Relentlessly rising auto insurance rates are squeezing car owners and stoking inflation. Auto insurance rates rose 2.6% in March and are up 22% from a year ago. Premium costs have been marching steadily higher since 2022, even as inflation at the consumer level steadily cooled from its 9.1% peak in the middle of that year. Consumers have had some relief as the rate of cost increases for food and energy, two key components of most budgets, has eased greatly. But auto insurance and car ownership costs have become a sticking point for consumers and the Federal Reserve in its battle to rein inflat ..read more

A family in Quebec is searching for answers after discovering that their father's remains didn't make it to Canada from Cuba, where he died while on vacation, and they instead received the remains of another man. Funerals for Faraj Allah Jarjour were scheduled for Sunday and Monday. Instead, his daughter Miriam Jarjour had been desperately calling and emailing as many officials as she could, trying to find his body. "Up until now we have no answers," Jarjour said. "Where is my father?" Jarjour said she was swimming with her 68-year-old father in the ocean near Varadero, Cuba, during a family v ..read more

The rat hole is gone. A Chicago sidewalk landmark some residents affectionately called the rat hole" was removed Wednesday after city officials determined the section bearing the imprint of an animal was damaged and needed to be replaced, officials said. The imprint has been a quirk of a residential block in Chicagos North Side neighborhood of Roscoe Village for years, but it found fresh fame in January after a Chicago comedian shared a photo on the social platform X. The attention, however, quickly grew old for neighbors who complained about visitors at all hours, sometimes leaving coins and ..read more

With primary ballots set to go out to Montana voters starting May 10, fundraising is heating up in the states races for U.S. House. The crowded race to replace U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale in the eastern congressional district now has eight Republicans and four Democrats actively running including three candidates whove now put hundreds of thousands of dollars of their own money into the campaign. In the Republican primary, State Auditor Troy Downing reported raising more than $602,000 during the first three months of 2024, including $200,000 in a personal loan to his campaign. He had previously ..read more

After months of anticipation, the cicadas have finally made their grand entrance ... and promptly overstayed their welcome. They've become the talk of one county in South Carolina, but not in the way these little bugs had hoped. In fact, things have gotten so out of hand that people called the police to deal with the buzzing madness. But the Newberry County Sheriff's Office took to social media on Tuesday to let their community know that while those chirping critters might be a bit too loud, it's best to resist the urge to call the cops over their racket. We have had several calls about a nois ..read more

Roughly 180 students from across Montana are gathering at the Great Northern Hotel in Helena for the Jobs for Montanas Graduates IGNITE MT Conference. Since Ive joined JMG, Ive had a lot of fun, and I have figured myself out a lot more. I have gotten out of my comfort zone, and I feel so much better just being myself, said Morgan Williams, a Paris Gibson Education Center student. The Jobs for Montanas Graduates model, or JMG, is used in over 50 middle and high schools and colleges with the goal of helping students achieve their career goals and exposing them to higher education options. The s ..read more

United Way of the Lewis and Clark Area recently received a $500,000 donation from an anonymous donor of $500,000, providing them the necessary funding to help secure the Helena Inn. Its like a jumpstart to this process, says Community Impact Coordinator with United Way, Jeff Buscher. The United Way is working to purchase the Helena Inn to turn it into a 48-unit permanent supportive housing apartment building. Tenants would be required to pay rent or go through housing assistance, but not by more than 30% of their income. The space would support men, women, children, and families with the suppo ..read more

The Motor Vehicle Departments Helena office is moving locations beginning Monday, April 29th. The new location will be in the shopping center off Washington Street across from the Costco at 2019 Cromwell Dixon. The current location will be closed this upcoming Thursday, April 25, and Friday, April 26. The new location's office hours will remain the same. On Monday, the office will only be open for walk-ins. Beginning April 30, appointments will be at the new location. Officials say the new office will help the MVD provide better customer service, increased privacy, and better parking ..read more

Some teachers in Tennessee could soon be allowed to carry guns inside public school grounds. Despite strong opposition from parents, educators, and some lawmakers who argue it would not deter school shootings and could instead result in additional injuries, the state's legislature passed a bill Tuesday that would allow teachers and staff with permits to carry concealed handguns while at school without having to let parents know they are armed. The bill now goes to Republican Gov. Bill Lee for his signature. Tennessee State Rep. Justin J. Pearson, a Democrat and former community activist from M ..read more

Tinder is launching a new feature called Share My Date that will make it easier for users to provide their friends and family with information about date plans and who theyre with. The dating app said once a user plans a date with their match, they can use a link-share feature to provide their loved ones with the location, date, time and a photo of their match directly from the app. The information can also be updated if plans are changed, Tinder said. While the feature can add a layer of safety to in-person dates, Tinder doesnt necessarily frame it as a safety feature. Instead, the company sa ..read more