Outlook News

The Montana Lottery announced last week that a ticket sold in Joliet won the $220,000 Montana Cash jackpot in the Wednesday night lottery drawings.

Area farmers are in the process of completing what is predicted to be a record grain harvest.

ZooMontana's newest resident is Bruno the 8-year-old grizzly bear. He is enjoying a frozen pineapple treat, part of the enrichment activities that help his life keep from becoming boring.

Early-day Laurel This scene out of Laurel's past shows the intersection of Main Street and First Avenue.

Chylo Laszloffy left Laurel in June with Vision Beyond Borders to help the people of cyclone-torn Burma.

Hardy Construction crews began excavation work at the new Yellowstone County Veterans Cemetery last week.

Paul Polzin has spent the past 20 years leading the University of Montana's Bureau of Business and Economic Research.

The condition of Montana's small grain crops improved last week, according to the Crop Weather Report released Monday by the Montana Field Office of the National Agriculture Statistics Service.

HELENA - Fire managers are telling the governor that the outlook is good for a calm fire season in Montana.

Montana U.S. Sen. Jon Tester played "Taps" at the Groundbreaking Ceremony of the new Yellowstone County Veterans Cemetery north of Laurel on Memorial Day.

As usual, the national Farm Bill is closely watched by Montana ag operators. Mike O'Neill, Stockman Bank vice president and agriculture department manager talked with Ag Outlook Editor Jo Dee Black about the ...

“This is a great opportunity to bring folks together and brainstorm new ideas to attract businesses to our state and to move our state forward. This is going to be an exciting day - I'm really looking forward to it.”

BOZEMAN -The 2008 New Frontiers Conference: Propelling Montana Research will take place June 2 in Bozeman. via Great Falls Tribune

“While I'm doing my part to try to get more businesses, and the kind of businesses that make sense, it's also up to us to do our part in the state to decide where our future really is and how we want it developed or not developed and in what way”

Montana's U.S. Senator Max Baucus says while the rest of the nation is experiencing sub-prime lending issues and credit crunches, Montana faces unique circumstances. via KULR

“As evidence, pheasants and grouse are plentiful in Montana on regular grazing land as well as CRP.”

During the 23 years since the federal Conservation Reserve Program started paying farmers to take fragile soil out of production, tons of soil have been saved from erosion and kept out of drinking water, U.S. ... via Great Falls Tribune

“It's a great lifestyle to raise a family in. It's hard work, but there are a lot of rewards.”

Farmers and ranchers are in the midst of renewing their operating loan agreements, against the back drop of record grain prices, uncer-tainty about the shape and future of the Farm Bill and escalating input ... via Great Falls Tribune

“The truth is there seems to be more optimism in northern Montana than there has been in a long time”

Daylight hours are beginning to stretch past dinner, but the only certainty this spring, it seems, is that the season's official start is March 20. via Great Falls Tribune

“This law provides no 60-day grace period”

Yellowstone County Sheriff's deputies and Montana Highway Patrol troopers continued the out-of-state vehicle registration enforcement at the Laurel CHS Refinery through Thursday of last week that resulted in ... via Laurel Outlook

“Further cuts in homebuilding and in related activities are likely”

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress Thursday the economy is deteriorating and signaled a readiness to keep on lowering a key interest rate to shore things up. via Montana Standard

“We require all work to be done in compliance with all applicable requirements of any government rules”

This Montana Highway Patrol trooper pulled over a vehicle with out-of-state plates observed leaving the CHS Refinery Tuesday afternoon. via Laurel Outlook

“Butte's growth is going to be continuous, but it's not a boom growth. And in my opinion, it's the way you should grow and sustain it, where people are coming to stay and make this the place to live.”

Taken together, the many articles published the past four Sundays as part of The Standard's series, "Southwest Montana Economic Outlook 2008," paint a promising vision for our little corner of the world. via Montana Standard