Sheehy safe after emergency landing near Ennis.

“It is unconscionable that we would allow a coal company to poison one of our most biodiverse and culturally significant watersheds. We are thankful that the court sided with the EPA, Montana Department of Environmental Quality, and conservation groups in upholding this science-based selenium standard.” – Shiloh Hernandez, senior attorney with Earthjustice, on a court decision upholding stricter standards for Lake Koocanusa, which separates part of Montana from Canada.

A judge ruled that the standards that the state Board of Environmental Review tried to implement on Lake Koocanusa that would have allowed more selenium, a substance particularly toxic to fish and other aquatic life, was illegal. The ruling was cheered on by a coalition of conservation and state officials.

President Donald J. Trump approves two emergency disaster declarations for two separate weather catastrophes in Montana during December 2025. Those designations allow the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help fund county and local efforts to rebuild in a large portion of Montana.

If you like to shoot guns — and we know who you are — then leaders in Montana shooting sports want your input on shooting facilities in Montana. The 2025 Legislature has established a shooting sports coalition, which is evaluating shooting opportunities around the state, and has even hoped to create a facility similar to the one just launched in South Dakota.

On Friday, many of the entrances to Yellowstone National Park will open for the popular summer tourist season.

A new analysis of the SAVE Act, which is being touted by President Donald Trump and is a key part of the Republican priorities in Congress, shows that the legislation could put up a lot of hurdles for married women, as some critics have said.

Even before the war with Iran, Americans were worried about the price of inflation and the cost of gas at the pump. A new analysis shows that in addition to hitting more than a four-year high, gas prices have increased 21% on average since the beginning of hostilities in Iran, causing a ripple effect that could tip the economy into recession.

Columnist Doug James said that we hear Republican leaders talking about “Montana Values,” but that doesn’t stand for a specific set of values. Instead, it’s code for another thing: A partisan dismantling of the Montana Constitution and an attack on the state’s nonpartisan courts.

Sometimes we receive dozens of questionable emails and “story pitches” daily. Many of those pitches hardly get opened. Some are from self-published authors, others seem like a blanket email with hardly any tie to Montana.

We have already reported (please see above) higher gas prices.

However, one of the emails that we currently receive constantly tracks consumer/retail food prices, using a service, InvestorsObserver.

Recently, they put out a study about popular grocery items that Americans buy. Here are their findings:

—$741 – what the average family of four now pays extra per year for the exact same groceries since 2020.

—Buying the same Coca-Cola mini cans costs 127% more per ounce than the 2L bottle.

— 102% – the price-per-ounce increase on M&Ms since 2020, the only product in the analysis to fully double.

— A box of Frosted Flakes now costs 51% more per serving than in 2020, and there are fewer servings inside.

OK, Hooksters, it’s Monday. You know what that means: You can’t have a Friday without a Monday, so we’re just going to have to get through this. Together.

This weekend, as I was going through albums collected from various garage sales and second-hand stores, I took an old K-TEL album — you know those ones with cool compilations, the 1970s and ‘80s versions of the “Now That What I Call Rock” series? Well, I thought I was getting some poppy, love songs from circa the Disco Era. But someone had mis-assigned the album and I didn’t notice. Instead, I hit the jackpot: AC/DC’s “Let There Be Rock.”

The volume was up loud enough to send the cats scurrying.

As soon as I heard the second track on the album, I thought, “There it is! There is our Monday song.” And, I think the approach to Mondays can vary. Sometimes, you want to ease into them. Sometimes, you have to sneak up on a Monday.

Today, “Dog Eat Dog” is a way to punch Monday in the face. Hopefully, your Monday — the rest of the week is off to a good start.

If you have a song that you’d like to share, or would like to get in touch with us, please send us a note at [email protected]

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