http://feed.informer.com/digests/I2XAUDOSSQ/feeder Montana State News Respective post owners and feed distributors Sat, 12 Sep 2020 05:04:54 +0000 Feed Informer http://feed.informer.com/ https://www.krtv.com/news/montana-and-regional-news/draught-works-brewery-offers-free-beer-for-getting-vaccinated Montana and Regional News urn:uuid:c98bc67e-198c-d163-8428-f00beabd843b Sun, 04 Apr 2021 17:40:33 +0000 Draught Works is offering a free pint of beer to encourage the public to get COVID-19 vaccines. Draught Works is among several businesses in the Missoula area engaging in the fight to end the pandemic with promotions.The brewery is offering a free pint of beer to encourage people to get vaccinated against COVID.To receive the special, people over the age of 21 need to join the Draught Works Insider’s Club. Manager Clay Pape tells MTN News it takes about two minutes. Folks can sign up via text message by texting "DRAUGHT" to 57711. Then show the bartender a vaccination card.After that, customers can select a pint of beer on the house. “There have been a lot of good creative ideas that have come out of this pandemic. For better or worse, we've managed to adapt very well," Pape explained. "When I heard about this deal I wasn't surprised at all. I think it's a great way to give back to our customers and also encourage people to get vaccinated. That really is the best weapon we have against the pandemic."Draught Works is offering the special through the month of April. https://www.krtv.com/news/montana-and-regional-news/the-unatrucker-the-man-who-drove-ted-kaczynskis-cabin-recalls-experience Montana and Regional News urn:uuid:192417a8-1a6e-6f6f-90bc-7e85078f8e3e Sun, 04 Apr 2021 17:35:42 +0000 Driver Bill Sprout talks about his experience transporting the Unabomber's cabin from Montana to California 25 years ago. Around 25 years ago, a Montana truck driver by the name of Bill Sprout got a rather unique call that brought him right into the middle into one of the most unique and largest crime stories in the state of Montana—the arrest of Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber, at his cabin in Lincoln.MTN News talked with Sprout in his first-ever televised interview about the delivery he made decades ago.“I don’t know how they picked me or why they picked me or what they did, but they told me one day to come into the office,” Sprout says. “I just thought it was disciplinary or something. They told me about what was going to go on. I had to get a check and go through all of my background.” Do some quick math and you’ll know Bill Sprout knows trucks. “I’ve been driving trucks since I was 18 and I went to work for Whitewood Transport in 1993, bought my first truck,” Sprout says.That means Bill’s been driving for just about 50 years. And after MTN News found him at his garage in Ennis, another clear fact: he’s not behind the wheel for attention. Case in point, this was his first time talking on television news. “I don’t like the limelight,” Sprout says. “I don’t like to be in it. I just do my job. It gets over and done with.”That changed in December 1997, when Bill and his Whitewood Transportation semi were summoned to Malmstrom Air Force Base near Great Falls for a particular piece of cargo.“The morning that I was supposed to be there to pick it up, nobody was supposed to know about it,” Sprout says. “I get up there and the whole street is lined with reporters and that so I just drove into the air base. There was helicopters so everybody knew about it. Except my family.”The cabin home of the Unabomber and a secretive mission that quickly drew national eyes. “It was supposed to be all Army or all Air Force personnel so we figured out how I was going to load it and I didn’t like that, so I told them how I was going to load it. We got it loaded,” Sprout says. “I had to tarp it which I’m probably the only one who has ever tarped a cabin and hauled it. I couldn’t leave the Air Force base. They wouldn’t let me go anywhere.”Once the journey began, Bill says it wasn’t long before his truck and the wrapped cabin were constantly swarmed by reporters and bystanders, all trying to get a look at Kaczynski’s cabin.“I finally called up my boss and said you got to get these people away from me,” Sprout says. “I didn’t think it was that big of a deal but, as it turned out, it was pretty big. I mean [people] were following me, they were standing on bridges, alongside the road. [The FBI] sent two marshals and two federal agents and then a helicopter followed me all the way from Great Falls down there.”“I woke up at 4 o’clock in the morning and these reporters were climbing over the fence to look at it,” Sprout says. “They were standing by the truck and the cab, doing this live interview stuff. It was 4 o’clock in the morning and it was 14 below and I just looked out the window and thought, okay, have your time with it.”Sprout spent the first night on the road in Pocatello, Idaho, before making his way to Lovelock, Nevada, to spend his second night, describing another moment when Nevada law enforcement pulled his truck over. “I had to have a permit and it said towed instead of hauled,” Sprout says. “Finally, the patrolman who was leading me down there, he come over and told that officer, ‘This guy’s on national TV. I don’t think you want to give him a ticket so let him go.”Sprout recalls a moment on the highway where, rather than turn onto the lane leading to scales, he continued to follow his police escort, an unexpected move by a reporter in a helicopter flying behind him. About 1,300 miles to Sacramento in three days, where the jury could take a look at the cabin themselves, stopping only to sleep and for weigh-in, with one exception. “Helicopter up there follows me, commenting on how they were going to interview me when I stopped at the scale,” Sprout says. “I never did stop. I kind of got a kick out of that.”All the while, hauling the infamous payload, staying in constant contact with his family. “They were watching me on television, kept calling me and telling me I was on TV,” Sprout says. “My wife and kids picked out the name UnaTrucker, so I have a license plate that says UnaTrucker on it. That’s something my grandkids can look back on.”That license plate still hangs in Bill’s workshop.Even now, Bill just looks back at the trek that made headlines with a simple statement. “This was just a job,” Sprout says. “No big deal about it, just doing what I do. That’s the way I’ve lived my whole life. I just do my job. Hopefully, it is good enough and if not, I don’t know what to say.”A cabin that hit the dark part of history books with Bill at the wheel, representing Montana in the most Montanan way: “It’s nice to look back and see what I did but just a job is all it was.”Bill never retired after that historic delivery. At 65, he still drives his semi across the area, hauling things like talc now, as does his son.“When I got done, I went and found a truckstop because I didn’t get much sleep on them three days,” Sprout says. “It was just nice to relax and not have anyone bother you and not have the telephone ringing.”"Covering Kaczynski" - the Unabomber case, 25 years later https://www.kpax.com/news/montana-news/behind-the-scenes-of-covering-kaczynski Montana News urn:uuid:fbb4d245-35f1-c27f-43dc-88b8d0285331 Sun, 04 Apr 2021 17:31:34 +0000 MTN's latest special report took Casey Conlon, Brandon Sullivan, and Jay Kohn on a tour across Montana, filled with experiences they won't soon forget. They share some of their favorite behind-the-scenes moments. The idea behind 'Covering Kazcynski' started in December 2020. Brandon Sullivan and I were talking about what movies and TV shows we'd recently been watching and came upon the subject of The Unabomber. I then asked Brandon if he had heard our colleague Jay Kohn's Unabomber story.When he said no, MTN's latest special project was born.This story took the three of us to Butte, Lincoln, and Helena in three days in mid-February, as we set out to tell the "story of the story": how MTN covered one of the most talked-about events of the 20th century.For Jay, it was a walk down memory lane: to the KXLF studios in Butte he called home for eight years; to Lincoln, one of his favorite cross country skiing spots in a state filled with them; and to Helena, where he got his start in the industry, For Brandon and I, the trip was filled with new experiences, ones we won't ever forget.We sat down this week to talk about some of our favorite behind-the-scenes moments from 'Covering Kaczynski.' https://www.kbzk.com/news/montana-news/behind-the-scenes-of-covering-kaczynski Montana News urn:uuid:9d0c9a15-0e09-e992-928f-cfad4711a214 Sun, 04 Apr 2021 17:30:57 +0000 MTN's latest special report took Casey Conlon, Brandon Sullivan, and Jay Kohn on a tour across Montana, filled with experiences they won't soon forget. They share some of their favorite behind-the-scenes moments. The idea behind 'Covering Kazcynski' started in December 2020. Brandon Sullivan and I were talking about what movies and TV shows we'd recently been watching and came upon the subject of The Unabomber. I then asked Brandon if he had heard our colleague Jay Kohn's Unabomber story.When he said no, MTN's latest special project was born.This story took the three of us to Butte, Lincoln, and Helena in three days in mid-February, as we set out to tell the "story of the story": how MTN covered one of the most talked-about events of the 20th century.For Jay, it was a walk down memory lane: to the KXLF studios in Butte he called home for eight years; to Lincoln, one of his favorite cross country skiing spots in a state filled with them; and to Helena, where he got his start in the industry, For Brandon and I, the trip was filled with new experiences, ones we won't ever forget.We sat down this week to talk about some of our favorite behind-the-scenes moments from 'Covering Kaczynski.' https://www.kpax.com/news/montana-news/the-unatrucker-driver-who-transported-ted-kaczynskis-cabin-recalls-experience Montana News urn:uuid:bd64f126-9409-0b2b-f5f2-45b5ef69df64 Sun, 04 Apr 2021 16:40:50 +0000 Driver Bill Sprout talks about his experience transporting the Unabomber's cabin from Montana to California 25 years ago. Around 25 years ago, a Montana truck driver by the name of Bill Sprout got a rather unique call that brought him right into the middle into one of the most unique and largest crime stories in the state of Montana—the arrest of Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber, at his cabin in Lincoln.MTN News spoke with Sprout in his first-ever televised interview about the delivery he made decades ago.“I don’t know how they picked me or why they picked me or what they did, but they told me one day to come into the office,” Sprout says. “I just thought it was disciplinary or something. They told me about what was going to go on. I had to get a check and go through all of my background.”Do some quick math and you’ll know Bill Sprout knows trucks.“I’ve been driving trucks since I was 18 and I went to work for Whitewood Transport in 1993, bought my first truck,” Sprout says.That means Bill’s been driving for just about 50 years.And after MTN News found him at his garage in Ennis, another clear fact: he’s not behind the wheel for attention. Case in point, this was his first time talking on television news.“I don’t like the limelight,” Sprout says. “I don’t like to be in it. I just do my job. It gets over and done with.”That changed in December, 1997, when Bill and his Whitewood Transportation semi were summoned to Malmstrom Air Force Base for a particular cargo.“The morning that I was supposed to be there to pick it up, nobody was supposed to know about it,” Sprout says. “I get up there and the whole street is lined with reporters and that so I just drove into the air base. There was helicopters so everybody knew about it. Except my family.”The cabin home of the Unabomber and a secretive mission that quickly drew national eyes.“It was supposed to be all Army or all Air Force personnel so we figured out how I was going to load it and I didn’t like that, so I told them how I was going to load it. We got it loaded,” Sprout says. “I had to tarp it which I’m probably the only one who has ever tarped a cabin and hauled it. I couldn’t leave the Air Force base. They wouldn’t let me go anywhere.”Once the journey began, Bill says it wasn’t long before his truck and the wrapped cabin were constantly swarmed by reporters and bystanders, all trying to get a look at Kaczynski’s cabin.“I finally called up my boss and said you got to get these people away from me,” Sprout says. “I didn’t think it was that big of a deal but, as it turned out, it was pretty big. I mean [people] were following me, they were standing on bridges, alongside the road. [The FBI] sent two marshals and two federal agents and then a helicopter followed me all the way from Great Falls down there.”“I woke up at 4 o’clock in the morning and these reporters were climbing over the fence to look at it,” Sprout says. “They were standing by the truck and the cab, doing this live interview stuff. It was 4 o’clock in the morning and it was 14 below and I just looked out the window and thought, okay, have your time with it.”Sprout spent the first night on the road in Pocatello, Idaho, before making his way to Lovelock, Nevada, to spend his second night, describing another moment when Nevada law enforcement pulled his truck over.