Historical weather data shows the winter of 2025-26 ranked among the warmest on record across Montana, with five cities posting record-warm winters.

After a fire destroyed the iconic restaurant, community members came together to clear the rubble and the Burns family vowed to rebuild.

Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen has handed over confidential voter data to the U.S. Department of Justice, which has asked the state to remove, upon demand, any voters who may be deemed ineligible by federal officials.

Montana U.S. Sen. Tim Sheehy has added his name to an amicus brief supporting the Trump administration’s effort to challenge the United States’ longstanding policy of granting citizenship to nearly any child born in the country as the matter is heard before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Community members urged Great Falls officials to take action in response to federal immigration enforcement during a Tuesday evening meeting of the city commission, which has not indicated any plans to take up the topic.

The Missoula City Council Monday approved a new zoning code, map and development requirements, all aimed at increasing housing throughout the city.

Organizers of the effort, dubbed The Montana Plan, said there is plenty of appetite for a ban, but getting it on the November ballot would take significant groundwork in a short timeframe.

Mobile homes are often considered “affordable housing.” But what happens when the rent for the land underneath them spikes?

About two dozen people packed a public meeting room Tuesday to express to the Laurel City Council their vehement opposition to the state proposal to build a new psychiatric facility on the outskirts of town, one intended to treat people in the criminal justice system.

A federal judge on Jan. 26 ruled that a lawsuit filed by two Montana State University students whose visas were temporarily revoked last year under the Trump administration’s “student criminal alien initiative” can proceed.

Protesting businesses are concentrated in Missoula, Helena, Livingston and Bozeman, according to social media posts reviewed by Montana Free Press, with fewer participants in Billings, Great Falls, Kalispell and smaller Montana communities.

After several years of rapid expansion during the COVID-19 pandemic, Montana’s population growth rate has continued settling to a slower pace according to 2025 figures released by the U.S. Census Bureau this week.

An Anaconda judge has rejected an attempt by six Montana media organizations, including MTFP, to unseal court documents in the murder case against Michael Brown. Journalists argue sealing the documents raises serious questions about Montana’s right-to-know laws and public access to the courts.

A student-organized walkout protesting ICE activity was canceled Thursday after a suspected improvised explosive device was found near campus. Authorities say the device was a jug of gasoline and fireworks.

Did you feel that? A 4.2-magnitude earthquake struck near Great Falls just before 1 p.m. Thursday and was felt across much of central Montana. Officials say no serious damage has been reported.

Neighbors woke up at 3 a.m. and drove 800 miles to show support for Roberto Orozco-Ramirez at a court hearing Wednesday. “The community responded more than I ever thought,” his son said.

In a federal lawsuit, environmental groups and the CSKT argue the EPA has failed to comply with the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act.

The university recommended terminating the programs and pausing minors in Irish and Chinese studies due to declining enrollment and to shift resources to areas of ‘higher strategic priority.’

Rep. Ryan Zinke said President Trump does not have the authority to buy Greenland and that Congress would not fund such a move. “I’m opposed to any military action,” Zinke told Montana Free Press.

In Froid, Montana, residents say the arrest of a longtime neighbor by Border Patrol has “rocked everybody’s world.” Our latest story looks at how a community of 195 people is responding — and what comes next.

In addition to dropping more money in Montana, last year’s tourists reported having more to spend than visitors did before the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, about 43% of visitors reported more than $100,000 in annual income. In 2025, that percentage grew to 55%.

A law passed by the Montana Legislature allows concealed guns to be carried without a permit, with few exceptions.

The Helena City Commission Monday night approved a resolution calling for its police officers to “avoid” assisting federal authorities with immigration enforcement.

Hundreds of Montanans gathered in front of the Gallatin County Courthouse on Sunday afternoon in the wake of Alex Pretti’s killing by federal officers in Minneapolis on Jan. 24 and in response to the Trump administration’s immigration policies writ large.

A philanthropist and supporter of many social justice causes, Ethel MacDonald was passionate about making sure others in Missoula had what they needed, including an affordable home. buff.ly/PzjP12k

Montana’s state health department, rural hospitals, medical associations and other groups have about six months to turn $233 million into action. How well the state meets its goals in the first year will also impact how much federal funding Montana receives in 2027 and the years after.

The Helena Police Department has announced its exit from a regional drug task force after the agency decided to collaborate with U.S. Border Patrol agents. City’s police chief wants officers to focus on drug enforcement rather than immigration.

Missoula’s proposed zoning code is set to include new restrictions on where marijuana dispensaries can be located, following concerns about increased youth drug use and the high density of dispensaries in the city.

The Hamilton Republican is accused of misdemeanor official misconduct for allegedly awarding $170,100 in government work to a longtime business associate without soliciting competitive bids.

Fraudsters transported Native Americans to other states and billed insurance companies for treatments that did not occur or were not needed.

Container crossings fell 21% and inbound visitation dropped 29% over the first 11 months of the year.

Legal challenge by prominent Republicans asks court to find that a bill that lowered taxes for an estimated 4 in 5 homeowners and offered $400 property tax rebates is unconstitutional.

State and local educators last week cautioned legislators against making changes to the state’s election calendar that require voters to weigh in on school budget decisions before fall enrollment figures are known.

The announcement comes a week after news broke of a potential Bodnar candidacy for U.S. Senate as an independent.

The 467,000 postcards sent to Montana households cost $196,829 to produce and mail, according to the Montana Department of Administration.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and nonprofit wildlife advocacy groups are providing up to $15,000 for information about the bear’s shooter.

In the past, federal holidays meant free entrance for national parks. That’s changed under the Trump administration.

The U.S. Department of the Interior announced on Friday that it is revoking seven grazing permits in Phillips County that American Prairie had been using to sustain its herd of bison.

“Browning school is not allowed.” A 14-second video recorded at a Ronan McDonald’s went viral this week, prompting anger, calls for a boycott and an apology from the restaurant’s owners. Browning school officials say the incident involving their wrestling team is being investigated.

The city of Great Falls has released a draft of its new growth policy, a document that aims to guide development decisions in Montana's slowest-growing major city. Public comment is open through Feb. 28.

Non-citizen voting is already illegal in Montana — and experts say it’s not happening here. So why the mass-mailed postcard warning voters about it? Montana Free Press looked into what we know — and what remains unclear.

Less than 24 hours after terminating about $2 billion in substance abuse and mental health grants nationwide, the Trump administration reversed itself and restored the funding.

Data shows most, if not all, deaths among Native American and Alaska Native people were considered preventable.

Data centers, power costs in the mix as government regulators scrutinize NorthWestern’s transactions with two Washington utilities.

The unanimous high court found officers acted lawfully when they went into the home of William Case, who was shot and wounded after officers entered his home in 2021.

University of Montana President Seth Bodnar is expected to run for U.S. Senate as an Independent, part of an elaborate plan apparently backed by former U.S. Sen. Jon Tester in a move that has angered Democrats.

Montana public health officials and advocacy groups said Wednesday that local suicide prevention, addiction recovery and other mental health programs had lost millions of dollars in federal funding.

Montanans gathered on opposite sides of the barricades outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington D.C. as the court heard arguments Tuesday on state bans of transgender female athletes from playing on women’s teams in college sports.

Last fall, AI company Anthropic agreed to pay $1.5 billion to tens of thousands of U.S. copyright-holding writers and publishers for downloading their books from free copyright-infringing online sites.

The approved plans outline boundary changes that will be implemented gradually with the ultimate goal of redistributing student enrollment across all grade levels.