Tracking eastern Montana’s silent firestarters
Underground coal seams are part of the landscape in eastern Montana, and can burn unnoticed for years. As summers get hotter and drier, the quiet burns can get out of hand, as happened with the Richard Spring Fire last summer. Mapping the smoldering seams is one way to address the risk early, and Custer County…
News doesn’t just happen at the national or state level — it happens in your town and in your neighborhood. MTFP Local is in-depth, independent reporting on the stories impacting your community from reporters who call it home.
No shouting. No name calling. Just award-winning local journalism for Montanans by Montanans.
Sign up for our free weekday newsletter.
LATEST HEADLINES
Where wildfire meets population growth
For years, many of the wildfires in the northwestern part of the state have occurred in more rural, unpopulated areas, and rarely destroyed homes. That’s changing.
Gallatin County confronts another hurdle for mental health crisis care
Elected officials, community advocates and medical providers in Gallatin County have arrived at another crossroads in their efforts to overhaul local mental health services: figuring out where the first-stop destination should be for people experiencing an emergency behavioral health crisis.
Bird Scooters flock to downtown Bozeman
Bozeman is in its second year partnering with the national e-scooter company Bird. This summer, tourists, residents and local business owners have noticed an increase in the number of riders. While new designated parking areas have helped keep idle scooters off sidewalks, some residents remain concerned about how the scooters are used.
Empower your community.
Power the press!
Fuel the future of independent, public-powered news in Montana. Become a member of Montana Free Press and help bring high-quality, independent journalism to more communities in our state.
BILLINGS
Billboard project in Billings celebrates Crow culture and people
A billboard near the intersection of Monad and Laurel roads in Billings is one of 53 put up across the country as part of a social-justice campaign advocating for artists and art installations in public spaces.
State unveils broadband access map, solicits grant applications
Data presented by the state broadband office indicates two-thirds of Montana addresses have current or pending 100 mbps service. Private internet providers who want to reach underserved areas can apply for help from a $266 million fund.
Hospitals recruit international nurses to fill pandemic shortages
Billings Clinic is just one of scores of hospitals taking this strategy. The demand is so high, and the nursing shortage so great, that there’s a backlog of thousands of international health care professionals awaiting visas to work in the U.S.
BOZEMAN
An Airbnb for ranchlands
Bozeman-based LandTrust.com brokers paid access to nearly 400,000 acres of private Montana property. What does that mean for public hunters?
Bozeman hotels, airport still expecting a vibrant summer
Unlike smaller towns near the northern entrance to Yellowstone, there’s so far few indications that Bozeman will take a hit on travel and tourism as a result of devastating flooding.
New developments aim to ease Bozeman’s affordable housing crisis
Residents who qualify for the income-based housing are moving into their new homes near North 19th Avenue.
GREAT FALLS
Great Falls’ dispensary owners challenge city’s prohibition of marijuana sales
The city enacted the prohibition of marijuana, both medical and recreational, in 2010, and the rule has not been challenged since, including in the years that medical marijuana was legalized in Montana and Cascade County, but not within the city limits.
Homeless encampment at Great Falls church spotlights city’s widening housing crisis
In recent months, amid increasing reports of crime in the area and a lawsuit filed by the city against the church, a homeless encampment at First United Methodist Church in downtown Great Falls has become a source of controversy. It’s also indicative of a larger homelessness problem exacerbated by a scarcity of affordable housing and…
Air Force unfazed by Russian saber-rattling
Despite concerns about nuclear tensions related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, operations of the missile silos at Malmstrom Air Force Base here remain normal, military officials said. “There’s been no change to force protection conditions at Malmstrom AFB, and we won’t speculate on potential future adjustments,” Jennifer Greene, spokesperson for Air Force Global Strike…
HELENA
Helena LGBTQ Drag Story Hour to proceed as planned, despite threats
An annual Drag Story Hour event for children is scheduled to take place as planned in Helena this weekend during one of Montana’s LGBTQ Pride celebrations, even as law enforcement organizations track threats against the event posted online by a self-proclaimed member of the Oath Keepers, a national anti-government militia group.
‘Education lost a friend.’ Longtime union leader Eric Feaver dies at 77
Former Montana Federation of Public Employees President Eric Feaver died Wednesday, leaving behind a legacy of tireless advocacy for labor and public education respected on both sides of the political aisle.
Helena Habitat for Humanity presses Gianforte on housing solutions
Citing MTFP reporting on tension between Gov. Greg Gianforte’s “Come Home Montana” campaign and Montana’s housing crunch, Helena Area Habitat for Humanity has taken out a newspaper ad advocating affordability fixes.
MISSOULA
Inaugural James Welch Native Lit Festival to launch in Missoula
The inaugural James Welch Native Lit Festival, a three-day event that begins Thursday and is free and open to the public, brings together nearly 20 writers from Indigenous communities across the United States for panel discussions, Q&As, readings and artist talks at Missoula’s Wilma Theatre and Missoula Public Library.
‘Daughter of a Lost Bird’ and the complexities of Indigenous identity
“Daughter of a Lost Bird” — a documentary made by and featuring two Montana Native women — is less about closure than about openings. There is no tidy bow at the end, and no singular takeaway. It plays out unapologetically in the realm of loose ends, liminal spaces and uncertainties. Filmmakers/actors Brooke Pepion Swaney and…
Paxson Elementary’s long, hard road to bilingual education
Missoula’s school board approved a major change to Paxson Elementary’s nine-year-old Spanish immersion program. But the shift to a less immersive model has ruptured parent trust.