Military retirees and disabled veterans in Montana will receive 2.5% increases to their monthly paychecks for 2025 along with others across the nation thanks to the annual Cost of Living Adjustment tied to inflation. The Social Security Administration announced its COLA increase Thursday and most government disability and retirement payments a...
The Montana Department of Commerce announced today the launch of a new grant program designed to support rural and tribal agricultural businesses and promote economic diversification across the state. The funding is through Commerce’s Agritourism Grants Program. Student loan payments have been a major issue across the nation but comparatively,...
Montana gas prices have now dropped 10 weeks in a row and today average $3.21 a gallon. According to GasBuddy prices in Montana are 18.1 cents per gallon lower than a month ago and 78.7 cents per gallon lower than a year ago. Montana is currently ranked 18th in the U.S. when it comes to the average price of gas three spots lower than last wee...
The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to block an emissions rule that requires Colstrip upgrades. The federal regulation has major implications for the continued operation of Montana’s largest coal-fired power plant requiring hundreds of millions of dollars to meet a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 2028 compliance deadline. Montana Attorney...
A 2024 report on labor in Montana says the economy is continuing to expand unemployment remains low and wage growth is increasing and has outpaced inflation. The high cost of housing and low availability of childcare workers though are a couple of challenges for the economy. Nearly 60% of counties in the state are identified as childcare deser...
Between the springs of 2020 and 2021 the Office of Public Instruction received over $605 million of COVID relief funds. It partnered with the state’s 400 school districts to ensure the final round of the federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds were successfully obligated by this week’s deadline. Representative Mat...
The annual fundraising campaign spearheaded by the Town Pump Charitable Trust Foundation will get help buying food and covering operational expenses this year for a record 116 food banks across Montana. Organizers hope the “Help Those in Need” campaign kicking off this week will raise $4 million including more than $1.1 million in matching gra...
Regional gas prices rose for the second consecutive week last week and since last month the average fuel price in the Rocky Mountain region has risen about 8 cents. A year ago it was 14% higher at about $4 a gallon. The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s tally of prices in the Rocky Mountain states includes Montana Colorado Idaho...
The Montana Department of Labor & Industry reminds Montana businesses and workers that the minimum wage will increase from $10.30 to $10.55 beginning on January 1, 2025. Montana law requires the minimum wage to be adjusted annually for inflation using the August estimates of the Consumer Price Index for Urban Consumers (CPI-U). The CPI-U i...
Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks released the final Statewide Grizzly Bear Management Plan Monday. It outlines how FWP plans to manage grizzly bears where they exist now and prioritizes connectivity between ecosystems and working with people and communities to avoid conflicts with bears. Its grizzly bear management will continue to center on...
