Montana

Fentanyl still on the rise in Northwest Montana

Published

1 year ago

February 7, 2025

Fentanyl still on the rise in Northwest Montana

KALISPELL — Northwest Montana Drug Task Force Commander Alan Brooks said they seized their first load of fentanyl in Northwest Montana back in 2021.

“And I think there was 1,900 pills in that seizure alone, over the last four years we’ve seen that dramatically increase,” said Brooks.

“Probably seized close to 200,000 dosage units last year, where it was something that we didn’t even deal with before, now it makes up about 90% of our work,” added Brooks.

The Northwest Montana Drug Task Force is a partnership with regional law enforcement, tribal communities and the Department of Homeland Security to stop the flow of dangerous drugs entering Montana.

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Fentanyl still on the rise in Northwest Montana

“Narcotics, dealing with other drugs, methamphetamine is still large, but the fentanyl one is the one that’s impactful obviously because of the accompanying overdoses that are growing and tragic,” said Brooks.

Brooks said the majority of fentanyl they seize originates from Mexico and works its way up the West Coast before entering Montana.

“Now we’re seeing a lot of powder, so the raw fentanyl compound. And that’s obviously alarming for us, there’s a greater risk of overdose, the effect on the street is a lot stronger,” Brooks noted.

Brooks said drug trafficking organizations are preying on Montanans as they see a high demand for product and fewer law enforcement patrols compared to other states.

He calls it a modern-day gold rush for drug traffickers.

Watch related coverage: Montana drug task force talks about drugs coming from Canada into Montana

Montana drug task force talks about drugs coming from Canada into Montana

“We’re seeing profit margins increase a hundred-fold, dosage units that would cost less than a dollar down in southern states are going as much as $10 to $20 on the reservations, so the price margin is huge,” said Brooks.

Brooks said the fentanyl they are seizing is extremely potent, leading to an increase in overdoses, especially in young adults and teenagers.

“Where we’ve had overdoses with juveniles and that’s just obviously something that we haven’t navigated in years prior, but because of the dangers in potency associated with this drug, it’s now occurring.”

The task force — which covers an area from Lake County all the way to the Canadian border — relies on grant funding to operate. Brooks said more support on a city, county and state level would help them fight this epidemic.

“Many a times I’ve sat with many a family and many of individuals who become victim to this and wondering what more can be done, and again having more resources is going to be helpful.”

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Montana

Montana finalizes 2026 primary candidate list

Published

4 hours ago

March 20, 2026

Press Room

Montana finalizes 2026 primary candidate list

HELENA, Mont. — Montana’s 2026 primary election ballot is taking shape after a busy candidate filing period that drew hundreds of hopefuls.

Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen and the Montana election team finalized the list of candidates after 380 total candidates filed between Feb. 17 and March 4. Of those candidates, 19 withdrew from their races.

Six independent candidates are still waiting to qualify via petition before being added to the general election ballot.

The following was sent out by the Office of the Montana Secretary of State:

Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen and the Montana Election Team have completed ballot certification for Montana’s 2026 Primary Election, finalizing the list of candidates who will appear before voters on Tuesday, June 2.

Pursuant to Montana law, county election administrators certify local candidates for the primary ballot in their respective counties, while the Secretary of State’s Office certifies the names and designations of statewide and state district candidates, including candidates for federal, legislative, and certain judicial offices.

The Montana Commissioner of Political Practices (COPP) notified the Secretary of State’s Office and the county election administrators of any candidate(s) whose name(s) may not appear on the ballot pursuant to Montana law.

“The ballot certification process is a key step in ensuring Montana’s elections are accurate, secure, and transparent,” said Secretary Jacobsen. “I’m grateful to our state election officials and the county election administrators and their teams across the state for their hard work preparing for the 2026 Primary Election.”

A total of 380 candidates filed with the Secretary of State’s Office during the candidate filing period (Tuesday, February 17 – Wednesday, March 4). Several candidates withdrew from their respective races, while Independent candidates are pending petition requirements to qualify for the general election ballot.

Filings with the Secretary of State’s Office included:

United States Senator: Twelve total candidates filed for the office, though one withdrew and one is pending petition requirements. Five Democrats, three Republicans, and two Libertarians will appear on Montanans’ Primary Election ballots. One Independent candidate must meet Montana’s petition requirements.
United States Representative: Sixteen total filings in the 1st and 2nd Congressional races.
1st Congressional (MT-01) Ten candidates submitted paperwork for the Congressional seat – four Democrats, four Republicans, and one Libertarian. One Independent candidate must meet petition requirements. The incumbent did not file for re-election.
2nd Congressional (MT-02) Six candidates submitted filing paperwork, including the incumbent, who is the lone Republican to file for the race. Three Democrats and one Libertarian filed, while one Independent also submitted their paperwork for the race and is pending petition requirements.
Public Service Commission: Seven candidates will appear on the ballot for the two PSC seats.
PSC District 1: Two Republicans and one Democrat will appear before voters for the open seat.
PSC District 5: The incumbent is one of three Republicans to file for the seat, while one Democrat also filed.
Supreme Court Justice: Two candidates filed for the Supreme Court Justice No. 4 race – Judge Dan Wilson was the first to file for Montana’s high court, and Judge Amy Eddy followed suit later the same day.
District Court Judge: Thirteen candidates submitted filings, including several judges currently on the bench.
Legislature: The majority of candidate filings were for Legislative seats, where 329 total filings were submitted to the Secretary of State’s Office, nearly 130 of which came on the opening day.
Montana State Senate: Sixty-six candidates qualified for the 2026 Primary Election, including more than 10 incumbents.
Montana State House: A total of 235 candidates qualified for the 2026 Primary Election. Three Independent candidates are pending petition requirements. Dozens of incumbents filed for re-election.

For more information, visit the candidate filing page on the Secretary of State’s website at https://sosmt.gov/elections/filing/.

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Montana

Missoula and Western Montana neighbors: Obituaries for March 20

Published

16 hours ago

March 20, 2026

Press Room

Missoula and Western Montana neighbors: Obituaries for March 20

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Montana

Montana smokejumper Sam Forstag aims to flip House seat blue

Published

1 day ago

March 19, 2026

Press Room

Montana smokejumper Sam Forstag aims to flip House seat blue

Montana hasn’t elected a Democrat to the House since the late 1990s. Smokejumper Sam Forstag, who jumps out of planes into the remote wilderness to put out wildfires, is trying to change that. Forstag joins “The Takeout” to lay out his progressive campaign in the deep-red state.

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