Western North Dakota, Bismarck, Minot, Williston and Dickinson http://www.kxnet.com//en-usCopyright 2010 KXNet.com1800Wed, 28 Jul 2010 22:12:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=608702http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=608702<p> Five baited traps have been set at a campground in Yellowstone National Park as wildlife officials try to track down one or more bears responsible for a deadly attack. At least one bear rampaged through the 10-acre Soda Butte campground near Coo</p>Wed, 28 Jul 2010 11:51:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=608484http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=608484<p> Montana wildlife officials say at least one bear attacked three people in several tents at a campground near Yellowstone National Park before dawn Wednesday, killing one person and injuring two others. After the attack was reported, authorities clear</p>Wed, 28 Jul 2010 10:06:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=608416http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=608416<p> Montana wildlife officials say at least one bear attacked three people at a campground near Yellowstone National Park before dawn Wednesday, killing one person and injuring two others. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks spokesman Ron Aasheim said </p>Wed, 28 Jul 2010 08:21:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=608353http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=608353<p> A federal judge in Montana has ordered the U.S. Forest Service to take a tougher look at the possibility that routinely dropping toxic fire retardant on wildfires from airplanes will kill endangered fish and plants. U.S. District Donald W. Mollo</p>Wed, 28 Jul 2010 08:21:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=608352http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=608352<p> A federal judge in Montana has ordered the U.S. Forest Service to take a tougher look at the possibility that routinely dropping toxic fire retardant on wildfires from airplanes will kill endangered fish and plants. U.S. District Donald W. Mollo</p>Wed, 28 Jul 2010 05:54:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=608257http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=608257<p> The Lewis and Clark National Forest has authorized the removal of 180 acres of dead trees at the Showdown Ski area in the Little Belt Mountains between Monarch and Neihart. The trees the agency wants to remove were killed by mountain pine beetl</p>Tue, 27 Jul 2010 10:34:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=607826http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=607826<p> Bismarck, N.D.-based Basin Electric Power Cooperative on Tuesday began construction of a power plant in eastern South Dakota. The $405 million Deer Creek Station is near Brookings. Officials expect to have it operating in mid-2012 to help provid</p>Tue, 27 Jul 2010 07:25:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=607691http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=607691<p> Thousands of caves and abandoned mines on federal land in Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas and South Dakota will be off limits to explorers for the next year. The U.S. Forest Service's Rocky Mountain region announced Tuesday that it is barrin</p>Fri, 16 Jul 2010 00:11:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=604093http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=604093<p> U.S. Forest Service regional offices in the West are considering whether to close bat caves to help prevent the spread of a disease that is fatal to the mammals. Officials with the agency's Rocky Mountain and Southwest region offices say they ha</p>Wed, 14 Jul 2010 22:12:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=603448http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=603448<p> Authorities are investigating after a group of mushroom pickers discovered portions of human skeletal remains north of St. Mary's Peak in western Montana. The Ravalli County Sheriff's office says the group found the remains in the Stevensville F</p>Wed, 14 Jul 2010 20:13:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=603420http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=603420<p> A McLean County prosecutor has filed paperwork to dismiss an assault charge against a North Dakota lawmaker accused of punching his estranged wife. David Weiler, a Republican in the state house, was charged March 12 with simple assault. He plead</p>Wed, 14 Jul 2010 16:31:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=603373http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=603373<p> Authorities are investigating after a group of mushroom pickers discovered portions of human skeletal remains north of St. Mary's Peak in western Montana. The Ravalli County Sheriff's office says the group found the remains in the Stevensville F</p>Wed, 14 Jul 2010 07:25:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=603089http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=603089<p> The U.S. Forest Service has reopened the Summit Trail in the North Dakota Badlands after fixing an eroded section that had made four miles of the trail impassible. The Dakota Prairie Grasslands office said a harsh winter and wet spring caused th</p>Tue, 13 Jul 2010 