Montana/Region

Beartooth Pass closes for season

Published on Wed, 10/12/2016 - 3:22pm

BILLINGS, Mont. — Beartooth Pass on the Montana-Wyoming border has closed for the winter.

The Billings Gazette reports that the closure of U.S. Highway 212 between Red Lodge and Cooke City was announced Tuesday. The road will be gated near the Greenough Lake turnoff.

The highway typically reopens the Friday before Memorial Day.

The road has closed several times in the past month due to snow and ice.

10-year-old boy killed in crash near Three Forks identified

Published on Wed, 10/12/2016 - 3:21pm

BOZEMAN, Mont. — A 10-year-old boy was killed and three others were injured in a weather-related crash between a sport utility vehicle and a semi tractor-trailer on Interstate 90 near Three Forks.

Montana Highway Patrol Trooper David Morris says the SUV was westbound at about 7:20 a.m. Tuesday when the driver lost control on an icy bridge. The SUV rolled through the median and into the eastbound lane, where it was struck by the semi.

Feds warn Montana over compliance with driver's license law

Published on Wed, 10/12/2016 - 3:20pm

HELENA, Mont. — Homeland security officials have warned Montana Gov. Steve Bullock that the state may not get any more time to comply with federal driver's license rules, meaning residents may eventually need a different form of identification to board commercial aircraft.

In response, Bullock wrote Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson a letter Tuesday urging him to suspend implementation of the Real ID Act and accept Montana licenses as secure forms of identification.

Study: Human-caused warming burns more Western forests

Published on Tue, 10/11/2016 - 3:57pm
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BOISE, Idaho — A new study of Western forest fires confirms what is already apparent — wildfire seasons are getting longer and more destructive.

But researchers with the University of Idaho and Columbia University also say humans are to blame.

The study made public Monday says human-caused global warming contributed an additional 16,000 square miles of burned forests from 1984 to 2015.

Researchers say the 16,000 square miles represent half of the forest areas that burned over the last three decades.

3 Great Falls men charged with kidnapping, assault

Published on Tue, 10/11/2016 - 3:54pm

GREAT FALLS, Mont. — Three Great Falls men are charged with kidnapping and assaulting a woman who reported she was attacked during a battle over firearms removed from the home of a man who has previously identified himself as the president of the local Hermanos Motorcycle Club.

Rodney Leonard Lukasik, Brian Joseph Murphy and Robert Edmond Hoenjet were arrested last week.

Dakota Access pipeline work resumes near site of protest

Published on Tue, 10/11/2016 - 3:53pm

ST. ANTHONY, N.D. — Construction on the four-state Dakota Access pipeline resumed Tuesday on private land in North Dakota that's near a camp where thousands of protesters supporting tribal rights have gathered for months.

In turn, protesters said they're discussing nonviolent opposition measures, including chaining themselves to equipment. And at least eight people were arrested Tuesday attempting to shut down pipelines in other states as a show of solidarity with the Dakota Access protesters.

US to require safety valves on more gas lines

Published on Tue, 10/11/2016 - 3:52pm

BILLINGS, Mont. — New or replaced gas service lines for apartments and small businesses across the United States must be equipped with inexpensive safety valves starting next year following deadly fires and explosions over decades that could have been avoided, the Obama administration announced Tuesday.

NorthWestern to seek more power capacity amid coal closures

Published on Tue, 10/11/2016 - 9:12am
BILLINGS — Northwestern Energy will seek 55 megawatts of additional power-generating capacity by 2019 and possibly ten times that much over the next decade, to ensure it can satisfy customer demands as the availability of coal-fired electricity ebbs, representatives of the utility said Monday.
 
The move comes as large coal-fired power plants across the Pacific Northwest — including the Colstrip Steam Electric Station in eastern Montana — have announced plans to scale back or end operations in coming years.
 

Montana Supreme Court race prompts major fundraising

Published on Fri, 10/07/2016 - 3:51pm

HELENA, Mont. — Groups trying to influence the outcome of a Montana Supreme Court race are on track to set a record for the most fundraising collected for a justice seat.

Lee Newspapers of Montana reports that this year's race between Dirk Sandefur and Kristen Juras, fundraising by political action committees has reached a reported total of $518,262 and the candidates themselves have collected another $633,868.

Corrections chief defends housing adults at youth prisons

Published on Fri, 10/07/2016 - 3:50pm

HELENA, Mont. — Montana corrections officials intend to go before the Legislature to sort out the legal issues of housing adult offenders in two youth prisons, which the head of the state Department of Corrections called a temporary arrangement that could be made permanent.

Director Mike Batista appeared before the Legislative Audit Committee on Thursday to respond to a recent audit that found the department is breaking the law by housing men at Pine Hills Youth Correctional Facility for boys and women at the Riverside facility for girls.

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