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Community
Community
Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest Seeks Community Members for Resource Advisory Committee
1 source · helena national forest alerts · 06:47
The Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest is recruiting members to serve on its Resource Advisory Committee, a federal advisory body that makes recommendations on how to spend funds from the Secure Rural Schools program on projects benefiting national forest lands and surrounding communities.
Community
Planned Parenthood of Montana to Open Bozeman Clinic with Abortion Services
1 source · montana free press · 06:47
Planned Parenthood of Montana has announced plans to open its first-ever clinic in Bozeman, one that will include abortion services — a significant expansion for the organization in a state where access to reproductive health care remains a politically charged and legally contested issue. The Bozeman location would be the fifth Planned Parenthood clinic in Montana, joining existing facilities in Helena, Great Falls, Missoula, and Billings.
Community
State Employees and Retirees Facing Significant Health Insurance Cost Increases
1 source · google news (helena) · 06:46
Montana state employees and retirees are looking at a substantial jump in what they'll pay out of pocket for health coverage, according to a report from Nonstop Local News Montana. The increases affect a workforce that includes thousands of Helena-area residents employed by state agencies, the university system, and other public entities.
Community
Slow-Moving Storm Dumps Uneven Rain Across Montana; Some Areas See Inches
1 source · ktvh helena · 06:46
A storm system that has been grinding through Montana for several days finally began clearing Tuesday, but not before dropping widely variable rainfall totals across the state. Some areas picked up inches of rain while others saw little to nothing, a pattern consistent with slow-moving convective systems that interact unevenly with Montana's terrain.
Community
Three Juvenile Grizzlies Repeatedly Moving Through Lincoln; Residents and FWP on Alert
1 source · ktvh helena · 06:46
Three juvenile grizzly bears have made themselves a recurring presence in and around Lincoln in recent weeks, showing up often enough that the sightings have become a regular topic in town and on the Lincoln Live Facebook group — the community's informal clearinghouse for local news and wildlife alerts.
Community
Helena Still Doesn't Have a Low-Barrier Shelter, and the Gap Is Getting Harder to Ignore
edition · 09:01
Two community stories this week, read together, paint a quietly troubling picture of Helena's social safety net. Advocates were still pushing this week for a true low-barrier homeless shelter — one that accepts people regardless of sobriety or mental health status — noting that Helena remains without one. On the same week, Gov. Gianforte sat down with the HUD secretary in Bozeman to discuss foster youth housing challenges, a conversation that highlights how the housing gap isn't just a street-level problem but a systemic one touching young people aging out of the foster care system. The YWCA Helena's annual Rise & Shine Benefit Breakfast and the Perkins Call Canine Center's upcoming rabbit adoption event both speak to a community that genuinely shows up for each other — but showing up for a breakfast fundraiser is different from having a physical shelter with an unlocked door. The Helena City Commission, which has now held five bylaws work sessions and counting, hasn't made the low-barrier shelter question its centerpiece. Advocates say that needs to change before winter. Helena's homeless population doesn't have the luxury of a fifth work session.
Community
Patricia Eva Visser, 62, of Helena
1 source · helena obituaries · 06:47
Patricia Eva Visser, 62, of Helena, passed away at her home on the morning of Saturday, August 29, 2026, surrounded by her family. Services are being handled by Anderson Stevenson Wilke and Retz Funeral Home in Helena.
Community
Tuesday Brings Helena's Warmest Day of the Week, Highs Expected in the 80s
1 source · ktvh helena · 06:47
Helena is in for its warmest day of the week on Tuesday, September 1, with highs expected to climb into the 80s under partly to mostly sunny skies. Monday was already a pleasant one — abundant sunshine, dry conditions, and comfortable temperatures — and Tuesday builds on that before temperatures ease back later in the week.
