Montana/Region

Candidates for Montana house seat spar over public lands

Published on Thu, 07/28/2016 - 1:39pm

HELENA, Mont.— The Democratic challenger for Montana's single seat in the U.S. House of Representatives has laid out her vision for public lands, a hot-button issue in this year's election.

The Helena Independent Record reports (http://bit.ly/2ajP9Og ) that Denise Juneau portrayed herself as a champion public lands and access during a Wednesday appearance at Spring Meadow Lake State Park in Helena.

Nationally high cherry prices help Flathead Lake growers

Published on Thu, 07/28/2016 - 1:38pm

MISSOULA, Mont.— High cherry prices across the nation have helped cherry growers in northwestern Montana stay afloat even as recent heavy rains have damaged some of the local crop.

The Missoulian reports (http://bit.ly/2aytPWP ) that president of the Flathead Lake Cherry Growers Bruce Johnson says the rainfall has forced orchards to do more sorting to cull out cherries, but growers are still able to pick because of the high prices.

Officials identify man who possibly drowned in Flathead Lake

Published on Thu, 07/28/2016 - 1:37pm

POLSON, Mont.— Lake County officials have released the name of a 51-year-old man who possibly drowned in Flathead Lake after falling off a paddleboard.

Sheriff Don Bell says Ty Kanara of St. Regis died Tuesday. His body was sent to the state crime lab to determine his cause of death.

Officials identify man killed in officer-involved shooting

Published on Thu, 07/28/2016 - 1:36pm

HELENA, Mont.— State officials have released the name of a 20-year-old man who was fatally shot by an officer on U.S. Highway 191 southwest of Malta.

The Department of Justice identified the victim as Emil Ambros Mecklenburg of Malta. An autopsy was scheduled Thursday in Billings.

Officials say Mecklenburg was shot and killed early Wednesday after stabbing a Phillips County sheriff's deputy who had responded to a report of suspicious man walking along the highway.

Gov. Bullock not attending Democratic National Convention

Published on Wed, 07/27/2016 - 1:31pm
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BILLINGS, Mont.— Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, a superdelegate, is not attending the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.

Bullock campaign spokesman Jason Pitt tells The Billings Gazette (http://bit.ly/2a9RCsc ) that Bullock wanted to stay in Montana and that his absence had nothing to do with Bullock not wanting to be associated with presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

Man shot, killed after stabbing sheriff's deputy

Published on Wed, 07/27/2016 - 1:29pm

HELENA, Mont.— A Phillips County sheriff's deputy shot and killed a man during a confrontation along U.S. Highway 191 southwest of Malta.

The Department of Justice says the deputy was stabbed several times and was being treated at a Great Falls hospital. The deputy's name was not released.

The DOJ says the officer responded to a call about a suspicious man walking along the highway early Wednesday. When the deputy confronted the man, the suspect attacked and stabbed him. The deputy shot and killed the suspect.

Wyoming woman dies in Montana crash

Published on Wed, 07/27/2016 - 1:28pm

BILLINGS, Mont.— A 23-year-old woman from Lander, Wyoming was killed in a rollover crash near Decker in Big Horn County, just north of the Montana-Wyoming border.

The Montana Highway Patrol tells The Billings Gazette (http://bit.ly/2awTOxZ) the crash was reported at about 8:20 p.m. Tuesday on Secondary Highway 314.

IHS awards $700K contract aimed at improving patient care

Published on Wed, 07/27/2016 - 1:27pm

SIOUX FALLS, S.D.— The Indian Health Service has awarded a one-year, $700,000 contract to an independent expert to help federal government-operated medical facilities improve patient care and safety.

The IHS says the contract with The Joint Commission for accreditation services will help test the readiness of IHS hospitals for compliance surveys conducted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

State seeking federal grant to process untested rape kits

Published on Wed, 07/27/2016 - 1:26pm

MISSOULA, Mont.— Montana is applying for a federal grant to pay to process untested rape kits that had been stored by local law enforcement agencies.

Members of the Montana Sexual Assault Evidence Task Force met Friday in Missoula and said the FBI will test 300 of the unprocessed kits with funding from the National Institute of Justice. Assistant Attorney General Jon Bennion says 10 law enforcement agencies representing some of the largest population areas in Montana can each submit 30 of their unprocessed kits to the FBI for testing,.

State: No evidence former county attorney removed files

Published on Wed, 07/27/2016 - 1:25pm

MISSOULA, Mont.— A state investigation has determined that the former Missoula County attorney removed only personal items from a secure storage area in May.

At the time, County Attorney Kirsten Pabst issued a statement saying police were investigating after Fred Van Valkenburg accessed the file room with a facilities manager and took "a box of unknown, original files and/or property" from an area where confidential criminal information is kept.