Latest Montana Headlines

All the headlines from our Montana Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Wildfires Cost Montana $240M in Tourist Spending

Dec 27 2017 // A new report says summer fires cost the state of Montana $240 million in visitor spending.The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported preliminary date released by the University of Montana’s Institute for Tourism and...

Lawsuit Seeks $70M from Montana Diocese for Abuse Victims

Dec 27 2017 // Representatives of sex abuse victims and their survivors are suing a bankrupt Roman Catholic diocese in Montana in an effort to ensure more than $70 million in assets are available for those abused by church officials.The...

$2.1M in Funding For Montana Town’s Tornado Recovery Efforts

Nov 3 2017 // Montana officials say they have secured $2.1 million in federal disaster aid for ongoing cleanup efforts in the town of Baker where a tornado tore up homes, leaving a lake covered in hundreds of tons of debris.The Billings...

Cost of Fighting Montana Wildfires Approach $400M

Oct 2 2017 // The cost of fighting wildfires in Montana is approaching $400 million at the tail end of the state’s worst wildfire season in two decades.To date, wildfires have burned almost 1,900 square miles, slightly more than...

Montana Will Take Over Deadly Asbestos Cleanup Site

Sep 25 2017 // The cleanup of a northwest Montana community where health professionals say hundreds of people have been killed by asbestos exposure has entered a new phase as officials turn their focus to keeping residents safe over the...

Rain and Snow Help Montana Wildfires But Won’t End Season

Sep 19 2017 // Rain snow and cold have replaced heat and smoke after about two dry months on Montana’s fire lines, leaving crews scrambling for extra sleeping bags, heaters, coats and long underwear.While the change in weather is...

Montana Town Threatened by Wildfire; Hundreds Evacuate

Aug 31 2017 // Authorities in Montana ordered the evacuation of nearly 600 homes after a fire burning on a mountain ridge suddenly changed direction and threatened a popular destination for boaters, anglers and hikers.The fire near...

Montana’s Ablaze And The Firefighting Money Is Running out

Aug 3 2017 // Montana’s worst fire season in years is expected to scorch the drought-stricken landscape well into fall, long after the state’s firefighting reserves run out thanks to politicians diverting millions of dollars...

Hub International Acquires Assets of Montana-Based Steve Mariani Insurance

Aug 3 2017 // Hub International Ltd. has acquired the assets of Havre, Mont.-based Steve Mariani Insurance LLP.Terms of the deal were not disclosed. President Steve Mariani will join Hub Mountain and report to Rene LeVeaux, president of...

M5.8 Quake That Struck Montana Strongest in over Half-Century

Jul 10 2017 // The earthquake that hit Montana last week was the strongest in more than half a century, according to the experts.The quake sent bartenders jumping over bars, food falling off grocery store shelves and awakened residents...

Weed Warning: Legalizing Marijuana Tied to Rise in Crashes in 3 States by HLDI

Jun 23 2017 // Legalizing recreational marijuana use in Colorado, Oregon and Washington has resulted in collision claim frequencies that are about three percent higher overall than would have been expected without legalization, a new...

12 States Call Out California’s ‘Affront to Sound Insurance Regulation’

Jun 22 2017 // It’s difficult to decide whether Dave Jones is underdog prize fighter Rocky Balboa or reigning champ Apollo Creed.He’s the insurance commissioner of the most populated state in the nation and that makes him a...

Supreme Court Limits Where Injury Lawsuits Against Firms Can Be Brought

May 30 2017 // The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday tightened rules on where injury lawsuits may be filed, handing a victory to corporations by undercutting the ability of plaintiffs to bring claims in friendly courts in a case involving...

Joe Montana Files Suit Against Developer of San Francisco Sinking High-Rise

May 10 2017 // Former San Francisco 49er Joe Montana has filed a lawsuit against the developers of a luxury high-rise condominium tower in Northern California that is sinking at an unexpected rate.San Jose television station KNTV...

Montana Diocese Filing for Bankruptcy to Settle Sex Abuse Claims

Apr 3 2017 // A second Montana Roman Catholic diocese will file for bankruptcy protection as part of settlements involving more than 400 people in sex abuse lawsuits, church officials said Friday.The Diocese of Great Falls-Billings said...

Montana Lawmakers Table Privatization of $1.6B Workers’ Comp Fund

Mar 27 2017 // Montana lawmakers have tabled a proposal seeking to dismantle and privatize the state’s massive workers’ compensation system, saying the matter is too daunting to take up in the waning days of the legislative...

Hub Acquires Assets of Montana-Based Cassco Insurance

Mar 7 2017 // Hub International Ltd. has acquired the assets of Wolf Point, Mont.-based Cassco Insurance Inc.Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Michael Cassidy, Cassco’s president, will join Hub Mountain and report to Rene...

Montana House Votes to Cap Punitive Damages Awards

Jan 30 2017 // The Montana House has given initial approval to a measure that would reduce the amount a court can award in punitive damages. The cap on those awards meant to punish a company or individual for fraud or malice is now the...

Montana Settles with Asbestos Victims for $25M

Jan 27 2017 // The state of Montana has reached settlements totaling $25 million with more than 1,000 victims of asbestos-related disease over claims that health officials failed to bring attention to the hazards of a contaminated...

Montana to Pay $25M to Asbestos Victims Under Settlements

Jan 23 2017 // The state of Montana has reached settlements totaling $25 million with more than 1,000 victims of asbestos-related disease over claims that health officials failed to bring attention to the hazards of a contaminated...