The council delayed the vote on a contract to upgrade security cameras at the Currents Aquatics Center, Splash Montana, Mobash skate park and Fort Missoula Regional Park after ongoing citizen concerns about the potential use of AI tools and surveillance systems. The post Missoula delays decision on security cameras due to AI concerns appeared first on Montana Free Press .
Montana U.S. Sen. Tim Sheehy is claiming he sustained injuries from allegedly faulty ammunition he used in 2024.
It’s been 10 years since anyone other than a Republican won a top-ticket state government election in Montana, and eight years since voters rejected a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate. That red streak is the stage setter for a high-stakes test in this year’s U.S.
The Missoula City Council narrowly voted to deny a waiver that would have allowed the Missoula PaddleHeads to host fireworks displays on both July 3 and 4. The post Missoula PaddleHeads adjust Fourth of July fireworks after city council denies noise waiver appeared first on Montana Free Press .
PLUS: City’s decision on security cameras on hold The post PaddleHeads adjust fireworks plan after council denies noise waiver appeared first on Montana Free Press .
Workers in Glacier National Park and 11 other National Park Service sites across the West have voted to unionize, a move that comes after the Trump administration made drastic cuts to the Park Service. The post Glacier National Park employees vote to unionize appeared first on Montana Free Press .
New demographic projections suggest Montana’s population is aging at a faster pace than anticipated just a few years ago. The updated forecast increases the expected share of residents age 65 and older while reducing projections for children and teens. Officials say declining birth rates and a growing retiree population are changing the state’s demographic makeup and increasing reliance on migration for future growth.
Big Hole to serve as testing ground for new water-quality regulations in response to bill barring state regulators from using numeric standards for nitrogen and phosphorus The post DEQ works toward impairment designation for Big Hole River appeared first on Montana Free Press .
A state accountant told the Legislative Audit Committee that the Montana Lottery’s faulty bookkeeping, which includes $18.5 million in miscalculated financial records over the last several years, occurred because the agency’s former financial services director “stopped doing his job” before his death in March 2025. The post State accountant: Lottery’s former financial services director ‘stopped doing his job’ appeared first on Montana Free Press .
Over 10,000 people are expected this week at the Little Bighorn National Monument and surrounding area as Indigenous people celebrate not only their win against Custer but their resilience. The post Reflecting on Greasy Grass: ‘We weren’t wiped out, and we continue to persevere’ appeared first on Montana Free Press .
The deadline for ballot measure groups to gather and submit tens of thousands of signatures passed on Friday, June 19, and multiple organizations said they have submitted enough signatures to qualify for the general election ballot. If enough of those signatures are ultimately approved by county and state officials, voters in November will have a chance to weigh in on key policy questions that could influence judicial elections, dark money in state politics and the initiative process itself. Here’s how.
Business capital isn’t just about getting funding—it’s about building a foundation that supports smart decisions, steady cash flow, and long-term growth. With a strong plan, the right local connections, and responsible credit habits, new entrepreneurs can move from “starting up” to building something sustainable and successful. The post Business capital for new entrepreneurs appeared first on Montana Free Press .
Shane Charles, a co-owner with his wife, Tamara, of Carmel’s Sports Bar & Grill in Anaconda, was fatally shot at the bar on Saturday night, June 20. The Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Attorney’s Office has charged Mark Ray Lock, 61, with deliberate homicide, according to county law enforcement’s Facebook page. The post Anaconda bar co-owner Shane Charles wanted to ‘make a better place for the community’ appeared first on Montana Free Press .
Missoula County commissioners held a public hearing on a proposal outlining a process for capturing and placing horses in the event of conflicts with people. Most residents who commented during the meeting said the horses should be left alone. The post What to do about Missoula’s feral horses?
PLUS: The inaugural Spirit of Helena award The post What’s the future of the Carson Street mansion? appeared first on Montana Free Press .
Farmers and ranchers in southeastern Montana say a legacy of coal mining and methane drilling has polluted one of the most valuable resources they have: clean, plentiful water. Their ongoing water-quality frustrations have been exacerbated by the Tongue River basin’s dismal snowpack. The post In southeast Montana, a history of coal mining haunts farmers and ranchers appeared first on Montana Free Press .