22:05:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=602857http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=602857<p> A fire between Great Falls and Helena that's burned nearly a half square mile is now about 10 percent contained. Department of Natural Resources and Conservation spokesman John Grassy says officials believe lightning struck in the area on Satur</p>Tue, 13 Jul 2010 11:44:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=602694http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=602694<p> A Sheridan man has died after being struck by lightning in the Big Horn Mountains. Chad Fehr, assistant coroner for Yellowstone County, Mont., says David Westlake died Monday at a Billings hospital from cardiac arrest, one day after the lightnin</p>Mon, 12 Jul 2010 23:22:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=602338http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=602338<p> The Lewis and Clark National Forest has begun opening gates and modifying travel signs along 140 miles of roads and trails that were previously off limits to motorized vehicles. Such vehicles were barred from the trails under a 2007 forest trav</p>Fri, 09 Jul 2010 05:33:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=600708http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=600708<p> Some of Madison County's famed covered bridges are getting a high-tech laser scan to create a historical document that can be used to rebuild them if they are destroyed. The U.S. Forest Service's Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, Wis., is l</p>Tue, 06 Jul 2010 21:51:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=599331http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=599331<p> Authorities say a 61-year-old Idaho woman was killed by a falling tree as she hiked with a friend west of Libby over the weekend. Roby Bowe with the Lincoln County Sheriff's office says Diane Triplett of Post Falls, Idaho, was hit by the tree on</p>Tue, 06 Jul 2010 18:21:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=599285http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=599285<p> Authorities say a 61-year-old Idaho woman was killed by a falling tree as she hiked with a friend west of Libby over the weekend. Roby Bowe with the Lincoln County Sheriff's office says Diane Triplett of Post Falls was hit by the tree on the Ced</p>Tue, 06 Jul 2010 11:51:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=599127http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=599127<p> Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer is putting his weight behind an effort to raise $30 million for a new state museum in Helena. He's contributing $1,000 he earned as chairman of the Western Governor's Association to the museum effort. The new museum will</p>Tue, 06 Jul 2010 09:45:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=599062http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=599062<p> A company looking minerals around Chrome Mountain is planning to drill up to 15 exploration sites in the Gallatin National Forest. The U.S. [[kxtopic:forest-service:t[Forest Service]:t]] says Premium Exploration Inc. could begin the project as e</p>Tue, 06 Jul 2010 07:25:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=599002http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=599002<p> A company looking minerals around Chrome Mountain is planning to drill up to 15 exploration sites in the Gallatin National Forest. The U.S. Forest Service says Premium Exploration Inc. could begin the project as early as September. The Forest Se</p>Mon, 05 Jul 2010 12:33:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=598670http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=598670<p> Firefighters in Nevada have contained one fire in the mountains northwest of Las Vegas and report good progress on another that burned more than a dozen buildings in a small ranching town. The Bureau of Land Management says the fire that burned </p>Mon, 05 Jul 2010 10:27:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=598645http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=598645<p> State budget director Pam Sharp says North Dakota should finish its two-year budget cycle with an $800 million surplus. Some states aren't as fortunate and had been hoping for extended federal stimulus aid. Congress was poised to extend some sti</p>Mon, 05 Jul 2010 02:45:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=598518http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=598518<p> Rufus the mule and his fellow four-legged government workers withstood days of sweltering heat and hauled tons of rocks and dirt over onerous terrain in North Dakota's badlands with nary a protesting bray. The U.S. [[kxtopic:forest-service:t[For</p>Sun, 04 Jul 2010 21:44:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=598462http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=598462<p> The Columbus Fire Department chief in south-central Montana says a wildfire has forced the evacuation of about 20 homes Sunday in a subdivision between Columbus and Reed Point. Rich Cowger says the entire Hearts and Diamonds subdivision has bee</p>Sun, 04 Jul 2010 21:44:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=598461http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=598461<p> The Montana Highway Patrol says a child died after being struck