Casee Jo Lepper made a not guilty plea to the felony charge of criminal distribution of dangerous drugs in district court Tuesday, Oct. 26. An omnibus hearing was scheduled for Dec. 15, and a trial was scheduled for Feb. 17, 2022. District judge David J. Cybulski reduced her bond from $100,000 to $10,000 on Oct. 13. A request was made on Oct. 26 to reduce the bond to her own recognizance.

U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., has announced $325,000 in Department of Justice Adam Walsh Act grant funding for the Montana Department of Justice to reinforce the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. “Keeping Montanans safe from dangerous individuals is critically important,” Tester said. “Every Montanan has the right to safety and security, and we need to improve how we communicate

Hattie Lei Turcotte changed her plea for a felony charge in district court on Tuesday, Oct. 26. Turcotte made the plea of guilty to the charge of criminal possession of dangerous drugs. Maximum penalties for the charge are five years in prison, a $5,000 fine or both. She admitted to being in possession of meth in Roosevelt County during January of 2021. District Judge David Cybulski

Richard Rutledge is scheduled to receive a mental evaluation at the Montana State Hospital in Warm Springs. During a status hearing on Wednesday, Oct. 27, attorneys agreed to have Rutledge taken to the state hospital for a full mental evaluation starting on Nov. 10. District Judge David J. Cybulski urged the parties to move steadily forward since Rutledge has been in the county jail

U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., has recognized Daniel Hutchinson of Roosevelt County for his acts of heroism and leadership following the tragic Amtrak derailment that occurred in Joplin in late September. Through his “Montanan of the Month” initiative, each month Daines will highlight a Montanan by submitting a statement of recognition in the official Congressional Record, the document

Frontier School officials have decided to suspend in-person classes until Nov. 8. Superintendent Christine Eggar said there have been several students and staff members who have tested positive for COVID. There have also been some other illnesses reported. Sixth through eighth graders will have lessons online during this time period. Kindergarten through fifth graders have received paper packets.

U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., has announced the long-awaited release of a landmark study by the federal government on the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) crisis. Tester first called for this study in 2019 and lead a bipartisan effort to require the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct the study and release its findings. “We’ve made progress in addressing the MMIP

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte reiterated his request to President Biden on Thursday, Oct. 28, that he immediately halt Afghan resettlements in Montana until the Biden administration guarantees its refugee vetting system is reformed. Referring to an Afghan humanitarian evacuee who recently was charged with felony rape in Missoula, Gianforte wrote in a letter to the president, “Tragic events over