Featured
Law took effect Oct. 1, allows private lawsuits against social media platforms
Lawsuit Against Montana Immigration Enforcement Leans on Judicial Activism, Not Constitutional Text
Activists Ask Courts to Override Legislature Using Standards Judges Invented
Missoula City Council Ignores State Law Requiring Ward 1 Vacancy Be Filled Within 30 Days
Ward 1 residents remain without representation as October 4 legal deadline approaches with no council action planned
Recent
Giant Springs State Park Hosts Halloween Trick-or-Treat Walk Oct. 16
Free family event features 0.66-mile trick-or-treat trail, face painting and photo opportunities along River’s Edge Trail
VA Awards $1.5 Million for Western Montana Veterans Cemetery Expansion
Expansion will serve more than 17,000 veterans and eligible family members
Bozeman Writer Allen Morris Jones Named Montana Poet Laureate
Former Big Sky Journal editor brings 30 years of publishing experience to two-year role
Thompson Falls Antimony Expansion Creates 25 Jobs as Montana Breaks Chinese Mineral Dependence
$15 million expansion will quadruple production at nation’s only antimony smelter as Defense Department awards $245 million contract
Montana Organizations Can Access Up to $400,000 in Grants for America’s 250th Anniversary Projects
October 30 deadline for community organizations to apply for semiquincentennial commemoration funding
Montana Health Officials Partner With Coffee Shops for Breast Cancer Screening Campaign
60,000 pink coffee sleeves carry screening reminders to cafes across the state as part of October awareness push
Montana on Track for Fifth Consecutive Year of Record Business Formation
State logs 6,000+ new business registrations in September, maintaining growth streak with three months remaining in 2025
Montana Anglers Generate $1.27 Billion Economic Impact, Study Shows
Out-of-state visitors drive $1.1 billion in cold-water fishing spending, while residents support rural economies through warm-water angling
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Crime Reports
Missoula County
Wednesday, October 1, 2025
Notable increase in suspicious activities and medical calls
Opinion
Popular
Hays Man Gets 51 Months in Prison for Fatal Stabbing on Fort Belknap Reservation
Tonylee Andrew Sears pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the January 2024 death of a woman following an argument that escalated into violence
Former Juvenile Probation Officer Gets 24+ Years for 31-Year Pattern of Sexual Abuse Across Montana Reservations
King exploited positions working with children while systematically abusing victims across Fort Belknap and Northern Cheyenne reservations from 1992-2023
Second Co-Defendant Gets 4 Years in Fatal Fort Peck ‘Slap Boxing’ Case
Philip Ray Azure sentenced for fatal assault and separate stabbing on Fort Peck Indian Reservation
October Turning Point USA Event at Montana State Features Ramaswamy, Gianforte
The October 7 "American Comeback Tour" event continues Charlie Kirk's mission of campus engagement after his assassination
Lawsuit Against Montana Immigration Enforcement Leans on Judicial Activism, Not Constitutional Text
Activists Ask Courts to Override Legislature Using Standards Judges Invented
Business
Thompson Falls Antimony Expansion Creates 25 Jobs as Montana Breaks Chinese Mineral Dependence
$15 million expansion will quadruple production at nation’s only antimony smelter as Defense Department awards $245 million contract
Montana on Track for Fifth Consecutive Year of Record Business Formation
State logs 6,000+ new business registrations in September, maintaining growth streak with three months remaining in 2025
Montana Anglers Generate $1.27 Billion Economic Impact, Study Shows
Out-of-state visitors drive $1.1 billion in cold-water fishing spending, while residents support rural economies through warm-water angling
Shodair Children’s Hospital Receives $2.3 Million in COVID Employee Retention Credits After Two-Year Wait
Congressman Downing’s office helped accelerate IRS processing from nearly two years to 50 days
Great Falls Man Convicted of Defrauding COVID Relief Program Out of $99,900
Raymond Blair lied about criminal history and Big City Enterprises income to obtain fraudulent EIDL loan
Montana Challenges Tech Giants Over False Green Marketing as Energy Costs, Grid Concerns Mount
AG Knudsen says Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Meta hiding millions of tons of emissions while threatening grid reliability and Montana’s energy costs
Culture
Giant Springs State Park Hosts Halloween Trick-or-Treat Walk Oct. 16
Free family event features 0.66-mile trick-or-treat trail, face painting and photo opportunities along River’s Edge Trail
Bozeman Writer Allen Morris Jones Named Montana Poet Laureate
Former Big Sky Journal editor brings 30 years of publishing experience to two-year role
Montana Organizations Can Access Up to $400,000 in Grants for America’s 250th Anniversary Projects
October 30 deadline for community organizations to apply for semiquincentennial commemoration funding
Great Falls Area State Park Offers Fall Stargazing and Harvest Moon Events
First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park hosts October astronomy events designed to showcase Montana’s dark skies
Why Young Americans Are Drinking from Broken Cisterns
Young Americans are turning to false solutions for real problems
Montana Constitution Contest Allows Students Creative Freedom Ahead of Nation’s 250th
Fifth annual contest invites K-12 students to explore Declaration of Independence through art, music, photography or essays
