Montana
Zinke seeks $50 million for infrastructure projects in western Montana
U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke asked the House Appropriations Committee on Friday to approve nearly $50 million for 15 infrastructure projects in western Montana, including one in Flathead County, one in Lake County, and two in Lincoln County.
The goal of the projects, according to Zinke’s office, is to support transportation and infrastructure, water systems and law enforcement equipment. The projects extend to 10 counties.
“Rural Montana’s infrastructure and public service needs are different than those of Miami or Phoenix, and taking advantage of my position on the Appropriations Committee allows me to make sure our tax dollars are spent on projects that support our taxpayers,” said Zinke in a statement.
Zinke, a Republican, is asking for $1,936,170 to add or replace guardrails on North Fork Road in Flathead County. Zinke’s office described the road as providing crucial access to year-round recreational activities and timber industry operations as well as to Glacier National Park. The road’s existing guardrail has surpassed its service life, according to Zinke’s office.
The project, if approved, would update 3.71 miles of roadway.
In Lake County, the congressman is requesting $1,604,500 for the creation of a new invasive species inspection station in place of a current station in Ravalli. The existing station, under the management of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, is the only station to operate 24 hours, 7 days a week during boating season, and yet lacks permanent infrastructure and weather protection, according to Zinke.
Officials in Lincoln County are hoping to expand and update the Troy Airport, with $820,319 requested to repair the runway. Zinke also requested $1,500,000 to turn the Troy branch of the Lincoln County Library into the Troy Library and Opportunity Center, with facility upgrades.
Lake and Lincoln Counties also were two of five counties awarded money for enhancing local law enforcement. The first grouped request, including Beaverhead, Lake, Lincoln, Mineral and Sanders counties, asks for just over $2 million to promote equipment continuity, including patrol vehicles, body scanners, radios and vests.
The second portion, totalling $322,000, would give law enforcement capabilities to those same five counties, if awarded.
The requests were made through the U.S. House of Representatives Community Funding requests, which allows Congress to direct appropriations from specific grant accounts to eligible projects. Projects must be approved by the House Appropriations Committee, the full House of Representatives and be included in the joint funding package signed by the president.
Reporter Kate Heston can be reached at kheston@dailyinterlake.com or 758-4459.
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.
MORE | Southern California man pleads guilty to importing, trafficking 70 pounds of ketamine
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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