Montana Highlights

Glacier Park International Airport was awarded another $2.5 million in federal funding recently for its ongoing terminal expansion project. Awarded through the FAA Airport Terminal Program, the dollars will expedite work on the expansion. A portion of the latest grant will go toward a third bag claim device which costs around $1 million.

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced recently that the first sections of the 90-inch replacement pipe for the St. Mary Siphon had arrived. This sets the stage for replacing the infrastructure that delivers water to the Milk River Project, a lifeline for north-central Montana. As an irrigation project the Milk River Project and the St. Mary Diversion and Conveyance works were one of the first projects the Bureau of Reclamation was authorized to build after it was created in 1902. The St. Mary Canal Siphon suffered a catastrophic failure June 17, 2024. It was constructed in two phases, with the downstream barrel completed between 1912 and 1915 and the upstream barrel after 1925.

The Stafford/McClelland Ferry will be removed from the Missouri River on October 31.

Whitefish’s Stack Financial Management climbed from #72 to #57 on the 2024 CNBC Financial Advisor 100 list. Stack Financial Management is a nationally recognized, independent Registered Investment Advisor based in Whitefish managing over $1.9 billion in assets for individuals, families and business owners across the U.S.  

The University of Montana has hired Dr. Jeffrey Michael to serve as the next director of the Bureau of Business and Economic Research. Michael joins BBER from the University of the Pacific where he has served as director of Public Policy at the McGeorge School of Law. Michael has decades of experience in regional economic forecasting,

Independence Bank has announced the promotion of Lauren Kato to Teller Supervisor and Accountant Relations Specialist. Lauren is a native of Havre.

Independence Bank recently announced the promotion of Sydne Haider to Account Relations Supervisor. Sydne joined the bank October 13, 2021, as an Account Relations Specialist.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has finalized its plan for managing grizzly bears. Last month, FWP Director Dustin Temple formally adopted a 326-page outline for how the state will address conflicts between bears and people, approach an eventual trophy hunt and respond to the state’s growing grizzly population.

Sarah and Rob Ratkowski, owners of the Montana Milk Moovers h...

Not long ago The Montana Chamber of Commerce asked the public to submit nominations for “The Coolest Thing Made in Montana.”  The contest was to celebrate and promote the innovation, craftsmanship, and economic impactof Montana’s thriving manufacturing industry.

The Chamber has announced the winners in two categories – – one representing small business and another for larger businesses.

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A bill is expected to arrive on the floor of the US House of Representatives this fall which would increase benefits for individuals with earnings that weren’t subject to Social Security taxation and end up costing taxpayers an additional $196 billion over ten years. The bill would repeal Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO).

The proposal is controversial...

By Roger Koopman

I wonder if it ever dawns on all those well-paid, city-bred consultants who come in to run most of Montana’s major campaigns, that nobody is listening anymore?  Oh, sure.  There are the political junkies, left and right, who thrive on the junk food of campaign advertising, doused with the vinegar of vitriol.  But for most folks, the noise of the election season has reached ...

The Center Square

Billings, Montana, is the 19th hardest working city in the U.S., according to a new analysis from the personal finance website Wallethub.

“Billings ranks among the top 20 hardest working cities,” Wallethub analysts Jill Gonzalez said. “It has a high employment rate at almost 96%, and the largest share of workers with multiple jobs – about 9%. One of the things that Bill...

Glacier Park International Airport was awarded another $2.5 million in federal funding recently for its ongoing terminal expansion project. Awarded through the FAA Airport Terminal Program, the dollars will expedite work on the expansion. A portion of the latest grant will go toward a third bag claim device which costs around $1 million.

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced recently that th...

Eggart, Executive Director of Visit Billings

Aly Eggart, MSPR, CATP, recently accepted a promotion to Executive Director of Visit Billings, managed by the Billings Chamber of Commerce. Eggart has been a member of the Visit Billings team since 2016 and most recently served as the Leisure Marketing Director. “We are excited for Aly to lea...