According to the Montana Business Economic Report roughly 4,900 new businesses registered with the Secretary of State’s Office in September while almost 5,500 more registered in October. Montana has had more new registrations in eight of 10 months this year compared to 2023. August had a nearly identical number of new registrations between 2023 and 2024.
Two conservation groups agreed to dismiss a lawsuit against the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission Thursday after it adopted wolf and coyote trapping season regulations they said will protect threatened grizzly bears in Montana. The terms of the stipulated settlement agreement will require the state to pay the two plaintiff groups a total of $210,000 in attorney’s fees and other expenses within 20 days. The case had been slated to go to trial December 2nd.
The University of Montana was recently invited to apply for a National Science Foundation grant focused on forest and rangeland technology and if successful the project could bring $160 million to this state and Idaho during the next decade. The entire university system has leveraged federal grants well in the past to build Montana’s areas of strength has increased its success rates with grants and also the size of its grants.
The nearly 614,000 Montanans who cast ballots in the November 5th general election elected Republicans to statewide offices up and down the ticket. In January Democrats will be without a statewide seat in Montana for the first time in more than a century.
Farmers and ranchers from around Montana met in Billings this week for the 105th Montana Farm Bureau Convention which ended Thursday. More than just workshops and networking the convention is a time for members to set policy and establish priorities for the upcoming legislative session. With more than 21,000 member families the Montana Farm Bureau Federation is the largest farm and ranch organization in Montana.
As winter weather approaches the American Red Cross of Montana is sharing safety tips to help keep families safe during the colder months. It emphasizes the importance of keeping heat sources like fire and food away from space heaters and stoves and fireplaces should never be left unattended. For those using space heaters it recommends placing them on level hard surfaces that won’t catch fire and stresses having chimneys cleaned or inspected once a year at least for those with wood and coal stoves.
People in Park City are concerned about the raw sewage that’s been going into the water for nearly 20 years dealing with a polluted water aquifer. More than two years ago the Montana Department of Environmental Quality determined nitrate levels had returned to maximum containment levels after reaching extremely high levels. The DEQ has now reopened the case.
The Billings Police Department is taking steps to ensure holiday gifts are safely delivered this season. Starting Monday residents can send their packages to the Crime Prevention Center where police volunteers will be available to receive and store packages until they can be picked up. This initiative aims to minimize package thefts during the holiday season.
Attorney General Austin Knudsen has joined a coalition of 30 attorneys general in urging Congressional leadership to pass the Kids Online Safety Act before the end of the year. The legislation will establish better safeguards for minors online and aid state-level efforts Montana has already taken to protect children from the threats they face on social media.
Bitterroot Health is recruiting for new medical assistant training through an initiative called the Medical Assistant Pathways Program which offers hands-on training and hourly pay for students coming in with different levels of experience looking for a career in health care. The program helps with staffing by training new employees already in the community as the high cost of housing in the region can make it hard to recruit from elsewhere.
