Wild Hogs/ Mail Elections/ MT State Parks/ Employment/ Free Community College

Missoulian: Missoula senator's bill aims to keep wild hogs out of the state
SB 100: Generally revise laws related to the regulation of feral hogs

Missioulian: Secretary of State McCulloch asks legislators to OK mail elections
HB 70: Revise vote by mail laws

Missoulian: Montana State Parks had record 2.255 million visits in 2014
Montana State Parks Visitation Estimates
2014 Visitation Summary

Missoulian: US gains 252K jobs; unemployment falls to 5.6 pct.
Payroll employment rises by 252,000 in December; unemployment rate declines to 5.6%
"Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 252,000 in December, and the unemployment rate declined to 5.6 percent. Job gains occurred in professional and business services, construction, food services and drinking places, health care, and manufacturing."

Missoulian: Obama proposes publicly funded community college for all 
The President Proposes to Make Community College Free for Responsible Students for 2 Years
"In our growing global economy, Americans need to have more knowledge and more skills to compete -- by 2020, an estimated 35 percent of job openings will require at least a bachelor's degree, and 30 percent will require some college or an associate's degree. Students should be able to get the knowledge and the skills they need without taking on decades' worth of student debt."

Fort Bliss/ US Troops in Europe/ New Dietary Advice

Missoulian: Army post reviews security after veterans' clinic shootings
8/31 - Access to Fort Bliss Announcement

Missoulian: US scales back troops at Europe bases to save $500 million
DoD Announces European Infrastructure Consolidation Actions and F-35 Basing in Europe
“The Department of Defense announced today the consolidation of some U.S. infrastructure in Europe, including the return of 15 sites to their host nations. These actions, taken as part of the European Infrastructure Consolidation (EIC) process, will save the U.S. government approximately $500 million annually. The DoD also announced the first F-35 basing in Europe at RAF Lakenheath, UK, which will bring new opportunities for collaboration between the U.S. and UK air forces.”

Missoulian: 5 things to look for as govt writes new dietary advice
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans are the cornerstone of Federal nutrition policy and nutrition education activities.
“The Dietary Guidelines for Americans are jointly issued and updated every 5 years by the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). They provide authoritative advice about consuming fewer calories, making informed food choices, and being physically active to attain and maintain a healthy weight, reduce risk of chronic disease, and promote overall health.”
2015 Dietary Guidelines

Montana Economy/ VA in Missoula/ Paris Shooting/ Arctic Air/ American al Qaeda

Missoulian: Federal Reserve predicts faster growth for Montana economy in 2015
District's 2015 economic picture painted with optimism
Business Poll Results

Missoulian: Montana legislators kill rule that would give more power to House speaker
HR 1: Rules of the Montana House of Representatives- see H50-160 Questions requiring other than a majority vote, Members and Voting  

Missoulian: Montana VA to hear veterans in Missoula
Missoula VA Town Hall
“Montana’s Veterans Health Administration and Veterans Benefits Administration offices are holding back-to-back town hall meetings at the Montana Army National Guard Readiness/Reserve Center in Missoula Jan. 14th.  The town hall meeting starts at 4:30 pm and will feature VA Montana Health Care staff followed at 5:30 pm by a separate meeting featuring representatives from VBA.  The town halls end at 7 pm.  “We are excited to come together and share ideas with Veterans,” said Johnny Ginnity, VA Montana Health Care System Acting Director.”

Missoulian: Obama offers US help to bring terrorists to justice after 'horrific shooting' in Paris
Statement by the President on the Attack in France
“I strongly condemn the horrific shooting at the offices of Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris that has reportedly killed 12 people. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of this terrorist attack and the people of France at this difficult time. France is America’s oldest ally, and has stood shoulder to shoulder with the United States in the fight against terrorists who threaten our shared security and the world. Time and again, the French people have stood up for the universal values that generations of our people have defended. France, and the great city of Paris where this outrageous attack took place, offer the world a timeless example that will endure well beyond the hateful vision of these killers. We are in touch with French officials and I have directed my Administration to provide any assistance needed to help bring these terrorists to justice.”

Missoulian: Bitterly cold air stretches from Dakotas to Alabama
Arctic air bringing bitter cold to central and eastern U.S.

Missoulian: New hearing for man accused of trying to join al-Qaida group
Individual Charged with Attempt to Provide Material Support to a Foreign Terrorist Organization
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina and the Department of Justice National Security Division announced that on November 5, 2013, a federal grand jury in Raleigh, North Carolina returned a one-count indictment charging Basit Javed Sheikh with attempting to provide material support and resources to a foreign terrorist organization in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2339B. Specifically, the indictment charges that Sheikh attempted to provide material support and resources to Jabhat al-Nusrah, which the United States Secretary of State has identified as an alias name for al Qaeda in Iraq, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.

