The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission has voted to stop wolf hunting and trapping in southwest Montana when 82 wolves are killed five more than had been taken by hunter or trappers by Friday. The area was previously managed under low quotas to limit taking of wolves important for the park’s tourism industry. National Park Service officials ...
Montana Epidemiologist Warns That Relaxed COVID Approach Is Leading To More Infections
The omicron variant of COVID-19 has led to the greatest spike of the virus in Montana since the start of the pandemic but some people are taking a relaxed attitude toward taking precautions. Billings Clinic epidemiologist Doctor Neil Ku says this is not the time because that attitude has potentially harmful consequences for some.
Montanans Pushing For Beef Labeling Act To Pass
Farmers and ranchers are calling for Congress to pass the American Beef Labeling Act so consumers always know where their meat is born and raised which was included in a requirement from 2011 to 2015 until the law was repealed. Opponents of country-of-origin labeling for beef include the World Trade Organization which says it is a trade barrie...
Disabled Montanans Struggle To Find Housing For Service Animals
Accommodations for service and assistance animals in housing is a thorny and common issue in Montana and there are a number of ins and outs for what is acceptable under the law for people with disabilities. Pam Bean executive director of Montana Fair Housing gives an example of someone who needs an assistance animal for a year but is living in...
New Study Finds Most Tax-Friendly Montana Cities For Retirees
To help pre-and post-retirees with benchmark data, financial information website SmartAsset found the most tax-friendly cities for retirees in Montana. Northern News Network’s Eric Young.
Montana Economist Projects Future Economy
Dr. Patrick Barkey was on Voices of Montana Thursday. The Director of the Bureau of Business and Economic Research at the University of Montana gave a prognostication about Montana’s economic future now that we’re in year three of the pandemic.
Montana Sees Jump In Federal Healthcare Enrollment
A total of 51,134 Montanans signed up for a health care plan on the federal exchange during the enrollment period a jump of 14% over the previous year. Nationally a record-high 14.5 million people enrolled on the exchange established under the Affordable Care Act an increase of 21% over the previous year. That could increase as the enrollment...
Rapid COVID-19 Tests To Arrive Next Week
Montana’s Department of Public Health and Human Services has begun shipping 650,000 at-home COVID-19 rapid antigen tests to county and tribal public health departments for distribution. When announcing the state had first acquired the tests Governor Greg Gianforte said every community needs to do their part to end the pandemic.
DPHHS Issues Guidance for Health Care Facilities & Providers For Federal Mandate
The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services has issued guidance for state health care facilities and providers with respect to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services COVID-19 vaccine mandate. It requires Medicare and Medicaid-certified facilities to establish a policy ensuring that all covered staff have been vaccin...
Rally In Sweet Grass Set To Protest Border Vaccine Mandate
A number of rallies are scheduled to take place Saturday at noon along the U.S.-Canadian border to protest vaccine mandates for those crossing the border including the port of entry at Sweet Grass. Michael Wilson owner and CEO of Whitewood Transport out of Billings recently detailed the impact that will have on the trucking industry.