Governor recognized two veterans with Montana’s top commendation and addressed the state VFW’s annual convention Gov. Greg Gianforte recently continued his 56 County Tour and honored veterans in Yellowstone and Custer counties as part of his annual effort to visit every county in Montana. “As I travel the state for my 56 County Tour, I Read More…
Attorney general says MVD will waive renewal and replacement fees in July for Montanans adding the state’s new eagle-in-flight citizenship marker Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen announced that the state’s Motor Vehicle Division will waive certain driver license and identification card fees throughout July for residents who add the state’s new citizenship marker to their Read More…
Abutting the first-floor hallway of Montana State University’s Romney Hall, the Travis W. Atkins Veteran Support Center resembles a typical campus study space. But through the center doors is much more. Equipped with rows of tables, printers and grab-and-go snacks, the center dedicated to supporting MSU’s military population provides a comfortable place for veterans and their family members to study, relax and find community. Started in 2011, the Veteran Support Center has consistently invested in the Read More…
The Montana Department of Environmental Quality has approved an Exploration License Amendment for Sentinel Metals and issued a final Environmental Assessment for the Columbia Gold Project, located near Lincoln in Lewis and Clark County. DEQ accepted public comment on the draft EA from March 20 through April 13, 2026, drawing significant public interest. The agency Read More…
Hilf will discuss his work surrounding the intersection of emerging technologies and positive societal impacts. At the Allen Institute for AI, a Seattle-based nonprofit, he researches how artificial intelligence can be used for the common good, brainstorming how to apply AI to everything from climate modeling and wildlife conservation to maritime intelligence to protect marine Read More…
Lee Enterprises, the Iowa-based newspaper chain that owns hundreds of publications in 25 states, including several in Montana, has agreed to pay $9.5 million to settle a subscriber privacy lawsuit — even as it confronts fresh legal troubles from a February 2025 cyberattack that allegedly exposed the personal information of thousands of employees. Three new Read More…
BOZEMAN — Full of new insights into business communication, Montana State University students recently returned from a summer class abroad in Ireland, where they learned and laughed in scenic settings from Galway to Dublin to the Cliffs of Moher. The MSU Professional Business Communication class poses for a photo at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. Read More…
BOZEMAN – Author and attorney Michael Punke, whose literary works include “The Revenant” and “Fire and Brimstone,” will speak at Montana State University’s First Year Student Convocation on Tuesday, Aug. 19. The event will be held in the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse at 4 p.m. and is open to the public. Tickets are not required. Author Read More…
The University of Montana will officially welcome the class of 2029 to campus on Monday, Aug. 18. Members of the media are invited to cover one of the most busy and emotional days of the school year, as students from across the country arrive to begin their academic journey at UM. Students will arrive for Read More…
(The Center Square) – The U.S. Department of the Interior on Tuesday approved expansion of coal mining in Montana, marking the second largest coal expansion since President Donald Trump took office in January as 33.75 million tons of federal coal will be recovered, 300 jobs ensured, and a million homes powered by the decision. The Read More…
The intense, week-long search for Michael Paul Brown — wanted in connection with the shooting deaths of four people at the Owl Bar in Anaconda — came to an end Friday afternoon with his capture. Authorities say Brown was taken into custody around 2 p.m. near the Ranch Bar, just south of Highway 1. He Read More…
With new funding from the Montana Pulse Crop Committee, Montana State University’s Eastern Agricultural Research Center is establishing a new survey program for peas and lentils and is seeking producer participants. EARC, located in Sidney, will be the hub for the program, and farmers growing peas or lentils in Daniels, McCone, Roosevelt, Sheridan and Valley Read More…
Governor Greg Gianforte has announced that he is now accepting applications and nominations to fill two district court vacancies in Montanaʼs Thirteenth Judicial District, which covers Yellowstone County. The vacancies were officially notified to the governor by the Chief Justice of the Montana Supreme Court on July 18, 2025. This development follows the passage and Read More…
t’s hard to top Grace Porges’ Montana summer internship. A rising senior studying marketing at the University of Montana, Porges has spent her summer promoting the educational opportunities and important science conducted by UM’s Flathead Lake Biological Station. This means long summer days living at the station on the shore of one of America’s largest, Read More…
