First Interstate BancSystem: Q3 Earnings Snapshot
October 29, 2025
BILLINGS, Mont. BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — First Interstate BancSystem Inc. (FIBK) on Wednesday reported third-quarter net
BILLINGS, Mont. BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — First Interstate BancSystem Inc. (FIBK) on Wednesday reported third-quarter net
SPEARFISH, S.D. — The sound of music and the warmth of community filled the United Methodist Church in Spearfish on
RAPID CITY, S.D. — What began as a simple estate cleanout in Rapid City has unfolded into a story of
Investigators in Wyoming are trying to identify two men they believe left a homemade bomb in front of the state Capitol. The device was brought inside by a passerby Tuesday morning and caused the building’s evacuation for the rest of the day while police searched the premises. Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Commander Ryan Cox says agents are looking closely at video security footage showing two men. Cox describes the device as “deconstructed live firework munition with a fuse” that would have had to be lit to explode. The device was taken away and rendered safe. The Capitol reopened with no visible security presence Wednesday.
FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) — A former Wyoming library director who was fired amid an uproar over books with sexual
Keali’i Ah Yat throws five touchdown passes to lead undefeated Montana past Sacred Heart 43-21 on Saturday. Montana, ranked fourth in the FCS coaches’ poll, jumps to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter. Ah Yat adds a 3-yard touchdown run, making it 29-7 at halftime. He finishes with 349 yards passing, connecting with Michael Wortham for two long touchdowns. Jack Snyder throws two touchdowns for Sacred Heart, narrowing the gap to 29-21 in the fourth quarter. Mitchell Summers rushes for 87 yards and a touchdown for the Pioneers. This game marks the first meeting between the teams.
RAPID CITY, South Dakota – A proposed Initiated Constitutional Amendment aims to abolish real property taxes across South Dakota and
KALISPELL, Mont. KALISPELL, Mont. (AP) — KALISPELL, Mont. (AP) — Glacier Bancorp Inc. (GBCI) on Thursday reported third-quarter profit of
Federal officials have rejected a mining company’s bid for 1.3 million tons of coal beneath a national forest in Utah. It’s the third proposed coal sale from public lands in the West to fall through this month despite President Donald Trump’s efforts to boost production of the fuel. The Interior Department says it received only one bid for the lease near central Utah’s Skyline Mine and that it did not meet the requirements of a law that requires companies to pay fair market value for coal from public lands. The department last week rejected a bid for 167 million tons of coal in Montana, then indefinitely postponed an even larger sale in Wyoming.
Federal officials have rejected a company’s bid to acquire 167 million tons of coal on public lands in Montana for less than a penny per ton. It would have been the biggest U.S. government coal sale in more than a decade. The failed bid underscores a continued low appetite for coal among electric utilities that are turning to cheaper natural gas and renewables such as wind and solar. President Donald Trump has made reviving coal a centerpiece of his agenda to increase U.S. energy production. But economists say Trump’s attempts to boost coal are unlikely to reverse its yearslong decline.
RAPID CITY, S.D. – A community fundraiser supporting cancer patients across South Dakota has surged past the $64,000 mark, with
RAPID CITY, S.D. – Auto loan interest rates in South Dakota saw one of the nation’s largest increases during the
Eli Gillman ran for 123 yards and two touchdowns, Kenzel Lawler returned an interception 21 yards for a TD, and Montana beat Cal Poly 28-9. Keali’i Ah Yat was 27-of-41 passing for 257 yards with a 24-yard scoring strike to Michael Wortham that gave Montana (6-0, 3-0 Big Sky Conference), ranked No. 4 in the FCS coaches, poll the lead for good at 14-9 early in the fourth quarter. Ty Dieffenbach threw a 26-yard TD pass to Brooks Wheatley and Nick Serna kicked a 27-yard field goal as time expired in the first half to give Cal Poly (3-4, 1-2) a 9-0 lead. Dieffenbach was 15-of-33 passing for 225 yards with a TD and four interceptions.
Justin Lamson threw for a career-high four touchdowns and ran for another, Adam Jones rushed for 173 yards and a score, and Montana State routed Idaho State 48-14 on Saturday for its fifth straight victory to remain in first place in the Big Sky Conference. Montana State led 34-14 at halftime after gaining 373 yards and scoring five touchdowns. Idaho State was held to just four yards rushing by halftime and ended the first half with Jordan Cooke throwing an interception. Jones became the first Bobcat this season to eclipse the century mark rushing. Lamson was 17 of 21 for 184 yards without an interception for Montana State (5-2, 3-0). Lamson also carried it 16 times for 60 yards. Rocky Lencioni caught two touchdown passes.
