Featured

Missouri River Courthouse Exterior

Mexican Man Sentenced After Havre Encounter Reveals Fourth Border Crossing

Case marks latest in series of illegal reentry prosecutions involving Havre area encounters

Flathead County Courthouse Exterior

Flathead County Faces Federal Civil Rights Lawsuit Over Dismissed Trespass Case

Dennis Thornton seeks $50 million in damages, alleging malicious prosecution despite property ownership records

Russell Smith Courthouse Exterior

Martin City Man Pleads Guilty to Producing, Distributing Child Pornography of 6-Year-Old He Babysat

Defendant faces mandatory minimum 15-30 years in federal prison, fled home before arrest

Recent

Montana Rail Service Expansion and Participation Map (May 2024)

Belgrade Joins Push to Restore Montana Passenger Rail Service

Partnership adds to growing coalition of Montana jurisdictions supporting rail project

Russell Smith Courthouse Exterior

Belgrade Man Sentenced to 6 Years for Fentanyl Trafficking From Washington

Justin Olen Brown admitted to buying fentanyl pills in Spokane for distribution in Montana

Governor Gianforte and Visionary Broadband CEO at Whitehall ceremony

Hardin Gains Fiber Broadband Access as Rural Expansion Continues

Visionary Broadband completes Hardin project, continues construction in Butte and Whitehall

Portable Sawmill in Action: Wood-Mizer LT40

Montana Expands Business Lending as Timber Harvest Goals Double Statewide

Loan fund relaunch comes as Montana prepares for massive increase in timber activity

Outdoor Bill Signing with Governor Gianforte

Montana Residents Get 10-Day Head Start on Upland Bird Hunting Under New Law

Senate Bill 514 establishes resident-first hunting period for upland game birds, effective March 2026

Mike Mansfield

Mansfield’s Stand: How a Montana Statesman Forged Peace

A Montana Senator’s moral courage shaped U.S.–Japan reconciliation

Crime Reports

Missoula County 

Opinion

Popular

Poll

Are you worried about measles?

Business

Governor Gianforte and Visionary Broadband CEO at Whitehall ceremony

Hardin Gains Fiber Broadband Access as Rural Expansion Continues

Visionary Broadband completes Hardin project, continues construction in Butte and Whitehall

Portable Sawmill in Action: Wood-Mizer LT40

Montana Expands Business Lending as Timber Harvest Goals Double Statewide

Loan fund relaunch comes as Montana prepares for massive increase in timber activity

Welcoming open sign displayed in a shop window with blurred background.

Montana Business Registrations Top 6,000 for Fourth Straight Month

June numbers put state on track to shatter 2024 record with nearly 38,000 new businesses in first half of year

Large-Scale Mining Operations at Sunset

Montana Lawmakers Fight Federal Coal Ban That Would Cut Mine Life by 27 Years

Entire Montana delegation unites to challenge Bureau of Land Management decision

Montana Timber Industry - Plum Creek Northwest Plywood

Federal Timber Goals Set to Double Montana’s Forest Harvest

Daines secures commitment to nearly double timber sales as litigation threatens fire prevention projects

Roy Grocery & Sandwich Shop, Roy, Montana

Coal Communities Invest in Their Future with $240,000 in State Grants

State funding helps coal-dependent communities navigate federal energy policy shifts and plan economic transitions

Culture

Mike Mansfield

Mansfield’s Stand: How a Montana Statesman Forged Peace

A Montana Senator’s moral courage shaped U.S.–Japan reconciliation

Antique Red Touring Car with Brass Fittings

Montana Family’s Three-Generation Car Collection Heads to Auction

Over 500 classic vehicles from Box Elder farm to be sold online July 28

The Left’s Political Philosophy: Persuasion with a Government Club

When government becomes the left’s favorite tool for social change

Montana Supreme Court Chamber

Montana Supreme Court Declines to Block Abortion Amendment as CI-128 Takes Effect, Legal Fight Continues

“Justice delayed—not justice denied,” Montana Family Foundation says, vowing to continue fight in district court

Summer River Tubing Adventure

Mountain Line Sponsors University River Shuttle for Second Year

Transit agency covers operational costs for shuttle to river access points

Amberly Guerrero, Astronaut Scholarship Winner

Montana Student Prioritizes Connections Over Cash in Prestigious Space Scholarship

Montana State continues producing nationally competitive STEM graduates who think strategically about their careers

Government

Montana Rail Service Expansion and Participation Map (May 2024)

Belgrade Joins Push to Restore Montana Passenger Rail Service

Partnership adds to growing coalition of Montana jurisdictions supporting rail project

Governor Gianforte and Visionary Broadband CEO at Whitehall ceremony

Hardin Gains Fiber Broadband Access as Rural Expansion Continues

Visionary Broadband completes Hardin project, continues construction in Butte and Whitehall

Flathead County Courthouse Exterior

Flathead County Faces Federal Civil Rights Lawsuit Over Dismissed Trespass Case

Dennis Thornton seeks $50 million in damages, alleging malicious prosecution despite property ownership records

Portable Sawmill in Action: Wood-Mizer LT40

Montana Expands Business Lending as Timber Harvest Goals Double Statewide

Loan fund relaunch comes as Montana prepares for massive increase in timber activity

Outdoor Bill Signing with Governor Gianforte

Montana Residents Get 10-Day Head Start on Upland Bird Hunting Under New Law

Senate Bill 514 establishes resident-first hunting period for upland game birds, effective March 2026