When Molly Schifferns signed off her final online course for Gallatin College Montana State University in May, she laid on her bedroom floor and felt happy tears slip down her cheeks. The 28-year-old from Belgrade had just completed her two-year associate’s degree in drafting and CAD technology, where students learn to create digital models for Read More…
A University of Montana program that trains students for careers in behavioral health care recently received a $2.4 million grant to continue growing the program and produce more providers serving Montana’s children, young adults and those in rural and underserved areas of the state. UM’s Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training program was awarded the Read More…
The Montana Historical Society has received a $50,000 grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana to create a free field trip program aimed at Montana students statewide. This initiative will bring students from every corner of the state to the Montana Heritage Center and the State Capitol for immersive educational experiences focused on Read More…
The Montana Digital Academy MTDA) has announced the launch of the Frontier Learning Lab FLL, a new statewide innovation initiative designed to help Montana schools explore and integrate artificial intelligence AI, extended reality XR, and other emerging technologies into education. Supported by funding from the 2025 Montana Legislature and building on MTDAʼs leadership in digital Read More…
An intense manhunt is underway following a deadly shooting at The Owl Bar in Anaconda, Montana, on Friday morning, August 1, 2025, in which four people were fatally shot. Authorities have identified the suspect as 45-year-old Michael Paul Brown, a former U.S. Army soldier and local resident who reportedly lived next door to the bar. Read More…
(The Center Square) – Congress has created several programs to allow illegal border crossers claiming to be minors to remain in the U.S. Despite years of documented abuse of the programs, Congress continues to fund them to the tune of billions of dollars. One is the failed unaccompanied minor program, with decades of documented reports Read More…
Montana’s unemployment rate held steady at a remarkably low 2.8% in June, marking the ninth consecutive month below 3% and extending a historic run of four straight years with unemployment at or below 3.4%, according to Governor Greg Gianforte. “With more Montanans working now than ever before and historically low unemployment, we’re seeing the results Read More…
The University of Montana (UM) and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) have announced the creation of the Center for Hunting and Conservation, a pioneering initiative dedicated to advancing science, research, education, and outreach focused on land and wildlife management across the United States. The new center builds on the longstanding partnership between UM’s top-ranked Read More…
Sixty-six newly trained law enforcement officers graduated today from the Montana Law Enforcement Academy (MLEA), ready to serve in 35 agencies across the state. The MLEA, a division of the Montana Department of Justice, provides both basic and advanced training to state, county, city, and tribal law enforcement personnel. Attorney General Austin Knudsen was on Read More…
Governor Greg Gianforte has urged Congress to support two joint resolutions aimed at overturning a Biden administration policy that threatens Montana’s coal industry and could cost the state’s public schools over $4 billion in future revenue. In a letter to lawmakers, Gianforte expressed strong backing for Senate Joint Resolution 61 (S.J.Res.61) and House Joint Resolution Read More…
Western Montana Congressman and former U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke announced a series of major victories for Montana in the Fiscal Year 2026 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill. The legislation, which passed out of full committee markup this week, includes several of Zinke’s top priorities—ranging from rural water infrastructure funding to Read More…
A small plane crashed late Wednesday into a building south of Helena Regional Airport, injuring two people. The Helena Fire Department responded to the 3100 block of Bozeman Avenue at 9:51 p.m. Two people, a male and female, were in the single-engine Beechcraft Aircraft. They suffered facial injuries and were transported to the hospital, Assistant Read More…
A Missoula waste company is officially protesting Republic Service’s purchase of a family-run East Helena waste company. The reason? Monopoly concerns, Missoula-based Grizzly Disposal and Recycling claims. “When you control the landfill, you control the prices,” said Billy Fisher, Grizzly’s general manager. “We already dealt with this in Missoula.” Family business Tri-County Disposal has operated Read More…
The Choteau Juice Box, which opened in mid-April, is a combination shop, selling a wide variety of disposable vape products and smoke accessories on one half of the store and selling liquidation items at bargain prices on the other half. Caine and Shanda Gray are operating the shop at 25 Third St. NE in the Read More…
The Montana Farmers Union Foundation has awarded more than $43,000 to 22 projects that create new opportunities and contribute to the growth and enhancement of Montana agriculture and rural communities. “MFU Foundation’s grant program has been a huge success so far,” MFU Chief of Staff Matt Rains said. “This year, we were excited to see Read More…
