Archive for month: August, 2021

University of Montana Adapting To COVID-19 Restrictions

The COVID-19 pandemic has and continues to challenge students and educators to adapt criteria to maintain health and safety. University of Montana Director of Strategic Communications Dave Kuntz on how some courses plan to keep some of these changes permanently. https://northernbroadcasting.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/8-25_637.mp3

Montana State Prison Union May Strike

A possible strike is brewing at the Montana State Prison as the employees’ unions continue negotiations with the state Corrections Department Thursday. The Federation of Montana State Prison Employees Local 4700 announced earlier this month its members had voted sixty to zero to engage in concerted activity a step toward a potential strike to ...

FWP Reports Big Increases In Park Visitation

The Department of Fish Wildlife and Parks says in a new report Montana’s state parks recorded more than 1.57 million visitors in the first half of 2021 an 11% increase over the same period last year                    and a 44% increase over the same period in 2019. Twenty-seven of the 45 state parks that were open from the start of Janu...

Governor Gianforte Won’t Enact Mandates Amid Rising COVID Numbers

Montana has crossed 50 percent of eligible residents vaccinated with over 456,726 Montanans now considered fully vaccinated. According to the Department of Public Health and Human Service website there have been 122,964 cumulative cases of COVID in Montana. The cumulative number of recoveries as of Monday was 117,420. You can visit the website...

MT FWP decision notice & final environmental assessment

FWP has released the following decision notice and final environmental assessment that supports proceeding with emergency haying and grazing leases on select wildlife management areas. The primary purpose of these leases is to enhance wildlife habitat and to benefit local producers. FWP invites parties who may have an interest in one or more o...

Laurel’s Power Station Meets DEQ Standards Prior To Construction

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality has released the air quality permit for NorthWestern Energy’s proposed generating station in Laurel with constriction estimated to begin in April 2022 with about 12 months to construct. It will contain 18 9.7 megawatt electrical reciprocating internal combustion engines an emergency back-up diese...

Montana Indigenous Persons Concerns Receiving National Attention

As of June 17th, there were 189 active missing persons cases in Montana and of those, 60 or 32% were listed as Indigenous though Indigenous people account for 6.7% of the state’s population. 21 of the 60 missing Indigenous people had been missing for more than one year. Friday evening, an NBC Dateline one-hour special will premiere on th...

Montana Employers Struggle With Vaccine Requirements As COVID Cases Rise

While many large companies across the U.S. have announced that COVID-19 vaccines will be required for their employees to return to work in-person, there is one state where such requirements are banned: Montana. Under a new law passed by the state’s Republican-controlled Legislature earlier this year, requiring vaccines as a condition for...