Zinke Steps Aside From Montana Congressional Seat

Big news on the Montana political front this week, with Congressman Ryan Zinke announcing he's retiring and will NOT be filing to run for another term.

We had been watching for new developments when Zinke hadn't filed for his candidacy last week during the filing period, which will wrap up this Wednesday.

In a letter to constituents, Zinke explained that "health issues" related to surgery for injuries he suffered while serving as a Navy SEAL were behind the decision to step down.

He explained the injuries aren't life-threatening, but "repair cannot be deferred any longer and recovery will require considerable time" for his wife and family.

The decision throws an entirely new spin on the race for Montana's 1st Congressional District, leaving an opening for the GOP to try to recruit another candidate in the next 48 hours. Four Democrats had already filed.

Open burning returns with warnings

Fire departments across the state are warning people to be careful as the spring open burning season gets underway, saying the dry conditions make it imperative that people use every precaution.

While most of the fires have been manageable, they have been fast-moving, especially when winds were still sweeping across the state late last week.

Meanwhile, the largest fire of the year so far, the Rehder Fire in Musselshell County, was completely contained yesterday at just under 5000 acres. That fire forced evacuations, and at last word, the cause was listed as "unknown."

Hungry Horse homicide case

A Flathead County man is being accused of "deliberate homicide" following a weekend argument and shooting in Hungry Horse.

Detectives arrested 25-year-old Dylan Olsen following the shooting Saturday night. Investigators say he shot a 30-year-old man in the chest with a shotgun following the dispute, which is still being investigated.

Back to the slopes for Special Olympics

Special Olympics athletes from all over Western Montana will be making the annual trek up to Lost Trail Pass for the 43rd year of the Bitterroot Winter Games this week.

Spokesperson Carla Christofferson says the games switched from a January date to early March, at the end of the mountain's season last year, and that's worked very well.

Organizers are once more looking for volunteers to help on the mountain Tuesday and Wednesday, in what Christoffersoncalls an unforgettable experience.

"It's just so fulfilling to go up there and help out and see what's going on and watch all the people that are competing and having fun, and it's an enjoyable, very satisfying experience," Christofferson observes.

READ MORE: Bringing Smiles to the Bitterroot For More Than 40 Years

     🎿 You can sign up to volunteer at Bitterrootwinterspecialolympics.org.

Lunar will have you looking up

Astronomy buffs, and even just the average Montanan, are hoping for clear skies in the morning, as we SHOULD have a good chance to see the latest partial lunar eclipse here in the Northern Rockies.

This is a total eclipse of the current "Blood Moon", and Montana will have good seats for early risers. The moon will appear deep red for about 58-minutes, with the best viewing times here with the partial eclipse starting at 2:50 AM Montana time, and totality lasting from 4:04 AM to just after 5 AM Tuesday morning.