Montana Today

The Missoula Police Department eased up enforcement of illegal camping in the city as Missoula's homeless shelter was at full capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, with the introduction of a new legal camping site near Reserve Street, Missoula police officers are issuing citations for camping in the city.

The Billings Public School Board will decide whether to pull or keep two books in school libraries throughout the state’s largest public school district at its Monday night meeting, after a subcommittee recommended keeping one book and pulling another.

For the first time, Little Shell members will have guaranteed access to health services — and see their culture reflected in the offerings. The brick-and-mortar hub is a powerful symbol for a tribe that lacks a reservation.

Community Medical Center in Missoula had only around half of the amount of blood it usually stocks on Tuesday, said Dr. Nicole Finke, a pathologist at the hospital.

Depression among high school students hit its highest rate in three decades, 41 percent, during the pandemic, according to results of the 2021 Montana Youth Risk Behavior Study.

Officials said they anticipate the tests will arrive by January 24, at which time the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services will allocate the tests to public health departments.

While it wasn't easy, the City of Missoula finally received a bid to remodel Municipal Court at City Hall to accommodate one of the city's new Municipal Court judges. Until then, City Council chambers will function as a third courtroom.

A coalition of Montana medical groups warned on Tuesday that hospitals are once again at risk of being extended beyond their caregiving capacity as the more transmissible omicron variant starts to spread across the state.

The Montana Department of Transportation is trying its best to keep the 12,923 miles of road in its care clear of snow and ice. But this year, it’s doing that with about 60 fewer people than normal, thanks to a national labor shortage that continues to impact nearly every facet of life. 

After a tumultuous start due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the emergent Montana sports betting market picked up in 2021, with Montana bettors wagering $46 million through December 27.