Recalling a Former Miner Who Brought Change · Wed, 24 Jan 2007 16:12:00 EST
Melissa Block talks with Andrea Peacock, journalist and author of Libby Montana: Asbestos and the Deadly Silence of an American Corporation. Peacock talks about the recent passing of Les Skramstad, a former vermiculite mineworker who drew attention to asbestos-related disease among residents of Libby, Montana. Skramstad became the first Libby resident to win a jury award against the mine's owner, W.R. Grace Company, and later lobbied the government to assist asbestos victims and declare Libby a Superfund site.

Sen. Jon Tester Starts His Newest Job · Tue, 09 Jan 2007 14:52:00 EST
Freshman Sen. Jon Tester, who left his Montana farm for Capitol Hill, begins his new life as a senator. Tester was elected as a straight-talking, tractor-riding prairie populist, who pledged to make the U.S. Senate look a little more like his home state.

Grey Wolf Close to Leaving Endangered Species List · Wed, 20 Dec 2006 06:00:00 EST
Grey wolves could soon be off the Endangered Species List in Montana and Idaho, but remain protected in neighboring Wyoming. Federal officials say the wolf has rebounded in population, but that Wyoming hasn't come up with a plan to protect the animals outside of Yellowstone National Park. Hope Stockwell of Montana Public Radio reports.

Sen.-Elect Jon Tester, 'Regular Montanan' · Mon, 13 Nov 2006 16:00:00 EST
Sen.-elect Jon Tester, a Democrat from Montana, says he can work with Republicans because he is a fiscal conservative. His priority, however, is to develop a plan for Iraq. The former butcher and music teacher, who now runs his family's organic farm, says he defeated Conrad Burns by running as a "regular Montanan."

Democrat Tester Wins Montana Senate Seat · Wed, 08 Nov 2006 16:55:00 EST
Democrat John Tester claims victory in his closely fought Montana Senate race with incumbent Conrad Burns. With only a couple thousand votes separating the two candidates, a recount is possible, but no Republicans have announced plans to contest the outcome. Burns has had no comment on the tally.

Montana Democrat Jon Tester Confident of Victory · Wed, 08 Nov 2006 09:38:00 EST
Montana Democratic challenger held a lead of almost 1,800 votes over Sen. Conrad Burns on Wednesday morning. Tester tells Renee Montagne that he's confident his lead will hold, giving him a seat in the Senate.

Senate Control Hangs on Races in Montana, Virginia · Wed, 08 Nov 2006 06:00:00 EST
Through much of Tuesday night, it looked as if Republicans might hang on to the Senate. The Democrats had picked up three seats. In Ohio, Sherrod Brown defeated incumbent Mike DeWine. Rick Santorum, the Republican incumbent in Pennsylvania, lost to Bob Casey Jr. And Sheldon Whitehouse beat another incumbent, Lincoln Chafee, in Rhode Island. Now the control of the Senate hangs on races in Montana and Virginia that were still too close to call Wednesday morning.

Pivotal Montana Race Too Close to Call · Wed, 08 Nov 2006 06:00:00 EST
The U.S. Senate race in Montana between Democrat Jon Tester and Republican incumbent Conrad Burns remained too close to call Wednesday morning.

Touching All the Bases on Political Races · Sat, 04 Nov 2006 08:00:00 EST
What are the issues driving political races across the country? NPR correspondents look in on a congressional race in eastern Pennsylvania and local races in Montana, Nevada and California. Lynn Neary speaks with Juan Williams, Ina Jaffe, David Welna, Luke Burbank and Don Gonyea.

Bush Tries to Bolster Burns Campaign in Montana · Fri, 03 Nov 2006 17:11:00 EST
President Bush visited Montana Thursday to help Sen. Conrad Burns' bid for a fourth term. Burns has been trailing his Democratic opponent, John Tester, mostly due to fallout from contributions Burns received from convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff. But the race is tightening; many see it as going down to the wire.

Bush Hits the Campaign Trail in Big Sky Country · Thu, 02 Nov 2006 16:00:00 EST
President Bush flies to Montana and Nevada, campaigning for embattled Republican nominees in both states. The next few days will take the president to a half-dozen other states he carried in 2004, including Colorado, Kansas and Nebraska. Robert Siegel talks live with NPR's Don Gonyea, who is traveling with the president, from Elko, Nev.

