Montana

‘Give and take’: Montana State football conducts only scrimmage of fall camp

Published

10 months ago

August 20, 2023

‘Give and take’: Montana State football conducts only scrimmage of fall camp

(Editor’s note: Montana State athletics release.)

BOZEMAN — Many thoughts ran through Montana State football coach Brent Vigen’s mind during his team’s only full scrimmage of the 2023 preseason Saturday, but among them wasn’t the one thing that becomes the main point when the Bobcats host Utah Tech on Sept. 2.

“Walking off (the field) you reinforce that today wasn’t about keeping score,” Montana State’s third-year coach said. “It’s about putting guys in situations.”

Many situations arose during the 99 plays that covered just over two hours, and the results pleased Vigen.

“It was good to have our first and really only scrimmage of about two hours behind us,” he said. “It’ll be good to pop the film in and see how it looked. First impression is that it was a physical affair. When you think about our O-line and D-line that’s the way it should be, and there was definitely some give-and-take there.”

While the Cats have conducted several practices in full pads, full-scale tackling to the ground occurs primarily in scrimmage situations.

Saturday’s session marks MSU’s only full scrimmage this preseason, and Vigen said the team’s running backs took advantage. Wisconsin transfer Julius Davis carried 10 times for 52 yards, while freshman Scottre Humphrey carried nine times for 22 yards. On the day, Bobcat running backs carried 28 times for 126 yards.

“I think our running backs got some good opportunities, in particular the new faces in there; Julius Davis and Scottre Humphrey, that they haven’t had,” Vigen said. “I think we know what we have in Lane Sumner, we know what we have in Elijah (Elliott), but then how does that play out with those guys that haven’t been around. Even getting Jared White back was good today.”

One segment of the offense that wasn’t present Saturday impacts the entire offense once games begin, Vigen said.

“The element we didn’t have today with Tommy (Mellott) and Sean (Chambers off limits for tackling) is the quarterback run game. It’s a portion of our offense,” Vigen said.

Mellott (7 for 12, 44 yards) and Chambers (2 for 7, nine yards) led the team’s top offensive units, while the team’s young quarterbacks combined for 7-for-18 passing for 30 yards with a pair of interceptions.

“I thought we made some plays in the passing game, but it probably wasn’t perfect by any means. The credit goes to the defense,” Vigen said.

Montana State’s defense performed well collectively and individually. Including quarterback runs — Mellott and Chambers were tagged off, while Jordan Reed, Chance Wilson and Luke Abshire were live — the defense allowed just 209 yards with two interceptions, both by Takhari Carr, and one fumble recovered.

“I thought during the course of camp we appeared to be a team that can cover better, and that showed up today,” Vigen said. “I’ve said all along that our secondary, while not very experienced, is very talented. We have a lot of guys that can run, and I think that will show up on film. The ability to get after the passer has to be something we can really to hang our hat on, and I think that appeared to be the case today.”

Davis scored the day’s only touchdown, a 4-yard run. Brendan Hall, an SMU transfer, nailed two field goals, one from 45 yards and the other from 26.

Montana State resumes practice on Monday and Tuesday before classes begin Wednesday.

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Montana

State says refunds are coming for overtaxed Browning residents

Published

16 mins ago

June 26, 2024

Press Room

State says refunds are coming for overtaxed Browning residents

State officials are working to get refunds to Browning residents who were overcharged on their property tax bills.

Lee Montana first reported homeowners in Browning received unusually high appraisal values and property tax bills last fall — some four times the amount they paid last year.

That led the state Department of Revenue to re-evaluate the homeowners’ properties. The agency says a computing error miscalculated the values of 385 properties in town. Now, state officials are working to get refunds to Browning residents who were overcharged on their property tax bills.

Bryce Kaatz with the department told lawmakers in late June that all affected residents should receive letters with their updated appraisals this week. He said the department is working with Glacier County to issue refunds to homeowners as quickly as possible.

Kaatz said the agency is looking at safeguards to prevent the error from happening again.