Mining in Frank Church Wilderness

Missoulian: Exploratory gold mine proposed in Frank Church Wilderness
Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness
“The Frank Church-River of No Return is a wilderness of steep, rugged mountains, deep canyons, and wild, whitewater rivers. The Salmon River Mountains, located south of the Main Salmon and west of the Middle Fork, are the most massive range, and dominate the Wilderness. North of the Main Salmon River are the Clearwater Mountains, east of the Middle Fork are the Bighorn Crags. The Salmon River Canyon is one of the deepest gorges in North America, deeper even than the famous Grand Canyon of the Colorado in Arizona. But in contrast to the Grand Canyon, the Salmon River Canyon is not noted for sheer walls and towering heights, but instead for the variety of landscapes visible from the river; wooded ridges rising to the sky, huge eroded monuments and bluffs and slides, picturesque castles and towers, and solitary crags. The United States Congress designated the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness in 1980 and it now encompasses a total of 2,366,757 acres. ”

Golden Hand No. 1 and No.2 Lode
Draft Environmental Impact Statement
Golden Hand #1 and #2 Lode Mining Claims Plan of Operations [81]

Driving and Weather/ Oil Pipelines/ Historic Montana Newspapers

Missoulian: Montana DOT, Weather Service warn of dangerous driving conditions
Traveler Information

Missoulian: Avalanche warnings issued for mountains of western Montana
Winter Storm Warning
High Wind Warning
Avalanche Warning
Winter Weather Advisory

Missoulian: While Keystone XL debate flares, other pipelines quietly progress       
2010+ PIPELINE MILES AND FACILITIES
“Each report initially shows all States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, but can be limited to a single State. Links for calendar year in the reports will open a new screen showing mileage and facilities for each pipeline operator.”

Missoulian: Chronicling old Missoula: Growing newspaper website gives real-time glimpse into the 1860s
Digitized Newspapers
“Search, view, zoom, and print thousands of issues of selected Montana newspapers (1864-1922) on the Library of Congress web site Chronicling America.”

DUI Second Chance?

Missoulian: Connell’s bill would allow driver's licenses for DUI felons
SB 93: Revise laws related to DUI convictions and restricted-use driving permit

Section 1. Restricted-use driving permit -- conditions -- definitions. (1) A person who, pursuant to 61-5-105(2), may not be issued a driver's license due to an ineligible status reported by another  state to the national driver register may apply to the department for a restricted-use driving permit for use only  within the state of Montana if:

 (a) the person has maintained continuous residence in Montana for at least 5 years and is not otherwise ineligible for a license under 61-5-105;
 (b) the person submits a certified driving record from the licensing agency of each state that has reported  the person's status as ineligible to the national driver register that shows that at least 5 years have elapsed from  the effective date of the most recent withdrawal of the person's driver's license or driving privileges by the other  state or states;

(c) for the 5-year period immediately preceding application for a restricted-use driving permit, the person  has not been convicted of a traffic violation or any crime in which the abuse of alcohol or dangerous drugs was  a contributing factor in the commission of the crime, including but not limited to driving under the influence of  alcohol or dangerous drugs;

(d) the person certifies that no traffic citations or alcohol-related or drug-related criminal charges are  currently pending against the person;

(e) the person certifies that a good faith effort was made to resolve the person's ineligible status through  the licensing agency of each state or states that reported the person's status as ineligible to the national driver register, including the payment of any pending fees or fines; and

(f) the person provides any other information required by department rule.

Montana DOTMontana Impaired Driving Data 2012

• Impaired Driving Assessment 2013 & State's Response
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  Federal DOT
  Alcohol-Impaired Driving
  "From 2012 to 2013, fatalities in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes decreased by 2.5 percent (10,336 to 10,076 fatalities). Alcohol impaired-driving fatalities in the past 10 years have declined by 23 percent, from 13,099 in 2004 to 10,076 in 2013. The national rate of alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities in motor vehicle crashes in 2013 was 0.34 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT), a decline from 0.35 in 2012. The alcohol-impaired-driving fatality rate in the past 10 years has declined by 23 percent, from 0.44 in 2004 to 0.34 in 2013."

Happy New Year!/ Employment and Unemployment/ Health Care Sign-ups

Happy New Year!
Census Bureau Projects U.S. and World Populations on New Year's Day

Popular New Year's Resolutions
These New Year's resolutions are popular every year. Here’s information that can help you achieve your goals in 2015.

Missoulian: Applications for US jobless aid rise, but growth looks solid
Regional and State Employment and Unemployment Summary
“Regional and state unemployment rates were little changed in November. Forty-one states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rate decreases from October, three states had increases, and six states had no change, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Forty-three states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rate decreases from a year earlier, four states had increases, and three states had no change. The national jobless rate was unchanged from October at 5.8 percent and was 1.2 percentage points lower than in November 2013.”

Missoulian: Report prompts mixed view of health care sign-ups
Health Insurance Marketplace 2015 Open Enrollment Period: December Enrollment Report