The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for North Central and Northeast Montana, including Valley County, Phillips, Roosevelt, McCone, Richland and Dawson counties.

An area of snow will move east into northeast Montana on Thursday evening, with the heaviest likely to occur Thursday overnight into Friday morning for most. The heaviest snow is expected in an area from Malta to Wolf Point, south to Jordan and Zortman.

Heavy snow is possible: total snow accumulations between 4 and 8 inches are possible. Travel could become very difficult. The watch is in effect from Thursday afternoon through late Friday night.

The 34th Annual Thanksgiving Day Dinner will be held Thursday, November 27th at the Glasgow Senior Citizens Center with serving from 12noon to 2pm.

Everyone is invited & encouraged to bring their families & friends to enjoy a delicious feast including turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, coleslaw, yams, cranberry sauce & of course pumpkin pie.

Provided and prepared by community volunteers & supported by Glasgow Senior Citizens Center, the meal is free of charge & is open to everyone, young & old alike - it is not limited to senior citizens.

There will be no carry-out or deliveries available. This is a great way for small families & individuals to partake in the social atmosphere of a traditional Thanksgiving Dinner without cooking & cleaning up!

For additional information please call Ruth Ann Hutcheson – 406-228-8392.

Glasgow received thirty-eight hundredths of an inch of precipitation on Monday, with a mix of rain, freezing rain and snowfall. Snowfall total at the National Weather Service office in Glasgow was 1.4 inches on Monday. The record snowfall for the date: 5 inches in the cold winter of 1896.

There is intermittent snowpack and ice on almost all roads in Valley County, with heavier snowpack in Roosevelt and Phillips County. Icy conditions were reported near Havre this morning, and in northwest North Dakota no travel was advised due to icy conditions. A secondary highway was closed last night due to several semi-truck accidents.

WASHINGTON – National Farmers Union (NFU) released the annual Thanksgiving Edition of the “Farmer’s Share of the Food Dollar,” revealing stark inequities in America’s food system. Farmers continue to receive only pennies on the dollar for foods typically consumed for Thanksgiving dinner despite high grocery prices.

Farmers earn small returns on staple Thanksgiving foods according to this year’s Thanksgiving Farmer’s Share report. The agricultural economy is fragile and uncompetitive after decades of corporate consolidation. Monopolies now dominate everything from food processing and distribution to the markets for seeds and farm equipment, leaving family farmers at a steep disadvantage while consumers face fewer choices and higher prices.

“Even in a season of gratitude, we must acknowledge the continuous inequality in our food system and agriculture industry,” said NFU President Rob Larew. “Family farmers and ranchers work year-round for historically low profits across all sectors of the industry, while consumers are still paying unsustainably high prices at grocery stores. Fairness for farmers is also fairness for consumers – when rural America does well, we all benefit.”
NFU’s Fairness for Farmers campaign continues to spotlight how consolidation and anti-competitive practices in the food and agriculture supply chain squeeze both ends of the system. By pushing for stronger antitrust enforcement, transparency, and fair markets, the campaign aims to ensure farmers receive a more equitable share of the food dollar, and that consumers see relief at the checkout line.

“Every Thanksgiving, the numbers tell the same story: farmers aren’t asking for a bigger slice of pie, just a fair one,” Larew added. “It’s long past time to fix a food system that works for corporations but not for the families who grow and consume our food.”

Data for this publication were sourced from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service and other industry sources. Retail prices are based on the Safeway (SE) brand in the Washington, D.C. area.

Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital Earns 2025 Performance Leadership Award for Patient Perspective
As part of National Rural Health Day, we’re honored to share that Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital (FMDH) received the 2025 Performance Leadership Award for Patient Perspective from The Chartis Center for Rural Health. In short: the way you’ve told us we’re caring for you, how we listen, communicate, and show up, placed FMDH in the top quartile of rural hospitals nationwide.

This recognition isn’t just a plaque on the wall. It reflects everyday moments between patients and caregivers; answers at the bedside, a calming voice in the waiting room, a follow-up call after discharge. That’s the work our team shows up and does for our community every day.

“Awards are wonderful, but what matters most is earning our community’s trust, one patient at a time,” said Nick Dirkes, CEO at FMDH. “Thank you to our patients for sharing honest feedback, and to our staff for turning that feedback into better care. We’ll keep listening, learning, and improving.”

The Chartis Performance Leadership Awards are based on the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX®, a national, data-driven framework that measures how rural hospitals perform across areas like quality, outcomes, and patient perspective. Being recognized for patient perspective means we’re delivering care that feels respectful, clear, and responsive to the people we serve.

Thank you to our patients for your trust and candor, and to our FMDH team for leading with compassion and excellence. We’re honored by this recognition and will continue working hard to keep your trust every day.

About the INDEX: The Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX® is a comprehensive, objective tool used across rural health to benchmark performance. For details about the INDEX, contact Billy Balfour at wbalfour@chartis.com.

Tyson Foods has announced they will be closing their Lexington, Nebraska meat packing plant in January 2026. The plant has the capacity of processing up to 5,000 head of cattle a day and employs roughly 3,200 people in the town of just 10,000 people.

The move comes as Tyson’s beef business suffered adjusted losses of $291 million over the previous year. The meatpacker projected the unit will lose $400 million to $600 million in the 2026 fiscal year.

Tyson Foods also announced they will reduce operations at a beef plant in Amarillo, Texas, to a single, full-capacity shift, affecting about 1,700 workers. The plant in the Texas panhandle can process roughly 6,000 head of cattle a day.

The announcement drew disappointment from cattle groups and elected officials. The Nebraska Cattlemen Board of Directors released the following statement in response to Tyson Foods’ announcement it will permanently close the beef processing plant in Lexington:

“We are disappointed by Tyson’s decision to permanently close the Lexington beef processing facility – especially in light of today’s USDA data indicating that Nebraska cattle-on-feed inventories remain slightly above year-ago levels in spite of the ongoing cyclical tightness in overall U.S. cattle numbers. We firmly believe there isn’t a better place to efficiently and economically raise cattle and produce beef than Nebraska. As this will have a profound impact on the community of Lexington and many cattle producers, we hope the plant will continue operations under new ownership.”

U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, released the following statement after Tyson Foods announced it will close the beef processing plant located in Lexington:

“I am extremely disappointed by this news from Tyson today. As the single largest employer in Lexington, Tyson’s announcement will have a devastating impact on a truly wonderful community, the region, and our state. Nebraskans are nothing if not resilient, and Lexington has a robust workforce. I hope their skill and experience will be sought after by other employers.

“Nebraska is the beef state, and we know better than anyone the highs and lows of the cattle market. It’s no secret that just a few years ago, packers like Tyson were making windfall profits while the rest of the industry was continuously in the red.

“As we head into the holiday season, I call on Tyson to do everything in its power to take care of the families affected by this short-sighted decision.”

The closure announcement comes in the same year that Sustainable Beef opened a new beef processing facility just 63 miles down the road from the Lexington location as well as President Trump shaking up the cattle industry by saying he wants to bring beef prices down by importing more beef from Argentina and later announcing plans for the Department of Justice to investigate foreign owned beef packers.

The 1st half of 2025 Real Estate Taxes levied & assessed are due & payable on or before 5p.m. Nov. 30, 2025, or within 30 days after the tax notice is postmarked, whichever is later. Unless paid prior to that time the amount due will be delinquent & will draw interest at the rate of 5/6 of 1% per month from the time of delinquency until paid & 2% will be added to the delinquent tax as a penalty.

Because Nov. 30, 2025, is a Sunday, taxpayers have until 5p.m. Mon. Dec. 1, 2025, to pay the 1st half of the 2025 Real Estate taxes without penalty or interest. The 2nd half of 2025 Mobile Home Taxes are due Nov. 30, 2025. Because Nov. 30, 2025, is a Sunday, taxpayers have until 5p.m. Mon. Dec. 1, 2025, to pay the 2nd half of the 2025 Mobile Home taxes without penalty or interest.

The taxes will be considered delinquent Tues. Dec. 2, 2025, & are subject to penalty & interest, thereafter. Payment of these taxes may be made at the Treasurer’s office at the Valley County Courthouse during regular business hours, at the Red Drop Box outside the North & East Door of the Courthouse, mailed to Valley County Treasurer, 501 Court Square #3, Glasgow, Montana 59230 or online at www.valleycountymt.gov/1236/Treasurer or by calling 1-866-549-1010. The Bureau code for Valley County is 8778528.

As drivers prepare to hit the road for Thanksgiving in record numbers, gas prices are relatively steady compared to last week. The national average for a gallon of regular went up by a couple of cents to $3.10. Despite the burst of gasoline demand that will occur during Thanksgiving week, overall demand is low this time of year which helps keep pump prices down. The national average has seen few fluctuations in 2025 thanks to low crude oil prices and no major storms affecting Gulf Coast refineries.

Today’s National Average: $3.100

One Week Ago: $3.080

One Month Ago: $3.036

One Year Ago: $3.066

In Montana, the current average price of regular unleaded gasoline is $3.00 per gallon which is exactly the same as last year at this time. The average price in Valley County is $3.00 per gallon. The lowest priced gasoline in Montana can be found in Wibaux County at $2.84 per gallon.

According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gasoline demand decreased from 9.02 million b/d last week to 8.52 million. Total domestic gasoline supply increased from 205.1 million barrels to 207.4 million. Gasoline production decreased last week, averaging 9.3 million barrels per day.

Oil Market Dynamics

At the close of Wednesday’s formal trading session, WTI fell $1.30 to settle at $59.44 a barrel. The EIA reports crude oil inventories decreased by 3.4 million barrels from the previous week. At 424.2 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are about 5% below the five-year average for this time of year.

Gas

The nation’s top 10 most expensive gasoline markets are California ($4.63), Hawaii ($4.47), Washington ($4.18), Nevada ($3.84), Oregon ($3.81), Alaska ($3.75), Arizona ($3.37), Pennsylvania ($3.29), Idaho ($3.29), and Illinois ($3.29).

The nation’s top 10 least expensive gasoline markets are Oklahoma ($2.57), Mississippi ($2.61), Louisiana ($2.65), Tennessee ($2.66), Arkansas ($2.67), Texas ($2.70), Kansas ($2.71), Missouri ($2.73), Alabama ($2.73), and Kentucky ($2.74).

Release from Montana Farmers Union:

Yesterday’s move by President Trump to remove tariffs on Brazilian beef and other goods that were previously subject to a 40% levy Trump announced in July further undermines American ranchers, Montana Farmers Union President Walter Schweitzer said.

“We are already at an all time high for beef imports. Supply isn’t the problem,” Schweitzer said. “The problem is the Big 4 packers price gouging consumers with cheap beef from countries like Brazil – and then misleading consumers through a loophole in labeling law to make them believe they are buying American born, raised, and processed beef.”

Enforcing antitrust laws in tandem with reinstating mandatory country of origin labeling would create fair markets for ranchers and truthful labels for consumers, while driving down prices of imported beef to accurately reflect its quality in comparison to US-raised beef, Schweitzer said.

“It is high time we give consumers the true choice to buy American beef and give American ranchers the certainty they need to rebuild their domestic herds," Schweitzer said.

Glasgow-based Hi-Line Sportsmen this week donated $1,000 to the Valley Community Emergency Food Bank to assist residents facing food shortages this season.

The donation aligns with Hi-Line Sportsmen’s commitment to “keeping conservation local” and helping neighbors, especially as programs such as SNAP and other food-assistance programs have faced cuts and shortfalls during the recent federal government shut-down.

The conservation group has routinely donated funds to local meat processors to assist with butchering surplus deer, elk, and antelope, the meat of which was then donated to the food bank. But this year, with widespread declines in big-game populations, the group decided to redirect the donation directly to the food bank.

“We recognized that many of our neighbors are struggling with rising grocery prices and at the same time we didn’t want to incentivize harvest of animals during a period when populations are down,” says Justin Schaaf, president of Hi-Line Sportsmen. “A direct donation to the food bank seemed like the best use of the funds that are generated by this community.”

The main source of HLS’s funds is its semi-annual banquet in which items are raffled and auctioned to support local conservation initiatives. Next year’s Hi-Line Sportsmen banquet is slated for Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026 at Glasgow’s St. Raphael’s Church.

Hi-Line Sportsmen meet monthly to discuss local conservation issues and priorities. Meetings are open to everyone. Contact Schaaf at 406-230-2822 or visit the group’s Facebook page to participate or contribute ideas about local conservation needs.

From American Red Cross and Leila Seyfert:

FMDH had 39 presenting and 34 productive units and the Glasgow Community Drive at the VFW there were 50 presenting and 47 productive on Tuesday and 38 presenting and 30 productive on Wednesday. Presenting numbers represent the people who arrive to donate and productive numbers are the total number of pints, or units, collected.

After separation into the three hospital products—Red Cells, Platelets, and Plasma—these drives will provide 167 lifesaving products ready for distribution to hospitals on Sunday morning.
These contributions are a tremendous boost to the blood inventory levels for the American Red Cross and a testament to the power of teamwork, from the volunteers to the donors, everyone plays an important role in saving lives!

The next blood drives will be February 10th & 11th 2026.

Full story here:
https://dailymontanan.com/

American Prairie has filed a lawsuit against the Gianforte administration, saying the state is unlawfully blocking a grazing lease needed for part of its bison operations.

The conservation nonprofit says the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation has refused for six years to complete an environmental review required under state law. The group argues DNRC is ignoring clear deadlines in the Montana Environmental Policy Act.

DNRC says it is waiting for a final federal ruling on a related grazing lease managed by the Bureau of Land Management—a process that could take years.

American Prairie’s lawsuit asks a Lewis and Clark County judge to order the agency to finish its review and issue the lease. The group also claims it’s being singled out, noting DNRC has approved other bison grazing permits on state lands.

The DNRC says it’s reviewing the lawsuit but does not comment on active litigation.

A 77-year-old Glasgow man, Larry Meland, has been sentenced to 10 years in the Montana State Prison, with five years suspended, after entering a plea agreement on a charge of sexual assault involving a minor.

According to Valley County Attorney Dylan Jensen, Meland was charged with having sexual contact with his granddaughter, who was under the age of 14 at the time of the offense. The case concluded this month with sentencing by Judge Yvonne Laird.

Under the terms of the sentence, Meland will be required to serve at least four years in the Montana State Prison system before becoming eligible for parole. Jensen noted that Meland must also successfully complete the first phase of sexual-offender treatment while incarcerated before the Montana Board of Pardons and Parole will consider him for release.

Meland is currently held at the Valley County Detention Center, where he is awaiting transfer to the Montana Department of Corrections to begin serving his sentence.

Gas prices have remained unchanged over the past week in Montana.

Gasbuddy.com reports the average price for a gallon of gas is $2.99 as of Monday, Nov. 17, 2025.

Gas prices in Montana are 5.3¢ per gallon lower than a month ago and stand 1.1¢ per gallon higher than a year ago.

The national average has fallen 0.4¢ over the past week to $3.03 per gallon as of Monday.

Nationally, gas prices are 1.1¢ per gallon higher than a month ago and also 1.1¢ higher than a year ago.

The cheapest gas in Montana was $2.79 per gallon on Sunday, while the most expensive was $4.33.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Fort Peck fisheries and hatchery staff wrapped up the annual Chinook salmon egg-taking efforts this past week. A total of 895,131 Chinook eggs were collected, which filled all available egg incubation jars and space at the Fort Peck Multispecies Fish Hatchery.

The average size of Chinook salmon females collected was an impressive 15.1 pounds. In comparison, in 2024, females averaged 18.9 pounds. The difference in weight can be attributed to the abundance of younger Chinook salmon collected in 2025. Age analysis for the salmon captured this fall still must be completed, but it seems that a majority were age three. In 2024, 92 percent of the females captured and used during the spawning process were age four salmon. The large fish this year resulted in an average of 2.60 pounds of eggs per female. These healthy females produced an average of 4,662 eggs per female, which is slightly down from the 4,708 eggs per female, seen in 2024.

Barring any major setbacks at the hatchery, the number of eggs collected in 2025 should be more than enough to ensure at least 200,000 fingerlings will be stocked back into Fort Peck Reservoir in the spring of 2026. The Fort Peck Fisheries Management Plan calls for a minimum of 200,000 fingerlings be stocked annually, but this number can increase depending on egg and fingerling survival.

Water quality and quantity issues at the Fort Peck Hatchery limit the number of salmon that can be produced on any given year. FWP is working to alleviate the water shortage and sediment issues by working with the US Army Corps of Engineers on a new water delivery system. This new line would deliver cold, clean water from the Fort Peck dam penstocks and provide more water for hatchery use, allowing the hatchery to possibly utilize more space and raise more and larger fish. This project will also reduce the sediment load entering the hatchery (water is currently pumped from the Dredge Cut Ponds), that is detrimental to fish egg and fish fry survivability.

Last year, a total of 842,709 chinook eggs were collected and 232,369 Chinook were stocked back into Fort Peck Reservoir in the spring of 2025. Many anglers assume that the more salmon stocked, the greater number will be available to anglers in future years. Although this is important, the number of cisco (the primary forage fish of salmon) that hatch in the spring during salmon stocking appears to be one of the main drivers to salmon survival and success over the ensuing years.

For example, a very large year class of cisco hatched in 2023 that resulted in some excellent growth and survival for the salmon stocked that year. Those are the same salmon that were caught this past summer and fall by anglers. Unfortunately, cisco recruitment (i.e., spawning and hatching success) since 2023 has been very low, which may have negatively impacted Chinook survival in those years.
Early data analysis indicates that the numbers of smaller, two-year-old salmon caught in 2025 were lower compared to the 2024 season. This would suggest that fewer 3-year-old salmon will be around in 2026. However, there is a good chance that not all 3-year-old Chinooks spawned this season and could carry over into 2026 as larger, 4-year-old fish much like what occurred in 2024.

