Weekly News Roundup
Week ending April 7, 2024
Red Lodge's Van Dyke Park Best Place in Carbon County for Public to View Eclipse
By Denise Rivette Based on data from the National Weather Service, it looks like the City of Red Lodge’s Van Dyke Park across from the Red Lodge Airport will be the best place in Carbon County for the public to view the eclipse tomorrow, as it is expected to have the least sky cover (clouds). Van Dyke Park is the location of the Whistler Observatory which, while not scheduled to be open tomorrow, does provide the public with a concrete pad outside the building for viewing the wonders of nature.
Sheehy Packs the House for Breakfast at Red Lodge Cafe
By Denise Rivette A ‘meet and greet’ to get to know Tim Sheehy, a Republican challenger for the Montana U.S. Senate seat currently occupied by Jon Tester, took place Thursday, March 28, in a filled to capacity Red Lodge Cafe. The mood was jovial and welcoming as Carbon County’s State Representative Brad Barker introduced Sheehy as the man who is going to “give Tester a pink slip.”
MACo Tells Montanans to Ensure Their Legislators Aren’t ‘Playing Politics’ With Senate Bill 442 Override
By Blair Miller for the Daily Montanan Thirty-three county commissioners, superintendents, and county clerks from across the state signed a letter this week from the Montana Association of Counties telling Montanans to watch how their lawmakers respond to the Senate Bill 442 veto override poll to be sure they are not “playing politics” after Republican leadership in the House and Senate
Yellowstone National Park to Allow Year-Round Fishing on Stretches of Madison and Gardner Rivers
By Blair Miller for the Daily Montanan Starting in November, anglers will be able to fish year-round in stretches of two rivers close to the Yellowstone National Park gates in both West Yellowstone and Gardiner, the park announced Thursday. Fishing access is only currently allowed in all areas of the park from the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend – May 25 this year – through Oct. 31 each year.
Weekly Health Numbers
By Denise Rivette Level of Respiratory Illness Activity Across the Country for Week Ended March 30, 2024 Information provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Montana Respiratory Illness Statistics State information provided by Montana’s Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS)
After ‘Staggering’ Loss in Medicaid Coverage, Insurance Campaign Launches in Montana
By Keila Szpaller for the Daily Montanan A record number of people are using services at the Missoula Food Bank and Community Center, and medical costs are the No. 2 reason they need help, according to the food bank director. “Thirty percent are saying medical costs are the reason they are experiencing food insecurity today,” said Amy Allison-Thompson, executive director of the food bank; she said housing is the No. 1 reason.
Jacobsen Sends Group Ballot Petition to Start Collecting Signatures for Abortion Initiative
By Blair Miller for the Daily Montanan Following a week of court challenges and back-and-forth arguments about court procedure and orders, Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen sent the group behind a proposed abortion access constitutional amendment its
Supreme Court Orders Jacobsen to Send Abortion Ballot Petition to Group
By Blair Miller for the Daily Montanan Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen will have to send the sample ballot petition to the group trying to get an initiative aiming to enshrine abortion access in the state constitution onto November’s ballot by 1 p.m. on Friday, or risk facing a possible contempt charge, the Montana Supreme Court
Montana GOP Says Proposed Primary Change ‘Destructive,’ Advocates Say It Tempers Extremism
By Nicole Girten for the Daily Montanan CHOTEAU– Election reform advocates said passing two initiatives that would change how primary and general elections are conducted in Montana would reduce extreme political rhetoric and “brutal” primaries– the same afternoon the Montana Republican party disavowed one of the initiatives as “destructive.”
Climate Fix or Pollution Pipeline?
by Amanda Eggert for Montana Free Press Ridge resident Dan Dinstel remembers his introduction to the Snowy River project, a proposal to inject 150 million tons of carbon dioxide thousands of feet below southeastern Montana’s sagebrush steppe. It came in the form of
Bird Flu Spreads Cow-to-Cow and to One Human in Texas
By Jared Strong for States Newsroom Texas cows are believed to have directly transmitted an avian flu to other cows and one person, according to state agriculture and health officials. The new evidence of mammal-to-mammal transmissions of a virus that is highly infectious and deadly for domestic birds is a troubling development in the yearslong outbreak. Research published last month by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that the occurrences need to be closely monitored to prevent a potential health crisis.
