Montana/Region

220-year-old Bible back in family's hands

Published on Tue, 07/19/2016 - 3:37pm
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MOSCOW, Idaho — It is not often you can flip through a book that was printed during George Washington's presidency.

But Roger Baker has a Bible that belonged to his great-great-great-great-great-grandfather Andrew Baker.

Andrew (1749-1815) was a pastor who lived in North Carolina and Virginia with his wife Elizabeth Avant (or Avent, depending on where you look). Andrew had nine children and fought in the Revolutionary War, Roger told the Moscow-Pullman Daily News.

Montana lowers flags to honor Baton Rouge shooting victims

Published on Tue, 07/19/2016 - 3:34pm

HELENA, Mont. — Montana Gov. Steve Bullock has ordered all flags flown in the state to fly at half-staff to honor the victims of an attack on police officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Bullock's order says the officers who died in Sunday's attacks "made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty to protect their citizens."

The flags will be lowered until Friday.

Documents: People held to shield image of Montana tribe

Published on Tue, 07/19/2016 - 3:31pm

HELENA, Mont. — Tribal officials in Montana detained dozens of people because they didn't want street people or transients to be the face of a rodeo event on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, according to tribal and federal documents.

The Fort Peck tribes' executive board "wanted these people picked up and detained temporary (sic) somewhere until the Stampede weekend was over," the minutes of the Aug. 1, 2013, law and justice committee meeting said.

Four ballot measures certified for Montana election in November

Published on Tue, 07/19/2016 - 3:29pm

HELENA, Mont. — Four initiatives will appear on the ballot in November's election in Montana.

Secretary of State Linda McCulloch certified the fourth ballot measure last week. That initiative seeks authorization for $200 million in state bonds over 10 years for Montana-based biomedical research into brain diseases, brain injuries and mental illness.

It would create a Montana Biomedical Research Authority to award research grants.

Man who died in rafting accident on Yellowstone is identified

Published on Tue, 07/19/2016 - 3:28pm

BILLINGS, Mont. — Authorities have released the name of a man who drowned after a rafting accident on the Yellowstone River west of Columbus.

Stillwater County Sheriff Cliff Brophy identified the victim Monday as 47-year-old Lorne Speakerworth, of the Worden and Lockwood areas.

Officials received a 911 call Sunday afternoon from a second man who was in the raft but was able to get to shore after the boat overturned.

Key Oregon refuge occupier, of Anaconda, pleads guilty

Published on Tue, 07/19/2016 - 3:27pm

PORTLAND, Ore. — A military veteran who the government says took leadership roles in two standoffs involving the Bundy family has pleaded guilty in Oregon and is expected to soon do the same in Nevada.

At the federal courthouse in Portland, Ryan Payne of Anaconda, Montana, admitted Tuesday he conspired with others to prevent Interior Department employees from doing their jobs this winter at the Malheur National Wildfire Refuge.

State signs forest management deal with federal government

Published on Mon, 07/18/2016 - 4:54pm
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HELENA, Mont. — Montana Gov. Steve Bullock signed an agreement with the U.S. Forest Service on Monday for the state to play a bigger role in forest management on federal lands, which officials say will speed up backlogged logging projects.

EPA, Forest Service want permanent firefighters near Libby — but they're hard to find

Published on Mon, 07/18/2016 - 4:51pm

LIBBY, Mont. — The Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Forest Service want to station 10 firefighters near Libby this summer so crews are immediately available to fight any fire that night burn in or near a former vermiculite mine contaminated with asbestos, which can cause lung cancer.

Libby District Ranger Nate Gassmann said having a team located in the area is critical to containing the threat of airborne asbestos if that case were to happen.

Officials identify victims in triple-fatal crash

Published on Mon, 07/18/2016 - 4:39pm

KALISPELL, Mont. — Flathead County officials have released the names of three people who were killed in a fiery, rollover crash near Kalispell.

Sheriff Chuck Curry said 51-year-old Kert Lee Dolechek, 38-year-old Amy Nicole Ward and 24-year-old Kendra Lynn Anderson of Kalispell died in the crash at about 2:30 a.m. Saturday.

Curry says it is believed that Dolechek was driving.

Nurses want it to be a felony to assault health care workers

Published on Mon, 07/18/2016 - 4:38pm

KALISPELL, Mont. — The Montana Nurses Association has begun a statewide campaign to explain the need for legislation that would make it a felony to assault a health care worker or emergency responder while they're on duty.

MNA labor representative Sandi Luckey says they're making a statewide effort this year after a bill introduced during the 2015 legislative session failed in committee. She says lawmakers didn't believe such attacks were that common