Tag: Montana News

West Nile Virus Activity Confirmed in Montana

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DPHHS URGES MONTANANS TO TAKE INCREASED CAUTION AGAINST MOSQUITO BITES THIS SUMMER

State and local health officials confirmed the first detections of West Nile virus (WNV) in Montana for summer 2026. WNV activity will likely spread across the state, and the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) is urging all Montanans to take increased precautions against mosquito bites. Two mosquito pools have tested positive for WNV in Roosevelt County. Detection of WNV in mosquitoes is an early indicator that activity is increasing within the state, elevating the risk of human illness.

No cases of WNV infections have been reported in humans or horses yet this summer. WNV can cause illness in humans after a bite from an infected Culex mosquito. The increased risk of transmission to humans is expected to continue through October, or as long as mosquitoes remain active in the state. “West Nile virus symptoms span a wide spectrum, with many people experiencing prolonged, flu-like fatigue and body aches, while others remain entirely asymptomatic,” said DPHHS Vectorborne Disease Epidemiologist Devon Cozart.

“The risk of severe illness is a serious concern; every year, some Montanans experience neurological complications that can cause permanent disability or death. We urge everyone to take steps to mitigate these risks by making mosquito bite prevention a daily habit.” Currently, there is no vaccine or targeted medication for WNV in humans, aside from supportive care. Most people who become infected with WNV will be asymptomatic, but one in five experience mild symptoms, including headache, rash, body aches, joint pains, fatigue, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Fatigue and body aches may persist for weeks following infection. About 1 in 150 human infections result in severe disease, known as neuroinvasive West Nile virus infection. Neuroinvasive West Nile can cause neurological symptoms, including disorientation, stupor, coma, paralysis, vision loss, and convulsions. WNV can be fatal or lead to long-term neurological complications. Horses can also be infected with WNV. Horse owners may contact their veterinarian to obtain an annual vaccine to protect against WNV. Preventing mosquito bites is important when spending time outdoors in the summer, especially during dusk and dawn, which are peak feeding activity times for female Culex mosquitoes.

Permethrin is an insect repellent that can be utilized to treat clothing and gear, including tents. The Environmental Protection Agency also maintains lists of approved insect repellents that can be applied directly to the skin. Emptying standing water at least once per week is important to keep mosquitoes away from homes. For items such as rain barrels, apply a screen to the opening to restrict mosquito access. For other mosquito bite prevention tips, check out the 4 Ds of mosquito bite prevention below.

The 4 Ds of Mosquito Bite Prevention include:

  • DEET: Use insect repellent containing effective ingredients such as DEET or picaridin. To verify the effectiveness of insect repellent, go to the EPA’s webpage on insect repellents.
  • Drain: Drain standing water around the house to prevent mosquito breeding.
  • Dawn/Dusk: Mosquitoes are most active during dawn and dusk. Stay inside or take extra precautions to prevent mosquito bites during these times. If doors or windows are left open in the summer, make sure they’re fitted with screens to keep mosquitoes out of the house.
  • Dress: When possible, wear long-sleeved shirts and pants to protect against bites.

Source: West Nile Virus Activity Confirmed in Montana

If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.
1 John 4:20

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Montana Teen Uses Rodeo Lasso to Rescue Drowning Man on Yellowstone River

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dramatic grand canyon of yellowstone view

A 14-year-old boy camping near Greycliff used his roping skills to rescue a drowning man from the Yellowstone River during a family trip.

Source: (667) Montana Teen Uses Rodeo Lasso to Rescue Drowning Man on Yellowstone River – YouTube

The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17

Hunted for Following Jesus

In some communities, Muslims who leave Islam to follow Christ face rejection, threats, violence, and even death because of their faith. For Muslim-background believers, choosing to follow Jesus can place…

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Winter Storm Warning: 10 Inches of Snow, 50 mph Winds Coming This Week

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rural snowy village during severe blizzard

Certain areas of the Midwest are experiencing higher snowfall and wind speeds this week. The National Weather Service has confirmed that snowy conditions will continue into next week across some areas of the Midwest.

After a few weeks of heavy snowfall throughout the Rockies, conditions in Wyoming and Montana have calmed down over the past few days. The NWS now reports that snowfall will once again be expected in the region, with wind gusts of 40 mph adding to the stormy conditions.According to the NWS’ graphical forecast feature, wind speeds will peak at 50 mph in northwestern Wyoming at midnight on Tuesday, May 12. These dangerous gusts will be concentrated in the high-altitude areas of the Rocky Mountains, with the rest of the state facing speeds closer to 30 or 40 mph.

Northern Montana will also face high-speed winds on Monday and Tuesday, with the NWS predicting 40 mph gusts close to the North Dakota border. The state’s southern border with Idaho can expect speeds of around 30 mph.

When it comes to snow, hazardous conditions will be much more localized. While the rest of the country can expect a particularly dry week, areas of Wyoming and Montana located along the Rocky Mountains will face snowfall of 10 inches or more throughout the week.

