Articles by Matt Volz

Snag In Montana Church Abuse Lawsuit Negotiations Over Policy Dispute

Settlement negotiations between hundreds of alleged sex abuse victims and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena may have hit a snag with the church’s insurers refusing to cover the claims. The insurers and the diocese are locked in a dispute …

Montana High Court Hears Hutterite Labor Case

The Montana Supreme Court did not immediately rule after hearing competing arguments from a Hutterite colony and the state on whether Montana’s requirement that employers carry workers’ compensation insurance can be expanded to religious organizations. The Hutterites in rural Montana …

Montana Twisters Are More Frequent, Powerful in 2010

Tornadoes in Montana this year have been more frequent and more powerful than at any point over the past decade, as evidenced by twisters that destroyed an arena in Billings and killed two people in the state’s northeastern corner. While …

Tornado Touches Down in NE Corner of Montana, Kills 2

A rare tornado tore through a farmhouse and killed two people inside, leaving nothing but the house’s foundation and a few twisted vehicles as it swept through Montana’s remote and sparsely populated northeastern corner. A teenage boy and a man …

Man Mauled After Smoking Pot Can Get Workers’ Comp

A worker who was mauled feeding the bears at a tourist attraction near Montana’s Glacier National Park is eligible for workers’ compensation even though he smoked marijuana that morning, a judge has ruled. Brock Hopkins’ use of marijuana before he …