A 10-year-old girl who was raped and impregnated by a man in Ohio was denied an abortion in that state after the US Supreme Court ruled last week that it overturned Roe v. Wade, demonstrating the tangible impacts that the high court’s decision is having on patients seeking access to the medical procedure.

A 28-year-old Helena man has been charged with multiple felony offenses including repeatedly raping a child younger than 13. David Allen Caves is charged with seven felony counts of sexual intercourse without consent, felony strangulation of partner or family member, felony assault with a weapon, felony sexual abuse of children, and his first misdemeanor partner or family member assault offense.

A 21-year-old man who coerced a 14-year-old girl into a sexual relationship in 2021 was sentenced for felony crimes in Gallatin County on Tuesday. Oliver Owens Temple, 21, pleaded guilty to felony sexual intercourse without consent. The plea was not part of an agreement. Gallatin County District Court Judge Andrew Breuner sentenced Temple on Tuesday to an eight-year commitment in the Montana Department of Corrections. Five years will be suspended.

The Bozeman March for Reproductive Rights partnered with the Bozeman United Way will hold protests every Friday evening at 7 pm at the Gallatin County Courthouse starting Friday, July 8. The group held a march on the Fourth of July with attendees carrying signs with phrases like “My body, my choice” and “I will not go quietly back to the 1950s.” The marches are growing in numbers following the US Supreme Courts’ decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and take away a woman’s right to abortion.

An American woman vacationing in Malta who was denied a lifesaving abortion while miscarrying was able to get care in Spain, the same day Roe v. Wade was overturned in the United States. Andrea Prudente, 38, and Jay Weeldreyer, 45, planned to leave their babymoon in Malta with a slew of pictures and cherished memories. Instead, they left on an emergency flight to Spain. Malta has one of the strictest anti-abortion laws in the world — something the couple didn’t know before booking their vacation.

As of Wednesday, March 30, 2022, Montana reports 272,543 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 46 new cases of coronavirus infection reported since
yesterday: 10 new cases in Gallatin County, 10 new cases in Missoula County, 5 new cases in Yellowstone County, and more new cases in 14 more Montana counties. The number of active coronavirus cases in Montana is 342. Currently, 29 people are being treated in Montana hospitals for COVID-19. 3,246 people have died in Montana of COVID-19. Nationwide, more than 977,000 Americans have died of COVID-19. There have been 79,900,000 cases of coronavirus in the US, and counting.

President Joe Biden may invoke the Defense Production Act soon to spur domestic production of critical minerals needed to manufacture batteries for electric vehicles and for long-term electricity storage. Doing so would add critical minerals such as lithium, nickel, graphite, cobalt and manganese to the list of items covered by the 1950 Defense Production Act, a law enacted during the Korean War that allows the president to use emergency authority to make large orders of a certain type of product or to expand productive capacity and supply.

Wildlife researchers are conducting coronavirus testing on bear, moose, deer and wolves on a Native American reservation in the remote northern Minnesota woods about 5 miles from Canada. Like researchers around the world, they are trying to figure out how, how much and where wildlife is spreading the coronavirus.

Two years after COVID-19 forced the Bozeman Public Library to change its operations, the library’s hours have now returned to its pre-pandemic
schedule. The Bozeman Public Library opens at 10 a.m. Monday through Saturday, and closes at 8 p.m. Monday-Thursday. Hours are 10 to 6 on Fridays, 10 to 5 Saturdays, and 1-5 Sundays.

As of Tuesday, March 29, 2022, Montana reports 272,509 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 59 new cases of coronavirus infection reported since yesterday: 8 new cases in Gallatin County, 7 new cases in Missoula County, 7 new cases in Yellowstone County, 6 new cases in Valley County, and more new cases in 16 more Montana counties. The number of active coronavirus cases in Montana is 342. Currently, 32 people are being treated in Montana hospitals for COVID-19. 3,246 people have died in Montana of COVID-19. Nationwide, more than 977,000 Americans have died of COVID-19. There have been 79,900,000 cases of coronavirus in the US, and counting.