Source: Winter Storm Warning: 10 Inches of Snow, 50 mph Winds Coming This Week – Men’s Journal

We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.
Galatians 2:15-16

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Apparent bear attack kills missing hiker in Montana’s Glacier National Park

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majestic grizzly bear roaring in the wilderness

The body of a hiker who was reported missing has been found by search and rescue crews in Glacier National Park in Montana, park officials said Thursday. His remains were spotted Wednesday about two-and-a-half miles up the Mt. Brown Trail, some 50 feet off the trail “in a densely wooded area with downed timber,” the officials said. “His injuries are consistent with those sustained by a bear encounter,” they said, adding that “wildlife and law enforcement personnel are currently assessing the area for bear activity and any ongoing public safety concerns. The investigation is ongoing.”

reflection on rocks underneath a lake
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That part of the trail has been closed until the investigation is finished. The National Park Service isn’t releasing the victim’s name until three days after his next-of-kin are notified. The service said Tuesday that a search was being conducted for a Fort Lauderdale, Florida man who was hiking and hadn’t been heard from since Sunday night. On Monday, two hikers were injured in a bear attack at Yellowstone National Park, the first such incident at the park this year. Craig Lerman, a tourist from Maryland, told Cowboy State Daily that he helped one of the injured hikers and said the man was “tore up pretty bad” with cuts all over his body. 

Source: Apparent bear attack kills missing hiker in Montana’s Glacier National Park – CBS Miami

And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
Ephesians 5:2

Plague in Russia?

Russian authorities have sought to allay global worries over the death of a young woman who worked at a Siberian anti-plague laboratory. But moves to isolate her…

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First grizzly bear of 2026 spotted at Yellowstone, feeding on bison carcass

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photo of grizzly bears on a grass field

An image of the sighting showed the massive bear standing over the carcass near Yellowstone Lake.

Source: First grizzly bear of 2026 spotted at Yellowstone, feeding on bison carcass – CBS News

Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
Colossians 3:2

DPS arrests man for threatening ‘violent attack’ on Texas Capitol

The Texas Department of Public Safety arrested a Bexar County man Wednesday in connection with the threat of a “violent attack” on the Texas Capitol. He has since been charged federally with possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number. Keep Watching 4 DPS special agents worked alongside the FBI and local law enforcement to…

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SpaceX launches Starship on giant rocket’s first flight to orbit

SpaceX launched the company’s Super Heavy-Starship on its first flight to orbit Monday — an abbreviated three-hour mission that marked a major step toward perfecting the world’s most powerful rocket for commercial flights and NASA moon missions. One of the Starship upper stage’s six Raptor engines shut down early during the climb to an initially…

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Christians Came Together to Help Defeat UK’s Assisted Dying Bill

When Alicia Edmund heard the Parliament vote count for the UK’s assisted dying bill last week—286 noes to 270 ayes—her immediate reaction was shock. The bill had been defeated.   As head of policy for the Evangelical Alliance in the UK, Edmund had spent countless hours in the past two years briefing evangelicals on how…

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Trump and Rubio question U.K. handling of possible plot against air base after 5 men released on bail

President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have criticized British counterterror police’s handling of a possible plot targeting a U.K. air base used by U.S. forces, with Rubio calling it a “very serious” incident and alleging that it “clearly involved” a foreign actor, and the president suggesting it “might be” Iran. Five British nationals,…

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Rat birth control program expanding to Albany Park

Chicago is consistently named one of the “rattiest” cities in America and an effort to change that is expanding. As more communities are turning to rat birth control, community leaders on the Northwest Side are trying something new — getting neighbors involved. A community info session was held on Tuesday night a few weeks ahead…

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Wind Blows off School Roof in Great Falls; Severe wind causes trouble across the region

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Powerful winds are causing trouble in Great Falls and across the region, including roof damage, downed trees, and power outages.

Source: Severe wind causes trouble across the region

For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword, Nor did their own arm save them; But it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance, Because You favored them.
Psalm 44:3

Boil water advisory continues for Village of Romeo

A boil water advisory continues until further notice in the Village of Romeo in Macomb County, Michigan, where a water main break occurred on Saturday. While the water main break was isolated and water pressure restored over the weekend, village officials said a boil water advisory remains in effect until further notice. When a boil water advisory…

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New giant pandas from China arrive in Atlanta zoo

Two giant pandas from China have arrived in the U.S. as part of an agreement between the Chinese and American governments, the Atlanta zoo confirmed on Sunday. The zoo said giant pandas Ping Ping and Fu Shuang arrived at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Sunday morning “via a dedicated ‘FedEx Panda Express’ Boeing 777 aircraft.” “This…

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Third of young people now turning to AI for friendship, research finds

A third of young people are now using an AI companion, according to new research. The RELATE Project 2026, by Christian youth ministry Young Life, spoke to over 7,100 teenagers and young adults across 11 different countries including the US, UK, Argentina, Mexico, India and Nigeria. The research found that in 2025 the average young…

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Ontario, Canada: Police officer wounded in shooting near synagogue

A police officer was shot and wounded near a synagogue in Ontario, Canada, on Sunday evening during an exchange of gunfire with an armed man as congregants gathered to mark Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar, officials said. Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit said a man was in the hospital “in life threatening…

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Colorado UTV rider rescued after falling 250 feet down steep embankment

A UTV rider in Colorado was hospitalized after losing control near a steep embankment and falling about 250 feet. Around 11:29 p.m., Grand County Search and Rescue says twelve members, along with personnel from Grand County EMS, Union Pacific Railroad, Hot Sulphur Springs Fire and the Grand County Sheriff’s Office, responded to an accident in…

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