by a vehicle at Camp Kiwanis in Beaver Creek Park about 12 miles south of Havre in north-central Montana. They say the child was struck Saturday at the park in Hill County that's a natur</p>Sat, 03 Jul 2010 08:07:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=597912http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=597912<p> Songwriter and singer Carole King has put her 128-acre central Idaho ranch back on the market with a reduced asking price of $16 million. The Robinson Bar Ranch compound near Stanley includes a 7,300-square-foot lodge, a private residence, a car</p>Thu, 01 Jul 2010 10:13:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=596991http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=596991<p> North Dakota Republican U.S. House candidate Rick Berg says he's raised more than $1 million for his campaign. Berg says that puts him in better shape than previous challengers to Democratic Rep. Earl Pomeroy. Pomeroy is running for his 10th te</p>Thu, 01 Jul 2010 06:01:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=596828http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=596828<p> North Dakota's Transportation Department says it is cooperating with a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service investigation into the killing of endangered flowers near Lisbon by herbicides. U.S. Forest Service District Ranger Brian Stotts says about 200</p>Wed, 30 Jun 2010 22:12:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=596610http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=596610<p> Four bodies have been found inside the wreckage of a small plane on a rugged hillside in northwestern Montana, bringing a tragic end to a 2 1/2-day search for a group of friends who went out on an afternoon sightseeing trip and never returned. </p>Wed, 30 Jun 2010 14:32:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=596491http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=596491<p> A wildfire burning four miles north of Flagstaff is fully contained after charring more than 15,000 acres. U.S. Forest Service officials say the so-called Schultz Fire has burned an estimated 15,075 acres, or more than 23 square miles of scenic </p>Wed, 30 Jun 2010 09:52:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=596312http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=596312<p> A federal judge has blocked three logging projects in the Kootenai National Forest over claims they would harm the area's endangered grizzly bear population. The Alliance for the Wild Rockies filed the lawsuit in November to stop the projects me</p>Mon, 28 Jun 2010 23:43:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=595395http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=595395<p> Officials with the Dakota Prairie Grasslands are resurfacing the Maah Daah Hey Trail this week, and they're getting some help from pack mules. The Rocky Mountain Regional Pack String is a Colorado-based division of the U.S. Forest Service. </p>Sat, 26 Jun 2010 22:54:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=594455http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=594455<p> Consensus on helping the global economic recovery has eluded leaders of the Group of 20 rich industrial and major developing countries so they're agreeing to pursue separate strategies. The G20 wraps up its Toronto summit today with the U.S. say</p>Sat, 26 Jun 2010 22:54:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=594454http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=594454<p> World leaders wrapping up the G20 summit today have struggled for common ground on the global economic recovery. Mindful that open signs of dissension could worry financial markets, the G-20 leaders agreed that deficits must be tamed in the long te</p>Sat, 26 Jun 2010 18:56:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=594420http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=594420<p> Some crews have been released from a big wildfire near Flagstaff, Ariz., that has scorched more than 23 square miles of forest. U.S. Forest Service spokesman Troy Waskey says fire activity is really low and none of the perimeter is a concern. Cr</p>Fri, 25 Jun 2010 23:57:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=594087http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=594087<p> Forecasters say Tropical Storm Alex is not headed for the Gulf oil spill. The first tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season formed in the Western Caribbean today. Hurricane center forecaster Jack Bevins says prediction models no longer have i</p>Fri, 25 Jun 2010 22:05:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=594057http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=594057<p> Former Vice President Dick Cheney is hospitalized in Washington, D.C., for more tests after going to his doctors because of discomfort. Cheney, who is 69, has a long history of heart trouble dating back to age 37. But it's not clear if his disco</p>Fri, 25 Jun 2010 19:03:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=594029http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=594029<p> Forecasters say the first tropical depression of the Atlantic hurricane season could become a tropical storm Saturday and cross the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico into the southern Gulf of Mexico by