Montana Ranks Number One In Drunk Driving Categories
Montana ranks as the worst state for drunk driving. 43.51% of traffic deaths in Montana are caused by drunk drivers the highest in the nation. The state has the worst rate of drunk drivers under 21 involved in fatal crashes.
Fire Season Could Worsen Due To Drought And Other Factors
Fire season has started in Montana and Dan Borsum a predictive services meteorologist with the Northern Rockies Coordination Center expects this fire season to be significant. Borsum who presented this year’s fire season outlook at Governor Greg Gianforte’s fire briefing blames a dry-summer with higher-than-normal temperatures and the drought.
Trump administration cut to federal drug enforcement grant program could impact Montana
Drug enforcement agencies play a crucial role in fighting the drug epidemic but now the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program is at risk of a 35% funding cut by the Trump administration. Six counties across Montana are designated as High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas established by the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988.
Northwestern Energy to temporarily lower rates for Montana customers
While Northwestern Energy is undergoing a regulatory rate review process by the Montana Public Service Commission it has announced a temporary rate reduction for its Montana customers that could lead to refunds. The expectation is that a decision on the rate review to ensure the rates cover the cost of delivering energy which includes essential infrastructure like powerlines substations and power poles will be made before the end of the year.
Montana state auditor issues moratorium on wildfire-related insurance cancellations
Montana State Auditor James Brown has issued an advisory moratorium calling on insurance companies not to cancel policies or refuse renewal for homeowners with perceived wildfire risk unless it is justified. Brown has the authority as the commissioner of insurance to remind insurance companies they cannot just cancel policies based on perceived wildfire risk along or to target particular areas. It has to be justified.
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The federal government eliminated a $24 million grant awarded in 2024 to build out street and pedestrian improvements along Highway 200 in East Missoula in the “Big Beautiful Bill” that became law July 4th. That leaves both local and state governments unsure of how to fund the project including some of the work that has already been completed.
The Bureau of Land Management Montana-Dakotas State Office has announced an upcoming oil and gas lease sale set for September 10th offering 26 parcels covering a total of 8,355 acres across Montana and North Dakota. A 30-day public comment period opened Wednesday and will close August 8th.
In Montana’s public schools students who are deaf or hard of hearing depend on sign language interpreters but there are not enough trained ones and no in-state program to prepare them. Now the Montana School for the Deaf and Blind is partnering with the Rochester Institute of Technology’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf to launch a free professional development series.
Riders nationwide have gathered at the Lewis and Clark County Fairgrounds to keep a Native American equestrian tradition alive. The National Saddle Clubs Association’s 60th anniversary showcase of the National O-Mok-See Championship that has a deep history of indigenous culture runs through Friday. The NSCA founded in 1965 by Keith Herrin was approved by the Blackfeet Indian Affairs Bureau to develop the O-Mok-See name into a sport in 1944.
Leasing is underway at a 162-unit property near Montana State University. The Clarion Partners’ Highmark development is in a Qualified Opportunity Zone and the program that became permanent with the passage of the “Big Beautiful Bill Act” signed into law by President Donald Trump on the 4th of July.
