Senate Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Senator Jon Tester is urging the U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper to work with states to mobilize all National Guard members responding to COVID-19 under the appropriate federal Title 32 duty status. That would make certain members of the Guard would receive the benefits and pay they have earned from...
Senator Tester Wants Guard to Receive Active Duty Benefits
Senate Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Senator Jon Tester is urging the U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper to work with states to mobilize all National Guard members responding to COVID-19 under the appropriate federal Title 32 duty status. That would make certain members of the Guard would receive the benefits and pay they have earned from...
Governor Bullock Requests Census Deadline Extension
Governor Steve Bullock is calling on U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross to extend the deadline for the census from Aug. 14th to at least Sept. 30th to ensure an accurate count while allowing for continued health and safety measures to slow the spread of COVID-19. He has issued a directive allowing Montanans to renew their driver’s license ...
Helena – Unused Beer Becoming Hand Sanitizer
Helena’s Gulch Distillers is making unscented hand sanitizer out of 30 kegs of unused beer provided by George’s Distributing using a hand sanitizer recipe provided by the World Health Organization. The first batch went to local first responders.
Montana Unemployment Numbers Skyrocket
The Montana Department of Labor and Industry said Thursday 35,000 Unemployment Insurance payments were distributed from March 23rd Through April 1st providing benefits to Montanans who have lost their job or have had to reduce work hours due to COVID-19. In the same time frame the Department’s unemployment insurance phone line received more t...
Big Sky Relief Fund Donates $1 Million
Bozeman Health has received a $1 million donation from the Big Sky Relief Fund a group that provides money to those impacted by the global pandemic. Bozeman Health will use the money to increase the number of people Big Sky Medical Center and Bozeman Health Deaconess Hospital can treat.
MT Supreme Court Changes Venue on Christensen Appeal
The oral arguments in former Florence physician Chris Christensen’s appeal that were planned for today at the University of Montana’s George Dennison Theater have been canceled and the case will now be decided by the seven justices on the Montana Supreme Court. He was originally charged with 400 drug-related felonies including providing methad...
Federal Government Settles Lawsuit with Park County
The Federal Government said it would pay $1 million to the Gardiner-Park County Water and Sewer District to settle a lawsuit the district filed over high levels of arsenic coming into its system from Yellowstone National Park. A payment to the sewer district for the town at the park’s northern gate has already been made.
MT National Guard Assisting Airports Across the State
Starting today all arriving passengers at airport terminals train stations and most privately owned operations at major airports in Montana will be screened to reduce the spread of coronavirus. They will be asked to share relevant travel and health history and to have their temperature taken. If a passenger exhibits a temperature of 100.4 degr...
Butte – Police Prepare to Cite Stay at Home Violations
The Governor recently issued a stay at home order asking people to only leave home for essential reasons. People are ordered to maintain social distancing and avoid crowds. Butte police have received reports some people are ignoring this and are prepared to cite those violating the order because if someone gets the virus the potential exists t...