John Hooks

A decision by The Montana Library Commission means Montana will no longer require leaders at its largest libraries to hold a master’s degree. The decision was widely opposed in public comment.

The VA announced Wednesday the former head of the Montana VA Health Care System retired this month. The Montana Air National Guard base near the Great Falls airport went into lockdown Wednesday.

Whitefish rental assistance program will start accepting applications in January. Gov. announces property tax task force as lawmakers consider a special session. Attorney general sues Facebook & Instagram, alleging serious risks to children.

Contractors for Atlantic Richfield (AR) will begin demolition work this week at a former smelter site in the heart of Butte. MTPR’s John Hooks reports on the next phase of the city’s Superfund cleanup.

Office staff for the Great Falls School District last Thursday unanimously ratified a new contract. All staff are set to receive a raise of at least one dollar per hour. Certified nursing assistants at the Southwest Montana Veteran’s Home in Butte will vote next month whether to join the local Teamsters Union or not.

Lake County has settled a class-action lawsuit over conditions inside its jail. The Lake County Jail will construct new housing units and an outdoor recreation area.

Five Montana tribes have collectively been awarded over $5 million by the Environmental Protection Agency to improve recycling on their reservations. Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks (FWP) said chronic wasting disease was detected in a mule deer buck harvested near Deer Lodge last week.

The Montana Supreme Court Wednesday ordered counties to collect the full amount of property taxes ordered by the state.

One listener wants to know why non-Natives make up a majority of the population on the Flathead Reservation. Another listener asks how much land Montana’s reservations lost to White settlement. The answer goes back to an 1887 law that ramped-up the federal government's efforts to assimilate Native people and erase their cultures.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded grants to four Montana tribes to help develop plans to reduce climate pollution. State trust lands generated nearly $58 million for public schools this year.