Montana/Region

Ore. wildlife officials to hunt for cougar

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Oregon wildlife officials with guns and dogs will hunt for a cougar believed to have killed a woman while she was hiking in rugged terrain near

US House backs bill giving tribe federal recognition

BILLINGS (AP) — The U.S. House passed a bill Wednesday that would give federal recognition to Montana’s Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians following a decades-long effort. Federal recognition would

STATE BRIEFS

Yellowstone creek may be removed from impaired waters list BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — A once-contaminated creek flowing into Yellowstone National Park may be clean enough to be removed from the

Judge delays start of grizzly bear hunts

BILLINGS (AP) — A U.S. judge on Thursday delayed for two more weeks the first grizzly bear hunts to be held in the Lower 48 states in almost three decades,

Washington OKs killing more wolves

SEATTLE (AP) — A state official on Wednesday approved killing members of a new wolf pack that attacked cattle in northeast Washington, the second time within weeks he has done

Prisons chief says supplier error got Nevada its execution drugs

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Nevada’s prisons chief testified Tuesday that after more than 200 drug companies refused to supply drugs for use in an execution, a supplier’s mistake on a

IN SHORT

Sheriff charged with evidence tampering, perjury BUTTE (AP) — A southwestern Montana sheriff is charged with evidence tampering and perjury in a case that led to a meth trafficking conviction.

Barefoot hiker bags Continental Divide Trail

MISSOULA (AP) — His trail name was “Barefoot,” for obvious reasons. On Labor Day Monday, Ninemile resident Dave Murray completed the 3,100-mile Continental Divide Trail from Mexico to Canada without

EPA boss pays visit to polluted mining sites

BILLINGS (AP) — The head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency visited two contaminated mining sites in Montana on Friday as the agency faces pressure to speed cleanup work that’s

Helena-area farmers seeing solid crops

HELENA (AP) — Helena Valley farmer Joe Dooling steered his combine through the final rows of malt barley, capping off a solid growing season on his 300 acres of irrigated