Tracking eastern Montana’s silent firestarters
When mental illness leads to dropped charges, patients often go without stabilizing care
Where wildfire meets population growth
RECENT HEADLINES
Interstates, then US-2 and US-93, prioritized for electric vehicle charging station funding
Gallatin County confronts another hurdle for mental health crisis care
How higher interest rates are stifling Montana homebuyers
Bird Scooters flock to downtown Bozeman
Bozeman is in its second year partnering with the national e-scooter company Bird. This summer, tourists, residents and local business owners have noticed an increase in the number of riders. While new designated parking areas have helped keep idle scooters off sidewalks, some residents remain concerned about how the scooters are used.
Building on its past, Anaconda draws new residents seeking best of Montana
This isn’t the typical Montana discovery tale. No movie stars and no flocks of tourists. Anaconda’s newcomers are often young couples and extended families who want a low-pressure lifestyle in a Montana community but have been priced out of other areas.
Inaugural James Welch Native Lit Festival to launch in Missoula
The inaugural James Welch Native Lit Festival, a three-day event that begins Thursday and is free and open to the public, brings together nearly 20 writers from Indigenous communities across the United States for panel discussions, Q&As, readings and artist talks at Missoula’s Wilma Theatre and Missoula Public Library.
SPECIAL PROJECTS
NEWS
Four proposals for new Montana legislative districts ignite debates over fairness and minority representation
The four partisan members of the Montana Districting and Apportionment Commission have introduced initial legislative map proposals, commencing debates about competitiveness and minority representation that will in part determine the complexion of the Legislature for the next 10 years.
Attorney General Knudsen joins another Title IX challenge
Over the past year and a half, Attorney General Austin Knudsen and Superintendent Elsie Arntzen have found common ground on some of education’s most heated issues, from critical race theory to federal protections for transgender people.
Montana Democratic platform reaffirms support for abortion access, state Constitution and public lands
Montana Democrats met in their historical stronghold of Butte this weekend for the party’s 2022 platform convention, reaffirming support for positions core to the party’s identity following a year of Republican control of the state that’s seen a rapid advancement of conservative policies emerging from Helena.
BLM approves American Prairie Reserve’s bison grazing proposal
The Bureau of Land Management approved American Prairie Reserve’s application for grazing leases on 63,000 acres of BLM-administered land in Phillips County on July 28. The application became a lightning rod for opinions about both bison and APR, which aims to conserve prairie species by acquiring large private parcels and connecting them with tracts of…
Contested race in SD 39 puts state hospital, Republican supermajority in focus
The unexpected death in May of state Sen. Mark Sweeney, D-Philipsburg, has created an open seat and contested race to fill out the two-year remainder of the late lawmaker’s term in a historically Democratic district that presents an appealing target for state Republicans this cycle.
New Montana study highlights first-hand experiences with mental health and addiction services
A new report commissioned by the state Department of Public Health and Human Services, details first-person experiences with Montana’s behavioral health crisis system, drawing on interviews with 26 former patients, family members, health care providers, administrators and law enforcement personnel.
Court strikes down new ballot distribution law
A Montana district court judge ruled Wednesday that a new law prohibiting ballot distribution to minors who will turn 18 by Election Day violates the state Constitution — resolving one question in an ongoing legal challenge to four election laws passed by the 2021 Legislature.
Environmental groups sue DEQ over coal mine expansion
In their July 26 lawsuit, the Montana Environmental Information Center and the Sierra Club argue that Westmoreland Rosebud Mining, LLC’s proposal to expand Rosebud Mine into the headwaters of Lee Coulee would exacerbate climate change impacts ranging from shrinking snowpacks and increasing wildfire activity to crop losses, forest die-offs and wildfire smoke-induced air quality declines.…
Post-‘Roe,’ people are seeking permanent sterilizations, and some are being turned away
The uncertainty around abortion access in Montana and other states where abortion is now or could become illegal, plus the fear of future legal fights over long-term contraception, has seemingly spurred a rise in the number of people seeking surgical sterilization.
Altacare no longer offering CSCT services in Montana
At last count, Altacare was offering comprehensive in-school mental health services for 307 Montana students. The company’s closure, announced to state officials in May, speaks to broader financial and regulatory pressures on other providers in the state.
Where will all the wildlife go?
On June 7, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service unveiled a proposal to introduce threatened and endangered species outside of their historic ranges to prevent them from becoming stranded by climate-driven habitat changes. Some conservationists describe the move as a long-overdue game-changer, while others cast a wary eye on what they describe as an attempt…
Montana wants to expand institutional mental health and addiction treatment. What’s the downside?
In July, the federal government authorized Montana to use Medicaid coverage at large inpatient addiction treatment facilities. But health authorities also delivered a significant set-back for the state’s overall plan: they would not allow Medicaid to cover treatments at large hospitals that handle serious mental illnesses, including the problem-plagued Montana State Hospital in Warm Springs.
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