Racicot leaving insurance group

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Montana Gov. Marc Racicot is leaving his job as president of the American Insurance Association.

The Washington-based group issued a release Friday announcing that Racicot would leave the position Feb. 1 after serving as president and CEO for more than three years. A spokesman for the group would not say why Racicot is leaving, but said it was a personal decision and Racicot hasn’t decided what he will do next.

According to the group, Racicot will be succeeded by Leigh Ann Pusey, the organization’s chief operating officer and senior vice president for government affairs. The insurance group represents major property and casualty insurance companies.

Racicot was governor of Montana from 1993-2001. He later served as chairman of the Republican National Committee.

McLaughlin institute gets $500K in grants

GREAT FALLS (AP) — The McLaughlin Research Institute in Great Falls has received about $500,000 in grants to improve the surroundings for the mice used in research.

The M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust is providing $311,000 to buy cage washing and sterilization equipment for an animal resource center under construction. The trust is also offering a $187,000 grant, to be matched by the institute, to buy individually ventilated caging systems.

The $4.3 million expansion will enlarge the area used to research diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, diabetes, peripheral neuropathy and prion disease.

The new animal resource center will allow the institute to add up to seven new scientists in the next five to seven years.

Cameron-area crash victim identified

BUTTE (AP) — Officials have released the name of a 49-year-old woman who was killed in a one-vehicle rollover in Madison County.

Lisa Weir-Barnes of Cameron died in the crash Wednesday night. A 44-year-old man from Jackson, Wyo., was injured.

The Montana Highway Patrol says a sport utility vehicle was southbound on U.S. 287 near Cameron when the driver failed to negotiate a right-hand curve and the vehicle went straight off the left side of the road.

The patrol said the driver overcorrected to the right in an attempt to get back on the road, and lost control of the SUV, which rolled several times.

Both occupants were ejected. The patrol is still trying to determine who was driving.