You probably don’t think of pollinators very often. You might appreciate it when a butterfly flitters by or when a group of moths circle around a bright light or when a bumble bee is perched on a bright flower. But do you know so many of the things you enjoy in the outdoors need these Read More…
A crash occurred on July 16, at the Milk River Bridge near Hinsdale, where two semis were hauling combines. The semis were traveling together westbound when the first semi approached the bridge. There was also a semi traveling eastbound at the same t…
Courtesy Photo / For the Courier Pictured left to right, front row, Representative Eric Albus who was appointed by Governor Greg Gianforte to the Private Land/Public Wildlife (PLPW) Advisory Committee at the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks; Senator Gregg Hunter, Governor Gianforte; and FWP Region 6 Supervisor Drew Henry; back row, Valley County Read More…
A Butte-Silver Bow commissioner and some residents say “urban camping” is becoming a serious problem in Butte and they want local laws to regulate it. “Communities across the country and here in Montana are grappling with the public health, safety and environmental changes posed by unsanctioned encampments in parks and other places,” Commissioner Trudy Healy Read More…
Gov. Greg Gianforte recently visited a nearly completed water treatment plant in Whitehall, reflecting a $2 million investment by the state and one of many water and sewer infrastructure projects across Montana. He toured the facility Thursday, learned about the process to ensure water quality and met with members of the Whitehall Public Works division Read More…
A person of interest believed to be involved in the hit-and-run fatality that occurred early Saturday in Butte died Sunday night as a result of an apparent suicide, authorities said. Butte-Silver Bow Sheriff Ed Lester said Butte police located what is believed to be the suspect vehicle early Sunday morning and spoke to a person Read More…
The name of a pedestrian killed in an early Saturday morning hit-and-run incident in Butte was released Sunday. The victim was 39-year-old Duncan Brass of Butte, authorities said. He was positively identified by the Butte-Silver Bow Coroner’s Office with help from Butte police and the Montana Highway Patrol. Police say Brass was struck and killed Read More…
The Helena Symphony held its 21st annual Symphony under the Stars concert Saturday night on the grounds of Carroll College, bringing people together for a night of music with a dash of nostalgia underneath the summer sky. The Helena Symphony and Chorale played Saturday night at the 21st annual Intrepid Credit Union Symphony Under the Read More…
MIKE SMITH Police say a motorist struck and killed a pedestrian at the intersection of Locust and Garfield streets in Butte around 12:30 a.m. Saturday and drove off without stopping. The pedestrian, a 38-year-old man, was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency personnel, Sheriff Ed Lester said in a news release Saturday afternoon. His Read More…
BOZEMAN — Two graduate students at Montana State University recently gave presentations at an international conference on a unique carbon fiber composite that could one day reduce manufacturing and operational costs of airplanes, helicopters and other flying forms of transportation by making them significantly lighter without compromising their strength. Montana State University masters student Cooper Read More…
I’ve been walking several miles a day, and my feet are holding up well, so I resolved to go further on a particularly scenic hike this year. Cathy Barker The Creative Arts Camp at Mimanagish included a hike across the Boulder River into the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, with a goal of capturing the natural world by Read More…
A 46-year-old Helena man died Thursday when his all-terrain vehicle overturned near Townsend, authorities said. The man was traveling southbound on a Suzuki KingQuad on Airport Road toward U.S. Highway 12 when he overcorrected and the vehicle overturned, the Montana Highway Patrol said. Montana Highway Patrol State of Montana The crash was reported at 2:44 Read More…
N8V Grown, a Native American-owned and operated recreational marijuana dispensary, opened its first Billings-area storefront Friday, bringing the company’s signature high-potency products to Montana’s largest city. The shop — located at 7342 Eggebrecht Lane — is the sixth N8V Grown location statewide and the first near an urban center. Recreational cannabis shops are legal in Yellowstone Read More…
The 21st annual Intrepid Credit Union Symphony Under the Stars will celebrate music “Icons” and offer listeners a variety of musical genres Saturday on Guadalupe Hill at Carroll College. The free concert, a collaboration of Carroll College and the Helena Symphony, attracts roughly 16,000 people. It will start at 8:30 p.m. with a “bit of Read More…
The Archie Bray Foundation began restoration this week of the 142-year-old building at the heart of its campus. The building, a tile plant from the days of Western Clay Manufacturing, has fallen into disrepair after over a century of exposure. The foundation, along with Preserve Montana, is hoping to stabilize the historic building to avoid Read More…