Montana to receive $2.5 million from national opioid settlement
Montana will receive $2.5 million from a national opioid settlement with eight opioid drugmakers who are paying a total of $720 million that will be distributed to all 50 states and U.S. territories. The money will go towards reducing and mitigating the use of harmful opioids.
MSU Billings Mourns Passing of Pioneering Chancellor Dr. Ronald P. Sexton at 87
Dr. Ronald P. Sexton, a pioneering leader in Montana higher education, passed away at 87 over the weekend. As the first chancellor of Montana State University Billings, Sexton championed two-year education and played a vital role in expanding MSU Billings’ reach, securing significant funding for construction, training programs, and developing ties with the Billings community. A dedicated supporter of students, he established scholarship funds and participated actively in alumni affairs. Known for his love of baseball, Sexton will be remembered as an influential figure who prioritized educational access and community integration throughout his tenure.
Great Falls Airport Sets New Passenger Record with Over 387,000 Travelers in 2025
Great Falls International Airport closed its fiscal year on June 30, with a record 387,416 passengers, surpassing the 2015 record of 381,223. A news release said passenger growth was driven by a shift to larger aircraft, as airlines phased out smaller regional jets post-pandemic, increasing seat capacity and boosting airport traffic in the area.
Secretary Christi Jacobsen: ‘Surge in new business registrations continues across Montana’
Montana is on pace to set a new record for business registrations in 2025. Almost 38,000 new business registrations have been filed through the year’s first six months and for the fourth consecutive month more than 6,000 new business registrations were filed with the Secretary of State’s Office. Last year nearly 64,000 new businesses registered with the state.
Big Beautiful Bill Act to decrease income tax revenue for Montana
According to the state’s Legislative Fiscal Division the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act will mean a decrease of an estimated $114.2 million in revenue for Montana based on income tax changes alone. The $114.2 million deficit is retroactive to January 1st. The analysis will be part of the information being compiled following the close of the most recent fiscal year.
FWP releases Grizzly Bear Conflict Dashboard
Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks has unveiled a new Grizzly Bear Conflict Dashboard as a resource for information on where FWP staff are helping landowners and communities with conflicts and the types of conflicts people are experiencing. Grizzly bears remain federally protected in the Lower 48 under the Endangered Species Act. If you are dealing with grizzly bear conflicts reach out to one of FWP bear management specialists. Their contact information can be found through the FWP website.
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A project aimed at stopping erosion along the Clark Fork River will close off some access points to the waterway in downtown Missoula this week. Work will begin today to construct several fences along the Milwaukee Trail between Beartracks Bridge and the Madison Street Bridge to limit access to areas vulnerable to erosion. The area has more than 93 river access points with more than 630 linear feet of riverbank erosion.
NorthWestern Energy raised customer rates by 17% in May but has now agreed to apply a smaller increase for at least the next few billing cycles as part of a settlement with the Montana Consumer Counsel and several of the utility’s largest customers. The Public Service Commission is now reviewing the utility’s request and the lower rates will remain in effect until the commission makes a final decision.
State health officials plan to apply for federal recertification for the state psychiatric hospital next year. The Montana State Hospital lost its federal certification in 2022 due to patient deaths and so the state can’t bill Medicaid or Medicare for patient services. The timeline was delayed due to ongoing remodeling projects at the facility near Butte.
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen has filed a motion for the state to intervene in a federal climate change lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court of Montana last year. Knudsen is leading a coalition of 18 other Republican state Attorneys General and the Territory in Guam in filing as defendants in the lawsuit that alleges three of President Donald Trump’s executive orders to “unleash” the fossil fuel industry and remove climate protections threaten the constitutional rights to life and liberty of the plaintiffs.
Due to warm water temperatures and low river flows some Yellowstone National Park rivers have been closed to fishing to protect the park’s native and wild trout fisheries they are the Madison River and all associated tributaries. The Firehole River and all associated tributaries and the Gibbon River and all associated tributaries downstream of Norris Campground. The closures will remain in effect until conditions improve.
Brainly released a study today on the States Most and Least Prepared to Win the AI Race using the most recent data from the Census Bureau the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the National Center for Education Statistics. It ranks Montana 9th overall. Montana scored worst for households’ access to ultra high speed internet.
