News

Cooney fined for campaign finance rule violations

HELENA, Dec. 29 (AP) – Former Democratic candidate for Montana governor Mike Cooney will pay a fine to the state’s top political cop after he was found to have violated the state’s campaign finance rules.

Cooney, who lost the November election to Republican Greg Gianforte, will pay $4,700 to the Montana Commissioner of Political Practices.

2020 Marriages

Completed marriages on licences issued from Beaverhead County District Court:

JANUARY 2020

Jan. 25 – Thomas Michael Kennedy and Brittany Lynn Hatfield.

Jan. 24 – Michael Clinton Collin Majors and Carol Grace Maxwell.

FEBRUARY

Feb. 29 – Ava E. Duncan and Utah Chance Falcon.

MARCH

March 27 – Rachael Miriam Sturgeon and Bradley Dean Williamson.

APRIL

Health board decision by council tonight

A roiling, contentious and sometimes disorienting debate that engaged and often enraged many local citizens and members of city government during the last two months of 2020 will return tonight to the Dillon City Council for its first meeting of 2021.

But with a potentially key shift in its dynamics.

2020 YIR – Divorces

Decree of dissolution issued through the Fifth Judicial District Court at Beaverhead Courthouse:

December 2019

This items did not appear in last year’s recap.

Dec. 12 – Lynn M. Brown and Derek M. Brown.

JANUARY 2020

Jan. 2 – Justin C. Brasher and Summer R. Kamps.

Jan. 7 – Jorden Hobbs and Shyle David Hobbs.

FEBRUARY

Feb. 6 – Richard Cork and Toni Marie Cork.

Taylor Grazing Act

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With an area of 1.1 million acres spanning approximately 125 miles along the Missouri River, Montana’s Charles M. Russell Wildlife Refuge (the CMR) is the second-largest wildlife refuge in the continental United States.

The CMR was created initially as the Fort Peck Game Range in 1936, and connects on its west end with the 377,000 acre Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument (the Monument), which was established in 2001.

Montana PBS renews student learning programs, resources

BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) _ Montana PBS has announced plans to renew a broadcast created at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in March to support school children who were remote learning or in temporary quarantine.

The new schedule for the Learn at Home broadcast is set to launch Monday and continue through the end of the school year on June 4, the Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported.

The shows run each weekday from 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and cover multiple subjects from language arts, social studies, science and math for elementary and middle school students.

APR’s History of bison introduction

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The APR introduced bison to their landholdings 15 years ago.

In 2005, the APR first imported 16 bison from Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota, 20 in 2006 and 22 in 2007. In 2008, the APR imported 10 bison from the Nature Conservancy Kettle Grasslands Preserve in Iowa. In 2010, the APR imported 93 bison from Elk Island National Park in Alberta, Canada, 72 in 2012 and 73 in 2014, according to the APR’s website.

Gianforte sworn in as Montana’s 25th governor

HELENA, Jan 4. (AP) – Greg Gianforte was sworn in as Montana’s 25th governor Monday, becoming the state’s first Republican governor in 16 years.

Gianforte, 59, said he is committed to growing the state’s economy, lowering taxes, improving the state’s infrastructure and reining in state spending.

“For too long, state spending has grown out of control as taxpayers send more money to Helena. Its appetite has been insatiable,” he said.

City finance committee pays bills on New Year’s Eve

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It’s New Year’s Eve, late in the afternoon. Most locals are starting to celebrate the imminent departure of a difficult 2020 and impending arrival of 2021.

Or just easing into a quiet long weekend with their loved ones, huddled away from the perils of the pandemic.

But it’s also the last Thursday afternoon of the month.

So a quorum of the Dillon City Council’s Finance Committee shows up to City Hall to do the same thing they do every month on that day.

Look over bills submitted for payment to the city. And, if they seem legitimate, sign off on them.

Utility regulator seeks $2.5M in damages over email spying

BILLINGS,Dec. 31 (AP) – An outgoing member of Montana’s Public Service Commission has filed a $2.5 million damage claim against fellow members of the utility regulating board along with staff members after his emails were leaked to a right-wing webcast. An internal investigation also found false police reports were filed against Roger Koopman.