Montana
Transparency still one of Montana's cherished values • Daily Montanan
A few days ago, I was in Costco, and just as I rounded a corner, I passed a woman on the phone who said “Yeah, we was out digging, and when we come back in, there was Eric, dead in a mud puddle.”
That was the entirety of what I heard of the conversation, so I have as many questions as you do about what this single sentence meant in this woman’s life. From the lack of emotion in her voice, I had to assume that she was talking about a dog, but it’s entirely possible that it was one of her relatives, or someone who worked for them. Maybe even a vehicle?
This little incident made me think about the fact that you never really know what’s going on in someone’s life until you hear, as Paul Harvey used to say “the rest of the story.”
And as has been the case with so many of our most prominent politicians in recent years, the concerted effort to keep the rest of the story away from public view has become an art form, particularly in the Republican party. Greg Gianforte has somehow built a career in Montana without making himself available to public scrutiny. His “rallies” have generally been highly controlled gatherings, vetted to include only those who support him. After the way he handled a question he didn’t like in his first congressional race, it’s not hard to imagine why his handlers have taken this approach but it seems even more calculated than that.
It seems as if Gianforte and most of his contemporaries have come to realize that as long as they have an “R” next to their names, they don’t have to say much to garner support in Montana. So talking about anything publicly, or having any information released to the public, is actually risky.
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen found this out the hard way recently when he gave the OK to the Colonel of the Highway Patrol, Steve Lavin, to conduct a survey among his staff, and the results of the survey were not flattering, especially toward Knudsen himself.
When the Daily Montanan published these results, Knudsen was so furious that he had his office issue a cease-and-desist order to the newspaper, trying to get them to retract the article. But of course this survey fell under the public information act because it was conducted by a government agency, so he didn’t have a leg to stand on, something you’d expect an attorney to understand. But Knudsen is not your ordinary attorney. He thinks nothing of bending the rules for his own benefit.
In fact, he went on to make the decision to force out Lavin, giving him no explanation, but considering it happened right after the survey, it’s pretty easy math. When Lavin did a little research and realized that firing him without cause was not legal, he filed a lawsuit, and this is just the latest in a series of charges against Knudsen, who is already being investigated for 41 instances of professional misconduct.
It has become increasingly clear, as Gianforte tried to avoid agreeing to a debate with Democratic challenger Ryan Busse, and Knudsen attempts to stifle the truth, that the Republican party in Montana is working hard to control the narrative, and only dole out a few morsels of information about what they’re up to. Because when the truth is damning, people generally do whatever they can to stifle it. Thankfully, we still have enough of a press in this country to bring these facts to light.
But please, Montanans, be aware of how hard these people are working to hide their truth from you. Although Gianforte eventually agreed to a debate, he still rarely makes public appearances that aren’t completely staged. Transparency has always been valuable to Montanans, and it should be even more so now.
The 2026 “deer, elk, antelope” and “moose, sheep, goat, bison” hunting regulations are available from Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. As with every year, there are changes hunters should know.
Highlights include some boundary changes to several hunting districts, adjustments to tags offered, an application process for unlimited bighorn sheep licenses, and changes to the limit on the number of licenses non-resident deer hunters can purchase.
FWP reminds hunters to brush up on those regulations and make sure you know what steps you need to take ahead of licenses and applications opening.
“Familiarize yourself,” said FWP communication and education program manager Vivaca Crowser. “You may see no changes in your hunting district that you had to, or you may see some, so it’s a good time to remember that those changes happen. They happen more in depth every other year; this is one of those years.”
More information about the changes and how to find the new regulations can be found here.
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Jan. 27, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from Jan. 27 drawing
04-20-38-56-66, Mega Ball: 05
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Jan. 27 drawing
01-10-32-37-48, Lucky Ball: 09
Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from Jan. 27 drawing
09-21-27-28, Bonus: 06
Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
- Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
- Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.
Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.
Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.
Where can you buy lottery tickets?
Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.
You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.
Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: jackpocket.com/tos.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.
KALISPELL, Mont. — Two app development teams from Code Girls United won the Congressional App Challenge in both Montana districts.
A team with Lily Kirkaldie, Charlie Kotthoff, and Danica Sabo from Great Falls won with their app ‘Cursive Create’.
The app helps teach cursive writing, which the team said is important since cursive is no longer taught in schools.
Three senior students from Browning High School, Aiyahna Green, Kalani Sun Rhodes, and Keesha Guerrero-Gobert, won with their app ‘Sspomo’.
This app provides awareness and resources for people facing mental health challenges, and was inspired by the Blackfeet tribe.
“They were really thoughtful about their community and what was affecting the people that they knew on the reservation, and what they could actually do to help them,” said Code Girls United CEO Marianne Smith.
“What they were seeing in the community was depression and other mental health issues, so they specifically wanted to create an app that would be able to help people that were in that same situation,” said Smith.
Both teams will travel to Washington D.C. for the National Science Fair’s ‘House of Code’, where they will showcase their apps in the U.S. Capitol.
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The event is scheduled for April 21 and 22.
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