Latest Montana news, sports, business and entertainment: FARM BILL

Congress passes farm bill, defying Bush

WASHINGTON (AP) - Congress has sent the White House an election-year farm bill that includes a boost in farm subsidies and more money for food stamps amid rising grocery prices.

The Senate passed the bill 81-15 yestserday, a day after the House approved it with 318 "yes" votes, which was enough to override a presidential veto.

President Bush has threatened to veto the 290 billion-dollar bill, saying it is fiscally irresponsible, and too generous to wealthy corporate farmers at a time of record crop prices.

About two-thirds of the bill would pay for domestic nutrition programs such as food stamps and emergency food aid for the needy, amid rising grocery prices.

An additional 40 billion dollars is for farm subsidies.

CROW LAND

Feds object to $380 million Crow Tribe land bill

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) - The head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs says he opposes a Congressional measure that would loan Montana's Crow Tribe $380 million to consolidate land on the reservation.

The tribe owns less than a quarter of its 2.2 million acre reservation along the Montana-Wyoming border. The rest is owned by individuals, including 700,000 acres by non-Indians.

A bill introduced last year by Montana's Democratic U.S. senators, Max Baucus and Jon Tester, would loan the tribe money to purchase non-tribal land and put it into a trust. The land could then be put to use for agriculture or other purposes that would generate tribal revenue.

But Indian Affairs Director Jerold Gidner told a Senate panel Thursday that his agency is concerned about the size of the loan and who would pay for property appraisals.

WOLF KILLED

Wolf illegally shot in northwest Wyoming

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - The Wyoming Game and Fish Department reports a wolf has been illegally shot in northwest Wyoming.

It is the first known illegal killing of a wolf in the state since the animals were removed from federal protection under the Endangered Species Act and their management was taken over by Wyoming, Idaho and Montana.

Sixteen other wolves have been killed legally in Wyoming since late March.

Environmental groups have been critical of the decision to remove the wolf from federal protection, saying it would lead to too many wolf deaths.

Wyoming Chief Game Warden Jay Lawson says the state agency takes its wolf management responsibility seriously and is offering a $3,000 reward for information about the illegal killing.

GRIZZLIES RELOCATED

Grizzly bears relocated

CODY, Wyo. (AP) - Four grizzly bears have been relocated to the Yellowstone National Park region because of conflicts with humans and livestock in northwestern Wyoming.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department trapped and relocated an adult female grizzly bear, one yearling male cub and one yearling female cub that had been found frequenting private property near Dubois (DOO'-boyce). The agency also trapped and relocated an adult male grizzly bear after it had killed a domestic calf west of Dubois.

Dubois is about 45 miles southeast of Yellowstone.

Game and Fish spokesman Dennie Hammer says the sow and two cubs were relocated 10 miles east of Yellowstone while the adult male was relocated about five miles east of the park.

MARAUDING LION

Lion's origins investigated

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - Researchers are trying to determine the origin of a mountain lion that was shot last month by police in Chicago.

An initial test of the lion's DNA matched many characteristics of lions in the Dakotas, Wyoming and Montana.

Scientists are now zeroing in on additional genetic traits, to see if they specifically match those of mountain lions in the Black Hills National Forest area in western South Dakota and northeast Wyoming.

A U.S. Forest Service lab in Montana is analyzing a specimen from the animal, and results are expected within a month.

ENVIRONMENTAL PENALTY

Seattle company says it's working to prevent more violations

HELENA, Mont. (AP) - A Seattle-based recycling company -- Emerald Services -- was penalized for storing hazardous waste in Montana without a permit. Now the company says it has taken steps aimed at preventing similar problems.

Emerald Services Vice President Jerry Bartlett says the company installed an environmental management system, and has given employees additional training.

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality says Emerald Services paid a penalty of $67,500 for storing hazardous waste, well beyond the ten days allowed without a permit.

The DEQ says the company stored paint waste it received in the summer of 2006, first keeping it in Missoula for about six months, and then transferring it to Helena. It was stored there for a little over two months.

HEALTH INSURANCE-ANALYSIS

Analysis: Insurance initiative would save state money

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) - A University of Montana professor says an initiative that would expand health insurance coverage to 30,000 Montana children also would save the state 35 million dollars a year.

Steve Seninger is a research professor with Montana Kids Count in the Bureau of Business and Economic Research at UM. He says Initiative 155 would cost the state about 20 million dollars a year to operate. He also says the state would save 50 million in other costs -- mostly from a reduction in uncompensated health care provided to uninsured children.

And he says it would generate five-and-a-half million dollars in new tax revenue.

Seninger says The initiative would generate up to 75 million in matching federal dollars -- some of which would be used for new jobs in health care and supporting industries.

ENERGY CONSERVATION

Report: Northwest energy conservation hits high in 2007

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Last year was a record year for energy conservation in the Pacific Northwest.

The Northwest Power and Conservation Council says the energy saved was equivalent to the electricity used by 146,000 homes - or a city the size of Eugene.

The 200 average megawatts saved in 2007 boosts the energy efficiency improvements the Pacific Northwest has been making since 1978.

Overall, the region has saved about 3,700 average megawatts in the last 30 years, or enough power for all of Idaho and western Montana.

New energy efficiency standards for major appliances like washing machines, dryers and dishwashers should help save even more electricity in the future.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AP-NY-05-15-08 1622EDT

Latest Montana news, sports, business and entertainment: STUDENT LOANS-AUDITS

Loan group agrees to give regents past audits

HELENA, Mont. (AP) - The Montana Higher Education Student Assistance Corporation will furnish copies of its past audits to the state Board of Regents.

The MHESAC (muh-HEE'-sack) board voted unanimously during a conference call Wednesday to furnish the past financial and performance audits to the regents, probably at their meeting in Havre later this month.

Last month, the Board of Regents voted 5-2 to ask the Legislative Auditor's Office to conduct a performance audit of MHESAC and its business manager, the Student Assistance Foundation.

However, Legislative Auditor Scott Seacat said he couldn't audit SAF and MHESAC because they are private entities, not state agencies.

