hello and welcome to news now I'm your host Taylor Inman we're going over the biggest headlines this week for Northwest Montana fire experts and officials with state and federal agencies expect an average Fire season in the Flathead Valley this year although they said that June's weather and precipitation will be telling Rick Connell a fire management officer for the US Forest Service said we're in for an average season when you look at a national forecast last year according to Connell the valley saw above average rainfall in May but the precipitation rate dropped throughout the summer had …

hello and welcome to news now I'm your host Taylor Inman we're going over the biggest headlines this week for Northwest Montana fire experts and officials with state and federal agencies expect an average Fire season in the Flathead Valley this year although they said that June's weather and precipitation will be telling Rick Connell a fire management officer for the US Forest Service said we're in for an average season when you look at a national forecast last year according to Connell the valley saw above average rainfall in May but the precipitation rate dropped throughout the summer had the region not benefited from an influx of moisture from a hurricane last year Northwest Montana would have likely seen another 100,000 Acres Burnt according to Connell this year the valley has experienced a higher level of precipitation which is why fire danger remains low but looking at a forecast for June it doesn't appear that much more moisture will arrive Connell said it is important for all agencies to continue monitoring the weather and its effects on fire conditions he said he doesn't believe we will have an early Fire season pointing to current moisture levels typically it takes 6 weeks of drying before the first large fire Sparks according to Jeremy Harker fire management officer for Glacier National Park the season should have a normal start in mid to late July conell said with an average number of fire starts and less than 100,000 acres likely burnt going into the season agencies pointed toward the importance of firefighter safety civilian preparedness to include observing fire restrictions and collaboration between various government agencies on fire suppression efforts a former bookkeeper for a kiswell Firearms manufacturer admitted to stealing $159,000 from her then an employer in a check scheme spending the money in part on hotel stays in Las Vegas and Quinn's Hot Springs 58-year-old tanne Bell of Columbia Falls pleaded guilty in the US District Court in Missoula on Tuesday to wire fraud she faces a maximum of 20 years in prison a $250,000 fine in three years of supervised release according to Montana us attorney's office the government said bell used pre-signed checks to steal from her employer from 2018 to 2021 while working as a finance manager for the firearm manufacturer Ing and Distribution Company falkor sit Incorporated the checks were given to Bell to make payments to the company's vendors and she also had access to the company's bank account and accounting software the government found the US attorney's office said Belle wrote checks from falor to herself or her creditors and then edited the payments in an accounting system so that they appeared to be for legitimate business expenses she spent the money on personal expenses including hotel stays in Las Vegas and Quinn's Hot Springs outside of paradise according to the government as well as retail and liquor store purchases and payments to collection agencies and streaming services court documents did not specify which Las Vegas hotel Bell stayed in the company owners started to suspect Bell was stealing money in the fall of 2021 and conducted a financial audit and found Bell made 45 unauthorized transactions sealing a total of just more than $159,000 Bell was released for further proceedings with a sentencing set for October 8th representative Courtney sprunger a republican from kalis spell said Tuesday that she voted in support of holding a special session session of the Montana legislature to address immigration but her response apparently did not arrive in Helena by the June 7th deadline the request for a special session on immigration was one of three failed pushes this spring to reconvene the legislature according to the Montana Secretary of State's office just 59 legislators back to the immigration request for the session to occur a majority of legislators greater than or equal to 76 needed to approve the request under Montana code sprunger said in a statement on Tuesday that she voted yes for the election reform in illegal immigration special sessions though her votes would not have changed the outcome the request for a special session on immigration spearheaded by house Speaker Matt regar came days after an immigrant family allegedly arrived in Kalispel Republicans at the state and federal level used the family's arrival to blast the Biden Administration and its immigration policies reier indicated that lawmakers were drafting a bill modeled after legislation in Texas and Iowa prior to the state's results Texas Senate Bill 4 which is mirrored in litigation lets local law enforcement arrest and Deport people in the state illegally the Biden Administration opposes that law arguing that immigration policy and enforcement rests with the federal government despite request for a special session failing regar said they were plans to bring the bill to the 2025 legislative session thanks for joining us news now is a podcast from the Daily Inner Lake we're proud to be the largest Independent News Room in Montana and the oldest paper in the valley consider becoming a subscriber to support our work call circulation at 46755 7018 or go to the Subscribe button in the top right corner of our website and if you haven't already subscribe to our YouTube channel to never miss an episode of the Pod everybody stay safe and have a great week