Missoula Independent, Missoula News

Prideful senator

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:43:00 -0600

I believe each one of us has the moral obligation to leave this place in as good or better shape than we found it for our kids and grandkids. That responsibility also means making sure everyone has the opportunity to succeed regardless of whom he or she loves.…

A few words on greed

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:43:00 -0600

In modern America, cancer is the plague. But a far worse plague is greed.…

Rockies Today, June 19

Mountain West News — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:15:00 -0600

Top news links, courtesy of Mountain West News.

USFS, Montana landowners ink road deal to restore public access
George Matelich and Michael Goldberg have signed an agreement with the U.S. Forest Service to build a new road across their properties and then donate a permanent easement on that road to the U.S. Forest Service to restore access to Gallatin National Forest lands in Montana denied in 1997, when the landowners gated Cherry Creek Road where it crossed their land.
Billings Gazette; June 19

Montana's natural amenities draw world-class companies
Last year, The ZaneRay Group in Whitefish ranked 10th on Outside Magazine's 30 "Best Places to Work," and Reed Gregerson said locating the company in Western Montana, where recreational opportunities on public lands abound, provides his staff of 22 the perfect life-work balance, a trend reflected in a recent report from Headwaters Economics that found rural counties in the West with more than 30 percent of their land base in federal hands saw a much higher rate of job growth than counties with no federal lands within their borders.
Flathead Beacon; June 19

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Your future, a little early

Rob Brezsny — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:00:00 -0600

Find Rob Brezsny's "Free Will Astrology" online, every Wednesday, one day before it hits the Indy's printed pages.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Maybe you've seen that meme circulating on the Internet: "My desire to be well-informed is at odds with my desire to remain sane."…

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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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.…

Your future, a little early

Rob Brezsny — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 09:00:00 -0600

Find Rob Brezsny's "Free Will Astrology" online, every Wednesday, one day before it hits the Indy's printed pages.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Irish poet Richard Brinsley Sheridan didn't confine his lyrical wit to well-crafted poems on the printed page.…

Happiest Hour: Moscow Mondays

Alex Sakariassen — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 15:50:00 -0600

It should come as no surprise that we love lifting a glass, regardless what day of the week it is. And with Missoula being so big on the whole giving thing, we never have to look far for a good cause to lift our glasses to...

This week: Moscow Mondays at Montgomery Distillery

Why you’re here: About three months back, Montgomery Distillery became the latest local watering hole to enter the world of boozy philanthropy.…

Why it's always a good idea to use the parking brake (and more from In Other News)

Roland Sweet — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 09:00:00 -0600

Curses, Foiled Again
Federal agents tracking a man who claimed he was selling 700,000 stolen identities identified Nathaniel Troy Maye, 44, as their suspect after a witness informed them he received a flash drive containing 50 identities from a man named “Maye” during dinner at a Morton’s steak house. Using data on the flash drive, agents found a profile for “TROYMAYE” on Instagram social media website, where Maye had posted “a photo of a steak and macaroni and cheese meal” at Morton’s at the time the witness said Maye gave him the flash drive.…

Your Week in Fun

Kate Whittle — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 10:15:00 -0600

The weekend is nigh! Here are some of the biggest events over the next couple of days.…

Let democracy work

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 14:09:00 -0600

I am writing to you concerning the proposed Otter Creek Coal Mine. With changing political environments in the past few years, big industry has begun to creep into politics so extensively that individuals are losing the ability to represent themselves and each other, and decision makers can't decipher right from wrong.…

Montana's price

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 14:08:00 -0600

I am writing in response to the increasing interest in mining Otter Creek coal. It is my opinion that this development will be not only harmful to the immediate community surrounding Otter Creek, but also to the state of Montana as a whole.…

Who would gain?

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 13:15:00 -0600

Arch Coal, one of the biggest and richest coal companies in the world, is currently seeking a permit to rip up a pristine agricultural valley in southeastern Montana to mine the coal underneath and sell it to China. Coal markets in the United States are disappearing.…

Missoula river access site delayed

Jamie Rogers — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 10:45:00 -0600

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks lists on its website 17 river access sites on the Clark Fork between Drummond and St. Regis. There are boat ramps at Schwarz Creek, Kelly Island, Tarkio and Forest Grove.…