Family recounts losing two daughters to impaired drivers on Montana's highways

Published

7 months ago

May 5, 2025

Family recounts losing two daughters to impaired drivers on Montana's highways

May 5 marks the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

Native women face murder rates more than 10 times the national average. Here in Montana, Indigenous women are four times more likely to go missing.

MTN is sharing some of the stories from the MMIW crisis; some of which you might know, some of which you won’t.

Maureena ‘Mena’ Twoteeth was walking along Highway 93 in January 0f 2022, next to Mission Bridge in St. Ignatius.

She was intoxicated and called for a ride. Mena was waiting to be picked up when she was struck and killed by a vehicle.

Watch the full story:

Family recounts losing two daughters to impaired drivers on Montana’s highways

A 22-year-old woman from Bozeman struck and killed her.

The initial police report did not indicate any drugs were involved. However, three years later, the Montana Highway Patrol confirmed to MTN that the driver had THC in her system.

We reached out to the Lake County Attorney for comment on this case, but have not heard back.

Now, Twoteeth’s family shares the impact of living next to roads that have stolen more than one of their loved ones.

Emily Brown/MTN News

Maureena ‘Mena’ Twoteeth was walking along U.S. Highway 93 in January of 2022, in St. Ignatius when she was struck and killed by a vehicle.

U.S. Highway 93 cuts right through the heart of the Flathead Reservation, and a lot of people walk alongside the road, which is known for its dangerous conditions and high speeds.

Many have lost their lives, which is why locals say: ‘Pray for me, I drive 93.’

“It’s just not safe,” sister Kristen Twoteeth said.

Mena was Cree and a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.

Mena Twoteeth — Maureena ‘Mena’ Twoteeth

After she was killed, a Tribal officer showed up at her mother, Bonnie Asencio’s, residence.

“I remember just being in disbelief, just holding myself because my body wasn’t doing what I wanted it to do, and that was stand up,” Asencio said.

But Mena wasn’t the first child Asencio lost.

Bonnie Asencio, member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.

“Two of my children died before me,” Asencio stated.

Her daughter, Ruby Saluskin, was a passenger in a 2020 fatal crash along Montana Highway 35.

“My daughters are important. They are just as important as any other children in the world,” Asencio said.

Twoteeth family — Bonnie Asencio, a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, has lost two daughters on Montana’s roads.

Now, only four of Asencio’s six daughters are alive.

“My mom’s voice keeps ringing through my ears to be safe, please,” sister Bonnie Saluskin said.

The surviving family lives alongside the roads where white crosses mark their losses.

“I had anxiety really bad after that. I couldn’t even drive really, and especially at like nighttime,” Kristen Twoteeth shared.

“There have been 58 crashes and 65 fatalities on Highway 93 from Wye to the end of the Flathead Reservation from 2020-2025,” Montana Highway Patrol Captain Sean Silvan shared in a statement to MTN.

Still, people commonly walk.

“Indian people walk. We’re not afraid to not have a vehicle. My mom lives a mile just right down the road here. I’ll walk over there easy,” Asencio said.

The family hopes someday for changes that would make getting around the reservation safer for the next generation.

“I would love for a billboard to be here that says: ‘You are now on a reservation and we love to walk,’” Asencio stated.

But all the while, they hold memories of loved ones lost on the road close.

Kristen Twoteeth got a tattoo of a cat for her sister Mena to honor her Indigenous name and remember her by.

Twoteeth tattoo — Kristen Twoteeth got a tattoo of a cat for her sister Mena to honor her Indigenous name and remember her by.

She also named her daughter after a saying from Ruby.

“My sister Ruby was always telling us to love each other. That’s what I named my baby, Leila Love, after her saying that,” said Twoteeth.

Bonnie Saluskin channels her emotions into song with one line being, “Now, death is no longer an option. That’s my word to my mom.”

As the family lives each day, they focus on caring for their remaining family members and elevating their loved ones’ stories whenever possible.

“Being able to be there for your children, being able to be there for your mothers, your, you know, your fathers, your, your family. That’s what this is all about,” Saluskin said.

“They are my daughters, and I love them with all of my heart. They continue to be mine even though they’re in heaven,” Asencio concluded.

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FCS playoffs roundup: There will be an all-Montana semifinal in the FCS playoffs

Published

6 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Press Room

FCS playoffs roundup: There will be an all-Montana semifinal in the FCS playoffs

MISSOULA, Mont. — The No. 3-seeded Montana Grizzlies proved too much to handle on Saturday afternoon, overwhelming the No. 11-seeded South Dakota Coyotes 52-22 in the FCS playoff quarterfinals at Washington-Grizzly Stadium.

The Griz used the home crowd to their advantage in an all-around dominant performance in all three phases of the game in front of a home crowd of 22,750 fans. The win sets up an all-Montana semifinal in the FCS playoffs as the Griz will go to face No. 2 Montana State on Dec. 20 for a trip to the national championship.

Montana’s Keali’i Ah Yat had 305 yards and three passing scores, as Michael Wortham had 11 catches for 201 yards and two receiving touchdowns, as well as 43 rushing yards and a score.

All told, the Coyotes had 63 plays on offense for 351 total yards, but the 10 offensive penalties seemed to be a key difference in finding any consistency.

Montana State advances with decisive victory

BOZEMAN, Mont. — Montana State ran for 227 yards as the Bobcats dominated the third-ranked rush defense in the country en route to beating Stephen F. Austin 44-28 on Friday to advance to the FCS playoff semifinals.

