Montana/Region

Oregon man leaves $2 million for Montana forest museum

Published on Tue, 03/31/2020 - 3:09pm

MISSOULA (AP) — In the midst of a lot of bad news, here’s a nice change of pace:

A former forester and forest conservation advocate from Oregon has bequeathed roughly $2 million to shine a light at the end of a long tunnel to an elusive National Conservation Legacy Center in Missoula.

Bill Cannon became enamored with the National Museum of Forest Service History after visiting the site west of the Missoula airport and smokejumper center 20 years ago — five years before the capital campaign for the center began but years after the dream of it was hatched.

Flour donation allows Utah bakery to continue giveaway

Published on Tue, 03/31/2020 - 3:00pm

OGDEN, Utah (AP) — Brett Borg thought the offer for free flour was a joke.

He was busy baking the bread Schmidt’s Pastry Cottage has been giving away each day since the economic impacts of the new coronavirus started hitting Utah, so when a call came in offering free flour, he asked his co-worker to take a message. When he read the message, he was stunned.

3 more national parks close to prevent virus spread

Published on Mon, 03/30/2020 - 3:48pm
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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Three more of America’s most popular national parks have closed their gates as pressure mounts on superintendents to prevent crowded trails that could lead to more spread of the coronavirus even as the Trump administration sticks to its decision to waive entrance fees at the parks. 

Glacier in Montana and Arches and Canyonlands in Utah announced their decisions to close Friday night just days after several other well-known parks such as Yellowstone, Grand Teton and the Great Smoky Mountains did the same. 

Largest US dam removal stirs debate over West water

Published on Mon, 03/30/2020 - 3:48pm
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KLAMATH, Calif. (AP) — California’s second-largest river has sustained Native American tribes with plentiful salmon for millennia, provided upstream farmers with irrigation water for generations and served as a haven for retirees who built dream homes along its banks.

With so many demands, the Klamath River has come to symbolize a larger struggle over the American West’s increasingly precious water resources, and who has claim to them.

Yellowstone slaughters wild bison to shrink herds

Published on Mon, 03/30/2020 - 3:26pm

BILLINGS (AP) — Yellowstone National Park is done capturing wild bison for the year after rounding up almost 550 of the wild animals and sending most to slaughter as part of a population control program, park officials said.

The culling is carried out under a legal agreement between federal and state officials aimed at preventing the spread of an animal disease to cattle.

State Shorts

Published on Mon, 03/30/2020 - 3:26pm

Ex-Blackfeet chairman gets 10 months prison in fraud case

GREAT FALLS (AP) — A former Blackfeet Nation chairman who defrauded a Head Start early education program through an overtime pay scheme was sentenced to 10 months in prison during a Monday court hearing.

4 virus deaths in state

Published on Mon, 03/30/2020 - 3:13pm

HELENA (AP) — The state of Montana confirmed two more deaths due to the coronavirus on Monday.

The Toole County Health Department said two county residents have died. 

“Losing two more Montanans to COVID-19 is a blow to our statewide community,” Gov. Steve Bullock said in a statement. “Today’s news is a heartbreaking reminder to us all that we must continue to do everything we can to slow the spread of this disease. Montanans in every corner of our state are keeping the family and friends of these Montanans in our hearts.”

Utility to buy power from tribal group

Published on Mon, 03/30/2020 - 3:00pm

BILLINGS (AP) — A Washington state electric utility signed a contract to purchase hydroelectric power from a Montana tribal company.

Puget Sound Energy Inc. signed the 15-year contract to draw power from a project operated by Energy Keepers Inc., owned by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes in Montana, The Billings Gazette reports.

The Selis Ksanka Qlispe hydroelectric project, which includes a Flathead River dam, will provide 40 megawatts of power to Puget.

Montana Governor: stay home

Published on Fri, 03/27/2020 - 3:59pm

HELENA (AP) — Montana Gov. Steve Bullock on Thursday announced that he’s ordering the state’s 1 million residents to stay in their homes in a stepped-up effort to fight the spread of the coronavirus.

The stay-at-home order goes into effect Saturday and lasts until April 10. Under it, people will be allowed to leave home to shop for necessities such as food, to seek medical care and for outdoor activities — as long as they stay 6 feet apart from one another — among other exceptions. Essential activities, services and businesses will be allowed to continue uninterrupted.

Montana sees first coronavirus-related death

Published on Fri, 03/27/2020 - 3:09pm

HELENA (AP) — A Montana resident who had COVID-19 has died, marking the state’s first death related to the disease caused by the coronavirus, Gov. Steve Bullock said. 

Bullock announced the death Thursday night, but did not release the person’s identity or where the person lived. Health officials were contacting relatives, he said.