“I had to have a permit and it said towed instead of hauled,” Sprout says. “Finally, the patrolman who was leading me down there, he come over and told that officer, ‘This guy’s on national TV. I don’t think you want to give him a ticket so let him go.”Sprout recalls a moment on the highway where, rather than turn onto the lane leading to scales, he continued to follow his police escort, an unexpected move by a reporter in a helicopter flying behind him.1,300 miles to Sacramento in three days, where the jury could take a look at the cabin themselves, stopping only to sleep and for weigh-in, with one exception.“Helicopter up there follows me, commenting on how they were going to interview me when I stopped at the scale,” Sprout says. “I never did stop. I kind of got a kick out of that.”All the while, hauling the infamous payload, staying in constant contact with his family.“They were watching me on television, kept calling me and telling me I was on TV,” Sprout says. “My wife and kids picked out the name UnaTrucker, so I have a license plate that says UnaTrucker on it. That’s something my grandkids can look back on.”That license plate still hangs in Bill’s workshop.Even now, Bill just looks back at the trek that made headlines with a simple statement.“This was just a job,” Sprout says. “No big deal about it, just doing what I do. That’s the way I’ve lived my whole life. I just do my job. Hopefully, it is good enough and if not, I don’t know what to say.”A cabin that hit the dark part of history books with Bill at the wheel, representing Montana in the most Montanan way.“It’s nice to look back and see what I did but just a job is all it was.”Bill never retired after that historic delivery.At 65, he still drives his semi across the area, hauling things like talc now, as does his son.“When I got done, I went and found a truckstop because I didn’t get much sleep on them three days,” Sprout says. “It was just nice to relax and not have anyone bother you and not have the telephone ringing.” https://www.kbzk.com/news/montana-news/the-unatrucker-driver-who-transported-ted-kaczynskis-cabin-recalls-experience Montana News urn:uuid:0d6a1592-4ae1-f6d8-162f-0248f8b7acf9 Sun, 04 Apr 2021 16:40:50 +0000 Driver Bill Sprout talks about his experience transporting the Unabomber's cabin from Montana to California 25 years ago. Around 25 years ago, a Montana truck driver by the name of Bill Sprout got a rather unique call that brought him right into the middle into one of the most unique and largest crime stories in the state of Montana—the arrest of Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber, at his cabin in Lincoln.MTN News spoke with Sprout in his first-ever televised interview about the delivery he made decades ago.“I don’t know how they picked me or why they picked me or what they did, but they told me one day to come into the office,” Sprout says. “I just thought it was disciplinary or something. They told me about what was going to go on. I had to get a check and go through all of my background.”Do some quick math and you’ll know Bill Sprout knows trucks.“I’ve been driving trucks since I was 18 and I went to work for Whitewood Transport in 1993, bought my first truck,” Sprout says.That means Bill’s been driving for just about 50 years.And after MTN News found him at his garage in Ennis, another clear fact: he’s not behind the wheel for attention. Case in point, this was his first time talking on television news.“I don’t like the limelight,” Sprout says. “I don’t like to be in it. I just do my job. It gets over and done with.”That changed in December, 1997, when Bill and his Whitewood Transportation semi were summoned to Malmstrom Air Force Base for a particular cargo.“The morning that I was supposed to be there to pick it up, nobody was supposed to know about it,” Sprout says. “I get up there and the whole street is lined with reporters and that so I just drove into the air base. There was helicopters so everybody knew about it. Except my family.”The cabin home of the Unabomber and a secretive mission that quickly drew national eyes.“It was supposed to be all Army or all Air Force personnel so we figured out how I was going to load it and I didn’t like that, so I told them how I was going to load it. We got it loaded,” Sprout says. “I had to tarp it which I’m probably the only one who has ever tarped a cabin and hauled it. I couldn’t leave the Air Force base. They wouldn’t let me go anywhere.”Once the journey began, Bill says it wasn’t long before his truck and the wrapped cabin were constantly swarmed by reporters and bystanders, all trying to get a look at Kaczynski’s cabin.“I finally called up my boss and said you got to get these people away from me,” Sprout says. “I didn’t think it was that big of a deal but, as it turned out, it was pretty big. I mean [people] were following me, they were standing on bridges, alongside the road. [The FBI] sent two marshals and two federal agents and then a helicopter followed me all the way from Great Falls down there.”“I woke up at 4 o’clock in the morning and these reporters were climbing over the fence to look at it,” Sprout says. “They were standing by the truck and the cab, doing this live interview stuff. It was 4 o’clock in the morning and it was 14 below and I just looked out the window and thought, okay, have your time with it.”Sprout spent the first night on the road in Pocatello, Idaho, before making his way to Lovelock, Nevada, to spend his second night, describing another moment when Nevada law enforcement pulled his truck over.“I had to have a permit and it said towed instead of hauled,” Sprout says. “Finally, the patrolman who was leading me down there, he come over and told that officer, ‘This guy’s on national TV. I don’t think you want to give him a ticket so let him go.”Sprout recalls a moment on the highway where, rather than turn onto the lane leading to scales, he continued to follow his police escort, an unexpected move by a reporter in a helicopter flying behind him.1,300 miles to Sacramento in three days, where the jury could take a look at the cabin themselves, stopping only to sleep and for weigh-in, with one exception.“Helicopter up there follows me, commenting on how they were going to interview me when I stopped at the scale,” Sprout says. “I never did stop. I kind of got a kick out of that.”All the while, hauling the infamous payload, staying in constant contact with his family.“They were watching me on television, kept calling me and telling me I was on TV,” Sprout says. “My wife and kids picked out the name UnaTrucker, so I have a license plate that says UnaTrucker on it. That’s something my grandkids can look back on.”That license plate still hangs in Bill’s workshop.Even now, Bill just looks back at the trek that made headlines with a simple statement.“This was just a job,” Sprout says. “No big deal about it, just doing what I do. That’s the way I’ve lived my whole life. I just do my job. Hopefully, it is good enough and if not, I don’t know what to say.”A cabin that hit the dark part of history books with Bill at the wheel, representing Montana in the most Montanan way.“It’s nice to look back and see what I did but just a job is all it was.”Bill never retired after that historic delivery.At 65, he still drives his semi across the area, hauling things like talc now, as does his son.“When I got done, I went and found a truckstop because I didn’t get much sleep on them three days,” Sprout says. “It was just nice to relax and not have anyone bother you and not have the telephone ringing.” https://www.ktvq.com/news/montana-news/the-unatrucker-driver-who-transported-ted-kaczynskis-cabin-recalls-experience Montana News urn:uuid:1d9c4083-4f75-941a-6cc0-ce8c730a4964 Sun, 04 Apr 2021 16:40:50 +0000 Driver Bill Sprout talks about his experience transporting the Unabomber's cabin from Montana to California 25 years ago. Around 25 years ago, a Montana truck driver by the name of Bill Sprout got a rather unique call that brought him right into the middle into one of the most unique and largest crime stories in the state of Montana—the arrest of Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber, at his cabin in Lincoln.MTN News spoke with Sprout in his first-ever televised interview about the delivery he made decades ago.“I don’t know how they picked me or why they picked me or what they did, but they told me one day to come into the office,” Sprout says. “I just thought it was disciplinary or something. They told me about what was going to go on. I had to get a check and go through all of my background.”Do some quick math and you’ll know Bill Sprout knows trucks.“I’ve been driving trucks since I was 18 and I went to work for Whitewood Transport in 1993, bought my first truck,” Sprout says.That means Bill’s been driving for just about 50 years.And after MTN News found him at his garage in Ennis, another clear fact: he’s not behind the wheel for attention. Case in point, this was his first time talking on television news.“I don’t like the limelight,” Sprout says. “I don’t like to be in it. I just do my job. It gets over and done with.”That changed in December, 1997, when Bill and his Whitewood Transportation semi were summoned to Malmstrom Air Force Base for a particular cargo.“The morning that I was supposed to be there to pick it up, nobody was supposed to know about it,” Sprout says. “I get up there and the whole street is lined with reporters and that so I just drove into the air base. There was helicopters so everybody knew about it. Except my family.”The cabin home of the Unabomber and a secretive mission that quickly drew national eyes.“It was supposed to be all Army or all Air Force personnel so we figured out how I was going to load it and I didn’t like that, so I told them how I was going to load it. We got it loaded,” Sprout says. “I had to tarp it which I’m probably the only one who has ever tarped a cabin and hauled it. I couldn’t leave the Air Force base. They wouldn’t let me go anywhere.”Once the journey began, Bill says it wasn’t long before his truck and the wrapped cabin were constantly swarmed by reporters and bystanders, all trying to get a look at Kaczynski’s cabin.“I finally called up my boss and said you got to get these people away from me,” Sprout says. “I didn’t think it was that big of a deal but, as it turned out, it was pretty big. I mean [people] were following me, they were standing on bridges, alongside the road. [The FBI] sent two marshals and two federal agents and then a helicopter followed me all the way from Great Falls down there.”“I woke up at 4 o’clock in the morning and these reporters were climbing over the fence to look at it,” Sprout says. “They were standing by the truck and the cab, doing this live interview stuff. It was 4 o’clock in the morning and it was 14 below and I just looked out the window and thought, okay, have your time with it.”Sprout spent the first night on the road in Pocatello, Idaho, before making his way to Lovelock, Nevada, to spend his second night, describing another moment when Nevada law enforcement pulled his truck over.“I had to have a permit and it said towed instead of hauled,” Sprout says. “Finally, the patrolman who was leading me down there, he come over and told that officer, ‘This guy’s on national TV. I don’t think you want to give him a ticket so let him go.”Sprout recalls a moment on the highway where, rather than turn onto the lane leading to scales, he continued to follow his police escort, an unexpected move by a reporter in a helicopter flying behind him.1,300 miles to Sacramento in three days, where the jury could take a look at the cabin themselves, stopping only to sleep and for weigh-in, with one exception.“Helicopter up there follows me, commenting on how they were going to interview me when I stopped at the scale,” Sprout says. “I never did stop. I kind of got a kick out of that.”All the while, hauling the infamous payload, staying in constant contact with his family.“They were watching me on television, kept calling me and telling me I was on TV,” Sprout says. “My wife and kids picked out the name UnaTrucker, so I have a license plate that says UnaTrucker on it. That’s something my grandkids can look back on.”That license plate still hangs in Bill’s workshop.Even now, Bill just looks back at the trek that made headlines with a simple statement.“This was just a job,” Sprout says. “No big deal about it, just doing what I do. That’s the way I’ve lived my whole life. I just do my job. Hopefully, it is good enough and if not, I don’t know what to say.”A cabin that hit the dark part of history books with Bill at the wheel, representing Montana in the most Montanan way.“It’s nice to look back and see what I did but just a job is all it was.”Bill never retired after that historic delivery.At 65, he still drives his semi across the area, hauling things like talc now, as does his son.“When I got done, I went and found a truckstop because I didn’t get much sleep on them three days,” Sprout says. “It was just nice to relax and not have anyone bother you and not have the telephone ringing.” https://www.krtv.com/news/montana-ag-network/montana-ag-network-legislation-introduced-to-rehabilitate-st-marys-diversion-dam Montana and Regional News urn:uuid:0b1529d4-202b-b457-68a7-75c71361cf95 Sun, 04 Apr 2021 15:38:44 +0000 “Without the Milk River, the economy and everything on the Hi-Line would be done," said Patrick. U.S. Senators Jon Tester and Steve Daines, along with U.S. Representative Matt Rosendale, have introduced bipartisan legislation to make rehabilitating the St. Mary’s Diversion Dam more affordable, and ensure the Milk River Project can continue providing water to farmers, ranchers, and Tribes in Northcentral Montana that depend on it.The St. Mary’s Reinvestment Act will authorize $52 million to rehabilitate the St. Mary’s Diversion Dam and require the Bureau of Reclamation to use an ability-to-pay study on what the current water users could afford to pay for the project and set the cost share for the rehabilitation based on that study.Jennifer Patrick is the Project Manager for the Milk River Project and Joint Board of Control in Havre and says the $52 million is huge.