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Montana

Is Montana Road Trip Friendly? A Look at the Data

Published

7 hours ago

June 26, 2024

Press Room

Is Montana Road Trip Friendly? A Look at the Data

Who doesn’t love a summer road trip? Cruising down the highway with the radio cranked up and your favorite snacks in hand. Stopping at all of the weird roadside attractions to grab a quick selfie, and then you’re back on the road heading to the next stop.

Some states are more popular than others when it comes to road trips, but what about Montana? Where do we rank on that list? We have Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks, Flathead Lake, and several other things to do and see. Surely Montana is near the top, right?

According to our friends at WalletHub, Montana’s ranking might surprise you.

WalletHub looked at all 50 states to determine their ranking. The criteria used were the following:

Costs Rank
Safety Rank
Activities Rank

Before we reveal Montana’s ranking, let’s look at some of the best road trips in the state.

5 Of Montana’s Best Road Trips

For those looking to hit the highway, Montana has over 70 thousand miles of open road and many of those roads lead to some of the most beautiful places in the world. If you love a good road trip and want to spend time with family or friends, here are 5 of the best Montana road trips.

Gallery Credit: Derek Wolf

So how did Montana stack up compared to the other 49 states?

According to the data, Montana is near the bottom when it comes to the best states for road trips. Out of the 50 states, Montana is ranked 47th. Why is that? Well, it has to do with the criteria mentioned above. Montana ranks 31st in Costs, 37th in Safety, and 34th in Activities.

If you were wondering which state came in 1st, that honor goes to our friends down in Texas followed by Minnesota and New York for 2nd and 3rd.

Which states are ranked lower than Montana?

You’ll have to head to the northeast to find states ranked lower than Montana. The states of Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Delaware rank 48th, 49th, and 50th. Yep, even Hawaii and Alaska beat out Montana.

Do you agree? Do you think Montana is near the bottom when it comes to the best states for road trips? Let us know by sending us a message on our station app.

The 10 Highest Rated ‘Hidden Gem’ Attractions In Montana

Here’s a list of the best hidden gem attractions in Montana!

Gallery Credit: jessejames

The Best “Old School” Diners In Montana

For those who love a walk down memory lane, Montana has more than a couple of “Old School” diners that have been serving locals and visitors across The Treasure State for decades. We take a look at the very best.

Gallery Credit: Derek Wolf

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Judge strikes down Montana law defining sex as only male or female for procedural reasons – Times of India

Published

15 hours ago

June 26, 2024

Press Room

MISSOULA: A judge on Tuesday struck down a Montana law that defined “sex” in state law as only male or female, finding that it was unconstitutional.
District court judge Shane Vannatta in Missoula ruled the law, passed last year, violated the state constitution because the description of the legislation did not clearly state its purpose.
Transgender, nonbinary, intersex and other plaintiffs challenged the law, similar to ones passed in Kansas and Tennessee, because they said it denies legal recognition and protections to people who are gender-nonconforming.
Vannatta did not address that argument, simply finding that the bill’s title did not explain whether the word “sex” referred to sexual intercourse or gender, and did not indicate that the words “female” and “male” would be defined in the body of the bill.
“The title does not give general notice of the character of the legislation in a way that guards against deceptive or misleading titles,” Vannatta wrote.
The bill was approved during a legislative session that also passed a ban on gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors and saw transgender lawmaker democratic rep Zooey Zephyr expelled from the house floor, following a protest against republican lawmakers who had silenced her.
The law that was struck down by Vannatta was sponsored by republican senator Carl Glimm, who said the legislation was necessary after a 2022 court ruling in which a state judge said transgender residents could change the gender markers on their birth certificates.
A spokesperson for republican governer Greg Gianforte, who signed the bill into law, did not immediately return an after-hours email seeking comment on the ruling.
The American civil liberties union of Montana praised it.
“Today’s ruling is an important vindication of the safeguards that the Montana constitution places on legislative enactments,” the group’s legal director, Alex Rate, said.

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