Local News

MONTANA — A Montana Office of Public Instruction report released Friday shows notable decreases in 2022 in the number of newly licensed teachers and those obtaining emergency employment authorizations following significant spikes in 2021. According to OPI’s report, the agency approved 1,207 new licenses last year, the lowest total since at least 2018. It also granted 134 emergency authorization requests, which enable administrators to hire an unlicensed educator for one year while that educator pursues full licensure or the school continues to search for an applicant to fill a position permanently. Based on the report, the bulk of those authorizations were in smaller rural di...
News from DPHHS MONTANA — Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) officials are reporting substantial influenza (flu) activity during the first three months of this current flu season, from September through December 2022, that has far exceeded the prior five-year averages. Since...
News from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office LAKE COUNTY — A fatal crash was reported to Lake County 911 at about 12:50 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 27. The identity of the person involved the crash on Highway 83 at mile marker 73 is Jordan Laven, 38, of Kalispell. The Montana Highway Patrol is inves...
News from the CSKT Natural Resources Department FLATHEAD RESERVATION — The Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes announce the availability of the March 1, 2023 to Feb. 28, 2024 Flathead Indian Reservation Joint Tribal/State Fishing and Bird Hunting and Recreation Regulations and proposed chang...
News from the office of Senator Daines U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today announced the passage of his bipartisan bill to facilitate efficient and effective forest management by empowering collaboratives and public-private partnerships. “Collaboration is key in better man...

POLSON — The Greater Polson Community Foundation (GPCF) wrapped up 2022 with over $100,000 in grants given to local organizations to help improve Polson, and there will be more to come in the new year. The GPCF was founded in December of 2007 when the first meeting of community members was fol...

News from Arren Kimbel-Sannit Montana Free Press MONTANA — The Republican-led select committee formed late last session to probe — or, depending on who you ask, besmirch — the state judiciary voted Thursday to adopt an amended version of its final report to the Legislature. ...
News from the Office of the Governor HELENA — After wrapping up his 12 Days of Giving campaign earlier this month, Governor Greg Gianforte today announced state employees donated over 2,500 pounds of food to the Montana Food Bank Network (MFBN) in his second annual interagency food drive competiti...
News from the office of Governor Gianforte HELENA — Governor Greg Gianforte recentlly announced his administration has filed its briefing in the appeal of a judge’s decision denying the state’s petition for stay after the Biden Administration approved the American Prairie Reserve&rsquo...
HELENA — As kids do, Jessica Andersen-Eller’s kept growing out of their clothes. In the past, she’d donated those outgrown clothes, along with other household items, to organizations that would turn around and sell them. Wouldn’t it be more helpful, more in the spirit of giving, sh...