Montana State Auditor James Brown announced his Securities Division prevented more than $1 million in fraud-related losses for Montanans in the second quarter of 2026, bringing the year-to-date total to more than $2 million. Working in conjunction with financial industry partners, the Securities Division prevented $1.15 million in fraud-related losses for 10 Montanans between April Read More…
Sen. Tim Sheehy rejoined the U.S. Navy Reserve in a ceremony at the Oval Office on Tuesday, where President Donald Trump administered the oath of enlistment to the Montana Republican and former Navy SEAL. Sheehy, who graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 2008 and completed SEAL training before serving as a Navy SEAL Officer Read More…
Cocaine and methamphetamine seizures in Montana increased sharply during the first quarter of 2026 compared to the same period last year, while fentanyl seizures continued a downward trend, Attorney General Austin Knudsen announced. “Fentanyl and other dangerous drugs continue to threaten communities, and the battle against the cartels that are bringing them into our state Read More…
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum joined Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte, Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon and Idaho Gov. Brad Little in Big Sky on Tuesday to announce a proposed federal rule that would give Western states significantly more flexibility to manage grizzly bears — the first major management reform since the species was listed as threatened under Read More…
MISSOULA, Mont. — A district judge in Missoula has denied a request by several parents to halt mask mandates in Missoula schools while a legal challenge of the mandates is underway. The parents sued several Missoula schools in August over their mask requirements, arguing they violated the state’s constitution. READ FULL STORY
HELENA, Mont. – Tuesday, Sept. 28, is National Voter Registration Day, and the Office of the Secretary of State and election officials across Montana proudly recognized it while encouraging Montanans to register. “Registering to vote is the first step in ensuring your voice is heard on Election Day,” Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen said. Read More…
HELENA — The Confederate Memorial Fountain that once stood in Helena’s Hill Park is currently in storage in an undisclosed location. Now, the group that originally donated it is asking to have it returned. Jewel Wellborn, the president of the Margaret Howell Davis Hayes Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, sent an email Read More…
BUTTE, Mont. — Workers wrapped up soil remediation at two schools in Butte after finding high levels of lead and arsenic. Now they’re working on three more. Out of 21 sites tested, five showed signs of lead and arsenic. “Butte High School, the Silver Bow Montessori school, West school, the former Lincoln school, which is now Read More…
MISSOULA — The University of Montana is reporting that for the first time in a decade, more students are enrolled than the previous year. UM officials say a 30% increase in the incoming class, as well as continued improvement in the retention rate, is responsible for the rise in enrollment. READ FULL STORY
Flathead City-County Health Officer Joe Russell said the health department will begin giving Pfizer booster shots, now that the Centers for Disease Control’s independent advisory committee has recommended certain people get a booster shot at least six months after the completion of their Pfizer vaccine primary series. Russell provided information from the Advisory Committee on Read More…
Amtrack CEO Bill Flynn released a statement regarding the Amtrak train derailment that happened in Buelow, Montana Saturday: “We are in mourning today for the people who lost their lives due to the derailment of the Empire Builder train Saturday, near Joplin, Montana, on the BNSF Railway, as well as the many others who were injured. We have no Read More…
National Auction was ready for about 200 to come out to the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks trophy sale in Billings Saturday. Some estimated the crowd as double that, and it was an opportunity for people, including non hunters to get some wildlife. “We are doing a live auction for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks,” Read More…
MISSOULA, Mont. — A Browning man, Steven Ray DeCarlo, has admitting to dealing methamphetamine on the Blackfeet Reservation, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The following was sent out by U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Montana: A Browning man accused of being a methamphetamine dealer on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation admitted to a trafficking crime today, Read More…
After two years of negotiations mired in deep division and characterized by back-and-forth public accusations, Logan Health administrators and unionized nurses found themselves in agreement last week when both sides expressed satisfaction with the union’s first contract. SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, which is representing Logan Health’s bargaining unit of 650 unionized nurses, announced that nurses voted Read More…