“It's big for the Hi-Line because without it we're at 75% of a $52 million diversion dam,” said Patrick. “The math on that doubles our current operations and maintenance for 50 years. So, it's a big deal.”Montana Governor Greg Gianforte says it’s also a priority of his administration and COVID-19 relief money headed to Montana might be able to help.“Washington is just shoveling bucket loads of money our direction,” said Gianforte. “We're trying to be good stewards of that money. There is an allocation that can be used for water projects. In my mind, St. Mary's is the number one infrastructure project in the state. It's near the top of our list. We're hopeful that as we get the rules out of Washington, it allows us to take care of projects like St. Mary's.”Patrick says because the Milk River provides drinking water to 18,000 residents and irrigation water to 140,000 acres, the Milk River truly is the “Lifeline of the Hi-Line.”“Without the Milk River, the economy and everything on the Hi-Line would be done," said Patrick. “So when you talk about the lifeline of the Hi-Line, that's exactly what it is.”Without the Milk River Project, the Milk River as we know it today would run dry six out of every 10 years. https://www.ktvq.com/news/coronavirus/missoula-brewery-offers-free-beer-for-getting-vaccinated Montana News urn:uuid:38218902-ba7b-7cbe-c621-71eb40659cfc Sun, 04 Apr 2021 15:33:48 +0000 Draught Works is offering a free pint of beer to encourage the public to get COVID-19 vaccines. Draught Works is among several businesses in the Missoula area engaging in the fight to end the pandemic with promotions.The brewery is offering a free pint of beer to encourage the public to get COVID-19 vaccines.To receive the special, those over 21 need to join the Draught Works Insider’s Club. Manager Clay Pape tells MTN News it takes about two minutes.Folks can sign up via text message by texting "DRAUGHT" to 57711. Then show the bartender a vaccination card.After that, patrons can select a pint of beer on the house. There are over twenty on tap to choose from.“There have been a lot of good creative ideas that have come out of this pandemic. For better or worse, we've managed to adapt very well," Pape explained. "When I heard about this deal I wasn't surprised at all. I think it's a great way to give back to our customers and also encourage people to get vaccinated. That really is the best weapon we have against the pandemic,” he continued. Draught Works is offering the special through the month of April. https://www.kbzk.com/news/coronavirus/missoula-brewery-offers-free-beer-for-getting-vaccinated Montana News urn:uuid:9e1010cb-e672-3138-b9f6-9bc707628e75 Sun, 04 Apr 2021 15:33:03 +0000 Draught Works is offering a free pint of beer to encourage the public to get COVID-19 vaccines. Draught Works is among several businesses in the Missoula area engaging in the fight to end the pandemic with promotions.The brewery is offering a free pint of beer to encourage the public to get COVID-19 vaccines.To receive the special, those over 21 need to join the Draught Works Insider’s Club. Manager Clay Pape tells MTN News it takes about two minutes.Folks can sign up via text message by texting "DRAUGHT" to 57711. Then show the bartender a vaccination card.After that, patrons can select a pint of beer on the house. There are over twenty on tap to choose from.“There have been a lot of good creative ideas that have come out of this pandemic. For better or worse, we've managed to adapt very well," Pape explained. "When I heard about this deal I wasn't surprised at all. I think it's a great way to give back to our customers and also encourage people to get vaccinated. That really is the best weapon we have against the pandemic,” he continued. Draught Works is offering the special through the month of April. https://www.kpax.com/news/coronavirus/montana-covid-19-report-sunday-april-4 Montana News urn:uuid:c127e0a4-8375-c52e-fe50-aa2e709131f3 Sun, 04 Apr 2021 15:20:47 +0000 There were 52 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases reported in Montana on Sunday, and the statewide death toll since the pandemic began is 1,467, according to data compiled by MTN News. There were 52 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases reported in Montana on Sunday, and the statewide death toll since the pandemic began is 1,467, according to data compiled by MTN News.The number of active cases in the state is currently 1,018, according to MTN News, and there has been a cumulative total of 105,273 cases of the virus in Montana. Of the total cases, 102,788 have recovered.There are currently 38 people hospitalized for treatment of the virus, and the cumulative number of hospitalizations is 4,802.The number of tests performed in the state has reached 1,213,390, an increase of 2,384 during the previous 24-hour reporting period.The number of Montanans who have received at least one of the two vaccine shots is 524,579, and the number of Montanans who have received both shots and are now fully vaccinated is 210,612.Check the map below for the most current information.The numbers reported by MTN reflect the latest data from the Montana COVID website, along with supplemental data received from county health departments.Note: As new COVID-19 cases continue in Montana, the disparity between state data from DPHHS and local data from county health departments also continues.MTN has decided to use a combination of these sources to deliver more accurate information across all media platforms. We feel this is a more truthful accounting of the situation in Montana.Local county health departments may be alerted to cases before Montana DPHHS. As those counties share that information with the public, MTN feels it should be reflected in our reporting. Using that local data means there will be times when MTN coronavirus data does not align with the state report. https://www.kbzk.com/news/coronavirus/montana-covid-19-report-sunday-april-4 Montana News urn:uuid:77e54346-1e90-1c78-6842-f0c56abeba17 Sun, 04 Apr 2021 15:20:47 +0000 There were 52 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases reported in Montana on Sunday, and the statewide death toll since the pandemic began is 1,467, according to data compiled by MTN News. There were 52 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases reported in Montana on Sunday, and the statewide death toll since the pandemic began is 1,467, according to data compiled by MTN News.The number of active cases in the state is currently 1,018, according to MTN News, and there has been a cumulative total of 105,273 cases of the virus in Montana. Of the total cases, 102,788 have recovered.There are currently 38 people hospitalized for treatment of the virus, and the cumulative number of hospitalizations is 4,802.The number of tests performed in the state has reached 1,213,390, an increase of 2,384 during the previous 24-hour reporting period.The number of Montanans who have received at least one of the two vaccine shots is 524,579, and the number of Montanans who have received both shots and are now fully vaccinated is 210,612.Check the map below for the most current information.The numbers reported by MTN reflect the latest data from the Montana COVID website, along with supplemental data received from county health departments.Note: As new COVID-19 cases continue in Montana, the disparity between state data from DPHHS and local data from county health departments also continues.MTN has decided to use a combination of these sources to deliver more accurate information across all media platforms. We feel this is a more truthful accounting of the situation in Montana.Local county health departments may be alerted to cases before Montana DPHHS. As those counties share that information with the public, MTN feels it should be reflected in our reporting. Using that local data means there will be times when MTN coronavirus data does not align with the state report. https://www.ktvq.com/news/coronavirus/montana-covid-19-report-sunday-april-4 Montana News urn:uuid:a73c3d9b-5b5d-f6a8-cfd9-8fc48b2309d5 Sun, 04 Apr 2021 15:20:47 +0000 There were 52 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases reported in Montana on Sunday, and the statewide death toll since the pandemic began is 1,467, according to data compiled by MTN News. There were 52 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases reported in Montana on Sunday, and the statewide death toll since the pandemic began is 1,467, according to data compiled by MTN News.The number of active cases in the state is currently 1,018, according to MTN News, and there has been a cumulative total of 105,273 cases of the virus in Montana. Of the total cases, 102,788 have recovered.There are currently 38 people hospitalized for treatment of the virus, and the cumulative number of hospitalizations is 4,802.The number of tests performed in the state has reached 1,213,390, an increase of 2,384 during the previous 24-hour reporting period.The number of Montanans who have received at least one of the two vaccine shots is 524,579, and the number of Montanans who have received both shots and are now fully vaccinated is 210,612.Check the map below for the most current information.The numbers reported by MTN reflect the latest data from the Montana COVID website, along with supplemental data received from county health departments.Note: As new COVID-19 cases continue in Montana, the disparity between state data from DPHHS and local data from county health departments also continues.MTN has decided to use a combination of these sources to deliver more accurate information across all media platforms. We feel this is a more truthful accounting of the situation in Montana.Local county health departments may be alerted to cases before Montana DPHHS. As those counties share that information with the public, MTN feels it should be reflected in our reporting. Using that local data means there will be times when MTN coronavirus data does not align with the state report. https://www.kpax.com/news/coronavirus/draught-works-brewery-offers-free-beer-for-getting-vaccinated Montana News urn:uuid:18a54aa4-611c-e9ff-a6bd-04a42d616208 Sun, 04 Apr 2021 14:31:05 +0000 Draught Works is offering a free pint of beer to encourage the public to get COVID-19 vaccines. Draught Works is among several businesses in the Missoula area engaging in the fight to end the pandemic with promotions.The brewery is offering a free pint of beer to encourage people to get vaccinated against COVID.To receive the special, people over the age of 21 need to join the Draught Works Insider’s Club. Manager Clay Pape tells MTN News it takes about two minutes. Folks can sign up via text message by texting "DRAUGHT" to 57711. Then show the bartender a vaccination card.After that, customers can select a pint of beer on the house. “There have been a lot of good creative ideas that have come out of this pandemic. For better or worse, we've managed to adapt very well," Pape explained. "When I heard about this deal I wasn't surprised at all. I think it's a great way to give back to our customers and also encourage people to get vaccinated. That really is the best weapon we have against the pandemic."Draught Works is offering the special through the month of April. https://www.kpax.com/news/montana-news/covering-kaczynski-how-mtn-reported-one-of-the-biggest-stories-of-the-20th-century Montana News urn:uuid:00cbe528-2dda-a22e-98e6-4fc8c6cbaa5b Sun, 04 Apr 2021 03:52:21 +0000 MTN's latest special report chronicles what it was like when the world's biggest story fell into our lap in April 1996: as one of the first cameras on scene; one of the closest shots of Ted Kaczynski's first public appearance; and a family connection discovered years later one of the story's heroes. On April 3, 1996, the FBI arrested an unknown former college professor named Theodore Kaczynski - a man who would later admit to being the domestic terrorist known around the world as The Unabomber.It was one of the longest manhunts in FBI history - 17+ years - that eventually ended at a remote cabin just south of Lincoln, Montana. In today's fully-connected world, it would be nearly impossible for anyone to hide in plain sight that long. But this was 1996, in a town with limited to no cell phone service. When CBS' Dan Rather and Jim Stewart broke the news early that afternoon, suddenly the country's biggest story had fallen onto the Montana Television Network's doorstep.MTN's latest special report chronicles what the next 36 hours (and beyond) were like from the media's perspective: as one of the first cameras on scene; one of the closest shots of Kaczynski's first public appearance; and a family connection discovered years later to the story's true protagonist.Watch 'Covering Kaczynski' above. https://www.kbzk.com/news/montana-news/covering-kaczynski-how-mtn-reported-one-of-the-biggest-stories-of-the-20th-century Montana News urn:uuid:a32cd7b5-82db-4d94-84fd-038d3f364d36 Sun, 