Government
VA Awards $1.5 Million for Western Montana Veterans Cemetery Expansion
Expansion will serve more than 17,000 veterans and eligible family members
Bozeman Writer Allen Morris Jones Named Montana Poet Laureate
Former Big Sky Journal editor brings 30 years of publishing experience to two-year role
Montana Organizations Can Access Up to $400,000 in Grants for America’s 250th Anniversary Projects
October 30 deadline for community organizations to apply for semiquincentennial commemoration funding
Lawsuit Against Montana Immigration Enforcement Leans on Judicial Activism, Not Constitutional Text
Activists Ask Courts to Override Legislature Using Standards Judges Invented
Montana Health Officials Partner With Coffee Shops for Breast Cancer Screening Campaign
60,000 pink coffee sleeves carry screening reminders to cafes across the state as part of October awareness push
Montana on Track for Fifth Consecutive Year of Record Business Formation
State logs 6,000+ new business registrations in September, maintaining growth streak with three months remaining in 2025
Politics
Montana Republicans Blame ‘Schumer Shutdown’ as Democrats Block House Funding Bill
Senate Democrats reject continuing resolution similar to measures they’ve supported in the past
The Politics of Violence vs. the Politics of Peace
Roger Koopman on the cultural divide between leftist rage and conservative restraint
October Turning Point USA Event at Montana State Features Ramaswamy, Gianforte
The October 7 “American Comeback Tour” event continues Charlie Kirk’s mission of campus engagement after his assassination
Montana Delegation Backs Bill Warden for USDA Rural Development Director
Former legislator brings natural resources experience to role overseeing billions in rural infrastructure funding
Missoula Republicans Seeks Official Condemnation After Fair Vandalism, Business Harassment Campaign
MCRCC reveals physical attacks at Western Montana Fair, requesting city and county leaders speak out against escalating harassment
Carrying Forward Charlie Kirk’s Legacy of Faith and Dialogue
UM TPUSA chapter president and Montana Veterans Association president call for continued civic engagement after Kirk’s assassination
National
Montana Republicans Blame ‘Schumer Shutdown’ as Democrats Block House Funding Bill
Senate Democrats reject continuing resolution similar to measures they’ve supported in the past
Montana Delegation Backs Bill Warden for USDA Rural Development Director
Former legislator brings natural resources experience to role overseeing billions in rural infrastructure funding
Federal Trade Investigation Offers Hope for 700 Laid-Off Montana Miners After Delegation’s Push
USITC decision validates delegation’s bipartisan push to combat Russian market manipulation
Sheehy Pushes Ocean Floor Mining to Counter China’s Critical Mineral Dominance
Legislation would speed up seabed mining permits to access materials essential for phones, batteries, and defense systems
House Passes Permanent Reversal of Montana Coal Leasing Ban
Downing’s Congressional Review Act strategy would permanently reverse Biden-era restrictions, protecting mining from future administrative changes
Federal Government Orders Montana to Remove Gender Content From Sex Education Curriculum
State has 60 days to comply or face loss of federal funding for sex education programs
Elections
Missoula Voters to Hear from Candidates in Four-Part Forum Series
Forums start next week covering mayoral race and five contested ward elections
Montana Secretary of State Promotes Voter Registration Ahead of 2026 Midterms
Christi Jacobsen encourages Montanans to verify registration status and prepare for 2026 elections
Missoula Mails 47,000 Primary Ballots Amid National Mail-In Voting Debate
Mail-Only Election Comes as Trump Plans Federal Ban
Native American Tribe Sues Chouteau County Over Election System
Tribe claims at-large voting system violates federal law despite Native Americans comprising one-third of county’s voters
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Montana Cuts Deceased Voter Removal Time from Years to Days, Earns National Recognition
‘Death of a Loved One’ program cuts processing time dramatically, earns NASED recognition
ACLU Montana Weaponizes Race in Latest Challenge to New Voter Registration Law
Third voting law challenge in six years prompts questions about “disproportionate” effect on Native Americans, litigation strategy and true motivations
Health
Montana Health Officials Partner With Coffee Shops for Breast Cancer Screening Campaign
60,000 pink coffee sleeves carry screening reminders to cafes across the state as part of October awareness push
Montana Seeks Public Input on How to Spend Historic Rural Health Funding
October 2 webinar represents final chance for Montanans to influence $50 billion federal program before November application deadline
October Diaper Drive Collects Supplies for Bitterroot Families in Need
Local organizations unite to ensure no family goes without essential baby supplies
Shodair Children’s Hospital Receives $2.3 Million in COVID Employee Retention Credits After Two-Year Wait
Congressman Downing’s office helped accelerate IRS processing from nearly two years to 50 days
Daines Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Combat Stillbirths Through Better Data Collection
SHINE for Autumn Act would provide federal grants to states for stillbirth surveillance and prevention research
Montana Centenarians Share Secrets as State Tackles Aging Challenges
21 Montanans reached 100 in 2025, celebrated at conference addressing long-term care crisis