Page 24 - Flathead Beacon // 2.10.16

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FEBRUARY 10, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM
Saturday, February 13
Buffalo Hill Conference Center Kalispell Regional Medical Center
For more information, call 752-1745.
Join us for
this free event -
a day of all things baby!
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Vendor Displays and Giveaways lunch will be provided
10:30 – 11:00 a.m. Infant Massage Class
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Baby Talk:
Debra Guinn, MD, KRH Montana Perinatal Center
1:00 – 1:30 p.m. Infant Massage Class
Join us for great giveaways, gift cards, expert lectures, and tours of our Baby Center!
www.kalispellregional.org
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ROUNDUP
FROM BEACON STAFF AND WIRE SERVICES
WHITEFISH
HELENA
3. Enrollment Rises for Montana Health Insurance Exchange
More Montanans are getting medi- cal coverage through the state’s health insurance marketplace.
According to the federal government, 58,114 Montana residents bought their insurance through the marketplace during the most recent open enrollment period. That’s up 7 percent from the pre- vious year.
Last year, 54,266 Montanans were enrolled for health coverage through the exchange.
Open enrollment for 2016 coverage ended Jan. 31.
Meanwhile, the cost of those plans have gone up, although state o cials say the higher costs are typically o set by increased tax credits.
Montana is one of 37 states without its own health insurance exchange. The state relies on the federal government’s website, healthcare.gov, to provide health coverage under the ACA.
This year, 12.7 million Americans nationwide bought health insurance through government-run marketplaces under the federal A ordable Care Act.
HELENA
4. Senate Majority Leader Enters
Race for State Auditor
Montana Senate Majority Leader Matthew Rosendale said Feb. 5 he will run for the open seat of state auditor in an election where he will face a Republi- can primary opponent and a well-funded Democratic candidate if he wins the nomination.
The Glendive Republican could have run for a second term representing Sen- ate District 18, but decided instead to campaign for the statewide seat after being encouraged by GOP leaders, Rosen- dale said in a statement.
Democrat Jesse Laslovich, who is the auditor’s chief legal counsel, had more than $123,800 in the bank at the end of the year.
In his announcement, Rosendale said,
MISSOULA
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1. Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Make
Women Register for Draft
Two Republican congressmen who are military veterans have introduced a bill requiring women to register for the draft.
Reps. Duncan Hunter of California and Ryan Zinke of Montana announced last week that the legislation is aimed at provoking a fuller discussion of the Pen- tagon’s decision to open all combat jobs to women.
Hunter and Zinke say the decision ignores research from the Marine Corps and special operations forces. They also say the decision was made without considering whether women should be drafted and potentially serve on the front lines.
Hunter says it’s unfortunate the Draft America’s Daughters Act had to be intro- duced and he might even vote against his own bill.
Hunter served in the Marine Corps with tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Zinke, from White sh, is a former Navy SEAL.
MISSOULA
2. Montana Lab to Focus on Zika
Virus Research
The Zika virus recently captured worldwide attention, but a Montana lab has been studying the virus since it began spreading in Brazil last November.
The Missoulian reports that Rocky Mountain Laboratories biochemist Sonja Best says the Hamilton lab is putting together a contingent of people to focus on Zika research. She says the lab has exper- tise in aviviruses, a group that includes Zika as well as the West Nile Virus.
The lab is trying to determine whether vaccines against West Nile and dengue viruses might also work against Zika.
The World Health Organization declared Zika a public health emergency on Monday. Scientists suspect it may be linked to a rise in babies born with abnor- mally small heads, a condition known as microcephaly, in South and Central America.
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BILLINGS
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GREAT FALLS
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