Montana State

Columbus, OH

Montana Free Press

This story is excerpted from the MT Lowdown, a weekly newsletter digest containing original reporting and analysis published every Friday. Over the last week, Montana’s rainy weather held off new fires and rapid growth of those already burning. Though a large number of personnel continue working to contain blazes across the state, no fires grew at a substantial pace.

The Montana Fire Report: Aug. 10–16

Iowa State

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Iowa Storm Center

(IowaStormCenter.com) -- A strong pacific storm system will get underway later tonight with severe thunderstorms and heavy rain. The first round of the one-two punch event is hitting across western Iowa this morning. Then the focus will be across southwest Iowa for severe thunderstorm development by this evening with threats for hail, damaging winds, heavy rainfall and a couple of isolated tornadoes.

Severe Thunderstorm/Heavy Rainfall Threat Tonight.

Great Falls, MT

After his Great Falls gun store was raided by IRS agents last summer, Tommy VanHoose said he felt he was targeted for political reasons due to the kinds of guns he sold. But according to charging documents made public by federal prosecutors Friday, the raid came after VanHoose spilled the beans to an undercover agent about under-reporting more than $1 million of income to the IRS. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Montana released a grand jury indictment charging VanHoose with five counts of submitting a false tax return.

Great Falls gun shop owner who drew national attention following IRS raid charged with tax fraud

Belgrade, MT

Gallatin County, MT

BOZEMAN — The man law enforcement officials say is responsible for the long-unsolved death of 15-year-old Danielle Houchins at a popular fishing access site a few miles south of Belgrade nearly 28 years ago has been identified. Investigators, family members and other sources with direct knowledge of the details...

Gallatin County sheriff says 28-year-old cold case solved

This excerpt is published by agreement with The Permissions Company, LLC on behalf of Milkweed Editions, milkweed.org. Copyright © 2024 by Chris La Tray. All rights reserved. It may not be republished without the express consent of The Permissions Company, LLC. Chris La Tray wil host book release events...

‘They were always here’

This story is excerpted from the MT Lowdown, a weekly newsletter digest containing original reporting and analysis published every Friday. As of Aug. 1, the Office of Public Instruction’s employment portal listed 853 active job postings for licensed public school positions in Montana. The postings include openings for teachers, counselors, administrators and paraprofessionals in school districts across Montana, and may capture some redundant listings or positions that have recently been filled.

Teacher head count comes up short again

Anaconda, MT

Even before setting off on a six-day, seven-night trek through the Anaconda Pintler Wilderness, Darren Wilson and the six hikers accompanying him knew there might be fire ahead. Wilson, a Hamilton resident who works as a biomedical equipment technician with a budding musical career under the name Dag Zaggenz, understood the significance of Stage Two fire restrictions: Conditions could not have been more prone to wildland fires.

How hikers quashed a budding wildfire

Montana’s relatively modest 2024 fire season escalated quickly over the weekend with the rapid growth of the Remington Fire and an increase in fires across the state’s western half. The Remington Fire is burning over more than 100,000 acres in southeast Montana, threatening to single-handedly double the total...

Remington Fire grows into the largest fire of the season while blazes continue in western Montana

Total Apex Sports & Entertainment

Big changes are in store for three zodiac signs in the month of September. The stars are shifting and many of you will be affected by this. Although the life changes that will take place with each zodiac sign are different, these changes must be fully embraced by all who are experiencing them. One of the key things to remember is that sometimes change is necessary for personal growth. Let’s see what the stars have in store for these three zodiac signs.

3 Zodiac Signs Whose Lives Will Change In September

After a nearly 21-year career with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the agency’s lead fisheries expert has resigned. Eileen Ryce, a fisheries biologist with a PhD, said inadequate support from her superiors while she ran a division that touches on two areas of critical interest in Montana — water and wildlife management — led her to resign.

FWP ‘fish chief’ Eileen Ryce resigns, citing lack of support from upper management.

Virginia State

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Margaret Minnicks

According to WTKR, Big Lots is closing about 315 of its stores across the United States. An earlier version of this story stated that 42 stores in Virginia would close. However, an updates states that only nine stores in Virginia are closing.

Big Lots will close nine stores in Virginia

Helena, MT

A passenger railroad project connecting Seattle to Chicago could potentially bypass Helena without the support of Lewis and Clark County, according to county and railroad project officials. The Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority, along with the Federal Railroad Administration, is leading the project to restore the North Coast Hiawatha route...

Helena could be passed up by passenger rail route

The MT Lowdown is a weekly digest that showcases a more personal side of Montana Free Press’ high-quality reporting while keeping you up to speed on the biggest news impacting Montanans. Want to see the MT Lowdown in your inbox every Friday? Sign up here. Within two days of...

Health care in the middle of nowhere

Florida State

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Jacksonville, FL

Jacksonville Today

Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said he will consider more DUI patrols if voters legalize recreational marijuana use in Florida. Voters will consider Amendment 3 in November. It would allow adults 21 or older to possess, purchase or use marijuana products and marijuana accessories for non-medical purposes.

More DUI patrols possible if marijuana issue passes

A highly anticipated update to how Yellowstone National Park manages bison is setting the stage to expand the animal’s range in Montana, tribes and conservationsts say. After years of work, Yellowstone released its new bison management plan this summer. More than 27,000 people commented on the document, which calls for more bison compared to the previous plan from 24 years ago. It also incorporates management changes that have been put into effect over the past two decades, including a surge in bison hunting near park boundaries and a new program to transfer live, disease-free bison to tribal nations.

Yellowstone National Park plan sets the stage for bison expansion in Montana

Tennessee State

Wise River, MT

Brandi Bartscher bustled around the back room of H Bar J Saloon and Café, looking over long rows of paper bags for the last time that day. Over the last few hours, she and a small team of friends and family members had prepared and neatly organized 350 meals. It was Wednesday, which meant this was one of the last mass assemblies she would perform. She flitted back and forth between the backroom and bar, busy with the dual responsibilities of restaurant owner and dinner-bag organizer.

Feeding the firefighters

Salem, OH

Northern Kentucky Tribune

Every day, 8-year-old Emma sits in a small garden outside her grandmother’s home in Salem, Ohio, writing letters to her mom and sometimes singing songs her mother used to sing to her.

Thousands of parents die of overdoses; advocates say their kids need more help

HELENA — With roughly $1.5 million in pandemic-era education funding set to expire next month, Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Arntzen announced a plan Tuesday to route those federal dollars directly to classrooms across Montana. The spending strategy, crafted in partnership with the nonprofit crowdsourcing platform DonorsChoose, will let...

OPI announces last-ditch spending strategy for federal COVID-19 funds

NewsBreak

Growing number of Montanans report their quality of life is declining

Montanans are increasingly reporting that their quality of life is declining, according to a recent University of Montana poll. Sixty-two percent of Montanans contacted by pollsters...

Growing number of Montanans report their quality of life is declining

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