Missoula Independent, Missoula News

Iron & Wine hits Missoula Tue., Nov. 5

Erika Fredrickson — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:29:23 -0600

In 2011, the last time Iron & Wine came to town with openers The Head and the Heart, the show sold out. Word has it that the new album Ghost on Ghost (ooh!)…

Green Investment Group tries to fend off Superfund designation at Frenchtown mill

Matthew Frank — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:30:00 -0600

In late April, Ray Stillwell, president of Green Investment Group, Inc., which in 2011 acquired the former Smurfit-Stone pulp mill near Frenchtown, penned a letter to Montana Gov. Steve Bullock imploring him to reconsider his administration’s support for the proposed federal Superfund designation. Stillwell said he “very strongly” prefers state oversight, citing the “uncertainty associated with lengthy processes” required by the Environmental Protection Agency, and noted his company’s “proven track record of completing successful voluntary remediation of other sites.”

Attached to the letter was a packet of materials intended to support Stillwell’s case.…

Rockies Today, June 18

Mountain West News — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:29:00 -0600

Top news links, courtesy of Mountain West News.

Groups urge BLM to delay decision on 198M-ton coal lease in Montana
Cloud Peak Energy has applied to expand its Spring Creek Mine in southeast Montana by 1,600 acres, and on Wednesday, federal and state officials will take up that application, but environmental groups said the hearing should be delayed, given the recent report that questioned the BLM's pricing of such leases.
Flathead Beacon (AP); June 18

Mine developer to make presentation tonight in Montana
The Russell Country Sportsmen's Association has invited representatives of Tintina Resources, the company that wants to develop copper resources on private land near White Sulphur Springs to make a presentation on the Montana project at its monthly meeting tonight at the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks' headquarters on Giant Springs Road in Great Falls.
Great Falls Tribune; June 18

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Happiest Hour: The Journalist

Skylar Browning — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:20:00 -0600

Background: Reputation would lead you to believe that journalists only drink cheap whiskey from the bottle and the blood of corrupt politicians, but those are unfair stereotypes. We much prefer to sip the tears of fallen stars willing to spill their story in an exclusive.…

Party Planning Committee, June 17-23

Kate Whittle — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 14:46:00 -0600

The weather is glorious and I, Calapatra The Calendar Mistress, am determined to pretend like this is summer vacation even though I do not, technically, have a summer vacation anymore. Here's some fun stuff going on this week!

Tonight:

Beware of Mr. Baker shows at the Top Hat, and it sounds like a fascinating portrayal of a creative, ornery coot.…

Rockies Today, June 17

Mountain West News — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:30:00 -0600

Top news links, courtesy of Mountain West News.

Federal judge in Montana dismisses oil, gas leasing challenge
Last Friday, U.S. District Judge Sam Haddon dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Montana Environmental Information Center, WildEarth Guardians and Earthworks’ Oil and Gas Accountability Project that sought to block gas and oil leases on 800,000 acres in Montana in a bid to force actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Great Falls Tribune (AP); June 15

Montana tribe's coal future tied up in export fight
As domestic demand for coal in the United States declines, companies are tapping export markets in Asia and elsewhere, but U.S. port capacity must expand in order to fill international orders, a move that has sparked fierce opposition.
New York Times; June 15

Public comment period on Yellowstone Park's winter-use plan closes today
If you haven't yet commented on the latest winter-use plan for Yellowstone National Park, you have until midnight June 17 to do so.
Casper Star-Tribune (AP); June 15

The New York Times tracks wild-horse management in the U.S.
The Retro Report provides a retrospective on the history of wild horses in the United States and the Bureau of Land Management's policies riding herd on those animals.
New York Times; June 17

Geldings begin their semi-wild life on a Montana ranch
The 710 young geldings released on the Spanish Q Ranch in Montana have spent all of their lives in Bureau of Land Management holding corrals, making the young horses wary of exploring their new range.
Billings Gazette (AP); June 15

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How some cops are policing their own (and more from In Other News)