04 Apr 2021 03:51:14 +0000 MTN's latest special report chronicles what it was like when the world's biggest story fell into our lap in April 1996: as one of the first cameras on scene; one of the closest shots of Ted Kaczynski's first public appearance; and a family connection discovered years later one of the story's heroes. On April 3, 1996, the FBI arrested an unknown former college professor named Theodore Kaczynski - a man who would later admit to being the domestic terrorist known around the world as The Unabomber.It was one of the longest manhunts in FBI history - 17+ years - that eventually ended at a remote cabin just south of Lincoln, Montana. In today's fully-connected world, it would be nearly impossible for anyone to hide in plain sight that long. But this was 1996, in a town with limited to no cell phone service. When CBS' Dan Rather and Jim Stewart broke the news early that afternoon, suddenly the country's biggest story had fallen onto the Montana Television Network's doorstep.MTN's latest special report chronicles what the next 36 hours (and beyond) were like from the media's perspective: as one of the first cameras on scene; one of the closest shots of Kaczynski's first public appearance; and a family connection discovered years later to the story's true protagonist.Watch 'Covering Kaczynski' above. https://www.ktvq.com/news/montana-news/covering-kaczynski-how-mtn-reported-one-of-the-biggest-stories-of-the-20th-century Montana News urn:uuid:f3c484c4-6e24-589e-6545-f148bd006f1a Sun, 04 Apr 2021 03:50:03 +0000 MTN's latest special report chronicles what it was like when the world's biggest story fell into our lap in April 1996: as one of the first cameras on scene; one of the closest shots of Ted Kaczynski's first public appearance; and a family connection discovered years later one of the story's heroes. On April 3, 1996, the FBI arrested an unknown former college professor named Theodore Kaczynski - a man who would later admit to being the domestic terrorist known around the world as The Unabomber.It was one of the longest manhunts in FBI history - 17+ years - that eventually ended at a remote cabin just south of Lincoln, Montana. In today's fully-connected world, it would be nearly impossible for anyone to hide in plain sight that long. But this was 1996, in a town with limited to no cell phone service. When CBS' Dan Rather and Jim Stewart broke the news early that afternoon, suddenly the country's biggest story had fallen onto the Montana Television Network's doorstep.MTN's latest special report chronicles what the next 36 hours (and beyond) were like from the media's perspective: as one of the first cameras on scene; one of the closest shots of Kaczynski's first public appearance; and a family connection discovered years later to the story's true protagonist.Watch 'Covering Kaczynski' above. https://www.krtv.com/news/tenth-annual-red-ants-pants-music-festival-confirmed-for-july-2021 Montana and Regional News urn:uuid:668a3674-ced1-c61d-250c-8c3e615e47ed Sun, 04 Apr 2021 01:52:54 +0000 The Red Ants Pants Music Festival will return to White Sulphur Springs for its tenth anniversary this July, after being postponed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Red Ants Pants Music Festival will return to White Sulphur Springs for its tenth anniversary this July, after being postponed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Red Ants Pants said in a press release the the festival is scheduled for July 22-25, and tickets are on sale now. The full lineup is expected to be released in May.The festival has opted to cap the number of tickets sold at less than 60% of average attendance, according to the release, after months of research and consultation with state and local health officials and community members. The release said attendees are encouraged to get vaccinated for COVID-19 before the festival and to help create a safe, welcoming experience for all by following new health and safety measures.“As everyone works through re-emerging toward a new normal, it is our goal to set a benchmark for safety and transparency through our protocols and through our communications with our loyal festival fans and our community. In short, we feel we can play a leadership role in the healing process. The festival invests in our mission of increasing women’s leadership, promoting rural communities and supporting our working family farms and ranches – a mission that we feel is greatly needed now more than ever,” said festival founder and producer, Sarah Calhoun.“As you can imagine, our artists are also navigating a new path forward so our full lineup will not be released for a few more weeks. Just know: we have some of our favorites from the past ten years lined up for what will be an incredible experience!”The Red Ants Pants Music Festival has been named the “Montana Event of the Year” by the Montana Office of Tourism and is the primary fundraising event of the Red Ants Pants Foundation.Festival proceeds over the last ten years have supported more than $110,000 in mission-based community grants, the Girls Leadership Program, and numerous timber skills trainings.Headliners at past Red Ants Pants festivals have included Merle Haggard, Emmylou Harris, Charley Pride, Lyle Lovett, Keb’ Mo’, and Taj Mahal. The festival has also introduced emerging artists to new fans over the years.The Red Ants Pants festival takes place in a working cow pasture at the Jackson Ranch, just outside of White Sulphur Springs.WATCH: MTN News exclusive interview with festival founder and producer, Sarah Calhoun https://www.kbzk.com/news/montana-news/tenth-annual-red-ants-pants-music-festival-confirmed-for-july-2021 Montana News urn:uuid:ee2e427a-b79b-9733-38ba-7c743c17c024 Sun, 04 Apr 2021 01:30:17 +0000 The Red Ants Pants Music Festival will return to White Sulphur Springs for its tenth anniversary this July, after being postponed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Red Ants Pants Music Festival will return to White Sulphur Springs for its tenth anniversary this July, after being postponed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Red Ants Pants said in a press release the the festival is scheduled for July 22-25, and tickets are on sale now. The full lineup is expected to be released in May.The festival has opted to cap the number of tickets sold at less than 60% of average attendance, according to the release, after months of research and consultation with state and local health officials and community members. The release said attendees are encouraged to get vaccinated for COVID-19 before the festival and to help create a safe, welcoming experience for all by following new health and safety measures.“As everyone works through re-emerging toward a new normal, it is our goal to set a benchmark for safety and transparency through our protocols and through our communications with our loyal festival fans and our community. In short, we feel we can play a leadership role in the healing process. The festival invests in our mission of increasing women’s leadership, promoting rural communities and supporting our working family farms and ranches – a mission that we feel is greatly needed now more than ever,” said festival founder and producer, Sarah Calhoun.“As you can imagine, our artists are also navigating a new path forward so our full lineup will not be released for a few more weeks. Just know: we have some of our favorites from the past ten years lined up for what will be an incredible experience!”The Red Ants Pants Music Festival has been named the “Montana Event of the Year” by the Montana Office of Tourism and is the primary fundraising event of the Red Ants Pants Foundation.Festival proceeds over the last ten years have supported more than $110,000 in mission-based community grants, the Girls Leadership Program, and numerous timber skills trainings.Headliners at past Red Ants Pants festivals have included Merle Haggard, Emmylou Harris, Charley Pride, Lyle Lovett, Keb’ Mo’, and Taj Mahal. The festival has also introduced emerging artists to new fans over the years.The Red Ants Pants festival takes place in a working cow pasture at the Jackson Ranch, just outside of White Sulphur Springs.WATCH: MTN News exclusive interview with festival founder and producer, Sarah Calhoun https://www.kpax.com/news/montana-news/tenth-annual-red-ants-pants-music-festival-confirmed-for-july-2021 Montana News urn:uuid:5000d4e6-2e86-e33f-8979-d67b3848fa4b Sun, 04 Apr 2021 01:30:17 +0000 The Red Ants Pants Music Festival will return to White Sulphur Springs for its tenth anniversary this July, after being postponed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Red Ants Pants Music Festival will return to White Sulphur Springs for its tenth anniversary this July, after being postponed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Red Ants Pants said in a press release the the festival is scheduled for July 22-25, and tickets are on sale now. The full lineup is expected to be released in May.The festival has opted to cap the number of tickets sold at less than 60% of average attendance, according to the release, after months of research and consultation with state and local health officials and community members. The release said attendees are encouraged to get vaccinated for COVID-19 before the festival and to help create a safe, welcoming experience for all by following new health and safety measures.“As everyone works through re-emerging toward a new normal, it is our goal to set a benchmark for safety and transparency through our protocols and through our communications with our loyal festival fans and our community. In short, we feel we can play a leadership role in the healing process. The festival invests in our mission of increasing women’s leadership, promoting rural communities and supporting our working family farms and ranches – a mission that we feel is greatly needed now more than ever,” said festival founder and producer, Sarah Calhoun.“As you can imagine, our artists are also navigating a new path forward so our full lineup will not be released for a few more weeks. Just know: we have some of our favorites from the past ten years lined up for what will be an incredible experience!”The Red Ants Pants Music Festival has been named the “Montana Event of the Year” by the Montana Office of Tourism and is the primary fundraising event of the Red Ants Pants Foundation.Festival proceeds over the last ten years have supported more than $110,000 in mission-based community grants, the Girls Leadership Program, and numerous timber skills trainings.Headliners at past Red Ants Pants festivals have included Merle Haggard, Emmylou Harris, Charley Pride, Lyle Lovett, Keb’ Mo’, and Taj Mahal. The festival has also introduced emerging artists to new fans over the years.The Red Ants Pants festival takes place in a working cow pasture at the Jackson Ranch, just outside of White Sulphur Springs.WATCH: MTN News exclusive interview with festival founder and producer, Sarah Calhoun https://www.ktvq.com/news/montana-news/tenth-annual-red-ants-pants-music-festival-confirmed-for-july-2021 Montana News urn:uuid:cc3011ee-a41b-d4fb-ebef-bf13af3e28b4 Sun, 04 Apr 2021 01:30:17 +0000 The Red Ants Pants Music Festival will return to White Sulphur Springs for its tenth anniversary this July, after being postponed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Red Ants Pants Music Festival will return to White Sulphur Springs for its tenth anniversary this July, after being postponed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Red Ants Pants said in a press release the the festival is scheduled for July 22-25, and tickets are on sale now. The full lineup is expected to be released in May.The festival has opted to cap the number of tickets sold at less than 60% of average attendance, according to the release, after months of research and consultation with state and local health officials and community members. The release said attendees are encouraged to get vaccinated for COVID-19 before the festival and to help create a safe, welcoming experience for all by following new health and safety measures.“As everyone works through re-emerging toward a new normal, it is our goal to set a benchmark for safety and transparency through our protocols and through our communications with our loyal festival fans and our community. In short, we feel we can play a leadership role in the healing process. The festival invests in our mission of increasing women’s leadership, promoting rural communities and supporting our working family farms and ranches – a mission that we feel is greatly needed now more than ever,” said festival founder and producer, Sarah Calhoun.