In the West, some states are enjoying their best snowpack in years. And early too. In others, the new year has only brought more dry weather. That鈥檒l mean鈥�

Stacey Dean Rambold was convicted for the 2007 rape of a 14-year-old girl who later killed herself. The sentence he was given, and the judge's comments about the victim, sparked outrage.

District Judge G. Todd Baugh unleashed a firestorm of criticism when he issued the lenient sentence, saying that the victim, who later committed suicide, "seemed older than her chronological age."

It marks the second setback this year for the unit charged with one of the military's most sensitive missions.

A year ago, Montana opened the nation's first clinic for free primary healthcare services to its state government employees. It was pitched as a way to improve employee health but faced political opposition. A year later, the state says the clinic is saving money and diagnosing a host of issues.

The Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument in Montana is one of the most visited sites in the National Park System. And for more than two decades, seasonal ranger Mike Donahue spends his summers at Little Big Horn, teaching visitors all about the historic battle.

Fire is a natural part of the western landscape, and a push over the last century to eliminate fires has threatened the habitats that some plants and animals need. In a Montana valley, fire scientists are trying to show that they can actually save wilderness by burning it.

In Montana's Centennial Valley, conservationists made a grievous mistake while trying to save the trumpeter swan 鈥� they nearly wiped out Arctic grayling. Now they're looking for ways to make sure both species get a place on the ark.

The chicken-size sage grouse is as much a part of America's Western range as antelopes and cowboys. The birds nest beneath sagebrush, and as it disappears, so do the grouse. Biologists hope to protect the bird without starting a 21st century range war.

Dr. Karen Sciascia and her guide, Seth McLean, were fishing on a Montana river when they spotted a cow moose and a calf that were having trouble crossing the water. When the calf was swept away, they rushed after it.