The Montana Supreme Court unanimously decided last week to void sanctions and a contempt order filed earlier this year against the Office of State Public Defenders by a Yellowstone County district judge. In the past year, Yellowstone County District Judge Donald Harris twice found OPD in contempt of court for not promptly assigning counsel to defendants, resulting in $24,000 worth of fines.

The Glasgow Reds, which feature three players from Wolf Point High School, placed third at the Eastern A district baseball tournament during the weekend. The Reds fell to the Billings Blue Jays, 12-2, in the opening round of the tournament. Having Glasgow’s two hits were Juliun Benson and Jack Kolstad. The Reds bounced back with a 15-4 victory over Richland County on Friday, July 22.

Montana Free Press Between Ekalaka and the South Dakota border, among the chalk buttes, open range and isolated pine forests of eastern Montana, the O’Connor Ranch has had its hands full. Ty O’Connor and his family run OCC Legacy Cuts, a ranch-to-table online meat retailer. Their main focus lately has been opening their USDA organic certified meat processing facility, which was kickstarted

By Bill Vander Weele The National Farmers Union reports that profits for farmers and ranchers are small when compared to what consumers spend on products. The website notes that farmers and ranchers receive only 14.3 cents of every food dollar spent. According to the USDA, off farm costs including marketing, processing, wholesaling, distribution and retailing account for more than 80 percent

Last week, three bills sponsored by U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., passed out of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, including one of Daines’ top forest management priorities that would stop frivolous litigation from holding up forestry projects. “My bipartisan bill would put an end to a procedural loophole being abused by fringe groups in the courts to block important forest

By Bill Vander Weele U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont, offered encouraging works during a video greeting for the Fort Peck Tribal Court’s Human Trafficking Conference in Poplar on Wednesday, July 20. Tester thanked the tribal court for organizing the event, and for law enforcement, prosecutors and community members for their interest in stopping the crimes. “Human trafficking happens