Calumet sues Great Falls. The post Benefis praised a doctor. Posts about her disappeared.
The Daniels County Leader, a family-owned newspaper operating for a century in northeastern Montana, will shut down next month after no buyer came forward to purchase the publication, putting four employees out of work.
Democratic Senate nominee Alani Bankhead attacked independent candidate Seth Bodnar at a campaign event in Missoula, criticizing his handling of a $350,000 sex discrimination settlement involving 18 female plaintiffs during his tenure as University of Montana president.
Missoula County officials are proposing a plan to manage a feral horse herd in the Miller Creek area, prompting local discussion about whether the animals constitute a problem for the region.
Grassroots petitions in Butte-Silver Bow and Yellowstone counties aimed at curbing data center growth in Montana could make their way to ballots in November. The post How some Montanans are taking data center regulation into their own hands appeared first on Montana Free Press .
Montana added an estimated 7,137 residents between July 2024 and July 2025, according to new Census Bureau data. While statewide growth remained relatively steady, population gains slowed in many of the state’s largest cities, including Kalispell, Bozeman and Belgrade. The post Montana growth continues, but gains slow across major cities appeared first on Montana Free Press .
Limited information is publicly available regarding an agreement announced between Quantica Infrastructure, a development firm that hopes to build a 5,000-acre data center campus near Broadview, and the Southeastern Montana Building and Construction Trades Council, a regional federation of unions. According to the release, the developer and the trades council signed a Memorandum of Understanding that “establishes a cooperative framework focused on union-backed workforce development, apprenticeship and training pathways and project stability for the Big Sky Campus, which is planned to include a large-scale data center campus and new energy infrastructure.” The post Agreement between data center developer and union federation thin on details appeared first on Montana Free Press .
A proposal to explore for copper and other minerals on public land west of Helena has garnered pushback from environmental groups who say the timeline for the federal government’s review leaves limited opportunities for public engagement. The project, dubbed the Blue Copper Project, involves nearly 11,000 acres of U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management land between Avon and Ellison.
Daines-authored America the Beautiful Act clears committee, faces hurdles on foreign visitor surcharge, funding priorities The post Senate Nears Action on National Park Maintenance Backlog appeared first on Montana Free Press .
The Montana Lottery miscalculated its finances by $18.5 million over the last several years, according to a recent report from the state’s Legislative Audit Division. That doesn’t mean $18.5 million is missing, but that the agency overstated and understated its accounts by that amount, the report found. The post How the Montana Lottery misreported millions of dollars appeared first on Montana Free Press .
Helena voters last summer approved over $280 million in new taxes for a new Helena High School, a new Kessler Elementary school and major renovations to Capital High School. The post Construction of new Helena High underway; what’s next? appeared first on Montana Free Press .
Regional and national environmental groups have joined Pondera County officials to challenge an underground wastewater disposal permit that benefits the Montana Renewables biorefinery in Great Falls. The post Groups challenge EPA decision on Montana Renewables wastewater site appeared first on Montana Free Press .
Firefighters with the Helena Fire Department and the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation contained a fire on the north face of Mt. Helena Monday afternoon, according to a city press release. As of 4:30 p.m., the fire had burned about a quarter of an acre, according to a DNRC social media post.
Before Sean O'Malley stepped into the cage at UFC Freedom 250, his father, Dan O'Malley, spoke with MTFP about the former champion's rise from Helena to one of the sport's biggest stages, his pride in representing Montana and the controversy surrounding the White House event. The post Sean O’Malley has never stopped being a Montana kid appeared first on Montana Free Press .
Janicki wows officials during site visit. The post Great Falls LGBTQ+ Center reopens during Pride appeared first on Montana Free Press .
There are nearly 400 school districts scattered across Montana, a state with just over a million people. Roughly 176,000 of those residents are school-aged children. Outside of major cities like Billings or Bozeman, school districts exist to serve some of the state’s smallest, most remote communities, from Lima to Westby.
East Helena student expelled for assault. The post Helena may again pursue public safety levy appeared first on Montana Free Press .
Combining federal streamflow data and state fish census creates new tool to forecast angling restrictions, population impacts of water use. The post New web tool lets fish predict river conditions appeared first on Montana Free Press .
