Weekly News Roundup
For week ending April 28, 2024
Montana Republican Party Secures Restraining Order Against Candidate Lisa Bennett and Fundraising at Tomorrow's 'Politics & Pancakes' Event
By Denise Rivette On Wednesday, April 25, in Carbon County District Court before the Honorable Judge Matthew J. Wald, the Montana Republican Party (MTGOP) attempted to make permanent its temporary restraining order and injunction against Lisa Bennett (current candidate for state representative and Republican precinct committee person) and her organizations/websites GOP Montana and the Montana Association of Republican Central Committees. Because Bennett has so far been unable to secure legal counsel, the temporary order remains in place for eight weeks (until after the June primary), allowing time for her preferred counsel to return from vacation. Counsel for MTGOP did not oppose the continuance.
Water’s for Fightin’: DNRC Decision Could Undermine State Land Use, Agriculture in Montana
By Darrell Ehrlick for the Daily Montanan A water-rights dispute that has drawn the attention of all three branches of Montana government threatens to hurt Montana’s largest industry — agriculture — and public education. A decision by the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation to claim water rights on a parcel of state trust land in eastern Gallatin County has triggered a lawsuit that will soon be decided by the Montana Supreme Court. Meanwhile, the danger of losing private water rights has galvanized ranchers and farmers in the Treasure State to put pressure on the Montana State Land Board to stop what they say is a misreading of state law.
Mississippi Fugitive Arrested by Red Lodge Police
By Denise Rivette Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers issued an alert on March 12 of this year to be on the lookout for fugitive from justice Levi Kade Nelson. A few days ago Red Lodge Police Department made a “routine” traffic stop that resulted in his arrest and further charges. As mentioned in
Five Dead in Four Traffic Accidents Over Four Hours Yesterday
By Denise Rivette This morning I awoke to find four fatal vehicle crash reports in my inbox. All of the accidents occurred yesterday within a four hour span. At 6:20 p.m. in Gallatin County a Chevy Tahoe ran off the road and collided with a tree. Both occupants died at the scene after the vehicle was consumed by flames. Speed and alcohol are suspected contributing factors. Seat belt use unknown.
Tester and Daines Deliver Targeted National Security Package to Crack Down on Fentanyl, Counter Foreign Adversaries
By Denise Rivette U.S. Senators Jon Tester and Steve Daines each announced today that they voted for a targeted national security package to crack down on the fentanyl epidemic and counter America’s foreign adversaries including China, Russia, and Iran. The senators’
Biden Nominates Montana District Court Judge After Recommendation from Tester and Failing to "Seriously Consult" Daines
By Denise Rivette President Joe Biden has announced his nomination of Montana Attorney Danna Jackson to be a judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana after receiving a recommendation from Tester. U.S. Senator Jon Tester today released the following statement on the nomination:
Federal Judge Temporarily Halts New Montana Voter Registration Requirements
By Blair Miller for the Daily Montanan A federal Montana judge on Wednesday temporarily enjoined two parts of a bill dealing with extra voter registration requirements that was passed by the legislature last year, which the judge said the state did not plan on currently enforcing but still harmed the two voter groups which
Red Lodge Songwriter Festival Preview
Do you like to listen to the songs "Independence Day", "On A Bus To St' Cloud", "When You Love Someone"? If you do, you'll want to come listen to them from the Songwriter who wrote them. Don't miss Gretchen Peters at the 8th Annual Red Lodge Songwriter Festival.
Mandatory Reporting Laws Meant To Protect Children Get Another Look
By Kristin Jones for KFF Health News More than 60 years ago, policymakers in Colorado embraced the idea that early intervention could prevent child abuse and save lives. The state’s requirement that certain professionals tell officials when they suspect a child has been abused or neglected was among the first mandatory reporting laws in the nation.
What’s Fueling This Year’s Rash of Budget Shortfalls in Many Montana Schools?
By Alex Sakariassen for Montana Free Press Recent months have seen a rash of headlines across Montana regarding multi-million-dollar budget shortfalls in many of the state’s largest public school districts. The specter of cuts to staff and resources for students looms large, and local officials are leveraging the harsh financial outlook in their appeals for additional taxpayer support as voters begin casting ballots in the May 7 school elections.
Family of Northern Cheyenne Man Suing Federal Government for Wrongful Death
By Darrell Ehrlick for the Daily Montanan The family of a Northern Cheyenne man is suing the federal government, namely the Bureau of Indian Affairs and two of its officers, for the death of Arlin Bordeaux. The incident that led to the victim being shot in the back happened on or around December 3, 2021, after Bordeaux, 29, had left his uncle’s house and wandered into a nearby yard. Alarmed by a possible intruder, the homeowner called the police to report someone trespassing.
U.S. House Speaker Confronts Anti-War Protesters at Columbia University
By Jennifer Shutt for States Newsroom U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson decried antisemitism and raised the possibility of calling in the National Guard to disperse student protesters during a trip to Columbia University in New York City on Wednesday.
