Tribe Checking Damage From Sewer Spill Near Glacier

A long-simmering infrastructure crisis has reached a breaking point on the Blackfeet Reservation. Tribal officials have declared a State of Emergency following the total failure of the East Glacier sewer lagoon system.

The Blackfeet Tribal Business Council warns the breakdown is an immediate threat to public health and local waterways. Tribal leaders are blaming the federal government, specifically the Indian Health Service, for what they call a "legal failure" to maintain safe sanitation systems. While the EPA is currently on-site assisting with emergency repairs, the Tribe is demanding a permanent, fully funded solution to replace the crumbling infrastructure.

Delegation calls for irrigation system repairs

In other news, Montana’s Congressional delegation is sounding the alarm over the St. Mary Diversion Dam and Canal.

In a joint letter, Senators Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy, alongside Congressmen Ryan Zinke and Troy Downing, are calling on the Bureau of Reclamation to fast-track repairs. The lawmakers warn that the 111-year-old system is facing "imminent failure."

     💧Due to the aging infrastructure, the canal’s capacity has dropped by 30%, resulting in millions of acre-feet of water being lost to Canada daily.

Zinke says infrastructure should be top priority

Through this past winter and spring, Representative Zinke has been focused on infrastructure needs, such as replacing the failing Noxon and Anderson bridges, and finding the money to solve serious sewage issues in Seeley Lake.

And he believes that should be high on Washington's priority list.

"Towns like Noxon, where you got a bridge that has holes the size of manhole covers, can't put a full school bus over it," Zinke told me. "And look this is exactly what we should be doing. We should be looking at infrastructure, bridges, water, sewer, you know, Seely Lake doesn't have a car wash because they don't have a sewer."

      "It's really hard for communities like that to have affordable housing. if you don't have the services to plug into."

Anaconda murder records will be released

A District Court Judge is ordering the unsealing of nearly all charging documents related to the high-profile quadruple homicide at the Owl Bar in Anaconda.

The records, which have been largely shielded from the public since the August 1st killings, are now scheduled to be released on May 8th. The move follows persistent efforts to bring clarity to one of the state's most significant active murder cases.

Montana shines for housing development

Montana is now leading the country in new housing growth. A new report from the National Association of Home Builders reveals the Treasure State saw a 25.5% surge in single-family home permits, the highest increase in the nation.

While 42 other states saw construction declines, Montana’s growth stands out as a national outlier. Governor Greg Gianforte is crediting the spike to the “Montana Miracle,” a suite of bipartisan land-use and permitting reforms designed to slash red tape and fast-track new developments across the state.