Montana News
Comprehensive coverage of Montana’s statewide news—politics, environment, communities, and culture—delivered with trusted reporting and a local lens.
Judge blocks Election Day voter registration changes
Late voter registration, allowing Montanans to sign up to vote so long as they’re in line before polls officially …
Under pressure, Montana hospital considers adding psych beds amid a shortage
Gary Popiel had to drive more than 200 miles round trip to visit his adult daughters in separate behavioral health facilities as they received psychiatric and …
Patrol IDs North Dakota trooper who fatally shot Montana man
The North Dakota Highway Patrol on Wednesday identified the trooper who fatally shot a Montana man following a vehicle chase on Interstate 94 west of Mandan earlier this month.
US: Wolves may need protections after states expand hunting
The Biden administration said Wednesday that federal protections may need to be restored for gray wolves in the western U.S. after Republican-backed state laws…
More than half of states have rolled back public health powers in pandemic
Republican legislators in more than half of U.S. states, spurred on by voters angry about lockdowns and mask mandates, are taking away the powers state and loc…
US tribes demand emergency protection for wolves
Dozens of American Indian tribes asked the Biden administration Tuesday to immediately enact emergency protections for gray wolves, saying states have become t…
Judge fines public defenders office for unassigned cases
A Yellowstone County judge has held the director of Montana's Office of the Public Defender in contempt of court and fined the agency up to $10,000 for failing to immediately assign public defenders in criminal cas…
National Guard to help Billings hospital with Covid cases
Seventeen Montana National Guard soldiers have volunteered to continue helping the state with its Covid-19 response, Gov. Greg Gianforte said.
3 people killed in all-terrain vehicle crash near Billings
A woman and two men were killed in a weekend all-terrain vehicle crash east of Billings, the Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office said.
'Right to work' group sues to strike down Clean Campaign Act
A Montana group advocating for "right to work" policies sued on Monday to strike down the state's Clean Campaign Act, arguing it contains a provision that violates political speech protections.
Great Falls High School moves online after Covid-19 outbreak
About 1,500 students at Great Falls High School will begin remote learning Tuesday and through the rest of the week because of an increase in Covid-19 cases among students and staff, Great Falls Public Schools said…
Out West, Biden points to wildfires to push for big spending
President Joe Biden on Monday pointed to wildfires burning through the West to argue for his $3.5 trillion spending plan, calling year-round fires and other ex…
Groups push to resume enforcement in Montana mining dispute
Environmental groups have filed notice they plan to sue Gov. Greg Gianforte's administration after it dropped a legal claim against a mining executive over dec…
Universities receive $1.9M to address mental health care in western Montana
A new four-year, $1.9 million grant will enable a team of collaborators at Montana State University and the University of Montana to continue a program that tr…
Officials identify man whose body was pulled from river
The body of a man recovered from the Yellowstone River near Dover Park on Thursday has been identified as 71-year-old Gary Mollet.
Biden's vaccine rules to set off barrage of legal challenges
President Joe Biden's sweeping new vaccine requirements have Republican governors threatening lawsuits. His unapologetic response: "Have at it."