As of Wednesday, September 8, 2021, Montana reports 131,752 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 1,041 new cases of coronavirus infection reported since yesterday: 234 new cases in Yellowstone County, 172 new cases in Flathead County, 122 new cases in Gallatin County, 78 new cases in Missoula County, 77 new cases in Cascade County, 55 new cases in Lewis & Clark County, and more new cases in 42 more Montana counties. The number of active coronavirus cases in Montana is 6,680. That’s the highest active-case count since December 2020. Currently, 301 people are being treated in Montana hospitals for COVID-19. 1,828 people have died in Montana of COVID-19. Fourteen more deaths have been reported since yesterday. Nationwide, more than 651,000 Americans have died of COVID-19. There have been 40,400,000 cases of coronavirus in the US, and counting.

Republican Montana Governor Greg Gianforte is replacing his budget director just eight months into the term. Kurt Alme will be succeeded by a GOP legislator, state senator Ryan Osmundson of Buffalo. Kurt Alme served as the United States Attorney for the District of Montana from 2017 to 2020. He stepped down as U.S. Attorney in December 2020 to become the budget director in the Gianforte administration. Osmundson chaired the Senate Finance and Claims Committee during the last two sessions. He previous served three terms in the Montana House of Representatives.

A suspected explosive device was found Saturday evening at Williams’ Bridge Fishing Access Site along the Jefferson River. Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue personnel found a pipe bomb in the river while conducting training at the site. Game wardens with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks closed the site and the nearby Sappington Bridge Fishing Access Site during the investigation.

Masks are required in the Monforton School District following a COVID-19 outbreak that forced two entire grade levels and a handful of classes to quarantine last week. A number of students and staff were diagnosed with COVID-19, closing classes and leaving the school short-staffed.

Rafters found human remains in the drought-lowered Flathead River while floating past a fishing access site northeast of Kalispell on Labor Day. Sheriff Brian Heino said the remains found Monday appeared to have been in the river for a long time.

Glacier National Park will implement a plan to eventually phase out commercial aircraft tours over the Park. The proposal would cap the number of flights allowed over Glacier National Park at 144 per year, which are the current number of flights, allow the park to set no-fly periods, and better define acceptable routes for chartered planes and helicopters.