WASHINGTON, May 6 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service issued the following program update: The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) completed Findings of No Significant Impact (FONSI) and Decisions for environmental assessments (EAs) to control grasshoppers and Mormon crickets in parts of Montana. Based on the analysis contained in the EAs and the comments received during the public comment per  more

MISSOULA, Montana, May 6 -- The U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana, Jesse Laslovich, issued the following news release on May 5, 2023: A Great Falls man convicted of trafficking methamphetamine while on supervision for a federal felony conviction was sentenced today to eight years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Rand Michael Emineth, 31, pleaded guilty in January to possession with intent to distribute meth. U.S. Distri  more

MISSOULA, Montana, May 5 -- The U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana, Jesse Laslovich, issued the following news release on May 4, 2023: A Mexican citizen admitted today to allegations that he trafficked fentanyl in the Kalispell area after law enforcement seized 12,000 fentanyl pills, more than $72,000 in U.S. currency and a pistol from his vehicle, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Cuauhtemoc Cervantes Samaniego, 30, pleaded guilty to a superseding information charging him with posses  more

BILLINGS, Montana, May 4 -- The U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana, Jesse Laslovich, issued the following news release on May 3, 2023: A Sidney man who admitted to trafficking large quantities of methamphetamine in the community after law enforcement seized more than six pounds of the drug from his car was sentenced today to 15 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Markel Dean Brown, 60, pleaded guilty in January to cons  more

LAKEWOOD, Colorado, May 2 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service - Mountain Regional Field Office issued the following news release: During the next several weeks, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will conduct two major mid-year surveys, the June Agricultural Survey and the June Area Survey. The agency will contact nearly 6,000 producers across the Mountain Region states of Arizona, Colorado, Montana,   more

WASHINGTON, May 3 -- The U.S. Department of the Interior's Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement issued the following news release on May 2, 2023: The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement today announced more than $4.6 million in fiscal year 2022 funding from President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to create good-paying union jobs and catalyze economic opportunity by reclaiming abandoned mine lands in Montana. Millions of Americans nationwide live less t  more

WASHINGTON, May 4 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation's Surface Transportation Board issued the following notice (Docket No. FD 36693) entitled "BNSF Railway Company - Trackage Rights Exemption - Montana Rail Link, Inc.": * * * BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) has filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 C.F.R. Sec. 1180.2(d)(7), for acquisition of local and overhead trackage rights over approximately 65.7 miles of non-contiguous rail line owned by Montana Rail Link, Inc. (MRL), as follow  more

DURANGO, Colorado, May 5 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued the following news release on May 4, 2023: Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the Biden-Harris Administration is investing $63 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act to expand wildfire barriers, known as fuel breaks, to protect communities and firefighters across the West. Fuel breaks slow a fire's spread, create a safe zone for firefighters to work, and a safer place to   more

WASHINGTON, May 3 (TNSres) -- The White House issued the following fact sheet on May 2, 2023: * * * MAGA House Republicans' Default on America Act Would Have Devastating Impacts for Montana Extreme bill would cut veterans' health care, jeopardize public safety, and raise costs for families--even as House Republicans separately push for trillions in tax cuts skewed to the wealthy and big corporations Congressional Republicans are holding the nation's full faith and credit hostage in an effort  more