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Rural internet providers across the country are waiting on the federal government to finish giving directions on what to do with recently banned Chinese equipment. The delay is adding uncertainty and costs to efforts to narrow Montana’s digital divide. Craig Gates is the CEO of Triangle Telephone Cooperative, a small telecom company based in Havre, MT that provides service to about 20,000 customers in rural Central Montana. It’s expensive to provide internet and cell coverage in areas where customers are spread out, and big companies tend to stay away. Looking for a cheaper way to bring high-speed internet to the

Minor league baseball in Montana will continue on, after a recent agreement between Major League Baseball and the Pioneer League became official. U.S. Sens. Jon Tester and Steve Daines both fought for the Pioneer League, which includes three teams in Montana, to stay affiliated in some way with the MLB. “Big Sky Country is professional baseball country, which is why I am pleased to announce that I successfully worked with MLB and our minor league teams to keep America’s favorite pastime in Montana,” said Tester. “The roots of our Pioneer League clubs run deep, and I’m going to keep working

BILLINGS – As Montana gets ready for its first shipment of the COVID-19 vaccine, state health officials are also busy making sure disbursement is set up and ready to go across the state. Gov. Steve Bullock announced this week that Montana will get over 9,700 doses of the Pfizer vaccine. Officials at both Billings Clinic and St. Vincent Healthcare say they are ready to take them. Bullock says Montana’s first allotment will focus on vaccinating the more than 40,000 health care workers in the state. Those with St. Vincent Healthcare say they are registered with the state of Montana to

Note: Information for this report came from the offices of U.S. Sens. Jon Tester and Steve Daines and the U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana A push to get more resources, information and investigation for murdered and missing Indigenous persons years in the making took a major step forward this week with the launching of a pilot program on the Flathead Indian Reservation. At a council meeting of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Indian Reservation — CSKT — the CSKT Council and U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana Kurt Alme launched a pilot project

Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, and Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, as well as North Dakota Republican senators Kevin Cramer and John Hoeven have written to Senate Leadership to urge them to pass the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act before the end of the year, which would make permanent existing federal excise tax rates for beverage and alcohol producers. Montana and North Dakota both are among states that have seen a surge in the craft beer industry. It’s not only creating new jobs and businesses across the state, with the potential for becoming tourist and entertainment attractions in and of

HELENA – The state of Montana is getting a second round delivery of Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approved COVID-19 antibody treatments. Regeneron’s antibody therapeutic, casirivimab and imdevimab, is used to treat non-hospitalized or mildly to moderately symptomatic people over the age of 12-years in danger of advancing to hospitalization or severe symptoms. According to a release from the Office of Sen. Daines, Montana is receiving 150 vials of the Regeneron casirivimab and imdevimab cocktail, one treatment per vial. In addition, Montana is also getting a fourth shipment of Eli Lilly’s antibody therapy this week, and 260 vials of bamlanivimab, one