Jordan “J.D.” Hall, once a prominent religious and political figure in Montana right-wing circles, was ordered earlier this month to pay more than $15,000 to the Sidney church he once led after a Richland County District Court judge found him guilty of felony embezzlement. As part of a deferred sentencing agreement filed Sept. 10, Hall, who was ousted from Fellowship Baptist Church in 2022

Reading through our nation’s history from about 50 years ago, it made me feel that our country better handled problems and challenges of those times than our current leaders are doing. It seemed that our nation was more united for the common good during those earlier days. For example, in 1974, the Supreme Court ruled in the United States v. Nixon case that “the president cannot shield himself

Montana’s rural counties and tribal communities will receive a $2.5 million infusion to implement “locally developed solutions” to behavioral health needs, Gov. Greg Gianforte announced Thursday, Sept. 26, in a news release. The investment was recommended by the Behavioral Health System for Future Generations Commission, according to the news release. It represents the next allocation

The Montana Department of Transportation and its partner, Sletten Construction, have the following planned for Sept. 23 to Oct. 4. All work is dependent on weather and other unforeseen factors. Mooney Coulee Bridge on US Highway 2, 6 miles northwest of Glasgow. Traffic is traveling on the two-lane detour. Work on the bridge deck continues. On Monday, Sept. 30, crews poured concrete for the

As Montana pushes to have grizzly bears delisted from Endangered Species Act protections in portions of the state, the state’s Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks has launched an information dashboard to track human-caused grizzly bear deaths. FWP said in a news release the dashboard is part of an effort to increase transparency, educate Montanans on why grizzlies are killed or die when

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks game wardens want to remind hunters and homeowners that baiting deer and other game animals for hunting purposes and/or purposely feeding game animals in Montana is illegal. Many sporting goods stores in Montana offer feed, supplements, and other baiting attractants that are targeted to these various game animals. Although it is legal for venders to sell these

A couple of lawmakers aren’t so sure — at least yet — that a “sea change” isn’t taking place when it comes to how the Department of Public Health and Human Services is awarding contracts. Last week, a Democrat from Bozeman asked DPHHS if a recent award to an out-ofstate company for providing support to child care facilities represented a new trend, but director Charlie Brereton

Attorney General Austin Knudsen has announced the Montana Department of Justice will be providing an additional $3.5 million of funding for Montana Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs) to help communities across the state improve their response and care for child survivors of crime and abuse. The funding will come from a recent settlement Knudsen reached with Johnson & Johnson to resolve