Montana/Region

Report forecasts significant tourism and hospitality job losses in Wyoming

Published on Fri, 03/27/2020 - 3:08pm

Wyoming could potentially experience a nearly 12% drop in employment by this summer, according to a report released Wednesday by the Economic Policy Institute, with the state’s tourism and hospitality sector disproportionately feeling the pain from those losses.

MT unemployment claims surge as result of new coronavirus

Published on Fri, 03/27/2020 - 3:07pm

HELENA (AP) — Montana’s unemployment claims are surging as some businesses have closed and others have reduced services due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Montana received just over 14,000 applications for unemployment benefits in the week ending March 21, a nearly 1,700% increase over the previous week and a 1,917% increase over the same week a year ago, officials said Thursday. The increase overwhelmed the Department of Labor and Industry’s online application system.

More than 460 Yellowstone bison killed so far this season

Published on Fri, 03/27/2020 - 3:04pm

With the season nearing its end, tribal hunters have killed more than 200 Yellowstone National Park bison this winter with another 267 shipped to slaughter, according to information gathered by the National Park Service as of March 20.

The goal for this season was to remove 600 to 900 bison. Lawsuits filed last year to halt the bison hunts were unsuccessful.

Short Takes

Published on Fri, 03/27/2020 - 3:04pm

Warm days bring early-season wildfires to Crow Reservation

BILLINGS (AP) — Crow Agency firefighting officials on Friday banned open burning on the southeastern Montana reservation following a string of small, early-season wildfires. 

Fire crews responded to 13 small fires in the last week, including at least three started by children and four sparked by a truck pulling another vehicle on a frontage road along Interstate 90, according to fire officials with the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Crow Agency.

Montana expands mail ballot, early voting for primaries

Published on Thu, 03/26/2020 - 4:30pm
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HELENA (AP) — Montana counties and school districts will be able to conduct elections by mail and expand early voting for the June 2 primary elections and school elections this spring, Gov. Steve Bullock said Wednesday. 

Bullock signed a directive that aims to allow the elections to proceed without risking the health and safety of voters and poll workers amid the coronavirus outbreak. 

Idaho Gov. Brad Little issues statewide stay-at-home order

Published on Thu, 03/26/2020 - 4:24pm

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho Gov. Brad Little on Wednesday issued a statewide stay-at-home order as the coronavirus continues to spread. 

Little announced the order will remain in effect for 21 days. 

Idaho has more than 91 confirmed cases of COVID-19 spread throughout the state. 

The stay-at-home order requires Idaho’s 1.75 million residents to self-isolate at home unless they are health care workers, public safety employees or other “essential workers” such as grocery store employees. 

18 new Wyo. coronavirus cases in 24 hours, bringing state total to 47

Published on Thu, 03/26/2020 - 4:23pm

Wyoming’s known coronavirus cases jumped more than 60 percent in a little more than 24 hours as the respiratory disease spread its reach across the state.

The known number of cases here has changed sometimes by the hour, but as of 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, there have been 47 identified cases in 10 Wyoming counties. The new cases, which began to be confirmed Tuesday night, include two in Natrona County; four in Teton County; one in Sweetwater County; four in Laramie County; four in Fremont County; one in Carbon County; and one in Albany County.

Ruling: State, local officers can’t make immigration arrests

Published on Thu, 03/26/2020 - 4:23pm

HELENA (AP) — State and local law enforcement officers in Montana do not have the authority to arrest people on federal civil immigration detainers, the Montana Supreme Court ruled Wednesday.

Montana Republicans bankrolled Green Party ballot access

Published on Thu, 03/26/2020 - 4:22pm

HELENA (AP) — The Montana Republican Party bankrolled the signature-gathering effort to get the Montana Green Party certified for the 2020 election ballot, an official for a political committee said Tuesday.

Democrats — who last week asked the state commissioner of political practices to find out who paid for the signature gathering effort — immediately accused the GOP of election fraud and of propping up a leftist political party as a means to siphon votes from Democratic candidates this fall.

Grandmother pleads not guilty in boy’s beating death

Published on Thu, 03/26/2020 - 4:04pm

BOZEMAN (AP) — A Montana woman pleaded not guilty to charges she beat and tortured her 12-year-old grandson to death at their home.

Patricia Batts, 48, is charged with deliberate homicide, aggravated kidnapping, criminal child endangerment, and strangulation of partner or family member in the death of Alex Hurley, The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reports.

The West Yellowstone resident has been held on $750,000 bail at the Gallatin County jail since February.