APID CITY, S.D. — The 437 Project has announced a donation of $322,041.60 to the Helpline Center, bringing the organization’s
RAPID CITY, S.D. – Black Hills and Rapid City based commercial producers were among the top honorees at the 2025
South Dakota State University’s Solaiman Tarafder is developing a new bioadhesive that not only holds tissue together, but also actively
PIERRE, S.D. (Oct. 7, 2025) – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley has publicly praised President Donald Trump’s nomination of
PIERRE, S.D. — The South Dakota Board of Economic Development approved funding for two projects Tuesday expected to generate a
Sioux Falls, S.D. – Sanford Health is bringing its virtual care innovation to rural South Dakota, expanding services to 27
A Navajo tribe-owned company has bid $186,000 to lease 167 million tons of coal on federal lands in southeastern Montana. Monday’s offer from the Navajo Transitional Energy Co. came in as the biggest U.S. coal sale in more than a decade. The lease is located next to the company’s Spring Creek mine near Decker, Montana. No one else submitted a bid. President Donald Trump is pushing to mine more coal from public lands. But it’s uncertain if there will be customers for the fuel in coming decades. Data analyzed by The Associated Press shows power plants served by Spring Creek are scheduled to quit burning coal altogether within 10 years.
South Dakota State University honored its newest endowment holders during its fourth annual University Leadership Honors. BROOKINGS, S.D. — Oct.
U.S. officials in coming days are set to hold the government’s biggest coal sales in more than a decade. About 600 million tons of the fuel will be auctioned from publicly owned reserves next to strip mines in Montana and Wyoming. Data analyzed by The Associated Press shows most of the power plants served by those mines plan to quit burning coal altogether within 10 years. The sales are a signature piece of President Donald Trump’s ambitions to dig and burn more coal from federal lands. The soft market for coal shows the risk in such a turnabout.
A Montana program aims to connect homeless people and those recently incarcerated with services and housing to help reduce recidivism. The Watershed Navigation Center in Missoula has opened part-time for the last several months and opened full-time in mid-September. In addition to helping people find housing or mental health care, the center has a clinic and helps people find work. There’s also lockers, donated clothing and access to laundry services. Watershed also provides a meeting place for a community support group for people exiting incarceration.
Rapid City, South Dakota – The opportunity to recognize outstanding agriculture educators in South Dakota is officially underway as the
A Montana immigration advocacy group has filed a lawsuit against the state over a law that allows law enforcement to check the immigration status of individuals during routine stops, like when someone is pulled over for a traffic violation. The law that took effect Wednesday allows officers to “make a reasonable attempt, upon reasonable suspicion … to determine the immigration status of an individual.” Valley Neighbors of the Flathead argues the law violates the state Constitution. While federal law allows officers to use “reasonable suspicion” to investigate potential crimes unrelated to the reason for the stop, Montana’s Constitution requires a higher standard of “particularized suspicion.”
PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announced Wednesday that a Brookings man has been indicted on 50
PIERRE, S.D. – The South Dakota Highway Patrol has announced sobriety checkpoints will be conducted in 16 different counties across
PIERRE, S.D. – A near-record number of more than 400 South Dakotans are slated to attend the 25th annual Community
Eli Gillman had 142 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 27 carries, Keali’i Ah Yat and Michael Wortham each accounted for two TDs, and Montana beat Idaho 41-30 in the Big Sky Conference opener for both teams. Ty Morrison kicked a 37-yard field goal to open the scoring almost four minutes into the game and Montana (4-0), ranked No. 4 in the FCS coaches poll, led the rest of the way. Ah Yat threw a 22-yard TD pass to Wortham in the third quarter and ran for a 1-yard score that made it 38-22 with 7:02 left in the fourth. Ah Yat completed 17 of 23 for 223 yards.
Justin Lamson threw a pair of long touchdown passes 90 seconds apart in a dominating first quarter and Montana State went on to an easy 57-3 win over Eastern Washington to open Big Sky Conference play. Lamson connected with Hunter Provience for a 43-yard score to make it 14-0 with 6:16 left in the first and Lamson then hit Taco Dowler streaking down the left sideline for a 45-yard score with 4:46 remaining. Including a 3-yard touchdown run by Adam Jones early and a late 43-yard field goal by Myles Sansted late, the Bobcats led 24-0. Montana State had 161 yards and the Eagles minus-1 in the quarter. Three quarterbacks combined to go 15 of 31 for 124 yards for Eastern Washington.
