New Postal Rule Could Slow Voter Mail in Rural Montana
A new U.S. Postal Service rule on postmarks could impact rural voters in Montana and across the country, and advocates for Native communities are particularly concerned. Instead of postmarking mail on the day it is received by local post offices, the postmark will now reflect the date it reaches a regional processing facility. As a result, mail from rural locations could take an additional day or two to be processed.
Downing Secures $3.6 Million for Montana Law Enforcement and Infrastructure Projects
Montana Congressman Troy Downing is celebrating House approval of H.R. 6938, a major funding bill delivering nearly $3.6 million for local priorities. Projects include upgraded crime scene technology for Great Falls police, new communications systems for Lewis and Clark County deputies, and detention center improvements in Yellowstone and Toole Counties. The measure also funds a critical water infrastructure project in Billings. The bill now heads to the Senate for final consideration.
Montana Water Crisis
Water crises continue across Montana as residents in Libby and Fort Belknap enter another week without clean drinking water. Meanwhile, Browning faces critical supply shortages, and parts of Butte remain under strict no-consumption orders. Officials are distributing bottled water as infrastructure repairs continue statewide.
Health Department Applies for Federal Recertification of Montana State Hospital
The state has been unable to bill Medicaid or Medicare for patient care at the Montana State Hospital since 2022, after losing its federal certification due to patient deaths and safety concerns. The state has now applied for recertification of the hospital near Butte with the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. CMS inspects facilities that receive federal funding to ensure they are safe for patients.
Montana Treatment Center Turning Winds Launches Groundbreaking Podcast to Support Parents Nationwide
Turning Winds is a therapeutic boarding school and residential treatment center located in Montana’s remote Yaak Valley. The campus spans 150 acres of open forests and winding rivers, offering students a sense of space to breathe. Turning Winds has now launched its Understanding Teen Mental Health podcast, designed for parents who want to better understand their teens while finding hope along the way. Listeners can find the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or directly at turningwinds.com.
Montana’s Influx Continues, According to U-Haul
More people moved into Montana than left between 2024 and 2025, according to U-Haul’s most recent Growth Index. People aren’t just coming for jobs or family—they’re coming for a version of life they see online and on television: fewer crowds, more space, and a slower pace. A postcard version of the West.
Updated Plan Could Address Seeps From Butte’s Copper Mountain Sports Complex
Atlantic Richfield and the Environmental Protection Agency confirmed more than a year ago that metals-contaminated groundwater seeps were escaping from the Copper Mountain Sports and Recreation Complex in Butte. The EPA expects Atlantic Richfield to share a plan next month that could address those seeps. The complex was built atop a Superfund waste repository and former landfill.
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Enrollment in Flathead County public, private, and home schools declined for the third consecutive year in 2025, while still reflecting growth over the past decade. Total enrollment fell by 333 students compared to 2024. That 2% year-over-year decrease brings total enrollment in the valley to 16,917 students.
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Helena’s final city commissioner was chosen Wednesday, after Julia Gustafson was appointed in a unanimous vote. Gustafson works as an outreach coordinator for the nonprofit Friends of the Montana Constitution and has served as chair of the city’s Parking Advisory Committee for the past year.
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A 90-acre section of the former Roseburg particleboard plant could soon be absorbed into the City of Missoula as part of an effort to develop the area into a “vibrant” neighborhood. During a preliminary vote Wednesday, the City Council approved a plan to annex land on the western portion of the 235-acre former mill site. A final vote is set for Monday.
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Two weeks before Christmas, Lincoln County experienced some of the worst flooding in decades, impacting Libby’s drinking water reservoirs. That led to a boil-water order that has continued into the new year. According to local officials, the order is expected to remain in place for several more weeks.
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Yellowstone National Park officials have scheduled two meetings this month to outline alternatives for reconstructing the North Entrance Road between Gardiner and Mammoth Hot Springs. The first is an in-person meeting on January 13 in Gardiner at the Yellowstone Forever Institute at 4 p.m. The second meeting will be held online on January 14 at 1 p.m. The virtual meeting will be recorded and posted to YouTube.
