Montana
Belgrade woman arrested for stealing $4,000 from grocery store highlights Montana theft trends
BELGRADE — A Belgrade woman was arrested last weekend, accused of stealing more than $4,000 worth of goods from the Albertsons in Belgrade over the course of more than 40 separate incidents.
So, is retail theft on the rise?
“Theft has always been wrong,” said Brad Griffin, President of the Montana Retail Association.
Griffin said that since 2017, when the Montana Legislature passed House Bill 133, which significantly reduced penalties for misdemeanor theft, shoplifting has increased.
House Bill 133 eliminated jail time and allowed fines of up to $500 for first-time offenders.
“We did see a rise in theft from that point forward,” Griffin said.
Montana Retail Theft Rises: New Laws Aim to Deter Shoplifters
Belgrade woman arrested for stealing $4,000 from grocery store highlights Montana theft trends
Under that bill, offenders could steal up to $1,500 without facing jail time.
“Predictably, we saw an increase in theft because you could steal up to fifteen hundred dollars with impunity,” he added.
A few months ago, Senate Bill 19 became law. Now, criminals can expect up to six months in jail or a fine of $1,500 for their first and second offenses.
“I think it’s come as a big surprise to a lot of habitual criminals who never expected that,” Griffin said.
Although Brad said it’s too early to measure whether or not Senate Bill 19 has helped improve retail theft, he noted that retailers are already stepping up prevention efforts:
“Asset protection people are being more present in their stores, looking for suspicious behavior.”
Belgrade Police Chief Dustin Lensing said he hasn’t noticed a spike in theft related to the temporary loss of federal benefits during the recent government shutdown.
“I think nationwide, there’s kind of been an increasing trend in retail theft,” Lensing said. “Here locally, with an increasing population, more businesses, and more people, we’ll always see an uptick.”
Lensing emphasized that while public awareness is helpful, safety should always come first, and witnesses or retail employees should not approach criminals.
“We always just ask people to be a really good witness, so when we do show up, they can give us the information we need to solve the case.”
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 11, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from May 11 drawing
24-30-37-56-64, Powerball: 07, Power Play: 3
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto America numbers from May 11 drawing
16-19-22-34-46, Star Ball: 01, ASB: 02
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from May 11 drawing
21-22-26-31, Bonus: 04
Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from May 11 drawing
09-13-34-42-59, Powerball: 01
Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 11 drawing
42-45-46-48-56, Bonus: 03
Check Millionaire for Life 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.
Montana
Half a million absentee ballots sent to Montana voters for primary election • Daily Montanan
Ballots for Montana’s June 2 primary began to hit voters’ mailboxes this weekend.
According to the Secretary of State’s website, 509,399 absentee ballots were mailed to voters. As of Monday morning, 358 voters had already returned their ballots.
“Montana’s 2026 Primary Election is well underway, and the Montana Election Team is honored to serve our voters,” Secretary of state Christi Jacobsen said in a press release. “As a reminder, Montanans can view their sample ballot, track their absentee ballot, confirm their voter registration information, and much more at VoteMT.gov.”
Voted ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, June 2nd.
The Montana Election Team reminds absentee voters to sign, date, and add their birth year when returning their absentee ballot. County election officials provide instructions in the ballot packet, and more information is also available online at https://votemt.gov/absentee-ballot/.
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 10, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from May 10 drawing
06-22-28-31, Bonus: 08
Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 10 drawing
01-03-20-35-46, Bonus: 05
Check Millionaire for Life 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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