Montana State

Columbus, OH

Oregon State

Montana Free Press

This story is excerpted from the MT Lowdown, a weekly newsletter digest containing original reporting and analysis published every Friday. High humidity and low temperatures slowed the pace of new fire growth in Montana toward the end of the week, enabling fire responders to quickly contain several new fires. The Grouse, Miller Peak and Black Mountain fires remain the three largest active blazes in the state.

The Montana Wildfire Report: Aug. 2–9

Montana is poised to become the latest state to increase scrutiny of how its nonprofit hospitals deliver community benefits in exchange for their tax-exempt status. Under proposed rules, the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services plans to collect data on nonprofit hospitals’ charitable acts, such as discounting prices, providing health education, or conducting free screenings. Montana officials expect to adopt the new rules in August, but state officials have yet to set standards for exactly what constitutes acceptable giving or how much hospitals must do.

Who gives back, and how much?

Louisiana State

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. The summer storm that...

When Heavy Weather Hits

Missoula, MT

Helena, MT

Eldon Eugene Diettert was looking forward to celebrating his 19th birthday with his family in Missoula on August 5, 1949, when word came that there was a fire in the Gates of the Mountains Wild Area northeast of Helena. Diettert was not supposed to work that day, but another member of the recently formed U.S. Forest Service smokejumping crew in Missoula was out sick, so he was told to report to the airport. His mom’s famous birthday cake would have to wait.

75 years after fatal Mann Gulch Fire, families to gather to remember fallen smokejumpers

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WyoFile

The woman who shot a video of a hydrothermal explosion in Yellowstone National Park on Tuesday morning told WyoFile she and her family were terrified as the blast sent boiling water and rocks skyward, destroying parts of a boardwalk, its guardrail and a nearby bench.

Yellowstone hydrothermal explosion: ‘We were terrified’

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

Colstrip, MT

Colstrip Power Plant owner Talen Energy, in its battle against tougher air pollution laws, is turning to a recent Supreme Court ruling weakening the EPA’s courtroom clout. Talen advised the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit that justices could no longer defer to EPA’s judgment on new emissions standards affecting Colstrip.

Colstrip owners turn to recent Supreme Court ruling that weakens EPA

Colorado State

David Heitz

A bill quietly introduced this spring in the Colorado legislature to decriminalize the possession of drug paraphernalia obtained by harm reductionists has become law. As low-key as the legislation was introduced, the bill was signed into law without fanfare June 6. It garnered little to no media attention.

Colorado legalizes needles, pipes for meth and crack if obtained by harm reduction group

Denver, CO

In addition to collecting more than 8,000 used needles in the past year from Denver drug users, the Harm Reduction Action Center passed out 10,000 meth pipes and “snort kits,” according to a newsletter sent to its supporters Thursday. They also connected about 1,700 people to medical, mental health and substance abuse treatment.

Denver group hands out 10K meth pipes, ‘snort kits,’ connects 1,700 to treatment annually

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

Community Voices represent independent, third-party users who have joined our contributor program but not yet verified their accounts. Community Voices are expected, like all users, to adhere to our Community Standards.

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The Lens

This year’s area of low oxygen in the Gulf of Mexico is larger than average, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced on Thursday. The “dead zone” is approximately 6,705 square miles , as measured last week. Within NOAA’s 38 years of measuring the dead zone, this year’s assessment marks the 12th-largest area of low to no oxygen, which can kill fish and marine life.

Gulf ‘dead zone’ larger than average, larger than expected for 2024, scientists announce

HELENA — Montana is proposing wide-ranging rules for licensing abortion clinics under a disputed state law, raising a new potential obstacle for patients even as a constitutional amendment to protect access appears headed for the November ballot. The proposed rules, released July 26 by the state Department of Public...

Montana designs new hurdles for abortion clinics ahead of vote to protect access

The Denver City Council accepted Monday two grants totaling $24.5 million from the state of Colorado to pay for the homeless navigation campus it opened last year. One council member wants answers as to why wraparound services at the campus aren't up and running.

Denver homeless hotel wins $24.5 million grant, experiences wraparound services delay

Virginia State

Kentucky Vibes.net

Disclaimer: This article was written with the help of A.I. software. On July 28, 2024, a TikTok video posted by Erica W., known as @tasteofmelanin on the platform, garnered significant attention after she exposed disturbing racist decorations in an Airbnb rental. The incident occurred in a rental property that Erica had booked, although the exact location remains unspecified. The video has since gone viral, prompting widespread concern and leading to the removal of the listing from Airbnb's platform.

Airbnb Listing Taken Down After Black Woman Finds Hanging Monkeys and Cotton Used As Decor

Massachusetts State

This story is published by agreement with the Associated Press. It may not be republished without the express permission of the Associated Press. At least 973 Native American children died in the U.S. government’s abusive boarding school system, according to the results of an investigation released Tuesday by officials who called on the government to apologize for the schools.

‘A forgotten history,’ remembered

When families, hospitals and other nursing homes call Wes Thompson to see if he can take new patients, his instinct is to try and help. The senior care home he runs in Glasgow, Valley View Home, is licensed for 96 beds and includes a secure unit for patients with dementia. The walls are adorned with decorations and typed memos about patient safety. Residents walk the carpeted, air-conditioned halls or sit in small groups, chatting with staff or watching television.

How one rural nursing home keeps its doors open — and hopes to grow

The Current GA

Since 2020, the condition known as long COVID-19 has become a widespread disability affecting the health and quality of life of millions of people across the globe and costing economies billions of dollars in reduced productivity of employees and an overall drop in the work force .

Expert: Long COVID puzzle pieces are falling into place – picture is unsettling

Georgia State

Atlanta, GA

Daily Coffee Press

A 40-year-old man has been sentenced to over 28 years in prison for distributing significant amounts of fentanyl and other controlled substances to dealers in the Middle Georgia region. Authorities revealed that investigators uncovered evidence linking the drugs provided by the defendant, 40-year-old Lagary Williams, also known as "Frog," from Atlanta, to a fatal overdose.

Atlanta Man Sentenced to 28 Years for Supplying Deadly Fentanyl Linked to Fatal Overdose

More dangerous substances are entering the Denver drug supply, Harm Reduction Action Center warned in a newsletter this week. “The Iron Law of Prohibition posits that as law enforcement becomes more intense, the potency of prohibited substances increases,” HRAC Executive Director Lisa Raville wrote in the newsletter. That is exactly what is happening, she said.

Dangerous substances entering Denver drug supply

NewsBreak

What to know about smoke, heat and health

When teachers, nurses and coaches call to ask about air quality in their rural Montana school districts, staff at the Department of Environmental Quality sometimes feel...

What to know about smoke, heat and health

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