Montana News Now: SNAP Cuts Coming, But Also a New Warehouse

As many as 30,000 Montanans may be losing their SNAP benefits in the near future.

But the CEO of the Montana Food Bank Network remains optimistic that Montana will rise to the challenge and find ways to partner and collaborate.

Gayle Carlson says the state's food bank and pantries are resilient and have faced challenges before, including the pandemic just 5 years ago that upended programs.

"Absolutely. You know, I think one thing that I've always said is that food bankers are probably the most resilient crowd I've ever met because we're dealing with disasters and crises and family issues all the time," Carlson tells me. "So, not saying that the environment that we're going through right now is a positive environment, but it does mean that we're pretty used to these types of things and the rebound that we have and the ability to do that."

Carlson believes the SNAP cuts will mean the state may have to make up some of the difference, but she also believes innovative ideas will help.

"The good news is we're not one of the states with a high error rate. So there's some of those barriers that we will not have to overcome." - MFBN CEO Gayle Carlson

      Meanwhile, the new MFBN warehouse and headquarters are about to come online.

Carlson says the new facility, which is a major upgrade for the program, will open this fall. She says it will be a tremendous help with planning and flexibility in handling donations and food shipments. MFBN is expecting to start moving in this September, with an official opening in the fall.

Ravalli County: Argument leads to fatal shooting

Ravalli County authorities are trying to sort out the details of a fight that led to gunfire and the death of one man on Tuesday afternoon.

Sheriff Steve Holton says deputies were called to report an altercation at a residence south of Hamilton, with one man brandishing a firearm and the other dying of a gunshot.
    
     Holton says both men knew each other and there's no additional danger to the public.

Man missing after boat capsizes on Flathead Lake

Lake County searchers are attempting to locate a 58-year-old Wyoming man who was one of three people thrown into the water when their boat capsized off Rocky Point on Flathead Lake.

Sheriff Don Bell says other boaters helped two of the victims to shore, and they're being treated for hypothermia. But high winds were hampering the search for James Ventura Dominguez, who is from Cheyenne.

All of the Bitterroot River now under "hoot owl" fishing rules

Montana FWP is imposing more "hoot owl" fishing restrictions in Western Montana to try and protect fish stocks while river levels continue to drop and water heats up.

The latest order takes effect this afternoon and covers the Bitterroot River from Veteran's Bridge in Hamilton, all the way to Missoula and the Clark Fork River.

      The closures are issued when maximum water temperatures reach at least 73 degrees for three consecutive days. Trout will die when the water is 77 degrees or warmer.

Lifeguard shortage closes another Montana pool

An ongoing shortage of lifeguards is sidelining another popular Montana pool for the rest of the summer.

The City of Great Falls says the Water Tower Pool will be closed because the city couldn't recruit enough certified lifeguards for safe operation. City leaders say Water Tower Pool was the least used of the city's aquatic facilities, and it wouldn't be cost-effective to only have pools open a few days a week to cover the shortage.

A pretty new Yellowstone pool is "probably" safe from tourists

The Yellowstone Volcano Observatory says a new thermal pool discovered this spring is active, but far enough away from boardwalks and trails that it shouldn't pose a hazard to the public.

The pool, measuring about 13 feet across, was spotted when crews were maintaining some observation equipment in April. It's located in the Porcelain Basin, which is a sub-basin in the Norris Geyser Basin, one of the most active areas in the park.

     Researchers believe it may have become active around Christmas.