Legislator Takes Advantage of ARPA Business Loans
Significant federal funds flowed into Montana—and all other states—during the COVID-19 pandemic under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), with much of the funding aimed at stabilizing businesses during forced closures and worker shortages. A recent deep dive into those programs exposed some surprising and disturbing information—information that demands broader public awareness. One of those programs was the Down Payment Assistance Loan […]
Montana Unemployment Copes with Overload in Aftermath of COVID-19 Related Layoffs
From March 15 to March 22, 13,406 new unemployment claims were filed in the State of Montana. This unprecedented number of new claims is the result of the order closing restaurants and bars to the public for the purpose of social distancing during the current COVID-19 epidemic. It is yet undetermined when effected businesses will […]
City and County State of Emergency Declared
by Evelyn Pyburn The fallout from public concerns about the COVID-19 virus has prompted declarations of emergency by state and local officials and has resulted in health departments issuing demands that bars and restaurants be closed in several major counties.