HELENA — The state Board of Pharmacy has issued an emergency order to help pharmacists oversee and administer more vaccines for Covid-19 or other diseases – after that power had been revoked by Gov. Greg Gianforte. The board issued the order last week, reinstating Montana pharmacists’ emergency authority to oversee other health-care professionals, such as Read More…
BUTTE — Both the State and the defense rested their cases in Lloyd Barrus’ deliberate homicide by accountability trial Monday morning, in which Barrus is accused in the death of a Broadwater County Sheriff’s deputy in 2017. The judge decided to dismiss the jury until Tuesday morning at 9 a.m. when closing arguments will begin. Read More…
HELENA, Mont. — American troops leaving Afghanistan is familiar to those Vietnam veterans who were pulled out of their war back in the 1970s. One veteran from Helena recently released a book about his time serving in the Vietnam War. Author and Vietnam Veteran John Quintrell said leaving Afghanistan and Vietnam have storming similarities. He Read More…
Jurors on Friday heard the last words Broadwater County Deputy Mason Moore ever spoke as he tailed a Chevy Suburban at 100 mph on U.S. 287 and relayed information to a dispatcher. The dispatcher alerted the Montana Highway Patrol and other law enforcement and then lost contact with Moore, and minutes later, a trooper came Read More…
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK — Every year in Yellowstone National Park, huge bull elk perform loud and wild mating rituals. Sometimes the crazed animals pose a threat to nearby people, and much of the activity happens right in one of the most-visited parts of the park, the Mammoth village. The rut, or elk mating season, peaks in September, and people flock Read More…
BUTTE, Mont. — The Ambassador of Ireland to the United States, Daniel Mulhall, was in Montana last week visiting different parts of the states. One of the places he stopped in was Butte to see what future partnerships it could hold. “Mainly because of the presence here in the 19th and 20th centuries,” said Mulhall. “Tens Read More…
BOZEMAN, Mont. — The Gallatin County Planning Department released the final draft of a new growth policy for the county. The policy is called Envision Gallatin: Tomorrow Together. It centers around three major themes — open space, heritage and opportunity. The Gallatin County Commission will vote on the policy at the public meeting Sept. 21. Developing Read More…
Citing rising Delta variant COVID-19 cases, Crow Tribal Chairman Frank Whiteclay announced he is reinstating a mask mandate inside all public buildings, including schools, on the reservation. The Apsalooke Service Corp main office in Crow Agency at the old casino will help provide masks and cleaning supplies for the community, Whiteclay said in a release. Read More…
Montana’s agency responsible for certifying law enforcement officials alleges a former Whitefish Police chief engaged in a wide range of misconduct. The Flathead Beacon first reported the allegations. The 12-page complaint from the standards and training bureau within the state justice department alleges former Police Chief Bill Dial engaged in, condoned and/or failed to disclose acts Read More…
KALISPELL, Mont. – Over the summer months, the Kalispell Fire Department has had to close or reduce services more frequently due to short staffing. Now, it sounds like these closures will happen less often. The Kalispell City Council approved a request to add two more firefighters in this upcoming year’s budget. This will make it Read More…
HELENA — Law enforcement officers and dispatchers dedicate their lives to keeping the community a safe place, Helena Police Department held an awards ceremony dedicated to outstanding members of law enforcement for their dedication to their jobs. But what makes the officers continue their service to the community? “When we when we first start out Read More…
HELENA — There are a couple of unavoidable aspects of getting older. Firstly scammers are more likely to target you, and secondly, there will be BINGO. A group of senior citizens and residents at Edgewood Senior Living Facility enjoyed a fun round of BINGO and learned how to protect their wallets from scammers this week Read More…
BOZEMAN, Mont. – The Bozeman School Board voted 7-1 to update the face-covering policy which requires a mask to be worn inside school district buildings. The new policy is effective as of Tuesday, Aug. 24 and requires face coverings for all students, faculty, staff, parents, volunteers and visitors on campus. Enforcement of any masking requirement will not Read More…
CARBON COUNTY, Mont. — The body of a 23-year-old from Idaho who disappeared on a solo mountain-climbing trip in July has been found. The Carbon County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the remains belong to Tatum Morell, a graduate student at Montana State University who had been attempting to climb five mountains in five days when she went Read More…
A Washington state man who admitted to selling methamphetamine on the Flathead Indian Reservation was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen. Alberto Escareno-Sanchez, 27, of Sunnyside, Washington, pleaded guilty in March to possession with intent to distribute meth. Escareno-Sanchez also will be on probation for five years, according Read More…