The Glasgow City Council will meet Monday at 5pm in the Council Chambers of the Glasgow Civic Center.

According to court documents, 52-year-old Shane Calvin Whitish has been sentenced to the Montana State Prison following his latest charge of driving under the influence, his sixth DUI offense, stemming from an incident that occurred on November 9, 2024.

Whitish entered into a plea agreement in August 2025 and was formally sentenced on November 2 by Judge Yvonne Laird. The sentence includes 10 years in state prison with 5 years suspended, along with a requirement that Whitish complete an alcohol-treatment program while in custody.

In her written sentencing order, Judge Laird noted that Whitish “has been afforded too many chances throughout his criminal history,” stating that he has repeatedly violated court orders and continued to break the law “over a period of decades.” She emphasized that various courts—across different jurisdictions—have previously allowed sentences to run concurrently or avoided revocations, even as Whitish faced new criminal charges elsewhere.

Judge Laird further stated that Whitish has been “lucky to never hurt himself or any other person, but eventually the odds will catch up with him.”

According to the case information provided, Whitish’s criminal history spans three states and multiple communities. At 52, the judge wrote, he “has not yet learned to regulate his own conduct.” His record includes eight prior DUI convictions, four prior felonies, and numerous alcohol-related misdemeanor offenses, some described as violent.

Whitish is in custody at the Valley County Detention Center and will be turned over to the Montana Department of Corrections to serve his prison sentence.

The 34th Annual Thanksgiving Day Dinner will be held Thursday, November 27th, at Glasgow Senior Citizens Center, located at 328 4th Street South.

Last year 189 people enjoyed the dinner with hopes of exceeding that number, this coming year. Over the past 30 plus years approximately 5,600 people have enjoyed the event. There is always plenty of food and no one goes home hungry.

Everyone is invited and encouraged to bring their families and friends to enjoy a delicious feast including turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, coleslaw, yams, cranberry sauce and of course pumpkin pie.

Provided by community volunteers and supported by Glasgow Senior Citizens Center, every year several volunteers gather to prepare and serve the meal, which will be served from noon to 2:00p.m. The list of volunteers includes members of Glasgow High School Student Council, Irle School Third Graders, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Rod Karst, Deb Partridge and other enthusiastic individuals.

Even though the meal is served at the Senior Citizens Center, it is not limited to senior citizens. The meal is free of charge and is open to everyone, young and old alike. There will be no carry-out or deliveries available.

If you have not attended in the past, make plans to enjoy an afternoon of fellowship and food. This is a great way for small families and individuals to partake in the social atmosphere of a traditional Thanksgiving Dinner without cooking and cleaning up!!

Rod, Debbie and Ruth Ann have truly appreciated the support this dinner has received. But we are getting older and are looking for someone to come in and work with us, so they can take the dinner over. The three of us are committed to the dinner this year and next.

If additional information is needed, please call Ruth Ann Hutcheson at 228-8392.

The Glasgow Kiwanis Club presented the annual Valley County 4-H Club Awards as judged by the Extension Office.

First place award of $100 went to the Lucky Clover 4-H Club represented by Elise Kirkland, Lyla Marlenee, Lydia Marlenee, Maddy Tatafu and Kaylee Nelson. Second place award of $75 went to Tampico Boys 4H Club represented by Aby and Duane Cole.

Third place award of $50 went to Northern Lights 4H Club represented by Orrin and Lana Mason.

Fourth place award of $25 went to Western Valley 4H Club represented by Linden Holt, Bryce Sewell, Ava Ortega, Emma Olsen and Anna Olsen.

These awards have been presented for many years, dating back into at least the 1970's. Roubie Younkin gave a report on 4-H Activities this past year including a trip to Washington DC. Each club reported on their service and other projects.

The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) and its partners, Sletten Construction and Morrison-Maierle, have completed the Timber Bridges-Glasgow project, successfully replacing 16 aging timber bridges across Valley, Daniels, and Roosevelt counties in just three years.

Seven timber bridges were replaced in 2023, and eight in 2024. Work on the final bridge, the West Fork Poplar River Bridge located on Montana Highway 248 (MT 248), 2 miles east of Richland, was recently completed. Crews also wrapped up finishing work at additional bridge replacement sites.

“Replacing Montana’s deteriorating timber bridges is a top priority for MDT, and we are proud to see the completion of this project,” said Shane Mintz, MDT Glendive District Administrator. “This was the first to use MDT’s bridge bundling approach, which allowed us to streamline design and construction. What we learned here is now helping shape similar bridge projects across our state.”

The bridge bundling program groups multiple bridge replacement projects under a single contract, streamlining work to save time and taxpayer dollars. Utilizing a design-build contract, consultant design firm Morrison-Maierle worked alongside Sletten Construction from the start of the project, allowing the bundled projects to move more efficiently from design to being construction-ready.

“This project showcases what can be achieved when design and construction teams collaborate from day one,” said Jim Scoles, Senior Bridge Engineer at Morrison-Maierle. “The approach not only accelerated project delivery, but also ensured safe, durable structures that will serve communities for decades.”

The bridges replaced included structures on US Highway 2 (US 2) between Hinsdale and Glasgow, Montana Highway 24 (MT 24) between Glasgow and Opheim, Montana Highway 248 (MT 248) between Opheim and Scobey, and Montana Highway 251 (MT 251) between Poplar and Flaxville. Twelve of the timber bridges were replaced with bridge structures, and four others were replaced with concrete box culverts.

“Completing this many bridges in such a short timeframe was no small task,” said Russell Robertson, Bridge Division Manager at Sletten Construction. “It speaks to the dedication of our crews, our partnership with Morrison-Maierle, and the patience of local communities who supported this work every step of the way.”

Governor Greg Gianforte Wednesday announced that 80 percent of Montana residential property owners got a property tax cut in 2025, a result of reforms he signed into law earlier this year.

“For years, Montanans have said property taxes are too high, and they’re right,” Gov. Gianforte said. “Our focus has been securing meaningful, long-term property tax relief for Montanans in the place they call home, and we’ve delivered. The data make it clear that these reforms are a win for Montana homeowners.”

According to the Montana Department of Revenue, nearly 80 percent of homes will see a tax cut from the reforms, with about 10 percent seeing property taxes remain flat. The average savings for homeowners who saw a tax cut was more than $500, not including the up to $400 property tax rebate available to eligible homeowners.

Largely a function of local jurisdictions, property taxes fund local government services, with approximately 80 percent of property tax revenue from residential homeowners going directly to local jurisdictions and the remaining 20 percent going to the State of Montana which returns the amount in full to help fund K-12 public schools throughout the state.

Senate Bill 542, carried by Senator Wylie Galt, R-Martinsdale, establishes new, tiered tax rates to deliver property tax relief for Montanans for their homes, small businesses, farms, and ranches in 2025 and provided a property tax rebate for Montanans for their primary residence. Eligible Montana homeowners could claim a rebate up to $400 earlier this year for property taxes paid in 2024.

This year, more than 235,000 Montana homeowners claimed and received a property tax rebate. Montana homeowners who claimed and received a property tax rebate in 2025 may be automatically enrolled in the Homestead Rate for 2026, provided the homeowner did not move or change ownership in 2025.

House Bill 231, carried by Representative Llew Jones, R-Conrad, established the Homestead Rate, which takes effect next year. Recommended by the governor’s diverse, bipartisan Property Tax Task Force, the Homestead Rate is a new, lower property tax rate for long-term rentals and primary residences, the places Montanans call home.

The Montana Department of Revenue is reporting that marijuana sales in Valley County increased to $171,685 in October of 2025. This included $149,385 in adult use sales and $22,300 in medical sales.

This compares to $160,555 in marijuana sales in September and $166,726 in August of 2025.

Statewide sales totaled $28,550,882 for the month of October.

Roosevelt County had sales of $711,277 and Sheridan County had sales of $98,634.

46-year-old Duane Turner has been sentenced to the Montana Department of Corrections after pleading guilty to a 4th conviction of DUI in State District Court in Glasgow.

Turner was charged with 4th offense DUI on July 14th of 2024 in the City of Glasgow. The Glasgow Police Department conducted a traffic stop of Turner and conducted a breathalyzer test which registered 0.142.

Court records show that Turner had been convicted of three prior DUI convictions. These occurred in 2002, 2013 and 2023.

In September of 2025, Turner agreed to a plea agreement with the Valley County Attorney and was sentenced by Judge Yvonne Laird on November 6th.

Judge Laird sentenced Turner to the Montana Department of Corrections for placement in an appropriate correctional facility or program for a term of 13 months. Should Turner successfully complete a residential alcohol treatment program operated or approved by the DOC, the remainder of the sentence will be served probation.

Turner was also sentenced to the DOC for a term of 5 years, with all time suspended to run consecutively to the 13-month term imposed. A $5000 fine was ordered with all suspended.

Before imposing the sentence, Judge Laird wrote that this is Turner's first felony offense, and the only criminal offenses the defendant has committed previously have been alcohol related. Judge Laird also noted that Turner will be provided treatment in a secure environment after which he can return home with the assistance of the DOC and under supervision to reintegrate into the community.

Turner is currently incarcerated in the Valley County Detention Center awaiting transfer to the Montana Department of Corrections.

The Montana Lottery has awarded $103,299 in high-tier prizes since November 3.

A high-tier prize is any prize of $600 or more. Winners of $5,000 or more are listed below.

• A Hardin winner, playing 2nd Edition Millionaire Maker, claimed their prize of $50,000 on November 3. The winning ticket was purchased at Town & Country Supply Association in Hardin.

• A Kalispell winner, playing $5 Turkey Gravy, claimed their prize of $12,000 on November 6. The winning ticket was purchased at Lucky Lil's in Kalispell.

• A Harlem winner, playing Holiday Delight, claimed their prize of $10,000 on November 5. The winning ticket was purchased at E-Z Mart in Harlem.

• A Black Eagle winner, playing $3 Buck Buck Doe, claimed their prize of $5,000 on November 7. The winning ticket was purchased at Pit Stop Tavern in Black Eagle.

• A Kalispell winner, playing 2nd Edition Millionaire Maker, claimed their prize of $5,000 on November 3. The winning ticket was purchased at Rosauers #37 in Kalispell.

Attention Hi-Line communities!

Trillium Cooperative & the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority invite you to join a “Voices on the Hi-Line” community listening session at The Loaded Toad Wed. Nov. 12th, from 1:30 – 3p.m.

Come share your thoughts on the future of passenger & freight rail in Montana. Your input will help shape recommendations for improvements to the Empire Builder line & rail service across the state.

Plus, everyone who completes the survey by 4p.m. December 1st, will be entered to win a $100 Amazon gift card! Take the survey online, visit trilliumcoop.com .

A huge Thank You to NorVal Electric Cooperative, Inc. and Jake Page for their generous donation of collected food! Norval offered a discount to all members in October for Food Bank donations. What a haul!!!

The City of Glasgow is reminding city residents that all campers, boats and recreational vehicles need to be removed from city streets beginning December 1st and continuing through March 31st.

If you have any questions you are asked to call the city office at 406-228-2476.

The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services anticipates the state will receive funding for a $1 billion Rural Health Transformation Program proposal it submitted to the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, according to an agency official.

Montana submitted a five-year plan aimed at developing the rural workforce, stabilizing facility finances, expanding innovation, and increasing prevention, according to a presentation and news release this week from Gov. Greg Gianforte and health department Director Charlie Brereton.

The state anticipates it will learn whether Montana has been awarded funds in late December, although state officials said they are expecting success.

“The Rural Health Transformation Program is a historic investment in Montana’s future,” Gianforte said in a statement. “Since taking office, we’ve led on fixing what’s broken, making investments to improve access to quality health care. With the Rural Health Transformation Program, we will continue delivering better outcomes for families across Montana.”

The federal program is authorized to provide up to $50 billion nationally to participating states through 2030, according to the news release. The funding is specifically earmarked for stabilizing, transforming, and restructuring rural hospitals and other essential health care providers.

At a committee meeting this week, legislators asked questions about the proposal, including how much money would stay with the department versus be deployed, and raised concerns, such as that the funds are meant to appease people worried about federal cuts to Medicaid.

Sen. Cora Neumann, D-Bozeman, said she appreciates the amount of time DPHHS spent reaching out to stakeholders. She also questioned the program, although she said her skepticism was unrelated to the health department’s efforts.

“This is a Band-Aid coming from the federal government,” Neumann said. ” … This feels like a consolation prize to the states because we may lose a huge amount of funding, Medicaid funding.”

Neumann, who works in health care, said sustainable rural health care systems require investment, especially given the potential for rural hospital closures in Montana, and she wanted to know if the state planned to make investments.

At the Children, Families, Health and Human Services Committee meeting Wednesday, Brereton confirmed the plan includes direct funding to rural health systems.

He said specific ideas came from in-depth discussions with local health care providers, such as a roundtable in Glasgow with 30 law enforcement and local health care leaders.

“There will be money provided to critical access hospitals, other rural health care settings, in addition to quite a bit of purchasing,” Brereton said.

A DPHHS official said the state developed the plan with public input, including from a webinar with nearly 900 people, tribal consultation, 20 stakeholder groups, and other state agencies.

Brereton said spending details were laid out in “a very complex budget narrative document.” Neumann requested the information be shared, and Brereton said he would do so if CMS granted permission.

Rep. SJ Howell, D-Missoula, wanted to know what portion of funds would stay with DPHHS and what portion would go to stakeholders. Brereton said DPHHS has estimates, which he did not have immediately available but said he would provide.

One program that caught the attention of Rep. Jodee Etchart, R-Billings, was supporting emergency medical services in rural areas.

The program includes empowering EMS to “treat in place,” or deliver on-site care when feasible to reduce emergency room admissions. Money would go toward upgrading ambulances and other emergency equipment.

Etchart said one difficulty for EMS is some patients know that they can get help, but if they don’t get transported, they don’t end up getting billed, so they purposefully refuse transport. In the meantime, Etchart said, the company has to cover the costs of the staffing and products.

Rebecca de Camara, with DPHHS, said she doesn’t know whether people are intentionally declining transport to avoid billing, but she said it is the way the system is set up, and a need exists for treatment on site.

“The goal of this initiative is to expand the reimbursement that they can get,” de Camara said of EMS, noting that preventing unnecessary emergency department visits would save money.

The state submitted its plan to CMS on Wednesday, and de Camara said DPHHS believes it has a competitive application and will start working on next steps.

“We’ll continue our planning so that we are ready to go once the money starts rolling into the state,” de Camara said.

The news release said funding for the program will be allocated to states based on a formula: “50% divided equally among all approved states, 25% based on states’ rurality, and 25% based on how well each state’s proposed plan aligns with CMS criteria.”

Montana’s application may be found here. More information about the program can be found at ruralhealth.mt.gov.

Montana’s Rural Health Transformation Plan

Montana’s plan outlines five core initiatives, all designed to address the unique challenges of rural health care delivery in a sustainable manner:

Workforce Development:Focuses on increasing recruitment, expanding clinical training, and retaining various levels of rural health care providers in strong partnership with the Montana Department of Labor and Industry.

Sustainable Access:Stabilizes rural facility finances through restructuring recommendations and increased clinical and administrative partnerships. This component includes funding for the expansion of telehealth services, linking rural hospitals with statewide specialists and providing one-time-only awards for necessary telehealth equipment.

Innovative Care Models:Strengthens and expands value-based payment models and better leverages EMS and pharmacy services, with an emphasis on reducing emergency room admissions and other high-cost care interventions.

Community Health and Prevention:Provides for infrastructure upgrades and initiatives that incentivize healthy lifestyles, including expanding primary, behavioral, and dental health services in schools through partnerships with Federally Qualified Health Centers and other providers.

Technology Innovation:Focuses on using technology to increase access and improve data quality and sharing. This component includes funding for rural providers to modernize their Electronic Health Record systems.

HAVRE – Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks’ Havre hunter check station has been open on weekends since the beginning of antelope general and pheasant (Oct. 11-12) through the last two weekends of general deer and elk opener and will continue through the end of general deer and elk rifle season on Nov. 30.

Overall this year, hunter numbers are slightly down from last year and the long-term average with 823 hunters passing through the station so far this year. Weather this year has been windy at times, but temperatures have been warmer and roads have been mostly dry and not a major obstacle to hunter participation or access. The warmer weather and wind may have had some impact on hunter success.

The 40 mule deer checked so far is 48% below the 2024 season at this point, and 71% below the long-term average. White-tailed deer checked (9) was well below both last year and the long-term average. Antlerless licenses for both deer species have been greatly reduced this year, contributing to the reduced harvest.

The number of antelope checked so far in 2025 (227) is 54% higher than last year and right at the long-term average. With antelope populations doing quite well in most districts, and correspondingly more tags available, this is the highest recorded number at this point since 2010.
Elk harvest has also been lower this year with 11 elk checked, which is down 27% from last year and 37% below the long-term average.

Contrary to the last few years, upland bird reports this year have generally been better on the western portion of Region 6 and less favorable on the eastern portion. 548 pheasants have been checked this year, which is down 9% from last year and 6% below the long-term average. 97 sharp-tailed grouse have been checked, which is down 4% from last year but is still 1% above the long-term average. It has been another good year for gray (Hungarian) partridge, with 67 partridge checked which is down 11% from last year, but is still 36% above the long-term average.

Although relatively few waterfowl typically pass through the check station, numbers were below normal, and all the 23 waterfowl checked were ducks.

Hunters must stop at all game check stations

Please remember that all hunters are required by law to stop as directed at all designated check stations on their way to and from hunting, even if they have no game to be checked. There is an option to have animals sampled for CWD if desired. Please follow all directions and signs from FWP staff as they work diligently to check game, answer questions, and get you on your way.
Biologists gather a lot of valuable information and biological data on game animals brought through check stations, and FWP wildlife staff appreciate all hunters’ cooperation in this effort. Note that the harvest data described above includes only animals that were brought through the Havre check station and is only a partial representation of the region-wide harvest.

