Montana/Region

Dakota Access protester who fired gun to remain jailed

BISMARCK, N.D. — A federal judge has ordered a Denver woman to remain jailed in North Dakota while she awaits a spring sentencing for shooting at law officers during protests against the Dakota Access oil pipeline.

U.S. District Judge Daniel Hovland refused to grant a request by Red Fawn Fallis to be returned to a Fargo halfway house from which she went missing for an entire day last month.

Downing outspends Senate foes

BILLINGS — A Montana businessman whose U.S. Senate campaign is chaired by the wife of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has outraised and outspent his Republican opponents — but only by pumping $650,000 of his own money into the race, according to new campaign filings.

Electronic park passes available

MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, Wyo. (AP) — Yellowstone National Park has begun offering digital annual and seven-day visitor passes.

Interested visitors can now purchase the passes online through YourPassNow.com at no additional charge.

The passes will be emailed to customers and can be stored on an electronic device or printed.

Yellowstone seeks to replace windows on a historic hotel

JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) — A proposal to replace 172 windows of an iconic hotel in Yellowstone National Park has preservationists worried about the potential harm to the building's historic character, a concern acknowledged by park planners.

The window swap, which will help the property better withstand earthquakes, is just one part of a building rehabilitation project for the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel. 

Teaching Arabic in Bozeman chips away at stereotypes

BOZEMAN (AP) — Fourth-graders in Bozeman's Irving School sang the alphabet song on a recent Friday afternoon — from alef and baa to zay and sheen — as they learned to speak some Arabic.

Mahmoud Dahroug, 28, a private school teacher from Egypt, repeated each letter's sound and patiently demonstrated how to draw the letters on the blackboard, writing from right to left.

Pain doc gets 10 years in prison

HAMILTON (AP) — A western Montana pain doctor was sentenced Friday to 20 years in prison with 10 suspended for overprescribing pain medication, leading to death and addiction among his patients.

District Judge Jeffrey Langton sentenced Chris Christensen of Florence for two counts of negligent homicide in the deaths of two patients, nine counts of criminal endangerment involving other patients and 11 counts of drug distribution, the Ravalli Republic reported.

Feb. 2 Lottery Numbers

HELENA(AP) — These Montana lotteries were drawn Thursday: Big Sky Bonus — 3-7-9-22, Bonus: 3; Lucky For Life — 3-13-21-24-47, Lucky Ball: 10; Mega Millions — estimated jackpot: $104 million; and Powerball — estimated jackpot: $145 million.

Critics say Nevada plan for free-roaming horses is illegal

RENO, Nev. (AP) — Critics of Nevada's new plan to cede state ownership of nearly 3,000 free-roaming horses to private hands say it's an illegal move that will send the animals to slaughter.

The Nevada Department of Agriculture on Tuesday published a request for proposals for people willing to take ownership of the Virginia Range herd that roams about a 500-square mile area (1,295 sq. kilometer) south and east of Reno.

Judge: US must reconsider Yellowstone bison protections

BILLINGS — A federal judge has ordered U.S. wildlife officials to reconsider a 2015 decision that blocked special protections for the iconic bison herds that roam Yellowstone National Park and are routinely subjected to hunting and slaughter.

Public shows little support for proposed Medicaid cuts

HELENA — Some of the state's proposed cuts in Medicaid reimbursement will harm children and leave the state responsible for more expensive services, opponents said Thursday.