“As you can imagine, our artists are also navigating a new path forward so our full lineup will not be released for a few more weeks. Just know: we have some of our favorites from the past ten years lined up for what will be an incredible experience!”The Red Ants Pants Music Festival has been named the “Montana Event of the Year” by the Montana Office of Tourism and is the primary fundraising event of the Red Ants Pants Foundation.Festival proceeds over the last ten years have supported more than $110,000 in mission-based community grants, the Girls Leadership Program, and numerous timber skills trainings.Headliners at past Red Ants Pants festivals have included Merle Haggard, Emmylou Harris, Charley Pride, Lyle Lovett, Keb’ Mo’, and Taj Mahal. The festival has also introduced emerging artists to new fans over the years.The Red Ants Pants festival takes place in a working cow pasture at the Jackson Ranch, just outside of White Sulphur Springs.WATCH: MTN News exclusive interview with festival founder and producer, Sarah Calhoun https://www.ktvq.com/news/montana-news/behind-the-scenes-of-covering-kaczynski Montana News urn:uuid:c8a9e7d1-d667-1434-9e2f-31fdb48c61d1 Sun, 04 Apr 2021 01:11:09 +0000 MTN's latest special report took Casey Conlon, Brandon Sullivan, and Jay Kohn on a tour across Montana, filled with experiences they won't soon forget. They share some of their favorite behind-the-scenes moments. The idea behind 'Covering Kazcynski' started in December 2020. Brandon Sullivan and I were talking about what movies and TV shows we'd recently been watching and came upon the subject of The Unabomber. I then asked Brandon if he had heard our colleague Jay Kohn's Unabomber story.When he said no, MTN's latest special project was born.This story took the three of us to Butte, Lincoln, and Helena in three days in mid-February, as we set out to tell the "story of the story": how MTN covered one of the most talked-about events of the 20th century.For Jay, it was a walk down memory lane: to the KXLF studios in Butte he called home for eight years; to Lincoln, one of his favorite cross country skiing spots in a state filled with them; and to Helena, where he got his start in the industry, For Brandon and I, the trip was filled with new experiences, ones we won't ever forget.We sat down this week to talk about some of our favorite behind-the-scenes moments from 'Covering Kaczynski.' https://www.krtv.com/news/montana-and-regional-news/vehicle-crashes-into-billings-business Montana and Regional News urn:uuid:6f6b12f3-59b6-0873-24d9-b3844f506619 Sun, 04 Apr 2021 00:40:50 +0000 An SUV crashed through the front of the Sweetheart Bread Bakery outlet in the Heights neighborhood of Billings on Saturday.Police responded around at about 1:15 p.m. found an SUV lodged in the front of the building after apparently smashing through the front door.An elderly male - the driver of the SUV - and a female customer were taken to hospital for minor injuries.Employees say they were stunned once they figured out what had happened."I was in the back, putting out a cash drop, and I had heard a crash, thought it was a shelf falling over, came back out and noticed there was now a car in the lobby of my store," said clerk Harold Chapman.The owner estimates around $100,000 in damages and product loss, and says the Heights location will remain closed for at least two weeks for repairs. Police are investigating to determine the cause of the crash, including whether the driver suffered a medical event. https://www.ktvq.com/news/local-news/vehicle-crashes-into-heights-franz-bakery-outlet Montana News urn:uuid:ef71871b-331b-4875-16b6-ffefad730991 Sat, 03 Apr 2021 23:44:18 +0000 BILLINGS-A vehicle crashed through the front of the Sweetheart Bread Bakery outlet in the heights Saturday afternoon- sending two people to the hospital.Police responded around 1-15 P-M and found an S-U-V lodged in the front of the building after smashing through the front door.The driver, an elderly male - and a female patron both were taken to the hospital for minor injuries.Workers at the time say they were stunned once they figured out what had happened."So I was in the back, putting out a cash drop, and I had heard a crash, thought it was a shelf falling over, came back out and noticed there was now a car in the lobby of my store," Franz Bakery clerk Harold Chapman said.The owner estimates around $100,000 in damages and product loss and says the Heights location will remain closed for at least two weeks for repairs. In the meantime, people can visit their other location at 801 16th St West. https://www.ktvq.com/news/montana-news/churches-hope-easter-weekend-is-more-like-2019-than-2020 Montana News urn:uuid:e40cdf8f-2837-b087-e160-336e30e57f91 Sat, 03 Apr 2021 22:50:49 +0000 The base drum emits a steady beat that bounces off the auditorium walls while the lead singer and guitarist fiddles with his foot petals. Cory Engel watches from the back of the room, ready to watch another round of rehearsal. “About 24 hours until the first service,” one member of the band points out. For the Harvest Springs Community Church band, pastors, and staff, it can’t come soon enough.“In 2019, we did what was called the ‘Jesus Experience’,” recalls Cory Engel, the church’s lead pastor. “So, it was an interactive walkthrough through our whole building, kind of leading people to experience Jesus in a different way. When we got to 2020, all of that kind of stuff was shut down.”After a year and some change dominated by words like “Zoom”, “virtual”, and “remote”, seeing people in the Harvest Spring auditorium seats will be a welcome sight this Easter Sunday. In fact, signs of a return to normal have already begun poking through like the sun at the end of a long Montana winter."This year, we did a traditional Jewish Passover meal called the Seder Meal,” Engel explains as the band tunes their instruments and the staff fiddles with lights and videos. “About 300 people came in over the course of six days, and we got to just kind of set the stage for really what Easter Weekend is all about.”With Cascade County’s mask mandate gone, Harvest Springs hasn’t officially returned to normal operations, but they’re excited about the steps they’ve been able to take so far. Cory says service capacity has opened back up to about 50%, and he’s seen a decent number of people returning and feeling comfortable about in-person services again.While the mood at Harvest Springs can certainly be described as overall excitement to get people back inside, they also know the toll that COVID-19 has taken, both on them and the families they’ve been talking to through a screen for the past year.“The hardest part, especially as a church, is helping people, especially with COVID, navigate grief situations from a distance,” Cory admitted. “Many people have had sicknesses, illnesses, surgeries, even deaths in their family where, as a church, the community couldn’t really gather around people. You kind of felt like there was a distance that you had to maintain as a pastor that was limiting, even for me, to be able to go to hospitals and visit people.”Of course, there have been positives too. Cory says the ministry is as accessible as it’s ever been. That’s especially beneficial to the church’s military families who might be forced to leave the community for work even after spending years integrating into the church. While Harvest Springs was already streaming many services online before the pandemic, there’s no doubt that the number of people tuning in from places other than Great Falls has risen during COVID-19. Even people in Great Falls have utilized the remote options more frequently during COVID-19.“I think we’ve learned that community is really important,” Cory said. “A little quote I heard was, ‘online marriage isn’t as good as in-person marriage.’ Well, in the same way, online community just isn’t the same as in-person community, and I think it’s important for us to grow that community, connect with people personally, and I think being separated helped us understand just how important that was.” https://www.kpax.com/news/montana-news/churches-hope-easter-weekend-is-more-like-2019-than-2020 Montana News urn:uuid:6ba0bff4-1c89-4e82-cf85-5673161648e1 Sat, 03 Apr 2021 22:48:18 +0000 The base drum emits a steady beat that bounces off the auditorium walls while the lead singer and guitarist fiddles with his foot petals. Cory Engel watches from the back of the room, ready to watch another round of rehearsal. “About 24 hours until the first service,” one member of the band points out. For the Harvest Springs Community Church band, pastors, and staff, it can’t come soon enough.“In 2019, we did what was called the ‘Jesus Experience’,” recalls Cory Engel, the church’s lead pastor. “So, it was an interactive walkthrough through our whole building, kind of leading people to experience Jesus in a different way. When we got to 2020, all of that kind of stuff was shut down.”After a year and some change dominated by words like “Zoom”, “virtual”, and “remote”, seeing people in the Harvest Spring auditorium seats will be a welcome sight this Easter Sunday. In fact, signs of a return to normal have already begun poking through like the sun at the end of a long Montana winter."This year, we did a traditional Jewish Passover meal called the Seder Meal,” Engel explains as the band tunes their instruments and the staff fiddles with lights and videos. “About 300 people came in over the course of six days, and we got to just kind of set the stage for really what Easter Weekend is all about.”With Cascade County’s mask mandate gone, Harvest Springs hasn’t officially returned to normal operations, but they’re excited about the steps they’ve been able to take so far. Cory says service capacity has opened back up to about 50%, and he’s seen a decent number of people returning and feeling comfortable about in-person services again.While the mood at Harvest Springs can certainly be described as overall excitement to get people back inside, they also know the toll that COVID-19 has taken, both on them and the families they’ve been talking to through a screen for the past year.“The hardest part, especially as a church, is helping people, especially with COVID, navigate grief situations from a distance,” Cory admitted. “Many people have had sicknesses, illnesses, surgeries, even deaths in their family where, as a church, the community couldn’t really gather around people. You kind of felt like there was a distance that you had to maintain as a pastor that was limiting, even for me, to be able to go to hospitals and visit people.”Of course, there have been positives too. Cory says the ministry is as accessible as it’s ever been. That’s especially beneficial to the church’s military families who might be forced to leave the community for work even after spending years integrating into the church. While Harvest Springs was already streaming many services online before the pandemic, there’s no doubt that the number of people tuning in from places other than Great Falls has risen during COVID-19. Even people in Great Falls have utilized the remote options more frequently during COVID-19.“I think we’ve learned that community is really important,” Cory said. “A little quote I heard was, ‘online marriage isn’t as good as in-person marriage.’ Well, in the same way, online community just isn’t the same as in-person community, and I think it’s important for us to grow that community, connect with people personally, and I think being separated helped us understand just how important that was.” https://www.kbzk.com/news/montana-news/churches-hope-easter-weekend-is-more-like-2019-than-2020 Montana News urn:uuid:eee093ec-22fa-0105-cff0-79fbf3269843 Sat, 03 Apr 2021 22:24:16 +0000 The base drum emits a steady beat that bounces off the auditorium walls while the lead singer and guitarist fiddles with his foot petals. Cory Engel watches from the back of the room, ready to watch another round of rehearsal. “About 24 hours until the first service,” one member of the band points out. For the Harvest Springs Community Church band, pastors, and staff, it can’t come soon enough.“In 2019, we did what was called the ‘Jesus Experience’,” recalls Cory Engel, the church’s lead pastor. “So, it was an interactive walkthrough through our whole building, kind of leading people to experience Jesus in a different way. When we got to 2020, all of that kind of stuff was shut down.”After a year and some change dominated by words like “Zoom”, “virtual”, and “remote”, seeing people in the Harvest Spring auditorium seats will be a welcome sight this Easter Sunday. In fact, signs of a return to normal have already begun poking through like the sun at the end of a long Montana winter."This year, we did a traditional Jewish Passover meal called the Seder Meal,” Engel explains as the band tunes their instruments and the staff fiddles with lights and videos. “About 300 people came in over the course of six days, and we got to just kind of set the stage for really what Easter Weekend is all about.”With Cascade County’s mask mandate gone, Harvest Springs hasn’t officially returned to normal operations, but they’re excited about the steps they’ve been able to take so far. Cory says service capacity has opened back up to about 50%, and he’s seen a decent number of people returning and feeling comfortable about in-person services again.While the mood at Harvest Springs can certainly be described as overall excitement to get people back inside, they also know the toll that COVID-19 has taken, both on them and the families they’ve been talking to through a screen for the past year.“The hardest part, especially as a church, is helping people, especially with COVID, navigate grief situations from a distance,” Cory admitted. “Many people have had sicknesses, illnesses, surgeries, even deaths in their family where, as a church, the community couldn’t really gather around people. You kind of felt like there was a distance that you had to maintain as a pastor that was limiting, even for me, to be able to go to hospitals and visit people.”Of course, there have been positives too. Cory says the ministry is as accessible as it’s ever been. That’s especially beneficial to the church’s military families who might be forced to leave the community for work even after spending years integrating into the church. While Harvest Springs was already streaming many services online before the pandemic, there’s no doubt that the number of people tuning in from places other than Great Falls has risen during COVID-19. Even people in Great Falls have utilized the remote options more frequently during COVID-19.