MHESAC has been caught up in the national credit and liquidity crunch, and auctions for nearly all of its $1.3 billion of auction bond notes have failed several times since February.

YELLOWSTONE BIZON-HAZING

Environmental groups slam bison hazing plan

BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) - An effort to force hundreds of bison back into Yellowstone National Park, from land around the park's western edge, has prompted intense opposition from half a dozen environmental groups.

State and federal officials on Wednesday began hazing 370 bison grazing on and around Horse Butte, an isolated peninsula on Hebgen Lake. The hazing is part of an Interagency Bison Management plan, adopted in 2000, designed to protect cattle from the potential spread of the bacterial disease brucellosis.

Six environmental groups sent a joint letter to Gov. Brian Schweitzer on Wednesday, demanding the hazing cease immediately. They said the plan should be amended to allow the animals to range on lands outside the park that are not used for cattle grazing.

MUSHER-NEGLECT

Suspect's father can care for neglected dogs

BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) - A judge has ruled that 33 sled dogs found abandoned without food, water or shelter near West Yellowstone, can be released to the owner's father in Maine, while a criminal case is pending.

Twenty-four-year-old John Hessert has pleaded not guilty to one felony count of aggravated animal cruelty and 33 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty. His father -- 56-year-old Stephen Hessert -- said he'd keep the animals at his home in Maine.

District Judge Holly Brown ruled this week that the dogs could be moved because they're not needed as evidence. She also said Hessert's father would follow court orders, including caring for the dogs and keeping his son away from the animals.

PHARMACY ROBBERY

Man charged with robbing Missoula pharmacy

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) - Missoula police have arrested a 23-year-old man who allegedly robbed a drug store for the powerful painkiller OxyContin.

Joseph Raisanen was charged with felony robbery and was being held on $50,000 bail.

Authorities say a man wearing a mask and a hooded sweat shirt entered a Sav-Mor Pharmacy yesterday morning, brandished a handgun and demanded the drug.

Police traced dealership records of the getaway car to a home where Raisanen was staying. Another man at the home eluded authorities after running down an alley.

Officers recovered OxyContin in a pillowcase in a trash bin behind the house.

MEDICAID THEFT-PLEA

Woman pleads guilty to stealing from Medicaid

GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) - A 54-year-old Browning woman has pleaded guilty to using her job at a health care center on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation to steal money from Medicaid.

Judy Racine pleaded guilty to theft from a local government receiving federal funds and to theft from a health care facility.

Racine was the business office director for the Blackfeet Care Center, which received about $725,000 in Medicaid funds from January 2007 to November 2007.

Court documents say Racine deposited Medicaid checks into the center's banking account and got cash back for herself.

Prosecutors say she also wrote several Blackfeet Care Center checks to herself and used the center's debit card to withdraw money from ATMs and to pay for personal items and vacations.

PEACE OFFICERS-FLAGS (TOPS)

MHP trooper among those to be honored in Washington, D.C.

HELENA, Mont. (AP) - A Montana Highway Patrol trooper will be honored today in Washington, D.C. as part of National Peace Officers Memorial Day.

Trooper David Graham died last October, when a pickup swerved into the path of his car east of Kalispell.

May 15th has been National Peace Officers Memorial Day since since President John F. Kennedy signed it into law in 1962.

The first National Peace Officers' Memorial Day Service was held on May 15th, 1982 in Washington, D.C.

The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial wall in Washington is inscribed with the names of more than 17,000 law enforcement officers who have been killed in the line of duty.

Governor Schweitzer has ordered flags in Montana to be flown at half staff today, in observance of Peace Officers' Memorial Day.

STIMSON MILL

Stimson workers' final week extended

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) - About 100 employees at the Stimson Lumber Co. sawmill in Bonner will work slightly longer than anticipated before operations end at the 122-year-old mill.

Company officials say that roughly 56 hourly workers at the sawmill are likely to wrap up by the middle of next week, instead of Monday, as they work through the remaining logs.

The planer crew of another 40 workers will also work a few days longer - most likely until the final week of May - as the wood goes through the dry kiln and planer.

Stimson, based in Portland, Ore., says another half-dozen workers will prepare the final batches of wood for shipment.

Stimson officials announced in March that the Bonner mill would close because of the nation's lagging housing market and depressed lumber prices.

SUPERINTENDENT RELEASED

Frazer releases high-paid superintendent

GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) - Montana's most highly paid school superintendent, from one of the state's smallest and poorest districts, won't be back this fall.

Trustees of the Frazer School District, on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, voted this week not to renew the contract of Superintendent Lynn Mavencamp.

The Frazer district has just 100 students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Last year, the district paid Mavencamp $184,000.

Mavencamp could not be reached for comment, but district business manager Harold Blount said Mavencamp was paid only about $6,000 in his first year, so the board increased his salary for the second year to $184,000.

But the board's chairwoman, Rita Talk Different, said the district couldn't afford that kind of salary.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AP-NY-05-15-08 1158EDT

Latest Montana news, sports, business and entertainment: FARM BILL

$290 billion bill heads to Senate

CAPITOL HILL (AP) - The Senate is taking up debate on a 290-billion-dollar farm bill that sailed through the House with a veto-proof margin.

The bill doles out more subsidies for farmers and includes money for lawmakers' pet projects. About two-thirds of the bill would pay for nutrition programs such as food stamps and emergency food aid for the needy. Some 30 billion dollars would pay farmers to leave their land idle and to other environmental programs.

The president is promising to veto the five-year bill saying it's too expensive and gives too much to wealthy farmers.

Bypassing the president's veto may prove an even easier task in the Senate where farm states have greater representation than in the House.

ENVIRONMENTAL PENALTY

Washington company pays Montana environmental penalty

HELENA, Mont. (AP) - The Montana Department of Environmental Quality says a Seattle-based recycling company that stored hazardous waste in Montana without a permit has paid a penalty of $67,500.

Emerald Services was penalized for storing waste well beyond the ten days allowed without a permit.