Gas prices remain relatively stable as November kicks off. The national average for a gallon of regular went up nearly 5 cents since last week to $3.08. Refinery maintenance in California is part of the reason for the increase: when refineries pause production, gas prices in the area temporarily go up. Still, the national average is lower than it was this time last year, and gas prices should remain on a quiet path as we get closer to Thanksgiving.

Today’s National Average: $3.084

One Week Ago: $3.038

One Month Ago: $3.133

One Year Ago: $3.107

The average price in Montana is $3.01 per gallon. In Valley County, the average price stands at $3.00 per gallon.

According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gasoline demand decreased from 8.92 million b/d last week to 8.87 million. Total domestic gasoline supply decreased from 210.7 million barrels to 206 million. Gasoline production increased last week, averaging 9.8 million barrels per day.

Oil Market Dynamics

At the close of Wednesday’s formal trading session, WTI fell 96 cents to settle at $59.60 a barrel. The EIA reports crude oil inventories increased by 5.2 million barrels from the previous week. At 421.2 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are about 4% below the five-year average for this time of year.

tate Stats

Gas

The nation’s top 10 most expensive gasoline markets are California ($4.69), Hawaii ($4.47), Washington ($4.25), Nevada ($3.98), Oregon ($3.85), Alaska ($3.80), Arizona ($3.36), Idaho ($3.33), Illinois ($3.30), and Pennsylvania ($3.24).

The nation’s top 10 least expensive gasoline markets are Mississippi ($2.60), Tennessee ($2.61), Oklahoma ($2.62), Louisiana ($2.62), Texas ($2.64), Arkansas ($2.67), Alabama ($2.68), Missouri ($2.71), Kentucky ($2.72), and South Carolina ($2.75).

A 32 year old Glasgow man, Colton Barstad, has been sentenced in State District Court after reaching a plea agreement on 3 felony sexual abuse of children charges.

Court documents state that Barstad was originally charged with 5 counts of felony sexual abuse of children which occurred between October 22nd and October 30th of 2024.

On June 30th, Barstad agreed to a plea agreement which had him pleading guilty to 3 counts of sexual abuse of children with two counts being dismissed.

The charges are the result of information collected in October of 2024. Kltz and Mix-93 will not report the details as they involve digital media videos involving young children.

Barstad appeared in front of Judge Yvonne Laird on October 20th for sentencing in his case. Judge Laird noted in her judgement that Barstad's statements were free of apology and demonstrated no insight. The judge also wrote that Barstad's criminal acts were perpetrated against some of the most vulnerable members of society.

Judge Laird's sentence for Colton Barstad:

Count 1: Sexual Abuse of Children- The defendant is committed to the Montana State Prison for 10 years with 5 years suspended.

Count 2: Sexual Abuse of Children- The defendant is sentenced to the Montana State Prison for 10 years with all time suspended.

County 5: Sexual Abuse of Children- The defendant is sentenced tot he Montana State Prison for 10 years with no time suspended. He is credited for 51 jail days previously served.

All counts will run consecutive to one another meaning that Barstad has been sentenced to 15 years of prison time.

Barstad is also designated a Level 2 sex offender and shall register as required under Montana Law.

Colton Barstad is currently incarcerated in the Valley County Detention Center awaiting transfer to the Montana State Prison.

From Glasgow High School:

Glasgow High School extends its sincere appreciation to the Glasgow High School Educational Trust for the generous donation of 96 plastic chairs, 42 plastic tables, and 5 storage/transfer racks given in honor of Linda S. Allie.

These tables and chairs will be an invaluable resource for our school community. They will enhance large-group testing environments and be utilized during the Junior High and High School Academic Olympics hosted at GHS, benefiting students from surrounding schools as well. In addition, they will support regional college and career fairs, providing a welcoming and functional setup for all participants.

We are especially grateful that these chairs will improve the professional atmosphere at Glasgow’s graduation ceremonies for years to come. This gift will have a lasting impact on our students, staff, and community, and we are deeply thankful for this meaningful contribution honoring Linda S. Allie.

Following are the unofficial results of the 2025 Municipal elections:

Town of Fort Peck, Alderman 66% ballot return
Joseph J French 48
Glenn R Guenther 78
Kevin Vogel 65

City of Glasgow, Ward 2, Alderman/Alderwoman 47% ballot return
Randy Lasar 104
Darcia Schindler 120

City of Glasgow, Ward 3, Alderman/Alderwoman 45% ballot return
Kristie Brabeck 178
Danny Carr 107

Town of Opheim, Ward 2, Alderman/Alderwoman (2-year term, to fulfill) 75% ballot return
Anita Leinen 10
Les Redfield 8

The results of tonight’s election are unofficial until after the canvass.

Valley County will hold four municipal general elections:

City of Glasgow

City of Glasgow, Alderman, Ward 2

Randy Lasar

Darcia Schindler

City of Glasgow, Alderman, Ward 3

Kristie Brabeck

Danny Carr

Town of Fort Peck, Alderman (2 seats)

Glenn R Guenther

Joseph J French

Kevin Vogel

Town of Opheim, Alderman, Ward 2, 2-year term to fulfill

Les Redfield
Anita Leinen

All four elections are mail-ballot elections. Election Day is today. The election office will be open from 7 am to 8 pm. Ballots must be received in the election office by 8 pm tonight to be counted. Please remember that, in addition to signing the signature envelope, voters must enter the year of their birth in the space provided on the signature envelope prior to returning their ballot. Ballots returned without both the voter’s signature AND their year of birth on the signature envelope cannot be counted.

Montana SNAP users may see some financial aid for groceries on their electronic benefits cards this month — but “far less” than they might expect, advocates say, and probably not right away.

This week the Fort Peck Tribes declared an emergency over lack of funding for the SNAP program.

The latest announcement about the SNAP program, officially known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, came days after federal courts ordered the administration of President Donald Trump to use emergency funds to backfill the food aid program during the federal government shutdown.

In the Tuesday guidance, U.S. Department of Agriculture officials informed states that the maximum allocations for the households enrolled in the food assistance program would be cut in half for November. In a previous court declaration, a top USDA official said that the reduced percentage would use all of the $4.65 billion in contingency funds for the program.

According to additional guidance distributed by USDA, a household of two people in most states, including Montana, would be eligible for — at most — a reduced allocation of $273 for the month of November. A household of four people, for example, would be eligible for the upper limit of $497.

A spokesperson for the Montana Food Bank Network said Tuesday that many Montana SNAP recipients would probably receive significantly less than those amounts when benefits are eventually distributed, citing the reductions in assistance that come from having any form of income.

“The majority of Montanans do have income, so they’re not getting that maximum benefit amount,” said Kiera Condon, advocacy specialist with the food bank network.

Condon added that the situation was “very fluid” and that the organization did not have clarity on when emergency benefits would be distributed. Guidance from the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services posted on the agency’s website Tuesday also did not specify when the benefits would become available.

“You can expect to see the funds on your EBT card in the coming weeks,” the state health department notice said, noting that the funds would be able to be used for routine food purchases as usual.

“Please note that the Public Assistance Helpline and [Office of Public Assistance] offices are currently unable to provide additional information beyond what is included in this notice,” the notice continued, pointing users to the official state health department website for future notices and updates.

A spokesperson for the department, Jon Ebelt, did not answer additional questions from Montana Free Press on Tuesday about a more exact timeline for benefits distribution.

The disruption of food benefits — typically scheduled to be loaded onto Montanans’ EBT cards during the first week of the month — has scrambled many families’ food budgets and put additional strain on community groups and food banks working to fill the gaps to prevent people from going hungry. The Montana Foodbank Network, which helps distribute food to more than 300 sites around Montana, previously described the disruption of SNAP benefits on Nov. 1 as forcing the state into “a statewide hunger crisis.”

Gov. Greg Gianforte, a Republican, said in October that he would not use state funds to backfill the food program, directing responsibility to Congress and, specifically, minority-party Democrats in Washington, D.C., who are withholding support for a budget resolution in an attempt to negotiate funding for enhanced subsidies for people who purchase insurance plans through the Affordable Care Act marketplace.

The delay in food assistance has prompted some tribal nations in Montana to declare states of emergency and draw on tribal resources. In a statement dated Monday and posted to Facebook, newly elected Chairman Floyd Azure of the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes said that the tribal government in northeast Montana was “actively developing a plan of action to address this issue until benefits are reinstated,” including “slaughtering buffalo, securing groceries” and allocated additional funds to enrolled tribal members who reside on the reservation and are signed up for SNAP benefits.

“We encourage everyone to come together as a community during these uncertain times and support one another,” Azure said, directing donations of nonperishable food items to go to established tribal services sites during business hours.

In a statement to Montana Public Radio following the federal court orders about using emergency funding for the program, Condon, with the Montana Food Bank Network, said even partial funding would be better than nothing.

“It’d be a little bit easier for us to try and fill that gap,” Condon said. “Then we’re not having to make up for a family’s entire grocery budget for the month.”

Sophie Albert, the executive director of the North Valley Food Bank in the northwest Montana town of Whitefish, said in a Tuesday phone interview that the instability of the federal SNAP program had already contributed to a surge of need at their food pantry facilities. In a typical week, she said, the food bank might serve 1,200 people. Last week, during the first days of lapsed benefits, foot traffic increased to about 1,500 people.

Even if financial food assistance arrives on Montanans’ EBT cards, Albert said, the reduced funds could create another benefits cliff for users just before Thanksgiving. She said her organization has been grateful to see increased donations until this point, but that she still anticipates “many hard weeks” to come.

On top of everything else, Albert said, Montanans will soon have to comply with new requirements for SNAP beneficiaries outlined in H.R. 1., also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, passed by Congress earlier this year. She said she expects those heightened eligibility requirements to particularly impact older Montanans and seasonal workers in the months ahead.

“This is a marathon,” Albert said, speaking about the food bank’s need for ongoing donations. “Not a sprint.”

Fort Peck Alderman
171 ballots issued
100 ballots returned
58% ballots returned

Glasgow, Alderman, Ward 2 497 ballots issued
156 ballots returned
31% ballots returned

Glasgow, Alderman, Ward 3 637 ballots issued
218 ballots returned
34% ballots returned

Opheim, Alderman, Ward 2 24 ballots issued
16 ballots returned
67% ballots returned

Voters have from 8 am until 5 pm Monday, November 3, 2025, and from 7 am until 8 pm Tuesday, November 4, 2025, to return their ballots to the Election Office in the Valley County Courthouse. Postmarks are NOT accepted; ballots must be received by the Election Office by 8 pm on Tuesday, November 4. Also, voters need to remember to write their four-digit birth year on the signature envelope in the space provided above the signature. Ballots that don't include both the voter's signature and year of birth on the signature envelope can't be counted.

People across Big Sky County got up early on Saturday to get their Montana Millionaire tickets. Although not a record breaker like past years, all 620,000 were sold out in just over 6 hours.

For 2025, the Montana Lottery added 120,000 more tickets and a fifth million-dollar prize for Montana Millionaire.

This year also featured more instant-win prizes, and includes a “Quarter Million Monday” drawing for $250,000 on December 1.

In Glasgow, people were lined up nearly an hour before tickets went on sale at 5:30am.

Tickets cost $20 each, and they went on sale on Saturday, November 1 at 5:30 a.m.

The grand prize drawing will happen on December 26, 2025

Last year’s Montana Millionaire tickets — 500,000 in total — sold out in less than three hours.

The Glasgow City Council will meet Monday at 5pm in the Council Chambers of the Glasgow Civic Center.

Autumn Underwood was sentenced in State District Court in Glasgow on October 20th.

Underwood had been charged with Felony Theft in December of 2024 with allegations that Underwood had stolen $26,000 from Albertsons while an employee at the store between January 2021 and February 2024.

A jury trial was held in Glasgow August 27-29, 2025, and the jury found Underwood guilty on the offense of Felony Theft.

Judge Yvonne Laird sentenced Underwood to a 6-year deferred prison term. If Underwood were to pay full restitution in the amount of $26,000 and at least 2.5 years of her sentence has lapsed, she may petition the court for an early discharge of her sentence.

Judge Laird wrote in the sentencing document that the sentence is appropriate and that Underwood is 45 years old and it is her first felony, and apparently her first criminal conviction of any sort. Judge Laird also wrote that the sentence holds the defendant accountable for the serious offense she committed, when she misappropriated money from her employer.

Halloween Street Closure:

Aberdeen and Bonnie Streets will be closed once again for Halloween on October 31st starting at 5:30PM thru 8PM to allow for a safe evening of trick-or-treating. If you have any questions contact the Glasgow Police Department.

As Montana approaches the colder months and the start of another respiratory illness season, the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) urges all Montanans to take preventative measures to defend against COVID-19, influenza (flu), pneumococcal pneumonia, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

State health officials advise all Montanans to protect themselves and their families by prioritizing immunizations, practicing strong hygiene, staying home when sick, and seeking prompt testing and treatment.

Laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza have already been reported in Montana for the 2025-2026 respiratory illness season, which runs from October through May.

More than 15,600 people infected with influenza, including over 1,000 hospitalizations and 65 deaths, were reported to DPHHS during the 2024-2025 respiratory illness season.

Additionally, over 7,500 people infected with COVID-19 were reported in Montana, resulting in more than 600 hospitalizations and 51 deaths during this same period. This does not include data for individuals who did not receive testing by a provider or in a health care setting (e.g., individuals who tested positive using an at-home or over-the-counter COVID-19 or flu test kit).

The high number of respiratory illnesses highlights the importance of taking preventive measures to reduce the burden of illness in Montana.

DPHHS will maintain a Respiratory Virus Illness Dashboard to provide weekly data updates on the activity of COVID-19, influenza, and RSV across the state.

Vaccination is the most effective defense against the serious outcomes of respiratory diseases, including hospitalization or death from infections such as COVID-19, influenza, pneumococcal pneumonia, and RSV. While anyone can suffer a severe outcome, those at highest risk include older adults, infants, pregnant women, and individuals with weakened immune systems or chronic conditions (such as diabetes, cancer, or heart disease).

Fortunately, effective vaccines are widely available. Montanans should consult with a health care provider to determine their recommended vaccine options for the season. To find a vaccine nearby, contact your local health department, pharmacy, or other trusted health care provider.

Updated COVID-19 vaccines are recommended based on individual-based decision-making for those six months and older.

Influenza vaccines are recommended for everyone six months and older every season. Several influenza vaccines are approved for use. One dose provides protection for the entire season (October to May)

Pneumococcal vaccines help protect against a deadly form of bacterial pneumonia, which is the most serious form of pneumococcal disease.

Adults 50 years and older are eligible to receive RSV vaccines after discussion with their health care provider. Pregnant women between 32 and 36 weeks of pregnancy entering the RSV season may receive the RSV vaccine, which will also protect their infant.

Infants under eight months old or who are between eight and 19 months with certain health conditions may receive an RSV antibody product.

Symptoms of COVID-19, flu, RSV, and other respiratory illnesses often share commonalities, including signs such as fever, cough, sore throat, headache, body aches, and fatigue. If an individual is experiencing symptoms or has tested positive, they should stay home and limit contact with others while sick.

Individuals at risk of severe illness should seek health care right away for testing and evaluation. This is critical because prompt treatment options are available that can help reduce the length and severity of the illness.

It is generally safe to return to daily activities only after the individual has been fever-free for a full 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and has experienced an overall improvement in their symptoms.

Individuals may still be able to spread the virus that made them sick even if they are feeling better. Some people, such as those with immunocompromising conditions, may be able to spread the virus for an extended period of time. Montanans should take additional measures to prevent the spread of illness for five days after returning to normal daily activities, including:

Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are unavailable, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol.

Cover your mouth and nose with disposable tissue or your inner elbow whenever you cough or sneeze.

Testing before you plan to be around others, especially those who are at risk of severe illness (e.g., pregnant women, older adults, infants, immunocompromised people). If you test positive, consider remaining home and away from others.

If you cannot remain home and away from others, use a face mask if you will be around people in a close setting, especially those who are at risk of severe illness (e.g., pregnant women, older adults, infants, immunocompromised people).

Take steps to improve air quality, including moving group activities outside when weather permits, opening windows and doors for fresh air, and using a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. Anyone experiencing severe or concerning symptoms—including trouble breathing, persistent chest pain or pressure, new confusion, or inability to stay awake—should immediately seek medical evaluation.

Valley County will hold four municipal general elections:

City of Glasgow

City of Glasgow, Alderman, Ward 2

Randy Lasar

Darcia Schindler

City of Glasgow, Alderman, Ward 3

Kristie Brabeck

Danny Carr

Town of Fort Peck, Alderman (2 seats)

Glenn R Guenther

Joseph J French

Kevin Vogel

Town of Opheim, Alderman, Ward 2, 2-year term to fulfill

Les Redfield
Anita Leinen

All four elections are mail-ballot elections. Election Day is Tuesday, November 4, 2025. The election office will be open on Election Day from 7 am to 8 pm. Ballots must be received in the election office by 8 pm November 4, 2025, to be counted. Please remember that, in addition to signing the signature envelope, voters must enter the year of their birth in the space provided on the signature envelope prior to returning their ballot. Ballots returned without both the voter’s signature AND their year of birth on the signature envelope cannot be counted.

Montana will soon switch back to Standard Time, and while we’ll technically gain an hour of sleep, we'll also start feeling those early sunsets creep in fast in early November.

Sunday, November 2, marks the end of Daylight Saving Time, and Montana residents with manual clocks in their homes will need to remember to set them back an hour before heading to bed on November 1.

Story credit to www.billingsgazette.com

A trust fund established by a bankrupt mining company to help pay for treatment of water contaminated by its now-closed gold mine in Montana’s Little Rocky Mountains is running out of money.

Pegasus Gold Corp.’s trust fund “was originally intended to generate sufficient interest to maintain operations, but it does not contain sufficient principal given interest rates,” Sonja Nowakowski, director of the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, told an interim legislative committee on Oct. 23.