Community
Helena Still Without Low-Barrier Homeless Shelter as Advocates Push New Approach
1 source · montana free press · 06:47
Helena remains without a true low-barrier homeless shelter — one that accepts people regardless of sobriety, mental health status, or other conditions that more restrictive facilities use to screen clients — and a group of local advocates is now pushing a potential solution they say could finally change that. Emily Frazier, speaking this week to the Helena This Week newsletter, outlined what she and others have been working on, though specific details of the proposal were not fully available in early reporting.
Community
Perkins Call Canine Center Hosts Rabbit Adoption Event October 3
1 source · helena arts & culture · 06:46
Perkins Call Canine Center is hosting "Fun With The Buns" on Saturday, October 3, a free community event centered on rabbit adoption and awareness. Organizers are waiving adoption fees for the day and have lined up a raffle, a 50/50 drawing, face painting, snacks, and games to fill out the afternoon.
Community
YWCA Helena Hosts Annual Rise & Shine Benefit Breakfast
1 source · helenaevents.com · 06:46
YWCA Helena is hosting its annual Rise & Shine Benefit Breakfast, bringing together community members, donors, and organizational partners for a morning program that caps out at 9:15 a.m. Doors open at 7:45 a.m., and a complimentary breakfast prepared by local caterers will be served. The event is one of the YWCA's signature fundraising efforts of the year.
Community
Storm System Brings Weekend Showers Before Sun Returns to Helena
1 source · ktvh helena · 06:48
A cold front swept through western Montana late Saturday afternoon, bringing a line of showers and thunderstorms to the Helena area before pushing east overnight into Sunday. The broader storm system is tracking toward eastern Montana, where it will continue to produce unsettled weather through at least Sunday morning.
Community
Montana Gets Its First Dedicated Mahjong House — in Billings
1 source · ktvh helena · 06:48
Montana Mahj, the state's first dedicated mahjong house, opened August 14 at 2528 Grand Ave. in Billings, founded by litigation attorney Brooke Murphy and physician assistant Randi Ellis — two friends who say the game gave them something they hadn't realized they were missing.
Community
Helena Residents Catch a Lunar Eclipse Late Thursday Night
1 source · reddit helena & montana · 06:48
If you were up past 10 p.m. Thursday and happened to look up, you caught a lunar eclipse — and apparently a fair number of Helena residents did exactly that, with locals sharing real-time updates on social media as the eclipse became visible.
Community
Community Calendar Is Filling Up — And That's a Good Thing
edition · 09:01
After a week heavy with legal battles and utility complaints, the community desk offered some genuine relief: Helena and the surrounding area have a packed fall calendar taking shape. The Helena Quilters' Guild is bringing more than 150 quilts to the Civic Center on September 18 and 19 for its Stars Shine Bright show. York Fest returns September 19 with music, vendors, and a free day out in the gulch country north of town. West Mont's Harvest Day at the York Road farm is set for September 26, offering families a free afternoon on working agricultural land. And this week, Helena voters got an early look at fall candidates at the 'Grazing with the Elephants' meet-and-greet at the Lewis and Clark County Fairgrounds. On the education front, the week carried a sharp contrast: Hardin High students premiered a film spoken almost entirely in the Crow language — a remarkable community achievement — while families closer to home were blindsided by the Catholic Diocese of Great Falls-Billings canceling St. Patrick's Academy days before the school year was set to begin. The Diocese decision left families scrambling for alternatives with almost no lead time, a reminder that even good-news weeks carry sharp edges. Last Chance Gulch logged 76 mentions this week, and the Civic Center and Fairgrounds both featured prominently — evidence that Helena's public spaces are doing what they're supposed to do as summer turns to fall.
Community
Showers and Haze Expected This Weekend as August Closes Out
1 source · ktvh helena · 06:49
Helena is heading into the final weekend of August under partly to mostly cloudy skies, with scattered showers and thunderstorms possible — particularly across central Montana — and areas of haze that could reduce visibility and push air quality into the moderate range.
Community
Helene Augusta Brown, 92
1 source · helena obituaries · 06:49
Helene Augusta Brown, a Helena resident and longtime member of her community, passed away peacefully on August 26, 2026. She was 92.
