Montana News Roundup: Anaconda Killer Search Enters 5th Day

Authorities are not only continuing to relocate the man who killed four people in an Anaconda bar Friday, but also looking for information that might help explain the slayings.

     The search for Michael Brown entered a 5th day this morning with no new developments, although there are now reports of some "credible sightings" in that search area west of town.

Yesterday, we talked with Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, who told us investigators still don't have a motive. And while speculation has touched on issues like drug use, or Brown's military background and PTSD, Knudsen believes there's still a lot to learn.

"Mental health and PTSD are certainly something we're sympathetic about," said Knudsen. "But look, I know a lot of veterans who don't walk into an establishment at 10 o'clock in the morning and mercilessly, and in cold blood, murder four people who are having their morning coffee."

Knudsen says Brown is a "known commodity" because he lived in Anaconda for years.

Meanwhile, Anaconda-Deer Lodge Police Chief Bill Sather says the task force, including local officers, continues to "work around the clock" to locate Brown.

     He said late yesterday afternoon, there isn't a "substantial update" in the search, but he thanks the community for support and patience.

Missoula Fire Sciences Lab spared Forest Service shutdowns

Although Missoula will be losing its regional Forest Service office next year, the agency says the Fire Sciences Lab here in Western Montana is "vital for protection."

But the plans announced by U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins last week to close nine of the regional centers, including the Northern Region headquarters in Missoula, are part of a "realignment" to trim costs, and "better align" the Forest Service with its "founding mission of supporting American farming, ranching and forestry."

Missoula operations are expected to be shifted to a new regional "hub", probably in Salt Lake.

The news had been expected for months, but it comes as a further economic blow for the Missoula economy, where the Forest Service has had a long presence going back to the birth of the agency over a century ago. It also raises questions about the future of buildings and facilities at Fort Missoula, where Region 1 moved its headquarters from downtown Missoula a few years ago.

Montana gas prices drop

GasBuddy.com's latest survey shows another welcome drop in Montana prices, with the average dropping just under a penny a gallon in the past week, putting the statewide average for a gallon of regular down to $3.23 a gallon.

That's 4 cents cheaper than the 4th of July and a significant 27 cents a gallon cheaper than the start of last August. However, it's still a lot more than we were paying 10 years ago, when the average price was $2.81 a gallon.

Second chance for new Bozeman Hotel

It looks like those plans for a new hotel in downtown Bozeman aren't done yet.

Last week, the city commission voted down the plans for the new, 71-room, six-story hotel on East Mendenhall over questions about the building's footprint and public access.

But the Bozeman Daily Chronicle reports the city is allowing the Paine Group to make its case again.