The 78th annual reunion and memorial service of the joint Canadian/American First Special Service Force of World War II will be Aug. 13-16 in Helena. The Aug. 15 memorial service, 10 a.m. to noon in Memorial Park at 1203 N. Last Chance Gulch in Helena, is open to the public and includes color guard, benediction, Read More…

Advocates in support of Christopher Martinez, a Helena man detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement July 1, urged Lewis and Clark County Commissioners on Thursday to investigate how it was handled, expressing shock over the arrest. Commissioners Andy Hunthausen, Tom Rolfe and Chair Candace Payne listened to the comments made over 80 minutes by people Read More…

A GoFundMe was launched for a Helena family after a father of four was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “Christopher is a devoted dad and sole provider to four beautiful children, ranging in age from just 1 to 11 years old,” the GoFundMe writes. Christopher Martinez pictured with members of his family. Martinez Read More…

It’s been more than 20 years since a group of Butte people made a commitment to preserve the culture of Ireland by assuming responsibility for An Ri Ra, the Montana Irish Festival. Prior to 2003, the event was held in Missoula. It was a big undertaking, but the festival committee believed in their hometown of Read More…

In the spring of each year, ranchers gather and brand their herds’ new recruits, continuing a tradition as old as the open grazing days of the western frontier. For as long as cattle have roamed Montana’s vast landscape, they have carried with them a brand, the universal proof of ownership of livestock. In Montana, brands Read More…

After a Helena man was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, some members of the Queen City are responding with a mix of shock and sympathy. Others are less surprised. “We’re horrified,” Valerie Hellermann, executive director of Hands On Global, said. “But I guess it was inevitable.” Christopher Martinez, a 31-year-old Mexican citizen, was detained Read More…

The color of Mountain Dew. Brian Wheeler discovered and photographed significant algae blooms last weekend on the Big Hole, Boulder and Jefferson rivers. He described these early algae blooms, typically associated with late July and August for streams in the Jefferson River Basin, as indicators of a need for action. “June is the new July Read More…

Federal District Court Judge Dana L. Christensen ordered federal officials Wednesday to not move a Helena man arrested by ICE out of the state until a habeas petition hearing July 10. According to the judge’s order, Christopher Martinez, who was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on July 1, will not be moved out of Read More…

The Helena Public Schools district will host tours of Kessler Elementary School, Capital High School and Helena High School through August every Tuesday from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Kessler had tours slated on July 8 and 29 and Aug. 19. The school district will host tours of Capital on July 15 and Aug. 5. Read More…

Amanda Cooley knew better than to hold her breath. Cooley, planning director for Powell County, has been an active backer of an ambitious plan for a 262-mile trail traveling between Butte and the Idaho line. In early January, she and other trail supporters celebrated news of federal funding that seemed to promise moving the Parks Read More…

A Helena man with no active warrants was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Tuesday while on his way home from work after multiple traffic stops. Christopher Martinez, 31, a father of four, was detained by federal officers with Helena police officers beside them. Helena Police Chief Brett Petty and Lt. Adam Shanks spoke Read More…

In the span of a few minutes, shareholders of the Original Montana Club Cooperative Association voted to dissolve their organization and heard from the new owner of the downtown Helena landmark that has served as a meeting place for nearly 140 years. Nearly 65 members met Monday in the second-floor dining room of the Montana Read More…

The Montana Department of Revenue is mailing property classification and appraisal notices to all owners of residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural land properties, officials said Monday. These notices are not tax bills. They include the department’s determination of market or productivity value and the taxable value for your property that will be used by your Read More…

Johnny MacLean gripped the oars as he and more than a dozen other rafters prepared to float the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. “I was definitely the least-experienced person on the trip, and I was pretty nervous I was going to flip over-and-over again and everybody was going to be frustrated with me,” MacLean Read More…

Around the world there are bars a little less polished and a bit more cost-effective, which brings in a community of regulars. In the states we know them as dive bars. The term is an American tradition, stretching back to the late 1800s. Throughout their existence, dive bars have filled an integral role in the Read More…

The Bureau of Land Management said Friday it has OK’d a 74-mile natural gas pipeline from Helena to Three Forks that federal officials said will strengthen America’s energy supply and create local jobs. The BLM said it approved NorthWestern Energy’s proposal to build the pipeline through an accelerated 14-day environmental review process, which is being Read More…

DEER LODGE — Mule and draft horse aficionados have converged in Deer Lodge for the 30th Big Sky Draft Horse Expo this weekend. The event, located at the Powell County Fairgrounds, runs through Sunday. “The Big Sky Draft Horse Expo has been the one and only draft horse show in Montana for the past three Read More…

If you’re a fan of cryptocurrency, you may want to steer clear of Neel Kashkari. “Cryptocurrency is a joke,” the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis said Thursday, sparking laughter from a Helena crowd. And he said he was “bullish” on artificial intelligence, also called AI, adding he was using it every day. Read More…

At the intersection of Pride Month and Victory Day, the Northern Cheyenne community gathered at Chief Dull Knife College for a multi-generational event celebrating two-spirit relatives — reaffirming roles that have existed long before the term “LGBTQ+.” Attendees at a two-spirit event at Chief Dull Knife College on June 25, 2025. EMMA JANE The term Read More…

John Cech smiles when he tells the story of a Carroll College moment that easily comes to mind. Years ago, there were some houses on campus rented out to students and the Carroll College president accompanied staff one chilly day as they inspected them. They discovered a small horse living in one of the houses. Read More…