This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. (Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and Wyoming.) Much of the region is also more commonly known as The Inland Northwest. We also mention companies located in the American Redoubt region that are of interest to preppers and survivalists. Today, we focus on the continuing conservative political shifts in Idaho and Montana. (See the Idaho and Montana sections.)
Idaho
Idaho one of the fastest growing states, Boundary among fastest growing counties. Here is an excerpt:
“These days if you ask what brought a new neighbor to Boundary County, chances are good you’ll hear a new refrain — “I came here to be among like-minded people.”
Based on recent voter registration data, about 65-percent of eligible voters moving into Idaho register as Republicans, about 12-percent as Democrats.
And of the new Republicans, most of whom came to escape the “woke liberal left that’s destroying our country,” most consider themselves “staunchly conservative…”
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Video: Riding Idaho’s Deadliest Motorcycle Trail — Part 1 and, Part 2.
And here is just one segment of another one of his Idaho riding adventures: WHERE THERE’S SMOKE | Riding the Idaho BDR – Episode 6.
And, from another rider: Dirt Biking Epic Idaho Single Track, Compilation Video.
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Several readers mentioned this: Trial in University of Idaho murder case pushed to August 2025.
Montana
Beartooth Highway to close for the season on Oct. 15.
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A surprisingly frank analysis, first published by The New York Times: Tester’s Fight for Political Survival Is Democrats’ Last Stand on the Great Plains. A quote:
“Then there’s the fact that Mr. Tester is trying to win a fourth term in a state that has moved sharply to the right. Unlike other rural states, Montana’s evolution has been fueled not by an exodus of voters, but by a steady influx of new conservative residents who are much more aligned with the MAGA movement.”
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Firearms in carry-on baggage at Bozeman, Glacier Park airports a growing problem.
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Central & Eastern Oregon
Docks removed early from Central Oregon lakes cause boaters to struggle.
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Little Lava Fire outflanks containment lines, grows nearly 2,000 acres in 24 hours.
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Bend company’s plane reaches finals of ‘Coolest Thing Made in Oregon’ contest. The article begins:
“A Bend company’s airplane is one of the two finalists for the Coolest Thing Made in Oregon competition.
Voting is now open for the finals as Epic Aircraft’s E1000 GX goes up against Leatherman’s multitool out of Portland. Voting will continue at this link until noon on Friday, Oct. 18.
The E-1000 G-X is a single-engine airplane that reaches a maximum altitude of 34,000 feet and has a range of more than 1,500 miles.
Two other Central Oregon products — Cv International’s F-35 fighter maintenance platform and Element One’s hydrogen generator — were among the 16 innovations that made it to the initial rounds of competition. Both were eliminated in voting by the Epic Aircraft entry.”
Central & Eastern Washington
McDonald’s Fries Supplier to Shut Down Washington Plant, Lay Off 375 Workers as Fast Food Prices Soar. A pericope:
“The largest North American producer of french fries is shutting down its plant in Washington and laying off hundreds of employees, company officials announced in a recent earnings report.
Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. president and CEO Tom Werner cited “soft” restaurant traffic and frozen potato demand in an October 1 press release detailing the business’s failures in the first quarter of Fiscal Year (FY) 2025.
Compared to the first quarter of FY 2024, Lamb Weston’s net income declined by 46 percent to $127 million, the company highlighted.
According to Werner, “key actions” to restructure the business include closing its “older, higher-cost” facility in Connell, Washington, which would reduce its total workforce by approximately four percent.
That means 375 workers will be out of a job, Fox Business reported.”
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Spokane City Council considers expanding sit and lie ordinance beyond downtown.
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Man suspected of shooting 2 in Othello arrested in Moses Lake.
Wyoming
Racines, Degenfelder Push for Right to Constitutional Carry of Firearms at Capitol. JWR’s Comment: You’ve gotta love Wyoming!
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Downar Bird Farm to release 17,500 pheasants this fall.
Send Your News Tips
Please send your American Redoubt region news tips, event announcements, and American Redoubt-based companies worthy of a mention to JWR. You can do so either via e-mail or via our Contact form.