Adam Jones finished with 117 yards and Julius Davis had 96 on the ground for Montana State, which jumped out to a 24-0 lead. Justin Lamson had 246 passing yards for the Bobcats.

Villanova holds down Tarleton State to advance

STEPHENVILLE, Texas — Villanova overcame a 14-0 deficit as the No. 12 Wildcats beat fourth-seeded Tarleton State 26-21 on Saturday.

It is the fourth time in program history and the first time since 2010 that ‘Nova advanced to the semifinals. The Wildcats held Tarleton State to 56 yards rushing and 266 total yards while racking up 426 overall on their own.

Ja’briel Mace had a 47-yard run to trim Tarleton State’s lead to 21-19 in the third quarter and Braden Reed hauled in an 11-yard TD pass in the fourth to complete the comeback.

Dawson runs Illinois State past UC Davis

DAVIS, Calif. — Victor Dawson carried 29 times for 148 yards and Tommy Rittenhouse threw a 93-yard TD pass as Illinois State beat UC-Davis 42-31 on Saturday, one week after the Redbirds upset North Dakota State in Fargo.

Rittenhouse finished 15 of 20 for 266 yards and three touchdowns and one interception. Daniel Sobkowicz had six receptions for 150 yards and two scores.

Davis quarterback Caden Pinnick was 24 of 41 for 402 yards with three touchdowns and a pick.

Trey Houchin of the Mitchell Republic contributed to this report.

Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of “staff.” Often, the “staff” byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.

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Montana Lottery Powerball, Lucky For Life results for Dec. 13, 2025

Published

18 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Press Room

The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 13, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Dec. 13 drawing

01-28-31-57-58, Powerball: 16, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Dec. 13 drawing

12-18-19-24-35, Lucky Ball: 17

Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto America numbers from Dec. 13 drawing

20-26-27-32-46, Star Ball: 08, ASB: 02

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from Dec. 13 drawing

04-06-11-31, Bonus: 09

Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Montana Cash numbers from Dec. 13 drawing

01-16-18-31-37

Check Montana Cash 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.

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Griz outlast power outage, surge to big win – University of Montana Athletics

Published

1 day ago

December 13, 2025

Press Room

Griz outlast power outage, surge to big win – University of Montana Athletics

The power went out inside Dahlberg Arena on Wednesday evening, delaying the opening tip of the Montana men’s basketball game by nearly two hours. Once the electricity returned to campus, the Grizzly men lit things up inside Dahlberg Arena.

Montana reached the 100-point mark for the third time this season, winning 102-46 over the Salish Kootenai Bison. The Grizzlies improved to 6-5 on the season with the win.

As a team, Montana shot 70.5 from the floor and 44.0 percent from three-point range. It’s the first time since 1968 that Montana has shot over 70 percent from the floor in a game. It’s also the 5^th best shooting percentage by a D-I team this season.

Money Williams had a double-double, his third of the season, finishing with 10 points and 11 assists. It’s the second time in Williams’ career that he has finished with 10 assists in a single game.

He wasn’t the only Grizzly to reach double figures in the assist department. Tyler Isaak recorded his first career double-double with a new career high 10 assists to go along with 16 points. It’s the first time in program history that two different players have recorded 10 or more assists in the same game.

It was a highly efficient night for Isaak, who played just 24 minutes and went 6-of-7 from the floor.

It was a complete team effort for Montana with 10 of the 11 players dressed scoring in the contest. Connor Dick (15) and Amari Jedkins (13) both scored career highs in the victory.

The Missoula kid can get 🆙#GrizHoops | @ConnorDick9 pic.twitter.com/YOg1yczxKD

— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) December 11, 2025

The Grizzlies had seven players reach double figures, the most in a single game in program history. Te’Jon Sawyer (13), Brooklyn Hicks (13), and Tyler Thompson (11) joined the previously four mentioned players in double figures.

The assists played a big role in that with Montana sharing the ball plenty. They recorded 30 team assists on the night, the second most in a game in program history. The Grizzlies had a 5:1 assist-to-turnover ratio on the night.

alley oop ☝️➡️👇 pic.twitter.com/xRz6XC0yyQ

— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) December 11, 2025

The Grizzlies held Salish Kootenai to just 27 percent shooting and a 6-of-30 (.200) mark from three-point range. Montana’s size played a huge factor on the night as the Grizzlies outrebounded the Bison 47-25 and outscored them 60-20 in the paint.

Montana scored 16 points off dunks as they broke out into the open court on several occasions for highlight reel slams. They also owned a 22-0 advantage in fastbreak points.

Montana jumped out to a 13-2 lead before the first media timeout and never looked back in win. They set the tone early from the three-point line, opening the game 4-of-7 from the arc to help build the early lead.

It was a balanced first half offensively and the Griz were able to go on five individual runs of at least six straight points with nine different players scoring in the opening 20 minutes. The Grizzlies went 8-of-17 from the arc and shot 65.5 percent from the field in the first half.

Williams’ 8^th assist of the opening half went to Amari Jedkins. The Grizzly forward knocked down a corner three to send Montana into the halftime break ahead 50-17.

8th assist of the first half from @mxney___ as he finds Amari Jedkins for the corner three to send us into the half 🔥 pic.twitter.com/UO9WGlnDeh

— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) December 11, 2025
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The Grizzlies didn’t let up in the second half, going on two separate 12-0 runs and winning the second period 52-29 for the big victory.

Montana will get a week off before returning home next Wednesday night to face Montana Tech at 7:00 p.m. The Orediggers are 8-3 on the season.

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