The DEQ says the company stored paint waste received in the summer of 2006, first keeping it in Missoula for about six months, and then transferring it to Helena. It was stored there for a little over two months.

Calls seeking comment from Emerald Services were not returned immediately.

HAMILTON-DRUG ARREST

Victor man charged with criminal endangerment in drug case

HAMILTON, Mont. (AP) - A 48-year-old Victor man is charged with criminal endangerment after Ravalli County deputies say another man overdosed from an opiate injection.

Sheriff Chris Hoffman says authorities were called to Dan McCrossin's house on Saturday, where 25-year-old Alex Ames was unconscious from a drug overdose.

Ames' brother told a deputy that he had to force his way into the house and that McCrossin was preventing others from calling 911.

Ames' brother told deputies McCrossin told him that he had injected Alex Ames with Fentanyl, a strong opiate extracted from a prescription pain patch.

McCrossin is also charged with possession of dangerous drugs and drug paraphernalia.

Alex Ames was treated at the hospital and released. He is charged with possession of dangerous drugs, fraudulently obtaining dangerous drugs and theft.

BISON KILLED

Roaming bison from national park killed by southwest ND rancher

MEDORA, N.D. (AP) - Two bison bulls that breached the fence surrounding Theodore Roosevelt National Park in southwestern North Dakota were shot and killed by a rancher.

Park chief ranger Tom Cox declined to name the shooter, who hasn't been charged in the case.

Cox says Billings County, North Dakota man told him the bison were distressing his cattle.

The ranger says he doesn't know how long the bison had been gone from the park, but that the animals are capable of covering a lot of distance in a short time.

The bison will be donated to Badlands Ministries, a Lutheran bible camp south of Medora.

---

Information from: Bismarck Tribune, http://www.bismarcktribune.com

WYOMING DEMOCRATS

Screenwriter to address Wyo. Democratic convention

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - Screenwriter Bill Broyles of Wilson, Wyoming says he's mostly steered clear of personal involvement in politics.

But that's changing: Broyles took part in the Teton County Convention in March and is scheduled to speak at the upcoming Wyoming Democratic Convention in Jackson.

Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal (FREE'-den-thawl) and Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer also are slated to speak at the convention.

Broyles wrote the screenplay for the acclaimed 2000 film "Cast Away," which stars Tom Hanks as a FedEx employee who becomes stranded on a deserted island.

Broyles also helped with the screenplays for the films "Apollo 13" and "The Polar Express."

RESCUERS HONORED

Four BLM firefighters honored for saving pilot's life

LEWISTOWN, Mont. (AP) - Four Bureau of Land Management firefighters based in Lewistown have been honored for their role in rescuing a pilot who had crashed in the path of a Nevada wildfire.

Scott Meneely, Andrea Robinson, Steven Spellberg and Andrew Rishavy accepted their Valor Awards from the Department of the Interior during a ceremony in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday.

The four were members of a BLM engine crew that was working with two other crews to create a buffer between the Barrel Springs fire and homes in Winnemucca, Nev., on July 17, 2007.

They saw a single engine air tanker that was attempting to make a retardant drop get caught in a cross wind and crash.

While some of the firefighters scrambled to slow the fire's advance, others pulled the pilot -- soaked in slurry and jet fuel -- to safety.

VIRTUAL GRADUATION

Malta man to watch daughters' graduation by streaming video

GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) - A Malta man who is hospitalized in a Utah burn unit will be able to see his twin daughters graduate from high school this weekend via streaming video.

Rick Starkey suffered second- and third-degree burns over 40 percent of his body on April 15. He sustained a 14,400 volt electric shock when he accidentally contacted a live wire while working to restore power after a car struck a utility pole.

Starkey, who has worked for Big Flat Electric Co-Op for 27 years, is hospitalized at the University of Utah's burn center in Salt Lake City.

But he will be able to watch daughters Samantha and Amanda graduate Sunday on a donated laptop computer. Montana-based Vision Net is donating the streaming video technology and a technician is installing and managing the video feed in Malta.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AP-NY-05-15-08 0432EDT

Latest Montana news, sports, business and entertainment: MONTANA DEMOCRATS

Bill Clinton takes Hillary's case to Missoula

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) - Bill Clinton made the case today for his wife's presidential hopes during a campaign stop in Missoula, saying she has the best plan to provide health care to all and improve the economy.

Clinton's visit to Missoula wrapped up a two-day swing through Montana. The former president held a rally in Kalispell last night.

Hillary Clinton is coming off a big win in West Virginia - but observers say it could be too late to seize the nomination from Barack Obama.

But Bill Clinton says his wife can still win with just a few primaries to go, and is fighting back against those who say she should exit the race.

Both campaigns say they will fight for the 16 Montana delegates at stake in the June 3rd primary. It is the last in the nation, along with South Dakota.

HAMILTON ATTEMPTED MURDER

Woman charged with attempted murder, shot at husband

HAMILTON, Mont. (AP) - A 43-year-old Hamilton woman has been charged with attempted murder. Ravalli County authorities say she shot at her husband during an argument.

Officers say Deborah Haynes fired a shot at her husband Friday as he was driving away from their house. Witnesses say Haynes drove off in another direction and deputies arrested her.

Investigators determined the couple had been arguing and that she had been breaking dishes. Investigators believe she used shards from the broken dishes to cut her arms.

When deputies found Wendell Haynes, he was uninjured and said his wife had threatened to kill herself before she shot at him.

Sheriff Chris Hoffman says Deborah Haynes was taken to the hospital for treatment and evaluation before being jailed. Her bail was set at $10,000 during a hearing Monday.

HAMMER ATTACK-SENTENCED

Man sentenced for hammer attack

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) - A Missoula man who attacked a co-worker with a hammer last September has been sentenced to five years in state custody, to be followed by 15 years of probation.

Richard Callaway had earlier pleaded guilty to charges burglary and assault with a weapon.

The pleas came as part of an agreement that saw prosecutors drop a charge of attempted murder.

