Montana/Region

Trump administration moves forward with plan to end wild bird protections

Published on Fri, 06/05/2020 - 3:30pm
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BILLINGS (AP) — The Trump administration moved forward Friday with plans to scale back a century-old law protecting most American wild bird species despite warnings that billions of birds could die as a result.

Officials said in a  draft study of the proposal that it could result in more deaths of birds that land in oil pits or collide with power lines or other structures. The study did not put a number on how many more birds could die but said the effects could be significant.

Man drowns in Belt Creek

Published on Fri, 06/05/2020 - 3:26pm

GREAT FALLS (AP) — A Montana man drowned after being swept down Belt Creek near Sluice Boxes State Park, Cascade County officials said Thursday.

Dustin Quintanilla of Great Falls was with friends who were swimming across the creek about 15 miles south of Belt on Wednesday with plans to jump off of cliffs into the water, Sheriff Jesse Slaughter.

However, Quintanilla was swept away and went underwater at about 4 p.m. His friends found him about 250 yards downstream, but efforts to revive him were unsuccessful. 

Big Horn County reports its first COVID-19 death

Published on Fri, 06/05/2020 - 3:15pm

Health officials in Big Horn County today confirmed the county’s first death due to COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

The patient, a man in his 60s, had previously been diagnosed with the virus and was being monitored daily by public health nurses, Big Horn County Public Information Officer Rhonda Johnson said in a press release.

Montana candidates look forward to campaigning in person

Published on Thu, 06/04/2020 - 3:30pm
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HELENA (AP) — Montana candidates who advanced to the general election said they’re looking forward to the time when they can get back on the campaign trail rather than relying on phone calls to reach voters under directives in place to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.

“Montanans expect you to show up in every corner of the state,” Bryce Bennett, who won the Democratic primary for secretary of state, said Wednesday. “They want to be able to look you in the eyes, shake your hand and get a sense of what leadership you’ll bring to the office.”

Report highlights voting inequities in tribal communities

Published on Thu, 06/04/2020 - 3:27pm
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FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Native American voting rights advocates are cautioning against states moving to mail-in ballots without opportunities for tribal members to vote safely in person.

In a wide-ranging report released Thursday, the Native American Rights Fund outlined the challenges that could arise: online registration hampered by spotty or no internet service, ballots delivered to rarely-checked Post Office boxes and turnout curbed by a general reluctance to vote by mail. 

Pilgrim’s Pride CEO among indicted for chicken price fixing

Published on Thu, 06/04/2020 - 3:27pm

WHEAT RIDGE, Colo. (AP) — The CEO of Pilgrim’s Pride is one of four current and former chicken company executives indicted Wednesday on charges of price-fixing.

The U.S. Department of Justice said a federal grand jury in Colorado found that executives from Greeley, Colorado-based Pilgrim’s Pride and Claxton, Georgia-based Claxton Poultry Farms conspired to fix prices and rig bids for broiler chickens from at least 2012 to 2017. 

Two protected grizzly bears killed by hunters

Published on Thu, 06/04/2020 - 3:26pm

HELENA (AP) — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has launched an investigation into the death of two grizzly bears believed to be killed by black bear hunters along Rocky Mountain Front last week. 

Grizzly bears are a federally protected species.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks confirmed Tuesday that one male and one female grizzly were killed by hunters west of Great Falls, the Independent Record reported. No cubs were found.

The circumstances surrounding the bears’ deaths were not immediately available, state officials said.

In Short

Published on Thu, 06/04/2020 - 3:00pm

Armed groups gather in Casper

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — Several groups of people openly carried guns around the downtown of a Wyoming city after a day of protests against the death of George Floyd.

Some in downtown Casper sat in front of businesses. Others lingered at a place where the protests began hours earlier Wednesday, the Casper Star-Tribune reports.

They told a reporter they didn’t seek to disrupt additional protests but wanted to protect downtown should things escalate after dark.

Thousands attend vigil at Idaho Statehouse in Boise Tuesday evening

Published on Thu, 06/04/2020 - 3:00pm

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Thousands of people attended a vigil in front of the Idaho Statehouse to protest the killing of George Floyd in a largely peaceful demonstration. 

Organizers of the Black Lives Matter Candlelight Vigil on Tuesday evening said the intention was to remember black Americans killed in recent years, many by police.

“If your intention is not one of reflection and not one of mourning, this is not the space for you,” co-organizer Jessie Levin told the crowd.

MT unemployment applications decline, 47K out of work

Published on Thu, 06/04/2020 - 3:00pm

HELENA (AP) — Applications for unemployment payments in Montana declined last week as the state continues to lift closures put in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, officials said Thursday,

The number of new applications for job assistance submitted in Montana last week fell to 2,874, according to the U.S. Employment and Training Administration. 

That’s a decrease of nearly 25% from the 3,821 claims filed a week earlier, but an increase of nearly 280% from the number of applications submitted at the same time last year.