Community
West Mont Hosts Free Harvest Day at York Road Farm on September 26
1 source · helena arts & culture · 06:49
West Mont is inviting Helena families out to its farm property at 3240 York Road on Saturday, September 26, for Harvest Day 2026 — a free annual event that has become one of the more quietly beloved fall traditions on the east side of town.
Community
West Nile Virus Confirmed in Cascade County — First Montana Human Case of 2026
1 source · ktvh helena · 06:48
State health officials have confirmed Montana's first human case of West Nile virus in 2026, with the infection traced to Cascade County. It is the first locally acquired human case in Cascade County since 2018, according to Cascade City-County public health officer Trisha Gardner, who said the evidence points to the virus being contracted within the county rather than during travel.
Community
BLM Plans to Remove 40 Horses from Pryor Mountain Range This Fall
1 source · ktvh helena · 06:48
The Bureau of Land Management has announced plans to remove 40 horses from the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range this fall, part of the agency's 10-year herd management plan for one of Montana's most closely watched wild horse populations. BLM field manager Nate Arave said the horses in the range are running out of resources, citing the need to keep the herd in balance with the land's carrying capacity.
Community
Helena's Fall Calendar Is Already Filling Up — And the Community Is Showing Up
edition · 09:02
Even with smoke in the air and political noise on the radio, Helena's community and arts calendar this week signaled something quieter and more durable: people here keep showing up for each other. The Helena Education Foundation announced the return of its Carnival Classic at Memorial Park on September 13. Septemberfest locked in its September 11–13 dates on Last Chance Gulch, going galactic for its sixth year. Headwaters Craft House announced a free Monday game night starting September 14. Preserve Montana is offering a hands-on window restoration workshop in September. The Bray Center held a free summer resident panel. A free music series kept running Saturdays up in Lincoln. And Camp Sky Child — in its 30-plus year run giving kids with incarcerated parents a summer escape — got its own spotlight this week, a reminder that some of Helena's most important community work happens without a press release. Last Chance Gulch logged 74 mentions this week, tied with the National Weather Service, which is its own kind of data point: Helena's civic gathering places are as much a part of the weekly conversation as the weather. The stretch from September 11 through September 14 is shaping up to be one of the busiest community weekends of the year.
Community
Camp Sky Child Marks 30-Plus Years Giving Helena-Area Kids with Incarcerated Parents a Summer Escape
1 source · ktvh helena · 06:47
For more than three decades, a University of Providence educator has been running Camp Sky Child, a summer camp at Camp Rotary in the Little Belt Mountains designed specifically for children whose parents are incarcerated. The program, now in its 30-plus year of operation, gives kids from across Montana a week away from the stress and stigma that often defines life when a parent is in prison.
Community
Scattered Showers and Storms Continue Through Friday; Some Valley Spots Top an Inch of Rain
1 source · ktvh helena · 06:47
Helena woke up Friday, August 14, to more of what the valley has been seeing since Wednesday — scattered showers, overnight storms, and a meaningful accumulation of rain for a region that doesn't always get this kind of late-summer relief. A majority of locations in the area picked up at least a tenth of an inch since Wednesday evening, and a handful of spots landed at or above one inch total.
Community
Mill Falls Campground to Close Temporarily for Improvements
1 source · helena national forest alerts · 06:47
Mill Falls Campground is temporarily closing to allow for facility improvements, according to a notice posted by land managers. The closure affects campers planning to use the site during the affected period, and visitors are advised to check for updated reopening information before heading out.
Community
Mike Billings, Helena Resident, Dies at 90
1 source · google news (helena) · 06:47
Mike Billings of Helena passed away on August 7, 2026, having just celebrated his 90th birthday. He was born July 21, 1936.