Monday. Forecasters say it's too soon to predict wheth</p>Fri, 25 Jun 2010 18:07:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=594017http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=594017<p> Former Vice President Dick Cheney is expected to remain in a Washington hospital over the weekend. He entered George Washington University Hospital Friday after complaining of discomfort. Cheney, who is 69, has a long history of heart trouble. But </p>Fri, 25 Jun 2010 16:03:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=593972http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=593972<p> A wildfire burning in Arizona that threatened homes in Flagstaff and has charred an estimated 15,000 acres has been declared 50 percent contained. U.S. Forest Service officials said Friday night that full containment of the so-called Schultz fir</p>Fri, 25 Jun 2010 08:35:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=593746http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=593746<p> A federal appeals court has issued an order blocking logging on about 1,600 acres of burned forest in southwestern Montana. U.S. Forest Service officials say most of the work has already been done. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursd</p>Thu, 24 Jun 2010 07:53:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=593097http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=593097<p> An environmental group is suing the U.S. Forest Service, claiming the agency is violating the Endangered Species Act by failing to uphold protections for the Mexican spotted owl in the Southwest. WildEarth Guardians filed its lawsuit in federal </p>Thu, 24 Jun 2010 04:02:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=592951http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=592951<p> Black Hills Power Corp. is planning a new transmission line from a Wyoming substation to South Dakota, to help meet the growing demand for power in the Rapid City region. Public meetings are planned Monday in Newcastle, Wyo., and Tuesday in Rapi</p>Wed, 23 Jun 2010 10:13:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=592545http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=592545<p> The Forest Service says it is closing a larger area near an Arizona wildfire outside Flagstaff. The emergency closure includes the Kachina Peaks Wilderness and all trails and roads near the blaze. Officials are still trying to find out who </p>Mon, 21 Jun 2010 21:51:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=591590http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=591590<p> Gov. Brian Schweitzer says parts of Billings hit by a tornado remain dangerous because debris could again become airborne if another storm passes through the city. Schweitzer on Monday toured the wreckage of the state's largest indoor arena, whi</p>Mon, 21 Jun 2010 10:27:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=591397http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=591397<p> Montana wildlife officials say a Washington state man was injured by a black bear that bit through his tent at a primitive campsite in the Lolo National Forest in western Montana. Fish, Wildlife and Parks wardens say Rob Holmes of Ellensburg, W</p>Wed, 16 Jun 2010 11:02:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=588945http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=588945<p> Authorities have officially called off the search for victims at a western Arkansas campground where 20 people were killed by flash flooding last week. Gov. Mike Beebe says state agencies on Wednesday ended the search-and-recovery response to fl</p>Tue, 15 Jun 2010 23:15:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=588556http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=588556<p> The Black Hills town of Hill City is taking steps to preserve its mining history. An old mill frame west of the town had been on the list of old structures in the Black Hills National Forest that were supposed to be destroyed. The U.S. For</p>Tue, 15 Jun 2010 22:05:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=588539http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=588539<p> A 52-year-old Billings man has been found guilty of his 10th drunken driving charge after a two-day trial in Polson. Lake County officials say Wesley Jean Couture was on parole from a 2003 DUI when a Flathead tribal officer observed his vehicle </p>Tue, 15 Jun 2010 11:23:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=588316http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=588316<p> Environmentalists say they are finalizing the purchase of mining claims north of Yellowstone National Park to wrap up the land conservation effort surrounding the New World Mine. The Trust for Public Land says it has bought the last 772 acres o</p>Mon, 14 Jun 2010 16:03:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=587815http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=587815<p> BP believes it will see considerable improvements in the next two weeks in the amount of oil it captures from its blown-out well. Meanwhile, congressional investigators have identified critical errors BP made in the days leading up to the deadly disa</p>Mon, 14 Jun 2010 12:33:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=587751http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=587751<p> With