PIERRE, S.D. – The South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR) has announced the approval of nearly $35
RAPID CITY, S.D. – Gov. Larry Rhoden signed a new prison construction bill into law Tuesday evening, marking the largest
Eli Gillman ran for 120 and three touchdowns, Keali’i Ah Yat passed for a career-high 313 yards and two scores and Montana rolled to a 63-20 win over Indiana State. The Grizzlies punted on their first two possessions and then had touchdowns on eight of their next nine plus a defensive score by when TJ Rausch recovered a fumble in the end zone. Ah Yah was 22-of-37 passing for his second-straight 300-yard game and also had a 14-yard touchdown run. He had a 19-yard touchdown pass to Josh Gale late in the second quarter for a 35-7 halftime lead. He also hit Jordan Dever on a slant that went for 62 yards to make it 39-7. Nich Osho had touchdown runs of 55- and 79-yards on consecutive carries in the fourth quarter for Indiana State,
Montana State shut out Mercyhurst 17-0 on Saturday. Julius Davis and Adam Jones both ran for touchdowns. Davis scored in the first quarter, capping a 92-yard drive. Myles Sansted added a field goal in the second quarter. Jones scored just before halftime, finishing an 83-yard drive. The Bobcats’ defense dominated with 10 tackles for loss and limited Mercyhurst to 58 rushing yards. Ryan Krahe intercepted a pass in the end zone late in the game. Colson Coon led the Bobcats in rushing with 71 yards. Montana State is now 2-2 for the season.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Sanford USD Medical Center has been named to Money’s “Best Hospitals for Bariatric Surgery 2025” list,
PIERRE, S.D. – Governor Larry Rhoden has appointed Annie Hoffman as a circuit judge for the Second Circuit, filling the
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – A fire that started from a grill explosion on a second-level deck on Sunday is under
PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Larry Rhoden ordered that flags be flown at half-staff at the State Capitol from sunrise until
Keali’i Ah Yat throws for 300 yards and two touchdowns, leading Montana to a 24-23 victory over North Dakota on Saturday. Ah Yat’s 28-yard touchdown pass to Brooks Davis with 1:35 left seals the win. Earlier, Ty Morrison’s 42-yard field goal brings Montana within six points. North Dakota, ranked 17th, had a 13-0 lead in the first quarter. Jerry Kaminski throws three touchdown passes for North Dakota, but his incomplete pass on fourth-and-7 with 34 seconds left ends their hopes. Montana, ranked seventh, improves to 2-0.
Quarterback Justin Lamson accounted for 314 total yards and four touchdowns and No. 6 FCS Montana State wore out San Diego 41-7. Lamson threw for 293 yards on 23-for-26 passing and threw three touchdowns and ran for 21 yards and a score. He reached halftime with a 201 yards passing going 16 of 19. He threw a 45-yard touchdown to Taco Dowler for a 7-0 lead on the the Bobcats’ first drive. San Diego scored when Dom Nankil threw an 8-yard touchdown to Josh Heverly with 12:59 left.
Workers at a Montana animal shelter were evacuated and sent to the hospital after smoke from two pounds of methamphetamine incinerated by FBI agents started to fill the building. City of Billings Assistant Administrator Kevin Iffland said the incinerator is primarily used to burn the carcasses of animals euthanized by animal control officers. But every couple of months law enforcement officers use it to burn seized narcotics. Iffland says fourteen workers from the Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter went to the hospital as a precaution following Wednesday’s smoke incident that happened when the exhaust system didn’t work as usual. He says some of the shelter workers reported feeling unwell.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum wants to cancel a public land management rule that sought to put conservation on equal footing with industry. Wednesday’s announcement comes as President Donald Trump seeks to open more taxpayer-owned tracts to drilling, logging, mining and grazing. The land rule was a key part of efforts under former President Joe Biden to refocus the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management. The agency oversees about 10% of all land in the U.S. and has long concentrated on development. The rule adopted last year allowed public property to be leased for restoration in the same way that oil companies lease land for drilling.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Greg and Pam Sands Foundation is donating $250,000 to The Link Community Triage Center to
RAPID CITY, S.D. – A new substance abuse prevention curriculum, developed by the South Dakota-based non-profit Emily’s Hope, has launched
PIERRE – A former South Dakota employee was sentenced for forging her own medical marijuana card, according to a press
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Sanford Health senior vice president and chief information officer Brad Reimer will be a featured speaker at the Newsweek Digital Health
PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Larry Rhoden released the full plan for a new prison to be built at the Benson
PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley and Dakota State University (DSU) have selected three vendors to provide
IERRE, S.D. – Three schools in South Dakota have been designated as National Blue Ribbon Schools by the U.S. Department
School is back in session, but high school students in the Northern Plains are still reflecting on a rewarding art
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – SoDak Circuit, a free, all-ages esports event, is returning for its second year on Saturday, Oct.
