The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
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A slate of bills advanced by a prominent Republican lawmaker would try to lower Montana property taxes by requiring revotes on some local tax levies while also raising the approval margins required to pass levies and bond measures in low-turnout local elections. Senate Taxation Committee Chair Sen. Greg Hertz, R-Polson, said at a Wednesday hearing before his committee that he believes rising property taxes are the "No. 1 concern" for many Montana residents and voters. Hertz...
HELENA – Scammers are continuing their attempts to obtain personal information from unsuspecting Montanans over the phone by claiming to be law enforcement officials, Attorney General Austin Knudsen warned today. The fraudsters are disguising their phone number, so on caller ID, it appears the number is coming from a legitimate local number, which is also referred to as "spoofing." Attorney General Knudsen also reminded Montanans that law enforcement and court officials w...
HELENA – Hunting regulation booklets for deer/elk/antelope, moose/sheep/goat and light goose are now available on Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks' website at fwp.mt.gov/hunt/regulations. Hard copies of the deer/elk/antelope booklets are also available at FWP offices; hard copies of other regulations will be available soon. Hunters can reference the regulations booklets as they prepare for the new license year, which begins March 1. Hunters will notice that the booklets for d...
Bella Nyman has struggled with her mental health since age 7, when she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and anxiety. Nyman said she was afraid to tell her parents she had thoughts of suicide. Looking back, a mental health screening might have helped her to stop hiding her struggles from adults and peers, she said. "Hard things don't get better if we don't talk about them," Nyman said. Today, Nyman works with the Rural Behavioral Health Institute, a Livingston,...
Lawmakers Table Bill That Would Have Added Additional Penalties to First-Time DUI Offenses The House Judiciary Committee on Friday tabled a bill that would have increased minimum penalties for first-time driving under the influence offenses to four days in jail and a minimum fine of $1,000. Current Montana law penalizes an individual's first DUI with a minimum of 24 hours in jail and a minimum fine of $600. "This bill addresses concerns I have with people dying on our roads...
Megan Zawacki started working at St. Peter's Health in Helena, Montana, in 2020 as a physician assistant trained in treating addiction. She had gone through specialized training that allowed her to prescribe Suboxone, a medication to fight opioid addiction, but she couldn't do so for six months. That's because Zawacki was hired to work with a doctor who specialized in addiction medicine, but that doctor did not join St. Peter's until three months after Zawacki was hired, and...
Elizabeth Maixner had her first baby when she was 15 in a hospital. She worked with a midwife in the hospital and said especially at such a young age, she appreciated the personal support the midwife added to the experience, which gave her, and her mom, comfort during an unknown process. "She not only supported me in my pregnancy, but she also supported my mother, which was huge," Maixner said. Maixner is now a mother of three and was 30 and 33 when she had her second and third children. When it was time to decide where to...
Bill Would Update Meth Contamination Reporting A bill advancing in the House of Representatives would require that even properties where methamphetamine has been smoked or used be reported to the state and local health department and listed as inhabitable until deemed safe. The House Natural Resource Committee voted unanimously on Feb. 8 to push House Bill 381 to the full House for debate. Under current law, law enforcement officers are required to report properties where...
The 38th running of Race to the Sky is scheduled to take place on Feb. 10-14, 2023. Pre-race events include a vet check on Friday, Feb. 10, for the 300-mile teams at 2-3 p.m. at Hi Country Snack Foods in Lincoln. That evening from 6-8 p.m. is the meet the mushers pre-race dinner at the Lincoln Community Hall. Donations welcome. There will be a silent auction, opportunity to meet the mushers running this year's Race to the Sky and to enjoy good food. The mushers will receive...
Bill Aims to Strip Clean Air Act and Allow Smoking Indoors If a bill in the Senate Public Health, Welfare, and Safety committee gets approval from lawmakers, businesses could again allow smoking indoors, but only if people under the age of 18 are not permitted in the establishment when smoking is allowed. Sen. Jeremy Trebas, R-Great Falls, is sponsoring Senate Bill 205, which would revise the Clean Indoor Air Act and allow private establishments to obtain smoking licenses...
In the last 11 years, the city of Havre has had 255 water main breaks. The city's public works director, Dave Pederson, says 46 of those breaks happened in the last two years alone. "During main breaks, large sections of the city are without water for a long period of time," Pederson said. Restoring Havre's water system is at the top of a long list of water, sewer and other infrastructure projects across the state that lawmakers are considering in the 2023 Montana...
Gov. Greg Gianforte Touts Tax Relief, Eliminating "Red Tape" in Second State of the State Address HELENA – Gov. Greg Gianforte told the Montana Legislature in his second State of the State speech that he expects lawmakers to address issues like childcare, tax relief, and affordable housing. "We laid out an ambitious agenda with our sights set on building a place where more Montanans are realizing the American dream," Gianforte said. "We know our journey is far from over. We s...
