Work to replace the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile system in use at Malmstrom Air Force Base and two other missile bases is underway. Some landowners may have received letters from the Air Force recently related to the project as the Air Force is conducting field studies of Malmstrom’s 13,800-square-mile missile complex to “identify and document potential threatened and endangered
Read more
By Alex Sakariassen | Montana Free Press The U.S. Department of Education has denied Montana’s request to cancel standardized testing for public school students this year. In a letter received Tuesday by Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Arntzen, the agency stated that Montana had not made a compelling argument for how its request would advance student academic achievement or how the state
Read more
Cascade County’s COVID-19 case rate rose over the last week to 10.5 per 100,000 as of April 7. That’s up for 4 per 100,000 the previous week, according to Trisha Gardner, county health officer. She told the City-County Board of Health during their April 7 regular meeting that there “doesn’t appear to be any one certain event or large gathering
Read more
This is the last week to sign up for COVID-19 vaccination appointments through the county community clinics. After this week, COVID-19 vaccines will still be available to the public but will no longer be administered through the Community Vaccination Clinic, which has been a partnership effort by the Cascade City-County Health Department, Benefis Health System, Great Falls Clinic and Alluvion
Read more
NoMore Violence Week is April 5-9 in Great Falls with training sessions, awareness building activities and community events. “Through partnerships with more than 25 community organizations, quality training and response are annually planned to address challenging topics – child abuse, intimate partner violence, family violence, trauma, human trafficking, missing and murdered indigenous people, addiction, mental health, isolation and more –
Read more
Cascade County opened appointments to all residents 16 and older to schedule their first COVID-19 vaccine doses. As of Friday afternoon, only about 40 percent of those appointments had been filled, according to an email from Benefis Health System. “Next week is the last week for community clinic appointments. After that, the vaccine will be available at local pharmacies,” according
Read more
Residents in the West Great Falls Drainage District will be receiving letters in the coming days regarding a May 4 elections. The district, which was established by the district court in 1967, constructs and maintains levies, dikes and other facilities for flood control on the west side of the city. It is managed by three commissioners who are elected for
Read more
There are eight candidates running for one open seat on the school board. The election is a mail ballot on May 4. Ballots will be mailed April 19 to registered voters. The Electric reported in early March that no candidates had filed for the seat currently held by Teresa Schreiner. She is not seeking reelection. No GFPS levy on the
Read more
The next round of vaccination appointment signups opens 9 a.m. April 1. Everyone 16 and older is now eligible in Cascade County, but those under 18 need their parent or guardian present. Appointment signups are available here. As of March 29, there were 33,065 total doses given and 13,235 residents were fully vaccinated, according to the state dashboard. The county
Read more
The Great Falls Public Library is beginning to adjust their operations as COVID-19 restrictions lessen and cases numbers have stayed low. Susie McIntyre, library director, said that the plan is to change from requiring to recommending masks around the end of May, once all employees have had the opportunity to be vaccinated. Library Board delays decision on Bookmobile naming until
Read more