Montana News

Last year, Congress eliminated two years of federal funding for public media via a rescission package. MTPR expected to receive this funding in both 2025 and 2026. This summer drive helps us cover that second year of lost funding, which is roughly $375,000.

The Public Service Commission, which regulates Montana utilities, is closing public comment on NorthWestern Energy’s controversial 20-year plan on July 28. The proposal has drawn criticism from private citizens and environmental advocacy organizations.

Some Montana nonprofits that rely on federal grants say they’re not getting the funds they’ve already been awarded. The problem extends far beyond the Treasure State.

Plaintiffs in the Lighthiser v. Trump climate lawsuit are asking the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to reconsider their case after it was dismissed last month.

A district court judge has thrown out a state senator’s guilty verdict less than 24 hours after it was spoken. Sen. Jason Ellsworth was found guilty of using his access to Senate funds to privately award $170,000 in government contracts to a longtime friend, using a loophole to avoid a public bid. A retrial is scheduled for December.

The Sheep Creek Mine in Ravalli County is on the federal list of fast-tracked projects. That could mean faster permitting, along with scaled-down public input and environmental review. As one company looks for rare earth minerals, local residents, county commissioners and federal representatives remain opposed to the project, citing concerns over impacts to the watershed.

The Fort Shaw Indian School Girls Basketball Team navigated boarding school and forced assimilation while becoming a team of skilled athletes, artists and 1904 world champions. Now, more than 120 years later, the team is inspiring new generations and helping people connect with their families and their own cultural identities. Learn more about the team's legacy and why it resonates so strongly, on this episode of The Big Why.

Montanans on Medicaid are now required to show they’re working or qualify for a wide range of exemptions. Some people on Medicaid say the state hasn’t been clear about when they should submit their paperwork.

The Department of Interior is proposing changes to oil and gas leasing rules in the name of “unleashing energy.” Environmental groups say these changes threaten environmental protections and limit public input.

Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum announced a proposal Tuesday to return the federal management of grizzly bears to state governments. While details of the new rule are unclear, environmental groups are preparing for changes.

Since 2001, American Prairie has worked to create the largest wildlife reserve in the lower 48. That plan includes grazing 900 head of bison on state and federal lands. But legal seesawing between land managers, government agencies and American Prairie has put that plan into limbo. MTPR’s Victoria Traxler sat down with the Billings Gazette Outdoors Editor Brett French to learn where things currently stand for American Prairie bison, and what may come next.

After a century of mining pollution that tinged their creek in orange, Belt residents are finally seeing clear water flow again. It’s one example in Montana’s long effort to clean up its abandoned mines with federal funds.

A Bozeman man arrested by immigration authorities last week has been ordered released after a federal judge found his detention likely unconstitutional.

Anaconda’s news outlet of 56 years published its final paper June 5. Days later, the community experienced its second fatal public shooting in a year. Former Editor-in-Chief of The Anaconda Leader spoke with MTPR’s Victoria Traxler about how that felt alongside the paper closing, and what comes next.

A partner in a proposed data center east of Missoula says he’s backing out of the project after robust public opposition. It’s a win for locals who rallied against it.

As much of the nation broils under a scorching heat wave, Montana is emerging from days of heavy precipitation and unseasonably cool temperatures. Experts say that could lower the fire potential in the state this summer.

By late 2027 Montana may have to shoulder more of the costs for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. If that happens, Montana’s only statewide food bank says the results would be devastating.

Missoula has a reputation for attracting all kinds of wayward characters, but it’s likely never hosted the driver of a pear on wheels — yes, we’re talking about the fruit. That changed in June with the arrival of a social media celebrity on a road trip for the ages.

As of July 1, Montanans on certain Medicaid programs will be required to work or volunteer 80 hours every month or file for an exemption. The state is among the first in the country to roll out work requirements under a federal law passed last year. But, officials haven't finished setting up everything they need to implement the new rules.

Domestic cats have lived with humans for thousands of years, but experts say there’s much we still don’t know about their genetics, health and behavior. An organization called Darwin’s Ark is asking Montanans to help crack some of those ancient secrets.

The death of a key administrator at the Montana Lottery is behind nearly $20m in misreported agency finances. That’s according to lottery employees following a state audit.

An atmospheric river in 2025 resulted in widespread wind and hail damage across Montana. Disaster relief funds for two eastern Montana tribal communities were recently approved.Federal disaster assistance for damage caused by severe storms last year is now available to Montana’s Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux tribes, and the Crow tribe.

Two years after former state Superintendent Elsie Arntzen switched Montana’s statewide student exam to a controversial new model, education officials have finally given it the green light — with some strings attached.

