Bicyclists and hikers will have a unique chance to walk across Cochrane Dam on the Missouri River on June 19 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The dam is normally closed to public access, but Northwestern Energy and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks are partnering to allow the special public access opportunity. Normally only available as an out and back
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by Mara Silvers | Montana Free Press HELENA — The Montana Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a law allowing the governor to directly fill vacant judicial seats is constitutional, apparently bringing the lawsuit to a close. Senate Bill 140 was signed into law by Gov. Greg Gianforte in March and was immediately challenged in court. The legislation abolishes the Judicial Nomination Commission, an
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Lloyd Duane Bogle,18, and Patricia Kalitzke,16, were last seen at Pete’s Drive-In on Jan. 2, 1956. The next day, Bogle’s body was found next to his car on what was a lover’s lane then and is now Wadsworth Park, according to news reports at the time. Kalitzke’s body was found several miles away on Vinyard Road on Jan. 4. Both
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City Commissioners re-appointed Rich Ecke and Ellen Sievert to the city-county Historic Preservation Advisory Commission during their June 1 meeting. Both have been serving on HPAC and Sievert is the former city-county historic preservation officer who retired from the city in 2016. Two members of the public raised concern about Ecke and Sievert who are both affiliated with the nonprofit
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Gov. Greg Gianforte is seeking public comment on applicants to the vacancy in the Eighth Judicial District in Cascade County. Members of the public can provide letters of support or other comments regarding the applicants through 5 p.m. June 30. Gianforte creates panel to help fill District Court vacancy The governor has received applications from the following attorneys whose applications
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By Alex Sakariassen | Montana Free Press After months of legislative debate, Montanans are beginning to glimpse how new laws passed by the 67th Legislature are poised to impact their lives. For county and municipal leaders, those impacts amount to a notable reduction in their ability to respond at a local level on a range of issues including public health,
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Sen. Jon Tester visited Malmstrom Air Force Base on May 21 with Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Charles Brown and Air Force Global Strike Command Commander Gen. Timothy Ray. Tester has visited the base numerous times and is currently chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. During the visit, he said officials updated him on the
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Gov. Greg Gianforte has created an advisory council to assist in finding the next district court judge for the vacancy on the Eighth Judicial District. The vacancy was created last month when the Montana Senate did not confirm Michelle Levine to the bench after former Gov. Steve Bullock appointed her to the seat last fall to fill the vacancy created
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The Montana Legislature passed a bill this session, now signed by the governor, that decouples the compensation for deputy sheriff’s from that of other elected officials and makes an automatic 1 percent longevity increase for deputies annually. The longevity increase for deputies was previously only granted when the base pay for county elected officials was increased. The compensation for deputies,
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The state is launching a return-to-work bonus program using federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act and is ending its participation in federal pandemic-related unemployment benefit programs by June. That state will return to pre-pandemic unemployment insurance eligibility and benefits. The bonuses will be paid to unemployed individuals who rejoin the labor force and accept and maintain steady employment for
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