Community
Ronnie Berry Cullen, 80, of Helena, Passes Away
1 source · helena obituaries · 06:47
Ron B. Cullen, 80, of Helena, Montana, passed away on July 31, 2026, following a medical episode. He was born March 13, 1946, in Sunnyside, Washington, to Walter Cullen and Marjorie Lowry Cullen, the oldest of four children alongside siblings Steve, Dale, and Carol.
Community
William Allen Neisess, Helena Resident, Dies at 66
1 source · helena obituaries · 06:46
William Allen Neisess, known to family and friends as Billy, died Saturday morning, August 8, 2026. He was 66 years old and a resident of Helena.
Community
Peosta Avenue Residents Raise Glare Concerns After Streetlight Shields Removed
1 source · google news (helena) · 06:46
A Helena resident has raised concerns with the city after three streetlight shields were removed from fixtures on Peosta Avenue, leaving neighbors dealing with increased glare from the uncovered lights. The resident is asking why the shields were taken down and whether they will be replaced.
Community
John James Sanderson, 64, East Helena
1 source · google news (helena) · 06:47
John James Sanderson of East Helena passed away peacefully at home on July 31, 2026. He was 64 years old, born July 16, 1962.
Community
Helena Volunteers Reopen Elkhorn Mountain Trails After Storm Damage
1 source · google news (helena) · 06:47
A group of Helena volunteers spent time this summer cutting through downed timber and clearing trail in the Elkhorn Mountains after windstorms left sections of the trail system impassable. The work restored recreational access to a range that draws hikers, hunters, and mountain bikers from Helena and the surrounding valley.
Community
Helena's Community Calendar Is Full — and That's Worth Celebrating
edition · 09:01
Against a backdrop of fire smoke, heat advisories, and government turbulence, Helena's community and arts scene showed up this week in ways that deserve their own headline. Montana Pride returned to Last Chance Gulch on August 8 with a parade stepping off from Anchor Park — Last Chance Gulch was one of the week's most-mentioned locations, appearing 70 times across coverage. The Fox Den DJ collective threw a Montana Pride dance party at Jester's Bar. Grandstreet Theatre announced 'Shrek The Musical,' which logged 45 mentions and is clearly generating local excitement. The Helena Youth Battle of the Bands returned to the Myrna Loy. Camp Bright Horizons brought children of incarcerated parents to Carroll College for a week of programming. And residents raised questions about tree removal on Mount Helena, Mount Ascension, and Bommert Hill — a sign that Helenans are paying close attention to the public lands they use every day. Even in a hard week, the community calendar stayed full. That's not a small thing.
Community
Helena Youth Battle of the Bands Returns to the Myrna Loy This Summer
1 source · helenaevents.com · 06:47
Young musicians from around Helena will take the stage at the Myrna Loy this summer for the second annual Youth Battle of the Bands — a showcase that opened to strong enough turnout last year to earn a return engagement at one of the city's best-known performance venues on Last Chance Gulch.
Community
Residents Flag Tree Cutting on Mount Helena, Mount Ascension, and Bommert Hill
1 source · reddit helena & montana · 06:46
Helena residents are asking questions on social media about tree removal work visible on Mount Helena, Mount Ascension, and Bommert Hill, with a post on the r/helena subreddit drawing early attention to the activity. The thread, which had garnered a handful of comments as of this week, reflects a recurring tension in Helena over how the city and land managers balance forest health treatments — including fire mitigation thinning — with the open-space character that draws people to those hillsides in the first place.