The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday authorized a second booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech and the Moderna coronavirus vaccines for adults aged
50 and older. People are eligible to get the additional dose four months after receiving their first booster.

The Montana Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians has officially been transferred the management of Hell Creek State Park at Fort Peck Reservoir
in northeastern Montana from the US Army Corps of Engineers. The Little Shell Tribe is operating under the auspices of the previous lessee, Montana
Fish, Wildlife & Parks, whose lease expires in April 2023.

Four candidates are running for two open Bozeman School Board seats in the May 3 election. Current trustees Tanya Reinhardt and Lisa Weaver have filed
for re-election. Two challengers — Lauren Dee and Amber Jupka — have also filed to run. School board members are elected to three-year terms. The
school election is May 3 and will be a mail-in ballot election with in-person voting available at the Gallatin County Courthouse. Ballots will be mailed out by the County Election Office on April 15 and are due back by 8 p.m. on Election Day, May 3.

As of Monday, March 28, 2022, Montana reports 272,454 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 57 new cases of coronavirus infection reported since Friday: 10 new cases in Missoula County, 9 new cases in Gallatin County, 8 new cases in Lewis & Clark County, 7 new cases in Yellowstone County, and more new cases in 12 more Montana counties. The number of active coronavirus cases in Montana is 401. Currently, 32 people are being treated in Montana hospitals for COVID-19. 3,245 people have died in Montana of COVID-19. Three more people’s deaths have been reported since Friday. Nationwide, more than 976,000 Americans have died of COVID-19. There have been 79,900,000 cases of coronavirus in the US, and counting.

For the first time since 2005, Montana election administrators will begin running the state’s new voter management system alongside the current system
in a series of “parallel tests” before a broader deployment of the new “ElectMT” system in January 2023.

A work group is weighing different options for capping the number of guided trips permitted to outfitters on the Madison River. Setting a limit on how
many times outfitters can take clients to the Madison is one component of a larger effort to manage social conflicts and reduce crowding along one of
Montana’s most heavily-fished rivers, and one very popular for recreating.

As of Friday, March 25, 2022, Montana reports 272,397 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 45 new cases of coronavirus infection reported since yesterday: 6 new cases in Cascade County, 6 new cases in Lewis & Clark County, 6 new cases in Yellowstone County, and more new cases in 15 more Montana counties. The number of active coronavirus cases in Montana is 426. Currently, 27 people are being treated in Montana hospitals for COVID-19. 3,242 people have died in Montana of COVID-19. Nationwide, more than 974,000 Americans have died of COVID-19. There have been 79,800,000 cases of coronavirus in the US, and counting.

Bozeman city officials are laying the groundwork for paid parking in downtown Bozeman. The city also is working on parking benefit zones in nearby residential areas.

A 29-year-old snowboarder died after a fall at Big Sky Resort Wednesday. Chandler Pelletier, 29, of Belgrade, died after he fell while in an area of
steep terrain known as the North Summit Snowfield. Another Wednesday accident at Big Sky left a Utah woman with severe injuries including a
shattered skull. Mikayla Willis, of Park City, was competing in an extreme skiing event.

Three skiers were injured after being swept downhill in a 400-foot wide avalanche south of Cooke City on Thursday. A group of six skiers had split
into pairs and simultaneously descended three separate but neighboring avalanche paths on the west side of Woody Ridge, near an area locally known
as K & B’s. After skiing about halfway down, the group triggered an avalanche that bridged the three paths. Three skiers were caught by the
avalanche, one out of each pair.

Roads in Yellowstone National Park opened to bicyclists for a short spring shoulder season on Friday. For three weeks,
bicyclists and e-bikes can ride on 49 miles of park roads without vehicle traffic.