The 29-year-old Callaway was arrested last September, after kicking down the door to a co-worker's motel room in Missoula and assaulting the man with a hammer.

According to court records, victim Brian Sparks worked a construction job with Callaway, and told his bosses that some employees - including Callaway - were using drugs at the job site.

That resulted in mandatory drug tests.

SPILL LAWSUIT

Yellowstone County OKs lawsuit to collect for spill cleanup

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) - Yellowstone County commissioners have authorized the county attorney to sue a New Jersey trucking company, that's refused to pay for the cleanup of a New Year's Day chemical spill.

On January 1st, a semitrailer drifted off Interstate 90 near Lockwood, shattered an electrical pole and spilled 1,460 gallons of aluminum chloride and 60 gallons of diesel fuel.

The cleanup and salvage cost about $60,000.

Ryder, the company that owns the truck, has agreed to pay its share, but IBI Secure Transport is disputing the bill. Company officials say the Lockwood Fire Department inflated its hourly salaries and the cleanup company double-billed for its work.

Commissioners hope the possibility of a lawsuit will give the county leverage in negotiating with IBI.

TAX FRAUD CHARGE

Contractor indicted on federal charges

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - A North Dakota contractor that operates in Montana has been indicted on federal tax fraud and conspiracy charges.

Fisher Sand and Gravel is accused of avoiding income tax payments between 2001 and 2004. The company is charged with eleven counts of conspiracy and tax fraud.

Company vice president Michael Fisher and chief financial officer Amiel (uh-MEEL') Schaff are also named in the indictment.

Comptroller Clyde Frank says the company is disappointed in the grand jury indictments. He says the company will defend itself, and is confident it will be exonerated.

Frank says the company operates in North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Arizona, New Mexico, California, Nevada, Colorado and Arkansas.

HUMANITARIAN WORK

Montanan heads to central Asia for humanitarian work

BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) - A Montana avalanche specialist is traveling to central Asia, where he plans to do humanitarian work.

Doug Chabot (shuh-BOH') manages the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center for a good part of the year. With that work complete for the season, he's going to Pakistan and Afghanistan for a couple of months, on behalf of the Bozeman-based Central Asia Institute.

Chabot will trek to some of the institute's schools that provide basic education for children.

He left Bozeman yesterday for Washington, D.C., and is scheduled to fly out of there late tonight, for Pakistan.

Chabot has traveled previously in central Asia, as a representative of the institute.

He describes this trip as an opportunity to identify needs by meeting with teachers and village religious leaders.

MALMSTROM COMMANDER

New commander to take over at Malmstrom

GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) - A new wing commander will begin his duties May 21 at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls.

Col. Michael Fortney will assume command of the 341st Space Wing.

Fortney is currently vice commander of the 30th Space Wing at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. He was previously commander of the 576th Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Flight Test Squadron at Vandenberg, and commander of the 90th Operations Group at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming.

The current wing commander at Malmstrom, Col. Sandra Finan (FINN'-un), will become deputy director of nuclear operations for Air Force Space Command at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo.

CREEK RESTORED

Blackfoot Valley creek being restored

LINCOLN, Mont. (AP) - A troubled tributary of the Blackfoot River, Lincoln Spring Creek, is being restored along its course through ranches and farmland in the Blackfoot Valley.

Its waters have been muddied by cattle, depleted by irrigation and overheated by a loss of shade trees. Vegetation along the creek has been trampled by livestock.

Now, officials are using heavy equipment and a mix of public and private funds to, in effect, rebuild the creek, restore its flows, attract native fish and prevent the waterway from being degraded again - all without interfering with landowner Paul Grosfield's ranching business.

It's part of a statewide Future Fisheries Improvement Program, a statewide partnership of government agencies, landowners, nonprofit groups and private foundations.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AP-NY-05-14-08 1620EDT

Latest Montana news, sports, business and entertainment: LIBRARY THEFTS

Woman arraigned on charges of stolen documents

GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) - The wife of alleged library thief James Brubaker has been arraigned in Great Falls, accused of helping her husband sell stolen documents on the Internet auction site eBay.

Caroline Brubaker appeared Tuesday in U.S. District Court on charges of conspiracy to traffic in stolen property and possession and sale of stolen property. Brubaker is 64.

Her husband, 73-year-old James Brubaker, was arrested on similar charges in March.

Federal prosecutors believe James Brubaker stole rare books, maps and other documents from libraries and universities in the Western United States and Canada from 2003-2007.

An article in the April edition of Smithsonian magazine detailed the efforts of a Western Washington University librarian to find documents allegedly stolen from that university.

HAMILTON ATTEMPTED MURDER

Woman charged with attempted murder, shot at husband

HAMILTON, Mont. (AP) - A 43-year-old Hamilton woman has been charged with attempted murder for shooting at her husband after an argument.

Ravalli County authorities say Deborah Haynes fired a shot at her husband Friday as he was driving away from their house. Witnesses say Haynes drove off in another direction and deputies arrested her.

Investigators determined the couple had been arguing and that she had been breaking dishes. Investigators believe she used shards from the broken dishes to cut her arms.

When deputies found Wendell Haynes, he was uninjured, and said his wife had threatened to kill herself before she shot at him.

Sheriff Chris Hoffman says Deborah Haynes was taken to the hospital for treatment and evaluation before being jailed. Her bail was set at $10,000 at a hearing Monday.

ICE CREAM BREAK-IN

Woman pleads not guilty to ice cream shop break-in

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) - A 24-year-old Missoula woman accused of breaking into an ice cream shop to satisfy a sweet tooth after a night of drinking has pleaded not guilty to felony burglary.

Katherine Moon allegedly used a small rock to break the glass front door of the Big Dipper Ice Cream Shop on April 17th -- then fixed herself an ice cream cone.

While police were investigating, Moon called 911 to turn herself in. Court records state that she told officers she'd been drinking beer and shots of whiskey throughout the night when she developed a craving for ice cream.

