Today is Veterans Day. Governor Greg Gianforte has proclaimed November as Veterans and Military Families Month. The State of Montana is home to one of the highest per capita populations of veterans in the United States with nearly 90,000 veterans thousands of service members and their families.
Vet Centers under the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs nationwide offer community-based counseling for veterans and provide a connection to important resources and the one in Kalispell is a little because of what it offers recreation groups. t’s a focus because so many veterans who are from Northwest Montana or move there are eager to be outside and partnered with the Whitefish Veterans Support Team to offer free yoga and golf for veterans.
Colonel Jeremy Russell the commander of Malmstrom’s 341st Maintenance Group who oversaw all of the nuclear missile maintenance at Malmstrom Air Force Base has been fired from his role following a command-directed investigation. Russell’s firing comes amid several recent leadership shake-ups at America’s nuclear missile and bomber bases. He was responsible for more than 500 airmen and in charge of overseeing sustainment and modernization of all 150 Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles at Malmstrom.
Open Enrollment for health insurance is underway and will continue until December 15th for coverage to begin on January 1st 2025. If you don’t sign up in the open enrollment time frame you cannot have a January 1st effective date.
Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Montana rose last week compared with the week before. New jobless claims increased to 1,017 up from 776. North Dakota saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims jumping by 138.0%. The Virgin Islands saw the largest percentage drop in new claims by 80%.
The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation has entered into a $26 million loan agreement with the Milk River Joint Board of Control to support needed repairs on the St. Mary Canal. The lack of water provided by the St. Mary Canal has significantly impacted over 121,000 acres of irrigable land following the June 17th catastrophic failure of the St. Mary siphons.
The Bureau of Land Management has published proposed updates to strengthen conservation and management of greater sage-grouse habitat on public lands including those in Montana. The proposed updates outlined in a final environmental impact statement and amendments to 77 resource management plans balance a consistent west-wide management approach with unique policies in the individual states that are responsible for managing wildlife populations.
Horses and mules from across Montana and Idaho are arriving at the Ninemile Ranger District in Huson for their winter stay. The districts that bring the animals to Ninemile will return before May 1st to pick up their respective horses and mules marking the end of their November to May break. The Ninemile Ranch is unique as it is the only working ranch under the U.S. Forest Service.
Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks officials say an elk in southeast Montana has tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease on private land in Hunting District 704 north of the Custer National Forest. CWD-infected animals may not show significant symptoms until the late stages and typically die in 18 to 24 months. So far this year there have been 50 positive CWD cases out of 1,284 samples tested in Montana.
A new set of challenge coins minted by the state of Montana dubbed 988 plus 1 are intended to aid in preventing suicide among veterans. The coins will be distributed to veterans across the state in an attempt to lower the suicide rate among that population. It is meant to be a conversation starter for when a veteran meets a fellow service member in a time of need.