As of Thursday, March 24, 2022, Montana reports 272,356 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 52 new cases of coronavirus infection reported since yesterday: 10 new cases in Roosevelt County, 7 new cases in Flathead County, 4 new cases in Missoula County, 4 new cases in Yellowstone County, and more new cases in 16 more Montana counties. The number of active coronavirus cases in Montana is 414. Currently, 30 people are being treated in Montana hospitals for COVID-19. 3,240 people have died in Montana of COVID-19. Nationwide, more than 973,000 Americans have died of COVID-19. There have been 79,800,000 cases of coronavirus in the US, and counting.

The first boats of the year carrying invasive mussels into Montana were intercepted last weekend. Three boats carrying invasive zebra or quagga
mussels were discovered at a Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks inspection station near Anaconda.

Captive customers of NorthWestern Energy, alleging they’ve been overbilled for years for power plants due to a state law written especially for the
utility, got their day in court Wednesday in Missoula. The plaintiffs are challenging the constitutionality of Montana’s pre-approval law, which
allows customers to be committed in advance to paying for power plants before financial risks are fully realized. The plaintiffs argue that
customers have been overbilled millions of dollars since the law was created in 2007.

As of Wednesday, March 23, 2022, Montana reports 272,311 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 58 new cases of coronavirus infection reported since yesterday: 10 new cases in Flathead County, 7 new cases in Cascade County, 7 new cases in Gallatin County, 7 new cases in Yellowstone County, and more new cases in 17 more Montana counties.The number of active coronavirus cases in Montana is 464. Currently, 32 people are being treated in Montana hospitals for COVID-19. 3,238 people have died in Montana of COVID-19. Nationwide, more than 973,000 Americans have died of COVID-19. There have been 79,700,000 cases of coronavirus in the US, and counting.

Madeleine Albright, the first female US secretary of state who helped steer Western foreign policy in the aftermath of the Cold War died Wednesday of
cancer. She was 84 years old.

A district court judge ruled that a law that intended to ask Montana voters to decide how they want to vote for Supreme Court justices was
unconstitutional. The new law, House Bill 325, was passed by the Republican majority Montana Legislature last year. It intended to use a legislative
referendum to charge voters with deciding if Supreme Court justices should continue being elected statewide or be confined to district-based voting.

A snowmobiler died while riding near Big Sky on Monday. Gallatin County 911 responded to a call for an injured snowmobiler in the McAtee Basin south of
Big Sky at about 2 p.m. on Monday. The caller had found the victim unresponsive on the trail and had attempted CPR for more than 15 minutes
before leaving the area to try to get cell phone service and call 911. A team of search and rescue volunteers from the Big Sky area, including helicopter volunteers, responded and recovered the victim’s body using a helicopter because of the rough terrain the rider was in.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed increasing federal protections for northern long-eared bats in the face of white-nose syndrome,
a deadly disease that affects cave-dwelling bats across much of North America, including eastern Montana.

As of Tuesday, March 22, 2022. Montana reports 272,258 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 78 new cases of coronavirus infection reported since yesterday: 11 new cases in Lewis & Clark County, 8 new cases in Missoula County, 7 new cases in Flathead County, 6 new cases in Fergus County, 6 new cases in Lake County, and more new cases in 19 more Montana counties. The number of active coronavirus cases in Montana is 463. Currently, 35 people are being treated in Montana hospitals for COVID-19. 3,237 people have died in Montana of COVID-19. Nationwide, more than 972,000 Americans have died of COVID-19. There have been 79,700,000 cases of coronavirus in the US, and counting.

The U.S. Supreme Court has denied the Republican-majority Montana State Legislature’s request that it take up a high-profile separation of powers
case stemming from Republican subpoenas of judicial documents during the 2021 legislative session.

The Bozeman Goodwill store will permanently close its doors on March 31st due to a staffing shortage. The store at 2130 Simmental Way says, “The
staffing shortage is so bad in the Bozeman community that we’ve been struggling for years, even pre-pandemic, to hire people.”

