City Desk
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By Kathleen Shannon - Producer, Contact - News
Big Sky Connection - Providence Health System’s closure of Missoula’s St. Patrick Hospital came as a surprise to many workers. The Montana Nurses Association, which will begin related negotiations next week, argues the decision lacked transparency and transition planning. Comments by Robin Haux [HOWcks], labor program director, Montana Nurses Association; and Megan Carey, labor and delivery nurse, Family Maternity Center at Providence St. Patrick Hospital.
Click above for audio. The Montana Nurses Association said the decision from Providence Health Services to close St. Patrick Hospital's maternity center lacked "stakeholder input, transparency and transition planning." (Gorodenkoff/Adobe Stock)
Kathleen Shannon
July 1, 2025 - The multistate Providence Health System announced it will close the maternity center at one of its Montana hospitals in October.
Opponents are hoping the corporation will reverse its decision at negotiations starting next week. The Family Maternity Center at Missoula's Providence St. Patrick Hospital has delivered about 450 babies each year over the last several, and serves many people from the surrounding small towns.
Robin Haux, labor program director for the Montana Nurses Association, said the layoff notification came as a big surprise and will affect moms and babies, nurses and Missoula's other hospital.
"Not only were the nurses provided just a four-month turnaround, so was the community, so was Community Medical Center," Haux explained. "This has triggered a pretty large scrambling of trying to get prepared."
The cut comes as U.S. lawmakers close in on the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," the Republican budget megabill proposing cuts to Medicaid which could close rural hospitals. Providence said the closure is due to "declining birth volumes" and "workforce shortages."
Megan Carey, labor and delivery nurse in the Family Maternity Center at Providence St. Patrick Hospital, said no one from the Family Maternity Center was included in the decision.
"We were told there was a discernment team as well as external stakeholders," Carey pointed out. "It's just really disappointing that administration could not look inward to better go about this process."
Carey added Providence sent what she calls an "unsettling" message informing nurses they could apply to work in other departments at St. Patrick Hospital but there would not be enough jobs for them all.
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PNS - Tuesday, July 1, 2025 - NC Republican Thom Tillis denounces Medicaid cuts in Senate bill, over White House objections. NGOs say new work requirements for people in SNAP and Medicaid don't reflect reality. And President Trump says trade talks with Canada will restart.
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PNS - Tuesday, July 1, 2025 - Small businesses brace for changes in 'One Big Beautiful Bill'; Pending SCOTUS arguments reignite thorny issue of campaign spending; Politics and mental health are top factors in Gen Z college decisions.
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June 30, 2025
ButteNews
ButteNews
June 23, 2025
BILLINGS - A Billings man accused of using a cell phone to arrange for commercial sex admitted to a charge today, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
The defendant, Usman Hanif Kahn, 52, pleaded guilty to use of a facility of interstate commerce to aid in racketeering. He faces up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided, and District Court Judge Susan P. Watters will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing will be set at a later time. Kahn was released pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that prior to April 9, 2023, Khan met a woman on a social media website for those interested in a commercial sex relationship. Then, on or about April 9, 2023, Khan communicated with the woman for the purpose of arranging a commercial sex date with Jane Doe, a minor. Khan and the woman communicated via text messenger and utilized cell phones to arrange the date and discussed, among other items, the particulars of the commercial sex date. On the evening of April 9, 2023, the woman transported Jane Doe to Khan’s residence for the purpose of a commercial sex date. Khan and Jane Doe engaged in a sex act, after which Khan contacted the woman to arrange transportation of Jane Doe and provided Jane Doe with money for the encounter.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno Baucus is prosecuting the case. The FBI conducted the investigation.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
