In 2025 Montanans can expect significant changes to Social Security. One of the most anticipated changes is the Cost-of-Living Adjustment when COLA benefits will see a 2.5% increase designed to help beneficiaries keep up with inflation and maintain their purchasing power. Another significant change is the increase in the taxable earnings limit from this year’s maximum amount of income subject to Social Security tax of $168,600 rising to $176,100 in 2025.
Tuesday’s election was the first held with Montana’s newly drawn legislative district maps and saw Democrats pick up House and Senate seats in the state Legislature but Republicans still will remain in control. Based on unofficial vote counts available as of Thursday Montana Democrats appear likely to hold 41 of 100 House and 18 of 50 Senate seats when the 69th Legislative session convenes in January.
With the recent dip in temperatures Energy Share will again help people with their power bills and heating costs over the winter months. On average the nonprofit assists about 2500 families a year but last year it was over 3,128 statewide. The intent is to help people who don’t necessarily qualify for government programs but still need support at times. In recent years there has been an increase in senior citizens in need and last year 31 percent had at least one senior citizen living there.
Montana will receive $8,850,671 million from Kroger which has Smith and Loaf’N Jog locations based in the state as part of a multi-state settlement that alleges the national grocery store chain failed to oversee the dispensing of opioids at its pharmacies. The funding will be allocated to opioid use disorder treatment Narcan to first responders and drug treatment for defendants with any opioid-related substance abuse issues.
With Americans having a collective $1.61 trillion in student loan debt today the personal-finance website WalletHub released its new report on the Cities With the Highest Student Loan Delinquency Rates to highlight where people have the greatest risk of credit score damage and other negative consequences. The report is based on WalletHub’s proprietary user data on consumer delinquency rates from this year’s third quarter. In the file no news is good news Montana has no cities on the list of the ones with the highest student loan delinquency rates.
The Indreland Ranch in the foothills of the Rattlesnake Mountains will be preserved from development after both the Missoula city and county governments approved spending $688,000 to place the land in a conservation easement. The project combined funding from both governments and Five Valley’s Land Trust to preserve the active agricultural business that stretches more than 1,600 acres through range land and forest.
Glacier National Park will implement a new “timed-entry” system for reservations for vehicles to enter the west side of Going-to-the-Sun Road and the North Fork in 2025. The park has been overwhelmed with tourist traffic for the past few years and officials implemented a vehicle reservation system for the first time in 2022. They have tweaked it every year since.
Today 98 basic needs organizations across Montana will receive a combined total of $356,000 as part of the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation’s holiday giving program. This program is in addition to other grants awarded annually to provide the resources needed for food banks food pantries rescue missions homeless shelters and Salvation Army organizations.
The Missoula Redevelopment Agency is sending more than $5.3 million in Tax Increment Financing to local taxing jurisdictions. The money will be split up between the city the county the state the Missoula Urban Transportation District which runs the fare-free Mountain Line bus system and local school districts.
Great Falls is the smallest metropolitan area with a professional baseball team and its ownership is changing. The Great Falls Baseball Club Incorporated has announced the sale of the Great Falls Voyagers team to the business group Enbar Incorporated. The previous owners were committed to finding local owners who would keep the team in Great Falls rather than move the team elsewhere.