The sale and redevelopment of Fire Station Number 1 in downtown Bozeman plans to convert the structure to at least 50 workforce housing units. City
commissioners are set to vote on the sale of Fire Station No. 1 at the corner of North Rouse Avenue and East Mendenhall Street and the allocation of $1.6 million in tax investment funds for a housing project there at their meeting next week.

As of Monday, March 21, 2022. Montana reports 272,183 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 81 new cases of coronavirus infection reported since Friday. The highest numbers of new cases are in the college towns: 16 new cases in Missoula County, 10 new cases in Gallatin County, and more new cases in 19 more Montana counties. The number of active coronavirus cases in Montana is 494. Currently, 44 people are being treated in Montana hospitals for COVID-19. 3,236 people have died in Montana of COVID-19. Nationwide, more than 970,000 Americans have died of COVID-19. There have been 79,600,000 cases of coronavirus in the US, and counting.

A federal judge in Missoula has blocked a portion of Montana’s vaccination law, stating in a court order that the law’s prohibition on workplace
vaccination requirements for COVID-19 was likely to cause “irreparable harm” to private physicians’ offices and certain health care facilities in the
state.

A man from Townsend shot and killed himself after law enforcement pulled him over near Bozeman on Friday. A Gallatin County Sheriff’s deputy pulled the
42-year-old man over for speeding at about 9 p.m. Friday night near Frontage Road and Valley Center Spur Road. As the deputy walked towards the vehicle, he heard a gunshot. The driver died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

A Cascade County Sheriff’s Deputy fatally shot a suspect Saturday afternoon during a wanted person search. Just after 1 p.m. Saturday deputies found the
suspect, in what appeared to be a disabled car, on 7th Ave South in Great Falls. While a deputy was speaking with the suspect, the suspect “pulled a gun on the deputy.” The deputy shot the suspect.

As of Friday, March 18, 2022. Montana reports 272,105 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 63 new cases of coronavirus infection reported since yesterday: 18 new cases in Yellowstone County, 13 new cases in Lewis & Clark County, 10 new cases in Cascade County, 9 new cases in Missoula County, and more new cases in 14 more Montana counties. 40 of Montana’s 56 counties report active cases. The number of active coronavirus cases in Montana is 625. Currently, 45 people are being treated in Montana hospitals for COVID-19. 3,234 people have died in Montana of COVID-19. Nationwide, more than 969,000 Americans have died of COVID-19. There have been 79,600,000 cases of coronavirus in the US, and counting.

Ten far-right wing Montana Republicans are trying again for a special session to investigate alleged election fraud and perpetuate former President Trump’s Big Lie. All 150 of Montana’s lawmakers will be officially polled over the next month on calling a special session to appoint and fund
a committee to investigate the state’s election security.

The Eight Mile Ford Fishing Access Site just south of Ennis has been reopened. Part of the site was closed by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks
last week after ice jams caused flooding at the site.

The USS Montana, the newest Virginia-class fast-attack nuclear submarine, has been delivered to the U.S. Navy and the commissioning ceremony has been
scheduled for June 25 at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia. The 7,800-ton submarine, also known as SSN 794, was delivered to the Navy Friday by
Huntington Ingalls Industries, America’s largest ship builder.

As of Thursday, March 17, 2022. Montana reports 272,036 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 85 new cases of coronavirus infection reported since yesterday: 15 new cases in Richland County, 10 new cases in Missoula County, 10 new cases in Yellowstone County, 8 new cases in Lewis & Clark County, and more new cases in 18 more Montana counties. 40 of Montana’s 56 counties report active cases. The number of active coronavirus cases in Montana is 663. Currently, 56 people are being treated in Montana hospitals for COVID-19. 3,231 people have died in Montana of COVID-19. Three more people’s deaths have been reported since yesterday. Nationwide, more than 967,000 Americans have died of COVID-19. There have been 79,500,000 cases of coronavirus in the US, and counting.

The Montana Supreme Court issued an order Tuesday saying Republican Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen was wrong in halting a ballot initiative
from going out for signature-gathering. The Supreme Court’s unanimous opinion, written by Chief Justice Mike McGrath, also indicated that the attorney general lacks the authority to reject a proposed ballot initiative on the basis that it amounts to a government “taking” of private property.