SUTTON'S-LAYOFFS

Billings sportswear company lays off 47

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) - Sutton's Sportswear in Billings has laid off 47 employees because of increasing competition and a changing business strategy.

Harvey Stewart is Sutton's president and chief executive. He says Monday's layoffs were necessary to bring expenses under control. The company makes customized hats, shirts and other sportswear by using screen printing and embroidery.

The layoffs account for about a quarter of Sutton's 203-person work force.

DISCRIMINATION RULING

Butte-Silver Bow appeals discrimination ruling

BUTTE, Mont. (AP) - Butte-Silver Bow is appealing a recent ruling that the city-county government discriminated against a longtime employee on the basis of age.

The Montana Department of Labor and Industry ordered Butte-Silverbow to pay courthouse secretary Linda Raiha $4,830 in back wages and $5,000 in emotional distress damages.

A hearing officer also ordered that Raiha be given the job of city court clerk.

Butte lawyer Thomas Welsch is representing the city, and said Tuesday he is appealing the ruling.

Welsch says Raiha's age had nothing to do with that fact that she wasn't hired for the court clerk's job. Welsch says Raiha just wasn't the best applicant.

Raiha's attorney, Geralyn Driscoll, says it's unfortunate Butte-Silver Bow plans to continue arguing the matter.

MONTANA POWER LAWSUIT

Trial date set in Montana Power lawsuit

BUTTE, Mont. (AP) - Former employees who sued Montana Power Co. ten years ago will finally get a trial - but it's still two years away.

District Judge Kurt Krueger set a trial date Tuesday of Jan. 11, 2010, in the lawsuit filed by past Montana Power employees. They are seeking workers' compensation benefits they claim they were due from Montana Power.

Montana Power eventually went bankrupt and was bought by several entities, including NorthWestern Energy.

The lawsuit alleges the company breached its contract with the former employees.

BEARTOOTH-MULE DEER

Mule deer population down along Beartooth Front

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) - The mule deer population has dropped dramatically in an area along the Beartooth Front that was severely damaged by a 2006 fire.

The long-term average for the census area is 1,161 mule deer. But current numbers are down more than one-third to an average of 756 deer.

The Beartooth Front is bounded by Red Lodge and the Rock Creek Valley to the east and Nye and the Stillwater River Valley to the west.

Shawn Stewart is the Fish, Wildlife and Parks biologist in charge of the count. He says the 2006 Derby fire scorched about 40 percent of the census area. It destroyed about 75 to 80 percent of the sagebrush and about one-third of the conifers. The plants provide forage as well as a shield from snow, cold and wind.

YELLOWSTONE-CAMPGROUND

Opening of YNP's Norris Campground delayed

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (AP) - Because of the heaviest snowfall in a decade, the opening of Norris Campground in Yellowstone National Park will be delayed.

Norris Campground was scheduled to open on Friday, May 16. But park officials Wednesday said the campground has current snow depths of 18 to 24 inches, making it inaccessible to campers.

Individual sites at Norris will open intermittently as the snow melts and conditions allow, with all sites expected to open in about two weeks.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AP-NY-05-14-08 1217EDT

Latest Montana news, sports, business and entertainment:

MONTANA DEMOCRATS

Bill Clinton stumps in Kalispell

KALISPELL, Mont. (AP) - Bill Clinton told a large crowd in Kalispell that his wife's big win in West Virginia was "a great night" for a campaign that's promising to run through the last primary in the nation and finish in Montana.

Clinton was on his third campaign trip to Montana yesterday. He said Hillary Clinton has -- quote -- "fought virtually to a draw."

She has been under increasing pressure to bow out, but she's adamant she will finish so all states can vote.

Bill Clinton told Democrats in the crowd not to worry about the ongoing race between his wife and Barack Obama, which some say could fracture the party. He assured the audience that the party would be united.

The former president also argued that the electoral map favors his wife, who he predicted could "rout" Republican John McCain. Bill Clinton is scheduled to speak today in Missoula.

SMITH-DEATH PENALTY

Schweitzer: No deal to commute Canadian's death sentence

HELENA, Mont. (AP) - Governor Brian Schweitzer says there was no deal on the table to commute the sentence of a Canadian on death row in Montana and recent reports to the contrary are just "Canadian domestic politics."

His comments follow reports by a Canadian news agency that the governor told a top Canadian consular official last year that he was prepared to consider commuting Ronald Smith's sentence -- and transferring the convicted killer to a Canadian prison -- if Canada would agree to keep Smith behind bars for at least five years.

Schweitzer said yesterday there was no such deal.

He says officials with the previous Canadian administration told him they wanted him to commute Smith's sentence. He says he listened to what they had to say but made it clear that the state Board of Pardons and Parole would first have to consider the case.

FARM BILL-FOOD CRISIS

Farm bill has little aid for needy children abroad

WASHINGTON (AP) - Critics say a five-year farm bill in Congress this week does little to address the growing global food crisis.

Instead, they say it diverts money that could be spent feeding poor children abroad, to give more subsidies for U.S. farmers now enjoying record high crop prices and incomes.

The 300 billion dollar bill was crafted by House and Senate negotiators.

The bill has widespread bipartisan support in both the House and Senate, but President Bush has promised to veto it.

Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer says the bill is incompatible with the world economy. He says poor weather, high fuel prices and growing need are contributing to higher food prices and severe hunger in developing nations.

Bush contends the bill is too expensive and too generous to wealthy U.S. farmers.

YELLOWSTONE BISON-HAZING

Hazing of bison to begin in West Yellowstone

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) - Several hundred bison will be hazed back into Yellowstone National Park beginning today and lasting for several weeks under a program to prevent the spread of a livestock disease.

Park spokesman Al Nash says the hazing will be done differently than last year, when hazed animals kept pushing back out of the park and into areas where cattle range. That stoked fears among the livestock industry that the bison could transmit brucellosis, a disease that causes cows to abort their young.

Nash said this year's hazing will be carried out more slowly, to make sure bison are not moved too fast to higher elevations where snow still covers forage. He said that should allow the animals to remain in the park once they are moved.