Montana State University to Break Ground on Gianforte Hall
By Keila Szpaller for the Daily Montanan Montana State University will break ground this month on a new building, Gianforte Hall, that will house the Gianforte School of Computing, MSU said Wednesday in a news release. The three-story building was made possible by a $50 million gift from the Gianforte Family Foundation and is expected to open in 2026.
ACA Plans Are Being Switched Without Enrollees’ OK
By Julie Appleby for KFF Health News Some consumers covered by Affordable Care Act insurance plans are being switched from one plan to another without their express permission, potentially leaving them unable to see their doctors or fill prescriptions. Some face large IRS bills for back taxes.
Attacks on Emergency Room Workers Prompt Debate Over Tougher Penalties
By Sejal Parekh for KFF Health News Montana Independent News Addendum: March 28, 2024 Red Lodge Police Department responded to the hospital for an active assault on multiple hospital personnel by an extremely combative woman who was under the influence of substances. She was detained and controlled by several restraints to keep her from injuring anyone else while the situation was being investigated. She was transported to a different hospital for further care and issued citations.
Gianforte declares disaster, will send Montana National Guard soldiers to Texas
By Blair Miller for the Daily Montanan Montana Governor Greg Gianforte will send 10 active-duty Montana National Guard soldiers to Texas for a month to help maintain vehicles, he announced Tuesday, declaring a disaster exists at the southern border that requires Montana’s help.
Medicaid Expansion Will Be Up for Debate in 2025 Legislative Session, and Its Future is Uncertain
By Nicole Girten for the Daily Montanan Recent polling from ALG Research and Lake Research Partners conducted on behalf of Consumers for Quality Care shows that nearly 50 percent of Montanans are in favor of policymakers passing legislation to bring down healthcare costs.
In Wake of Court Decisions, Montana Senate GOP Forms Select Committee on ‘Judicial Reform’
By Blair Miller for the Daily Montanan Montana Senate Republicans are launching a new special select committee following several court decisions that went against their favored outcomes, saying those decisions overstepped the separation of powers and alleging several courts violated the state Constitution in the same process.
Carbon County First Responder Blotter
TOTAL CALLS FOR SERVICE = 250 CIVIL PROCESS = 8 WELFARE CHECK = 4 911 HANGUPS/MISDIALS/TELEMARKETERS = 0 MEDICALS = 15 PRISONER TRANSPORT TOTAL TIME = HOURS ACTIVE ALARMS = 0 TRAFFIC COMPLAINT = 8 MOTORIST ASSIST = 0 CRASH = 1 ARRESTS = 4 INCARCERATIONS = 0
Property Taxes Put Governor and Local Government Leaders at Odds
by Eric Dietrich for Montana Free Press The supplemental property tax bills heading to property owners around the state this spring, made necessary by a November Supreme Court decision, represent a monumental headache for both local tax officials and homeowners.
Montana Groups: Coal Mining Bill That Would Have Weakened Water Quality Won’t Become Law
By: Keila Szpaller for the Daily Montanan A bill that would have allowed coal mines to violate water quality standards if excess pollution was only for a limited amount of time won’t become law in Montana, according to plaintiffs who challenged it and another related bill.
Biden Campaign, January 6 Officers Decry Trump Use of ‘Political Violence’ in Post of Video
By Jennifer Shutt for States Newsroom WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign on Monday called on voters to disavow violence as a viable part of this year’s campaign cycle, including comments made by his Republican opponent an…
Baucus: America and China Need to Get Along – For the Sake of the World
By Darrell Ehrlick for the Daily Montanan China isn’t going anywhere. And neither is the United States. That may not stop either country from believing it can get the upper hand on the world stage, but for Max Baucus, former ambassador to China and United States Senator from Montana, the “Chinese question” is often framed incorrectly.