“I think we’ve learned that community is really important,” Cory said. “A little quote I heard was, ‘online marriage isn’t as good as in-person marriage.’ Well, in the same way, online community just isn’t the same as in-person community, and I think it’s important for us to grow that community, connect with people personally, and I think being separated helped us understand just how important that was.” https://www.ktvq.com/news/montana-news/landowner-uses-willows-to-prevent-bank-erosion Montana News urn:uuid:534969ee-82b2-3b2b-f050-e5c2068dab7f Sat, 03 Apr 2021 19:20:52 +0000 Hearing stories about losing land to water is sadly commonplace in low-lying coastal areas like Louisiana, but not something would think about here in the Queen City of the Rockies. When you buy land you want to make sure you keep it, yet erosion from streams, rivers and lakes can make that difficult.Helena landowner Tim Olds is turning to a conservation group for a little help.Hearing stories about losing land to water is sadly commonplace in low-lying coastal areas like Louisiana, but not something would think about here in the Queen City of the Rockies.“Even this spring, just since the ice went out we’ve lost three feet [of bank]. I own four acres that’s out in the lake that I’m paying taxes on that’s underwater,” said OldsOlds owns property on Lake Helena. The one-two punch of ice and waves that crash into his formally dry bank is causing erosion, not just for him, but all along the north shore.Jeff Ryan and the Lewis & Clark Conservation District is helping Olds change that.Getting their start combating soil erosion concerns in the 1930’s, conservation districts – among other things - advise landowners on how to best use the natural resources on their property. In Olds’ case, they helped secure a grant to weave native willows into the eroding bank. which is a lot cheaper than rock and helps create some excellent habitat.“It’s important for one thing because the landowner is losing his land that he’s paying taxes on and that’s important, but from a water quality standpoint we’re reducing sediment and turbidity in state water,” said Lewis & Clark Conservation District Supervisor Jeff Ryan. “Most of these projects occur on stream ways. We’ve got one coming up on Spokane Creek in a couple of weeks, and there it’s critically important because we’ve got a lot of spawning habitat affected if we get a lot of turbidity and sediment in the water.”When this job is done, Ryan and his crew are hoping to keep the hard work going.“That’s an easy answer, yes. In fact, we would like to get this whole north shore done if we can. Several landowners have contacted this landowner already with some interest. So we would hope to be able to get this entire shoreline done if possible,” said Ryan.More information about the Lewis and Clark Conservation District can be found here. https://www.ktvq.com/news/montana-news/plans-underway-to-restore-fire-damaged-times-building-in-butte Montana News urn:uuid:0726f280-a23d-730f-6f6d-c39db6f79e01 Sat, 03 Apr 2021 18:42:03 +0000 Corey and Kristi Markovich are the new owners of a historic building in Butte – one that was heavily damaged in a devastating fire last year. Corey and Kristi Markovich are the new owners of a historic building in Butte – one that was heavily damaged in a devastating fire last year.“Yeah, we closed on the building on St. Patrick’s Day, kind of a symbolic gesture, if you’re going to do something crazy in Uptown Butte there’s no better day to do it than St. Paddy’s Day,” said Corey Markovich.Known as the Times Building at Main and Galena streets, the building lost its roof and was practically gutted in a fire in January of 2020 that put wiped out three businesses housed there. The Markovichs want to rebuild it and put it on the market again.“And the last thing Butte needs at the corner of Main Street is another parking lot,” said Markovich.Corey, who owns Markovich Construction in Butte, said he has experience restoring other historic buildings in Butte. His wife, who works in real estate, is confident they can lease space in the building once it’s restored.“Lots of interest in Butte right now, we have a lot of buyers from Bozeman, a lot from Missoula, tons of out-of-staters, there’s a buzz in Butte right now for sure,” said Kristi Markovich.As you can see, this fire did a lot of damage to this building and it’s going to take a long time to get this building fully restored, but the Markovichs say it’s worth all the effort.“We’ve got a lot of work to do to get a roof back on to it, we got to get through permitting with the county, we got to get through abatement, it’s by no means a fast-track project, we’re going to take out time and work through doing it right,” said Corey Markovich.RELATED:Crews battle early morning Butte fire in historic UptownButte businesses help out in wake of Uptown fire that damaged three businessesOwner of brewery lost in Butte fire is grateful for community support https://www.kpax.com/news/montana-news/overnight-ghost-hunts-planned-for-old-montana-prison-in-deer-lodge Montana News urn:uuid:fb786c87-ab98-1997-d1db-ea3a32f8c8d1 Sat, 03 Apr 2021 17:46:50 +0000 The history behind the Old Montana Prison in Deer Lodge is a grim one. Not only is the place foreboding in appearance, but it also once housed some of the worst criminals in the state. Some came to tragic ends within its walls, and some may still be incarcerated there, at least in spirit.It is because of this that Ghost Hunts USA, a company that sponsors paranormal investigation for both believers and non-believers, is set to do a series of overnights at the prison this spring and summer starting on Friday, April 16.Tyler Evans, one of the founding members of Ghost Hunts USA, says that the Old Montana Prison is one of his company’s favorite places to visit.“It's a fun, great place. It is one of my most favorite places to go. It's spooky during the day, but when the lights go out... that's it,” he said.The event runs from 8:30 p.m. until about 5 a.m., and you are essentially locked inside the prison walls. Of course, you can ask to be let out if you are feeling a bit scared, but no such accommodations were given to the prisoners housed there until the late 1970s.Participants are given ghost hunting equipment, such as EMF readers, and shown how to use them. The living are also given instructions on how to interact with the dead. Once folks are feeling comfortable, they are let loose in the detainment center.“By 1 a.m., that’s when free time normally starts,” says Evans. “The guests have an understanding of what they have to do, questions to ask, and how they should approach the spirit world. Then they go off and do it and get their own evidence. If they want us to go with them, we'll go with them, but (if) they want to be left alone, they are left alone.”A big question is, if there really are ghosts or spirits at the prison, why are they hanging around after death? Evans has a theory.“Some of them find Old Montana as their home. Some of these prisoners have been there from a very young age and this was their home. And that's where they feel safe.”Other spirits, he says, had a terrible time there and they are trapped, afraid to cross over.So, if ghosts do exist, another big question: are you guaranteed to see one at one of these events?“No, not at all," says Evans. “It absolutely depends on the guests, it depends on the energy that they bring, and do the dead want to talk to us tonight. And we say that at the start, ‘Hey, we want you to go home with evidence.’ Evidence that we gather for you and evidence that you capture, but if you don't, it doesn't mean that it's not haunted, it just means that tonight's not the night.”So whether you’re a believer in ghosts or just want something fun and creepy to do on a weekend night, Evans simply asks people to come with an open mind and come ready to have some fun.“Just be positive, be fun, laugh a lot, bring warm clothes. That’s pretty much it.”Tickets start at $149.00 and there are many dates to choose from. To book, log onto:https://ghosthuntsusa.com/old-montana-prison-ghost-hunt/ https://www.kbzk.com/news/coronavirus/montana-covid-19-report-saturday-april-3 Montana News urn:uuid:5bb83927-0bda-b313-9e32-a127bffbd5cb Sat, 03 Apr 2021 16:56:35 +0000 There were 93 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases reported in Montana on Saturday, and the statewide death toll since the pandemic began is 1,466, according to data compiled by MTN News. There were 93 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases reported in Montana on Saturday, and the statewide death toll since the pandemic began is 1,466, according to data compiled by MTN News.The number of active cases in the state is currently 991, according to MTN News, and there has been a cumulative total of 105,221 cases of the virus in Montana. Of the total cases, 102,764 have recovered.There are currently 44 people hospitalized for treatment of the virus, and the cumulative number of hospitalizations is 4,802.The number of tests performed in the state has reached 1,211,006, an increase of 4,531 during the previous 24-hour reporting period.The number of Montanans who have received at least one of the two vaccine shots is 520,892, and the number of Montanans who have received both shots and are now fully vaccinated is 208,603.Check the map below for the most current information.The numbers reported by MTN reflect the latest data from the Montana COVID website, along with supplemental data received from county health departments.Note: As new COVID-19 cases continue in Montana, the disparity between state data from DPHHS and local data from county health departments also continues.MTN has decided to use a combination of these sources to deliver more accurate information across all media platforms. We feel this is a more truthful accounting of the situation in Montana.Local county health departments may be alerted to cases before Montana DPHHS. As those counties share that information with the public, MTN feels it should be reflected in our reporting. Using that local data means there will be times when MTN coronavirus data does not align with the state report. https://www.kpax.com/news/coronavirus/montana-covid-19-report-saturday-april-3 Montana News urn:uuid:9c012159-d81f-7d9b-fa65-0c17b2fb9e88 Sat, 03 Apr 2021 16:56:35 +0000 There were 93 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases reported in Montana on Saturday, and the statewide death toll since the pandemic began is 1,466, according to data compiled by MTN News. There were 93 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases reported in Montana on Saturday, and the statewide death toll since the pandemic began is 1,466, according to data compiled by MTN News.The number of active cases in the state is currently 991, according to MTN News, and there has been a cumulative total of 105,221 cases of the virus in Montana. Of the total cases, 102,764 have recovered.There are currently 44 people hospitalized for treatment of the virus, and the cumulative number of hospitalizations is 4,802.The number of tests performed in the state has reached 1,211,006, an increase of 4,531 during the previous 24-hour reporting period.The number of Montanans who have received at least one of the two vaccine shots is 520,892, and the number of Montanans who have received both shots and are now fully vaccinated is 208,603.Check the map below for the most current information.The numbers reported by MTN reflect the latest data from the Montana COVID website, along with supplemental data received from county health departments.Note: As new COVID-19 cases continue in Montana, the disparity between state data from DPHHS and local data from county health departments also continues.MTN has decided to use a combination of these sources to deliver more accurate information across all media platforms. We feel this is a more truthful accounting of the situation in Montana.Local county health departments may be alerted to cases before Montana DPHHS. As those counties share that information with the public, MTN feels it should be reflected in our reporting. Using that local data means there will be times when MTN coronavirus data does not align with the state report. https://www.ktvq.com/news/coronavirus/montana-covid-19-report-saturday-april-3 Montana News urn:uuid:efdc0e7e-1851-ade1-e348-55415a3c700a Sat, 03 Apr 2021 16:56:35 +0000 There were 93 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases reported in Montana on Saturday, and the statewide death toll since the pandemic began is 1,466, according to data compiled by MTN News. There were 93 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases reported in Montana on Saturday, and the statewide death toll since the pandemic began is 1,466, according to data compiled by MTN News.The number of active cases in the state is currently 991, according to MTN News, and there has been a cumulative total of 105,221 cases of the virus in Montana. Of the total cases, 102,764 have recovered.There are currently 44 people hospitalized for treatment of the virus, and the cumulative number of hospitalizations is 4,802.The number of tests performed in the state has