Aaron Bolton

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say the number of vaccines being given to children for diseases like polio and hepatitis B has fallen dramatically during the coronavirus pandemic.

Montana’s public health departments and providers, seeing the same decline, are concerned it could lead to an outbreak of a vaccine preventable disease and pull resources away from the COVID-19 response.

Aquatic insects living at high elevations in Glacier National Park may be more resilient to impacts from climate change than was once thought. That's according to a study published this week. Populations of various other species are still expected to decline and potentially go extinct.

The Montana Department of Labor and Industry has found that an embattled Whitefish ministry violated state law by asking its workers to volunteer much of their time serving food at affiliated burger restaurants. Potter’s Field Ministries now owes six workers a combined $150,000.

Montana education officials announced Thursday that two task forces will develop guidance on how the state’s public schools can safely reopen their doors next fall.

As Montana’s public schools close out the school year, the state is turning its attention to the fall, when many districts are expected to welcome students back into their buildings one way or another.

Reopening gyms and fitness studios in a uniform and consistent way has been difficult for public health officials because every facility is different. Now counties are saying the governor’s guidance on reopening doesn’t answer all their questions.

Glacier National Park expects to open its gates to visitors some time in early June, but what services visitors will be able to access it is still undecided.

Gyms of all kinds across Montana will have the option to reopen May 15 under guidance from Gov. Steve Bullock. Montana Public Radio’s Aaron Bolton found that some facilities don’t plan to open until a vaccine for the novel coronavirus is available. Others opened at the beginning of May. Bolton shares what he learned with Nicky Ouellet.

Bear managers around Glacier National Park say they’ve had a busy spring season with conflicts between bears and humans. Mortality numbers are on pace with last year, the second highest on record for the area.

A "mortality" counts any bear removed from the ecosystem for any reason.