Montana
The Most Important Montana Chores To Prepare For Winter
Every state has chores to do before winter, but in Montana – some of those tasks are so important that they could save your life. Preparing yourself, your home, your pets, and your vehicle can add up to a long list.
It’s been a long time since we’ve had a really harsh winter in Montana. There have been snowy winters and a few good cold snaps, but believe us – Montana can be a very difficult place to live in the winter if you’re not prepared.
I like to start very early getting all the ‘supplies’ so I don’t have to compete with everyone buying the same stuff at once. Wood for the stove gets delivered in July. The stove and chimney get swept in July too. Don’t have a stove? Check (or have your landlord check) your heating system. They fail. Avoid that at all costs.
Even if you don’t need them yet, buying really good windshield wipers in the summer (that you’ll put on right before messy weather kicks in) is the best chore you can do. 400,000 Montanans end up at the auto parts store at the same time whenever the first real snow hits. Avoid that stress and have them on hand.
MORE: Montana Ski Area Is America’s Hidden Gem
If you don’t clean your gutters yourself, call and make your appointment in late summer if they’ll do that. Generally, people wait until the leaves are falling and by then it’s probably too late. A very heavy, messy snowstorm or two could hit before a company can get to you.
Scheduling your pet’s annual appointment in late summer is ideal. Why? Ensuring our pet’s health is good while the weather is good, lessens the chance of a late-night, snowy trip to the emergency vet. We can’t foresee every problem, but knowing they’re healthy going INTO winter can avoid many of them.
Each State Ranked by How Miserable Their Winters Are
Winter can be pretty rough. However, some states have it easier than others. Find out which states have the most miserable winters and find out where Michigan shakes out on the list.
Gallery Credit: Kristen Matthews
The Best Vehicles For Winter Driving In Montana
In need of the perfect vehicle for winter driving in Montana? There are several different options when it comes to buying a vehicle with all-wheel or 4-wheel drive, however, according to U.S. News and World Report, these are the top vehicles for winter weather driving.
Gallery Credit: Derek Wolf
7 Idaho Animals that Hide Under Car Hoods in Winter
It’s always a good idea to check under the hood of your car before starting it up. Especially on cold Idaho mornings this time of year.
You never know, a furry creature might have made a cozy home in there. Let’s give them a chance to leave before we turn on the engine.
Gallery Credit: Marco
HELENA, Mont. — Montana counties have accepted enough signatures for Seth Bodnar, running for U.S. Senate and Michael Eisenhauer, running in Montana’s 2nd Congressional District, to be on the November ballot, although counts are still unofficial.
County election officials are continuing to verify signatures submitted by Tuesday’s deadline as part of the candidate petition process.
The Montana Secretary of State’s Office has not yet verified, certified or accepted the petitions, according to the Secretary of State’s office.
Counties must submit candidate petitions to the Secretary of State’s office by June 1.
The Secretary of State’s office will then conduct its “statutory review to ensure the petitions meet the necessary legal requirements under law.”
The deadline for the November general election ballot to be certified is Thursday, Aug. 20. By then, all qualifying candidates and any potential ballot issues that qualify for the general election will be officially certified.
The following was out by the Montana Secretary of State’s Office:
The attached report is unofficial. It includes totals that the county election officials have processed and entered in the system. These totals do not represent what the Secretary of State’s Office has received, reviewed, tabulated, or certified. The certified totals may differ from what is reflected.
Seth Bodnar, U.S. Senate
- 13,327 required
- 18,772 accepted
- 7,812 rejected
Kimberly Persico, MT-01
- 6,742 required
- 563 accepted
- 156 rejected
Michael Eisenhauer, MT-02
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- 7,274 required
- 7,754 accepted
- 4,720 rejected
Severe storms moved through parts of Montana on Thursday, prompting a total of 5 Severe Thunderstorm Warnings. Reports included strong wind gusts and hail in several communities, including Augusta, Choteau, Sunburst, Bigfork, Kalispell and Evergreen.
The strongest reported wind gust was 60 mph near Augusta, while hail up to 1 inch was reported near Evergreen and Kalispell.
STORM REPORTS:
12 SE Grant — 56 mph thunderstorm wind gust
7 NNE Augusta — 60 mph thunderstorm wind gust
5 ENE Choteau — 59 mph thunderstorm wind gust
Sunburst — 54 mph thunderstorm wind gust
Ennis — 59 mph thunderstorm wind gust
3 SSW Ennis — 52 mph thunderstorm wind gust
2 E Helena — 54 mph thunderstorm wind gust
19 E Swan Lake — 56 mph thunderstorm wind gust
2 NNW Yaak — thunderstorm wind damage – Multiple downed trees reported along Highway 2 between MM 3 and 8
3 WSW Blacktail — 53 mph thunderstorm wind gust
1 NNW Troy — 49 mph thunderstorm wind gust
5 ENE Choteau — 56 mph thunderstorm wind gust
Turah — 0.88″ hail
1 NNW Bigfork — 0.75″ hail
3 SW La Salle — 0.50″ hail
2 N Evergreen — 1.00″ hail
1 W Kalispell — 1.00″ hail
3 WNW Kalispell — 0.75″ hail
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LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — A man from Las Vegas has been sentenced after stealing coins and precious metals from a Helena shop in Montana.
This comes after Bishop Lott, 47, pleaded guilty in January to one count of interstate transportation of stolen property.
A judge sentenced Lott on Thursday to 27 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $276,153.08 in restitution to the Helena business as well as five other theft victims.
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The government alleged in court documents that Lott, along with Ricky Rynell Rose, broke into Wayne Miller Coins in Helena and stole nearly $59,000 in coins and precious metals from a Helena business.
Rose pleaded guilty last year and was sentenced to 39 months in prison.
The Helena Police Department received a call on March 3, 2024, reporting that Wayne Miller Coins had been burglarized earlier that day.
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As part of their investigation, Helena police officers reviewed surveillance footage from multiple businesses. They analyzed email account data, which led them to Lott and Rose, who had taken the stolen material to Nevada.
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