Governor Steve Bullock declared a flooding emergency today in seven northern Montana counties, the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, and the town of Chester. State wildlife officials located a small black bear that escaped from the state wildlife rehabilitation center west of Helena overnight, and will return it to the wild a bit earlier than planned. A Montana priest is calling for a boycott of a fundraiser for Billings Central Catholic Schools because two of the event's co-chairs are homosexual

An outgoing University of Montana vice president, who was hired to increase the school's enrollment, says he's concerned the wife of university President Seth Bodnar is seeking confidential student information on behalf of a consultant that has offered to help recruit students. Montana U.S. Sen. Jon Tester has built a huge fundraising lead over the Republicans hoping to challenge him this fall. The University of Montana today revealed preliminary plans to eliminate more than 50 faculty positions

Attorney General Tim Fox is recovering from colon cancer surgery and expects to begin chemotherapy next month. Montana Congressman Greg Gianforte's re-election campaign started the year strongly by raising more money in the first three months than the five Democratic contenders for the seat combined.

A conservative organization has agreed to pay $30,000 to Montana’s Commissioner of Political Practices to avoid a trial on charges that it spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to influence the 2012 elections. Former US House member and Senator John Melcher of Montana has died. Candidates for Montana’s seats in the U.S. House and Senate are required to file quarterly fundraising reports by Sunday. Friday, several published fundraising results early about the donations they've been able to pull

The Interior Department is increasing fees at 17 popular national parks, including Glacier and Yellowstone, to $35 per vehicle, backing down from an earlier plan that would have forced visitors to pay $70 per vehicle. Autumn Sienna Heinz was charged today with criminal endangerment, possession of dangerous drugs and criminal mischief. Heinz is a Missoula daycare worker. Prosecutors say she was using meth while caring for infants. An Idaho mining company is due in a Montana courtroom as it seeks

Governor Steve Bullock is praising a new report outlining the economic benefits of Medicaid expansion in Montana. The program expanding health insurance coverage for people with low incomes is set to expire next year unless it's reauthorized by state lawmakers. Helena Public Schools is backtracking after warning families that it had planned to hand school meal debt to a collection agency. A top national EPA official on Wednesday expressed frustration with the secrecy of the agreement to clean up

A Billings police officer shot and killed a man who was waving a gun around at a casino early Tuesday morning, marking the second fatal shooting by police in the city in less than 24 hours. Montana fish and wildlife regulators are proposing to cap the number of commercial fishing guides on the Madison River. Medical marijuana providers in Montana will start testing, labeling and tracking their products as new rules take effect for state officials to keep close tabs on pot plants from seedlings

A state judge says an advanced practice registered nurse and a certified nurse midwife can provide abortions in Montana while they challenge a state law — as long as they have the proper training. Primary candidates seeking to challenge Democratic Senator Jon Tester and Republican Congressman Greg Gianforte are meeting in Seeley Lake this week to answer questions from the Seeley Lake Community Council, local media, and the public.

Staff at the Missoula Independent weekly newspaper voted unanimously Friday afternoon to unionize. Montana government officials and public education advocates are urging the state Supreme Court to reinstate a ban on tax credits for donations that go toward religious school scholarships. Helena Industries, a non-profit that provides services for hundreds of people with disabilities, is closing and plans to file for bankruptcy in the wake of state budget cuts to Medicaid programs.

Montana and the private prison company CoreCivic are at an impasse in negotiations to extend the company’s contract to run Crossroads Correctional Center in Shelby. The Montana Environmental Information Center and eight other western states conservation groups are appealing yesterday’s federal court ruling on methane emissions from oil and gas wells. At an energy conference in Billings today with Congressman Greg Gianforte, Westmoreland Coal Company official Jesse Noel said despite its current