Governor and First Lady Gianforte Light Capitol Christmas Tree
Governor Greg Gianforte and First Lady Susan Gianforte lit the State Capitol Christmas Tree on Monday in Helena, welcoming the holiday season with carols performed by the Carroll College Choirs. This year’s Capitol Christmas Tree was harvested from U.S. Forest Service land as part of a Good Neighbor Authority project near Seeley Lake. The tree is 29 feet tall, weighs 450 pounds, and is decorated with more than 3,600 lights and 950 ornaments.
Secretary Christi Jacobsen: ‘More than 5,000 New Business Registrations in November’
New business registrations continue to show Montanans investing in their communities. According to the Montana Business Economic Report, more than 5,000 new business registrations were recorded in November. With this activity pushing year-to-date registrations past 70,000, Montana has already surpassed the previous record of nearly 64,000 new registrations set in 2024.
Montana Residents Now Need to Earn $89K a Year to Live Comfortably, 10th Lowest in the Country
American families are facing a convergence of economic pressures that are redefining what it means to live comfortably. According to Upgraded Points, Montana residents now need to earn $89,000 a year to live comfortably— the tenth lowest threshold in the nation.
Montana Program Connects Inmates With Their Children Through Reading
The Montana Department of Corrections is partnering with the Montana State Library to help families connect this holiday season by allowing inmates to read children’s books to their kids through recorded videos. The initiative is funded through the Preschool Development Birth to Five Grant. Previously, parents could record only their voices, but this year video recording was added to the program.
White Christmas Forecast
Are you dreaming of a White Christmas? The 2026 Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts that most of the United States will experience a milder, gentler winter than average. The odds of a White Christmas in Montana remain high, though some areas may be too dry for sufficient snowfall. Missoula has a 98% chance, while Idaho City near Boise sits at 94%. Salt Lake City’s odds are roughly 50–50.
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Most of Missoula’s Mount Jumbo closed to public recreation on Monday, an annual measure intended to protect migratory elk herds that feed along the slopes during winter. When snow depletes forage at higher elevations, about 120 elk move to Jumbo’s lower slopes. Violating the winter closure can result in fines of up to $500.
Demolition of Daylis Stadium in Billings will begin December 15th as the first step in long-planned renovations of the century-old facility. The football stadium—used by all three Billings high schools—has not undergone major upgrades in years, and its west-side grandstands have been closed for the last two football seasons. The district plans to raise $8.65 million for the renovation project.
The first death of the 2025–2026 influenza season was reported Monday. Missoula Public Health and the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services confirmed the death in Missoula County. Hospitalization rates for respiratory illnesses, including the flu and COVID-19, are rising in Missoula County and across the country.
Bison hunting in Montana, just outside Yellowstone National Park, would be extended by one week under a proposal before the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission. The commission meets Thursday at 8 a.m. to consider the recommendation along with several other hunting-related changes.
Three finalists have been selected for Helena’s city manager position:
• Janet Hawkinson, town manager of Palisade, Colorado, since 2018.
• Alana Lake, PSC executive director, overseeing partnerships among commissioners, staff, and government entities.
• Douglas Schulze, who most recently served as city manager for Banning, California.
