Montana is set to receive $16.57 million from a $7.4 billion national settlement with Purdue Pharma and its Sackler family owners over their role in fueling the opioid crisis. The settlement resolves allegations that Purdue aggressively marketed opioid products for decades contributing to addiction and overdose deaths nationwide including in Montana. The money will be directed toward opioid abatement programs in the state.
The 2023 Montana legislature told the Department of Justice to make some changes to the Sexual or Violent Offender Registration registry. An update to its website will go into effect Friday and anyone who was subscribed to alerts will have to re-subscribe. Montana’s Sexual or Violent Offender Registration Act is designed to protect the public by requiring offenders to register with law enforcement agencies where they live.
The pandemic drove a nationwide trend of outdoor recreation activity which almost certainly benefited Montana. A study by the Bureau of Business and Economic Research in Missoula found that Taylor Sheridan’s “Yellowstone” was a driving force in the decision of about 2.1 million visitors to come to Montana where they spent $730.1 million in 2022 alone as it drew in more than 10 million viewers with Big Sky Country scenery and horse operatics.
The new Signal Peak Ice Arena at Amend Park in Billings got $1 million closer to its $12 million goal Tuesday after receiving a donation from a longtime resident family. Signal Peak Energy donated $6 million last November vowing to raise the rest privately. As of now developers plan to break ground in April.
Columbia Falls has begun the design phase for the Columbia Falls Gateway to Glacier Safety and Mobility Improvement Project. It will reconstruct 1.3 miles of roadway install 1.7 miles of sidewalks and add 1 mile of shared-use paths. using the $10 million in Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity grant funding it was awarded in 2022.
Applications for a permit to float the Smith River will be accepted by Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks online through Saturday February 15th with the drawing held soon after. They are required to float the 59-mile section between Camp Baker and Eden Bridge and are issued each year through a lottery drawing. Successful Smith River applicants will be notified via email.
The Billings chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace has been gathering donations to build and deliver 15 beds to kids sleeping on the floor. The beds come fully furnished and so far the Sleep in Heavenly Peace Billings chapter has delivered eight beds. The nationwide nonprofit aims to give a bed to every child that needs one.
For the seventh year Sapphire Lutheran Homes in Hamilton is putting out an invitation to the community to send Valentine’s Day cards to the approximately 150residents. The retirement center includes four buildings of Independent Living Assisted Living and Memory Care.
The U.S. Postal Service will temporarily suspend parcels from China and Hong Kong after President Donald Trump ended a trade provision this week used by retailers to ship low-value packages duty-free to the U.S. There were 4 million a day in 2024. The change will not impact the flow of letters and ‘flats.’ The Trump administration also imposed an additional 10% tariff on Chinese goods effective Tuesday.
The 40th running of the Race to the Sky sled dog competitions kicks off in Lincoln Saturday afternoon at 2 with 20 mushers currently entered. They come from Montana Minnesota Idaho Washington Colorado California and Utah as well as a team from Manitoba Canada.
