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Montana peas and lentils are flowing freely into India again after being bottled up by trade politics. Columbia Grain reports that storage limits imposed by India officials Oct. 18, have been lifted, enabling warehouses to again stockpile peas, lentils and chickpeas, collectively referred to as pulse crops. Montana is the nation’s largest producer of pulse crops, with nearly 700,000 acres planted and more than $140 million a year sold. India last month abruptly limited pulse crop storage to 350 metric tons, or 10 farm truck loads. It then proceeded to confiscate warehouse surplus. Pulse crop insiders said that drought wiped

A Havre couple who served in the Montana Army National Guard have been honored by Sen. Steve Daines for “their dedicated service to Montana and the nation.” Sgt. Michaela Boushey and SSG Shayne Boushey of Havre will be honored at a Big Hearts under the Big Sky Banquet as the Montanans of the Week. Michaela Boushey served in the Montana Army National Guard for eight years, including four years in the 112th Security and Support Detachment Aviation Unit.  Shayne Boushey has completed deployments with both the Infantry Battalion and the Military Police Company.  Daines, R-Mont., said that during his deployment

The battle for the mayor of Chester has come down to crunch time. The small burg on Highway 2 has become the epicenter of an epic political battle between Cheetos pitchman Chester Cheetah and incumbent Noel Walston as they vie for the reins of the city with Election Day just around the corner. Neither candidate has been shy about throwing mud the other’s way. “What is Chester Cheetah trying to hide, and why is he always wearing sunglasses?” asks one of Walston’s campaign ads. “What was he doing in that hotel? Isn’t he just a corporate puppet?” And then the

HELENA – Montana’s two senators split their votes early Friday on the federal budget deal that will avoid a government default and partial shutdown and set spending levels into 2017. Democrat Jon Tester, the state’s senior senator, voted for the deal, which passed 64-35 just after 3 a.m. eastern time. Republican Steve Daines was among the GOP senators who voted against it. Tester said he’s disappointed that budget talks apparently must come to a crisis to get resolved, but that the deal represents a compromise that includes many positive things. “By raising the debt ceiling, we will prevent interest rates from skyrocketing