GREAT FALLS — It’s back to school time and it’s not just families who sometimes struggle with the increasing cost of school supplies. East Middle School teacher Adrienne Culliton is one of the many who has benefited from a Facebook page called ‘Adopt a Teacher, Great Falls Helping Great Educators.’ She says a box of Read More…
Montana State University issued a stronger message urging people on campus to wear masks indoors but again stopped short of mandating face coverings ahead of the Aug. 25 start to the semester. MSU President Waded Cruzado in a letter sent to students, parents, faculty and staff on Tuesday evening urged them to voluntarily wear masks “because Read More…
LOCKWOOD — It’s been eight years since Jessica Stiles was in Afghanistan doing detainee operations at the prison on Bagram Air Base. It’s a time she still sometimes lives with. “I get night terrors and had a hard time adjusting at first,” the Lockwood resident said this week. Stiles is one of the thousands of Read More…
BILLINGS- The carnival has arrived in Billings setting the stage for the 2021 MontanaFair. However, as COVID-19 cases rise, officials with MetraPark say they’re keeping some safety precautions in place while adding an emphasis on personal choice. Ray Massie with MetraPark says there are some new attractions this year, including fun for the entire family Read More…
GREAT FALLS — The Great Falls Police Department recently acquired two new incident response vehicles thanks to a federal program. One is a mobile crime scene unit, the other is for the department’s High Risk Unit. “These two vehicles provide a lot of different capabilities for us,” noted Captain Doug Otto of the GFPD. He Read More…
HELENA, Mont. – The Montana National Guard is adding 25 personnel to state active duty to provide logistics and security support to the Lolo Complex Fire burning southwest of Missoula. Beginning Tuesday, a 20 person hand crew will aid in the Alder Creek Fire located southwest of Butte. On Wednesday, the CH-47 crew located in Read More…
BILLINGS — Yellowstone County voters will not get a second chance to overturn the legalization of recreational marijuana sales. A resolution voted on by the Yellowstone County Commissioners on Tuesday that would have put the issue of legalized recreational marijuana back on November’s ballot failed after a 1-1 tie. Board Chairman Don Jones voted in Read More…
GREAT FALLS — U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Port of Sweetgrass in Toole County recently seized 69.5 pounds of cocaine from a commercial vehicle. On Thursday, July 29, 2021, CBP officers encountered a commercial truck operated by a woman from Canada. The trailer contained a commercial load of watermelons and peppers Read More…
BILLINGS, Mont. – A new community impact study by Billings Police downtown resource officers said 93 people cost Billings’ taxpayers $10,327,665 in 2020. A link to the full study is available here. Officer Brad Mansur with the Billings Police Department said the cost comes from frequent contacts with law enforcement and visits to the hospital. A community Read More…
BILLINGS — A new school year is on the horizon, and there’s still plenty of uncertainty about what in-person classes will look like. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the rise in online learning, and one company is trying to prepare the next generation of students, especially in the most remote areas. “We’re in the mountains Read More…
At the top of the Continental Divide, under the watchful eye of “Our Lady of the Rockies,” sits the town of Butte, Montana. Rayelynn Brandl grew up here, riding bikes like local hero Evel KnIevel on what was once called “The Richest Hill on Earth,” thanks to Butte’s incredibly productive copper mines. “It was wonderful; Read More…
The mayor of Montana’s most populous city, Billings, says some people have moved from coastal states to the area because they want to be around other conservatives. Bill Cole told TIME magazine that he believed three major factors had brought newcomers to the city: affordable housing, people prioritizing their family and community over their work, and politics. Read More…
GREAT FALLS — Not many planes come through Great Falls. They certainly don’t come or go as fast as the fighter jets that used to occupy the tarmac years ago, but now the Montana Air National Guard is going through another aircraft conversion. They are transitioning from C-130 H1 models to newer H3 models, which Read More…
Shortly after daylight on the morning of July 26 Park County deputies found the vehicle Linde had stolen. Linde is still at large and is believed to be driving a 2000 Chrysler Town and Country minivan with MT plate 49-6627D which is also stolen. Linde was last seen around Mile Marker 11 on US Hwy Read More…
LIVINGSTON, MT- There’s a video going viral right now and chances are you’ve seen it, it’s of Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson in Livingston Montana shopping at Dan Bailey’s Outdoor Co. the video gets heated quickly. It was posted by a man named “Dan Bailey,” but the important distinction here is that Bailey shares no Read More…