So far, Nowakowski told the Environmental Quality Committee, $110 million has been spent at the Zortman-Landusky Mining Complex on reclamation and water treatment, beginning in 1999 and continuing through September 2024.

That’s about a third of what the Zortman-Landusky mine produced during its 20-years of operation, which was $300 million in gold.

Of the $110 million spent on reclamation and remediation, about $47 million came from Pegasus’ forfeited reclamation bonds. The mining company declared bankruptcy in 1998.

The other $63 million has come from taxpayers, including $19 million from the state of Montana, $24 million from the Bureau of Land Management and $20 million the state invested into trust funds for site operation and maintenance, Nowakowski explained.

“In recent years, the state share of funding has mostly been derived from the Hard-Rock Mining Reclamation Special Revenue Account, which is derived from taxes on metal mines in Montana,” Nowakowski said.

“As a result of reliance on this fund, the balance in the account has declined from about $4.5 million in July 2020 to just $146,000 in July of ‘25,” she added.

Annually, it costs about $3 million a year to operate the six water treatment systems at the site in northeastern Montana. About half of that amount is paid by the Bureau of Land Management.

However, Nowakowski said the BLM’s contribution usually arrives at the end of the budget cycle.

“It’s a last-minute scramble,” Nowakowski told the Natural Resources Interim Budget Committee at its September meeting. “There is not a specific and steady federal source, and so we’ve been working closely with BLM, and they agree that that it would make a lot of sense if there was something more steady, more reliable and specific for Zortman so that it wasn’t this scramble every end of fiscal year.”

Based on her request, the committee wrote a letter to Sonya Germann, state director of the BLM Montana/Dakotas dated Sept. 16.

The letter said paying for ongoing water treatment at the old mine site is “critical to Montanans surrounding the mining complex.”

“Without sound water treatment and corresponding stable funding, those in the area would be exposed to untreated acid rock drainage and the associated impacts,” the letter stated.

After thanking the BLM for its past assistance dealing with the remediation and reclamation work, the letter went on to note that the capital improvements plan has identified the existing water treatment facilities and equipment as near the “end of their lifespans and in need of updates or replacement.”

With this in mind, the letter requested a “predictable long-term annual financial contribution (minimum base funding)” to continue to fund the remediation work.

The letter was signed by Rep. Jerry Schillinger, R-Circle, chair of the committee.

Germann, of the BLM, could not be reached for comment on the issue due to the federal government shutdown.

Gov. Greg Gianforte’s administration repeatedly criticized the BLM during Democrat President Joe Biden’s administration. With President Donald Trump now at the helm, Montana’s Republican governor has praised the withdrawal of the BLM’s land-use restrictions that has the potential to open up more federal lands to mining and energy development.

When asked why the administration was concerned now, given BLM’s cooperation in the past, the governor’s office said DEQ’s “request is part of a proactive effort between the Montana Department of Environmental Quality and BLM to find a long-term, sustainable funding solution.”

Incorporated in 1973, Pegasus Gold Corp. used cyanide to extract small amounts of gold from large piles of rock at Zortman-Landusky, as well as at other mines in the West. In its final years, and even after declaring bankruptcy, the company paid seven-figure bonuses to its top corporate officials, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported in 2001.

“Mining’s destructive legacy in the Little Rockies is perpetual acid mine drainage into the area’s water resources,” said Anne Hedges, executive director of the Montana Environmental Information Center, in an email.

The center has been a watchdog for mine remediation in the state, including the Zortman-Landusky mine.

“In an ideal regulatory framework, this pollution would have been prevented and subject to adequate bonding, and the bad actor mining companies forced to clean up after themselves in order to protect taxpayers from bearing the costs,” she continued.

Unfortunately for the state, the original bond amount badly underestimated the cost of remediation, saddling taxpayers with the difference. Since then, legislation has been enacted to ensure such costs are more adequately covered.

“In the absence of such accountability, the government should be responsible for ensuring that (the Fort Belknap Indian Community) and those impacted by the ongoing pollution are protected to the highest extent possible and not forced to bear the burden of the pollution and its impacts,” Hedges wrote.

The Fort Belknap reservation includes a large portion of the Little Rocky Mountains, portions of which contain historic vision quest and ceremonial sites dating back centuries.

Warren Morin, chair of the tribal council’s natural resources committee, told The Center for Public Integrity in a 2019 story that Pegasus had taken the “heart of the mountains away from us.”

In a 2023 Government Accountability Office report, the Environmental Protection estimated that “abandoned hardrock mines have contributed to the contamination of 40% of the country’s rivers and 50% of all lakes.

”There are at least 22,500 abandoned hardrock mine features — such as pits or tunnels — on federal lands.

”The federal government’s environmental liabilities — which include mine cleanup — increased about 32% (from $465 billion to $613 billion) between fiscal years 2017 and 2021.”

District Court Judge Yvonne Laird as sentenced Abigail Meidinger of Glasgow to a five-year deferred sentence on the charge of Criminal Distribution of Dangerous Drugs (methamphetamine).

Meidinger was originally charged with 2 counts of drug distribution charges in January of 2025 for offenses that allegedly occurred October 6th of 2024.

She reached a plea agreement with the Valley County Attorney on August 18th and agreed to plead guilty to one charge of Criminal Distribution of Dangerous Drugs with the other felony charge dismissed.

Judge Laird sentenced Meidinger on October 20th. The sentence had Meidinger pleading guilty to the felony drug charge in exchange for a five-year deferred sentence with credit for 48 jail days previously served. Judge Laird ordered Meidinger to also serve an additional twelve days of jail in at least 48-hour increments or pay a fine of $1500.

In the sentencing document, Judge Laird noted that the deferred sentence is appropriate and holds the defendant accountable for the serious criminal acts she committed. Judge Laird also noted that Meidinger is young and has a limited criminal history and the sentence will provide her an opportunity to keep a felony off her criminal record.

Gov. Greg Gianforte will not authorize state dollars to cover the costs of a federal food assistance program that’s set to lapse in only a few days, his office said Tuesday.

Because of the ongoing shutdown of the federal government – now in its fourth week – funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will dry up starting Nov. 1, leaving roughly 77,000 Montanans without the monthly support that helps them afford groceries.

According to the State of Montana, there are currently 672 Valley County residents with benefits from the SNAP Program. This includes 347 households in Valley County and the SNAP benefits totaled $111,565 in September of 2025.

At least eight other states have taken steps to fast track funding to food banks or to cover the cost of SNAP benefits themselves rather than let the benefits lapse. But Gianforte said he is unwilling to put the state on the hook for a multi-million-dollar-a-month program that is supposed to be paid for by the federal government.

While the governor believes these benefits are vital for vulnerable Montanans, he has been clear that the state cannot fund this federal program, which is funded by federal dollars, without promises for reimbursement,” spokesperson Kaitlin Price said in an email. “Gov. Gianforte continues to urge Senate Democrats to do their job and pass a continuing resolution instead of holding taxpayer dollars hostage that fund these critical programs.”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, the federal agency that oversees the food assistance program, issued a memo saying that it would not pay back states that choose to use their own dollars to continue SNAP benefits during the shutdown.

SNAP is funded almost entirely by the federal government with states taking on a share of the administrative costs. The average SNAP household in Montana receives $332 a month for a total distribution of around $13 million.

Gianforte’s announcement comes the day after the Montana Food Bank Network and around 50 organizations, including the Montana Federation of Public Employees, the Montana Farmers Union and a list of food pantries, sent a letter urging him to use state’s reserve dollars to cover the cost of the monthly benefit.

“We ask you to take immediate steps to protect Montana families and prevent hunger during this shutdown,” Kiera Condon from the Montana Food Bank network wrote in the letter. “Ensuring uninterrupted SNAP benefits is not only a matter of compassion – it is a matter of economic stability, public health and responsible governance.”

The groups requested the governor dip into what’s called the Debt and Liability Free Account, a pot of $268 million set aside to pay down the state’s debt, to pay for SNAP until the federal shutdown ends. The account was created by 2023 legislation to reduce the state’s financial liabilities, but during this year’s session lawmakers expanded its scope to make it available to “replace federal funds that have been reduced or rescinded by the federal government.”

After the state intervened to trap about 100 swine demonstrating feral behaviors, Montana food banks are slated to receive an influx of pork this week.

Late last month, Wildlife Services, a federal agency under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s umbrella, tipped off the Montana Department of Livestock that it might have a feral swine population on its hands.

Wildlife Services, which intervenes when landowners report conflicts with wildlife, had been called to Phillips County in north-central Montana to investigate a potential bear conflict. The agency didn’t find evidence of bear activity, but it did find hoof prints, pig scat and other signs consistent with swine presence. The day after Wildlife Services visited the site near Malta along the Hi-Line, the state started looking into the matter and learned that approximately 100 pigs were running uncontained and “beginning to demonstrate behaviors and characteristics consistent with feral swine populations,” according to a press release.

The Montana Legislature passed a law in 2015 prohibiting the importation, transportation or possession of feral swine. Intentionally, knowingly or negligently allowing swine to live in a “feral state” is also illegal. By passing the law, policymakers sought to ward off issues states and provinces have reported with feral swine, which can damage crops and wetlands, prey on wildlife and spread a form of brucellosis that can be transmitted to humans.

Neighboring areas, most notably Alberta and Saskatchewan in Canada, have grappled with feral swine populations for years, and wildlife managers there and in the U.S. consider them to be an invasive species.

Montana State Veterinarian Tahnee Szymanski told Montana Free Press that feral swine can become established in three ways: they can migrate into Montana from an area with an established population, they can be introduced — illegally — by hunters eager to pursue them for sport, or they can develop when domestic animals are freed from the “normal checks and balances” associated with livestock production.

“Domestic swine, left to their own devices for a couple of generations, actually revert back to feral behavior very quickly,” Szymanski said. “This is a really good reminder that a potential feral swine population could crop up anywhere in the state.”

The state livestock department receives about six reports per year of potential feral swine sightings. All of them have turned out to be “owned domestic swine running at large,” according to an agency press release.

In this particular case, there were some unique circumstances related to a death in the family that owned the swine, Szymanski said.

“This situation just kind of got out of control,” she said. “It has been allowed to maybe fester a little bit longer than a traditional circumstance we would encounter.”

Syzmanski said trapping operations began earlier this month, and all parties involved are pleased the meat will be distributed at food banks around the state.

On Oct. 18, the first swine shipment arrived at Producer Partnership, a nonprofit animal processing facility that works with agricultural producers to turn donated livestock into food for schools and other nonprofits. Trapping operations are ongoing with another 30-45 animals yet to be collected, Szymanski told MTFP on Oct. 22.

Producer Partnership is the country’s only nonprofit meat processing facility inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. A product of the COVID-19 pandemic, Producer Partnership is located between Big Timber and Livingston and employs about 10 people.

Producer Partnership president and founder Matt Pierson estimates that the Montana Food Bank Network will receive between 8,000 and 14,000 pounds of pork from the swine. He said he’s unaware of any other organizations set up to take on these kinds of “oddball projects.”

“Our hope through this partnership is that people realize there’s a more amicable, better way to solve these issues without just going in and shooting everything,” he said. “It helps solve a problem for the state, and it helps put all that meat into the food bank.”

https://dailymontanan.com/

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte, as well as all four members of the state’s federal delegation signed on to a letter last month claiming American Prairie’s bison restoration project is at odds with the state’s economy.

The five men sent the letter to Department of Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, the former governor of North Dakota. The Interior Department holds decision-making power over grazing rights on Bureau of Land Management land, which under former President Joe Biden were granted to American Prairie in 2022.

The state, along with livestock industry groups, appealed the federal decision. Some ranchers have also expressed concern about added costs of having bison near their cattle, including fears of brucellosis, a bacterial disease that can spread between the animals.

“For us, a decision in favor of APR will re-shape the entire landscape of our state,” the letter reads. “Montana’s most profitable economic industry, for decades, has been agriculture. Agriculture drives our economy, sustains our small rural towns, and is the cultural epicenter of our state.”

While there’s no question agriculture is a cultural hallmark of the state, as a percentage of the state’s real gross domestic product, the industry ranked 12th in 2022. That year, Montana generated around $4.6 billion in agricultural cash receipts.

The letter goes on to argue removing “vast swaths” of land from agricultural production will harm the state and allowing American Prairie those grazing rights “threatens the economic vitality of our most important industry.”

American Prairie has sought to reintroduce bison to parts of Montana and owns more than 500,000 acres in the state. They own and manage 900 head of bison across 46,000 acres. The organization leases much of its land to cattle producers, supporting about 7,000 head and 25 ranchers, the organization spokesperson Pete Geddes said in a statement. There are almost a half million cattle in the seven counties they work, he added. Including calves, there are about 2.1 million head of cattle in the state.

“The claim that American Prairie ‘threatens the economic vitality’ of the state, is on its face absurd,” Geddes said. “American Prairie has little influence on the long-term demographic and economic trends in Central Montana. Extended drought, market fluctuations, international trade policies, personal family decisions, and global integrated agricultural markets have much larger impacts.”

Geddes went on to say that since 2020, the organization has paid $7 million in payroll, supporting 23 local jobs in Fergus and Phillips Counties, which infused $17 million into those economies, he said. They’ve also paid $877,000 in property taxes and $345,000 to ranchers participating in a wildlife abundance program, he added.

Some ranchers, including Gilles Stockton, an author and former president of the Montana Cattlemen’s Association, have other concerns.
“If you’re ranching in a brucellosis designated area, which they have in southwestern Montana, it’s hugely expensive,” Stockton said. “And it’s doubly expensive if one of your cows happens to become brucellosis positive.”

Some elk and about 60% of female bison in Yellowstone National Park test positive for brucellosis, a disease that attacks the reproductive system and causes abortions in pregnant cattle, elk, and bison. It’s a nonnative disease to the area, brought into Yellowstone by cattle in the 1900s and can also cause sickness in humans, though human infection is uncommon and the state hasn’t reported an official case since 2017.

“One of the primary mechanisms of historical transmission to people is through the milk, but pasteurization has made that a nearly obsolete pathway,” Dr. Tahnee Szymanski, State Veterinarian, said in an interview with the Daily Montanan. “In the 1930s and ’40s, here in the United States, we had a much higher incidence of brucellosis in our cattle herds all across the country, and they started the national brucellosis eradication program.”

Buffalo graze southwest of Lima, near Little Sheep Creek, Dillon Ranger District of Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest in 2019. (USDA photo / Preston Keres)
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has what’s called Brucellosis Class Free status, a tool used to maintain compliance so infected animals aren’t being moved around or consumed.

Montana has a “Designated Surveillance Area” for the disease in southwestern Montana — stretching from Dillon to past Livingston, and down to Gardiner and the Wyoming and Idaho borders.

Those borders are built through a partnership with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Szymanski said. FWP will go out, capture, tag and test elk and track their movement. Park County and Madison County elk have tested positive for brucellosis, she said.

That said, Montana is considered brucellosis free.

“The only population of infected animals in Montana is Yellowstone National Park, bison or elk in the Greater Yellowstone Area, we have a couple of livestock herds that are under quarantine for past detections, but any other domestic bison or cattle herd in the state of Montana is considered to be free of brucellosis,” Szymanski said. “That includes tribal populations of bison, APR, bison, people should not be concerned about those animals because of potential disease risk.”

About 100,000 brucellosis tests are administered in that area each year to keep the state’s class free status, according to the Montana Department of Livestock. Cattle vaccinations do have hurdles and have to be performed by a licensed veterinarian.

“If a human accidentally injected themselves with it, that it would make them kind of substantially sick,” Szymanski said.

That costs about $630,000 per year, according to the agency. Losing the status would incur even more testing costs by places that receive bison and cattle from the state.

“Loss of Class Free status would lead to required testing of livestock exported from anywhere in the State (not just southwest Montana) and cost the livestock producers millions of dollars for testing as well as revenue from lost sales due to a negative stigma,” a Department of Livestock information sheet reads.

American Prairie tests their animals regularly, Geddes said, and brucellosis is not present in their bison.

Grazing permits have also been a source of contention for American Prairie, and the letter states the organization is violating federal law.
The letter mentions the Taylor Grazing Act, legislation dating back to 1934 that created stipulations for grazing cattle and eventually led to the creation of the Bureau of Land Management.

Challenges to the Bureau of Land Management over American Prairie grazing their bison say the act doesn’t allow for conservation grazing. American Prairie asserts that’s not true and Geddes said nowhere in Taylor Grazing Act does it limit grazing permits to production livestock.

“The BLM is authorized to issue grazing permits to ‘stock owners.’ American Prairie qualifies as both a ‘stock owner’ and ‘engaged in the livestock business.’ AP bison are livestock and we are operating as a non-profit business,” Geddes said. “American Prairie’s primary purpose for obtaining grazing permits is for grazing livestock.”

One of American Prairie’s goals is returning the land to a state more similar to when hundreds of thousands of bison roamed free before colonization and westward expansion.

The Taylor Grazing Act was in part intended to preserve and protect that same grassland, Stockton said, who feels ranchers have done a pretty good job of that.

“The results of that is that we were able to take land that had been really badly overused and restore it across eastern Montana,” Stockton said. “So, you know, the grasslands that you have in eastern Montana are really in the best shapes that they’ve ever been.”

Stockton ranches near Grass Range, is close to American Prairie holdings and feels the Bureau of Land Management overstepped their authority. There’s frustrations with who gets to graze when, fencing problems — keeping cattle away from bison, in a ranchers eyes — and costs associated with vaccinations if brucellosis does spread further.

But, even then, other concerns for Stockton trump issues with the bison nonprofit.

“We got a feeling that the APR, when they moved in here, they were at war with our culture, I guess, our communities and our cultures,” Stockton said. “But the fact of the matter is that in terms of actual impact, say, for me, personally, I’ve got more trouble with my billionaire neighbors.”