Fresh Catch: Brown Trout in Net

Montana Issues Kill Order for Invasive Brown Trout in Flathead River

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks deploys environmental DNA sampling to assess invasive species spread

Politics

Trump Signs Big Beautiful Bill with Montana Sen. Daines in Attendance

Montana GOP Delegation Backs “Big Beautiful Bill” as Democrats Issue Dire Warnings

Republican delegation celebrates passage while state Democrats warn of healthcare ‘catastrophe’

silhouette of electric post during sunset

Montana Congressional Delegation Warns of Grid Reliability Threats from Alberta

Alberta’s electricity rules could undermine Montana grid during extreme cold

Who Counts? Trump Poised To Try To Remove Noncitizens From Census

Montana Would Have Gained a Second House Seat Earlier Under a Citizen-Only Census Count, Reviving Debate Over Representation

A pro-life demonstrator holds a sign reading “Face It, Abortion Kills!” outside a Planned Parenthood clinic

Supreme Court Clears Path to Defund Planned Parenthood as ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Takes a Byrd Bath

Supreme Court clears the way to defund Planned Parenthood—now it’s Montana’s turn

Silhouette of a hand placing a vote into a ballot box, symbolizing democracy.

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

Trump addresses the nation after striking Iran nuclear facilities

Montana GOP Leaders Rally Behind Trump’s Iran Strikes as Libertarians Condemn ‘Illegal’ Action

Swift GOP praise contrasts with Libertarian warnings about fracturing Trump’s coalition

National

Large-Scale Mining Operations at Sunset

Montana Lawmakers Fight Federal Coal Ban That Would Cut Mine Life by 27 Years

Entire Montana delegation unites to challenge Bureau of Land Management decision

Montana Rep. Bill Mercer

Trump Nominates Montana Rep. Bill Mercer to Federal District Court

Former U.S. Attorney and current state legislator nominated to serve on U.S. District Court for District of Montana

James A. Byrne U.S. Courthouse Courtroom, Philadelphia

Montana Leads 23-State Coalition Challenging School Gender Policies as State Faces Own Parental Rights Battles

AG Knudsen files brief supporting parental rights in Delaware federal court case

Trump Signs Big Beautiful Bill with Montana Sen. Daines in Attendance

Montana GOP Delegation Backs “Big Beautiful Bill” as Democrats Issue Dire Warnings

Republican delegation celebrates passage while state Democrats warn of healthcare ‘catastrophe’

the letter a is placed on top of a circuit board

Mountain West Leaders to Congress: Stop Handing Big Tech the AI Monopoly

Regional business coalition warns that patchwork state regulations create compliance barriers only tech giants can afford

2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown: Federal and State Cases Map

Montana Residents Charged in Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in DOJ History

Three Montanans face federal charges as part of nationwide crackdown involving $14.6 billion in alleged fraud

Elections

Silhouette of a hand placing a vote into a ballot box, symbolizing democracy.

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

Montana Supreme Court Chamber

Montana Abortion Amendment Faces Serious Court Challenge Before July Deadline

Montana’s “abortion rights” constitutional amendment could be thrown out not because of what it says, but because of what voters never got to see.

Montana Capitol

Montana’s Foreign Money ‘Ban’ Wouldn’t Have Stopped $3 Million in 2024 Abortion Amendment Funding

Watchdogs say the state’s election finance reform falls short of its promise to keep foreign influence out of ballot campaigns

Missoula County Elections Center

Missoula County Mails Out 75,000 Ballots for School and Special District Elections

Residents encouraged to plan early ballot returns for May 6th mail-only election

East Missoula Rural Fire Department Engine 521

East Missoula Fire District’s Levy Proposal Clarified Amid Initial Confusion

Community to vote on a proposed $300,000 levy for the East Missoula Rural Fire District in the upcoming Special District Election.

Silhouette of a hand placing a vote into a ballot box, symbolizing democracy.

Montana Seeks Federal Help to Clean Voter Rolls and Verify Eligibility

With support from the Trump administration, Montana plans deeper checks on voter eligibility

Health

Joseph P. Mazurek Justice Building in Montana

Montana to receive $2.5 million in opioid settlement with eight drug manufacturers

Attorney General Knudsen announces settlement funds will support opioid abatement programs statewide

Medicaid Reform Analysis: What the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Actually Does in Montana

Policy analysis examines federal reforms affecting 218,000 Montanans enrolled in Medicaid

The Free Market Healthcare Hub's interactive map

New Online Hub Maps Montana’s Growing Direct Patient Care Network

New online portal maps Direct Patient Care clinics and price-transparent healthcare options across the state following 2021 legislative reforms

A pro-life demonstrator holds a sign reading “Face It, Abortion Kills!” outside a Planned Parenthood clinic

Supreme Court Clears Path to Defund Planned Parenthood as ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Takes a Byrd Bath

Supreme Court clears the way to defund Planned Parenthood—now it’s Montana’s turn

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Montana Bets $2.5M on Local Innovation to Fix Rural Mental Health Gaps

State gives rural counties and tribes up to $250,000 each to design their own behavioral health solutions

St. Vincent Regional groundbreaking ceremony

$1 Billion St. Vincent Hospital Breaks Ground in Billings, Creating 1,200 Construction Jobs

14-story, 243-bed facility to replace current hospital by 2029