Eli Gillman runs for 198 yards and three touchdowns as Montana defeats Central Washington 42-17. The game took place on Saturday night. Keali’i Ah Yat throws for two scores, including a 50-yard pass to Drew Deck just before halftime. Montana leads 14-3 after the first quarter, with Steve Rocker Jr. adding a 5-yard TD run. Beau Phillips scores a 31-yard touchdown for Central Washington, bringing them within three points. Gillman also connects with Michael Worthan on a 76-yard touchdown pass. Ah Yat completes 14 of 24 passes for 250 yards.
PIERRE – The South Dakota State Library, a division of the South Dakota Department of Education, has announced the 2025-2028
Grand Teton National Park will host a congressional hearing today on renewed funding for a law providing for maintenance on
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Sanford Medical Center Fargo and Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls have again been named
Republican lawmakers in Congress are moving to eliminate limits on energy development in several Western states. That would clear the way for President Donald Trump’s plans to sharply expand mining and drilling on public lands. House Republicans on Wednesday night voted to repeal development restrictions across large areas of Alaska, Montana and North Dakota. The repeals would reverse land use plans adopted in the closing days of former President Joe Biden’s administration that were meant to curb climate-warming fossil fuel emissions. Republicans want to create more jobs and revenue. Democrats had urged the rejection of the repeals. The Republican-majority Senate must still approve the House action.
A Montana man suspected of killing four people at a bar then evading capture for a week has been charged with additional crimes, including attempted arson. State District Judge Jeffrey Dahood ordered Michael Paul Brown to be held without bail during a Wednesday court appearance. The defendant’s attorneys said mental illness could be an issue in the case. Brown’s family has said the 45-year-old former soldier long struggled with mental illness before allegedly shooting a bartender and three patrons in Anaconda, Montana. Court documents say he also lit objects on fire in the bar and stole a vehicle after the shootings. Brown’s defense attorney entered not guilty pleas on his behalf to all charges.
Sioux Falls, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley congratulated 21 recruits graduating this Friday from the Law Enforcement
Last week’s deadly school shooting in Minnesota has students, parents and teachers again feeling the weight of gun violence. Educators
A man suspected of killing four people at a Montana bar faces four counts of murder. Defendant Michael Paul Brown lived next door to The Owl Bar in Anaconda, Montana, where a bartender and three patrons were shot and killed Aug. 1. He evaded capture for a week in the nearby mountains and is now being held on $2 million bond. A state court website on Saturday detailed the charges he faces. The case previously had been sealed by a state judge. Authorities have not commented on a potential motive for the 45-year-old former soldier. A niece says Brown long struggled with mental illness.
MISSOULA, Mont. – The federal government recently finalized an $18 million settlement with 12 people who were sexually abused by
PIERRE, S.D. – A Sioux Falls man was arrested this week on felony charges including possession of child pornography and
PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Lottery players are on a winning streak, with three new big winners announced from a
A Montana audit found a two-year transition between contractors tasked with monitoring Montana medical providers with substance use disorders or mental illnesses may have allowed some of those professionals to practice without oversight. The audit said the turmoil also undermined the trust of the dozens of nurses, doctors, dentists and pharmacists who were being monitored. The labor department said there was no basis for the conclusion that more than two dozen participants were unaccounted for during the transition. However, labor department employees told auditors that when one provider lost its contract, it did not turn over all its records and documentation. Some participants say the current monitors aren’t responding to their concerns.
A firefighter has died after suffering a cardiac emergency while battling a blaze in southwestern Montana. Authorities say Ruben Gonzales Romero was given medical aid, but attempts to resuscitate him failed. The 60-year-old contract firefighter from Keizer, Oregon, died Sunday afternoon. Gov. Greg Gianforte referred to him as a “fallen hero” in offering condolences. Gonzales Romero was one of more than 700 firefighters working on a fire triggered by lightning about 15 miles north of Virginia City, Montana. The fire has burned through about 15 square miles.
