Good morning, and welcome to the latest edition of Helena This Week. I’m JoVonne Wagner, your Helena local reporter.
Summer is almost over, which means FOOTBALL SEASON IS BACK. I’m a fan of the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, so I’m entering this time of the year pretty stoked.
In this issue, we’ll preview a slate of interesting events, including a roundtable discussion about The Montana Plan, a homeowners workshop and more ways for veterans to connect with resources. Plus, we’ll dive into some local Facebook drama and the latest updates in the criminal trial of a former St. Peter’s nurse.
Also coming up: A look at the 200-acre public access partnership between Prickly Pear Land Trust and the Montana National Guard.
But first, a weather preview ☀️
August is not over yet. This week, we will see temperatures hover in the mid-80s Monday through Wednesday, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Oliziah Dzomba. We do get a bit of a cool down at night, with lows in the mid-50s and a slight chance of showers on Wednesday evening.
Last week, a few other reporters and I packed into the car for a little road trip with some folks from the Prickly Pear Land Trust. We drove out just northwest of town to check out land that recently came into the trust’s ownership.
War Eagle Hill, a roughly 200-acre property located about six miles west of Helena, tucked behind Fort Harrison near the Continental Divide, is now protected from future development, creating a permanent wildlife corridor and hunting access while also providing another purpose — a safety and noise buffer for military training.
“Prickly Pear is very proud of the partnership we have with the National Guard for all that it does for the military and for the community,” PPLT Executive Director Mary Hollow said. “It’s just such a win-win all around.”
Hollow said the land protection agreement wouldn’t have been possible without the trust’s ongoing partnership with the Montana National Guard through the U.S. Military’s Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program, which helped secure about 65% of the acquisition cost for the previously privately owned acreage. During the tour, Hollow said the total price tag associated with the project was about $1 million. A spokesperson for PPLT later said that was not the transaction cost and that the nonprofit would not disclose the purchase price out of respect for the prior owner’s privacy.
The organization’s lands director, Travis Vincent, told reporters that the team approach was “a brilliant way to marry” conservation with the fort’s mission.
He explained that the REPI program’s goal is to secure open spaces around military institutions, with War Eagle Hill serving as a prime example of how it supports environmental conservation and military readiness.
Fort Harrison is the main training base for the Montana National Guard, and since the border of the War Eagle Hill property is near the fort, it helps create a “buffer zone” for noise and public safety, National Guard Brig. Gen. Trenton Gibson said during the site visit.
“It’s really having that kind of a ‘good neighbor with your neighbor’ type thing,” Gibson added. “If we’re flying helicopters and doing that training over people’s houses, if we need to work in these areas, it causes friction.”
Aside from military activities, War Eagle Hill will be open to public use during hunting season. The area is a common route for pronghorn antelope, deer and elk migration.
“We are thrilled that this land will be available for people to enjoy,” said Laurie Cox, a representative of the previous owner in a press release last Thursday. PPLT’s release referred to the group as Double L Family Land, citing some of the landowners’ desire to remain anonymous. “Collaborating with PPLT was a perfect way to do right by the land, ensuring that it is protected from development and included in a master plan of open spaces for the benefit of our ecosystems.”
Public Notice 🧐
Montana Plan roundtable discussion
🗓️ Tuesday, Aug. 25
⏰ 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
📍 Helena College lecture hall, 1115 N. Roberts St.
ℹ️ The Helena League of Women Voters shared an upcoming event regarding I-194, better known as the Montana Plan. If you don’t know anything about it, here’s where you can learn more. The initiative, if voters approve it, will affect how elections and campaigns are funded, aiming to get corporations, or “dark money,” out of politics.
🔗 Check out some of our reporting regarding I-194.
Don’t let the city’s future transportation plans drive away
🗓️ Virtual open house closes Aug. 31.
ℹ️ The Greater Helena Area’s long-range transportation plan was presented during several in-person open houses this month. If you didn’t get a chance to check them out and give feedback, the organization has provided an online version.
