Compared to our neighbors Montanans on average don’t spend as much on groceries according to Visual Capitalist using U.S. Census date. Montana ranks as one of the lest expensive states for the average cost of groceries coming in at number 46. Montanans spend an average of $246 weekly on groceries. The Wyoming the Dakotas and Idaho all pay higher prices for their groceries.
Democrat Scott Rosenzweig appears to have flipped House District 57 which includes part of Park and Gallatin Counties by just 20 votes after preliminary election results showed Republican Marty Malone in the lead. The Montana Secretary of State will certify the results in the coming weeks. Rosenzweig’s apparent win adds to the Democrats’ legislative caucus which has increased by 10 seats since the last legislative session.
The Montana State Board of Canvassers met this week in the first step for the state’s Post-Election Audit process. Counties will conduct their post-election audits prior to completing the county canvass procedure by next Tuesday. The State Canvass is currently scheduled for November 26th.
The Miles City Fish Hatchery is run by Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks. The Yellowstone Valley Audubon Society is suing U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for issuing it permits to kill osprey without proper consideration of the impacts that would have on the species. It claims the department violated its own rules by using the permits repeatedly during a 10-year period when federal law treats the permits as a temporary solution to give agencies more time to formulate a long-term plan.
The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission adopted regulations this week for the upcoming wolf and furbearer trapping seasons and follows a federal court order to minimize the threat of grizzly bears from being caught in traps for wolves or coyotes. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plans to issue a decision whether to delist grizzlies in two Montana ecosystems by the end of January and the Gianforte administration is pushing to try to show the federal government it is ready to take over state management of the species.
In northwest Montana $10 million is now available for high fire risk communities in the Glacier Gateway area from Columbia Falls to West Glacier. These areas are covered in dense vegetation and if a wildfire happens the risk of it fueling the flames and causing further expansion is high. The Flathead Electric Cooperative Montana West Economic Development and Flathead Forest Service grant will help maintain vegetation while preventing potential wildfires from rapid growth and protecting private property.
Missoula’s Community Medical Center has earned an ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group an independent national nonprofit watchdog focused on patient safety. Community Medical Center is a health system comprising adult and pediatric health care delivery systems and is part of Lifepoint Health and Billings Clinic.
Federal prosecutors have secured convictions in all 27 cases filed against individuals involved in a large-scale meth-trafficking conspiracy based on the Crow Indian Reservation. The conspiracy’s alleged leader and another alleged high-level participant are both believed to have connections to the Jalisco cartel. Twenty-four of the defendants have already been sentenced to a cumulative 165 years in prison and three defendants are awaiting sentencing.
The United Way of the Lewis and Clark area has to raise $5,000 by Christmas Day to purchase the Helena Inn which it hopes to renovate into a 48-unit Permanent Supportive Housing facility. Since the campaign started last March $650,000 has been raised and there is a waitlist of over 500 people with a housing voucher in hand.
Gallatin County will soon have the chance to implement a new structure of government after voters elected the seven civilians who will help determine what that structure may look like. The Gallatin County local government study commission is charged with reviewing existing government structures and creating a plan to improve the county’s power form and plan of government.
