Montana
Dangerous U.S. 93 Gets Big Dollar Fix North of Missoula
Montana State Senator Shane Morigeau still remembers the pain of losing a cousin who was killed while walking along Highway 93.
And even though it was decades ago he says that tragedy, and many more are one of the primary reasons to celebrate the funding secured to rebuild the highway through the heart of the Flathead Reservation.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says it’s a prime example of how the bi-partisan Infrastructure Act approved two years ago is such a major step in highway safety.
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A project long overdue
At a press conference along the highway in Evaro Tuesday, Senator Morigeau, and Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Chair Michael Dolson thanked Buttigieg, and Senator Jon Tester, for working to secure $100 million dollars to finally replace the dangerous, narrow stretch of highway south of Ronan.
L-R, CSKT Tribal Chair Michael Dolson, US DOT Sec. Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Shane Morigeau; Dennis Bragg photo
“Not only is your work saving lives for us here in this community, but it’s also reducing wildlife collisions with animals such as grizzly bears and moose,” Morigeau said in prepared remarks. “So your work is just so critical for our community when it comes to tourism and safety as well along this highway corridor.”
“It was in the top 10 highways in the nation for accidents and death,” Dolson noted. “So good to have the projects that are going forward to make it as safe as possible.”
It took cooperation
Buttigieg says the project wouldn’t have been possible without the full cooperation of the tribe and the State of Montana, given a route complicated by wetlands and wildlife.
“Part of that danger is due to outdated surface conditions. Part of it’s due to the lack of a separated protected bike or pedestrian path, especially when you’ve got freight or logging trucks doing 70 miles an hour just a few feet away.”
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg; Dennis Bragg photo
Lots of money, but more needed for maintenance
While Buttigieg celebrated the investment in roads, and the Missoula Airport, during his visit. He told Peter Christian in a taped appearance on “Talkback” that the states will have to innovate to fill the holes in gas taxes and other funding sources if all the new improvements are to be properly maintained.
“We don’t dictate that and that’s OK. You know what? What makes sense in Montana might be different than what makes sense in in Michigan, where I live, “Buttigieg observed. “But we do need to make sure that we make those investments cause if you don’t, it’s kind of like a leaky roof. You might feel like you’re saving money from year to year by by waiting. But in the end, it’s only going to be that much more expensive.”
We’ll have that full interview with the Transportation Secretary later this week on Talkback.
See If You Can Identify These Montana Lakes Using Google Earth Images
From above, Montana’s lakes may be less recognizable than you might think. Test your knowledge–see if you recognize these Montana lakes from Google Earth images.
Gallery Credit: Ashley
Everyone makes mistakes, even experienced professionals; a good reminder for the rest of us to learn from those mistakes. The motion in State v. Stroup starts off well in its initial pages (no case law hallucinations), but is then followed by several pages of two other motions, which I don’t think the lawyer was planning to file, and which appear to have been AI-generated: It begins with the “Below is concise motion language you can drop into …” language quoted above.
Griffen Smith (Missoulian) reported on the story, and included the prosecutor’s motion to strike that filing, on the grounds that it violates a local rule (3(G)) requiring disclosure of the use of generative AI:
The document does not include a generative artificial intelligence disclosure as required. However, page 7 begins as follows: “Below is concise motion language you can drop into a ‘Motion to Admit Mental-Disease Evidence and for Related Instructions’ keyed to 45-6-204, 45-6-201, and 4614-102. Adjust headings/captions to your local practice.” Page 10 states “Below is a full motion you can paste into your pleading, then adjust names, dates, and styles to fit local practice.” These pages also include several apparent hyperlinks to “ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws,” “ppl-ai-fileupload.s3.amazonaws+1,” and others. The document includes what appears to be an attempt at a second case caption on page 12. It is not plausible on its face that any source other than generative AI would have created such language for a filed version of a brief….
There’s more in that filing, but here’s one passage:
While generative AI can be a useful tool for some purposes and may have greater application in the future, when used improperly, and without meaningful review, it can ultimately damage both the perception and the reality of the profession. One assumes that Mr. Stroup has had, or will at some point have, an opportunity to review the filing made on his behalf. What impression could a review of pgs. 12-19 leave upon a defendant who struggles with paranoia and delusional thinking? While AI could theoretically one day become a replacement for portions of staff of experienced attorneys, it is readily apparent that this day has not yet arrived.
The Missoulan article includes this response:
In a Wednesday interview, Office of Public Defender Division Administrator Brian Smith told the Missoulian the AI-generated language was inadvertently included in an unrelated filing. And he criticized the county attorney’s office for filing a “four-page diatribe about the dangers of AI” instead of working with the defense to correct her mistake.
“That’s not helping the client or the case,” Smith said, “and all you are doing is trying to throw a professional colleague under the bus.”
As I mentioned, the lawyer involved seems quite experienced, and ran for the Montana Public Service Commission in 2020 (getting nearly 48% of the vote) and for the House of Representatives in Montana’s first district in 2022 (getting over 46% of the vote) and in 2024 (getting over 44%). “Его пример другим наука,” Pushkin wrote in Eugene Onegin—”May his example profit others,” in the Falen translation.
Thanks to Matthew Monforton for the pointer.
HELENA — You probably have goals and plans for 2026—the Montana Department of Agriculture does too.
“We’re really focusing on innovative agricultural practices,” Montana Department of Agriculture director Jillien Streit said.
It’s no secret that agriculture—farming and ranching—is not easy. There are long days, planning, monitoring crops and livestock, and other challenges beyond farmers’ and ranchers’ control.
(WATCH: Montana Department of Agriculture focusing on innovation in 2026)
Montana Department of Agriculture focusing on innovation in 2026
“We have very low commodity prices across the board,” Streit said. “We still have very high input prices across the board, and we have really high prices when it comes to our equipment, and so, it’s a really tough year.”
But innovation, including new practices, partnerships and technology use, can help navigate some of those challenges.
“We can’t make more time and we can’t make more land, so we need to start putting together innovative practices that help us maximize what our time and land can do,” Streit said.
Practices range from using technology like autonomous tractors and virtual fencing—allowing rangers to contain and move cattle right from their phones—to regenerative farming and ranching.
“It is bringing cattle back into farming operations to be able to work with cover cropping practices to invigorate the soil for new soil health benefits,” Streit said.
The Montana Department of Agriculture is working to help producers learn, share, and collaborate on new ideas to work in their operations.
The department will share stories of practices that work from farms and ranches across the state. Also, within the next year or so, Streit said the department is hoping to roll out technology to help producers collaborate.
“(It’s) providing a communication platform where people can get together and really help each other out by utilizing each other’s assets,” she said.
While not easy, agriculture is still one of Montana’s largest industries, and Streit said innovating and sharing ideas across the state can keep it going long into the future.
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