Carbon County First Responder Blotter
TOTAL CALLS FOR SERVICE = 216 CIVIL PROCESS = 11 WELFARE CHECK = 3 911 HANGUPS/MISDIALS/TELEMARKETERS = 11 MEDICALS = 11 PRISONER TRANSPORT TOTAL TIME = 0 HOURS ACTIVE ALARMS = 4 TRAFFIC COMPLAINT = 4 MOTORIST ASSIST = 0 CRASH = 5 ARRESTS = 2 INCARCERATIONS = 2
Survey: Montanans Say Quality of Life Getting Worse, but Support for Public Lands Still Strong
By Blair Miller for the Daily Montanan An increasing number of Montanans say their quality of life is getting worse and point to ongoing development and what they say is the changing character of the state as primary reasons, according to a biennial statewide poll released Tuesday by the University of Montana.
Bill for Students with Disabilities Should be Stopped as Lawsuit Unfolds, Plaintiffs Argue
By Keila Szpaller for the Daily Montanan Money for public schools could pay for private- or home-school students’ plane tickets to study Italian — or for their chicken coops or lessons in ice skating or rodeo roping, according to plaintiffs alleging a
Montana Nonprofits Supportive of State’s Recommendations to Behavioral Health Commission
By Nicole Girten for the Daily Montanan Montana behavioral health nonprofits largely supported recommendations presented Tuesday to the state’s behavioral health commission, which is advising the governor on how to spend $300 million allocated to bolster mental health resources in the state.
Mill Closures ‘Shock’ Industry, but Officials Say Demand for Wood Remains
by Justin Franz for Montana Free Press Five days a week, a short train rolls out of the rail yard in Whitefish with empty freight cars destined for the Flathead Valley’s three surviving wood products mills in Columbia Falls and Evergreen. At one time, short trains like this could be found all over western Montana, serving mills in places like Libby, St. Regis, Darby and Pablo. But today, this is one of the few “local” freights left in the region.
Federal Regulators Look to Block Montana Coal Mining Law
by Amanda Eggert for Montana Free Press The federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) has indicated it will reject a law the 2023 Montana Legislature passed to loosen water quality laws that govern coal mining. In a letter dated
Below Normal Water Supply forecasted for Montana After Low-Snow Winter
By Blair Miller for the Daily Montanan Montana’s winter is shaping up to have been among the worst for snowpack in 25 years and, combined with current outlooks, has water forecasters warning that streamflow levels this summer could be well below normal across most of the state.
Feds, Montana Aging Services Warn of Scam Targeting Medicare Enrollees
By Nicole Girten for the Daily Montanan Aging services in Cascade and Missoula Counties are urging vigilance for Medicare enrollees around a scam offering free services or equipment in exchange for Medicare numbers. Renee Labrie-Shanks, Director of the Statewide Senior Medicare Patrol Program at Missoula Aging Services says Medicare enrollees themselves are the “frontline defense against fraud.”
Medical Providers Still Grappling With UnitedHealth Cyberattack: ‘More Devastating Than Covid’
By Samantha Liss for KFF Health News Two months after a cyberattack on a UnitedHealth Group subsidiary halted payments to some doctors, medical providers say they’re still grappling with the fallout, even though UnitedHealth told shareholders on Tuesday that business is largely back to normal.
Rural Jails Turn to Community Health Workers To Help the Newly Released Succeed
By Lillian Mongeau Hughes for KFF Health News MANTI, Utah — Garrett Clark estimates he has spent about six years in the Sanpete County Jail, a plain concrete building perched on a dusty hill just outside this small, rural town where he grew up. He blames his addiction. He started using in middle school, and by the time he was an adult he was addicted to meth and heroin. At various points, he’s done time alongside his mom, his dad, his sister, and his younger brother.
U.S. House Votes Down Border Bill Favored by Conservatives
By Ariana Figueroa for States Newsroom WASHINGTON — The U.S. House Saturday failed to pass a border security bill that Republican leadership intended as an incentive for conservatives to support a foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. The border bill, turned down on a
Aid to Ukraine, Israel overwhelmingly approved by U.S. House in bipartisan vote
By Jennifer Shutt for States Newsroom WASHINGTON — Military and humanitarian aid could be on its way to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan within weeks after the U.S. House took a series of overwhelmingly bipartisan votes Saturday to approve $95 billion in emergency assistance — and the Senate appeared poised to agree.
End of Internet Subsidies for Low-Income Households Threatens Telehealth Access
By Sarah Jane Tribble for KFF Health News For Cindy Westman, $30 buys a week’s worth of gas to drive to medical appointments and run errands. It’s also how much she spent on her monthly internet bill before the federal Affordable Connectivity Program stepped in and covered her payments.
Commentary: Singing ‘American Tune’ Off-Key
Bruce Lohof for the Daily Montanan “Oh, we come on the ship they call the Mayflower We come on the ship that sailed the moon We come in the age’s most uncertain hour And sing an American tune Oh, it’s all right, it’s all right It’s all right, it’s all right