Heavily trafficked roads act just like a giant wall, blocking wildlife from safely moving across. Highways can cause fatal collisions for people and animals, and present conservation challenges as well.That’s a problem when you’re trying to get separate populations of grizzly bears to connect. Now, new research is identifying high-traffic roads that can make it impossible for bears to cross.

A Missoula jury in June unanimously found that Kalispell Public Schools retaliated against a former student and his father after they reported sexual abuse on the school’s wrestling team.

Grassland ecosystems are one of the most threatened in the world. Some of the last largest grasslands in North America, can be found here in Montana. Now, researchers are studying the birds that rely on these habitats to better understand their declines.

Montana Republicans gathered in Missoula this month to set their party’s rules and policy agenda. Lee Newspapers State Bureau reporter Seaborn Larson joined MTPR’s Austin Amestoy to share highlights from the convention.

Work on a southwest Montana tungsten mine is temporarily on hold following a judge’s order. Judge Luke Berger in Beaverhead County District Court in June suspended all authorized mining activities on the Calvert Tungsten Mine in the Big Hole River watershed.

All but 10 of Montana’s counties are considered “non-metropolitan.” This comes with challenges like aging infrastructure and dwindling services. At Montana State University’s Rural Summit in Townsend, researchers, government officials and rural advocates shared how they were addressing these shared challenges.

Missoula is the first, and only, city in Montana to manage parks without the use of pesticides. While the city has piloted this approach in several parks, some residents would like to see the efforts expand.

Prosecutors say Mark Ray Lock shot and killed the owner of Carmel’s Sports Bar and Grill on Saturday evening. The 61-year-old is charged with deliberate homicide and faces up to a century behind bars.

Montana has some of the largest intact grassland ecosystems in North America. And that same land is also cattle country. Collaborations and innovative techniques that try to bring biodiversity back – from the soil to the sky – are on the rise in Montana, finding a way to try to balance running cattle, saving birds, and maintaining the last of the prairie.

Leaders of Montana’s tribal colleges say they’re working to diversify their finances as federal support remains uncertain.

Friday was a make-it-or-break-it day for proposed statewide ballot initiatives. Petition signatures had to be submitted to county elections officials June 19.

A potential plan for bolstering state support for school safety is taking shape ahead of the next legislative session.

Gov. Greg Gianforte and state health officials have agreed to withhold a pay bump for Medicaid providers. The move will resolve a budget shortfall for the public health insurance program.

After years of legal battles and funding uncertainty, Libby’s Center for Asbestos Related Disease, or CARD clinic, says it will shutter permanently on August 31.

Knapweed and leafy spurge don't have many fans in these parts. Nobody makes the drive from Texas to pose with them and post the photos on Instagram. Invasive species aren't usually something to celebrate, because they can wreak havoc on native ecosystems in ways impossible to undo. But other invaders have gotten a much warmer welcome. One listener wonders why some non-native species – like brown trout and rainbows – are so valued in Montana.

Over 100 years ago, the Fort Shaw Indian School Girls Basketball Team made history playing games across the state and becoming world champions in 1904. MTPR’s Victoria Traxler reports on the celebration honoring the players and their descendants.

Get your tickets today for a wine tasting paired with music curated by MTPR's Bryan Ramirez.

Eight-hundred acres of western Montana habitat is now protected from future development. A new conservation easement helps anchor a safe passage for wildlife to move between valleys.

Montana’s Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate Monday directly addressed speculation about her political future. Alani Bankhead confirmed she’s "in it to win it."

When schools close for summer break, kids can lose the mental health support they rely on. A new collaboration in Missoula is aiming to close that gap.

It’s tempting to assume Montana’s summer wildfire season is going to be severe following our windy, dry and warmer-than-average winter. The official outlook released last week, however, paints a more nuanced picture.

A federal appeals court rejected a suit filed by 22 young Montanans that challenges several executive orders signed by President Trump in early 2025.

The Montana Republican Party worked this primary season to oust several of its own members from the state Legislature. The party took issue with moderate candidates it saw as being too willing to work across the aisle with Democrats. With the dust from this month’s primary election settled, Lee Newspapers State Bureau reporter Seaborn Larson joined MTPR’s Austin Amestoy to share results of the intraparty battle

5,700 miles and an entire ocean separate Helena High School from its “sister school” in southern Japan. But, the two became a little closer in a special ceremony this June.

Mental and behavioral health services like in-person support during a crisis or substance use treatment might soon become more accessible in the state. Montana is among 10 states participating in a federal program that will provide the funding needed to expand this care.

Federal officials released the final rules for Medicaid requirements this week. Hiding among the nearly 400 pages of regulations is a significant change that could make it harder for Montanans to stay on the public health insurance program.

Montana’s tribes are losing their native languages. At least three Indigenous languages in the state are considered critically endangered. One summit is working to change that.