Latest news with #JordanHansen
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Potential record-breaking heat on the way to western Montana
Fisherman are pictured on the Big Hole River near Wise River, Montana. (Jordan Hansen / Daily Montanan) Potentially dangerous and possibly record-breaking warm weather is headed to western Montana this weekend. On Thursday, the National Weather Service Office in Missoula issued a heat advisory from noon to 9 p.m. on Saturday. Temperatures in the upper 80s and 90s are expected for a wide swath of western Montana stretching from the Canadian border down through the Flathead, Missoula and Bitterroot valleys. NWS Meteorologist Jennifer Kitzmiller, based in Missoula, said seeing temperatures in the 90s this early in the year was atypical. Anaconda, Eureka, Libby and Phillipsburg are some of the places that could approach their daily high record mark, if not break it. 'We're looking at setting records for daily high temperatures tomorrow and a lot of places in western Montana,' Kitzmiller said. 'And previous records date back to 1986 … we haven't seen temperatures this warm, this time of year, for like 40 years.' The heat is being driven by a strong ridge of high pressure in the West, according to a NWS national report. Temperatures are expected to dip back down on Sunday. 'It's not going to be hugely different, but it'll cool us back down,' Kitzmiller said. The weather service also issued some recommendations, including drinking plenty of water and staying out of direct sunlight. Warm weather also draws people to bodies of water, especially on a weekend, which can add a degree of danger. May 24 was particularly deadly as a woman drowned near Missoula near Maclay Bridge and a kayaker died near Craig. Additionally, a 68-year old Missoula man last seen on Wednesday is presumed to have drowned near the Lochsa River in Idaho. Lifevests should always be worn when on or in the water, and a close eye should be kept on children. Additionally, alcohol can enhance hypothermia, and cold water can make even experienced swimmers lose muscle control. 'The rivers and streams are still running fast and cold,' Kitzmiller said. 'And there's that extra threat, despite the warm temperatures, for hypothermia.'
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Two new laws look to protect motorists, pedestrians
A speed limit sign is pictured along a gravel road near Whitehall. (Jordan Hansen / Daily Montanan) Gov. Greg Gianforte signed two laws geared at making travel safer for both motorists and pedestrians at crossings earlier this month. Senate Bill 471 seeks to make pedestrian crossings safer, while Senate Bill 428 makes it easier for counties to change speed limits. Senate Democrats brought both bills, which passed through the House and Senate by comfortable margins. Sen. Dave Fern brought SB 471, which introduces a new offense into Montana code — endangerment of pedestrians to clarify who has right-of-way. 'I think it basically sets up some clearly defined rules for the pedestrian and for the driver,' Fern said during a Senate hearing for the bill. 'And it sets up, I think, pretty reasonable system of fines.' The legislation added specific language for crosswalks with flashing lights, which the new law covers. If a pedestrian has already engaged the button to begin flashing the lights, a driver may not move through the intersection. However, if the vehicle reaches a pedestrian crossing before the light is engaged, they are allowed to drive through the intersection. The misdemeanor offense carries an initial fine between $25 and $100. Subsequent offenses carry higher penalties. If a person hits one of the beacons, or crosswalk devices, they are also now liable for the damage to them. SB 428 gives county governments increased ability to control speed limits on roads, dropping the minimum speed they can set to 25 mph, down from the previous minimum of 35 mph. The law allows for greater control in areas classified as urban districts. Sen. Willis Curdy, who brought the legislation, called it a safety issue. He also said some counties had been pressured into changing speed limits outside of what state law allowed them to do. 'Outside of the legislative session, a vast majority of complaints and questions my constituents have is that people are driving too fast and the county should lower the speed limits,' Curdy said during a Senate hearing for the bill. 'I sympathize 100%, but I remind them that state law does not permit the county to lower the speed limit under 35 mph. Senate Bill 428 will allow counties the opportunity to make that adjustment.' Gov. Greg Gianforte has also signed a swath of other transportation bills, including SB 433 from Sen. Theresa Manzella, R-Hamilton which changed right-of-way law in roundabouts. He also signed HB 764, a change in public transportation law that could expand municipal bus routes further.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Montana colleges could directly pay student-athletes under NIL bills