CONSERVATION EASEMENT

FWP pursuing conservation easement on NE Montana ranch

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) - The state Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks is taking public comment on a proposal to pay about $5 million for a conservation easement on a 24,000-acre ranch in northeastern Montana.

The Cornwell Ranch lies mostly northwest of Glasgow.

The conservation easement would allow the Cornwell family to continue operating the ranch for cattle while protecting wildlife habitat and public hunting access.

The environmental assessment says a conservation easement would allow the land to remain locally owned and kept in agricultural production at a time when ranches are being sold at prices unaffordable to agricultural producers. Public comment is being taken through May 28th.

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Information from: Billings Gazette, http://www.billingsgazette.com

DUNCAN SLAYINGS

Duncan trial to be delayed further

BOISE, Idaho (AP) - The federal death penalty hearing for Joseph Edward Duncan III will be delayed again while Duncan undergoes additional mental evaluations.

U.S. District Judge Edward Lodge ordered the additional evaluation yesterday. The court is trying to determine if Duncan is competent to represent himself in his sentencing hearing for the 2005 kidnapping and abuse of Shasta and Dylan Groene and the slaying of Dylan.

Most of the recent filings in the case have been kept under seal by Lodge, and the attorneys are under a gag order. Duncan has already been evaluated by a Boise-area psychiatrist, and it was not immediately clear why the additional mental evaluation was needed.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AP-NY-05-14-08 0431EDT

Latest Montana news, sports, business and entertainment: FARM BILL-FOOD CRISIS

Farm bill has little aid for needy children abroad

WASHINGTON (AP) - Critics say a five-year farm bill in Congress this week does little to address the growing global food crisis.

Instead, they say it diverts money that could be spent feeding poor children abroad, to give more subsidies for U.S. farmers now enjoying record high crop prices and incomes.

The 300 billion dollar bill was crafted by House and Senate negotiators.

The bill has widespread bipartisan support in both the House and Senate, but President Bush has promised to veto it.

Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer says the bill is incompatible with the world economy. He says poor weather, high fuel prices and growing need are contributing to higher food prices and severe hunger in developing nations.

Bush contends the bill is too expensive and too generous to wealthy U.S. farmers.

CLINTON-KALISPELL

Former President Clinton speaks in Kalispell tonight, Missoula tomorrow

KALISPELL, Mont. (AP) - Former President Bill Clinton will visit Kalispell tonight and Missoula tomorrow as he campaigns for his wife, presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

The former president will attend a campaign event this evening at Flathead Valley Community College, followed by a stop at the University of Montana tomorrow.

The campaign trip will be Clinton's third visit to Montana this year.

He was in Billings over the weekend, wooing Democrats at an annual Yellowstone County dinner. In April, he stumped in Havre, Great Falls, Helena and Butte.

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama continue to battle in Montana, home of the nation's last primary on June 3rd. At stake in the Montana primary are 16 delegates to the Democratic national convention.

U.S. SENATE-DEBATE

GOP Senate hopefuls to hold Bozeman debate

BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) - At least three of the five Republican U.S. Senate candidates are expected Wednesday at a forum in Bozeman. It may be the only time the candidates will appear in a debate-like setting before the June 3 primary election.

A Bozeman Republican group, the Big Sky Pachyderm Club, is hosting the forum.

The club's Matt Monforton says candidates Kirk Bushman, Michael Lange and Anton Pearson are expected for the event, which begins at noon at the Holiday Inn in Bozeman.

Bushman, Lange and Pearson are vying for the Republican nomination to challenge Democratic U.S. Sen. Max Baucus, who is running for a sixth consecutive term.

The other two Republican candidates in the race are Missoula accountant Patty Lovaas and Butte attorney Bob Kelleher.

CONSERVATION EASEMENT

FWP pursuing conservation easement on NE Montana ranch

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) - The state Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks is taking public comment on a proposal to pay about 5 million dollars for a conservation easement on a 24,000-acre ranch in northeastern Montana.

The Cornwell Ranch lies mostly northwest of Glasgow.

The conservation easement would allow the Cornwell family to continue operating the ranch for cattle while protecting wildlife habitat and public hunting access.

The environmental assessment says a conservation easement would allow the land to remain locally owned and kept in agricultural production at a time when ranches are being sold at prices unaffordable to agricultural producers. Public comment is being taken through May 28.

PROPERTY REAPPRAISALS

State tax chief says Montana property prices holding

BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) - Housing prices may be plummeting elsewhere, but state Revenue Director Dan Bucks says a strong state economy is dampening those negative effects in Montana.

The Department of Revenue is getting ready to do a statewide reappraisal of the property values of more than 1 million homes, businesses and farms. It does that every six years, to meet a constitutional requirement that property taxes should be fair, equalized and accurate.

Bucks says Gov. Brian Schweitzer and lawmakers are committed to taking action in the 2009 Legislature so that increases in market values won't mean a huge increase in overall tax collections.

HATCHERY-CONTAMINATION

Big Spring Creek landowners reach $6 million settlement

GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) - A judge has approved a 6 million dollar settlement in a class action lawsuit by landowners, against the state and two private companies.

The agreement includes $3.3 million for 202 landowners living downstream from Big Springs Hatchery at Lewistown, the source of pollution downstream in Big Spring Creek.

District Judge Kurt Krueger approved the settlememnt Monday.

Still to be settled is how much the defendants must pay for the clean-up of the creek.

Defendants in the case are Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Columbia Paint & Coating Co. and Monsanto Chemical Co. FWP owns Big Springs Hatchery. Its raceways were painted in the 1960s and paint flakes containing PCBs washed downstream for miles, contaminating fish.

YELLOWSTONE ROAD

Yellowstone Park road subsides, is temporarily closed

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (AP) - A section of Yellowstone National Park's Grand Loop Road south of Canyon Junction has been temporarily closed after the road collapsed.

Park officials say no one was traveling on that section of the road when it slumped Monday.

When the roadbed subsided Monday afternoon, it caused a break in the underlying water main which serves the Canyon area. The rushing water further undercut the roadbed.

