Ahead of the 2026 Maccabiah Games, an event often called the “Jewish Olympics” and the largest Jewish sporting competition in the world, which are set to begin next week, social media influencer, dancer, and singer, Montana Tucker expressed her excitement to be hosting the delegation parade at the event and said that the games were taking place at a critical point for the global Jewish community.
Montana
2025 Montana Football HOF: Lex Hilliard ran wild from Flathead to the NFL
BILLINGS — In the serene landscapes of Kalispell, young Lex Hilliard turned a bright green football field into his stomping grounds. Literally.
In his sophomore year at Flathead High School, the powerful running back started shattering records with electrifying runs totaling almost 1,400 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns that season.
He’d close high school with over 4,400 all-purpose yards and 44 touchdowns, records standing the test of time.
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2025 Montana Football HOF: UM’s Lex Hilliard running wild from Flathead to NFL
Then No. 38 delivered an instant impact for the Montana Grizzlies. He’d bust onto the scene running for nearly 600 yards. A year later, almost 1,000 while earning first-team All-Big Sky honors, and eventually in his Griz career a Walter Payton Award finalist. Comb through UM’s record books and you’ll find Hilliard’s name almost 40 times.
He’d leave as one of Montana’s toughest running backs. How about this recollection from former teammate Chase Reynolds?
“There was a point during a game where he had busted his thumb or something and he had a pin in it. During the game, the pin had stuck out through his thumb,” Reynolds said. “I remember them, with pliers, trying to get the pin out. I remember going, ‘Man this guy, he’s tough.’ I don’t care what you do in the weight room or on the field, he’s trying to get this pin pulled out of his thumb so he can go back in there and play.”
In 2008 a dream come true; Hilliard was taken in the sixth round of the NFL draft by the Miami Dolphins where he’d join former Griz kicker Dan Carpenter. A year later, Hilliard appeared in all 16 games. In fact, he and Carpenter accounted for every point the Dolphins scored in a 27-20 loss to Houston.
Lex spent 2012 with the Patriots and Jets, finishing his NFL career playing in 62 games, including 13 starts, and totaling 163 rushing yards, 233 receiving yards and four touchdowns. After fracturing his shoulder blade, he called it a career.
Lex Hilliard’s drive and toughness remain etched in hearts from Kalispell to the NFL, and now to the Montana Football Hall of Fame.
The hall of fame induction ceremony is June 28 at the Billings Hotel and Convention Center at 5 p.m. Tickets are $100 per person or $800 for a table of eight. Visit www.mtfootballhof.com for information.
ELK PARK — A father and his four sons reported missing near Elk Park were found safe after their vehicle became disabled, according to Butte-Silver Bow County Sheriff Ed Lester.
They were found walking along a roadway around 5 p.m. north of Maney Lake, according to Lester.
Rescuers from 15-90 Search and Rescue, the United States Marshals Service, the United States Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) were able to reach the group and transport them to safety.
“We are very happy that everyone is safe. We appreciate the hard work of the rescuers and the coordination among Jefferson, Anaconda-Deer Lodge, Powell, and Silver Bow counties,” Lester said in a statement.
(original report) Law enforcement and search and rescue teams are searching for a missing father and his four sons near Elk Park, just off Interstate 15, after the group failed to return from a fishing trip north of Butte.
The group has been missing for nearly 24 hours. Three of the four boys are Type 1 diabetics in need of insulin.
WATCH: Law enforcement and search and rescue teams near Butte, Montana are searching for a missing father and four sons. Three of the boys are Type 1 diabetics in urgent need of insulin
Search expands for missing Butte family as friend reveals 3 of 4 boys are Type 1 diabetics
Courtney Mosier, a family friend who drove from Helena to assist in the search, said the urgency of the situation is critical.
“There (are) four little boys that range from ages 14 to 10. Three of the little boys are Type 1 diabetics. They need their insulin. They need their sugar. They need to be found immediately,” Mosier said.
