Attorney General Knudsen visits Anaconda 48 hours after four people were killed in shooting
Attorney General Austin Knudsen received a briefing Sunday in Anaconda regarding the Friday morning shooting at the Owl Bar and ongoing search for the suspect 45-year-old Michael Brown who opened fire killing four people before fleeing the scene. Brown remains at large and the U.S. Marshals Service is offering a $7,500 reward for any information that leads to his arrest or capture. The victims all from Anaconda were 59-year-old Daniel Edwin Ballie 64-year-old Nancy Lauretta Kelly 70-year-old David Allen Leach and 74-year-old Tony Wayne Palm.
2025’s Best & Worst States to Have a Baby – WalletHub Study
With the average conventional birth costing over $2,600 for mothers with insurance and nearly $15,000 for mothers without insurance today WalletHub released its report on 2025’s Best and Worst States to Have a Baby. The personal-finance website ranks Montana 26th across key measures of cost health care accessibility and baby-friendliness. The data set ranges from hospital conventional-delivery charges to annual average infant-care costs to pediatricians per capita.
Montana PBS suffers federal funding cuts, prompting $900K matching campaign
Montana PBS is watched by more than 250,000 Montanans including 30,000 children each week. The Rescissions Act canceled funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting which would have provided Montana PBS $1.8 million in October. Anonymous donors are offering a $900,000 match dollar-for-dollar for each contribution from the public until the full $1.8 million is raised. Sesame Street Backroads of Montana and more favorite programs could all be at risk due to the federal funding cuts because no one else is paying for them now.
Montana health insurers propose double-digit rate increase for 2026
Montanans who purchase individual health insurance through the federal Marketplace could see the cost of their plans increase by double digits in 2026. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana is requesting an average rate increase of 28% for individuals. Mountain Health Cooperative is proposing a 25% jump. National health care researchers and analysts have said the proposed rate increases for 2026 are linked to federal policy changes and general Marketplace uncertainty.
Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation Launches Forest Management Dashboard
The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation has launched an interactive dashboard displaying its forest management strategies. The Forestry Fuels Project Activity Tracker highlights ongoing forestry treatments and shows areas where the agency has deployed new staff equipment technology and other resources to improve wildfire preparedness. The tool breaks down DNRC’s projects into categories including forest management and fire protection. Users can zoom into any county within the state to see the types of projects currently active.
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Southgate Mall in Missoula is now owned by CBL Properties. The Chattanooga-based company acquired the key retail hub as part of a four-property deal worth $178.9 million. It will take over operations and leasing the acquisition that has been in its current location since 1978 and plans to enhance the tenant mix and invest in the property.
The Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman is looking to expand. The building was constructed with an annual attendance of 100,000 in mind but now hosts about 250,000 people each year. The museum staff recently wrapped up a more than two-year process to create a new master plan laying out a vision for the facility for the next two decades.
Following opposition from ranchers conservationists and residents the Bureau of Land Management limited advancement of the proposed 156-square mile Snowy River Carbon Sequestration Project in Southeastern Montana. The project by Denbury Carbon Solutions a subsidiary of ExxonMobil would store carbon dioxide emissions likely coming from natural gas processing plants in Wyoming.
Advocates have officially submitted a proposed ballot initiative that seeks to go around the Citizens United decision and block corporations from spending money in Montana elections. The Transparent Election Initiative seeks to amend the Montana Constitution to redefine the powers of artificial persons including corporations so they don’t include political spending.
The Kalispell City Council is expected to vote on a proposed high-density subdivision in North Kalispell this evening at 7 in City Hall. The Reserve at Johnson Ranch 92-acre development calls for nearly 500 dwelling units. The developers also plan to reconstruct Stillwater Road with a center two-way left turn lane.
