A five-member commission tasked with redrawing Montana’s legislative boundaries following the 2020 census has shared frustrations over the state’s response rate in Native communities and other rural areas. The commission has cited the COVID-19 pandemic as the main reason for the disappointing rate of return. On June 14, Republican Jeff Essmann of Billings told media that an expected second

The Trump administration has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to revive a permit program that would allow the disputed Keystone XL pipeline and other new oil and gas pipelines to cross waterways with little review. Earlier this year, a Montana judge suspended the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ permit program when environmental groups seeking to block construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline

The Montana Law Enforcement Academy graduated 57 new officers from 34 different law enforcement agencies Wednesday, June 24, in Helena. Among those graduating were Rusti Parker and Jordan Clark from the Fort Peck Tribes Department of Law and Justice. Attorney General Tim Fox was scheduled to give the keynote address; class representative Joshua Hammond of the Helena Police Department was set

lotter ( Publisher’s Note: The following blotter includes the activities of the Wolf Point police and fire department June 15- 21. All those cited or arrested are presumed innocent.) Citations were issued to: June 15 Joyce White, 50, female, 300 block of Benton St., warrants, tribal court. Sunshine Clampitt, 34, female, 400 block of U.S. Highway 2, disorderly conduct, tribal court.

( Publisher’s Note: Each week, the Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Office distributes an inmate roster with the names of everyone incarcerated and persons booked into the jail during the previous week and does not necessarily mean there is a new charge or conviction.) As of June 23, 31 prisoners had been housed in the Roosevelt County Detention Center over the past week. Prisoners included: Mandi

A Wolf Point man and former tribal police officer who admitted touching a child’s genitals on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation was sentenced Thursday, June 18, to time served of 324 days in custody and two years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said. Mychal Thomas Damon, 28, pleaded guilty in February to felony child abuse. U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.

Across the country, state unemployment programs have been targeted by criminals taking advantage of the pandemic by illegally obtaining benefits through fake claims. Tuesday, June 23, Attorney General Tim Fox issued tips to help Montana victims of this crime. “Criminals are taking advantage of the COVID-19 crisis by using information obtained from a variety of sources to apply for unemployment