Livingston Judge Tells Cascade County How To Run Their Election, Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, And More

ECB Staff on May 19, 2023

Our weekly feature highlighting a few of the latest and most interesting local and national news items from various sources.

Livingston District Court Judge Brenda Gilbert appoints monitor for Great Falls library levy election, from The Electric:
Court appoints monitor for June 6 library levy election | The Electric (theelectricgf.com)

Great Falls drug dealer gets 5 years 8 months for intent to distribute meth, from ABC Fox Local:
https://www.montanarightnow.com/great-falls/great-falls-meth-trafficker-sentenced-to-more-than-five-years-in-prison/article_450b68aa-f4ea-11ed-89d3-b7bb3f8f03f9.html

Smoky Montana air from Canada, from MTPR:
https://www.mtpr.org/montana-news/2023-05-17/smoke-from-canada-wildfires-reaches-north-central-montana

Governor Gianforte bans TikTok, from 560 KMON:
https://560kmon.com/ixp/119/p/montana-inks-tiktok-ban/?fbclid=IwAR21DVAymHs9_Zc08Jo3xdqMnl2jJmQxJ_doDPbK35XRa1_boa1LB7hn80s

Filth And Trash Filled Homeless Camp In Great Falls

ECB Staff on May 15, 2023

Great Falls City Commissioner and mayoral candidate Joe McKenney posted a video on Facebook over the weekend showing homeless camp next to a large mound of garbage under the Sun River bridge in Great Falls.

The situation was brought to the attention of the Great Falls city commission at their May 2 work session by a local citizen and described as a health, sanitation, and safety issue for the community.

You can view McKenney’s video post here.

Dead Man Downtown GF, Local Stabbing, Great Falls Public Library Threatens Legal Action, And More

ECB Staff on May 8, 2023

Our weekly feature highlighting a few of the latest and most interesting local and national news items from various sources.

A deceased 29 year old man found outside in downtown Great Falls, from KRTV:
https://www.krtv.com/news/great-falls-news/mans-body-found-in-downtown-great-falls

Man arrested for Great Falls stabbing last week, from FOX NonStop Local:
https://www.montanarightnow.com/great-falls/man-in-stable-condition-after-stabbing-wednesday-night-in-great-falls/article_dc325e0c-e53e-11ed-8a2b-f3072cfe9c91.html

Great Falls Public Library threatens to take legal action against Cascade County over upcoming mil levy election, from The Electric:
https://theelectricgf.com/2023/05/05/library-board-votes-to-authorize-potential-legal-action-for-upcoming-levy-election/

‘Yellowstone’ ends it’s run this fall, from USA Today:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2023/05/05/yellowstone-ending-season-5-sequel-coming-kevin-costner/70186390007/

Judge Denies Rep. Zooey Zephyr And ACLU Request

ECB Staff on May 2, 2023

Breaking news from Montana Talks and Aaron Flint.

“In the order by District Judge Mike Menahan, the judge shot down several claims made by Zephyr and the ACLU:

Plaintiffs have asked this Court to issue injunctions prohibiting Defendants from enforcing their censure of Rep. Zephyr and from refusing to recognize her on the House floor. Based on the relief requested, the Court finds Plaintiffs are unlikely to succeed on the merits and therefore cannot satisfy the first requirement. Plaintiffs’ requested relief would require this Court to interfere with legislative authority in a manner that exceeds this Court’s authority. Plaintiffs also seek injunctive relief which far outpaces the facts at issue here.“

Read the whole story here:
https://montanatalks.com/zephyr-denied-judge-rules-on-montana-house-floor-debate

Cascade County Democrats Try, But Fail, To Stifle Free Speech

ECB Staff on April 27, 2023

After a failed attempt by Cascade County Democrat officials, Jasmine Taylor (former/current precinct chair) and Helena Lovick (Vice Chair of the Cascade County Democratic Central Committee) to silence free speech in Great Falls, a local group opposed to the upcoming mil levy for the Great Falls Public Library, ‘Liberty and Values MT’, successfully amended their filing as an independent committee with the Montana Office of Political Practices.

A post on Taylor’s and Lovick’s blog using a ‘WTF 406 Staff’ byline states, “They named their new group The Liberty and Values Project. Upon hearing that news, WTF 406 looked to see if they registered the new name with the Secretary of State’s office. Turned out they hadn’t, so we did and notified them to quit using our registered business name.”

Below is the filing info for Liberty and Values MT. They do not have any financial reports posted as yet.

Follow The Money: Great Falls Public Library Mil Levy

ECB Staff on April 25, 2023

The cover photo for this post was sent to E-City Beat earlier today.

As of this afternoon the ‘Liberty & Values MT’ group responsible for the Great Falls billboard was not found on the campaign electronic reporting search page.

‘Vote Yes For Libraries’, a Great Falls ballot issue committee campaigning in favor of a Great Falls Public Library mil levy increase, reported the following contributions and expenditures in their C-6 committee finance report filed 1/17/23.

Governor G Sends Gender Dysphoria Bill Back To House, Losing Cascade County Dems Seek To Oust GOP Winner, And More

ECB Staff on April 17, 2023

Our weekly feature highlighting a few of the latest and most interesting local and national news items from various sources.

Former Democrat county commissioner, Jane Weber, and brother of former Democrat Clerk & Recorder Rina Fontana Moore, Pete Fontana, form committee to demand resignation of GOP Clerk & Recorder Sandra Merchant, from KRTV:
‘Election Protection Committee’ is concerned about Cascade County elections (krtv.com)

Montana passes TikTok ban, from BBC world news:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65281881

Governor Gianforte sends SB 99, gender dysphoria bill, back to lawmakers for amendments, from ABC Fox Montana:
Gov. Gianforte sends bill banning certain medical and surgical treatments for minors back to legislature | ABC Fox Montana Helena | montanarightnow.com

Follow The Money: Great Falls School Board Candidates Contributions

ECB Staff on April 13, 2023

There are currently five candidates running for three seats on the Great Falls Public Schools school board.

The three incumbents running for reelection are Bill Bronson, Kim Skornogoski, and Amie Thompson. Tony Rosales and Rodney Meyers have also filed for the seats.

Skornogoski, Thompson, and Rosales list their contribution reporting status as “will spend less than $500” and have therefore not filed any contribution data.

Bronson and Meyers are taking campaign contributions and have filed the following reports listing contributors, amounts, and expenditures. This data is from the Montana SOS web page.

Bill Bronson

Rodney Meyers

(includes loaning his campaign $3000)

Children’s Museum Looking To Move, MT Top 2 Primary Bill Passes Senate, And More

ECB Staff on April 6, 2023

Our weekly feature highlighting a few of the latest and most interesting local and national news items from various sources.

Montana Senate approves SB 566 – Top Two Primary bill, from the Flathead Beacon:
Senate Passes Bill Creating Top-two Primary in Tester’s 2024 U.S. Senate Race – Flathead Beacon

Children’s Museum looks to move to Black Eagle, from KRTV:
Forum addresses potential move of Children’s Museum to Black Eagle (krtv.com)

Controversy and rumors continue to swirl around Cascade County Elections office, from The Electric:
Locals raise concern about private citizens working in county elections office | The Electric (theelectricgf.com)