Park maintenance crews were assessing the damage Tuesday in preparation for emergency repairs to the water line and the road. Officials say they hope to have the road reopened to travel Thursday morning.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AP-NY-05-13-08 1630EDT

Latest Montana news, sports, business and entertainment: CLINTON-KALISPELL

Former President Clinton set to return to Montana on Tuesday

HELENA, Mont. (AP) - Former President Bill Clinton will visit Kalispell tonight and Missoula tomorrow as he campaigns for his wife, presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

The former president will attend a campaign event this evening at Flathead Valley Community College, followed by a stop at the University of Montana tomorrow.

The campaign trip will be Clinton's third visit to Montana this year.

He was in Billings over the weekend, wooing Democrats at an annual Yellowstone County dinner. In April, he stumped in Havre, Great Falls, Helena and Butte.

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama continue to battle in Montana, home of the nation's last primary on June 3rd. At stake in the Montana primary are 16 delegates to the Democratic national convention.

U.S. SENATE-DEBATE

GOP Senate hopefuls to hold Bozeman debate

BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) - At least three of the five Republican U.S. Senate candidates are expected Wednesday at a forum in Bozeman. It may be the only time the candidates will appear in a debate-like setting before the June 3 primary election.

A Bozeman Republican group, the Big Sky Pachyderm Club, is hosting the forum.

The club's Matt Monforton says candidates Kirk Bushman, Michael Lange and Anton Pearson are expected for the event, which begins at noon at the Holiday Inn in Bozeman.

Bushman, Lange and Pearson are vying for the Republican nomination to challenge Democratic U.S. Sen. Max Baucus, who is running for a sixth consecutive term.

The other two Republican candidates in the race are Missoula accountant Patty Lovaas and Butte attorney Bob Kelleher.

PROPERTY REAPPRAISALS

State tax chief says Montana property prices holding

BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) - Housing prices may be plummeting elsewhere, but state Revenue Director Dan Bucks says a strong state economy is dampening those negative effects in Montana.

Bucks made that comment in Bozeman, where he met Monday with about 20 real estate agents and appraisers.

The Department of Revenue is getting ready to do a statewide reappraisal of the property values of more than 1 million homes, businesses and farms. It does that every six years, to meet a constitutional requirement that property taxes should be fair, equalized and accurate.

Bucks says Gov. Brian Schweitzer and lawmakers are committed to taking action in the 2009 Legislature so that increases in market values won't mean a huge increase in overall tax collections.

HATCHERY-CONTAMINATION

Big Spring Creek landowners reach $6 million settlement

GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) - A judge has approved a $6 million settlement in a class action lawsuit by landowners against the state and two private companies over pollution in Big Spring Creek.

The agreement includes $3.3 million for 202 landowners living downstream from Big Springs Hatchery at Lewistown, the source of pollution downstream in Big Spring Creek.

District Judge Kurt Krueger approved the settlememnt Monday.

Still to be settled is how much the defendants must pay for the clean-up of the creek.

Defendants in the case are Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Columbia Paint & Coating Co. and Monsanto Chemical Co. FWP owns Big Springs Hatchery. Its raceways were painted in the 1960s and paint flakes containing PCBs washed downstream for miles, contaminating fish.

BROCKTON STABBING-SENTENCE

Woman sentenced for stabbing boyfriend to death

GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) - A Brockton woman who was convicted of fatally stabbing her boyfriend on New Year's Day has been sentenced to almost three years in prison.

Twenty-one-year-old Stanette Crowe received 32 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.

She was found guilty in January of involuntary manslaughter for the 2007 death of 22-year-old Donald Eagleman at a residence they shared in Brockton.

Crowe told investigators that Eagleman tried to choke her before she grabbed a knife and stabbed him in the chest.

PARK BEATING

Teen pleads not guilty in park beating

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) - A 17-year-old boy charged as an adult for the beating of another teenager has pleaded not guilty to felony aggravated assault.

Mason Antonson's bail was maintained at $7,500 yesterday before he was sent back to a youth detention facility.

Antonson was the second teenager to be charged as an adult for the February 28th beating that left the victim with a collapsed lung and other serious injuries.

Sixteen-year-old Emilio Lopez pleaded not guilty in April to felony aggravated assault. Charges are pending against at least two other teenagers.

Prosecutors say Antonson, Lopez and three other teens were involved in the attack at Pioneer Park. One of the suspects allegedly taped the incident and posted the video on the Web site YouTube.

LIVINGSTON EMBEZZLEMENT

Park County woman sentenced for embezzlement

LIVINGSTON, Mont. (AP) - A Park County woman has been sentenced to five days in jail and six years probation for embezzling more than $24,000 from her former employer, the Park Conservation District.

District Judge Nels Swandal also ordered 34-year-old Amy Miller to pay $4,682 in restitution to cover overdraft fees and fines, levied by federal and state tax agencies against the Conservation District.

Miller paid back the $24,000 shortly after the embezzlement was discovered by Conservation District board member Gayleen Malone.

During sentencing Monday in Livingston, Miller's attorney Kevin Brown asked if she could participate in work release programs instead of being jailed. Swandal rejected the request, saying Miller should sit and think about what she did.

SCHOOL NAME

Hyalite wins out as new school name in Bozeman

BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) - The Bozeman School Board has voted to name its new school Hyalite Elementary.

The board voted 7-0 Monday night to adopt the name, which won the most votes in an informal public poll. It will be the only public school in Montana named Hyalite.

Winning nearly 25 percent of the 2,734 votes cast on the Internet or in person, Hyalite beat out eight other finalists. Meadowlark was runner-up with 20 percent, and Robert Frost came in third with nearly 12 percent.

Hyalite is a translucent mineral of the opal family, as well as the name of a mountain peak and a popular recreation area south of Bozeman.

The new school is under construction and set to open in August 2009.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AP-NY-05-13-08 1220EDT

Latest Montana news, sports, business and entertainment: CLINTON-KALISPELL

Former President Clinton set to return to Montana on Tuesday

HELENA, Mont. (AP) - Former President Bill Clinton will be in Kalispell this evening, campaigning for his wife.

