Montana/Region

Trial to start for man charged with role in deputy's death

Published on Thu, 09/09/2021 - 5:21pm

BUTTE, Mont. (AP) — A trial is scheduled to begin this week in the case of a California man who was arrested over his alleged role in the shooting death of a Montana sheriff’s deputy in May 2017.

Opening statements begin in Butte on Thursday, The Montana Standard reports. Twelve jurors and three alternates have been selected to hear the case. 

South Dakota governor orders restrictions on abortion medications

Published on Wed, 09/08/2021 - 3:09pm
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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem on Tuesday issued an executive order to restrict access to abortion medication and make it clear that medicine-induced abortions fall within state law requiring an in-person consultation with a physician.

Montana asks court to drop suit targeting new abortion laws

Published on Wed, 09/08/2021 - 3:08pm

HELENA (AP) — Montana’s Republican attorney general is asking the court to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthood last month seeking to block four new laws that would restrict access to abortion in the state.

The laws are set to take effect Oct. 1. They would ban abortion after 20 weeks of gestation; restrict access to abortion pills; require abortion providers to ask patients if they would like to view an ultrasound; and prohibit insurance plans that cover abortion procedures from being offered on the federal exchange.

Prized trout streams shrink as heat, drought grip West

Published on Tue, 09/07/2021 - 3:26pm
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SARATOGA, Wyo. (AP) — The North Platte River in southern Wyoming has been so low in places lately that a toddler could easily wade across, and thick mats of olive-green algae grow in the lazy current.

Just over two years ago, workers stacked sandbags to protect homes and fishing cabins from raging brown floodwaters, the highest on record.

Idaho officials activate ‘crisis standards of care’

Published on Tue, 09/07/2021 - 2:48pm

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho public health leaders activated “crisis standards of care” for the state’s northern hospitals because there are more coronavirus patients than the institutions can handle. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare quietly enacted the move Monday and publicly announced it in a statement Tuesday morning — warning residents that they may not get the care they would normally expect if they need to be hospitalized.

It came as the state’s confirmed coronavirus cases skyrocketed in recent weeks. Idaho has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the U.S. 

Rafters find human remains

Published on Tue, 09/07/2021 - 2:47pm

KALISPELL (AP) — Rafters spotted human remains in the Flathead River while floating past a fishing access site northeast of Kalispell, Flathead County officials said.

Sheriff Brian Heino said the remains found Monday appeared to have been in the river for a long time, the  Daily Inter Lake reported.

The body was caught on a log in the river that became exposed due to low water levels this summer, Heino said.

Idaho hospitals nearly buckling in relentless COVID surge

Published on Fri, 09/03/2021 - 4:23pm
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BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The intensive care rooms at St. Luke’s Boise Medical Center are full, each a blinking jungle of tubes, wires and mechanical breathing machines. The patients nestled inside are a lot alike: All unvaccinated, mostly middle-aged, paralyzed and sedated, reliant on life support and locked in a silent struggle against COVID-19. 

Students detained, said they had gun, planned shooting

Published on Fri, 09/03/2021 - 4:22pm

MISSOULA (AP) — Three juveniles were detained for questioning Thursday after reports that some students at Hellgate High School in Missoula indicated they planned a school shooting, Missoula police said. The school was locked down for just over an hour, starting just before 1:30 p.m. Principal Judson Miller said all students are safe.

“We had a few students indicate they had a firearm and were going to conduct a ‘school shooting,’” Judson wrote in an email to parents. “We identified the students and are working on next steps with police.”

Changing winds are providing hope for California wildfire battle

Published on Thu, 09/02/2021 - 3:53pm
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SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (AP) — Better weather on Thursday helped the battle against a huge California forest fire threatening communities around Lake Tahoe, but commanders warned firefighters to be prepared for dangers that still pose a risk.

Strong winds that drove the Caldor Fire east through high elevations of the Sierra Nevada for days faded after forcing thousands of people to flee. But very localized gusts were likely and the forest remained extremely dry even though humidity levels improved slightly in the fire zone, officials said at a briefing.

Montana AG signs onto lawsuit challenging federal stance on transgender athletes

Published on Thu, 09/02/2021 - 3:52pm

 By Leila Szpaller
Daily Montanan

 

The Montana Attorney General signed onto a lawsuit alleging a misinterpretation of Title IX by the U.S. Department of Education and identifying the state’s “Save Women’s Sports Act” — which bans transgender women athletes from K-16 women’s athletics — as facing a threat of inappropriate enforcement by the federal agency.