HELENA – The Montana attorney general’s office wants a judge to dismiss a lawsuit that seeks to remove from the 2012 ballot a referendum calling for tax credits if state revenue comes in higher than lawmakers expected. Four labor unions and another group filed suit Oct. 5, arguing Legislative Referendum 123 is unconstitutional because it […]

BILLINGS – With more than 150 wolves shot in the Northern Rockies so far this fall, a panel of federal judges on Tuesday is scheduled to consider an emergency halt to public hunts for the animals. Congress cleared the way for the hunts last spring, when lawmakers took the unprecedented step of stripping Endangered Species […]

HELENA – U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg proposed a land swap Monday to save a Jesus statue that is facing eviction from U.S. Forest Service land. The Forest Service recently rescinded its initial decision to remove the five-decades-old statue from a Whitefish ski hill amid an uproar over the decision. The agency announced Monday that a […]

HELENA – U.S. Sen. Max Baucus lauded the military Monday for progress made so far in providing post-combat treatment for stress disorders in a program modeled after one developed in the Montana National Guard. The program was backed by Montana’s congressional delegation in 2009 and requires the military to provide one-on-one Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder screening […]

HELENA – The Air Force said Monday it will cut about 140 civilian jobs at the three bases responsible for making sure the nation’s land-based nuclear missile force is ready. The cuts represent a portion of the 220 civilian positions being eliminated under the Air Force’s Global Strike Command and follow the Air Force’s announcement […]

I’m keeping my favorite comfort food a secret – keeping you in suspense until I reveal it later in this column. I completed my training and apprenticeship in Switzerland, and I’ve been fortunate to travel and cook all over the world for presidents, aristocrats and celebrities. Many of my readers know I’m a French classical […]

Smith Lake near Kila provides excellent access to a variety of outdoors activities, with everything from fishing to bird watching. The lake has a fishing access site that’s managed by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and located on Smith Lake Road. It’s a perfect place to pull off and enjoy this beautiful area of the […]

HELENA – Three private Montana prison operators and three local governments say they are interested in providing up to 120 new prison beds for the state Department of Corrections. Corrections Department spokesman Bob Anez tells Lee Newspapers of Montana that state lawmakers approved about $3 million to develop 120 beds starting next year. “We need […]

The Flathead County Planning and Zoning Department is holding a Nov. 15 public meeting to discuss a potential trail plan near Bigfork along Swan River Road. The trail, which is marked for Community Transportation Enhancement Program funds, would be about 1.5 miles long and run from Lee Road – which is near Montana Highway 83 […]

WASHINGTON – Thousands of protesters gathered in Lafayette Square across from the White House on Sunday to oppose a plan for a transnational oil pipeline they fear could harm the environment. At one point, the crowd linked hands to surround the White House, keeping up pressure on President Barack Obama as his administration decides whether […]

HELENA — Montana has joined 45 other states and the District of Columbia in adopting education standards that proponents say are more specific and prepare students to graduate from high school ready for college or a career. The state Board of Public Education adopted the Common Core State Standards for English language arts and math […]

BEAVER LAKE – A peculiar scene unfolded along the shore of Beaver Lake, just west of Whitefish, on a recent Monday morning. As the sun burned through the early fog, a pair of boats slowly followed a steady stream of bubbles. All eyes were trained on the diver producing the bubbles. Suddenly, Sara Wilkinson emerged […]

Miloslav Dunka leaned forward and delicately picked at his guitar strings one at a time, tuning the instrument. Suddenly he stopped and then began to play; Leo Brouwer’s “Un Dia de Novembre” engulfed the room. As Dunka played the song – one that begins somberly and ends hopefully – he recalled escaping his home two […]

HELENA – A jury on Thursday determined that two law enforcement officers were justified when they shot and killed a 13-year-old boy who fired at them during a high-speed chase in north-central Montana 4 1/2 years ago. The jury deliberated for less than two hours before deciding that Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Jason Wickum and […]

BILLINGS – Authorities are investigating after a high school class on a geology field trip found a human skull near Glendive in eastern Montana. Dawson County Sheriff Craig Anderson says a class from Dawson County High School reported finding the skull at about 1:20 p.m. Wednesday. The sheriff’s office, county coroner and Glendive Police Department […]