Community
Community Tensions Are Running at a Simmer — And Two Vigils Marked the Week
edition · 09:01
Two community gatherings this week had nothing to do with festivals or fun runs. On Monday evening, roughly 75 Helena residents stood inside a chalked box at Hill Park to memorialize men killed by ICE agents in Texas — the visual designed to communicate the confined space the men allegedly died in. Earlier in the week, about a dozen Butte residents gathered outside Sen. Tim Sheehy's local office to memorialize more than 60 people they say have died as a result of federal policy actions. Neither event was large by the numbers, but both drew press coverage and both reflect a pattern of Montanans organizing public grief as a form of political expression. That pattern exists alongside more immediate local anxieties: the ongoing state investigation into milk spoiling before its expiration date has drawn hundreds of family reports statewide, and AI license plate cameras already operating in Great Falls are prompting a broader Montana debate about surveillance. Independent U.S. Senate candidate Seth Bodnar picked up a VoteVets endorsement this week, adding a political dimension to the federal policy tensions already visible on the streets. Donald Trump ranked as the ninth-most-mentioned entity in Helena-area coverage this week with 45 references — a number that reflects how thoroughly federal decisions are filtering into local stories right now, from grizzly bear management to energy planning to immigration.
Community
Anchor Summer Jam Set for Memorial Park on August 22
1 source · helena arts & culture · 06:46
Anchor Church is hosting its annual Anchor Summer Jam at Memorial Park on Saturday, August 22, with free admission for the public. The event features live music, local food and vendor booths, games, teen activities, and a community cornhole tournament, according to event organizers.
Community
75 Helena Residents Gather at Hill Park Vigil for Men Killed by ICE Agents in Texas
1 source · daily montanan · 06:47
About 75 people stood in a 200-square-foot box chalked on the grass at Hill Park on Monday night, a visual meant to represent the confined space in which two men were killed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents earlier this month in Texas. Indivisible Helena organized the vigil, one of several held around the country in the days following the shootings, and drew a mix of longtime immigration advocates, faith community members, and Helena residents who said they had not attended a protest before.
Community
State Hiring Social Security Income Specialist in Helena
1 source · montana state jobs · 06:47
The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services is recruiting for a Social Security Income Specialist position based in Helena. The role sits within a department that administers a broad range of public assistance programs, and income specialist positions typically involve helping clients navigate eligibility for Supplemental Security Income and related federal benefit programs.
Community
Montanans Report Milk Spoiling Early as State Investigation Continues
1 source · ktvh helena · 06:47
Hundreds of Montana families have reported buying milk that spoiled well before its printed expiration date, and a state investigation is ongoing after MTN News first broke the story earlier this month. The complaints span multiple brands and retailers and have come from across the state, including from Helena-area residents, raising questions about whether the problem is isolated to a single dairy source or reflects a broader supply chain issue.
Community
Missouri River Running at 3,580 cfs Below Holter Dam
1 source · usgs water levels (helena) · 06:47
The Missouri River below Holter Dam was flowing at 3,580 cubic feet per second as of Monday morning, July 28, according to a U.S. Geological Survey gauge reading taken at 11:45 a.m. at Station 06066500. The Holter Dam release rate is a number that Helena-area anglers, boaters, and Canyon Ferry recreators tend to keep an eye on, as flows downstream from the dam influence wading conditions on the upper Missouri and affect how the river fishes through the Gates of the Mountains stretch.
Community
Free Family Fitness Event Coming to Helena on August 8 with Kids' Fun Run, ExplorationWorks Access
1 source · helenaevents.com · 06:46
Helena families have a free morning of outdoor activity coming up on Saturday, August 8, with a community health and wellness event that organizers are billing as the city's premier free family fitness gathering. The event includes a one-mile kids' fun run, games and activities, and complimentary admission to ExplorationWorks! and the Great Northern Carousel for participants.
Community
Arthritis Foundation Exercise Classes Offered in Helena Through Community Education
1 source · helenaevents.com · 06:47
The Arthritis Foundation's Exercise Program is available in Helena through Community Education, offering structured movement classes designed for people managing arthritis pain, stiffness, and reduced mobility. The program is taught by trained instructors and built around exercises that can be done seated, standing, or lying on the floor — an approach designed to accommodate a wide range of physical ability.