Montana is set to be designated free of invasive mussels as the state moves to delist Tiber Reservoir as a mussel-positive waterbody. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks recently launched the delisting process for Tiber.

As of Wednesday, March 16, 2022. Montana reports 271,948 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 86 new cases of coronavirus infection reported since yesterday: 18 new cases in Yellowstone County, 17 new cases in Missoula County, 14 new cases in Lewis & Clark County, and more new cases in 20 more Montana counties. 40 of Montana’s 56 counties report active cases. The number of active coronavirus cases in Montana is 647. Currently, 47 people are being treated in Montana hospitals for COVID-19. 3,228 people have died in Montana of COVID-19. Nationwide, more than 965,000 Americans have died of COVID-19. There have been 79,500,000 cases of coronavirus in the US, and counting.

The U.S. Senate on Tuesday passed a measure that would make Daylight Savings Time permanent across the United States. The Sunshine Protection Act
passed the chamber by unanimous consent. The bill would still need to pass the House and be signed by President Joe Biden to become law.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has awarded nearly $70 million in Indian Community Development Block Grants to 49 tribal communities, including the Blackfeet, Fort Belknap, Fort Peck and Northern Cheyenne tribes in Montana. The block grants, made possible through the American Rescue Plan, aim to help Indigenous communities prevent, prepare for and respond to the pandemic through funding housing construction, rehabilitation and water infrastructure.

March 17 is St. Patrick’s Day, but it’s also St. Gertrude’s Day. St. Gertrude of Nivelles is the patron saint of cats and also the patron of
travellers and gardeners. So while you’re celebrating St. Patrick on March 17, celebrate St. Gertrude and cats, too.

As of Tuesday, March 15, 2022, Montana reports 271,875 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 105 new cases of coronavirus infection reported since Friday: 18 new cases in Gallatin County, 12 new cases in Lewis & Clark County, 12 new cases in Missoula County, 11 new cases in Lincoln County, and more new cases in 21 more Montana counties. The number of active coronavirus cases in Montana is 615. Currently, 47 people are being treated in Montana hospitals for COVID-19. 3,226 people have died in Montana of COVID-19. Nationwide, more than 966,000 Americans have died of COVID-19. There have been 79,500,000 cases of coronavirus in the US, and counting.

The period for candidates to get their names on the ballot closed Monday evening, setting the scene for this year’s midterm elections. The primary election is held in June and narrows down the field of candidates of a particular political party. The winner of the primary election is that
political party’s nominee for the general election in November.

For the first time in nearly three decades, Montanans will be electing representatives for two spots in Congress. That came after the 2020 U.S.
census determined that the state had grown enough in population to regain its second Congressional seat, lost in the 1990s.

In US House District 1, the newly drawn western Congressional district, nine candidates have filed for the seat, prompting busy primaries among five
Republicans and three Democrats, as well as a Libertarian candidate. In US House District 2, the newly drawn eastern Congressional district, eleven candidates are running, including incumbent Republican Matt Rosendale. He’ll be challenged in the primary by three other Republican candidates. Three Democrats and three Libertarians are also running.

Two seats on the five-person state Public Service Commission are up for election. The PSC districts were recently redrawn by a panel of federal judges after a lawsuit challenged the districts as wildly unequal in population. PSC Districts 1 and 5 are up for election this year.

As of Monday, March 14, 2022, Montana reports 271,774 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 144 new cases of coronavirus infection reported since Friday: 30 new cases in Flathead County, 18 new cases in Yellowstone County, 16 new cases in Missoula County, 13 new cases in Gallatin County, 11 new cases in Cascade County, 11 new cases in Lewis & Clark County, and more new cases in 22 more Montana counties. The number of active coronavirus cases in Montana is 655. Currently, 46 people are being treated in Montana hospitals for COVID-19. 3,223 people have died in Montana of COVID-19. Nationwide, more than 966,000 Americans have died of COVID-19. There have been 79,400,000 cases of coronavirus in the US, and counting.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will address members of the US Congress on Wednesday at 9 a.m. Eastern time in a virtual address. Only lawmakers can attend in person, but there will be a livestream available for public viewing.

