Plans to restore passenger rail service to southern Montana will receive a significant boost from the infrastructure bill passed by Congress. Senator Jon Tester included language that directs the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to study the restoration of long-distance routes across the country and provides $15 million to do so. Among other t...
Federal Judge To Hear Arguments In Favor Of Wolf Hunts
U.S. government attorneys will appear before a federal judge today to defend a decision from the last days of the Trump administration to lift protections for gray wolves across most of the nation. Wildlife advocates argue the state-sponsored hunts including in Montana, Idaho and Wisconsin could reverse the gray wolf’s recovery over the ...
Climate Office Working On Snowpack Measurement Model
The Montana Climate Office at the University of Montana told the governor’s drought advisory committee recently accurately measuring the amount of water contained in snowpack is important. A model being developed by the climate office along with state and federal agencies will provide a holistic estimate of snowpack throughout watersheds from ...
Montana Schools Beginning To See Food Shortages
Some kitchens in school lunchrooms across Montana have experienced challenges sourcing many food products and even plates and utensils. The Montana Free Press reports those shortages are occurring among major food distributors such as Sysco and US Foods which supply restaurants and hospitals in addition to schools. It’s leaving school food ser...
Tester Bill For Veteran Health Care Advances To Senate For Vote
The Comprehensive and Overdue Support for Troops Act would allow veterans including the 3.5 million who served in Iraq and Afghanistan to get immediate and lifelong access to health care from the Veteran’s Administration. After having unanimously passed through the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee the next stop for the COST of War Act is the ...
Eureka Superintendent Steps Down
Eureka Superintendent Jim Mepham has announced he will be leaving his position after fifteen years. Northern News Network’s Eric Young with the reason why. https://northernbroadcasting.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/11-12_537.mp3
New Report Reveals Impact Of Recreation On Montana’s Economy
Outdoor recreation remains a cornerstone of the state’s economy, according to a report released today by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. It accounted for 4.3% of Montana’s gross domestic product last year, a higher percentage than any other state. Montana is toward the head of the pack for employment in the outdoor recreation sector in 2...
Driving Fatalities In Montana On The Rise In Recent Years
As the holidays approach the Montana Highway Patrol is asking everyone to drive defensively and avoid trouble. Doing some research, Quotewizard.com’s team of analysts has found that traffic fatalities increased 41% since 2019 in Montana. Fatal crashes are up 22% since 2020 and 41% since 2019. Statewide 19 more people died in Montana this...
Senator Tester Confidant His COST of War Act Will Pass
Senator Jon Tester is optimistic his bill to provide comprehensive support to U.S. troops who experienced toxic exposure would become law, telling that to a small group at the Veterans Memorial at Helena’s Memorial Park Wednesday. The bill sets up a procedure for Veterans Affairs to process claims of toxic exposure. It allocates $430 billion t...
Yellowstone National Park Reports Decrease In October Visitation
Yellowstone National Park hosted 316,662 recreation visits this October, down 12% from 2020 which was the busiest October on record. Compared to October 2019, recreation visits this October were up 85%. So far in 2021, the park has hosted 4,789,644 recreation visits up 28% from the same period last year and up 20% from 2019. Several short-term...