Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
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Over nine decades of meals, laughter, memories, and music came to a screeching halt in the early morning hours of Thursday, September 30, 2021, when LaHood Park Steakhouse went up in flames. "It happened so fast, we couldn't do anything," LaHood employee and tenant Stephanie Adams said. "We grabbed the laundry basket of clean clothes I had just washed, our dogs, some sweaters, and that's it." Built by Shadan LaHood in 1928, the property transitioned from a general store to a post office, then a...
In public comment to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Governor Greg Gianforte and four state agencies raised issues with the BLM’s Environmental Assessment of the American Prairie Reserve’s (APR) bison grazing proposal. Gov. Gianforte and leaders from the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Department of Agriculture, and Department of Livestock highlighted the BLM’s lack of statutory authority to enact its proposal, the BLM’s failure to analyze the full range of impacts of its proposa...
U.S. Senator Steve Daines pushed back against President Biden’s attempt to infringe upon Montanans’ Second Amendment rights by joining the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), an international agreement that would increase international oversight and regulate trade in firearms. Biden’s attempt to join the ATT comes after a bipartisan majority of the U.S. Senate rejected ratifying it in 2013. “The vague language of the ATT makes American commitments uncertain, the most concerning of which is the lack of protections for lawful gun ownership which threate...
U.S. Senator Jon Tester today announced he has secured more than $7 million to upgrade and expand Community Health Centers (CHCs) across Montana as they continue to combat the COVID-19 crisis. Tester secured the funding—which will help support new construction so CHCs can upgrade and expand their existing facilities and serve more patients—through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Tester was the only member of Montana’s congressional delegation to vote for this funding. “Community Health Centers provide folks across Montana with afforda...
This month, U.S. Senators began the markup of Democrats’ $3.5 trillion budget resolution package. This rubber-meets-road moment seems to have given pause to some in their party whose votes will be needed to get a bill through Congress and across the President’s desk. Among them is Montana’s Senator Jon Tester. The President and the progressive left members of Congress have proposed financing the Administration’s marquee spending bill largely by raising the U.S. corporate tax rate. It is a moral imperative, they say, to make big busines...
U.S. Senator Jon Tester announced that more than $5 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding is headed to Montana to help protect patients and health care workers from COVID-19. The funding—administered by the Center for Disease Control—will help strengthen and equip state and local public health departments and other partner organizations with the resources needed to better fight infections in U.S. health care facilities, including COVID-19. Tester was the only member of Montana’s Congressional delegation to vote to deliver this...
Governor Greg Gianforte today announced he is sending Montana National Guardsmen to hospitals across the state to support their COVID-19 response, fulfilling all current formal requests for National Guard resources. “Joining doctors and nurses on the frontlines, the men and women of the Montana National Guard will provide critical supports to our hospitals as their systems are strained,” Gov. Gianforte said. “While these Guardsmen will help ease the heavy burden our frontline health workers face,” Gov Gianforte continued, “the best long-term...
As part of his ongoing fight to secure our elections, U.S. Senator Jon Tester introduced critical legislation that will ensure every eligible Montanan has fair and equal access to the ballot box and clean up our campaign finance system. Tester’s Freedom to Vote Act secures access to the ballot box for all eligible voters, shines a light on dark money in politics, and advances commonsense election security reforms to defend elections from bad actors. The bill also includes Tester’s Spotlight Act to require certain political non-profit org...
Montana’s unemployment rate hit a 14-year low, dropping to 3.5% in August. The national unemployment rate for August is 5.2%. “With Montana open for business and more Montanans returning to good-paying jobs, our economic and jobs recovery continues at a strong pace,” Governor Greg Gianforte said. “Montana is a leader in our nation’s economic comeback, with our state’s unemployment rate at its lowest level in 14 years.” Montana’s unemployment rate of 3.5% in August is the state’s lowest since July 2007, when it was also 3.5%. In August, 521,40...
More than half of the nation’s governors, including Governor Greg Gianforte, called on President Joe Biden to end the crisis at the southern border and secure the United States. “The months-long surge in illegal crossings has instigated an international humanitarian crisis, spurred a spike in international criminal activity, and opened the floodgates to human traffickers and drug smugglers endangering public health and safety in our states,” Gov Gianforte and the governors wrote. “A crisis that began at our southern border now extends beyond...
U.S. Senator Jon Tester sent a letter to President Biden urging the administration to allow vaccinated Canadians to travel to the U.S. through land ports of entry. Noting the economic and familial strains caused by the continued restrictions at the U.S.-Canada border, Tester and seven of his colleagues from states along the Northern Border asked the President to ease travel restrictions before October, create a public plan to reopen land ports of entry to vaccinated Canadians and appoint an interagency lead to spearhead coordination. “As S...
Everyone is invited to the Capitol rotunda Friday, Sept. 17, at 1 o’clock for a Constitution Day ceremony featuring Lt. Governor Kristen Juras, Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen, Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Arntzen, and Dept. of Justice Solicitor General David Dewhirst, all speaking about the meaning and defense of the U.S. Constitution, and presenting a Governor’s Proclamation. Music will be provided by Kaylee Rose Lian, Clancy Elementary School sixth grade student, singing “The National Anthem” and “This Land is Your Land...