Chuck Johnson, a journalist who has covered Montana politics for more than four decades, will receive an honorary doctorate degree in humane letters
from Montana State University during the spring commencement May 13. Johnson is believed to be the longest-serving statehouse reporter in Montana.

The Montana State University men’s and women’s basketball teams both have won their conference championships and advance to the NCAA basketball tournaments.

As of Friday, March 11, 2022, Montana reports 271,641 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 73 new cases of coronavirus infection reported since yesterday: 15 new cases in Missoula County, 8 new cases in Cascade County, 8 new cases in Richland County, 7 new cases in Lewis & Clark County, 6 new cases in Gallatin County, and more new cases in 16 more Montana counties. The number of active coronavirus cases in Montana is 851. Currently, 74 people are being treated in Montana hospitals for COVID-19. 3,223 people have died in Montana of COVID-19. Nationwide, more than 965,000 Americans have died of COVID-19. There have been 79,400,000 cases of coronavirus in the US, and counting.

Former Montana Secretary of State Corey Stapleton announced Thursday that he is “testing the waters” for a potential presidential run. Stapleton, a
Republican, has formed an exploratory committee to determine the feasibility of running for president in 2024.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks biologists recently killed three mountain lions on Flathead Lake’s Wild Horse Island to protect a rare population of bighorn sheep. The mountain lions appeared to be habituated to people, according to landowners and visitors on the 2,163-acre island.

A Gardiner bar and café that hosts a Sunday trivia night raised $80,000 for Ukraine. Participation in the trivia contest pulled in just shy of $20,000. Then three matching donors pushed the number to $80,000.

As of Thursday, March 10, 2022, Montana reports 271,590 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 132 new cases of coronavirus infection reported since yesterday: 37 new cases in Cascade County, 13 new cases in Yellowstone County, 12 new cases in Missoula County, 9 new cases in Gallatin County, 9 new cases in Richland County, and more new cases in 20 more Montana counties. The number of active coronavirus cases in Montana is 859. Currently, 79 people are being treated in Montana hospitals for COVID-19. 3,221 people have died in Montana of COVID-19. Ten more people’s deaths have been reported since yesterday. Nationwide, more than 962,000 Americans have died of COVID-19. There have been 79,300,000 cases of coronavirus in the US, and counting.

The mask mandate on public transportation is being extended until April 18 by the Transportation Security Administration. Masks must continue to be
worn on airplanes, subways, busses, and other means of public transportation.

John Engen, Missoula’s longest-serving mayor, has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Engen was elected as Missoula’s 50th mayor in 2005 after serving one term on the Missoula City Council. He was born in Missoula in 1964 and is a graduate of the University of Montana.

A man in Yellowstone County has been charged with more than a dozen counts of animal abuse. Michael Bigelow, 34, is charged with four felonies and nine
misdemeanors after local law enforcement found him earlier this month on a property scattered with dogs and farm animals dead, starving and maimed.

The Montana Districting and Apportionment commission has laid out a timeline to begin the work of redrawing the state’s legislative districts in time for the 2024 election. The commission redraws the state’s districts every ten years to balance new census data and make the number of voters in each district as even as possible.

As of Wednesday, March 9, 2022, Montana reports 271,464 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 137 new cases of coronavirus infection reported since yesterday: 26 new cases in Gallatin County, 24 new cases in Cascade County, 16 new cases in Missoula County, 14 new cases in Yellowstone County, and more new cases in 23 more Montana counties. The number of active coronavirus cases in Montana is 956. Currently, 79 people are being treated in Montana hospitals for COVID-19. 3,211 people have died in Montana of COVID-19. Nationwide, more than 961,000 Americans have died of COVID-19. There have been 79,300,000 cases of coronavirus in the US, and counting.