Roland Sweet — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 09:00:00 -0600

Curses, Foiled Again
A police officer stopped a car for a traffic violation in Clayton, Mo., and asked driver Joseph Meacham, 39, to step out. Meacham obliged but then shoved the officer and fled on foot.…

Sen. Tester's on a roll with MSNBC

Alex Sakariassen — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 12:17:00 -0600

Sen. Jon Tester has all but said "I told you so" through the national media in the wake of a damning Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court leak earlier this month. The revelation that government officials secured massive amounts of data on calls made by Verizon customers has renewed the debate about sacrificing liberties to chase down potential terrorists.…

Montana will pay you cash to make a movie here

Skylar Browning — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 11:37:36 -0600

The Montana Film Office is in the middle of an exciting run. Two films made in Montana premiered at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival last month and Winter in the Blood, the much-anticipated adaptation of James Welch's classic novel, premieres today at the Los Angeles Film Festival.…

Rockies Today, June 14

Mountain West News — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 11:22:00 -0600

Top news links, courtesy of Mountain West News.

Appeals court orders BLM to study range of grazing options in Montana
Western Watersheds Project, which filed the lawsuit against the Bureau of Land Management over its grazing plan for the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument and, in particular, the Woodhawk allotment, claimed victory in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals' decision rendered that said the BLM must study a range of options for grazing permits, but the BLM said the decision upheld its general grazing plan for the Montana monument and only found fault with its plan for the Woodhawk allotment.
Great Falls Tribune; June 14

Grocer group accuses potato-grower association of price fixing
In a lawsuit that is now in federal court of Idaho, Associated Wholesale Grocers has accused United Potato Growers of America, which represents growers in 15 states, including Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington, as well as 24 other defendants, of intentionally limiting planting and destroying harvested potatoes to keep prices of the popular tuber high.
Idaho Statesman (AP); June 14

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Our favorite wildfire and weather apps

Jonathan Thompson — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 16:33:00 -0600

It's springtime in the West, that time of year when brooks babble abundantly with snowmelt, cute baby wildlife prance around verdant meadows, blossoms cover tree branches like virgin snow, and it all goes up in flames. Hoping to keep as close an eye on the burning West as I do on my runs and bike rides, I scoured the Intertubes for the appropriate apps.…

Rockies Today, June 13

Mountain West News — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 10:52:00 -0600

Top news links, courtesy of Mountain West News.

Arkansas company begins drilling for rare-earth minerals in Montana
U.S. Rare Earths began exploratory drilling for rare earth minerals along a 60-mile stretch of Lemhi Pass on the Montana side of the border with Idaho, and the Arkansas company has also applied for permits from Idaho for such drilling.
Billings Gazette; June 13

Black Forest fire burns its way into Colorado record books with 360 homes lost
The El Paso County Sheriff expanded the evacuation zone for the Black Forest Fire in Colorado as high winds and high temperatures were forecast for today, and on Thursday morning, the sheriff confirmed that 360 homes had been destroyed by the fire so far, breaking the record of 347 homes burned in the state set by the 2012 Waldo Canyon fire.
Denver Post; June 13

Wildfire in Colorado's Royal Gorge destroys tram car, buildings
The Royal Gorge Fire, which has destroyed structures at the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park, was reported to be 3,000 acres in size on Wednesday afternoon, and due to limited firefighting resources, the Fremont County Commission voted to immediately impose Stage 1 Fire Restrictions in the Colorado county.
Denver Post (Canon City Daily Record); June 13

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The 2013 Muzzle Awards

The Thomas Jefferson Center — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0600

The worst crimes against the First Amendment by The Thomas Jefferson Center Since 1992, The Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression has celebrated the birth and ideals of its namesake by calling attention to those who in the past year forgot or disregarded Jefferson's admonition that freedom of speech "cannot be limited without being lost." The annual Muzzles are awarded on the anniversary of Jefferson's birthday as a means to draw national attention to abridgments of free speech and press and, at the same time, foster an appreciation for those tenets of the First Amendment.…

