In Brief

Gas prices continue to fall

Average retail gasoline prices in Montana have fallen 7.1 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $2.01 per gallon yesterday, according to GasBuddy’s daily survey of 615 gas outlets in Montana. This compares with the national average that has not moved  in the last week to $2.00 per gallon, according to gasoline price website GasBuddy.com. 

Including the change in gas prices in Montana during the past week, prices yesterday were 25.7 cents per gallon lower than the same day one year ago and are 27.4 cents per gallon lower than a month ago. The national average has decreased 4.2 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 28.2 cents per gallon lower than this day one year ago. 

As the majority of the United States is still experiencing falling retail gas prices, California and the Great Lakes states are buoying the national average, keeping it from dropping further below $2.00 per gallon,” said Will Speer, a Houston-based senior petroleum analyst with GasBuddy. “After a healthy 5.9 million barrel draw in domestic crude stocks, crude futures markets responded with gains in the price of West Texas Intermediate crude.”

IRS allows tax-free rollovers to charity

Certain owners of individual retirement arrangements (IRAs) have a limited time to make tax-free transfers to eligible charities and have them count for tax-year 2015, the Internal Revenue Service said today.

IRA owners age 70½ or older have until Thursday, Dec. 31 to make a direct transfer of part or all of their IRA distributions to an eligible charity.

The Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act, enacted Dec. 18, made permanent the provision authorizing these qualified charitable distributions (QCDs). This means that this provision of law, which had expired at the end of 2014, is now available for 2015 and future years. With this retroactive renewal, any eligible IRA distribution during 2015 properly transferred to a qualified charity counts as a QCD.

Bobcat trapping closed Dec. 25

By order of the Montana Fish & Wildlife Commission the season for trapping of all bobcats in Trapping District 1 in northwestern Montana closed at midnight on the evening of Friday, Dec. 25, 2015.

The district includes portions of Flathead, Lake, Lincoln, Lewis & Clark, Mineral, Missoula, Powell and Sanders counties.

MSU earns veteran education honors

Montana State University has earned a top school designation in the Military Advanced Education & Transition 2016 Guide to Colleges & Universities, an annual guide measuring best practices in military and veteran education.

This is the second year in a row MSU has earned this designation, said Brenda York, director of the MSU Office of Disability, Re-entry and Veteran Services.

“We are extremely proud to receive this designation again,” York said. “It is one that requires services that are focused on helping veterans with the transition to college life. We are proud to be recognized for this type of service.”

Polar Bear Plunge set for Jan. 3

The 2016 Polar Bear Plunge will be held at the Kootenai River boat ramp in Riverfront Park in Libby Sunday, Jan. 3 at 2:30 p.m.

The event is open to both plungers and spectators. For more information call 293-5014 or 293-5534.

Acting troupe donates to KPFL

The Pitiful Players  gave the proceeeds from their Dec. 19 performance of “A Christmas Carol”  to Kootenai Pets For Life volunteer Judy Hyslop. From the left are Pitiful Players Sheri Brookshire, Ann German, Rick Ball, Keith  Meyers and KPFL volunteers  Judy Hyslop,  Tami White and  Connie Holthaus. (Photo below-left, submitted.)