Extinguishing the “Hidden” Threat: Montana’s New Coal Seam Strategy

  A Smoldering Chain Reaction For decades, the rugged landscape of eastern Montana has been sitting on a literal “chain reaction” of fire. What begins as a simple lightning strike often ignites exposed coal veins, which then smolder underground for years—sometimes decades—only to resurface and spark massive, uncontrollable wildfires. These burning coal seams act as persistent, hidden ignition points across

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March 23, 2026

Early Childhood Virus Lingers Longer Than Usual

BILLINGS, Mont. — Respiratory syncytial virus, better known as RSV, is lingering longer than usual this year. The Northern News Network’s Ken Adelblue spoke with Michelle Evans, immunization section supervisor with the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, about a recommendation to continue immunizations through April. Typically, the season ends in March. Later start to the season Evans

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March 23, 2026

Shameful Acts of Deception

BILLINGS, Mont. — The Montana Department of Justice hosted an Elder Justice Summit Tuesday at Billings Clinic, highlighting the growing problem of elder abuse and financial scams targeting seniors. The summit, spearheaded by Attorney General Austin Knudsen, focused on both physical and emotional abuse, as well as increasingly sophisticated financial scams. In an interview with Northern News Network’s Ken Adelblue, Knudsen

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March 20, 2026

CSI Office Steps Up Montana Fraud Fight as AI Fuels New Scams

Fraud in Montana is evolving rapidly—and state officials warn that artificial intelligence is making scams more convincing and harder to detect than ever before. On a recent episode of Voices of Montana, State Auditor and Commissioner of Securities and Insurance Jim Brown said fraud investigations and prosecutions have surged 80% during his first 15 months in office, underscoring what he

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March 19, 2026

A Frozen Crime Scene: The Predator’s Calling Card

A Frozen Crime Scene: The Predator’s Calling Card Visitors strolling through the Hall of Horns and Teeth at the Museum of the Rockies often pause at a duck-billed dinosaur skull that seems, at first glance, simply impressive in its size. But a closer look reveals a startling secret: a single, broken tooth embedded deep in the fossilized face. This “violent

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March 18, 2026