The page you are looking for was moved, removed, renamed, or might never have existed.
HELENA — Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen cut the ribbon on a new law enforcement training facility Thursday. He and other officials told MTN News how the new space could help benefit officers throughout the state in the line of duty.
From the driver’s seat of a police interceptor sedan, the inside of Montana Law Enforcement Academy’s new Scenario Training Facility is reminiscent of a Montana Main Street.
Joel Wendland, Executive director of the Montana Law Enforcement Academy, says the new facility allows for realistic training like situations officers might face in the field.
“This environment will allow us to introduce students to the typical environments they will see out in their normal day-to-day jobs,” said Wendland.
Michael Wolff, MTN News
Attorney General Knudsen emphasized the enhancement of training capabilities made possible by the facility.
“When you’re trying to teach the new generation of law enforcement professionals how to do their jobs, we’re often doing it out in the snow or in the ice where it’s not safe. This gives us a climate-controlled facility to provide training year-round,” said Knudsen,
Knudsen surprised retiring Division of Criminal Investigation Administrator Brian Lockerby by naming the new facility after him. Reflecting on his time in law enforcement training during a speech at the ribbon cutting, Lockerby shared an emotional story.
“I’ve been in law enforcement a long time. When I went to the police academy, and some of you were there when the academy was six weeks long in Bozeman; we had two weeks, one week of firearms and one week of legal they gave us four weeks of training to have the authority to take someone else’s life and one of mine was Jana Rodgers from Big Horn County. She was killed about six years later in a bank robbery,” recalled Lockerby.
He hopes training administered in the new facility might save other law enforcement officers’ lives.
“I can’t help but wonder if extra training or the right training would have saved her life,” said Lockerby.
The page you are looking for was moved, removed, renamed, or might never have existed.
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at April 16, 2026, results for each game:
08-16-24-30, Bonus: 13
Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.
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.
‘Little Rascals’ star Bug Hall arrested in Ohio
Arkansas TV meteorologist Melinda Mayo retires after nearly four decades on air
ABC Kite Fest Returns to Austin for Annual Celebration – Austin Today
Dem fundraising giant in the hot seat as GOP lawmakers demand answers over dodged subpoena
‘Dr. Pimple Popper’ Sandra Lee had a stroke last fall. Here’s how the TV doc is bouncing back
Trump blasts Spanberger ahead of Virginia meetings, says state faces tax base exodus like New York, California
Woman discovers missing nose ring traveled to her lungs, causing month-long cough
President Trump terminates Presidio Trust