News Staff UPDATE – HOT SPRINGS – A new wildfire that broke out Tuesday afternoon outside of the town of Hot Springs has grown to over 800 acres acording to DNRC as it has moved into deeper timber. The fire is not threatening structures, so far, and no evacuations have been ordered. DNRC is also reporting that … Read more
Kids from Hope Lutheran and Christ the King will spend this week cleaning, painting and helping out in Gallatin County. Students kicked off their Middle School Service Plunge, and 6th through 9th graders will be helping serve at the food bank today, Wednesday, they’ll paint Hope Lutheran, and on Thursday the students will be helping … Read more
HAMILTON – The Hog Trough Fire burning in the Bitterroot National Forest has grown to more than 800 acres. The blaze, southeast of Hamilton, was discovered on July 17 and is burning in rugged and remote terrain. No structures are currently threatened. Fire managers report the fire flared up late Sunday afternoon which caused a … Read more
MISSOULA – Family, friends and collegues are mourning the passing of Missoula’s 50th and longest-serving mayor. Following a five-month battle with pancreatic cancer, word came that Missoula Mayor John Engen died Monday morning surrounded by his family and friends. Engen, who was first elected as mayor in 2005 and was serving his fifth term in … Read more
HELENA – Montana lawmakers will be asked to hold a special legislative session to consider using the state’s budget surplus for tax rebates. In their request, the ten lawmakers said the budget surplus, projected to be well over $1 billion, was a sign taxpayers had “overpaid.” The Montana Secretary of State’s Office has sent out … Read more
WHITEHALL – The town of Whitehall is seeing more patrons use the community pool but can’t keep up with rising costs to maintain it. People from Bozeman to Dillon come to use the Whitehall community pool, but town officials say it takes more than $30,000 to maintain the outdoor pool. If Whitehall can’t keep up … Read more
ELLISTON, Mont. – The Last Chance Motel is back on the market following some minor renovations. The newest owners noted that during the updates it was a delicate balance of blending new and old, while still maintaining the heart and soul of the long-standing motel. After being sold in December of 2020, the property is … Read more
GREAT FALLS – After the approval of more than $13M in federal funding through the American Rescue Plan Act, some Cascade County organizations are excited about putting their allocated funds to use. More than 50 projects in Cascade County were recently approved for ARPA funding. Projects have until December 2026 to be completed. -0-
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) – Wildlife advocates sued federal officials Tuesday after the government missed a deadline to decide if protections for gray wolves should be restored across the northern U.S. Rocky Mountains, where Republican-led states have made it easier to kill the predators. The Biden administration said in a preliminary finding last September that protections … Read more
The Weasel Fire that began burning on the Kootenai National Forest near Eureka, sparked by lightning on July 30, has since spread into Canada continues to grow. Fire managers report that over 1,400 acres have burned in Lincoln County and more than 1,600 acres in British Columbia. Increased fire activity is expected to continue as … Read more