Montana Town Suffers from Asbestos Contamination · Thu, 02 Nov 2006 00:00:00 EST
The town of Libby, Mont., was rocked seven years ago by news that hundreds of its residents had died or been sickened by exposure to asbestos. The asbestos was a byproduct of a mine operated by W.R. Grace and Company. The company and seven former executives have been charged with concealing the health risks associated with the mine. Their trials have been delayed, but cleanup continues.

Many State Legislatures Face Potential Power Shift · Wed, 01 Nov 2006 16:13:00 EST
The control of numerous state legislatures is at stake Nov. 7. Two under close watch are Montana and Iowa, both of which have chambers that are deadlocked.

Some Campaign Ads Accentuate the Positive · Wed, 01 Nov 2006 16:00:00 EST
Several Republican candidates, including Rep. Clay Shaw in Florida and Sen, Conrad Burns in Montana, are running ads emphasizing how well they work with Democrats.

Western Wildfires Reach into Montana · Fri, 08 Sep 2006 13:00:00 EDT
Seasonal fires are scorching many areas in the American Northwest. Cory Conner, the assistant fire chief of Big Timber, is currently fighting fires in Montana. He gives Alex Chadwick an update.

Agents Patrol U.S.-Canadian Border on Horseback · Wed, 30 Aug 2006 00:00:00 EDT
The U.S. Border Patrol's newest weapon against drug-smugglers and terrorists is old-fashioned: the horse. Agents on horseback keep watch along some of the roughest and most remote terrain along the U.S.-Canadian border. The mounted patrols are unique to the West; they stretch from Washington state to Montana.

Montana to Fight Meth Epidemic with Treatment · Thu, 24 Aug 2006 00:00:00 EDT
The Montana Department of Corrections plans to create two stand-alone treatment facilities exclusively for prisoners hooked on methamphetamine. Meth-related crime has clogged Montana's prisons with addicts, draining government funds.

Hooked on Fishing: Misadventure in Montana · Mon, 21 Aug 2006 16:00:00 EDT
Commentator Dick George remembers a recent fishing expedition that didn't turn out quite like he planned. George is a communications executive who lives in Baldwin, Md. He has fished six times since his trip to Montana and has caught things other than himself.

Web-Based System Finds Missing Foreign Students · Thu, 17 Aug 2006 18:34:00 EDT
When five foreign students from Egypt didn't show up for a month-long course at a Montana university, a web-based tracking system went into action. The system had been created in 2001. A manhunt ensued and the missing students were located within a matter of days. It turns out they had come to find jobs, not to study.

Railroad Expansion Makes Mayo Clinic Cross · Mon, 07 Aug 2006 18:53:00 EDT
The politically connected chief of the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad wants federal funds to extend the line to run from Montana coal fields to coal-fired power plants in Illinois. But the Mayo Clinic fears the risk of an accident involving hazardous materials would pose an unacceptable threat to its patients.

Long Legacy of Deadly Lewis and Clark Incident · Thu, 27 Jul 2006 13:00:00 EDT
Two hundred years ago Thursday, members of the Lewis and Clark expedition killed at least one Blackfeet Indian during a stopover near the Montana town of Browning. Carolyn Gilman, curator of the Lewis and Clark National Bicentennial Exhibition, talks with Alex Chadwick about the legacy of the incident -- the only fatal clash of the historic expedition.

Nation Tips Its Hat to the American Cowboy · Sun, 16 Jul 2006 11:40:00 EDT
Spearfish, S.D., is the center of all cowboy activities/history/memorabilia in a five-state region and is planning a celebration to commemorate the national 'Day of the Cowboy' later in the week. The focus will be the historic cattle drive trail from Texas to Montana. Ranchers whose families have been in these states for generations will attend.

Montana's Sen. Burns Faces Tough Test This Fall · Mon, 05 Jun 2006 16:00:00 EDT
Linked to the Jack Abramoff scandal and tied down by President Bush's low poll numbers, Montana's Sen. Conrad Burns faces a tough re-election. NPR's David Welna traveled to Montana to see Burns and his Democratic foes in action.

Posthumous Pardons for Montana's WWI Seditionists · Tue, 07 Mar 2006 00:00:00 EST
A group of law students is seeking posthumous pardons for Montana residents convicted of sedition during World War I. The men were convicted under the state's Sedition Act, then considered the harshest in the nation. Hope Stockwell of member station KUFM reports on the pardon project.