On today's morning newscast: more homes are being evacuated north of Noxon as a fire burning in the Kootenai National Forest spreads. Fire information officer John Head says evacuation orders were issued for between 30 and 40 homes yesterday.
The Sheep Fire near Essex has, however, caused the closure of a 7-mile section U-S Highway 2 north of Essex and an adjacent section of the BNSF railroad tracks.
Australia and New Zealand are sending firefighters to help battle wildfires burning in the western United States.
Montana health officials are hearing from people in public meetings this week about the state's plan to expand Medicaid.
State Medicaid Director Mary Dalton said after a meeting in Helena yesterday she's confident the state will be able to offer health insurance to tens of thousands more low-income Montanans in time for the new year.
Hospitals around the state have agreed to donate more than $80,000 to Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies so the organization can continue an education program aimed at preventing shaken baby injuries and deaths after a state board decided not to renew its funding.
Searchers have located a single-engine airplane that crashed in the Big Belt Mountains just northeast of Canyon Ferry Lake.
Montana is getting some more help with fires burning in the northwest part of the state. Crystal Beckman with the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation says two more “Incident Management Teams” are on their way to the state.
Production at the Stillwater Mine near Nye was put to a halt after the company announced it would be laying off more than 100 workers.
The Montana Highway Patrol says drugs were found at the scene of a central Montana rollover crash that killed three teens and injured a fourth.