The Montana Lottery will launch its 19th annual Montana Millionaire raffle game on Sat., Nov. 1, with five $1 million grand prizes available to win.

Tickets go on sale statewide at 5:30 a.m. and sell for $20 each. They will be available at any Montana Lottery sales agent, including convenience stores, bars/taverns, grocery stores and casinos. Don’t wait - last year, tickets sold out in just under three hours!

In response to the unprecedented demand, the Lottery announced in June that it would add 120,000 tickets and a fifth $1 million grand prize to 2025’s game. Even with 620,000 tickets in total, Lottery officials still anticipate a quick sellout.

"Adding 120,000 tickets and a fifth $1 million prize was a direct response to the incredible player excitement we saw last year. While the game is bigger than ever, we still expect tickets to go incredibly fast, so don't delay," said Montana Lottery Director Bob Brown.

Every Montana Millionaire ticket is eligible to win one of 6,100 instant-win prizes of $100 or 2,500 instant-win prizes of $500, plus a Quarter Million Monday drawing of $250,000 on Dec. 1, and the grand prize drawings for five $1 million prizes on Dec. 26.

The Valley CARE Coalition will be holding a Trunk Or Treat event in the Reynolds Market parking lot on Thursday, Oct. 30th, from 4:30 - 7 p.m.

Free popcorn & cocoa will be given out while supplies last. Bring your children for a safe & festive evening, filled with decorated trunks & sweet treats.

If you're interested in decorating your trunk & joining the fun, contact Teresa Garner at teresa.garner@mt.gov

The Fort Peck Tribes had their Tribal Elections on Saturday. Here are the unofficial results.

Public Notice.........Valley County Dispatch has been receiving an unusual number of complaints regarding animal bites, attacks, dogs barking and generally running at large.

The Glasgow Police Department would like to remind pet owners that pets are their responsibility. Acts by their pets could result in citations, fines and possible legal action or lawsuits.

Dogs and cats are also required to have a city license and have their rabies shots to live in city limits. Patrolman will be out and about continuing to enforce these ordinances.

For any questions regarding animals in the city, please contact the Glasgow Police Department at 406-228-8050 or refer to the Glasgow City Ordinances.

Gas prices remained relatively quiet this past week. The national average for a gallon of regular went up a couple of cents to $3.07. Even though the national average hasn’t reached the $3 mark, drivers are paying less than they were this time last year, and that trend should continue as we enter the colder months. Gasoline demand goes down in the fall as fewer people are taking road trips.

Today’s National Average: $3.068

One Week Ago: $3.051

One Month Ago: $3.163

One Year Ago: $3.15

According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gasoline demand remained flat at 8.45 million b/d. Total domestic gasoline supply decreased from 218.8 million barrels to 216.7 million. Gasoline production increased last week, averaging 9.6 million barrels per day.

In Montana, the average price is $3.05 per gallon which is down from $3.09 a week ago and down from $3.21 a year ago.

In Valley County, the average price is $3.01 per gallon.

Oil Market Dynamics

At the close of Wednesday’s formal trading session, WTI rose $1.26 to settle at $58.50 a barrel. The EIA reports crude oil inventories decreased by 1 million barrels from the previous week. At 422.8 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are about 4% below the five-year average for this time of year.

State Stats

Gas

The nation’s top 10 most expensive gasoline markets are California ($4.60), Hawaii ($4.48), Washington ($4.37), Oregon ($3.97), Alaska ($3.84), Nevada ($3.80), Idaho ($3.42), Arizona ($3.36), Utah ($3.31), and Illinois ($3.25).

The nation’s top 10 least expensive gasoline markets are Mississippi ($2.61), Texas ($2.61), Louisiana ($2.62), Oklahoma ($2.63), Tennessee ($2.64), Arkansas ($2.66), Alabama ($2.68), Kentucky ($2.69), Missouri ($2.70), and Kansas ($2.73).

When it comes to defining his family legacy, Dale Veseth is unwavering: Veseth Cattle Co. will remain a working ranch that strengthens opportunities for local ranchers, champions education and community-led conservation, and upholds Montana’s ranching heritage. To ensure that legacy endures beyond their lifetimes, Dale and his wife, Janet, have announced that they will gift their 38,300-acre ranch to the Ranchers Stewardship Alliance (RSA), a rancher-founded and rancher-led nonprofit Dale has helped build for more than 20 years. The gift, valued at $21.6 million, represents the largest recorded working ranch donation in Montana history. While the Veseths will continue to manage the ranch throughout their lives, this commitment ensures a thoughtful transition to RSA when the time comes.

“We’ve watched RSA grow into something pretty special,” said Dale. “It’s brought people together with a shared purpose and opened eyes to the positive impact ranchers have on the ground. We’re proud to know the ranch will be part of that. They’ll keep it working the way it’s meant to be.”

Veseth Cattle Co. sits in south Phillips County, an area of high interest for land acquisition. By choosing to gift their ranch to RSA, the Veseths are making sure this land will not be lost to outside interests but remain in the hands of local ranchers to the benefit of the local community. It is an act of conviction. It is a commitment that keeps agriculture at the heart of Montana’s rural future.
“When Dale first mentioned this gift, it was in the most casual way, as if it were no big deal. I think we were all completely taken aback, and honestly, I don’t think the shock has worn off,” said Conni French, RSA President and Phillips County rancher. “It’s hard to put into words what a gesture like this means, not just for RSA, but for the future of ranching and conservation here at home.”
Dale and Janet have made Veseth Cattle Co. a place where doors are open to innovation and collaboration. From interns and new technologies to partnerships with groups as diverse as the World Wildlife Fund, The Nature Conservancy, Quivira Coalition, and Native, they have welcomed a wide range of voices and ideas. With Dale’s leadership in RSA, ranchers now have not only a presence but influence in conversations with these groups, making the case that responsible ranching is conservation, benefiting land, wildlife, and communities alike.

Known for both his ideas and his hard work, Dale works tirelessly, moving cattle often, watching the grass, and adjusting with the seasons to keep the range healthy. Guided by constant curiosity, he has dedicated years to refining cattle genetics, developing a one-of-a-kind crossbreed suited to his terrain. His approach reflects the Veseths’ belief that good grass management is conservation, and that responsible grazing and habitat protection go hand in hand. Beside him, Janet holds a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing and brings skill and dedication to every facet of ranch life. Together, the Veseths have built a place where productivity and stewardship are inseparable, with every decision made for the future. They also have an annual bull and female sale each March that Dale would be happy to bend your ear on.

“We’ve only been here for a blink of an eye in the grand scheme of things,” said Dale. “This land will outlast us all. It’s been a privilege to care for it. It’s been a fun ride, and we’re not done yet.”
Founded in 1942, Veseth Cattle Co. has earned some of the highest honors in the cattle industry for stewardship, including the Outstanding Conservationist of the Year from the Phillips Conservation District, the Environmental Stewardship Award from the Montana Stockgrowers Association, the Region V Environmental Stewardship Award from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, and the Quivira Coalition’s Clarence Burch Award.

“Dale and Janet’s commitment is an act of selflessness and conviction,” said Angel DeVries, Executive Director of the Ranchers Stewardship Alliance. “We will continue working alongside them, and when the time comes, we will be ready to carry forward their legacy with the same strength and resiliency they have shown.”

This gift is part of RSA’s “Working Lands Forever” campaign, a commitment to sustain ranching landscapes, strengthen rural communities, and support resilient ecosystems for generations.
The Veseths’ decision ensures that their land, their work, and their vision will continue shaping the future of ranching and conservation in north-central Montana. It is a nontraditional choice rooted in tradition, a stand to keep ranching families on the land, communities resilient, and the working landscape intact.

About the Ranchers Stewardship Alliance (RSA): The Ranchers Stewardship Alliance, a rancher-led nonprofit established in 2003, believes in a future where ranching and rural communities in the Northern Great Plains are so successful that ranch families never have to consider selling or transitioning their land out of production agriculture. Guided by the stewardship of ranchers, conservation, and community, RSA helps producers strengthen both their operations and the landscapes they depend on. Through educational programs, cost-share opportunities, and community partnerships, RSA works to support ranchers while sustaining wildlife habitat and the rural towns that make this region home.

As Montana’s general rifle season for deer and elk kicks off this weekend, state wildlife managers have made some changes to deer licenses in the state in response to localized disease outbreaks.

Every year in Montana small pockets of game animals, usually white-tailed deer, succumb to diseases.

A family hemorrhagic diseases that includes epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) and blue tongue, saw late summer and early fall outbreaks across Montana, with the heaviest concentration in the northeastern part of the state, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

Earlier this month, FWP’s Fish and Wildlife Commission, the board that handles department policy, made a regulation change to limit white-tailed deer licenses in northeast Montana. The commission voted to limit the sale of region-wide 006-00 deer B licenses to a total of 2,000, and only allow one per hunter.

Hunters that purchased multiple licenses prior to Oct. 10, when the new regulation took effect, can still use the licenses.

EHD and blue tongue virus are spread through biting midges, and pockets of the disease often form along rivers or near other waterways where midges reproduce in large numbers. The viruses are often fatal, with animals dying from internal bleeding, and can result in high death rates in very localized areas.

“It’s real sporadic and real patchy,” FWP Game Management Division Chief Brian Wakeling told the commission at their October meeting. “We’re certainly seeing it places we’ve never seen it before, but we’re not seeing it at a level that’s a concern to a population from a biological standpoint.”

While the regulation change only affects hunters in Region 6 in the northeastern part of the state, EHD and blue tongue disease have been suspected in multiple localized die-offs around the state.

In mid-September, FWP officials put out a press release following reports of roughly two dozen dead deer near Eureka and a dozen near Plains, which they suspected were viral outbreaks. Localized EHD and blue tongue outbreaks were also reported along the Yellowstone River corridor in the southeastern part of the state and in prairie habitats.

In early October, the department suspected hemorrhagic diseases were behind white-tailed deaths around Frenchtown and along the Clark Fork River west of Missoula.

In Montana, outbreaks of EHD and BTV have historically occurred east of the continental divide, and while most deer and pronghorn mortality in Montana resulting from hemorrhagic disease infection still occurs in the eastern part of the state, EHD was documented west of the continental divide in Montana for the first time in 2013.

Outbreaks of the disease typically subside as winter weather descends on an area as hard frosts mitigate midge activity, and FWP expects mortalities to continue to slow with recent freezing temperatures across the state.

FWP staff say that members of the public do not need to report dead deer suspected of succumbing to hemorrhagic diseases in areas that are already being monitored.

Hemorrhagic diseases are not a risk to humans, and meat from animals that appear healthy at the time of harvest remains safe to eat when properly cooked. Hunters should avoid harvesting or consuming animals that appear sick.

Nationwide there has been an increase in EHD and blue tongue virus outbreaks. According to reporting in The Guardian this week, Ohio has received reports of more than 9,000 dead deer suspected of dying from hemorrhagic viruses, up from just 2,000 in 2024.

In northern Idaho, biologists with Idaho Fish and Game said they’ve received roughly 1,000 reports of white-tailed deer mortalities in the Clearwater region, suspected to be caused by EHD.

The Agriculture Department will reopen about 2,100 county offices all across the country Thursday, despite the ongoing government shutdown, to help farmers and ranchers get access to $3 billion of aid from existing programs.

The USDA said each Farm Service Agency office will have two workers who will be paid even though the government remains shut down. These offices help farmers apply for farm loans, crop insurance, disaster aid and other programs. Thousands of other federal employees like air traffic controllers are working without pay during the shutdown.

A USDA spokesperson said this move reflects President Trump’s commitment to helping farmers and ranchers, who are traditionally some of his strongest supporters. Recently, some of them have been unhappy with Trump’s latest moves although his support remains strong across rural America.

Just this week, ranchers were unhappy with Trump’s idea to import more beef from Argentina because that could hurt their profits, and earlier this month soybean farmers complained that a $20 billion aid package for Argentina allowed that country to sell soybeans to China. Farmers are also still waiting on details of an aid package Trump promised to help them survive his trade war with China, but that aid has been put on hold because of the shutdown.

“President Trump will not let the radical left Democrat shutdown impact critical USDA services while harvest is underway across the country,” the USDA spokesman said.

A White House official said the administration is using funds from the Commodity Credit Corporation, a USDA agency that addresses agricultural prices. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the administration’s plans were not yet publicized.

Republicans like Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley and North Dakota Sen. John Hoeven along with farm groups like the National Corn Growers Association and Illinois Soybean Association praised the move while Democrats accused the administration of using farmers as political pawns in the shutdown fight. Both parties have been unable to reach an agreement to fund the government and end the shutdown that began Oct. 1.

Thune said reopening these offices, like he has been urging the administration to do, will give farmers access to critical services in the midst of harvest season.

“Like many hardworking Americans, producers in South Dakota and across the country – who work tirelessly to provide high-quality food for our nation – are being hurt by Senate Democrats’ reckless government shutdown,” Thune said.

Kenneth Hartman Jr., who is chairman of the Corn Growers Association, said this is a crucial time because farmers are getting ready to place orders for next year’s seed and fertilizer right now as well as settling up with the bankers for this year’s operating loans. And farmers are grappling with soaring costs.

“Because of the inflation factor, the farm economy is really in a critical situation here. So anything that the farmers can get when it comes to support from the farm programs from the farm bill of last year, we need to get that open and get that money out to them,” said Hartman, who is in the middle of harvesting his crop near Waterloo, Illinois.

The House Agriculture Committee Democrats said on X that this shows that Trump and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins “could have supported farmers all along, but you chose not to because you’d rather use farmers’ pain to score cheap political points while increasing the cost of living for ordinary Americans by making food and health care more expensive.”

Minnesota Rep. Angie Craig, who is the ranking Democrat on the Agriculture Committee, said the administration should have done this sooner to ensure that farmers can get the help they need.

“I am glad the administration is finally doing right by America’s farmers by partially opening FSA offices, though I question why the administration waited so long and made this decision only after putting farmers through three weeks of uncertainty,” Craig said.

Michael Ackerman, also known as Michael LittleBull, has been charged with three counts of second degree murder in U.S. District Court in Great Falls.

Ackerman has also been charged with use of a firearm during a crime of violence. The charges were filed on Oct. 2.

According to court records, Ackerman killed three individuals with malice aforethought on or about Sept. 11 at and near Poplar. The victims were two females and a male.

A jury date is scheduled for Dec. 9, in Great Falls. The deadline for discovery is Oct. 10.

Second-degree murder carries maximum penalties of life in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years of

supervised release. On Sunday, Sept. 14, at approximately 4 a.m., the Fort Peck Tribal police officers received information from the Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office that a male had confessed to shooting and killing his wife, his stepson and the stepson’s girlfriend at a residence in Poplar. The male was identified as 73-yearold Michael Littlebull/Ackerman, an enrolled member of the Fort Peck Tribes.

Fort Peck Tribal police officers responded to a residence in Poplar to investigate the information. After receiving no response at the residence, tribal police officers received and executed a search warrant to enter the residence. Once inside the residence, tribal police officers located

65-year-old Earlene Jones, 41-year-old Matthew Black Thunder and 35-year-old Winona Longee deceased inside the residence. All three victims appeared to have been shot at least one time at close range with a small caliber bullet.

n Thursday, October 23, Reuters reported that Trump administration announced plans to quadruple the tariff-rate quota for Argentine beef to 80,000 metric tons, allowing more imports at lower tariffs. The move, according to the White House, is intended to help ease record-high U.S. beef prices caused by tight cattle supplies and strong consumer demand.

However, the decision is drawing sharp criticism from U.S. cattle producers, who say the policy threatens domestic ranchers and will do little to reduce prices at the grocery store.

In an interview with the Western Ag Network, Colin Woodall, CEO of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), questioned the effectiveness of the plan.

“There were some great statistics out today showing that even if Argentina sent 100% of its global beef exports to the United States, it would only increase our beef supply by about 2.5%. That’s not enough to bring consumer prices down,” Woodall said. “And more importantly, it’s not the same quality as our product.”

Woodall added that the move places additional financial pressure on American ranchers.

“Here we are as producers taking the financial hit on a plan that’s not going to bring down prices. As a result, we’re being told to simply take lower prices.”

The administration’s decision comes alongside a USDA plan to expand the domestic cattle herd and support ranchers impacted by drought and high feed costs. Economists, however, say such measures will take time to have an effect.

Montanans who use SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, may not receive the benefit in November.

A message to SNAP clients on the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services website said the following on Tuesday:

“As a result of the ongoing federal government shutdown, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service has directed states to stop the issuance of SNAP benefits for the month of November until further notice.”

It said SNAP clients may not receive the benefits even if they are already authorized to receive them, and they should check the webpage for updates “from the federal government.”

In September, 77,679 Montanans were SNAP recipients, according to the DPHHS public benefits dashboard. DPHHS said the average monthly benefit is $332 per household.

It’s about $173 for each household member per month, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

A fact sheet from the Center said in Montana, more than 63% of participants are families with children; more than 38% are in families with members who are older adults or disabled; and more than 43% are in working families.

Western Native Voice announced the status of SNAP in a newsletter on Tuesday afternoon.

“According to the Montana Department of Public Health & Human Services (DPHHS), SNAP benefits for November cannot be issued at this time, as they are contingent on new federal appropriations,” the newsletter said.

It also provided an update on the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, or WIC, for November in Montana.

“For WIC benefits, Montana has advised that the program remains active through November 30 using carry-over funds, but future continuity will depend on federal guidance,” the newsletter said, citing the state health department.

It said the situation is the result of the ongoing federal government shutdown, “which is causing delays or interruptions in funding for programs that rely on annual congressional appropriations.”

The newsletter encouraged SNAP recipients to plan ahead, check benefit card balances, and explore alternative resources “in case there are changes.”

In a phone call Tuesday, Western Native Voice‘s government relations director Keaton Sunchild said SNAP benefits have been used as a negotiating tactic by the White House and by Senate leadership over the last week.

