Resources Department. Any selenium that doesn’t settle in the lake flows into Montana, then Idaho, then back into British Columbia.
Three Inmates Die in Cascade County Detention Center in Two Weeks
By Matt Hudson for Montana Free Press Three inmates have died in custody at the Cascade County Detention Center since June 29. Leon Laverdure, 51, died on June 29. Julius Lowe, 28, died on July 5. Andrew Swager, 58, died on July 10. Lewis and Clark Sheriff’s Office, which provided the coroner in the cases, confirmed the names of the deceased.
Iowa State University Research Identifies Possible Point of Entry for Avian Flu in Cattle
By Brooklyn Draisey for States Newsroom As avian influenza is being detected in more and more dairy herds across the U.S., Iowa State University (ISU) researchers have found a possible “why” connection to the virus being found in raw milk. A study published this month by a team in ISU’s College of Veterinary Medicine found that bovine mammary gland tissue held receptors for the avian influenza virus, offering a potential explanation for how cattle are being infected.
Three Large Wildfires Burning in Montana as Weather Stubbornly Hovers Around Triple Digits
By Darrell Ehrlick for the Daily Montanan As of Tuesday, three large active fires in Montana had spread across more than 46,000 acres, or a combined area of more than 70 square miles. The three fires — Deadman (which includes four different fires), Horse Gulch, and Miller Peak, also span the state as forecasters call for very high temperatures coupled with wind — dangerous fire conditions that may continue into next week.
Montana Judge Tells Secretary of State Not to Change Rules Midstream for Counting Signatures
By Keila Szpaller for the Daily Montanan The Montana Secretary of State can’t automatically reject signatures of “inactive” voters who signed petitions to place Constitutional initiatives on the ballot, a Lewis and Clark County District Court judge ruled Tuesday, as he granted a temporary restraining order.