Montana News Roundup: Sex Case Verdict; Is Population Still Booming?

Missoula County Prosecutors say the conviction of a woman accused of running a sex trafficking ring closes a complex case that started when one of the victims was able to reach out and report an assault

Yanbin Bao was found guilty on four felony counts of sex trafficking and one felony count of labor trafficking, stemming from her ownership of Soul Message on Highway 93.

     -It was two years ago that the victim, who only spoke Mandarin, managed to call police to report she'd been attacked by Bao and her husband.

RELATED: Nick Chestenson's First Report on the Case

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Missoula Sex Case Was "Unusual"

Deputy Prosecutor Andrea Haney says officers were able to recognize what was going on because of recent training.

"It began with a 9-1-1 call, and patrol officers who had received training in recognizing the signs of human trafficking. And they were ready, They say it for what it was." -Deputy Prosecutor Andrea Haney

Haney says the case is unusual because in her experience, most victims are too intimidated to report.

READ: Our Full Report on Thursday's Verdict

Is the Flathead's Growth Cooling Off?

It's probably too soon to tell. But for the first time since 2020, U.S. Census numbers show Flathead County losing its lead in new residents to Gallatin County by a couple of dozen people. Both counties added just over 1,000 new residents between 2023 and last year. Flathead had held the lead since 2020, adding more than 10,000 new residents.

     🏘️ Kalispell itself saw a 24% change, but some of that is attributed to new annexations.

Bozeman, then Billings, Missoula, and Helena all added more people during that stretch. But Great Falls lost some population.

Ticks, not TikTok the Montana Problem

Montana health officials are now saying they've found specimens of "black legged ticks" in two counties.

The Department of Public Health and Human Services is releasing more information about the discoveries we've been hearing about in recent weeks, with reports of the "deer ticks". DPHHS says there have actually been three of the ticks over the past year, through "active surveillance" conducted by researchers and local health officials. Those ticks were found in Dawson and Sheridan counties.

The state says the presence of blacklegged ticks could "increase the exposure to new tickborne illnesses" in Montana, similar to what's happening in other states.

Montana Thursday Trivia:

How many species of ticks are native to Montana? Answer below 👇

More Montana Measles

Flathead County has become the latest to report measles cases.

     🔴 Flathead County Health says the single case involves an adult who traveled outside the county and is currently isolating at home. The news comes after Gallatin County reported a measles outbreak with several members of the same family who had also been traveling last month.

High Country Roads Ready to Open

It always depends on the weather, but crews say they're still on track to get the Beartooth Highway opened for the first time this season on Friday.

It's been a bit of a challenge clearing the iconic road this year, given the extra heavy, wet snow that's been falling in recent weeks. The Beartooth Highway Facebook page advises travelers to pay attention to advisory signs, and DON'T go beyond the gates if they're locked.

And in Western Montana, the Skalkaho Pass Road is also set to open at noon Friday.

Montana Thursday Trivia Answer

DPHHS says there are five varieties of ticks found in Montana: the Rocky Mountain wood tick, American dog tick, brown dog tick, soft ticks, and, believe it or not, the "winter tick." The Rocky Mountain wood tick is one of the most common.

     There are more than 90 (!) different tick species in North America.