Montana Public Radio News

The search is on for a bear in the Columbia Falls-area that attacked a woman Monday. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and U.S. Forest Service investigators say a woman who was walking her dog sustained significant injuries following the attack.

The lightning-caused Nature Grove fire, 13 miles east of Hamilton, has grown to nearly 900 acres. Fire managers say it's burning in steep, dense timber and understory vegetation. They're expecting that activity to increase over the next couple of days.

With all the wildfire smoke in Montana skies this summer, have you been surprised it doesn't always smell smokey? Or that it smelled like a campfire under clear skies? It turns out there's a lot that goes into our perception of smoke and how it squares with the Air Quality Index.

Montana's Capitol building is getting a refresh with funding appropriated by the state Legislature. The multi-million dollar restoration has started at the very top.

Montana's general election ballots are finalized, including three ballot initiatives for the November election.

Psychiatrists in Montana say a major insurance company is shortchanging them through a practice called “downcoding.” Psychiatric associations have filed two complaints with state regulators.

An atmospheric river swept across the Pacific Northwest last December, dropping more than a foot of rain – and tens of millions of dollars in damages – in portions of the Cabinet Mountains. Work repairing and stabilizing a stretch of northwest Montana's flood-damaged Libby Creek is now complete.

From special education programs to building renovations, commissioners approved a package of recommendations they believe will help patch holes in Montana's public education system; chief of which is a plan to simplify the schools budget.

A school in Beaverhead County is trying to keep its doors open because the county is struggling to pull in enough tax dollars. Part of the reason the county doesn't have enough money in its coffers is because the federal government stopped paying its full tax bill on public lands.

After Montana's Attorney General made an opinion that would kick two moderate Republican lawmakers off the ballot, a district judge has issued a restraining order on the decision – keeping both lawmakers in the race.

A Libby medical clinic that diagnoses and treats people with asbestos-related diseases abruptly closed this week. Congress set up the clinic and gave Libby-area residents Medicare benefits because exposure to asbestos in the community was so widespread.

Meagher County is experiencing a unique countertrend among Montana's rural counties. According to new research, it's become known for grassroots entrepreneurship and growth. One example, the Central Montana Food Hub, aims to improve the area's business infrastructure and local food access.

The deadline has passed for Montana candidates to withdraw from their races, and all Senate candidates are still in the running — but not without a last-minute push to get the Democrat to drop out.

The Flathead National Forest has approved a plan to replace and modernize a wastewater treatment system for western Montana's Holland Lake Lodge.

The state is looking for public comment on a potential tungsten mine in the Flint Creek Range of southwest Montana. Comments will be accepted until Friday, Aug. 14.

The Bitterroot National Forest Friday raised its fire danger level to "Extreme," the highest level. Under these conditions fires start quickly, spread furiously, and burn intensely.

Montana fire officials are bracing for another round of critical fire weather this weekend. Any fires that develop over the next several days will spread rapidly and be very difficult to control.

Researchers at the University of Montana identified a unique mouse that may hold some clues for cancer research. This Andean mouse's high-elevation home is what attracted researchers.

Northwest Montana has a below-average huckleberry crop this year. That means bears are now looking for alternative food sources and getting into trouble as a result.

Bozeman and Missoula declared 100% clean electricity goals in 2019 and have been chipping away at this effort ever since. Now both cities have committed to a new renewable energy plan that gets them closer to carbon neutrality by 2030.

Back in early spring Montana's summer drought conditions were expected to be a lot worse than they currently are. June storms brought some relief, but the long-term outlook is less encouraging.

As fuel prices rise due to the Iran war, so does the cost of everything else. The grocery store is often where families feel the financial pinch first. That's because it costs more to ship food across the country. Food banks are also facing higher costs and increasing demand.

Officials say residents near a wildfire burning in Flathead County should prepare to evacuate on a moment's notice. The warning comes ahead of what has the potential to be a very active wildfire weekend in western Montana.

Gusty wind, low humidity, temperatures pushing 100 degrees and dry fuels will create critical fire weather conditions in northwest and west-central Montana Saturday.

It's been a little over four years since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the right to an abortion. Many states have banned or severely restricted access since then. The Dobbs decision also impacted Montana, where abortion access is enshrined in the state Constitution.

A federal judge ruled in favor of conservation groups this month in a decision against allowing increased road building in the Bitterroot National Forest. The lawsuit, filed in 2024, argued federal agencies didn't take a hard enough look at the impacts of roads on threatened species.

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.