🔗 Click here to visit the virtual open house
About Town 🚶
Helena isn’t immune to online drama (people on the Internet anywhere can argue over just about anything). But what’s less common is a Facebook fracas between public entities and officials.
Last week, Helena City Commissioner Sean Logan posted a spicy accusation on his city commissioner Facebook page, saying the Helena Public School District had failed to follow the city’s zoning process before constructing a temporary parking lot meant to help with overflow during the ongoing Helena High School rebuild.
“According to neighbors who offered public comment, [the district] had no outreach to the neighborhood that this pretty major project was going on in their backyard,” Logan wrote. “They just did it.”
The HPSD official Facebook page responded by sharing the commissioner’s post and adding its own lengthy response that pushed back against many of Logan’s assumptions. It stated that the area where the parking lot is located is state property and had already been permitted for use as a parking lot by Helena College and the state of Montana.
“We were granted permission to lease the parking lot to keep our students safe, as well as to not affect the operation of Helena College, Bryant, and neighborhood streets use as we navigate construction,” the district’s response stated.
Additionally, the district said it had attempted to follow the city’s normal process, but delays on the city’s end had stalled that approval. The district also said it had made several efforts to notify residents about future construction and listed a timeline of public meetings at which the project was discussed.
According to a report from the Helena IR, which featured both city and district officials, the commission was confused during a meeting last Monday when some members of the public raised concerns about the parking lot zoning.
District officials said they informed the city of the deadline for approving the parking lot zoning and that the district needed a backup plan to prevent students from parking in surrounding residential neighborhoods, according to the IR.
The district was granted permission by the city to excavate the lot, but an official zoning change won’t be granted for another month.
A day later, Logan posted again. This time, the commissioner said he spoke with HPSD Superintendent Rex Weltz. According to Logan, Weltz made it clear that social media was not the forum he would have preferred for discussing the situation.
“I’ve been in public service for some time and should have known better,” Logan wrote. “I know this post won’t undo the damage done, but I did want to express my regret for having made it and apologize for the harm done to the Helena Schools and the City of Helena by making that choice.”
Helena Happenings 🗓️
Community Support: Nonprofit Disabled American Veterans, DAV, will be holding a benefits seminar in Helena Friday, Aug. 28, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the Montana Department of Public Health & Human Services building. This opportunity is free to veterans looking to learn more about accessing services. If you plan on attending, bring a form of ID and other documentation of military service.
Lectures & Learning: Looking to buy a house soon? The Helena Area Habitat for Humanity is hosting a free homeownership workshop Wednesday, Aug. 26, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the VFW in East Helena. This course is specifically created for future homeowners and veterans and will provide an opportunity to learn more about budgeting, credit checks and other resources. RSVP by contacting [email protected].
Family Fun: Still feeling patriotic? The 2nd Cavalry Association and Humanities Montana are putting on a Celebration of the Montana Territory Saturday, Aug. 29 and Sunday, Aug. 30, at the Lewis and Clark Fairgrounds. The event will feature living-history displays, educational exhibits and presentations on cultural perspectives regarding Montana’s first residents.
Following Up ↩️
Last Wednesday, former St. Peter’s Health nurse Aaron Gams was supposed to have his final pre-trial hearing in front of District Court Judge Michael McMahon. Gams was arrested and charged last year with assaulting a former patient back in 2023.
Instead, the judge ordered that Gams’ trial be postponed until March 2027.
The Gams case had already been pushed back earlier this year after county prosecutors informed the judge that they had to amend the initial charge — the law prosecutors used to charge him was changed by the Legislature after Gams allegedly committed his crime.
Gams’ new final pretrial date is scheduled for Feb. 3, 2027. The trial is scheduled to begin March 1.
The web version of this newsletter was updated on Aug. 24, 2026, to provide additional comments from Prickly Pear Land Trust and correct a description about The Montana Plan informational event. The headline was corrected on Aug. 25, 2026, to clarify that the purchase provides public access to the land.
