KYSS FM » Economy

Montana Gas Prices Skyrocket as Memorial Day Approaches, Dakotas See Record Highs

Jon King — Mon, 20 May 2013 20:44:26 +0000

With just a week to go till Memorial day, gas prices are skyrocketing in Montana at a rate not seen for many months.

Missoula's Neptune Aviation Loses Expected Forest Service Contract, Millions Already Spent

Jon King — Tue, 07 May 2013 21:16:57 +0000

Missoula's Neptune Aviation heard bad news this week when the U.S. Forest Service announced the winners of lucrative contracts for developing the next generation of firefighting air tankers.

Federal Government Unexpectedly Takes Millions in Mineral Payments, Montana to Lose Over $2.5 Million

Jon King — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 19:25:32 +0000

This week, March 24, news broke that the federal government would be keeping nearly $53 million in mineral payments that would normally have gone to Wyoming. It now appears that cuts could be coming to Montana as well.

Montana Gas Prices Rising at Slow Pace

Jon King — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 01:31:00 +0000

Gas prices keep climbing in Montana, here's what to look for in the week ahead.

The Learning Tree in Missoula is Closing

Jon King — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 18:56:41 +0000

Since 1986, The Learning Tree has been one of the only locally owned toy stores in Missoula. In mid-April, though, The Learning Tree will be closing its doors for good.

Montana Unemployment Rate Shows Slight Rise in January to 5.7%

Jon King — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 19:53:05 +0000

With a .01% rise in the unemployment rate, Montana is back to a 5.7% unemployment rate, right where things stood in November 2012.

Scam Uses Fake Department of Labor Letter to Target Montana Businesses

Jon King — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 21:58:58 +0000

The Montana Department of Labor and Industry has seen an usually high number of scams targeting Montana business over the past few months. Now a new deception has been discovered.

Montana Gas Prices Still Rising, End of Climb in Sight

Jon King — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 20:20:05 +0000

At $3.34 per gallon, Montana's average gas prices are up again this week. They have been climbing for over three weeks now, but hope for motorists could be on the horizon.

Enrollment Stories Very Different at University of Montana and Montana State University

Jon King — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 03:18:07 +0000

Enrollment is quite literally the lifeblood of a university system and over the past year Montana's two big public universities, Montana State University and the University of Montana have very different stories to tell when it comes to new enrollment.

Under Three Dollar Gas Still Available in Montana, But in Just a Few Places

Jon King — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 20:37:11 +0000

Gas prices climb nearly 8 cents, but there are still great deals to be had if you know where to look.

Sequester Could Cut Missoula Aging Service's Budget by 50 Percent

Jon King — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 23:43:14 +0000

The sequester is scheduled to occur as February comes to a close. For some agencies, the cutbacks will be minimal, but for others, like Missoula Aging Services, the cutbacks will be significant.

School Board Votes to Close Historic 1889 Grantsdale School in Hamilton

Jon King — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 22:51:57 +0000

The school bell outside Grantsdale Elementary in Hamilton has been ringing for classes and recess since the school's founding by Henry Grant in 1889. After a school board decision on Monday, February 25, however, Grantsdale's bell will ring to let children loose for the last time on June 6 of this year.

University of Montana Economist Says Another Fiscal Cliff Is Looming [AUDIO]

Peter Christian — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 22:30:04 +0000

Montana’s economy improved significantly in 2012, and 2013′s forecast is hopeful as well, except for another fiscal cliff that looms in the near future. Director of the University of Montana Bureau of Business and Economic Research Patrick Barkey says early March will tell the tale of whether or not government officials will be able to [...]

Tourism Benefits Every Aspect of Montana Business [AUDIO]

Peter Christian — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 21:50:12 +0000

A new study by the University of Montana Institute for Tourism and Economic Research shows that non-resident travel supported jobs in every business sector in Montana. Preliminary 2012 estimates show a 5.7 percent increase from 2011 in travel-generated employment to exceed 41,000 jobs for Montana residents. The nonresident travel industry in Montana comprises 6.2 percent [...]

Montana Gas Prices Continue To Fall [AUDIO]

Peter Christian — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 00:35:50 +0000

Now that the end of the year is approaching, gas prices in Montana continue to fall. Patrick DeHaan with Gasbuddy dot com says gas prices in Montana are now about 6 cents lower than they were a year ago. The average price of regular unleaded gas is now about $3.19 per gallon, down nearly 7 [...]

Montana Gas Prices Plunge

Jon King — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 18:33:10 +0000

Montana’s gas prices jumped off their own fiscal cliff this week, dropping another 7.3 cents per gallon to an average price of $3.33 per gallon. Prices are about ten cents cheaper in Montana than they were last year and nearly a whole 25 cents lower than they were just four weeks ago. The national average [...]

12 Days of Christmas Will Cost Over $107,000 in 2012

Peter Christian — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 14:21:46 +0000

Every year, economists predict how much the gifts mentioned in the song ‘12 Days of Christmas‘ will cost in today’s economy. In 2012, the estimate is over $107,000. The most expensive items on the list are the seven swans a’swimming… flying in at about $7,000, while the least expensive is the partridge in a pear [...]

New Manufacturing Business to Open in Bonner [AUDIO]

Peter Christian — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 02:10:53 +0000

This news release provided by Missoula Economic Partnership

ALCOM to Open Manufacturing Facility in Bonner

Fast-growing trailer maker expects to hire 60 workers, grow to 200 in two years.

BONNER, MONT. — One of America’s fastest-growing and most respected brands of aluminum trailers will soon be made in Missoula County. On Wednesday, November 14, Maine-based ALCOM LLC announced it signed a lease to establish a new, 70,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Bonner.

Craft Beer Benefits Montana's Economy [AUDIO]

Peter Christian — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 20:09:48 +0000

Montana’s 33 craft brewers represent a growing sector of manufacturing activity in the state, according to a new survey and economic impact study by researchers Colin Sorenson and Todd Morgan of The University of Montana Bureau of Business and Economic Research. Sorenson says the impact of the industry represents more than 430 jobs, nearly $50 [...]

Heartbreaking Video Shows Just How Bad Kalispell's Economy Is

Aaron "Tallest DJ" Traylor — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 07:56:32 +0000

Before I moved to Missoula, I lived in Kalispell and had made many good friends over the course of years that I stayed there. Back in 2004, money never really seemed to be too much of an issue. But then again, that was before the entire global market came to a screeching halt. Since then, the lack of jobs and income has washed up large cities like Detroit and even as close as Spokane. We thought that perhaps Montana could be able to sustain itself with the tighter knit communities and small town prices. We were wrong.