Here is the latest Montana news from The Associated Press

HELENA, Mont. (AP) Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a small explosion in a state environmental lab in Helena that forced the temporary evacuation of a building that houses the Department of Public Health and Human Services. One worker was treated for minor injuries after being thrown into the wall by the explosion on the second floor of the Cogswell Building.

Missoula, Mont. (AP) State Sen. Greg Barkus' arraignment on three felony charges resulting from a boat crash has been postponed. The arraignment originally scheduled for Thursday was delayed after local judges recused themselves and the prosecutor challenged, as allowed, the first chosen replacement.

HAVRE, Mont. (AP) The U.S. Border Patrol has sworn in 17 new agents to patrol the Canadian border. The agents first will attend a New Mexico law enforcement academy and work the southern border with Mexico for 10 months of field training. Then they'll be stationed throughout the agency's Havre sector, which covers 456 miles of Montana's northern border.

BOISE, Idaho (AP) Wolf hunters in some parts of Idaho are nearing their quotas, prompting state wildlife managers to prepare to shutter the season in those areas once the legal harvest limit has been reached. Montana has already closed gray wolf hunting near Yellowstone National Park after nine of the predators were killed there, though the state is sticking with its 75-wolf season quota.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 10-21-09 0231CDT | save this article / add to your favorites list