Governor Greg Gianforte announced that 10 Montana National Guardsmen have volunteered to assist the Billings Clinic in its COVID-19 response. “Over the last year, soldiers in the Montana National Guard have consistently stepped up to the plate, and today is no different,” Gov. Gianforte said. “We’ll continue working with hospitals to address their individual needs as the state responds to COVID-19.” “Billings Clinic is incredibly grateful to have support from the Montana National Guard to help with immense capacity and staffing challenges...
As a part of his years-long push to improve market transparency and ensure fairer prices for Montana producers, U.S. Senator Jon Tester today announced bipartisan legislation, the American Beef Labeling Act, which would ensure that beef raised in the United States is labeled as a product of the USA. The legislation is also sponsored by Senators John Thune (R-S.D.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and will be introduced next week. “Montana ranchers raise the best cattle in the world, and it’s time American families are gua...
U.S. Senator Jon Tester, Chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, announced more than $5.8 million in federal funding to help end veterans homelessness in Montana. Tester secured these funds as part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The $5,825,234 grant comes from the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program administered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for the Volunteers of America Northern Rockies, a service organization based out of Billings. Since 2012, the Volunteers of America Northern R...
Governor Greg Gianforte today announced Montana’s unemployment rate decreased by 0.1% in July to 3.6%, while the unemployment rate for the U.S. was 5.4% for the month. The labor force also had strong growth over the month. “Montana continues to attract workers back into our labor force, helping to alleviate pressure on employers who are looking to hire,” Governor Greg Gianforte said. “This report is good news for Montana businesses in the midst of the summer travel season and good news for workers who are enjoying higher wages as our economy...
U.S. Senator Steve Daines is urging the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to withdraw the mask mandate on school buses that infringes on the authority of Local Education Agencies (LEAs) to make their own decisions regarding the safety and health of their students. “This fall, a significant proportion of Montana students will return to their classrooms without masks. Forcing young children to wear masks on the school bus, only to arrive at school and remove them makes no sense. Furthermore, it exposes an intrusion of the federal go...
This Secretarial Natural Disaster Designation allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans. Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation or the refinance of certain debts. FSA will review the loans based on the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability....
A dual degree student, Orion McKinney of Great Falls completed a Certificate of Applied Science Degree in Welding from Great Falls College-MSU before graduating from CMR High School. “In high school I never thought I’d go to college, but then realized I could afford it,” he says. A Gianforte Trades and Technology Scholarship through Reach Higher Montana made this possible. “The scholarship helped me a lot. It was the biggest thing that paid for my college.” McKinney went on to earn his Associate of Applied Science Degree this past spring. A...
After a public comment period that drew more than 26,000 comments, the Fish and Wildlife Commission adopted several changes to the 2021/2022 wolf hunting and trapping regulations at its meeting on Aug. 20. Changes include eliminating quotas, increasing the number of wolf trapping and hunting licenses allowed for individual hunters, extending wolf trapping seasons and the allowance of snares for trapping wolves. Wolf regulations were adopted as follows: A harvest of 450 wolves shall initiate a commission review with potential for rapid...
This year FWP will continue CWD surveillance in specific areas known as Priority Surveillance Areas in northwestern, northcentral, southwestern, and southcentral Montana. Carcass Disposal Requirements: In 2021, carcass parts, such as brain, eyes, spleen, lymph glands, and spinal cord material, should be left at the kill site. If the animal is transported for taxidermy or meat processing, then the brain and spinal tissue must be bagged and disposed of in a class II landfill. A carcass may be within the state regardless of where it was harvested...
Are you ready for hunting season? FWP can help. In addition to the following hunting forecast, FWP provides online information about hunting access, including our popular Block Management Program. Through the program, we coordinate with landowners to provide hunting access to more than 7 million acres of private land. The interactive Hunt Planner map allows users to look at information for various species, including hunting districts and regulations. The hunt planner interactive map is a great way to access our block management information, so...
Montana agricultural operations have been significantly impacted by the wildfires and ongoing, severe drought. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has technical and financial assistance available to help farmers and livestock producers recover. Impacted producers should contact their local USDA Service Center to report losses and learn more about program options available to assist in their recovery from crop, land, infrastructure and livestock losses and damages. “Production agriculture is vital to the Montana economy, and USDA stands r...
U.S. Senator Jon Tester released a statement Tuesday, August 10, following the Senate’s passage of the bipartisan infrastructure bill that he and a core group of his colleagues negotiated with the White House. The bill will create good-paying jobs by making urgently-needed investments in Montana’s roads, bridges, high-speed internet, water, and more. “Today a large, bipartisan majority of the Senate voted overwhelmingly to pass my historic legislation that will make critical infrastructure investments in Montana and across the country. I worke...
Representative Rosendale (R-MT) along with Representative Khanna (D-CA) introduced the USA Beef Act to support American ranchers. This legislation is a companion bill to Senator Rounds’ (R-SD) legislation introduced today in the Senate. This bipartisan bill would amend the Federal Meat Inspection Act to ensure that any beef labeled a “Product of U.S.A.” is in-fact a product exclusively born, raised, and slaughtered in the United States. Under current law, meatpackers are allowed to import cattle raised in foreign countries, slaughter and packag...
