MT Supreme Court/ Oil Drilling/ Beef Recall / HIV/AIDS

Missoulian: Supreme Court: Judge erred in sentencing man whostabbed Poverello worker 

State of Montana v. John Gordon Brisco

“Given our clear holding in Duncan, Briscoe’s sentence based in part on lack of remorse is illegal. The District Court did not affirmatively point to any evidence in the record to support its finding of lack of remorse. When a portion of a sentence is illegal, and can be corrected on remand, we will remand to the district court to correct the illegal provision. State v. Olivares-Coster, 2011 MT 196, ¶ 16, 361 Mont. 380, 259 P.3d 760. Accordingly, we reverse Briscoe’s sentence and remand to the District Court to correct this illegal provision.”

Missoulian: Montana on pace to issue record number of oildrilling permits

Montana Minerals Management Bureau

Missoulian: Cargill Beef recalls 30,000 pounds of groundbeef

Pennsylvania Firm Recalls Ground Beef Products Due ToPossible Salmonella Contamination 

“The products subject to recall bears the establishment number "EST. 9400" inside the USDA mark of inspection. While the use-by date has passed and these products are no longer available for retail sale, FSIS and the company are concerned that some product may be frozen in consumers' freezers. These products were produced on May 25, 2012, and were shipped to distribution centers in Connecticut, Maine and New York for further distribution.”

Missoulian: Sec'y Clinton lauds headway in battle against AIDS

CDC: Global HIV/AIDS

Remarks at the 2012 International AIDS Conference 

Hot and Sunny

Missoulian: THURSDAY'S FORECAST: Sunny and hot, high of 96

State of the Climate National Overview June 2012

The average temperature for the contiguous U.S. during June was 71.2°F, which is 2.0°F above the 20^th century average. The June temperatures contributed to a record-warm first half of the year and the warmest 12-month period the nation has experienced since record keeping began in 1895. Scorching temperatures during the second half of the month led many cities to set all-time temperature records. 

Building / i3 Education Funding

 Missoulian: US builders start most new homes since Oct. 2008

NEW RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION INJUNE 2012

“Privately-owned housing units authorized by building permits in June were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 755,000. This is 3.7 percent (±1.0%) below the revised May rate of 784,000, but is 19.3 percent (±1.8%) above the June 2011 estimate of 633,000.”

Missoulian: Obama proposes$1B for science, math teachers

Investing in Innovation Fund(i3) 

“The Department is pleased to invite 124 Development pre-applicants to submit an application for the FY2012 Full Application Development Competition. The Department encourages applicants to review the documents on this page and other i3 pages to learn more about the i3 competition. The Department is pleased to invite 124 Development pre-applicants to submit an application for the FY2012 Full Application Development Competition. The Department encourages applicants to review the documents on this page and other i3 pages to learn more about the i3 competition.”

Gas Prices /

Helena Independent Record: Cheaper gas keeps US consumerprices flat 

Consumer Price Index 

“The energy index continued to fall in June, but its decline was offset by increases in the indexes for food and all items less food  and energy. The energy index fell 1.4 percent as the gasoline index  declined for the third month in a row; other energy indexes were mixed. The food index rose 0.2 percent after being unchanged last  month as the index for food at home turned up in June.”

Helena Independent Record: US factory output rose 0.4percent in June

PRODUCTIVITY AND COSTS-BLS

“Nonfarm business sector labor productivity decreased at a 0.9 percent annual rate during the first quarter of 2012, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The decline in productivity reflects increases of 2.4 percent in output and 3.3 percent in hours worked. (All quarterly percent changes in this release are seasonally adjusted annual rates.) From the first quarter of 2011 to the first quarter of 2012, productivity increased 0.4 percent as output and hours worked rose 2.7 percent and 2.2 percent, respectively.”

Libby Asbestos

Missoulian: Libby reaches asbestos cleanup milestone

Libby Asbestos
Since November 1999, EPA has cleaned up the major source areas of contamination around town. EPA is now cleaning up smaller sources found in a variety of places such as around homes and businesses. EPA conducts stringent clearance sampling after cleanup and has begun some targeted sampling to measure the effectiveness of cleanup several months later.

Graduation Rates / Medical Marijuana / Fires

Missoulian: Montana sees greatest improvement in collegegraduation rates in U.S. 

New State-by-State College Attainment Numbers Show ProgressToward 2020 Goal
“Today, the Administration released new numbers showing college attainment state-by-state based on census bureau data from 2009 to 2010. All told, the percentage of 25-34 year olds with some kind of postsecondary degree rose half a percentage point from 38.8 percent to 39.3 percent. America used to be No. 1 in the world for the percentage of adults with college degrees but has recently slid to 16th. President Obama has called for America to increase the number of degree-holders to 60 percent by the end of the decade.”

Missoulian: Montana Supreme Court: No medical marijuanatransactions between caregivers 

Medical Marijuana Growers et al v.Ed Corrigan, County Attorney 

“…The Order determined that caregivers, as providers of medical marijuana to qualifying patients under Montana’s 2009 Medical Marijuana Act, were not permitted to engage in marijuana transactions with or provide cultivation services to other caregivers or their agents or contractors.”

Missoulian: Wildfire breaks out in Bob Marshall Wildernessnorthwest of Augusta 

Montana Fire Information

FARRM Bill / Corporate Personhood / Fires

Missoulian: House farm bill draws Montana concern 
 

H.R. 6083: Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk ManagementAct of 2012

FARRM summery (From, House Committee on Agriculture)

“The Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management (FARRM) Act is a bipartisan bill that saves taxpayers money, reduces the nation’s deficit, and repeals outdated policies while reforming, streamlining, and consolidating others. It is the product of a two-year process that included auditing for effectiveness and efficiency every single policy under the jurisdiction of the House Committee on Agriculture. The result is legislation that cuts spending, reduces the size of government, and makes common-sense reforms.”

Missoulian: Initiative declaring corporations aren't humanscertified for Montana ballot

BALLOTLANGUAGE FOR INITIATIVE NO. 166 

“Ballot initiative I-166 establishes a state policy that corporations are not entitled to constitutional rights because they are not human beings, and charges Montana elected and appointed officials, state and federal, to implement that policy. With this policy, the people of Montana establish that there should be a level playing field in campaign spending, in part by prohibiting corporate campaign contributions and expenditures and by limiting political spending in elections. Further, Montana’s congressional delegation is charged with proposing a joint resolution offering an amendment to the United States Constitution establishing that corporations are not human beings entitled to constitutional rights.”

Missoulian: Dry conditions, beetle-killed trees raise dangeron 1,200-acre Bitterroot fire 

Montana Fire Information