South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley, along with Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken and Rapid City Mayor Jason Salamun, have
RAPID CITY, S.D. — A large wildfire in Wyoming, the Red Canyon Fire, continues to burn at more than 50,000
WHITEFISH, Mont. WHITEFISH, Mont. (AP) — WHITEFISH, Mont. (AP) — CFN Enterprises Inc. (CNFN) on Thursday reported a loss of
A small plane landing at a Montana airport has crashed into aircraft on the ground, causing a large fire but no serious injuries. The single-engine plane carrying four people attempted to land at around 2 p.m. Monday at the Kalispell City Airport. The Federal Aviation Administration reported at least one plane on the ground was struck, resulting in a fire that spread into a grassy area before being extinguished. Kalispell Police Chief Jordan Venezio said people aboard the plane that was attempting to land had minor injuries.
A man suspected of killing 4 people at a Montana bar is in custody after a weeklong search, authorities say.
Four people are dead in a shooting at a Montana bar as a search continues for the suspect, authorities say.
The ATF says multiple people have been shot at a Montana business, and authorities are searching for a suspect.
BOZEMAN, Mont. BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) — BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) — Fair Isaac Corp. (FICO) on Wednesday reported fiscal third-quarter net
BILLINGS, Mont. BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — First Interstate BancSystem Inc. (FIBK) on Tuesday reported second-quarter profit
KALISPELL, Mont. KALISPELL, Mont. (AP) — KALISPELL, Mont. (AP) — Glacier Bancorp Inc. (GBCI) on Thursday reported second-quarter net income
Search teams located the scene of an airplane crash near Yellowstone National Park using the last known location of a smart watch from one of the three victims. Authorities said Monday that the single-engine Piper PA-28 aircraft left Montana’s West Yellowstone Airport just before midnight Thursday. When it could not be located, two search planes were dispatched to look for the aircraft in the vicinity of the watch’s last known location. The search planes found the downed aircraft in dense timber just south of the town of West Yellowstone. Two people from Tennessee and a Utah man were found dead at the site.
A 42-year-old Utah man has died after he fell while descending a mountainside in Glacier National Park in northwestern Montana. Authorities said Friday that Brian Astle of Provo, Utah, fell from an off-trail climbing route on the west face of Mount Gould. The accident happened above a popular hiking route known as the Highline Trail. The fatality follows the death of a 67-year-old Texas man on Tuesday at Grand Canyon National Park. Park officials say the man had been hiking on the South Kaibab Trail, attempting to reach the Colorado River.
The University of Montana is changing course and will opt-in this year to the NCAA’s House settlement. The recent settlement means athletic programs across the country are free to start paying millions to their athletes in the biggest change in the history of college athletics. The deadline for schools around the country to opt out was Monday. Montana was originally planning to opt-in during the 2026-27 academic year. The school explained that it switched after rosters were grandfathered into the final approved settlement so that roster cuts weren’t necessary.
Pat Williams, a New Deal-style Democrat who won Montana’s great liberal-conservative showdown of 1992 to become the state’s lone voice in the U.S. House of Representatives, has died. He was 87. He died in Missoula of natural causes, a family spokesperson said. John Patrick Williams represented the western half of Montana from 1979 to 1997. When the 1990 census eliminated one of the state’s two House seats, he captured the new statewide district in a bruising race against a longtime conservative lawmaker. Williams was an unabashed liberal, a staunch advocate for organized labor and a believer in the potential of government to help people.
Authorities say a fiery explosion at a storage and disposal plant in the oil fields of eastern Montana was felt by people 10 miles away but caused no injuries or fatalities. Richland County Emergency Manger Brandon Roth says no one was on site when the explosion happened Wednesday night. The fire continued to burn Thursday. Roth says emergency crews were waiting to approach the site when it becomes less dangerous. Several storage tanks burned and Roth did not immediately know what they contained.
Across the U.S. Americans are expressing a mixture of support, apprehension and anxiety over President Donald Trump’s decision to bomb nuclear sites in Iran. Administration officials say the strikes give Iran the chance to return to negotiations over its nuclear program. Yet if the conflict spirals, it could test Trump’s foreign diplomacy skills and his support at home. At Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, the B-2 bombers that participated in the weekend strikes returned home on Sunday. Nearby retired Air Force veteran Ken Slabaugh said he was “100% supportive” of Trump’s decision.