Western Native Voice is a Montana-based nonprofit dedicated to empowering Native communities and addressing issues that impact Indigenous people. Sunchild is based in Washington, D.C.

“They’re trying to target what they view as more liberal social programs to try to ratchet up pressure, as messed up as that seems,” said Sunchild.

In the U.S. Senate, Republicans and Democrats are at a stalemate when it comes to funding and reopening the government, and the House is out of session, kept in recess by Republican Speaker Mike Johnson.

Sunchild said at first, it wasn’t clear if the threat to withhold money for SNAP was empty, but he learned this week federal officials were informing the state health department none of the federal money for SNAP would be released.

A spokesperson for DPHHS did not comment Tuesday on the situation as Sunchild described.

However, the spokesperson said the website post about SNAP was made Friday, Oct. 17, and a mailing to recipients started Monday to 35,650 households.

Sunchild said it briefly appeared the White House might release some tariff revenue to cover some of the missing SNAP funds, but that doesn’t look like it’s the case. So he said the money will run out on Oct. 31.

“Food insecurity is such a huge issue across all of Montana,” Sunchild said.

He said that’s the case especially in rural communities, and it isn’t talked about often enough.

“And now, literally people are going to have to choose between living expenses and food because of a big political game, basically,” Sunchild said.

In response to whether Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte was trying to help, spokesperson Kaitlin Price said the governor is pushing for a fix to the shutdown.

“The governor has advocated to continue support for vulnerable Montana families by urging Washington Democrats to do their job and work with Republicans to pass a clean, short-term continuing resolution to fund the government,” Price said in an email.

She did not immediately respond to follow-up about whether the state had practical solutions in the works as well or whether the governor had advocated for the Trump administration to release available contingency funds.

A U.S. Department of Agriculture “Lapse of Funding Plan,” cited in a CBS report, said contingency funds are available for SNAP benefits in the event of a shutdown, and some federal employees should be exempted from furloughs to support program operations.

Amy Allison, head of the Missoula Food Bank and Community Center, said she was in a meeting Tuesday talking about how to prepare for the possibility that SNAP would not be authorized in November.

She said last month, 2,969 people who shopped at the food bank indicated that they receive SNAP benefits, and in the county, 7,936 people receive SNAP benefits.

Allison said that means 4,900 more people might need help if they don’t receive the benefit. Shoppers at the food bank don’t pay for groceries.

“We are incredibly concerned that numbers will increase, and we’ll see a lot of folks needing additional support if they are not receiving those SNAP benefits,” Allison said.

Jessy Lee, development director for the Missoula food bank, said the organization is committed to making sure anyone who needs food access has it.

She said the nonprofit will make sure that it has enough food for anyone who walks through its doors.

“We’re making some purchasing contingency plans that will ensure that we have enough food for a potential influx of customers,” Lee said.

The Glasgow Scotties and the Malta Mustangs are conducting a food bank challenge culminating in the Glasgow vs Malta football game Friday evening.

Bring two items for the Food Bank to the football game and get a free bag of popcorn! Or drop off your items at Glasgow High School before Thursday afternoon.

All food donated will go to the Valley Community Emergency Food Bank!

President Trump’s plan to increase foreign beef imports will crush already struggling ranchers, said Montana Farmers Union President Walter Schweitzer.

Beef markets need enforcement of current anti-trust laws and mandatory Country of Origin Labeling to create truth for consumers and a fair playing field for ranchers. As cattle prices have increased, so too have costs, such as feed, fuel and equipment.

“When will Trump put the American farmer and rancher first?” Schweitzer said. “It is bad enough that we are giving $40 billion to bail out the Argentina economy while they exported billions of dollars of soybeans to China, but now we are going to allow Argentina to dump their beef scraps into the U.S. markets.”

Currently, America is importing more beef than ever in the country’s history, while cattle inventory is the smallest it’s been in more than seven decades because of droughts, depressed prices, and increased input costs. Limited – and misleading – competition with 85% of the meatpacking market controlled by just four meatpackers means ranchers get paid less while consumers pay more.

Beef and pork are the only foods that do not have mandatory Country of Origin Labeling that would ensure consumers know what they’re putting on their plates. Loopholes in the law allow for imported beef that is packaged in the U.S. to bear the “Product of USA” label, misleading consumers.

A coalition, including Montana Farmers Union, is pushing Congress to listen to consumers who want to know where their food comes from and Montana’s Legislature, which passed a resolution in support of MCOOL this year.

Already, Trump’s announcement has negatively impacted prices for American ranchers, causing the market to drop its limit.

“Expanding beef imports benefits the multinational beef packers at the expense of cattle ranching families and the consumers,” Schweitzer said.

“Instead of trying to undercut American ranchers, President Trump and Congress should be focused on creating fair markets that mean a more food secure America,” he added

In response to ongoing media coverage and public concern regarding ideological activism in public schools, including in Montana, Superintendent of Public Instruction Susie Hedalen sent a formal letter to all Montana school districts directing them to be in compliance with state and federal laws.

The letter reinforces expectations for administrators and school boards to uphold state and federal regulations as a condition of maintaining state accreditation and receiving public school funding.
“Parents entrust our schools to focus on reading, writing, and core subjects, not political and ideological indoctrination,” said Superintendent Hedalen. “We will not allow taxpayer-funded classrooms to become platforms for activist agendas while parents sit on the sidelines. I expect every school board, administrator, and teacher to follow the law, protect students, and preserve the integrity of our education system. Montana parents have had enough of politics in our classrooms- and so have I." Hedalen added. “We are drawing a firm line: teach academics, not activism.”

Superintendent Hedalen specifically highlighted House Bill 819 and House Bill 471. HB 819 strictly limits the display of flags and banners on government property, including public schools. Only officially recognized government flags are permitted. Personal, political, or activist flags are not allowed. HB 471 reinforces parental rights by requiring an explicit opt-in before a student may receive identity instruction. It is not enough to notify parents active, written permission is required.

Superintendent Hedalen was also a strong supporter of House Bill 557, introduced by Rep. Jodee Etchart in the 2025 session. The bill would have ended the state-mandated use of PIR (Pupil-Instruction-Related) days for teacher union meetings. In recent years, these meetings have seen dwindling attendance and growing ideological indoctrination instead of true teacher professional development. The Superintendent looks forward to working with the 2027 legislature to successfully get similar legislation successfully passed.

“Government-encouraged school closures for union activities are an outdated and unproductive use of taxpayer time and resources,” said Hedalen. “HB 557 got it right PIR days should be used to strengthen instruction, not to promote union politics. We fully intend to pursue this bill again in the next legislative session and to support true educator professional development for the benefit of students.”

The OPI supports a variety of professional development opportunities for educators across the state including OPI’s Summer Institute and locally-driven professional development programs. Superintendent Hedalen recently attended a Great Falls educator professional development day hosted in partnership with Malmstrom Air Force Base. The OPI is also migrating the Teacher Learning Hub to a newer platform providing better online, OPI approved professional development for educators.

The Glasgow City Council will meet Monday in the council chambers in the Glasgow Civic Center.

The Montana Department of Revenue is reporting that marijuana sales in Valley County totaled $160,555 in the month of September. This is down an estimated $6000 compared to August of 2025.

Montana had $27.8 million in sales for September of 2025.

National Weather Service:

Rain will continue through Friday morning before moving east out of Montana. Additional rainfall up to 1.5" is expected in some areas, which may impact road conditions on unpaved or gravel roads. Localized ponding on roads could lead to hydroplaning!

The Montana Department of Livestock (MDOL) is investigating a report of potential feral swine in Phillips County.

The initial report, received by USDA Wildlife Services, described a bear getting into a barn and livestock feed.

However, upon investigation, evidence such as pig scat and tracks indicated the presence of swine, with no signs of a bear.

The swine were later identified as owned domestic swine that are running uncontained and beginning to show behaviors and characteristics consistent with feral swine populations.

Montana state law prohibits swine from living in a feral state and domestic swine from running at large.

Will it, or won’t it? The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline could reach the 3-dollar mark for the first time in 4 years. Since last week, the national average has dropped more than 5 cents to $3.05. Several factors are behind the drop, including falling crude oil prices, lower gasoline demand, and cheaper winter-blend gasoline at the pump. The tropics have been relatively quiet, and storm activity hasn’t had an impact on gas prices.

Today’s National Average: $3.057

One Week Ago: $3.110

One Month Ago: $3.186

One Year Ago: $3.203

The average price in Montana is $3.09 per gallon which is down from $3.24 per gallon one month ago. The average price in Valley County is $3.01 per gallon.

According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gasoline demand decreased from 8.91 million b/d last week to 8.45 million. Total domestic gasoline supply decreased from 219.1 million barrels to 218.8 million. Gasoline production decreased last week, averaging 9.4 million barrels per day.

Oil Market Dynamics

At the close of Wednesday’s formal trading session, WTI fell 43 cents to settle at $58.27 a barrel. The EIA reports crude oil inventories increased by 3.5 million barrels from the previous week. At 423.8 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are about 4% below the five-year average for this time of year.

State Stats

Gas

The nation’s top 10 most expensive gasoline markets are California ($4.64), Hawaii ($4.48), Washington ($4.44), Oregon ($4.05), Nevada ($3.87), Alaska ($3.86), Idaho ($3.45), Arizona ($3.43), Utah ($3.37), and Pennsylvania ($3.23).

The nation’s top 10 least expensive gasoline markets are Oklahoma ($2.56), Arkansas ($2.63), Texas ($2.64), Mississippi ($2.64), Wisconsin ($2.65), Louisiana ($2.67), Ohio ($2.67), Kentucky ($2.68), Missouri ($2.70), and Tennessee ($2.72).

Pictured: Left to right: Mariah Branson, Taylor Hohlen, Sarah Meiers, Brandt Burns

(Press Release) The Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital (FMDH) Foundation’s annual dinner, the Secret Garden Soirée, was an evening to remember, and one that made a lasting impact. Held at the Cottonwood Inn & Suites, the event brought together around 150 guests and raised more than $21,000 in support of the Foundation’s mission - providing financial support to FMDH and other medically needed projects throughout Valley County.

The Cottonwood was truly transformed into a hidden garden wonderland. Guests dined under faux floral chandeliers, enjoyed fresh bud vases at every table, and lined up to snap photos in front of a gorgeous faux flower wall that doubled as the perfect photo booth backdrop. From the garden-inspired food and cocktail menu to the soulful performance by Tomara Conrad, who traveled from Polson, Montana, the evening was filled with warmth, laughter, and a true sense of community.

The night’s showstopper was the raffle for a custom, 14kt yellow gold ring designed and donated by Baker’s Jewelry. Valued at $7,995, the one-of-a-kind piece featured a dazzling 1.01ct oval diamond, 0.44ctw of accent diamonds with elegant half-moons on each side, and hidden diamonds tucked beneath the center. A delicate beaded detail and claw prongs completed the timeless design.

And the lucky winner? Sarah Meiers!

“We’re incredibly grateful for everyone who attended, donated, and supported this year’s soirée,” said Taylor Hohlen, FMDH Foundation Coordinator. “Your generosity helps us continue providing scholarships and equipment that directly benefit our patients and community.”

The FMDH Foundation Board of Directors extends a heartfelt thank-you to everyone who made the Secret Garden Soirée such a success — from our sponsors and volunteers to the guests who filled the room with joy and generosity. It truly takes many helping hands to bring an event like this to life.

We’re already looking forward to celebrating with you all again next year!

The Montana Lottery will add 120,000 more tickets and a fifth million-dollar prize for the 2025 Montana Millionaire.

This year, the lottery will sell 620,000 tickets, offer five $1 million grand prizes (up from four last year), feature more instant-win prizes, and include a “Quarter Million Monday” drawing for $250,000 on December 1.

There will be 2,500 Instant Win tickets of $500 each; there will be 6,100 Instant Win tickets valued at $100 each.

Tickets cost $20 each, and they will go on sale on Saturday, November 1, 2025, at 5:30 a.m.

Last year’s Montana Millionaire tickets — 500,000 in total — sold out in less than three hours.

Lottery officials said they were surprised by the quick sale of all tickets, since they had increased the number by 120,000 that year.

"We've listened to our players and sales agents and combined their feedback with our team's knowledge to responsibly enhance the 2025 Montana Millionaire after last year's surprising sell-out," commented Montana Lottery director Bob Brown.

Montana Millionaire FAQ

The Montana Lottery has provided responses to several frequently-asked questions:

Why don’t you limit Montana Millionaire to Montana residents only? The Montana Lottery is available to everyone of legal age, whether resident or visitor. Limiting the sale of a product to some people while excluding others is discrimination. It would also be contrary to our mission and place an undue burden on our retailers.

Why don’t you limit the number of Montana Millionaire tickets someone can buy? The mission of the Montana Lottery is to maximize revenue for the State of Montana. Our proceeds fund Montana’s STEM/Healthcare Scholarship Program and contribute to the General Fund. To limit sales of our products would be contrary to our mission and result in less positive impact for the residents of Montana.

Why don’t you offer Montana Millionaire or another raffle game more than once per year? The Montana Lottery has a large selection of games available every day of the year. We believe Montana Millionaire is special and successful because it’s exclusive. While it is not impossible that we may introduce other raffle games in the future, currently we have made this strategic business decision based on detailed market research and analysis.

Where Does the Money Go?
Money generated from the lottery is used in several ways.

“The lottery exists to generate revenue for the State of Montana. Most sales go towards paying prizes, operations, and essentially whatever is left at the end of that is what goes back to the state. That’s determined by state legislative action and the beneficiary, as we call it, has changed a number of times,” Montana Lottery content manager Dan Iverson told MTN News several months ago.

Currently, the first $2.25 million goes to the Montana Stem/Healthcare Scholarship Program, operated by the Office Of The Commissioner Of Higher Education and the Montana University System. Whatever is left goes to the state's general fund, which is dictated by the legislature.

2024 Winning Tickets
In 20224, Montana Millionaire featured 500,000 tickets; all of the tickets sold out within three hours.

The four grand prize-winning tickets were drawn on Thursday, December 26, 2024. The winning tickets and where they were sold:

021333 – Cranny’s Club Tavern & Casino in Dillon
077800 – Super 1 Foods in Great Falls
143115 – Grand Slam Casino in Great Falls
416013 – Beartooth Harley Davidson in Billings

Valley County will hold four municipal general elections:

City of Glasgow

City of Glasgow, Alderman, Ward 2

Randy Lasar

Darcia Schindler

City of Glasgow, Alderman, Ward 3

Kristie Brabeck

Danny Carr

Town of Fort Peck, Alderman (2 seats)

Glenn R Guenther

Joseph J French

Kevin Vogel

Town of Opheim, Alderman, Ward 2, 2-year term to fulfill

Les Redfield
Anita Leinen

All four elections are mail-ballot elections. Ballots will be mailed out this Friday, October 17, 2025. Election Day is Tuesday, November 4, 2025. The election office will be open on Election Day from 7 am to 8 pm. Ballots must be received in the election office by 8 pm November 4, 2025, to be counted. Please remember that, in addition to signing the signature envelope, voters must enter the year of their birth in the space provided on the signature envelope prior to returning their ballot. Ballots returned without both the voter’s signature AND their year of birth on the signature envelope cannot be counted.

The Montana Department of Commerce is set to divvy out $300,000 in agritourism grant funding following the passage of legislation this session.

The agency is taking applications for the program until Oct. 23 and it’s the second cycle of funding for agritourism in the state, commerce spokesperson Mitch Staley wrote in an email. The funding started in 2023 and was reupped as part of Senate Bill 405, brought by Montana Sen. Daniel Zolnikov, R-Billings, this past session.

“Especially in some of the more dry land areas, diversifying how they get their income helps alleviate a lot of the risk that some of these farmers, ranchers face with bad weather years,” Zolnikov said during a Senate Finance and Claims meeting earlier this year.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines agritourism as “farm services for recreation (such as hunting or fishing), hospitality (such as overnight accommodations), or entertainment (such as festivals or petting zoos)” which it says generated $1.26 billion in revenue for farms and ranches around the country in 2022.

This is extra revenue beyond whatever they are generating from farming or cattle ranching operations. America’s farms contributed about $222 billion total to the U.S. economy in 2023.

A new nonprofit, the Montana Agritourism Association, works closely with producers around the state.

“Our work is a producer-led knowledge hub, helping farmers, ranchers and producers open their gates to visitors safely and successfully, connecting them with training, resources and partners across Montana,” said Debbie Queen, an agritourism specialist with the organization. “We focus on three things producers tell us matter most: business fundamentals, safety and risk awareness, and a great guest experience. When those are in place, everybody wins—hosts, visitors, and the local economy.”

A 2024 survey of Montana producers found that 71% said agritourism strengthens their ability to keep working their land, the organization states.

Individual grants are worth up to $50,000, presenters said.

“We’re encouraging projects and activities of all sizes. The intent is to help farmers and ranchers diversify revenue options through a new or enhanced agritourism activity,” Susan Joy, a program specialist with the Department of Commerce said during the presentation. “The grants are also meant to support activities in rural, under visited and tribal locations throughout Montana that will generate tourism revenue for the benefit of your local economy.”

The Montana Public Service Commission last week approved a rate increase for Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. natural gas customers, bringing the average monthly bill to $60.54.

That dollar amount is up from $44.61 in July of last year when Montana Dakota Utilities (MDU) first asked the Public Service Commission to approve their rate increase request, culminating in a 36% hike.

The all-Republican Public Service Commission (PSC) is only responsible for approving a portion of that total increase, as other parts of it are made up by other charges that the commission can't regulate.

The increase, approved 4-0 with one commissioner absent, will result in a $7.3 million surge in annual revenue for MDU, about $2 million less than they initially requested.

The Montana Consumer Counsel, a state agency that represents the interests of ratepayers in the state, intervened in the case and proposed a lower $5.4 million increase, and the two settled at the $7.3 million figure.

