US approves expansion of Montana coal mine
The Trump administration approved a plan Thursday to expand and extend the life of the Spring Creek Coal Mine in Bog Horn County by 16 years. According to the Interior Department the decision aligns with President Donald Trump’s goal to increase U.S. fossil fuel production. The Navajo Transitional Energy Company will now be allowed to mine 39.9 million more tons of coal.
Judges Rule Mass Federal Worker Firings Illegal, Reinstatement Possible
Two federal judges ruled Thursday that the mass firing of thousands of federal workers on Feb. 14 violated federal law. The Office of Personnel Management, under President Trump, ordered the firings. Judges William Alsup and James Bredar found the terminations illegal, potentially reinstating affected workers, including 300 in Montana.
Montana Fair Housing Faces 80% Budget Cut Due to Trump Administration
Cuts by the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency will slash Montana Fair Housing’s budget by 80%. Executive Director Pam Bean, headquartered in Butte, was shocked by a Feb. 27 email from HUD terminating a $425,000 grant. The non-profit handles housing discrimination cases and receives 180 inquiries monthly.
US pauses water-sharing negotiations with Canada over Columbia River
The United States has paused negotiations with Canada on the key water-sharing Columbia River Treaty as President Donald Trump continues both his threats to annex his northern neighbor and to upend major agreements governing relations between the two counties with tariffs. The 61-year-old pact governs transnational flood control power generation and water supply on one of the largest watersheds on the continent.
New changes to mail delivery service in Montana to begin next month
As the new Trump administration makes its way through the first 100 days new changes to the Postal Service will start rolling out April 1st including how first-class mail is sorted and delivered. Rural Montana might be the biggest winner because postal service workers will be permitted to leave earlier and drive further than before. 75% of delivered mail will see no changes 14% could see faster delivery while 11% are going to be seeing slower deliver.
Order from the chief justice
Attorney General Austin Knudsen was found last October to have violated professional conduct standards 41 times in 2021 when he refused to comply with a Supreme Court order and disparaged justices. Now Chief Justice Cory Swanson is asking whether suspending him from the practice of law for 90 days would create a vacancy in the office of attorney general. Knudsen and the Office of Disciplinary Counsel have until March 24th to answer in briefs. The hearing is on March 28th.
USGS Estimates 47 Million Barrels of Oil Remain in Wyoming and Southern Montana
A new U.S. Geological Survey assessment reveals approximately 47 million barrels of oil and 876 billion cubic feet of gas remain undiscovered in parts of southern Montana western South Dakota and Nebraska and Wyoming’s Wind River Bighorn and Powder River basins. Since the 1920s these basins have produced around 4 billion barrels of oil equivalent to the U.S.’s six-month consumption rate.
Trump administration stops Bitterroot logging project to assess endangered species
The Trump administration has backed off the Eastside logging project in the Bitterroot National Forest after four different groups challenged the plan which they said could have harmful effects on bull trout wolverines and grizzly bears all of which are protected as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. It called for tree cutting prescribed burns and roadwork across more than 470,000 acres.
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Lincoln County commissioners have approved awarding a contract to M.A. DeAtley Construction of Clarkston Washington to expand the Lincoln County Landfill. It includes about 17.4 acres of property located southeast of the current landfill and an existing drive will be used to access the site.
The Montana Department of Corrections is considering the counties of Butte-Silver Bow Yellowstone Anaconda-Deer Lodge and Jefferson as possible locations for a new women’s prison if the Legislature appropriates $220 million for one this session. A new women’s prison would create about 100 full-time jobs including nursing and maintenance positions.
The Billings Hotel and Convention Center has completed a nearly $5 million expansion and remodel. The project added 15,000 square feet of new convention space designed to accommodate a range of events. The full-service property has 232 newly renovated rooms and suites an on-site restaurant lounge and casino.
A two and a half acre parcel in the South Glastonbury subdivision in Emigrant is for sale for $249,000. The property 28 miles south of Livingston and 22 miles north of Yellowstone National Park includes a Cold War-era underground bunker that was built by the Church Universal and Triumphant. It has an onsite blast-proof bomb shelter 10 feet underground.