Community
'Grand Theft Dino': Sinclair Dinosaur Stolen from Gardiner Gas Station, Found Bolted to Canyon Cliff
1 source · ktvh helena · 06:46
Someone pulled off what is arguably the most Montana prank of the summer over the weekend, hauling a nearly 300-pound Sinclair dinosaur out of a Gardiner gas station parking lot Sunday evening and bolting it to a cliff face in Yankee Jim Canyon, roughly 10 miles away near the north entrance to Yellowstone National Park. Drivers spotted the bright green brontosaurus on the rock wall the next morning and word got out fast.
Community
Arthritis Foundation Exercise Classes Continue Mondays and Wednesdays in Helena
1 source · helenaevents.com · 06:47
The Arthritis Foundation's Exercise Program is holding ongoing classes in Helena on Mondays and Wednesdays at noon, offering low-impact movement sessions designed for all ability levels. Classes include exercises that can be done while sitting, standing, or lying down — making the program accessible to participants with significant mobility limitations.
Community
Missouri River Running at 3,400 CFS Below Holter Dam
1 source · usgs water levels (helena) · 06:46
The Missouri River below Holter Dam was flowing at 3,400 cubic feet per second as of Friday morning, July 18, according to a reading from U.S. Geological Survey monitoring station 06066500.
Community
'Shrek The Musical' Coming to Grandstreet Theatre
1 source · helenaevents.com · 06:47
Grandstreet Theatre is staging "Shrek The Musical" on its main stage, bringing the green-skinned ogre and his fairy tale companions to Last Chance Gulch's home for community theater. Based on the Oscar-winning DreamWorks animated film, the production promises the kind of loud, colorful family show that tends to fill Grandstreet's seats with kids dragging their parents and grandparents along for the ride.
Community
Hot and Stormy Pattern Returns Thursday With Afternoon Showers Likely Through the Weekend
1 source · ktvh helena · 06:47
Helena residents are in for another stretch of summer heat punctuated by afternoon and evening thunderstorms, with forecasters calling for daily chances of showers and storms from Thursday through at least Saturday. Morning conditions are expected to be sunny and dry, with clouds building and storm chances increasing as the day heats up — a pattern that Helenans know well and that has been repeating itself much of this summer.
Community
The Heat Is the Story — And It's Not Just About Temperature
edition · 09:00
Helena baked through what forecasters called the hottest stretch of the year so far, with an upper-level high-pressure ridge parked over southwest Montana and the National Weather Service issuing a Heat Advisory running through Monday evening. But the heat story this week wasn't just about uncomfortable afternoons — it was about the downstream effects that came with it. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks used the spike in temperatures to remind residents that rattlesnakes are on the move, more active and more likely to turn up in yards, on trails, and near water sources as they seek cool ground. Midweek fog complicated commutes for parts of north-central Montana before burning off. Taken together, the week's weather coverage painted a consistent picture: summer in Helena has arrived hard and fast, and it's changing daily routines in ways both obvious and subtle. If you're heading out to one of this week's outdoor events — the Last Chance Street Dance, Symphony Under the Stars at Carroll College, or the Saturday concert series out in Lincoln — the NWS advisory is worth a second look before you go.
Community
As the Heat Climbs, So Does Rattlesnake Activity — Here's What FWP Wants You to Know
1 source · ktvh helena · 06:47
With temperatures spiking across the region, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is reminding residents that rattlesnakes are on the move. The snakes are more active in hot weather, and encounters are more likely when people are out on trails, in rocky terrain, or working in yards and fields where the animals seek cover.
Community
Last Chance Street Dance Returns to the Walking Mall This Wednesday
1 source · reddit helena & montana · 06:47
The Last Chance Street Dance is back on the Walking Mall this Wednesday, July 8, giving Helena residents another chance to take over the pedestrian stretch of Last Chance Gulch for an evening of outdoor dancing and community gathering.
Community
Afternoon Showers Expected Wednesday; Fog Clearing by Midmorning
1 source · ktvh helena · 06:47
Wednesday is starting foggy for parts of north-central Montana, particularly east of Interstate 15, but forecasters say that fog will burn off quickly as the morning progresses, giving way to a sunny start before clouds build through the afternoon.