the recovery of the 20th and perhaps last victim from flash floods in Arkansas, attention is turning to whether visitors to a remote campground received sufficient warnings about an approaching wall of water. Worried forecasters sent warnin</p>Mon, 14 Jun 2010 05:26:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=587525http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=587525<p> Pine trees in the Northeast aren't looking so evergreen. The U.S. Forest Service says a warm spring turned the needles of some pine trees brown, and it's worrying some residents. New Hampshire Forest Health Program Coordinator Kyle Lombard </p>Mon, 14 Jun 2010 00:04:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=587391http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=587391<p> A crucial week is beginning for the disaster recovery effort along the Gulf coast as President Barack Obama heads there for his fourth visit to the oil spill zone. Obama will wrap up the two-day visit with a national address and on Wednesday, he</p>Sun, 13 Jun 2010 21:51:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=587362http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=587362<p> Officials say one person is still missing after flash floods swept through an Arkansas campsite and killed at least 19 people. Crews are planning to resume their search Monday morning, three days after a torrent of water swept through the Albert</p>Sat, 12 Jun 2010 09:03:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=586774http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=586774<p> Coast Guard Rear Adm. James Watson has sent a letter to BP officials expressing frustration with the pace of progress in the effort to stop the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico. The letter gives BP until the end of the weekend to identify ways to speed</p>Fri, 11 Jun 2010 21:44:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=586621http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=586621<p> Gov. Brian Schweitzer told the annual convention of one of Montana's largest worker unions they will not be laid off or furloughed, even as the state faces falling revenues. Schweitzer addressed members of the Montana Public Employees Associati</p>Fri, 11 Jun 2010 11:51:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=586447http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=586447<p> A Montana judge has ordered the deportation of three Latvian men who pleaded guilty to receiving the proceeds of an extortion plot against a Great Falls investment firm. The men were sentenced in Helena today for their role in an attempt to extort $8</p>Fri, 11 Jun 2010 10:06:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=586385http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=586385<p> A federal judge has temporarily blocked the U.S. Forest Service from starting three timber projects in a northwestern Montana forest, saying the work could harm the grizzly bear population there. U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy signed the 28-d</p>Thu, 10 Jun 2010 10:27:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=585825http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=585825<p> The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday held a moment of silence in memory of the late Art Link. The former North Dakota governor, congressman and state legislator died June 1 at age 96. North Dakota Democratic Rep. Earl Pomeroy asked</p>Thu, 10 Jun 2010 09:52:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=585804http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=585804<p> The U.S. Forest Service has closed the Summit Trail in the North Dakota Badlands because of unsafe conditions that make it impassible. The forest service's Dakota Prairie Grasslands office says a harsh winter and wet spring caused the four-mile </p>Tue, 01 Jun 2010 09:03:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=580210http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=580210<p> Congratulations, wildlife officials! It's a baby elk. Officials at a U.S. Forest Service office in La Grande, Ore., last week found a baby elk left on their doorstep along Highway 30. It was dropped off Wednesday night and is estimated to be l</p>Mon, 31 May 2010 20:41:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=579916http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=579916<p> Police say a 10-year-old boy has died from injuries sustained in a single-vehicle crash east of Great Falls. Joseph &quot;Joey&quot; Morrison, of Great Falls, was pronounced dead at a hospital Saturday night. The 31-year-old female driver from Belt and a 6-yea</p>Mon, 31 May 2010 20:41:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=579914http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=579914<p> Police say a 10-year-old boy has died from injuries sustained in a single-vehicle crash east of Great Falls. Joseph &quot;Joey&quot; Morrison, of Great Falls, was pronounced dead at a hospital late Saturday. The 31-year-old female driver from Belt a</p>Mon, 31 May 2010 10:34:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=579775http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=579775<p> The Forest Service says it is delaying the Bitterroot travel plan. The agency says the plan for allowed travel in the Bitterroot