Just dance

Jamie Rogers — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0600

Letting loose when the fourth wall crumbles by Jamie Rogers When I say I like art, what I mean is I'm interested in creative labors like painting, chainsaw art, folk music and scratch cooking. Modern dance performances, however, had until recently failed to stir much in me. In my admittedly limited experience, I have been nonplussed by what appears to be mostly rolling, wiggling and somersaulting.…

Over troubled bridges

Jessica Mayrer — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0600

Major Missoula spans classified as structurally deficient by Jessica Mayrer On a recent sunny morning, swallows dart above the Clark Fork River alongside the rusty steel girders that crisscross the Madison Street bridge's underbelly. Looking up from beneath the span on the pedestrian walkway where two women jog, one sees that the 55-year-old Madison, with cement eroding along its edges, is showing its age.…

Generationals

Brooks Johnson — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0600

by Brooks Johnson Generationals' songs are as diverse as the city they hail from. The New Orleans pop duo hits that balance between hooks and musical chaos, resulting in simple, clean songs.…

Resisting the hard line

Jonathan Thompson — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0600

It's too soon to end Arizona's solar incentives by Jonathan Thompson There may be no better place on the planet to generate solar electricity than Arizona. The entire state shows up as a big red stain on solar radiation maps, and the state's numerous canals, fallow fields, zombie subdivisions and parking lots—not to mention its nearly 3 million rooftops—are like a big blank canvas just begging to be plastered with power-generating solar panels.…

Wheel of fire

Josh Wagner — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0600

Ginger Baker doc reveals a feisty drummer by Josh Wagner Drummers tend to suffer the brunt of musician jokes. What do you call a drummer who breaks up with his girlfriend?…

Criminal justice

Mike Gerrity — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0600

The shooter next door by Mike Gerrity John Moffatt never thought he would ever live so close to the man who shot him at a Lewistown high school almost 30 years ago. On Dec. 4, 1986, Kristofer Hans shot and killed Henrietta Smith, a teacher at Fergus High School, and wounded Moffatt.…

Game of raps

Erika Fredrickson — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0600

Wormwood brings the literary to mixtape culture by Erika Fredrickson Taylor McAnally, a Missoula rapper known as Wormwood, is a massive fan of "Game of Thrones." His latest album, Reconnaissance, has a track called "You Don't Want to Wake the Dragon," which begins with a sample from a scene between the chilling Viserys Targaryen and his sister, Daenerys Targaryen.…

Viewfinder

Tommy Martino — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0600

by Tommy Martino

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Easy riders

Chris La Tray — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0600

The Hasslers kick out an atypical pop album by Chris La Tray The opening track to the eponymous record from The Hasslers—a peppy little number called "It's Terminal"is a perfect introduction to the rest of the record. It's got a nice hillstomping kick that will surely invite folks to the dance floor, and just enough of an Americana vibe to distract you into thinking that's what this band is all about.…

Electricity

Jessica Mayrer — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0600

Utility accused of unsafe work by Jessica Mayrer In May 2010, former Missoula Electric Cooperative employee Jon Cruson was dismayed when he discovered allegedly substandard cable trenches and meter connections that violated safety standards at an MEC installation project for the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks in Placid Lake. "It's a serious issue," says Cruson's Missoula attorney David Berkoff.…

Flash in the Pan

Ari LeVaux — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0600

Coexistence is dead; long live coexistence by Ari LeVaux Last month, the Department of Agriculture revealed the discovery of an acre-sized group of genetically modified wheat plants growing on an eastern Oregon farm. The farmer notified the agency after becoming alarmed when an application of the herbicide Roundup failed to kill them.…

Pass the tax

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0600

I recently had the opportunity to get involved with the Citizens Climate Lobby and have been exposed to many articles and videos about global warming and climate change. An article in The Guardian from May 16 by Dana Nuccitelli talked about a recent study showing that 97 percent of climate experts agree humans cause global warming.…