The PSC is tasked with regulating monopoly utility companies in the state, and is responsible for balancing the interests of ratepayers and the utility companies.

he Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission voted Thursday to limit the number of white-tailed doe tags available for hunters in Region 6 in northeast Montana because of outbreaks of a hemorrhagic virus that is killing deer in pockets across the state but particularly so along the Milk River.

Commission Chair Lesley Robinson, representing Region 6, said landowners in the area had already seen suspected cases of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) ravage white-tailed deer populations in recent weeks. One man near Malta told her he’d found 60 dead deer in the past month and another had told her he could hardly go outside because of the stench of dead deer.

She said areas along both sides of the Milk River are seeing “extreme” effects this year from the virus, which is not uncommon in parts of Montana but varies by year as to how hard it might hit deer, pronghorn and other ruminants.

“I know we’ve had this before but it’s really bad in Region 6,” she said. "Very few live deer are being spotted in the areas this is happening.”

EHD is transmitted by biting midge gnats and can affect a wide range of ruminants, but most often white-tailed deer. The particular type of midge that carries the virus is most often found in muddy and moist areas, and the virus historically has been most common in eastern Montana, though it was first detected on the western side of the Continental Divide in 2013, when a bad outbreak hit the Missoula area.

That year, the commission also stopped selling over-the-counter white-tailed B licenses in both Region 6 and parts of Region 4 because of EHD.

Animals typically display few symptoms of the virus before a quick death, FWP Game Management Bureau Chief Brian Wakeling said Thursday. They often quickly grow weak, start salivating excessively and can develop fevers. That often leads them to water, where they die of internal bleeding. The virus is not transmittable to humans, but officials say meat from sick animals may not be safe for consumption by humans and other animals.

The midges are active during the summer and when temperatures remain warm in early fall, but they are often killed off by freezes. Virus outbreaks are typically highly localized, Wakeling said.

“At times you can have a lot of animals dying. You described a landowner mentioning 60 animals die. Two miles away, there may not have been any animals die, and so it tends to be real sporadic,” he said.

Though the virus seems to have hit northeast Montana worse than other parts of the state this year, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has been warning of suspected cases being identified across the state for the past month.

In mid-September, FWP warned they had found suspected EHD in white-tailed deer near Eureka and Plains in northwestern Montana. The commission added the proposed EHD adjustments to Region 6 to Thursday’s meeting agenda on Monday, and FWP on Wednesday announced it had also identified suspected EHD in white-tailed deer along the Clark Fork River near Missoula and Frenchtown, as well as along the Blackfoot River near Lincoln and Potomac.

The concern from the department and commissioners is since the highest concentrations of the virus appear to be in Region 6, continuing to allow hunters to buy up to three white-tailed doe tags — known as 006-00 B tags — could lead to an overharvest of the species when the number of deer killed by hunters is combined with the EHD losses.

FWP Licensing Bureau Chief Emily Cooper said as of Thursday’s meeting, 1,437 of those tags had already been sold this year in the region. Of those who purchased the tags, 169 hunters bought three tags and 175 bought two. Last year, there were 4,788 total sold.

FWP’s initial proposal sought to limit future sales of the license this season to one per person. But after about an hour of discussion — including about whether there should be a limit or full-stop on license sales, or a possible special hunting closure — the commission decided it would cap total sales at 2,000, meaning there would be only 563 of the tags remaining for sale.

The changes also kept in place the prohibition on selling second or third tags to a single hunter, though some commissioners and members of the public wondered if that might create a situation where more hunters are coming to try to fill a single tag.

There was also some concern about overharvest in Region 7, both due to the presence of EHD there and the idea that more Region 6 hunters might head southeast under the new restrictions. But Region 7 Commissioner Bill Lane said regional biologists had advised against any changes to the season there.

“If they do not see the need to put any limitations on it, I at this point don’t feel the need to bring it forward,” he said.

Region 2 Commissioner Jeff Burrows said he would like the commission at some point to consider putting something akin to hoot-owl fishing closures in place for hunting when viruses, prion diseases or other illnesses could greatly affect a targeted species’ population.

Robinson told Region 6 officials she would like to see them come up with a plan in the next year on how the commission could close particular areas along the Milk River in the event a similar outbreak occurs in the future, which most everyone at FWP said Thursday was not currently an easy solution because of the river, Highway 2, and hunting district boundaries.

Before the change to cap the tags in the region at 2,000, Robinson said she was struggling to come up with a good overall solution because she would have liked to have been able to issue a specific closure.

“I don’t really feel this is enough, but I don’t know what we can do that’s a manageable fix for this year,” she said. “But this does hopefully take a big dent out of it.”

And Wakeling said that the recent cooler weather across most of the state, and some hard freezes and snow expected over the weekend and early next week, might spell the end of this year’s EHD threat.

“We’re moving towards winter, and so we would expect a more routine winter pattern,” he said. “When that happens, those vectors that caused and carry that disease, they die, and the problem goes away. The disease is no longer spreading.”

Release from Valley Community Emergency Food Bank:

Today we want to give a big THANK YOU to the Caring Hands organization for the generous donation of $11,000 toward our new building. We can’t do it without generous support like this! Thank you!

The Valley CARE Coalition will be holding a Trunk Or Treat event in the Reynolds Market parking lot on Thursday, October 30th, from 4:30 - 7:00 p.m.

Free popcorn and cocoa will be given out while supplies last. Bring your children for a safe and festive evening, filled with decorated trunks and sweet treats.

If you're interested in decorating your trunk and joining the fun, contact Teresa Garner at tersa.garner@mt.gov

The maximum temperature for last month was 93 on September 1st; the lowest temperature of the month was just 4 days later, on September 5th, when the low hit 39 degrees.

The average high for the month was 81 (normal 72.9) The average low was 49.8 (normal 46.9) The average temp for the month was 65.4, 5.5 degrees above normal.

We only had one day with over one hundredth of an inch of moisture: Glasgow received .21 on September 13th. And only two other days saw anything above a trace: September 11th and 16th Glasgow received one hundredth.

The average precipitation in September is 1.06 inches; this year Glasgow saw just .23 of an inch.

More than 50 volunteers shared their love of ranching and farming, with plans to bring the experience to Glasgow’s Irle Elementary School in 2026.

MALTA, MT – The ranch yard at Hinman Angus was alive with laughter this September as more than 200 Malta Elementary students spent a day learning, tasting, and exploring during Ag Education Day. Students milked a cow, churned cream into butter, felt freshly sheared wool, and discovered how water moves across farmland in a sand irrigation trailer.

By the end of the day, there were dirty clothes, sticky fingers from hand-shaken ice cream, and smiles all around. The goal was simple: help students see, touch, and taste where their food comes from.
“We have a lot of enthusiasm for hosting Ag Day here at Hinman Angus,” said Heidi Lulloff. “All four generations on the ranch participate in the planning and preparing. The day gets students out into the fresh air of a ranch environment and gives them a hands-on opportunity to make connections of food production from pasture to plate. We support every effort to preserve and promote local family farms and ranches to ensure the next generation can continue with the agriculture tradition.”

Organized by Ranchers Stewardship Alliance (RSA) and the Phillips County Cattlewomen (PCC) in collaboration with Hinman Angus, more than 50 volunteers from across Phillips County joined in, including neighbors, ranching families, and community groups who ran stations, baked cookies, and shared what they love about agriculture. It was a snapshot of what makes Montana’s Hi-Line special: people who show up, pitch in, and take pride in passing their way of life on to the next generation.

Phillips County stretches wide, with nearly 1.9 million acres of farmland and pasture and more than 70,000 head of cattle. By comparison, the number of Malta students in grades one through five could fill only a few buses. The scale might seem lopsided, but that is what makes this place unique. It is not about the
numbers. It is about the people who keep the connection between land and community alive.

As Mary Oxarart, President of PCC and Education Program Manager for RSA, said, “When you see so many people give their time to teach kids about agriculture, it shows how much we care about the future of both our children and our industry.”

With the success of this year’s event, plans are already underway to bring Ag Education Day back to Malta in 2026. The Ranchers Stewardship Alliance is also in conversation with the Glasgow School District to bring this opportunity to Irle Elementary School in partnership with Valley County ranchers.
For one bright fall day, the classroom had no walls, and the lessons were written in hoofprints, laughter, and community spirit. Ag Education Day was not just about learning where food comes from. It was about celebrating the people who make it all possible and the community we call home.

###

About the Ranchers Stewardship Alliance (RSA): The Ranchers Stewardship Alliance believes in a future where ranching and rural communities in the Northern Great Plains are so successful that ranch families never have to consider selling or transitioning their land out of production agriculture. Guided by the stewardship of ranchers, conservation, and community, RSA helps producers strengthen both their operations and the landscapes they depend on. Through educational programs, cost-share opportunities, and community partnerships, RSA works to support ranchers while sustaining wildlife habitat and the rural towns that make this region home.

From the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce & Agriculture: it has come to our attention that a $20.00 counterfeit bill was passed here in Glasgow. Please check your bills very carefully.

The National Weather Service is predicting rain, and possibly some light snow, for areas near the Canadian border and the Little Rockies this weekend.

Winds are expected to increase today (Friday) with a Lake Wind Advisory in effect for Fort Peck Lake from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. Saturday highs will reach the upper 70's, but then temperatures will drop to the mid 30's on Saturday night. Winds will increase again, with gusts as high as 35 mph Saturday night, and up to 45 mph on Sunday.

At this point, it looks like the best chance of precipitation will be Saturday night into Sunday morning, with a 70-80% chance. In Glasgow, that should be all rain.

City crews repaired the leaking water main valve before 1 p.m. on Friday, so service has now been restored in the 1st Avenue North and Railroad Alley North areas.

The Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks’ Region 6 Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) will meet from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 15, at the Best Western Great Northern Inn in Havre at 1345 1st Street. The public is welcome to attend.

The meeting will include regional updates from all Region 6 FWP divisions and a CAC roundtable.

Each of FWP’s seven administrative regions has a volunteer CAC to help guide policies and programs. The Region 6 group meets three to four times a year.

FWP ensures that its meetings are fully accessible to persons with disabilities. To request special accommodations for this meeting, please contact 406-228-3700.

U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senators Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy, as well as Representatives Troy Downing (MT-02) and Ryan Zinke (MT-01) today applauded the Senate passage of their bill that removes the harmful Biden-era Miles City Resource Management Plan Amendment (RMPA), which will further help unleash Made-In-Montana energy.

“Montana energy is back. Biden’s Miles City RMPA was an anti-coal rule that stifled mining in eastern Montana and would have cost many hard-working Montanans their jobs. Mining is a vital part of Montana, providing nearly a thousand well-paying jobs and contributing nearly $3 billion to our state’s economy. That’s why I introduced a bill along with the rest of our Montana delegation to remove this anti-energy rule and support Montana’s coal miners. I’m thrilled to see our resolution pass the U.S. Senate today and look forward to President Trump signing it into law,” said Daines.

“Montanans voted to make America energy dominant, and we are delivering by putting an end to disastrous Biden-era regulations that put our resource economy on life support. As your Senator, one of my top priorities is supporting Montana’s resource economy so we can create jobs, power America, and make Montana energy affordable, accessible, and reliable again. I’ll continue to work alongside President Trump and the Montana delegation to make America energy dominant, protect Montana jobs, and unleash prosperity in Montana’s rural communities,” said Sheehy.

“I’m proud to see my bill to overturn the Biden Administration's outright ban on coal leasing in the Powder River Basin pass the Senate today. H.J. Res. 104 will unleash Montana-made energy, bolstering our national security and ensuring Montanans have access to the affordable, reliable energy they need to thrive for generations to come. I am grateful to Senator Daines for his leadership and to my fellow delegation members for standing side by side with me in championing this legislation. I look forward to watching President Trump sign this bill into law and usher in a new age of American energy dominance,” said Downing.

“The Biden administration’s Miles City Resource Management Plan hurt Montana workers and put America’s energy security at risk. True energy dominance requires an all-of-the-above approach that includes Montana’s clean coal. Our economy runs on reliable, abundant, and affordable power, and that need will only grow with increased demand from AI and data centers. This bill puts Montana back in the driver’s seat to protect jobs and secure our energy future. I look forward to seeing the President sign it into law,” said Zinke.

BOZEMAN — Montana high school students eager to excel at advanced mathematics are invited to register for free mathematics contests set for Wednesday, Nov. 5, and Thursday, Nov. 13, at Montana State University. Exams are administered in person on campus in Bozeman, and results are submitted online and measured against a national competition pool.

The American Mathematics Competition 10/12 contests, hosted by MSU’s Science Math Resource Center in the College of Education, Health and Human Development, were developed by the Mathematical Association of America. The competition series provides an opportunity for high school students to develop improved analytical thinking, problem-solving and advanced mathematics skills.

The AMC 10 exam covers the high school mathematics curriculum through grade 10. AMC 12 covers high school math including trigonometry, advanced algebra and advanced geometry, but excluding calculus. Both exams are 25 questions, multiple choice, and administered in 75 minutes.

The AMC 10 and 12 tests to be given on Nov. 5 (called Test A) and Nov. 13 (Test B) have the same scoring and rules of administration. Test A and Test B examinations are designed to be equal in difficulty and distribution of topics, but the questions are unique to each exam. Students may register for either contest, or both.

Students through 10th grade and under 17 1/2 years old are eligible to participate in AMC 10; students through 12th grade and under 19 1/2 years old may participate in AMC 12. Students who score among the top national participants will be invited to take the American Invitational Mathematics Examination. Top scorers will also receive gift cards.

Competitions are challenging yet presented in a friendly and supportive environment. Organizers hope the contests will help students gain self-confidence, recognize their talents and foster a love for mathematics.

Registration is free for Montana students and is open until Oct. 29 for the Nov. 5 tests and until Nov. 5 for the Nov. 13 tests. For more information, visit www.montana.edu/smrc/stem-outreach/math-circle/american-mathematics-competitions.html or contact the MSU Science Math Resource Center at smrc@montana.edu or 406-994-7476.

The Glasgow School Board will meet on Wednesday at 6pm in the Gary F. Martin Board Room.

Get your trivialocation skills ready for "Bats and Brews Trivia" on Thursday, Oct. 9, starting at 6 p.m. at the Busted Knuckle Taproom in Glasgow.

Join Montana FWP and gather a team of your bat-expert friends for a night of learning about bats and bat conservation, and to have a chance to win some cool prizes!

Thanks to the Busted Knuckle for hosting and for having "Bat Pint Night," as they'll be donating $1 for every pint sold back into bat conservation.

Although overall runoff for September 2025 in the upper Missouri River Basin was above average, runoff in the Fort Peck and Garrison reaches continues to be well-below average.

“Beneficial rainfall occurred over central South Dakota and North Dakota in September resulting in well-above average runoff into Oahe, Big Bend, Fort Randall, and Gavins Point,” said John Remus, chief of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Missouri River Basin Water Management Division.

“The above-average runoff combined with the lower releases from Gavins Point slightly improves the System storage outlook for the beginning of the 2026 runoff season,” Remus added.

September runoff was 1.3 million acre-feet, 109% of average above Sioux City. Upper Basin contributions from Garrison Dam to Sioux City, IA made up 72% of the September runoff, while the reaches above Garrison Dam contributed 28% of the runoff. By comparison, the Fort Peck and Garrison reaches normally contribute about 65% of September’s upper Basin runoff. Upper Basin runoff for October is forecast to be about 75% of average, due to ongoing below-average forecasts in the Fort Peck and Garrison reaches. The updated 2025 calendar year forecast for the upper Basin is 19.6 MAF, 76% of average. Average annual runoff for the upper Basin is 25.7 MAF.

As of Oct. 1, the total volume of water stored in the System was 50.4 MAF, which is 5.7 MAF below the base of the System’s flood control zone. System storage will continue to decline through the fall. The updated reservoir studies indicate that the System storage is expected to be 48.5 MAF at the start of the 2026 runoff season, approximately 7.6 MAF below the base of flood control.

Winter Release Rate

As per the criteria in the Master Manual, the winter release rate is determined based on the Sept. 1 System storage. Per the Sept. 1 System storage, winter releases from Gavins Point Dam will be at least 12,000 cfs. In anticipation of the low winter releases, a letter was sent to water users downstream of Gavins Point Dam making them aware of the planned releases and encouraging them to assess the risk to their facilities.

Draft Annual Operating Plan

On Sept. 30, the draft 2025-2026 Annual Operating Plan was posted online at: https://go.mil/mr-meetings. The comment period on the draft AOP will close on Nov. 26.

Fort Peck Dam

Average releases past month – 9,100 cfs
Current release rate – 4,000 cfs
Forecast average release rate –4,000 cfs
End-of-September reservoir level – 2222.5 feet (down 1.9 feet since August 31)
Forecast end-of-October reservoir level – 2222.1 feet
The forecast reservoir releases and elevations discussed above are not definitive. Additional precipitation, lack of precipitation or other circumstances could cause adjustments to the reservoir release rates.

Hydropower:

The six mainstem power plants generated 637 million kWh of electricity in September. Typical energy generation for September is 900 million kWh. The power plants are projected to generate 7.7 billion kWh of electricity this year, compared to the long-term average of 9.4 billion kWh.

The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) is announcing and inviting the public to comment on a proposal that will resurface about 6 miles of US Highway 2 (US 2) northwest of Glasgow. The project begins about 9 miles west of Glasgow, near mile marker 531.8, and extends southeast, ending near Richardson Coulee.

Proposed work includes milling the existing surface, applying a new overlay, and finishing with a seal and cover (chip seal), upgraded pavement markings, signage, and rumble strips. The purpose of the project is to eliminate wheel line rutting and extend the life of the existing pavement to enhance safety and reduce maintenance costs.

Construction is tentatively planned for 2027 depending on completion of design and availability of funds. No new right-of-way or utility relocations will be needed.