President Donald Trump has told government agencies to consolidate their wildland firefighting into a single program. Thursday’s executive order comes after former federal officials warned that such a consolidation could be costly and increase the risk of catastrophic blazes. The move is meant to centralize duties now split among five agencies and two Cabinet departments. Officials have not disclosed how much the change could cost. The Trump administration in its first months sharply reduced the ranks of firefighters through layoffs and retirement offers. The personnel declines and reshuffling of agencies come as global warming makes fires more severe and destructive.
More than 2 million acres of federal lands would be sold to states or other entities under a budget proposal from Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee. The draft provision in the GOP’s sweeping tax cut package comes after after a similar proposal was narrowly defeated in the House. Montana Sen. Steve Daines said in response that he opposes public land sales. Lee says the sales would target isolated parcels that could be used for housing or infrastructure. Conservation groups reacted with outrage, saying it would set a precedent to fast-track the handover of cherished lands to developers.
Lawyers for President Donald Trump’s administration say he has the authority to abolish national monuments meant to protect historical and archaeological sites. That includes two monuments in California created by former President Joe Biden at the request of Native American tribes. A Justice Department legal opinion released Tuesday disavowed a 1938 determination that monuments created by previous president can’t be revoked. The finding comes as the Interior Department under Trump has been weighing changes to monuments across the nation as part of the administration’s push to expand U.S. energy production.
Montana’s Supreme Court has upheld a lower court ruling that struck down as unconstitutional several laws restricting abortion access. Among the laws that the court ruled on Monday was a ban on abortions beyond 20 weeks of gestation. They were challenged by Planned Parenthood of Montana and had been blocked since 2021 when a judge issued a preliminary injunction against them. While the case has been pending, voters passed an initiative that explicitly protects abortion rights under an amendment to the Montana Constitution.
Mining company Signal Peak Energy sits atop a billion-ton coal reserve beneath Montana’s rugged Bull Mountains and ships 98% of the fuel it mines to Japan and South Korea. Congressional Republicans last week advanced a plan to approve a long-stalled permit for the mine, just as President Donald Trump looks to further boost coal exports. Yet Trump’s own tariffs make more exports an iffy proposition for most U.S. coal. Countries retaliating against tariffs might price U.S. coal out of competition altogether. In effect, an escalating trade war could undermine Trump’s goal of saving coal.
Three Montana Army National Guard members face trespassing charges after authorities say they landed a Black Hawk helicopter in a mountain pasture on a private ranch to take elk antlers before flying away. A sheriff says Thursday that a game warden tracked down the guardsmen and they turned over two antlers and an elk skull with antlers attached. Authorities say a witness saw the May 4 landing and the property owner later reported it to officials. Elk antlers grow and drop off male animals annually and can be sold and collected. A Montana National Guard official says the case is under investigation and that misuse of military equipment erodes trust with residents.
Congressional Republicans say their plan to sell or transfer 460,000 acres of public land will generate revenue and offer space to build houses in Western cities. Without clear details on how it will work, skeptics worry it could be a giveaway for developers and mining companies. For some rapidly growing western cities, owning the adjacent federal land would be a boon. Conservationists, on the other hand, fear the loss of public lands and environmental destruction. And while housing advocates are hopeful at the opportunity, they remain wary that enough affordable housing will be built. The legislation passed by the House Natural Resources Committee last week, part of the Republicans’ sweeping tax cut package.
An asbestos screening clinic in a Montana town where thousands have been sickened dust from a nearby mine has been shuttered by local authorities. The move follows a Wednesday court order to seize the clinic’s assets in order to pay off a judgment to railroad BNSF. Courts in Montana have said BNSF contributed to the asbestos pollution in Libby when it brought contaminated material through town. But the railway prevailed in a 2023 lawsuit alleging the clinic fraudulently made some patients eligible for government benefits when it knew they were not sick. The railway says it’s owed $3 million.
Idaho State Police say the driver of the tour van involved in a deadly collision with a pickup truck was licensed in California and the company that organized the trip was Ctour Holiday LLC. It’s a large tour operator that provides international travel services. The pickup truck driver and six people in the Mercedes van were killed in the crash. It happened Thursday evening on U.S. Highway 20 near Henry’s Lake State Park in eastern Idaho. Police have identified the pickup driver as 25-year-old Isaih Moreno of Humble, Texas. The tour group was headed to Yellowstone National Park. Police did not say whether the driver of the van was among those killed.