American Pacific Mining Corporation has announced significant assay results from its 2024 field program at the Madison Copper-Gold Project. American Pacific reports gold grades reached as high as 80.6 grams per ton alongside notable copper and silver findings reinforcing the project’s potential. The company is currently in the permitting process for a 3,000-meter Phase II drilling program which set to begin early next year.
Montana’s snowpack typically starts building in early to mid-October but this year it is running below normal across most of the state. Following last year’s historically low snowpack many Montanans are pinning their hopes on the emergence of La Niña for a return to a cold snowy winter. Forecasters are confident La Niña will form but it might not be very powerful.
House Bill 549 was signed into law in 2023 to establish charter schools in Montana. Wednesday the Montana Board of Public Education held a special meeting to discuss 12 different school district applications for potential charter schools across the state. Officials from each district that applied shared what they hope to see from their plans. The Board will host a meeting in January to decide on the 12 applications.
Republican Montana Congressman Matt Rosendale voted against the National Defense Authorization Act Wednesday saying the legislation failed to end wokeness in the military and protect the sanctity of life. The U.S. House passed the $895 billion bill on a 281 to 140 vote. Among other things it authorizes a 14.5% pay raise for junior service members and military housing and childcare improvements. 81 Democrats crossed the aisle to vote with Republicans to pass it.
Over 20% of Montanans lack access to a high-speed and reliable internet with most people in that category living on reservations. In 2022 the Biden Administration approved a $52.8 million grant for the Northern Cheyenne’s project called the “Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program.” Its purpose is to provide broadband to over 1,700 households by constructing over 166 miles of wires and a new communications central communications building.
Kalispell is moving away from composting its biosolids because of public concerns surrounding forever chemicals and the potential closure of its vendor’s composting facility. The City Council appears to be in agreement to turn to the Flathead County Landfill to take its supply and invest in dewatering equipment to meet the landfill’s standards at a projected cost of $6.8 million.
The City of Billings began removing a random sample of water meters from homes to be shipped out for testing Wednesday as a part of its ongoing audit of utility bills. In June the city switched over to a new billing system causing a delay in bills being sent out on time and after they rolled out in August residents reported seeing abnormally high charges.
After three Helena businesses sued the city for its street assessment policy a settlement has been approved that will cost The Queen City nearly $200,000 and require future policy changes. The lawsuit was filed in 2022 alleging the way Helena calculated how much to bill properties within a street district violated Montana law.
The Montana Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers released the 2024 Report Card for Montana’s Infrastructure Wednesday. It gave 14 categories of infrastructure a cumulative grade of C minus which is on par with the national average from the 2021 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure.
Montana has the second highest rate of wildlife vehicle collisions per capita in the country. Now a team of citizens and nonprofits has proposed wildlife crossings that help animals like grizzly bears mountain lions black bears and elk move from the Flathead to the Bitterroot. The project has initial funding from the state to look at engineering options.