Martha Williams, the former director of Montana’s state wildlife agency, was formally sworn in Tuesday as director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Williams had served as principal deputy director for more than a year when she was nominated last year to the service’s top post by President Joe Biden.

The Gallatin County Commission unanimously approved adding a pair of ballot questions to ask voters to increase the sales taxes on both medical and recreational marijuana by 3%. Voters will decide on adding the local-option tax to marijuana sales on the primary ballot June 7. Should either pass, the
taxes would become effective on Oct. 1.

Yellowstone National Park staff reported the park’s first grizzly bear sighting of 2022. A pilot doing wildlife research in the park saw the grizzly bear from the air on Monday. The adult bear was seen walking in a meadow in the west-central part of the park.

As of Tuesday, March 8, 2022, Montana reports 271,336 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 150 new cases of coronavirus infection reported since Friday: 26 new cases in Gallatin County, 21 new cases in Yellowstone County, 20 new cases in Missoula County, 14 new cases in Cascade County, 13 new cases in Flathead County, 13 new cases in Lewis & Clark County, and more new cases in 19 more Montana counties. The number of active coronavirus cases in Montana is 942. Currently, 83 people are being treated in Montana hospitals for COVID-19. 3,209 people have died in Montana of COVID-19. Nationwide, more than 959,000 Americans have died of COVID-19. There have been 79,200,000 cases of coronavirus in the US, and counting.

Montana is trailing only Idaho in highest daily case counts. Though cases are still high, hospitalizations are the lowest since July 2021. In total, 11,700 people have been hospitalized in Montana for COVID-19. In the last seven days, 22 more Montanans died from COVID-related illness, bringing the total to 3,209 deaths.

A Republican state representative, Frank Fleming of Billings, died Sunday. He was 68. Fleming had initially planned to run for another term in the
state House, but announced in late January he would not seek re-election to House District 51 due to medical reasons.

A lawsuit filed in June 2021 in district court by a coalition of students, staff and higher education leaders argued that four laws passed by the Montana Legislature infringed on the constitutional authority of the Board of Regents to set policy for the Montana University System. The lawsuit names Republican Governor Greg Gianforte, Republican Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen and the State of Montana as defendants.

Yellowstone National Park has started closing roads to oversnow travel in order to plow and prepare for roads to reopen to car traffic in mid-April. Starting Sunday, the park began closing some roads to snowmobiles, snow coaches and other oversnow vehicles. Snowplows have started clearing those roads to get them ready for personal vehicles. All closed roads are scheduled to reopen to car traffic on April 15.

As of Monday, March 7, 2022, Montana reports 271,191 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 163 new cases of coronavirus infection reported since Friday: 34 new cases in Missoula County, 24 new cases in Yellowstone County, 20 new cases in Gallatin County, 12 new cases in Cascade County, 11 new cases in Flathead County, and more new cases in 25 more Montana counties. The number of active coronavirus cases in Montana is 1,061. 44 of Montana’s 56 counties report active cases. Currently, 87 people are being treated in Montana hospitals for COVID-19. 3,208 people have died in Montana of COVID-19. Four more people’s deaths have been reported since Friday. Nationwide, more than 957,000 Americans have died of COVID-19. There have been 79,200,000 cases of coronavirus in the US, and counting.

Montana’s minimum wage increased by 45 cents an hour, to $9.20 per hour, on Jan. 1. The Consumer Price Index, a measure of inflation, determines the
percentage increase in Montana’s minimum wage each year.

Montana State University’s Troy Andersen showed off his elite speed at the NFL combine with a blazing 40-yard dash. Andersen, a former two-way star at Montana State, topped all linebackers with a time of 4.42 seconds in the 40-yard dash Saturday night at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

March first marked the 150th anniversary of the creation of Yellowstone National Park. On March 1, 1872, Yellowstone became the first national park in the nation and in the world when President Ulysses S. Grant signed the Yellowstone National Park Protection Act into law.