Partnering with the community is an important part of properly planning for future projects. MDT welcomes the public to provide ideas and comments on the proposed project. Comments may be submitted online at mdt.mt.gov/contact/comment-form.aspx or in writing to Montana Department of Transportation, Glendive office, PO Box 890, Glendive, MT 59330-0890. Please note that comments are for project UPN 10672000.

The public is encouraged to contact Glendive District Preconstruction Engineer Jim Frank at 406-345-8214 or Project Design Engineer Steve Heidner at 406-345-8247 with questions or comments about the project.

For more information about active MDT projects around the state, please visit our website and MDT’s five-year Tentative Construction Plan.

MDT is a workforce of over 2,000 people across Montana determined to do all we can so that you arrive at your destination safely. Our mission is to build, operate, and maintain a safe and resilient transportation system. For more information, visit mdt.mt.gov.

Press Release from Valley County Sheriff Tom Boyer:

It has come to our attention that SCAM artists are calling local citizens of Valley County, telling them they have a warrant of arrest (for missing jury duty) and if you do not pay $$$ you will be taken to jail.
Do Not Fall For This SCAM - or any Scam such as this.

The Valley County Sheriff's Office will never call to tell you to pay money to clear a Warrant. We will never ask you to send money by way of WESTERN UNION. We will never ask you to send $$ via PAYPAL. PERIOD.

If you have a Warrant, Summons, Civil Papers that needs to be served to you, Valley County Sheriff Deputies will come to your house to serve you in person. If we cannot reach you at your home, after multiple attempts, we may try your place of work. Sometimes we will call you and ask for a convenient time to meet you or have you come to the office in person to receive your paperwork.
If you have a Warrant of Arrest we will simply come arrest you.

If you receive a scam phone call please notify dispatch on the non emergency number 406-228-4333 opt#2 and provide as much detail as possible about the interaction with the scammers. Providing phone numbers they called from (typically it will say No Caller ID), any identifiers like names, PayPal addresses, or Western Union account numbers can help us track down the perpetrators of this crime.
Lastly, if you believe a scammer is on the phone with you, it is okay to just hang up. Do not provide any personal information, account numbers, social security numbers, etc. You can call the Sheriff's Office to verify what you were told on the phone.

Please protect yourself and pass this on to your friends and family.

Sheriff Boyer

The Glasgow City Council will meet tonight at 5pm in the Council Chambers at the Glasgow Civic Center.

The Montana Weed Control Association will have the 2025 Fall Training at the Fort Peck Interpretive Center on Wednesday and Thursday, October 15th & 16th. Both sessions begin at 8 a.m. - Wednesday ends with a catered dinner at the Cottonwood Inn.

Applicator credits are available for those who attend. Contact Levi Capdeville, 406-263-9333, to register or for more information.

The Glasgow School enrollment is holding steady according to the latest enrollment report presented to the Glasgow School Board.

Kindergarten through 12th grade enrollment stands at 760 students. This is an increase from 759 students during the last enrollment count.

Current enrollment:

Kindergarten-43
1st grade- 57
2nd grade- 69
3rd grade- 53
4th grade- 69
5th grade- 71
6th grade- 54
7th grade- 54
8th grade- 66
9th grade- 62
10th grade- 50
11th grade- 53
12th grade- 59

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Thursday the federal government would make some announcement early next week to provide "substantial support" for farmers.

In an interview on CNBC, Bessent said it is unfortunate that Chinese leadership has decided to use soybean farmers "as a hostage or pawn" in the trade dispute.

Bessent said he spoke with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on Wednesday about some type of support for farmers.

"You should expect some news on Tuesday (Oct. 7) on substantial support for our farmers, especially soybean farmers. They have had President Trump's back and we have their back," Bessent said.

It's unclear what authority the Treasury Department would have to provide aid to farmers, or if Bessent was speaking about USDA using its funds from the Commodity Credit Corp. (CCC).

Donald Trump on Wednesday had posted on social media that "soybeans will be a major topic of discussion" next month when he meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump also has suggested taking tariff dollars to provide support to farmers.

Trump's post had an immediate positive effect on soybean prices, pushing up futures prices 20 cents on Wednesday and more than 5 cents a bushel on Thursday.

Rollins was on Fox Business News early Thursday pressing the White House narrative and Republican narrative that Democrats are to blame for the shutdown. Rollins said this will affect farmers and people who rely on nutrition programs.

"It's abandoning our farmers. It's sort of one thing after another with these Democrats and here we are again," Rollins said. She added, "Negotiations are fine. Our vice president said that yesterday, willing to always negotiate. But to hold our farmers hostage, our mothers and children hostage under WIC, all of these government programs are coming to a screeching halt."

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., raised concerns about Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices being closed during the shutdown.

"FSA employees are important to the farmers that we all represent. Again, that's an unnecessary consequence of the Schumer shutdown," Thune told Politico.

Republicans have laid a lot of the blame for the shutdown on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who drew criticism from Democrats last spring because he supported a funding bill that kept the government open.

Thune added, "I hope they can find ways to keep the FSA offices open and (I) certainly encourage that," he said. "But you know, the quickest way to end the conversation about that is to reopen the government."

Source: DTN

Rain will move into NE Montana Saturday morning and continue Saturday afternoon and evening before diminishing late Saturday night and Sunday morning. Here are the probabilities of a quarter of an inch or more.

Recently, Stan Ozark has been highlighting energy production in Montana. The information comes from the Energy Information Agency which is affiliated with the U.S. Department of Energy.

You can access the full report here: https://www.eia.gov/state/analysis.php?sid=MT

Montana, known as Big Sky State, is the fourth-largest state by total area. It is landlocked and bordered by Idaho to the west, Wyoming to the south, and North Dakota and South Dakota to the east. To the north, Montana has a 545-mile border with three Canadian provinces.

The state is rich in both fossil fuels and renewable resources and is a net supplier of energy to the rest of the nation. Three-tenths of the nation's estimated recoverable coal reserves are in Montana, and the northern and eastern areas of the state contain deposits of crude oil and natural gas.

The Continental Divide runs along the state's western mountains, making Montana the only state in the nation with rivers that drain into the Pacific Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, and Canada's Hudson Bay. The Missouri River, the longest river in the United States, starts in the Rocky Mountains in western Montana and flows eastward across the state. The river and its tributaries offer substantial hydroelectric energy resources.

Montana's western mountains, which range in elevation from 1,800 to 12,800 feet, create a climate with snowy winters and cool summers, with large variations in temperature, in the western one-third of the state. The central and eastern two-thirds of the state, which are part of the Northern Great Plains, experience warm summers and cold winters. The state's vast plains provide Montana with some of the best wind resources in the nation. Montana has the third-lowest population density among U.S. states, averaging about 7 people per square mile. Montana's population crossed the 1 million threshold in 2012 and continues to grow, but still ranks among the 10 states with the fewest residents. Montana's residents are clustered in and around a few cities, mainly in the valleys of the Missouri River and its tributaries. Much of the eastern third of the state has, on average, less than one resident per square mile. Montana ranks second only to Texas with almost 58 million acres of land in farms and ranches.

Montana's early economy was built around mining, ranching, wheat farming, and timber. After World War II, spurred by popular destinations such as Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks, tourism increased. In 1970, tourism surpassed mining to become the second-largest industry in the state after agriculture. Today, finance, insurance, real estate, rentals, and leasing are the largest contributors to the state's GDP, but energy resource extraction and mining continue to be significant parts of the state's economy. Mining, crude oil and natural gas production, petroleum refining, and agricultural industries are all energy-intensive. Those industries, as well as the amount of transportation fuels used to travel long distances within the state and the state's small population, help place Montana's per capita energy consumption near the top one-third of the states, even though its total energy consumption is among the 10 lowest states.

Montana’s residential sector per capita energy consumption ranks among the top five states.

The industrial sector leads Montana's end-use energy consumption, accounting for 30% of the state total, followed by the transportation sector at 29%. The residential sector makes up 23% of the state's energy use, and the commercial sector accounts for 18%. Montana's summer heat can exceed 100°F on the plains and winter can bring bitterly cold subzero temperatures.33 The state's temperature extremes and its small population contribute to Montana's residential sector being among the top five states with the highest per capita energy consumption.

Stability is the name of the game to start October with the national average for a gallon of regular the same as it was one week ago at $3.15. Tis the season for lower gas prices as demand drops and gas stations make the switch to winter-blend gasoline which is cheaper to produce. Crude oil supply remains robust as OPEC+ – a group of oil-producing countries – is likely to announce in the coming days another production increase in November. That surplus coupled with weaker demand is keeping pump prices down, even as some U.S. refineries are expected to go offline this month for seasonal maintenance.

Today’s National Average: $3.159

One Week Ago: $3.157

One Month Ago: $3.186

One Year Ago: $3.196

In Montana, the average price is $3.12 per gallon which is .14 cents cheaper than one year ago. In Valley County, the average price is $3.12 per gallon and the cheapest gasoline in Montana can be found in Dawson County where its $2.91 per gallon.

According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gasoline demand decreased from 8.95 million b/d last week to 8.51 million. Total domestic gasoline supply increased from 216.6 million barrels to 220.7 million. Gasoline production decreased last week, averaging 9.3 million barrels per day.

Oil Market Dynamics

At the close of Wednesday’s formal trading session, WTI fell 59 cents to settle at $61.78 a barrel. The EIA reports crude oil inventories increased by 1.8 million barrels from the previous week. At 416.5 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are about 4% below the five-year average for this time of year.

State Stats

Gas

The nation’s top 10 most expensive gasoline markets are California ($4.64), Washington ($4.53), Hawaii ($4.49), Oregon ($4.17), Nevada ($3.90), Alaska ($3.87), Arizona ($3.54), Idaho ($3.49), Utah ($3.39), and Illinois ($3.34).

The nation’s top 10 least expensive gasoline markets are Oklahoma ($2.65), Mississippi ($2.70), Louisiana ($2.74), Texas ($2.75), Arkansas ($2.75), Tennessee ($2.78), Alabama ($2.79), Missouri ($2.81), Wisconsin ($2.81), and South Carolina ($2.81).

A Wolf Point man accused of stabbing an individual on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation admitted to charges last week, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

The defendant, Lawrence George Fast Horse, 35, pleaded guilty to one count of domestic assault by habitual offender. Fast Horse faces 5 years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release.

Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing has been set for January 29, 2025. Fast Horse was detained pending further proceedings.

The government alleged in court documents that on August 2, 2024, Lawrence George Fast Horse stabbed Jane Doe in Poplar. Law enforcement officers responded to the scene and observed a stab wound on Jane Doe’s upper back. An officer searched Fast Horse at the scene and located a knife with brass knuckles attached to it in his right-side shorts pocket.

A witness provided a verbal and written statement to law enforcement. The witness advised that Fast Horse and Jane Doe were arguing, and Fast Horse pushed Jane Doe from behind. The witness saw Fast Horse attempt to conceal a blade behind his back. Fast Horse was arrested and subsequently transported to the Fort Peck Adult Correctional Facility. Jane Doe was taken to Poplar Community Hospital where she was treated for three stab wounds.

Fast Horse has been convicted of at least 5 prior domestic assaults between 2008 and 2020.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case.

From Glasgow National Weather Service Office:

With September now a memory, let’s look back at how the precipitation totals have been compared to normal so far this year. A few locations (Circle, Jordan and Plentywood areas) have received close to normal, but most of the area received less than normal. Also, much of this precipitation came later than expected (mainly in July). This may have put additional stress on some of the crops grown in the area.

UPDATE

09/30/2025

The Fort Peck Tribes Law Enforcement would like to inform the community that Tribal Officers detained Ethan Louis Murphy without incident. The situation was handled swiftly and safely, and there were no injuries or issues during the process.

We thank the community for their cooperation and support, and we commend all officers involved for their professionalism and dedication to maintaining peace and safety throughout Fort Peck.

Thanks to all Agencies involved: Wolf Point Police Department, Roosevelt County Sheriffs Office, Wolf Point Fire Department, NEMH services, Border Patrol, and Montana Highway Patrol.

Montana homeowners have until Wednesday, Oct. 1, to apply for rebates of up to $400 on their 2024 property tax bills, claiming relief that is one component of a bipartisan push by lawmakers and Gov. Greg Gianforte to address rising residential tax bills.

According to the Montana Department of Revenue, the rebates are available for single-family homes, apartments, condos and mobile homes owned and occupied by Montana taxpayers for at least seven months in 2024.

Properties owned by limited liability corporations and some types of trusts are ineligible. The Legislature also did not provide for rebates for renters, who typically pay their landlords’ property taxes via their rent.

Taxpayers can apply for the rebate via the revenue department website at getmyrebate.mt.gov. The application requires the property owner’s name and Social Security number as well as the property’s Montana Cadastral system geocode. Taxpayers who paid less than $400 in 2024 property taxes will also need to provide the amount of taxes billed on tax notice sent to them by their county treasurer last fall.

The rebates were part of the second-home tax and homestead tax relief package passed by the Legislature and signed by Gianforte, a Republican, earlier this year. Other provisions of the package rework tax calculations to reduce bills for owner-occupied and long-term rental residences. Those provisions will take effect starting with the 2025 tax bills that will be mailed this fall.

The state previously provided larger rebates of up to $675 on homeowner taxes billed in 2023 and 2022.

More information about the rebates and application process is available on the revenue department website.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is issuing a second Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) payment to eligible producers for the 2024 crop year. Of the authorized $10 billion in ECAP assistance, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) has already provided over $8 billion in payments to eligible producers to mitigate the impacts of increased input costs and falling commodity prices. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins made the announcement at the Ag Outlook Forum in Kansas City.

“Initial ECAP payments were factored by 85% to ensure that total program payments did not exceed $10 billion in available funding. Since additional funds remain, FSA is issuing a second payment,” said Deputy Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Brooke Appleton. “As producers continue to face market volatility, these payments along with the entire suite of supplemental disaster assistance programs, will help producers navigate market uncertainty, pay down debt for the 2024 crop year, and secure financing for the next crop year.”

Payments will automatically be made to eligible producers with approved ECAP applications who received an initial payment. Any application approved after Sept. 25, 2025, will receive one lump sum payment. Authorized by the American Relief Act, 2025, these economic relief payments are based on planted and prevented planted crop acres for eligible commodities for the 2024 crop year.

ECAP Payments

FSA is issuing a second payment ECAP equal to 14% of the gross ECAP payment to eligible producers, making the final payment factor 99%.

ECAP assistance is calculated using a flat payment rate for the eligible commodity multiplied by the eligible reported acres. Payments are based on acreage and not production. For acres reported as prevented planted, ECAP assistance is calculated at 50%.

Additional USDA Supplemental Disaster Assistance

In addition to the over $8 billion in ECAP payments, USDA has issued more than $1 billion in Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) assistance to livestock producers impacted by drought and federally managed lands wildfires in 2023 and 2024 with an additional $1 billion in expected payments for livestock producers impacted by floods and non-federally managed land wildfires in 2023 and 2024 (ELRP 2023/2023 FW). Livestock producers have until Oct. 31, 2025, to apply for (ELRP 2023/2023 FW) assistance. Producers have also received over $5.4 billion through Stage 1 of the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program for indemnified crop losses in 2023 and 2024. SDRP Stage 2 assistance for uncovered, quality, and shallow losses will be announced soon.

Two Rivers is pleased to announce its participation in the 2025 Reimagining Rural Roadshow, hosted by Montana State University Extension’s Community Vitality Team. The event will be held October 1–2, 2025 in Glasgow, bringing together community leaders, volunteers, regional and state organizations, and professionals for two days of collaboration, learning, and action.

What Is the Reimagining Rural Roadshow?

The Roadshow is designed to fuel rural vitality by connecting people doing the work on the ground with the resources, ideas, and networks that can help them succeed. It features workshops, panels, local tours, lightning talks, round-table sessions, and networking opportunities. Topics include rural housing, historic preservation, tourism, workforce development, and partnerships that make projects more sustainable.

Event Details

Date & Time:
Wednesday, October 1, 2025 — Check-in at 11:30 AM; local tour from 1:00-5:00 PM; Welcome Reception at 5:00-6:00 PM.
Thursday, October 2, 2025 — Registration and light breakfast at 8:30 AM; programming until about 3:00 PM.

Location:
Cottonwood Inn (check-in and tour), Busted Knuckle Tap Room (welcome reception), Glasgow, Montana.

Registration:
$30 per person (payment by card or check). Includes breakfast and lunch on Thursday.

Two Rivers’ Role & Why It Matters

Two Rivers sees this Roadshow as a vital opportunity to support and amplify rural communities’ efforts to build capacity, leverage local assets, and address common challenges. By participating, Two Rivers aims to:

• Share expertise and help catalyze actionable partnerships.

• Learn from other communities’ best practices in areas like housing, tourism, historic preservation, and community development.

• Connect Glasgow rural communities to regional and statewide resources.

“Rural communities are uniquely positioned to lead innovation in place-making, collaboration, and resiliency,” said Shyanne Wallace, Executive Director of Two Rivers Economic Growth. “We’re excited for the chance to come together, exchange ideas, and leave with momentum and concrete tools.”

Agenda Highlights

• Potholes Happen, Good Partners Make the Ride Smoother – a panel on how collaborations can smooth the path for rural projects, featuring Glasgow’s successful wayfinding project.

• Lightning Talks covering hot topics: Rural Capacity; Recreation & Amenities (“There’s Nothing to Do in this Darn Town!”); Rural Housing; Small Towns with Old Buildings.

• Speed-Dating Resources – meet regional/state agencies and people who can assist with grants, planning, historic preservation, infrastructure, etc.

• Round-Table Topics include Tourism, Workforce, Brownfields, Montana Historic Preservation Grants, among others.

Sponsors & Support

This event is made possible through the generous sponsorship of: NeighborWorks Montana; High Plains Architects; KLJ Engineering; Montana Department of Commerce, and the Glasgow TBID.