As of Monday, October 11, 2021, Indigineous People’s Day, COVID reporting numbers are from this past Friday, when Montana reported 158,680 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 1,315 new cases of coronavirus infection reported Friday: 205 new cases in Yellowstone County, 178 new cases in Missoula County, 177 new cases in Flathead County, 139 new cases in Cascade County, 110 new cases in Gallatin County, and more new cases in 39 more Montana counties. The number of active coronavirus cases in Montana is 12,539. Every one of Montana’s 56 counties reports active cases. Currently, 463 people are being treated in Montana hospitals for COVID-19. 2,079 people have died in Montana of COVID-19. Nine more people’s deaths have been reported in the last day. Nationwide, more than 714,000 Americans have died of COVID-19. There have been 44,300,000 cases of coronavirus in the US, and counting.

A lawsuit has been filed in Lewis & Clark County District Court challenging Senate Bill 319 from Montana’s legislative session this year. The bill prohibits groups from political activities on certain parts of college campuses and requires judges to recuse themselves from a case if an attorney on that case has donated $90 or more to that judge’s campaign in the last six years.

Utility regulators have denied NorthWestern Energy a substantial rate increase. Public service commissioners voted unanimously last Tuesday to dismiss NorthWestern’s attempt to add $26.4 million to the base rate it collects annually from Montana customers. That base rate is $600.8 million.

The Haystack fire near Boulder and Basin is 88% contained and has burned 24,011 acres. The fire was caused by lightning July 31 near Haystack Mountain to the east of I-15 between Butte and Basin. The Crown Mountain fire in the Bob Marshall Wilderness 16 miles west of Augusta has burned 1,301 acres. The fire was discovered Oct. 4 and is burning within portions of the footprint of the 1988 Canyon Creek fire. The fire is 0% contained and 140 personnel are assigned to the blaze.