Montana

Pair of wildlife diseases detected in Montana birds

Published

2 years ago

February 2, 2024

Pair of wildlife diseases detected in Montana birds

Eurasian collared doves and mourning doves, like this pictured here incubating eggs, are susceptible to the disease pigeon paramyxovirus, or PPMV, which killed as many as 70 wild doves near Belgrade, Montana, in the last two months of 2023. Photo by Evan Davis/NPS

by Julia Barton

Multiple groups of up to 70 wild doves were found dead
near Belgrade, Montana, in the final two months of 2023. The culprit: pigeon
paramyxovirus, often referred to as PPMV. It’s one of two avian diseases recently
recorded in the state, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

FWP responded to reports by residents where groups of
doves were found dead, and disease testing revealed positive results for PPMV,
FWP’s Morgan Jacobsen told Mountain
Journal. PPMV typically impacts doves and pigeons alone, and the strain
detected in Montana rarely infects mammals, according to a January 8 FWP press release.
Additionally, there have been no recorded cases of the strain causing diseases
in U.S. poultry.

“Monitoring these diseases helps keep track of prevalence
and distribution,” Jacobsen said, explaining that FWP monitors for a variety of
wildlife diseases year round, including chronic wasting disease in ungulates. “[Monitoring] can help us better
understand how wildlife can be affected over time and space.”

The other avian disease found in the state since
2022—highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI—is extremely infectious and
fatal to poultry and some species of wild birds. Although cases are currently
low in Montana, the spread is cyclical and often spikes during spring and fall
migration, Jacobsen explained.

While cases in Montana are currently low, avian influenza, or HPAI—is highly infectious and fatal to poultry and some species of wild birds.

“With avian flu, there are fairly broad impacts because
it affects multiple species,” Jacobsen said. “In terms of population-level
impacts, I think the long-term prognosis is unclear. We haven’t seen any
significant die-offs, but that’s something that we’re watching closely when we get
these surges of cases.”

Among the impacted species are various iconic wild birds of
the region, including the bald eagle, great horned owl, great blue heron and trumpeter
swan. Three grizzly bears, a handful of skunks and a single mountain lion are
among the mammals that have been infected in the state with HPAI since it was
first documented in 2022, according to a Dec. 11 FWP dataset.

The diseases are not isolated to Montana and many other
U.S. states are experiencing the spread of both HPAI and PPMV. Jacobsen said
Montana is “in the loop” with monitoring and research efforts occurring in
other areas of the country to help guide state action.

The risk of transmission to humans for both diseases is
low, however FWP recommends taking precautions when handling birds that may
appear to be sick or have already died. Hunters are advised to avoid harvesting
birds that appear ill in order to avoid unnecessary risk.

“If a bird has trouble moving, that’s an indicator that
the bird may be sick or injured,” Jacobsen said, noting that lack of mobility
and lethargy are the telltale signs of illness. While transmission probability
to pets is low, Jacobsen said owners can protect their pets by limiting their exposure
to both wild birds and domestic poultry.

State officials will determine where disease testing is
warranted to continue monitoring the spread of HPAI and PPMV. Jacobsen
encouraged Montanans to call
their local FWP office if they come across sick or dead birds, and to
notify the Montana
Department of Livestock at (406) 444-2976 if they suspect an outbreak of HPAI
in domestic animals or poultry.

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Mountain Journal is the only nonprofit, public-interest journalism organization of its kind dedicated to covering the wildlife and wild lands of Greater Yellowstone. We take pride in our work, yet to keep bold, independent journalism free, we need your support. Please donate here. Thank you.

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Montana

Montana Lottery Powerball, Lotto America results for March 2, 2026

Published

8 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 2, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from March 2 drawing

02-17-18-38-62, Powerball: 20, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto America numbers from March 2 drawing

03-08-17-24-34, Star Ball: 06, ASB: 02

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from March 2 drawing

06-12-19-29, Bonus: 11

Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from March 2 drawing

21-28-58-65-67, Powerball: 25

Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 2 drawing

28-41-42-50-55, Bonus: 02

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.
Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.

Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Montana

Apparent AI Glitch in Filing by Montana Public Defender, Recent Congressional Candidate

Published

20 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Apparent AI Glitch in Filing by Montana Public Defender, Recent Congressional Candidate

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.

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