The University of Montana campus is pictured. (Jordan Hansen / Daily Montanan) Two bills regulating student-athlete compensation at colleges across the state are headed to the governor's desk after passage through the Montana Legislature on Friday. Senate Bill 482 requires written contracts for student-athlete usage of their name, image and likeness, while Senate Bill 271 removes an existing prohibition on schools directly paying student-athletes. Sen. Ellie Boldman, D-Missoula introduced both bills, which she said will allow Montana's largest schools to be competitive in the Big Sky Conference. She also brought the state's original NIL legislation in 2021. 'If folks do care about the nuance, it actually puts more side rails on NIL for student athletes,' Boldman said in a committee hearing on both bills on April 7. 'The university themselves will have a little bit more control over making sure that student athletes understand their contractual agreements and make sure that they're not taken advantage of in the private sector.' On SB 482, Boldman said, 'We just want to make sure if you're going to offer our student athletes a deal, it's got to be in writing.' The new law rolls back previous laws that specifically prohibited Montana universities and colleges from paying their student-athletes. As an example, some colleges have begun to place student-athletes names on the back of jerseys sold to fans — the players then get a cut of that revenue. Institutions are already allowed to act as agents or add name, image and likeness agreements to scholarship agreements. The legislation does not change outside endorsement deals, though does formalize those agreements in writing, meaning a verbal agreement does not constitute a legally binding contract. 'This is about fairness, opportunity, and keeping Montana competitive,' Boldman said in a press release. Montana has three schools that compete in the NCAA: The University of Montana, Montana State University and Montana State University-Billings. Similar discussions have occurred at the federal level, and a federal court is expected to soon rule on a $2.8 billion antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA which, if found against the athletics organizations, could allow student-athletes to have revenue sharing agreements and provide backpay. Boldman said her bills will allow Montana student athletes to take part in the settlement. 'We want our student athletes to be able to opt into that settlement, which will then entitle them to some additional compensation,' Boldman said. Representatives from Montana and Montana State both testified in support of the bill during its hearing. 'We have the compliance and support staff here to navigate this constantly changing landscape, and this change gives us the certainty we need to act within the bounds of state law,' UM spokesperson Dave Kuntz said during the hearing for SB 271. 'With other legislative bodies around the region making similar changes, this bill will help ensure campus policies remain in line with our regional competitors as well.' Beyond the NCAA schools in the state, the six Montana schools whose athletic teams belong to the Frontier Conference in the NAIA could also be impacted. In 2020, the NAIA passed name, image and likeness rules for its member schools. It allowed athletes to be paid, but, Montana Tech men's basketball head coach Adam Hiatt said, 'the NAIA legislation did not intend to allow schools to pay student-athletes directly for NIL purposes.' He added some Tech student-athletes have been able to take advantage of agreements for their name, image and likeness. He said there's no plan to pay players through the school until the NAIA changes its policies. Montana Tech athletic director Matt Stepan said the university is reviewing the legislation to see how it will impact them. 'While the new legislation may not have an immediate or direct effect on our recruiting efforts, changes of this nature often create ripple effects throughout college athletics,' Stepan said. 'We'll be monitoring the situation closely to determine any indirect implications for NAIA institutions and student-athletes.' The Frontier Conference includes Treasure State schools Montana Tech, University of Montana Western, Carroll College, University of Providence, Montana State University-Northern and Rocky Mountain College.
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Hands off our Democracy' rallies draw thousands across Montana
Protestors gather for the "Hands Off" rally on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at the Montana State Capitol. (Jordan Hansen/Daily Montanan) The sound of horns bouncing off the buildings in downtown Billings could be heard blocks away. For two hours, the horns' drone, coupled with the sounds of cheering, protest songs and speakers filled the area around the Yellowstone County Courthouse lawn in what one television station called the largest crowd ever assembled there. A similar scene played out Saturday on the Missoula County Courthouse lawn, and organizers of the local events said that 19 demonstrations throughout the Treasure State were taking place simultaneously. In Billings, residents from Yellowstone and surrounding counties held signs and lined all sides of the North 27th Street corridor for several blocks as they participated in the 'Hands off our Democracy' rally. They protested the President Donald Trump administration, tariffs, and Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, as did rally-goers throughout the state and country, and thousands at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Rev. Angie Dornisch, the pastor at Hope United Methodist Church in Billings, spoke about the similarities of the political climate and the Easter season as protestors 'high-fived' cars that slowed to give encouragement or show solidarity. Some waved flags from the windows. 'The followers of Jesus must care for the foreigners and immigrants because Jesus was a foreigner in a different land,' Dornisch said. 'Even in our tombs of despair and destruction, I have a message: Hope and love is alive. Darkness can be overwhelming, but it will not win. Resurrection is coming.' Other mental health advocates urged people to find strength in each other, and to attend to personal mental health, especially when the news can be upsetting or confusing. Union members said that the American promise was under attack, and urged solidarity and resistance. 'The American promise is if you work hard and play by the rules, you can live a decent life — we have to make that promise work,' said AFL-CIO member Bob Struckman. 