Mosier has known the father, Paul Klimpel, her whole life and said his outdoor experience is a reassuring factor.
“Paul is an avid outdoorsman. Like I said, I’ve known him my whole life. If the truck broke down, Paul would be able to fix it. So, luckily they’re with a really, really, really good adult. We just need to find these children,” Mosier said.
Meagan Thompson
According to a press release from Butte Sheriff Ed Lester, police are searching for the group in the Brown’s Gulch, American Gulch, Flume Gulch, and Bernice area north of Butte. Officials are also searching the Homestake and Delome Lake areas.
The last known location of the group came from a cell phone ping near Maney Lake.
“The last ping from one of the little boys’ cell phone was up near Maney Lake so that’s where the family is at currently right now,” Mosier said.
Butte-Silver Bow County Sheriff’s Office Butte-Silver Bow Sheriff’s Office
Anyone who spots a white Ford Ranger flatbed pickup is encouraged to call law enforcement at 406-497-1120.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Montana
Social media star Montana Tucker to host Maccabiah Games delegation parade | The Jerusalem Post
“Israel has gone through a lot, Israelis have gone through a lot, Jews have gone through a lot around the world,” Tucker told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday. “What’s going on is not just happening in Israel; it’s really happening all around the world with our Jewish community. So, an event like the Maccabiah Games is showing the world that we are strong, we are united, and we don’t give up, and we keep fighting.”
According to Maccabiah, the games bring together more than 10,000 athletes from at least 80 countries in Israel every four years to compete in over 45 sports. The Maccabi World Union says the games are the second-largest sporting event in the world after the Olympics.
The 2026 Maccabiah Games, the 22nd of their kind, were initially scheduled for last year but were postponed due to the security situation involving Iran and its regional proxies.
“This was supposed to happen last year, and about a month away, we had to cancel it due to the war,” Tucker recalled. “And so I am so grateful that it is happening this year, because we truly do need this now more than ever.”
She also said she was excited to debut her new song “We’re Not Strangers” at the event.
“It’s all about unity and building bridges and bringing people together. And some of the lyrics say ‘we may pray to different saviors, but we’re not strangers,’” she told the Post. “Our world is so divided right now. I think that we really just need to come together and have more unity and compassion and understanding of one another. And if we really talk to people who look differently than us, act differently than us, have a different religion than us, we’ll realize we’re actually more similar than we think.”
Montana Tucker: Sport ‘truly unites the world’
Sports, she said, was an ideal method to build these bridges, adding she viewed it as something that “truly unites the world.”
The Maccabiah Games this year, though, will be the first since the Hamas-led massacres in southern Israel on October 7, 2023. The attacks sparked a regional eruption with Israel fighting wars against Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Islamic regime in Iran.
“We always have to talk about what happened on October 7,” Tucker said. “We should never stop talking about it. And I think it is so important that Maccabiah is utilizing this platform to talk about it. I know they actually have a former hostage, Daniella Gilboa, who’s going to be performing, which is so powerful.”
Tucker also highlighted the value of the games, saying they were a powerful tool to dispel disinformation about the Jewish state.
“What’s shown on the news nowadays is just all the negativity. Most of it is just propaganda and lies about what Israel is, and I think the Maccabiah just debunks every possible propaganda and lie about Israel,” she said. “When people say the word ‘Israel,’ it comes with so many different connotations, and I think we can show them this. This is Israel. This is what being Jewish means.”
A key element in showing the world what Israel and being Jewish mean, she reiterated, meant showcasing Jewish unity at a time when, in the wake of the October 7, the global Jewish community has faced a worldwide rise in antisemitism.
The games themselves are being held under the slogan, “More Than Ever,” according to Maccabiah, to emphasize “the importance of strengthening the bond between [Jewish] communities worldwide and the State of Israel.”
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at June 23, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from June 23 drawing
48-51-60-63-66, Mega Ball: 20
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from June 23 drawing
06-21-22-31, Bonus: 13
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.
- Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.
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.
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