Here is the latest Montana news from The Associated Press

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) U.S. District Judge Richard Cebull has given preliminary approval to a settlement that would end a class-action lawsuit against financial services company D.A.

Davidson. The lawsuit came after a computer hacker broke into a database containing confidential client information. The settlement would affect an estimated 226,000 current and former customers.

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

BUTTE, Mont. (AP) Judy Heintz with the U.S. Forest Service's Dillon interagency dispatch center says fires in the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia are likely responsible for the smoke hanging over parts of southwestern Montana. The 2,000-acre Discovery fire about 30 miles west of Yakima is among the largest burning in Washington. Greg Koch, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Spokane, says the smoke also has been linked to fires in southern British Columbia.

Information from: The Montana Standard, http://www.mtstandard.com

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) The estate of a Wisconsin woman who died in a Fort Smith building fire has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the business where she was staying. Linda Kopp and two others were killed in 2006 when the Big Horn Trout Shop, part of an adjacent lodge and the Yellowtail Market were destroyed by fire. In the lawsuit, Kopp's personal representative contends the shop wasn't equipped with adequate safety equipment.

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

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) Six environmental groups have filed a motion to intervene in a lawsuit filed by snowmobilers to challenge a critical habitat designation for Canada lynx. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in February designated 39,000 square miles in six states as critical habitat for the threatened Canada lynx.

Snowmobile groups in Wyoming and Washington state sued, saying the designation threatened to curtail snowmobiling in some areas.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 08-04-09 0730CDT | save this article / add to your favorites list