1. No plans for new national monuments in Montana (The Montana Standard)

HELENA — In an exchange with U.S. Sen. Jon Tester on Tuesday, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said his agency has no plans to create a new national monument in Montana or buy up private land in the Missouri Breaks area east of Fort Benton.

2. Blue Cross of Montana lost $17M (The Montana Standard)

HELENA (AP) — Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana lost more than $17 million on its insurance business last year, while the smaller New West Health Services posted a small gain, the companies reported this week.

3. Butte officials: Helena police handling investigation of suspicious powder linked to Butte person (KBZK Bozeman)

Butte police say an investigation into a suspicious substance that caused a partial evacuation of the Montana Department of Labor & Industry building is in hands of Helena officials.

4. Montana unemployment up slightly (ABC Montana)

HELENA - Montana's unemployment rate continued an upward climb with a slight increase in January. The Montana Department of Labor says the state's unemployment increased to 6.8% from 6.7% in December, which was up from 6.4% in November.

5. Montana Unemployment Rate Rises in 2010 (KFBB Great Falls)

HELENA, Mont. - Montana's unemployment rate continued an upward climb with a slight increase in January.

6. Montana soldier killed in Afghanistan (KTVQ Billings)

HELENA - Pentagon officials say a Montana solider has been killed in combat operations in Afghanistan. 19 year old Army Pvt. Nicholas S. Cook of Hungry Horse died when his unit was ambushed while on patrol. He had been serving with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan for the past 10 months.

7. Envelope containing suspicious powder bursts open at Montana Department of Labor office (Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune)

HELENA, Mont. - An envelope containing a suspicious powder burst open Tuesday while being handled by state workers in a Montana government office. Three Department of Labor workers and a Helena city police officer were isolated while a state lab tested the substance.

8. Suspicious substance in Helena not harmful, likely from Butte (KBZK Bozeman)

The suspicious substance that caused a partial evacuation of the Montana Department of Labor & Industry building in Helena is not harmful and posed no danger to occupants, authorities are reporting.

9. Suspicious substance in Helena not harmful, likely from Butte (KXLH Helena)

Authorities have reported that the suspicious substance that caused a partial evacuation of the Montana Department of Labor & Industry building in Helena is not harmful and posed no danger to occupants.

10. Montana unemployment rate rises slightly in Jan. (AP via Yahoo! Finance)

Montana's unemployment rate continued an upward climb with a slight increase in January. The Montana Department of Labor says the state's unemployment increased to 6.8 percent from 6.7 percent in December.