reached 1,211,006, an increase of 4,531 during the previous 24-hour reporting period.The number of Montanans who have received at least one of the two vaccine shots is 520,892, and the number of Montanans who have received both shots and are now fully vaccinated is 208,603.Check the map below for the most current information.The numbers reported by MTN reflect the latest data from the Montana COVID website, along with supplemental data received from county health departments.Note: As new COVID-19 cases continue in Montana, the disparity between state data from DPHHS and local data from county health departments also continues.MTN has decided to use a combination of these sources to deliver more accurate information across all media platforms. We feel this is a more truthful accounting of the situation in Montana.Local county health departments may be alerted to cases before Montana DPHHS. As those counties share that information with the public, MTN feels it should be reflected in our reporting. Using that local data means there will be times when MTN coronavirus data does not align with the state report. https://www.kbzk.com/news/montana-news/kalispell-man-dies-in-friday-night-vehicle-crash Montana News urn:uuid:5f302b52-0b66-9b36-d21f-1c3b986db0df Sat, 03 Apr 2021 15:46:41 +0000 Montana Highway Patrol reports that a 39-year-old Kalispell man died Friday night after a car crash near Haywire Gulch. Montana Highway Patrol reports that a 39-year-old Kalispell man died Friday night after a car crash southwest of Kalispell.MHP reported that the man was northbound on Haywire Gulch when he did not make a sharp enough turn, hit a tree, and continued to roll, landing on the driver's side of the car.The driver was ejected and was unresponsive when troopers arrived, according to MHP.Speed, drugs and alcohol are suspected factors in the crash.The man's identification was not released, and no further details were available. We will update you if we get more information. https://www.ktvq.com/news/montana-news/kalispell-man-dies-in-friday-night-vehicle-crash Montana News urn:uuid:2e1aa457-2745-1505-33df-b498edd141cd Sat, 03 Apr 2021 15:46:41 +0000 Montana Highway Patrol reports that a 39-year-old Kalispell man died Friday night after a car crash near Haywire Gulch. Montana Highway Patrol reports that a 39-year-old Kalispell man died Friday night after a car crash southwest of Kalispell.MHP reported that the man was northbound on Haywire Gulch when he did not make a sharp enough turn, hit a tree, and continued to roll, landing on the driver's side of the car.The driver was ejected and was unresponsive when troopers arrived, according to MHP.Speed, drugs and alcohol are suspected factors in the crash.The man's identification was not released, and no further details were available. We will update you if we get more information. https://www.krtv.com/news/montana-and-regional-news/would-you-spend-the-night-in-the-old-montana-prison-to-chase-ghosts Montana and Regional News urn:uuid:fc5e86ba-9730-b0b2-dfeb-9ea068c1ee91 Sat, 03 Apr 2021 14:49:13 +0000 The history behind the Old Montana Prison in Deer Lodge is a grim one. Not only is the place foreboding in appearance, but it also once housed some of the worst criminals in the state. Some came to tragic ends within its walls, and some may still be incarcerated there, at least in spirit.It is because of this that Ghost Hunts USA, a company that sponsors paranormal investigation for both believers and non-believers, is set to do a series of overnights at the prison this spring and summer starting on Friday, April 16.Tyler Evans, one of the founding members of Ghost Hunts USA, says that the Old Montana Prison is one of his company’s favorite places to visit. “It's a fun, great place. It is one of my most favorite places to go. It's spooky during the day, but when the lights go out... that's it,” he said.The event runs from 8:30 p.m. until about 5 a.m., and you are essentially locked inside the prison walls. Of course, you can ask to be let out if you are feeling a bit scared, but no such accommodations were given to the prisoners housed there until the late 1970s.Participants are given ghost hunting equipment, such as EMF readers, and shown how to use them. The living are also given instructions on how to interact with the dead. Once folks are feeling comfortable, they are let loose in the detainment center.“By 1 a.m., that’s when free time normally starts,” says Evans. “The guests have an understanding of what they have to do, questions to ask, and how they should approach the spirit world. Then they go off and do it and get their own evidence. If they want us to go with them, we'll go with them, but (if) they want to be left alone, they are left alone.”A big question is, if there really are ghosts or spirits at the prison, why are they hanging around after death? Evans has a theory. “Some of them find Old Montana as their home. Some of these prisoners have been there from a very young age and this was their home. And that's where they feel safe.”Other spirits, he says, had a terrible time there and they are trapped, afraid to cross over.So, if ghosts do exists, another big question: are you guaranteed to encounter any during one of these events? “No, not at all," says Evans. “It absolutely depends on the guests, it depends on the energy that they bring, and do the dead want to talk to us tonight. And we say that at the start, ‘hey, we want you to go home with evidence.’ Evidence that we gather for you and evidence that you capture, but if you don't, it doesn't mean that it's not haunted, it just means that tonight's not the night.”So whether you’re a believer in ghosts or just want something fun and creepy to do on a weekend night, Evans simply asks people to come with an open mind and come ready to have some fun. “Just be positive, be fun, laugh a lot, bring warm clothes. That’s pretty much it.”Tickets start at $149 and there are several dates to choose from. Click here if you would like to register. https://www.krtv.com/news/montana-and-regional-news/cathedral-of-st-helena-returns-to-more-traditional-holy-week Montana and Regional News urn:uuid:3b29a9c1-0a63-5ca6-eb2b-e5cecda1fe95 Sat, 03 Apr 2021 14:46:35 +0000 April 2 was Good Friday, one of the most significant observances for many Christians, including Catholics. In Helena, people gathered to continue marking Holy Week, the days leading up to Easter. April 2 was Good Friday, one of the most significant observances for many Christians, including Catholics. In Helena, people gathered to continue marking Holy Week, the days leading up to Easter.At the Cathedral of St. Helena, hundreds of people came for the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion at noon. The cathedral then hosted the Stations of the Cross at 5 p.m.Last year, because of the COVID-19 pandemic and Montana’s stay-at-home order, services during Holy Week were held in a closed cathedral, streamed online but with no one in attendance. This year, with fewer restrictions in place, the ceremonies were much closer to a traditional Holy Week, though the Diocese of Helena continues to stream some events live.Mark Gerl and his wife were among those attending Friday’s service in person. He talked to MTN about the importance of being able to worship in person this time.“This past year, where we weren’t able to come to Mass, it just was really difficult,” Gerl said. “We watched it on the computer on livestream, and for the first several times, I was brought to tears not being able to physically go to church, not receiving Communion as often as possible. So it’s a general reborn type of feeling being able to come to church and receive Communion.”The Cathedral of St. Helena will also be holding Easter Vigil Mass on Saturday and Easter Mass on Sunday. You can find a full schedule on the cathedral’s website. https://www.krtv.com/news/montana-and-regional-news/st-peters-health-launches-telepsychiatry-program Montana and Regional News urn:uuid:8c55d54c-d946-a755-cf55-caf6a367112c Sat, 03 Apr 2021 14:46:03 +0000 St. Peter’s Health announced that they are the first health care system in the state of Montana to partner with Frontier OnCall to provide telepsychiatry services. St. Peter’s Health announced that they are the first health care system in the state of Montana to partner with Frontier OnCall to provide telepsychiatry services.Should patients arrive in the emergency room seeking mental health care, St. Peter’s Health has medical professionals on hand to help, but if a determination is made saying the patient needs a visit with a psychiatrist, St. Pete can make a video call with their tech and connect the patient and a psychiatrist in that moment.“This is just like a real doctor visit. Though it is on an iPad, it's truly a real doctor visit and the psychiatrist, then at that point, will be able to help either make a plan with the patient, whether the patient needs to be admitted, where best placement might be," says Kari Koehler, Senior Nursing Director of Inpatient Nursing at St. Peter’s Health.St. Peter’s Health partnered with Frontier Psychiatry in 2021 to launch a telepsychiatry program for their mobile crisis response team and pediatric patients in the emergency room. However, St. Pete is quickly expanding this program to include all types of patients in crisis."When you start a new program, you like to start things a little bit smaller, pilot them, and grow,” says Koehler. “Sometimes when you go all gangbusters in, it's difficult to manage because you are still trying to work out the kinks of your brand new processes and all the links that go into that chain. So this is really a much doable pilot."Frontier Psychiatry says they are also starting small by partnering with their first hospital to provide this all virtual service. They admit it can take months to see an in-person psychiatrist nowadays plus reaching rural community members is much easier with technology."Our goal is really to make psychiatric care accessible to all Montanans by 2025 and I feel strongly that the only way that can happen is if we really take advantage of all the tools in our tool box, including virtual care,” says Dr. Eric Arzubi, CEO of Frontier Psychiatry. “We're never gonna be able to hire enough psychiatrists or psychiatric nurse practitioners to plop them down in each community and make that available. That's just not gonna happen."By May 2021, Frontier Psychiatry hopes to have expanded their staff to 13 psychiatrists and three psychiatrist nurse practitioners on call ready to provide this all virtual service.St. Peter’s says implementing this telepsychiatry program in their mobile response team helps reduce emergency room visits and detention center admissions. https://www.krtv.com/news/montana-and-regional-news/smoky-smell-in-great-falls-due-to-fire-near-sun-prairie Montana and Regional News urn:uuid:4ca0007f-4e39-371b-8daf-6f38c5b391fc Sat, 03 Apr 2021 03:03:06 +0000 A fire is burning several miles west of Great Falls. At this point, the exact location and cause of the fire have not been determined. KRTV began receiving messages and emails about the fire at about 8:30 p.m. on Friday.A burn permit was issued for an address in that vicinity, but firefighters have not yet determined if the large fire is the scheduled burn, or a new uncontrolled fire.We have a reporter in the vicinity working to get details and will keep you updated.(UPDATE, 9:17 pm) The fire has been contained and is nearly extinguished. There are no reports of injuries. At this point, we have not received reports of any damaged structures. The fire was located near McIver Road and Manchester Road, a little bit southeast of Sun Prairie.We will update you if we get more details. https://www.ktvq.com/news/local-news/two-butte-restaurants-featured-in-diners-drive-ins-and-dives-creators-new-book Montana News urn:uuid:f82b213a-a2da-6b49-66b8-7d4341642c5f Sat, 03 Apr 2021 02:29:07 +0000 Two-time Emmy award-winning food journalist David Page is releasing his new book Food Americana and that book features two prominent Butte restaurants. Two-time Emmy award-winning food journalist David Page is releasing his new book Food Americana and that book features two prominent Butte restaurants.Pekin Noodle Parlor owner Jerry Tam and Casagranda’s steakhouse owner Carrie Leary were both excited to hear from the creator of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives."It just uh, it kind of actually took me back cause I was like, 'what, wait, what!' It’s just awesome, just awesome to be recognized up here in Montana by somebody like him," Leary said. Tam said it was an honor to be featured in Page’s book that told the story of remarkable people in America through remarkable food."It’s nice to know that my family and my father has created a thing called chop suey and he chose chop suey as one of his chapters to feature in his book," Tam said. Page said that through the creation of Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives, it gave him the ability to explore the variety of foods in the United States.Page used Pekin Noodle Parlor as a metaphor for the entire evolution of Chinese food in America."