If seven Native American candidates win their elections for the state House and Senate in November, the Montana Legislature’s American Indian Caucus could be the biggest group yet. The post Montana’s 2027 American Indian Caucus could be the biggest yet appeared first on Montana Free Press .
Alani Bankhead came from financial nowhere to win the Democratic Senate primary. She had $23,884 to campaign with, including a $5,000 loan. Only 30% of voters knew who she was until a pop-up PAC spent $3.3 million on ads and even phone banking to get out the vote for Bankhead.
Bozeman Creek runs through downtown in a largely straight line, beholden to culverts and tunnels that force it underground. Beneath Main Street is a 420-foot-long tunnel, constructed in the late 1880s, that some residents may not realize is beneath their feet. The post Bringing Bozeman Creek into the light appeared first on Montana Free Press .
Missoula voters eke past state average. The post City housing support program moves forward appeared first on Montana Free Press .
Since 2022, Benefis Health System in Great Falls has sought to bring a specialty heart procedure to the vast region it serves in central Montana. The endeavor introduced a new option for patients, but it was also a competitive move to align the hospital's services with similar programs in Missoula and Billings. The post What we learned investigating one hospital’s heart program appeared first on Montana Free Press .
A Clinton man pleaded not guilty to murdering two elderly women at a Missoula nursing home in 1990, a cold case reopened last year following new DNA analysis. The post Clinton man pleads not guilty to 1990 murders at Missoula nursing home appeared first on Montana Free Press .
The Montana-based group promoting a ballot initiative that would make campaign finance more transparent obscures its own funding with a murky fundraising structure, according to publicly available campaign finance filings reviewed by Montana Free Press. The post How unidentifiable donors are funding Montana’s anti-dark money initiative appeared first on Montana Free Press .
Forest Service inspectors have flagged problems with Bridger Aerospace’s scoopers for years, according to sources and documents obtained by ProPublica under the Freedom of Information Act. The records were heavily redacted by the agency, including the problem that the inspector discovered last April. But a former government official with direct knowledge of the inspection told ProPublica it had revealed a crack in a wing.
Roughly 19 tribes are involved in planning a week’s worth of festivities in Montana leading up to the anniversary. Tribal event organizers said they’re expecting roughly 1,000 horse riders, 500 motorcyclists and thousands of attendees. The post Tribes, National Park Service prepare for Battle of Greasy Grass anniversary with multiple events appeared first on Montana Free Press .
Three former Benefis doctors said the health system’s approach to patient selection for its TAVR program was a direct factor in their decisions to seek work elsewhere. When Benefis administrators appeared indifferent to their concerns, the doctors said, they chose to leave the hospital entirely. The post A Montana hospital tried to build a cutting-edge heart program.
Montana’s June 2026 primary drew a record 300,022 voters, surpassing the previous high set in 2022. While turnout as a share of registered voters has declined since peaking in 2018, the state’s expanding electorate continues to push overall participation to new highs. The post More Montanans cast ballots in this election than any other midterm primary appeared first on Montana Free Press .
Conservation groups have filed two separate appeals seeking to halt the Trump administration’s decision to evict more than 900 bison from large swaths of federal land in central Montana. The post Conservationists appeal Trump admin’s plan to evict bison from Montana public land appeared first on Montana Free Press .
The Anaconda Leader, a twice-weekly newspaper that had served its community in southwest Montana for more than half a century, announced that it had closed. Its demise follows a nationwide trend of local outlets struggling to stay in business. The post The Anaconda Leader shuts down after run of 55 years appeared first on Montana Free Press .
The press release cited “feedback from businesses, public officials, and other individuals” as the reason for the suspension, but it is unclear exactly what that feedback was and who specifically it came from. The post Republican state senator suspends property tax cap ballot initiative appeared first on Montana Free Press .
In face of rapid development in GYE, new congressional bill would turn a 1,800-mile highway into expanded federal interstate. It runs through Greater Yellowstone. The post Questions of connection: What would a Trump Interstate mean?
East Helena student expelled for assault. The post Reporter’s notebook: Can Hawthorne be saved? appeared first on Montana Free Press .