The former president is scheduled to attend a campaign event at Flathead Valley Community College.

The Montana campaign trip will be Bill Clinton's third this year.

Over the weekend, he spoke to Democrats in Billings at an annual Yellowstone County dinner. Last month, he stumped in Havre, Great Falls, Helena and Butte.

Both Hillary Clinton and Barrack Obama continue to fight it out in Montana, home of the nation's last primary on June 3rd. Both have opened campaign offices, and Obama has begun airing TV and radio ads in the state.

At stake in the state's primary are 16 delegates to the Democratic national convention.

VOTER REGISTRATION

Voter registration up for Montana's June 3 primary

HELENA, Mont. (AP) - The secretary of state's office reports voter registration in Montana is up amid excitement over the race between Clinton and Obama.

More than 626,000 voters are currently registered to vote in Montana's June 3 primary. That surpasses the total of about 595,000 registered in 2004.

And this year, voters will be able to continue registering right up until June 3. The secretary of state says local election officials are expecting a big turnout.

Clinton and Obama have both been active in the state, and part of the work has focused on registering voters and organizing volunteers with local offices.

HARDIN JAIL-CROW

Crow looked to acquire empty Hardin jail

CROW AGENCY, Mont. (AP) - Crow Chairman Carl Venne says the tribe looked into acquiring or arranging a federal takeover of an empty 27-million-dollar jail in Hardin, but is no longer interested after the city rebuffed the proposal.

Venne says the tribe was trying to find a use for the 464-bed facility and pitched the idea to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, to gauge its interest.

But he says the effort is now over. Hardin's city attorney sent the tribe a letter last week saying the city would fight to keep control of the facility.

The maneuvering over the jail's future comes amid mounting financial pressures spurred by its failure to bring in money. The privately operated jail has been vacant since it was completed last year, and defaulted on its bond earlier this month.

State and local governments say they have no use for more jail space, and efforts to bring in out-of-state inmates remain stalled.

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By AP writer Matthew Brown

CHILD SHOT

Federal investigation into shooting death of Browning girl

BROWNING, Mont. (AP) - Federal officials are investigating the shooting death of a 3-year-old girl in Browning.

Mya Angel Pepion died of a gunshot wound last Thursday, according to her obituary.

Jessica Fehr (fair) is a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office in Billings. She confirmed that her office is investigating the case with the FBI.

Fehr says the FBI has jurisdiction because the shooting happened on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. She declined to comment further.

The FBI and Blackfeet tribal police didn't immediately return phone calls seeking comment.

MOTORCYCLE FATAL

Butte man dies in motorcycle accident

BUTTE, Mont. (AP) - A Butte man has died in a motorcycle accident.

The Montana Highway Patrol says it happened Saturday at 2:25 p.m. on the Interstate 15 Frontage Road, 14 miles south of Butte.

The Highway Patrol says the 52-year-old man was traveling in the northbound lane when the motorcycle veered off the road and hit an embankment. The driver was ejected and died of blunt force trauma.

The Highway Patrol says he was not wearing a helmet and that alcohol and speed were factors in the crash.

The driver's identity had not yet been released.

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Information from: Laurel Staples/KXLF-TV, www.kxlf.com

MINING TRIAL

Mining company seeks billions from parent to pay creditors

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) - A U.S. mining company accused its Mexican parent company of stripping it of its most valuable assets and forcing it into bankruptcy.

Opening statements began yesterday (Monday) in a Texas courtroom, in Asarco's 10.5-billion-dollar lawsuit against Grupo Mexico.

Asarco's attorney says the leaders of Grupo Mexico knew that transferring Asarco's controlling interest in a Peruvian copper mine to another Grupo subsidiary, Americas Mining, would leave Asarco with no way to pay an estimated one billion dollars in asbestos claims, as well as environmental cleanup of 20 Superfund sites around the country. One of those sites is a closed lead smelter in East Helena, Montana.

Asarco claims Grupo Mexico transferred its interest in the copper mines to its subsidiary, so its value wouldn't be used to pay the creditors.

But in his opening statement, the defense's attorney tried to humanize German Larrea -- who heads up Grupo Mexico -- as a businessman struggling through a downturn in copper prices.

He said that Larrea would testify that his biggest mistake in life was allowing Asarco to file for bankruptcy.

NORTHERN BORDER PATROLS

US military eyes more northern border patrols

WASHINGTON (AP) - The chief of the U.S. Northern Command says the Pentagon is working with civilian authorities to increase monitoring of the northern border.

Air Force General Gene Renuart (REN'-yoo-ahrt) says defense officials are working with the Federal Aviation Administration and Canadian authorities on the project.

He told The Associated Press the groups are trying to determine how unmanned aircraft can be used without interfering with busy commercial air traffic routes.

The U.S. and Canada plan to use unmanned aerial vehicles along the more than 5,000-mile long northern border. The military has chosen a base in Grand Forks, North Dakota, to base the Predator drones for that mission.

Pentagon officials say the increased military presence on the northern border is in response to shrinking arctic ice, which is expanding the amount of navigable waters. That makes it easier for security threats to sail from overseas and travel over land south into the United States.

LOTTERY PRIZES UNCLAIMED

Montana Millionaire, Hot Lotto prizes not claimed

HELENA, Mont. (AP) - Montana Lottery officials say three major lottery prizes from December drawings have gone unclaimed, and the tickets will expire next month.

No one has claimed a $10,000 Hot Lotto prize from a ticket sold at Gehlen's IGA in Lewistown for the December 12 drawing. The ticket expires six months after the drawing date, or on June 12.

Lottery officials say there are still two Montana Millionaire tickets worth $100,000 each that haven't been redeemed.

They were sold at Westside Grocery in Whitefish and Quigley's Quickstop in Ulm. Those tickets were drawn on December 31st and expire at the end of June.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AP-NY-05-13-08 0432EDT