[Pekin Noodle Parlor] represent an era long gone when chop suey was Chinese food in America and in exploring that in the book I learned a tremendous amount about how Chinese food evolved here," Page said. Page used Casagranda’s sushi night as an example of how sushi, which was once Japanese only and considered exotic to Americans, has been adapted to American food culture. Page was also impressed how Casagranda steakhouse offered sushi in creative ways."Sirloin steak in a sushi roll, with volcano sauce. I Just thought this was a very creative way to use this food to, frankly, expand a restaurant's business base," Page said. Page said that food is a vibrant element of our lives that can bring people together."It changes, it morphs, and it continues to keep people happy," Page said. You can preorder Food Americana on Amazon or wait until it is released on April 20. https://www.krtv.com/news/montana-and-regional-news/foodie-friday-big-chief-chinese-in-browning Montana and Regional News urn:uuid:023aed4a-cd7c-f612-0281-f800da418c2c Sat, 03 Apr 2021 01:39:46 +0000 Cassandra Soto went behind the kitchen door at Big Chief Chinese Restaurant in Browning to watch owner/chef Mario McCullough in action. The restaurant is at 101 1st Avenue NE. https://www.krtv.com/news/montana-and-regional-news/good-friday-observed-in-browning Montana and Regional News urn:uuid:aca099af-8211-50ca-6e1d-56c94f4cd421 Sat, 03 Apr 2021 00:57:42 +0000 Cassandra Soto reports from Browning. https://www.krtv.com/news/missing-endangered-person-advisory-issued-for-billings-infant Montana and Regional News urn:uuid:5f60ccfe-4a28-c847-03bd-022baa3fa170 Sat, 03 Apr 2021 00:44:49 +0000 The Montana Department of Justice has issued a Missing/Endangered Person Advisory for Jaxtyn Guy of Billings. The Montana Department of Justice has issued a Missing/Endangered Person Advisory for Jaxtyn Guy of Billings.Jaxtyn is a 1-year-old baby approximately 30” long and 22 pounds with light hair and blue eyes. He was reportedly taken by his non-custodial father Ryan Dennis Guy and is believed to be in danger.Ryan is 29 years old, 5’9”, 145 pounds, with blonde hair and blue eyes. Ryan may be driving a Gold 2007 Saab 95 with a black front fender and Montana license plate CLZ539. If you have any information about Jaxtyn or Ryan Guy, you are urged to call the Billings Police Department at 406-657-8460 or call 911. https://www.mtpr.org/post/montana-lawmakers-target-news-outlets-being-slander-machines Montana Public Radio News urn:uuid:2fa0f63d-e30d-3c71-076f-a95dc0a94b8a Sat, 03 Apr 2021 00:25:44 +0000 HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Montana has become the latest state to consider a legislative measure that would prevent media outlets from reporting on news that lawmakers deem defamatory. https://www.krtv.com/news/showdown-devotes-last-day-of-ski-season-to-helping-the-weir-family Montana and Regional News urn:uuid:49392dc9-49c5-a2dd-18e2-30970bb1f3ef Sat, 03 Apr 2021 00:25:29 +0000 April 3rd is the last day of the ski season at Showdown, and Showdown announced it would be a little different than closing day in past seasons.All proceeds from Saturday's skiing will go toward helping the Weir family. Tyler Weir and his 10-year-old son Wyatt died in a crash east of Great Falls last Saturday. Tyler's wife Jen and other two children, Wakely and Weston, remain hospitalized.Showdown owner Katie Boedecker says she didn’t expect to be very busy Saturday, knowing the warm weather may draw people to other activities, but whoever hits the slopes will be helping Showdown help the Weir family. "It seems early, I know they're just getting things organized on behalf of the family, but it's the last day we're open this season. We just wanted to do what we could."Showdown explained in a Facebook post that Tyler was a member of the Great Falls Ski Patrol, adding that the Weirs are a part of the Showdown family. "We were very concerned all day no matter what, just that a family had been involved in an accident like that, but it wasn't until later in the day that it was a member of our ski patrol and a family that is much-loved up here by many people,” said Boedecker.If you can’t get to the mountain on Saturday, you can donate directly by clicking here to visit the Showdown website. Boedecker said Showdown is committed to helping the family any way it can, including hosting more fundraisers next season.The "Weir Family Warriors" page on Facebook says that people can also help in the following ways:To donate to the bank account:Checks payable to Becky Cushing (Jen's mother)Mail to: P.O. Box 306, Ulm, MT 59485Venmo donations:@Weir-Warriors Cards and care packages for Jen and family can be mailed to:Becky CushingP.O. Box 306Ulm, MT 59485Cards and care packages for Wes & Wakely can be mailed to:Harborview Medical CenterC/o Wes or Wakely Weir, Room 901, 902325 9th AveSeattle, WA 98104 https://www.mtpr.org/post/recreational-marijuana-bills-advance-montana-legislature Montana Public Radio News urn:uuid:ddd3eb5d-a380-8f94-a776-33f5e948a199 Sat, 03 Apr 2021 00:01:53 +0000 Competing bills to regulate Montana’s forthcoming recreational marijuana program are advancing in the Legislature. Facing a procedural deadline next Thursday, lawmakers are keeping several policies on the table as they debate how to tax and regulate recreational cannabis. House Bill 701 , backed by the governor, would institute a 20% tax on recreational marijuana, funneling most of the revenue to the state general fund. It would also reserve money for a proposed addiction and treatment program, as well as state parks, trail maintenance and non-game wildlife programs. House Bill 670 , offers a lower tax and uses two-thirds of the revenue to pay state employee pensions. The remainder would enter a trust fund to pay for the so-called economic and social costs of marijuana growing and use. Lawmakers this week also passed a third proposal, House Bill 707 , which would place a 20% tax on wholesale recreational cannabis sales instead of retail sales. Legislators will debate the bills on the https://www.mtpr.org/post/justice-judge-recuse-themselves-case-over-new-judicial-appointment-powers Montana Public Radio News urn:uuid:b1a2dc24-9014-65ae-768c-36e943585037 Sat, 03 Apr 2021 00:01:33 +0000 A second judge has recused himself from a case before the Montana Supreme Court to determine the constitutionality of a new law that gives the governor more discretion to appoint judges. District Court Judge Kurt Krueger is recusing himself from the case after being appointed to fill in for Chief Justice Mike McGrath. McGrath previously stepped away from the case and told MTN News he recused himself because he met with Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte earlier this year to urge him against supporting Senate Bill 140 . The law eliminates a judicial nomination commission and provides the governor more power to appoint state district court and Supreme Court vacancies. Krueger recused himself from the case one day after the state attorney general’s office filed in court a Montana Judges Association poll showing Krueger adamantly opposed SB 140. University of Montana legal professor Anthony Johnstone said both recusals fall squarely within typical judicial standards. “I think it’s pretty cut https://www.mtpr.org/post/montana-coronavirus-and-covid-19-news Montana Public Radio News urn:uuid:afe40760-03bf-98ca-160c-12dc2304f52a Fri, 02 Apr 2021 23:59:13 +0000 04/02/21 COVID-19 cases in Gallatin County have been rising for the last couple of weeks. County health officials say it’s mostly young people driving that growth. https://www.kbzk.com/news/montana-news/would-you-stay-overnight-hunting-ghosts-at-the-old-montana-prison Montana News urn:uuid:9d31a69c-361d-32bc-8156-e5682e844c33 Fri, 02 Apr 2021 23:31:18 +0000 The history behind the Old Montana Prison in Deer Lodge is a grim one. Not only is the place foreboding in appearance, but it also once housed some of the worst criminals in the state. Some came to tragic ends within its walls, and some may still be incarcerated there, at least in spirit.It is because of this that Ghost Hunts USA, a company that sponsors paranormal investigation for both believers and non-believers, is set to do a series of overnights at the prison this spring and summer starting on Friday, April 16.Tyler Evans, one of the founding members of Ghost Hunts USA, says that the Old Montana Prison is one of his company’s favorite places to visit.“It's a fun, great place. It is one of my most favorite places to go. It's spooky during the day, but when the lights go out... that's it,” he said.The event runs from 8:30 p.m. until about 5 a.m., and you are essentially locked inside the prison walls. Of course, you can ask to be let out if you are feeling a bit scared, but no such accommodations were given to the prisoners housed there until the late 1970s.Participants are given ghost hunting equipment, such as EMF readers, and shown how to use them. The living are also given instructions on how to interact with the dead. Once folks are feeling comfortable, they are let loose in the detainment center.“By 1 a.m., that’s when free time normally starts,” says Evans. “The guests have an understanding of what they have to do, questions to ask, and how they should approach the spirit world. Then they go off and do it and get their own evidence. If they want us to go with them, we'll go with them, but (if) they want to be left alone, they are left alone.”A big question is, if there really are ghosts or spirits at the prison, why are they hanging around after death? Evans has a theory.“Some of them find Old Montana as their home. Some of these prisoners have been there from a very young age and this was their home. And that's where they feel safe.”Other spirits, he says, had a terrible time there and they are trapped, afraid to cross over.So, if ghosts do exists, another big question: are you guaranteed to see one at one of these events?“No, not at all," says Evans. “It absolutely depends on the guests, it depends on the energy that they bring, and do the dead want to talk to us tonight. And we say that at the start, ‘hey, we want you to go home with evidence.’ Evidence that we gather for you and evidence that you capture, but if you don't, it doesn't mean that it's not haunted, it just means that tonight's not the night.”So whether you’re a believer in ghosts or just want something fun and creepy to do on a weekend night, Evans simply asks people to come with an open mind and come ready to have some fun.“Just be positive, be fun, laugh a lot, bring warm clothes. That’s pretty much it.”Tickets start at $149.00 and there are many dates to choose from. To book, log onto:https://ghosthuntsusa.com/old-montana-prison-ghost-hunt/ https://www.ktvq.com/news/montana-news/would-you-stay-overnight-hunting-ghosts-at-the-old-montana-prison Montana News urn:uuid:5a24f75c-1e72-9df3-789c-127e100969d4 Fri, 02 Apr 2021 23:31:18 +0000 The history behind the Old Montana Prison in Deer Lodge is a grim one. Not only is the place foreboding in appearance, but it also once housed some of the worst criminals in the state. Some came to tragic ends within its walls, and some may still be incarcerated there, at least in spirit.It is because of this that Ghost Hunts USA, a company that sponsors paranormal investigation for both believers and non-believers, is set to do a series of overnights at the prison this spring and summer starting on Friday, April 16.Tyler Evans, one of the founding members of Ghost Hunts USA, says that the Old Montana Prison is one of his company’s favorite places to visit.“It's a fun, great place. It is one of my most favorite places to go. It's spooky during the day, but when the lights go out... that's it,” he said.The event runs from 8:30 p.m. until about 5 a.m., and you are essentially locked inside the prison walls. Of course, you can ask to be let out if you are feeling a bit scared, but no such accommodations were given to the prisoners housed there until the late 1970s.Participants are given ghost hunting equipment, such as EMF readers, and shown how to use them. The living are also given instructions on how to interact with the dead. Once folks are feeling comfortable, they are let loose in the detainment center.“By 1 a.m., that’s when free time normally starts,” says Evans. “The guests have an understanding of what they have to do, questions to ask, and how they should approach the spirit world. Then they go off and do it and get their own evidence. If they want us to go with them, we'll go with them, but (if) they want to be left alone, they are left alone.”A big question is, if there really are ghosts or spirits at the prison, why are they hanging around after death? Evans has a theory.“Some of them find Old Montana as their home. Some of these prisoners have been there from a very young age and this was their home. And that's where they feel safe.”Other spirits, he says, had a terrible time there and they are trapped, afraid to cross over.So, if ghosts do exists, another big question: are you guaranteed to see one at one of these events?“No, not at all," says Evans. “It absolutely depends on the guests, it depends on the energy that they bring, and do the dead want to talk to us tonight. And we say that at the start, ‘hey, we want you to go home with evidence.’ Evidence that we gather for you and evidence that you capture, but if you don't, it doesn't mean that it's not haunted, it just means that tonight's not the night.”So whether you’re a believer in ghosts or just want something fun and creepy to do on a weekend night, Evans simply asks people to come with an open mind and come ready to have some fun.“Just be positive, be fun, laugh a lot, bring warm clothes. That’s pretty much it.”Tickets start at $149.00 and there are many dates to choose from. To book, log onto:https://ghosthuntsusa.com/old-montana-prison-ghost-hunt/