National Forest is now due out in the fall. Those representing both motorized and non-motorized users say the </p>Sun, 30 May 2010 20:13:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=579524http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=579524<p> An oil field company has received approval from the Minot Planning Commission to temporarily store explosives along the U.S. Highway 83 Bypass. The special permit still needs the approval of the Minot City Council. It would give the company permissio</p>Sun, 30 May 2010 10:55:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=579393http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=579393<p> The U.S. Forest Service says there are problems with two upgrade projects at Burning Coal Vein Campground near Amidon. Last year, the service spent $162,000 to improve camp sites and the road through the campground in southwestern North Dakota a</p>Wed, 26 May 2010 09:52:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=577245http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=577245<p> The state attorney general's office has dropped a complaint that alleged phone book advertising by paralegal Jerry O'Neil of Columbia Falls deceived people about his practice. A complaint filed against O'Neil in June 2007 alleged he violated th</p>Wed, 26 May 2010 06:22:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=577122http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=577122<p> Listening sessions are planned in Montana next week for the Obama administration to gather input on an effort to conserve land and encourage more Americans to enjoy the outdoors. Representatives from the departments of Interior and Agriculture </p>Wed, 19 May 2010 02:45:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=573215http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=573215<p> The mayor of Ely (EE'-lee) is promising to end his decades of ignoring regulations in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Roger Skraba (SKRUH'-buh) was sentenced in federal court Tuesday after pleading guilty to driving his snowmobile in </p>Tue, 18 May 2010 08:35:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=572733http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=572733<p> About 1,000 tourists and other visitors have marked the 30th anniversary of the big eruption of Mount St. Helens at the Johnston Ridge Observatory. Five miles away, the volcano remained stubbornly behind fog and rain clouds Tuesday. Fore</p>Tue, 18 May 2010 03:48:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=572552http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=572552<p> Four youths face robbery charges stemming from the armed holdup of a Frenchtown convenience store early yesterday. Missoula County deputies arrested two 18-year-olds Dillon Stiles and Larry Walsh, both of Missoula and two 17-year-old boys whose name</p>Fri, 14 May 2010 01:56:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=571136http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=571136<p> Wet weather is causing road problems in the Black Hills National Forest. Seasonally closed roads were to be reopened for summer use on Friday, but the U.S. Forest Service said many roads will remain closed to traffic this weekend. Deputy S</p>Thu, 13 May 2010 01:42:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=570537http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=570537<p> A Polson woman convicted 11 times for driving under the influence of alcohol has been sentenced to five years under the supervision of the state Department of Corrections. Fifty-five-year-old Marilyn R. Adams appeared before District Judge C.B. McN</p>Wed, 12 May 2010 22:12:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=570484http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=570484<p> A Polson woman who prosecutors say has 11 DUI convictions has been sentenced to five years under the supervision of the state Department of Corrections. Fifty-five-year-old Marilyn R. Adams appeared before District Judge C.B. McNeil on Wednesday</p>Wed, 12 May 2010 18:07:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=570440http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=570440<p> A proposal to dig a mine beneath a remote Montana wilderness area that boasts huge reserves of silver and copper could be back on track despite a judge's recent order that yanked federal approval of the project. In March, U.S. District Judge Don</p>Wed, 05 May 2010 20:13:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=566813http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=566813<p> South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley says the state will get $202,731 as part of a larger settlement with Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis. The company is paying $72.5 million to settle a whistleblower lawsuit accusing it of improper</p>Wed, 05 May 2010 05:47:00 GMThttp://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=566390http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?s=rss&ArticleId=566390<p> Sen. Tim Johnson has introduced a bill to designate a part of the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands in southwestern South Dakota as a wilderness area. The Democratic senator says the measure would protect nearly 50,000 acres, but hunting, livestoc</p>