'Trump and his minions are breaking that promise, and we're keeping it with the tools that we have in our democracy.' Many of the speakers said that residents must continue to gather to support democracy, object to policies they don't like, use the First Amendment to speak out, as well as use the power of the ballot. 'We live in the richest nation on earth, at the richest time in our history, so why are we so broke?' Struckman said. Lance Edward, the president of the Billings Education Association, which represents 1,200 teachers in the Billings Public Schools, is an English teacher and a football coach. 'The great strength in our nation is our diversity. I am not sure we can say that word anymore,' he said. 'So I will yell it.' Donna Veraldi of the Billings chapter of the League of Women Voters said their organization is concerned about the efforts to change the access to the ballot. 'When we take rights away from others, we lose those same rights for ourselves,' she said. 'If ever there were a time to fight, it is now. Knowing how to fight does not mean we know how to win. Knowing how to fight is about knowing how to lose and still fighting.' Kris Glenn of the Yellowstone Valley Citizens Council used a historical example from the Billings area to rally the crowd. She spoke of when Billings, home to three large oil refineries, had among the worst air quality in the nation, until citizens stepped up to demand a change. 'Real change didn't come from the top down, it came from the bottom up. That's us, today,' she said. She said she was concerned that a $1 million grant to Billings to plant more trees to help reduce climate change was at risk for being cut by the Trump administration. 'Hands off our communities, and hands off our future. Our elected leaders work for us, but only if we speak up,' Glenn said. Gerald Kessler, a retired government teacher at Billings Senior High, said that his thoughts were with one person who wasn't at the rally, his father. 'Eighty years ago, he was a medic in the U.S. Army. He was neither a sucker or a loser. He saw thousands of dead men. He would be appalled by what's happening today because he fought against fascism,' he said. Elizabeth Klarich, one of the co-leaders of Yellowstone Indivisible which organized the event, as well as a large rally last month in Billings, said that crowd represented a diverse background of every living generation, and an array of concerns. 'It's not right or left here, but it's right versus wrong, and we're here to stand up,' she said. In Missoula, the drumming at the demonstration reverberated at least a block and a half away from the Missoula County Courthouse, where by a couple of estimates, roughly 3,000 people gathered to protest Trump's agenda — and point to different political priorities. Mark Sanz of Missoula held a sign that said 'Nobody Voted For Social INSecurity.' He said the idea for the sign came from a friend who contributed to the program all her life and fears it's now in jeopardy. 'They'll start decreasing Society Security in the name of tax cuts for the rich,' Sanz said. 'Same with Medicaid. That's what's coming.' Dogs wore sandwich boards that said, 'Dogs Against DOGE,' and people blew bubbles that floated into the sky, and they chanted, 'Good trouble,' and 'Hands off.' The crowd also chanted for Sen. Bernie Sanders. The independent from Vermont and former Democratic presidential candidate has been on a 'Fighting Oligarchy' tour, and the crowd chanted, 'Bernie, Bernie, Bernie' at the news he will be in Missoula on April 16. The rally kicked off with the crowd singing, 'This Land Is Your Land,' and emcee Jim Sayer asked people to fist bump each other as a reminder of connection. 'We all are together in this. We all have to look out for each other,' Sayer said. The Montana Legislature is in session in Helena, and some lawmakers are anticipating the possible need for a special session to address potential federal cuts that affect the state budget — including those who welcome a leaner budget. Already, Montana has seen effects of the federal cuts, from the announcement this week that Humanities Montana had lost its entire federal grant that supports programs in all 56 counties to earlier cuts of U.S. Forest Service workers. On the courthouse lawn, one sign decorated with pine trees read, 'Resistance Ranger! Protect Our Public Lands!!!' Another read, 'Save America! Deport Musk,' and one said, 'IKEA assembles better cabinets.' The gathering at the courthouse was the largest at least in recent years, organized by Missoula Resists, Indivisible Missoula, and Stand Up, Fight Back. Speakers talked about the importance of Indigenous rights, health care, the planet, arts and reproductive rights. 'We are not willing to be overwhelmed or torn apart,' said Rose, with Missoula Resists (Rose declined to share her last name through an organizer). 'I think we might be more (unwilling) now.' Meredith Printz, with Indivisible Missoula, said the group is new, and it believes the Congressional delegation is failing to represent Montanans on Social Security, education, and the dismantling of government agencies by Musk. As the demonstrators cheered for change and booed Trump and Musk, drivers honked as they rolled past the courthouse, and people in the crowd snapped pictures of each other and commented on the turnout. 'What an amazing day,' said one woman at the tail end of the gathering. When Sayer said Trump had taken office just 76 days ago, the crowd booed, and Sayer said he had to remind them anyway. He likened Trump's approach in office to a 'demolition derby,' and he told people it is a dark time in America, but it's also springtime, and he read a quote from Alice Walker. 'As long as the earth can make a spring every year, I can,' Sayer said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
