HELENA – Montana Republicans say that former presidential candidate Newt Gingrich will speak at their convention in Missoula this weekend. The state GOP said Monday the former House speaker will address party members on behalf of Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney Saturday morning at the Missoula Hilton Garden. The 68-year-old Gingrich ended his campaign this […]

The Bureau of Indian Affairs has started gathering information for an environmental impact statement for proposed fisheries management in Flathead Lake. The study will focus on the environmental consequences of a proposal to reduce non-native lake trout in Flathead to benefit native fish populations in Flathead Basin. The range of alternatives being considered so far, […]

At a June 20 Kalispell meeting, the Montana Legislature Water Policy Interim Committee will seek comment on multiple bill drafts that deal with exempt water wells. When a water well pumps at a rate of less than 35 gallons per minute and produces less than 10 acre feet of water per year, it does not […]

HELENA – Gov. Brian Schweitzer’s administration and labor unions have negotiated a 10 percent pay raise for state workers over the next two years, but there’s a catch: c who won’t meet until the lame-duck Democratic governor has left office. Three public employee unions announced the deal Monday at the state Capitol. It calls for […]

If you’ve ever wandered into Crush Wine Bar in Whitefish, you may have met one of its regulars, Murphy Taterskins. Born in Columbia Falls, he stands about 15 inches tall, weighs in at 70 pounds and drools for cookies and apples. Murphy is Crush manager Megan Grunow’s English bulldog, and he’s a bar favorite. Now, […]

HELENA – Before the dusted even settled on Tuesday’s crowded primary nominations, simmering general election battles began to heat up. The U.S. Senate election contest between incumbent Democrat Jon Tester and Republican U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg hardly needed any more fuel added to the fire. But wrapping up the primaries sharpened the rhetoric and formally […]

GREAT FALLS – Glacier National Park officials say they’re hoping to open Going-to-the-Sun Road on Friday but much depends on the weather. Businesses that rely on the road, meanwhile, are hoping they don’t see a repeat of last year when the road didn’t open until July 13. “It’s all up to Mother Nature,” Glacier spokeswoman […]

BILLINGS — A man who told authorities he was hitchhiking across the country and writing a memoir about kindness was injured in a seemingly random drive-by shooting near Montana’s booming Bakken oil patch. Ray Dolin, 39, was shot in the arm as he approached a pickup Saturday evening thinking the driver was offering him a […]

As the latest Farm Bill lands on the U.S. Senate floor for consideration, Montana Sen. Jon Tester has proposed an expansive amendment designed to increase access to public lands, fund new shooting ranges and reauthorize a federal grant program that protects wildlife habitat, among other sportsmen-related measures. In a conference call last week, Tester announced […]

HELENA — The University of Montana will pay former football coach Robin Pflugrad an additional $78,000 to resolve all issues relating to his dismissal, the university and Pflugrad announced Monday. Pflugrad will receive $44,500 for lost summer camp income and radio and television appearances he would have made had he continued as Montana’s coach this […]

HELENA – Democratic nominee Steve Bullock kicked off the general election campaign Monday by promising to dip into Montana’s budget surplus and give homeowners a one-time, $400 property tax rebate if he is elected governor. Republicans including Bullock’s opponent in the Nov. 6 election, former Congressman Rick Hill, called the rebate a “one-time gimmick” that […]

Thursday 6/7 10:22 a.m. A 10-year-old and a 7-year-old reportedly beat up a 6-year-old girl on Shady Lane. 11:01 a.m. Three ominous black German shepherds were seen patrolling the streets of Martin City. 11:41 a.m. A Marion resident reported that a violent “felon” wearing a knife in his “pouch” was yelling on his doorstep, refusing […]

The U.S. Forest Service is adding eight more aircraft to its firefighting fleet to ensure an adequate number of airtankers are available for wildland suppression efforts, the agency announced Monday. With the new aircraft, the Forest Service will have 16 large airtankers and one very large airtanker immediately available. “In addition to contracting for more […]

The Montana Attorney General’s Office has found that three separate allegations of illegal activity by current and former members of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, including the sheriff, have insufficient evidence for prosecution. Assistant Attorney General Brant Light issued three conclusions on May 31 following investigations by the state Department of Justice’s division of criminal […]

As part of its month-long Festival of the Fly, Glacier Anglers is hosting the second annual Cast Off on Saturday, June 16 at Glacier Outdoor Center on 12400 MT Highway 2 East in West Glacier. The second-annual event will feature a casting competition and short film festival as well as industry experts presenting helpful tips […]