DENVER – Tax season kicked off Jan. 23, and IRS Criminal Investigation reminds U.S. taxpayers to take extra steps to protect their identities and wallets when filing their taxes. "Education and outreach are key to preventing tax fraud," said IRS-CI Chief Jim Lee. "If U.S. taxpayers know what to lookout for, they can avoid falling victim to the latest tax fraud scheme." Forgo fraud this filing season: 1. Choose a tax preparer wisely. Look for a preparer who is available y...
HELENA – One week before Gov. Greg Gianforte was scheduled to give his State of the State address to the Montana Legislature, a panel of lawmakers tabled and then revived one of the flagship bills in his tax package, which would spend a quarter of the state's nearly $2 billion surplus on property tax relief for homeowners. In the Legislature's third week in Helena, two key property tax bills got hearings in the House Taxation Committee – House Bills 222 and 189. Rep. Tom Wel...
Supporters Say Clarifying "Proficiency-Based Learning" Will Allow More Students to Personalize Their Education HELENA – Supporters of a bill that aims to allow more Montana students to access so-called "proficiency-based learning" say it is essential to keeping students interested in school. Sen. Shannon O'Brien, D-Missoula, is sponsoring Senate Bill 8 on behalf of the Education Interim Committee. The bill would add definitions of proficiency-based learning, which O'Brien s...
HELENA – Sen. Jodee Etchart, R-Billings, told the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, Jan. 11 that according to stats from the Department of Justice, human trafficking in Montana has risen roughly 300 percent from 2021 to 2022. Etchart said that is why she is sponsoring House Bill 112, which supporters say would address the issue and strengthen the state’s ability to prosecute those found guilty of human trafficking. “Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery where traffickers, which are often organized crimi...
Lincoln firefighters spent part of Sunday, Jan 15 at Station 3 east of Lincoln getting to know the latest addition to the Lincoln Rural Fire District's fleet of emergency vehicles, a 1991 Pierce fire engine. The LRFD acquired the truck from Gardner, Mont. to replace the aging LeFrance fire engine the district has used since the early 2000's. "I wanted to get a bunch of people here so we could drain the other truck and use this one and pump with it," Muse said. The new fire eng...
BOZEMAN - Montana has the second highest demand for leaders per capita in the country, according to the findings of a report that will be presented in a Montana State University Extension webinar at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18. The publication, prepared for Montana by rural sociologist Benjamin Winchester of the University of Minnesota Extension, is titled "Montana's Leadership Demand." It reports that one in every 13 adults must hold a leadership position to keep the state'...
HELENA – The laws that regulate water, arguably Montana's most valuable natural resource, are complex and tied to nearly every industry in the state, so when lawmakers gather in Helena every two years for the legislative session, it's often at the top of the agenda. In the 2023 Montana Legislature, the water debate is shaping up to focus on two pieces of legislation: one that would tackle the future of water courts and another that would update the water permitting process. B...
Lawmakers Take Oath, Elect Leadership HELENA – The 68th Montana Legislative Session kicked off on Monday, Jan. 2, in Helena. Senators and Representatives took an oath to uphold the constitution and were sworn in during simultaneous ceremonies in their respective chambers at the state Capitol. Republicans hold a so-called "super majority" with 68 of the possible 100 seats in the House and 34 of the 50 Senate seats. Republican Representatives chose Rep. Matt Regier, R...
Lincoln, MT - The Montana Department of Transportation would like to announce and invite the public to comment on a proposal to widen one mile of Montana Highway 200, north of Rogers Pass. The project begins approximately 24 miles north of Lincoln at mile marker 95.8 and extends north for one mile ending at mile marker 96.8. Proposed work includes widening the shoulders of the roadway along the curves, flattening side slopes, adding shoulder and centerline rumble strips, and...
HELENA – As the 68th Montana Legislature gets into full swing in Helena, party leaders say affordable housing, the cost of living, access to child care and reducing red tape will be some of the top issues lawmakers will attempt to tackle in the 90-day session. Republicans hold control of the governor's office and the Legislature, and in the Legislature, they hold what is called a "super majority" with 68 of the 100 House seats and 34 of the 50 Senate seats. Republican party l...
Helena, MT – Following a joint meeting on January 3, 2023, the County Commissioners of Powell County and Lewis and Clark County announced the appointment of Zach Wirth to represent Montana House District 80. The seat was vacated by Representative Becky Beard following her appointment to Montana Senate District 40. Zach Wirth is a business owner and lives in Lewis and Clark County. Other candidates interviewed by the Joint Commission included Hailey Oestreicher and Nathan N...
HELENA – Lawmakers from across the state gathered in Helena Monday to be sworn in for the start of the 2023 Montana legislative session. Republicans hold a majority in both the House and Senate and on Monday, leaders said their top issues will include inflation, affordable housing and the cost of living. "As we always do, we're going to pass a conservative, balanced budget, which funds our government, but also prepares us for the challenges of tomorrow," said Senate M...
The Lewis and Clark County Sheriff's Office received a call from the Hi-Country Trading Post Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022, reporting a break-in. They reported a large amount of merchandise had been stolen from the store. A deputy responded to take the report. The deputy reviewed video footage provided by the store and took photographs of the area and evidence. The incident is under investigation and leads are being followed-up on. If any members of the public noticed anything...
