WASHINGTON, Oct. 17 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service issued the following news release: Scientists examined the assumption that wildfires are the primary factor driving the expansion of invasive annual grasses that are taking over shrubland and grassland in the U.S. Great Basin and found that annual grasses are highly competitive even in the absence of significant disturbances like fire. In fact, according to the study conducted by scientists at th  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 17 -- The U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management issued the following news release: The Bureau of Land Management Montana-Dakotas State Office today announced an oil and gas lease sale scheduled for Dec. 5, 2023, to offer 12 oil and gas parcels totaling 3,650.81 acres in North Dakota. The BLM completed scoping on these parcels in July 2023 and held a public comment period in August 2023 on the parcels, potential deferrals, and the related environmental anal  more

SACRAMENTO, California, Oct. 18 -- The Small Business Administration's Office of Disaster Assistance issued the following news release on Oct. 17, 2023: Director Jeffrey Lusk of the U.S. Small Business Administration's Disaster Field Operations Center-West today reminded small nonfarm businesses in 18 Idaho counties and neighboring counties in Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Utah of the Nov. 17 deadline to apply for an SBA federal disaster loan for economic injury. These low-interest loans are to o  more

MALMSTROM AFB, Montana, Oct. 17 -- The U.S. Air Force Malmstrom Air Force Base (341st Missile Wing) issued the following news: Montana residents may notice an increase in military presence near Lewistown and Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, during scheduled training held October 19-20, 2023. Over the course of two days, Airmen will train in the Local Integrated Response Plan and Response Task Force alongside Lewistown first responders, exercising contingency checklists and procedures in resp  more

BILLINGS, Montana, Oct. 21 -- The U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana, Jesse Laslovich, issued the following news release on Oct. 20, 2023: A Corvallis woman who admitted to trafficking methamphetamine and carrying a gun to protect herself while distributing drugs was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Brittany Nicole Lewis, 33, pleaded guilty in June to possession with intent to distribute meth.   more

GREAT FALLS, Montana, Oct. 18 -- The U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana, Jesse Laslovich, issued the following news release on Oct. 17, 2023: Five persons arrested as part of a multi-agency narcotics investigation appeared for arraignment today on federal indictments alleging fentanyl trafficking charges, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Officers from multiple federal, state, and local agencies arrested the five defendants on warrants as part of a coordinated takedown conducted on Oc  more

BILLINGS, Montana, Oct. 21 -- The U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana, Jesse Laslovich, issued the following news release on Oct. 20, 2023: A Missoula man who admitted to trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl in the community after a traffic stop in which officers found drugs, a firearm and some cash was sentenced today to six years and six months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Eric Anthony Navarro, 33, pleaded guilty  more

GREAT FALLS, Montana, Oct. 20 -- The U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana, Jesse Laslovich, issued the following news release on Oct. 19, 2023: A woman passenger who admitted to methamphetamine and gun crimes after an attempted traffic stop led to the driver shooting and wounding a Great Falls police officer was sentenced today to six years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Nikki Marie Snell, 38, of Harlem, pleaded guilty in  more

BILLINGS, Montana, Oct. 17 -- The U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana, Jesse Laslovich, issued the following news release on Oct. 16, 2023: A Utah man accused of embezzling more than $700,000 from a Montana company admitted to charges today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Thomas Lynn Syddall, 50, of American Fork, Utah, who worked for a company owned by Anderson ZurMuehlen & Co., pleaded guilty to wire fraud and to money laundering-concealment as charged in an indictment. Syddall fa  more