Connect with us

Montana

‘It would be a win for everyone’: Montana to explore free school meals

Published

on

‘It would be a win for everyone’: Montana to explore free school meals


After two years of the nationwide federal free lunch program through the COVID pandemic, the Missoula Meals Financial institution and Neighborhood Middle is organizing methods to increase that for native college students.

All through the varsity yr, the meals financial institution has been internet hosting group occasions to share experiences concerning the college meals program and make them extra accessible for college students in Missoula. They’re exploring potentialities to make meals universally free at Franklin, Hawthorne and Lowell elementary faculties, which have a few of the highest numbers of scholars who qualify without cost and decreased meals.

“We’re so enthusiastic about the potential for having free college meals for all college students at Lowell, Franklin and Hawthorne sooner or later,” mentioned Ashlee Schleicher, the meals financial institution’s household engagement supervisor. “There’s such a necessity for accessible and nutritious meals in our faculties and I can’t wait to increase this program to extra faculties within the district.”

Advertisement

Persons are additionally studying…

On Monday, meals financial institution workers and volunteers visited Hawthorne, Lowell and Franklin to distribute free bananas to college students and stickers to carry house to their mother and father concerning the upcoming meals financial institution college meals engagement night time on Thursday night time from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

Advertisement

Seattle Public Colleges filed a novel lawsuit in opposition to the tech giants behind TikTok, Instagram, Fb, YouTube and Snapchat, looking for to carry them accountable for the psychological well being disaster amongst youth.


Earlier within the college yr the meals financial institution handed out apples to college students at lunch with stickers reminding their households to fill out functions without cost or decreased value meals by the Nationwide College Lunch program. Through the two years with the federal free lunch program households didn’t must fill out functions to qualify.

Now, households should apply for meal help at faculties, which frequently comes with a stigma.

“I feel it might be an enormous, large constructive for our children and our households,” mentioned Greg Harrison, principal at Franklin Elementary, about the potential for common free meals at his college. “It could be a win for everybody. Throughout COVID, we have been offering free meals throughout the state, which is nice, but it surely simply gave all children the flexibility to eat with out having to fret about whether or not there’s cash for it or not.”

Advertisement

The college district by no means withholds a meal from a pupil who can not pay for it. Nonetheless, college students can accrue debt for unpaid meals, which might stand in between them and a highschool diploma when it’s time to graduate.

Whereas the meals financial institution is taking up common free meals on an area stage, Missoula Rep. Melissa Romano, HD 81, is drafting laws that goals to make {that a} actuality throughout Montana.

For Romano, introducing the laws makes sensible sense as an educator, but it surely’s additionally private. At one level, her kids certified without cost and decreased meals.

“I discovered that after we have been supplied that it was tough for me,” Romano mentioned. “I had my very own form of challenges with it and realized that there have been many different households like me who form of confronted this stigma.”

She mentioned that if meals would have been universally free for her kids at the moment it might have been a aid and “taken away the considered it.”

Advertisement

“As any person who was qualifying without cost and decreased lunch, they need to simply go to highschool and be a part of a bunch of youngsters and be taught and develop collectively and never have anyone know that they have been completely different,” Romano mentioned.

In her analysis, she additionally discovered that faculty diet is carefully linked to pupil well being and lecturers, impacting total attendance and conduct.

After college students started paying for meals once more in the beginning of this college yr, she seen that many households wouldn’t fill out the paperwork without cost and reduced-price meals, though they probably would qualify. Exterior of the session, Romano works as an educational coach at Rossiter Elementary in Helena.

The main points for the laws are nonetheless being labored out and Romano expects to introduce the invoice quickly. She additionally thinks the native motion taken by the Missoula meals financial institution is “completely unbelievable.”

“I see this as an actual alternative to strengthen our communities and our faculties in Montana,” she mentioned.

Advertisement

When meals stopped being free after the primary two years of the COVID pandemic, a number of different states have additionally taken up laws to make sure all college students had free college meals together with Colorado. 



Source link

Advertisement

Montana

Montana Lottery Powerball, Lucky For Life results for Oct. 25, 2025

Published

on


The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Oct. 25, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Oct. 25 drawing

02-12-22-39-67, Powerball: 15, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Oct. 25 drawing

21-32-34-35-44, Lucky Ball: 05

Advertisement

Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto America numbers from Oct. 25 drawing

02-31-33-35-50, Star Ball: 07, ASB: 02

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from Oct. 25 drawing

01-02-21-22, Bonus: 07

Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.

Advertisement

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from Oct. 25 drawing

03-24-46-58-61, Powerball: 07

Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Montana Cash numbers from Oct. 25 drawing

02-08-19-26-41

Check Montana Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

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.



Source link

Continue Reading

Montana

Montana cannot ‘meet the demand’ to supply more water to new developments • Daily Montanan

Published

on

Montana cannot ‘meet the demand’ to supply more water to new developments • Daily Montanan


This week’s news brings us another story that’s starting to get very old — especially for Montana’s existing residents.  Namely, the City of East Helena finds itself unable to “meet the demand” for water for the 6,250 new homes plus new businesses that theoretically will be built on former ASARCO lands the city annexed when the company went bankrupt. 

But here’s the rub: The land the city annexed did not come with water rights.  In Montana, no water means no new developments because we can barely provide water to existing residents.  The rapidly changing climate’s longer, hotter, and drier summers combined with lower winter snowpacks and earlier, diminished runoff is simply a reality that municipalities and developers don’t want to acknowledge.  But just because you don’t want to admit reality doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.

As reported, Montana’s Lt. Governor Kristen Juras sent a letter to the city telling them the Natural Resources Damage settlement with ASARCO for the lead smelter’s Superfund site pollution requires “natural resource restoration and long-term stewardship.” Part of that restoration process, which was public, determined that certain water rights should go to restore instream flows on Prickly Pear Creek, which flows right past the giant slag piles remaining at the smelter site. 

Ironically, the state and EPA offered the city 40% of the water rights, but the offer was refused.  Now, the state and the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks are moving forward to change those consumptive water rights to instream flows and restore the battered creek.

Advertisement

That the city and developers are demanding the water for future development makes little sense since the mayor was quoted saying East Helena has an “already strained municipal water system.”  Since the theoretical developments would require four times the water the city currently supplies to existing residents and businesses it may also require a new and very expensive water treatment facility for which existing residents will pay. 

If this sounds familiar, one need only look to Bozeman, where residents will soon vote on the Water Adequacy for Residential Development initiative that will require new developments to either provide lower income units or bring new water rights to the city to “meet the demand” of the new developments.

Like Bozeman, East Helena is in a “closed basin” — meaning no new water rights can be issued without harming existing water rights holders and users.  You can’t give away more water than you have — and Montana has less every year, as the record low flows and closures of our major rivers proves.

None of this is a mystery.  In 1878 John Wesley Powell, who had explored the West’s great rivers and made the first descent of the Colorado River, published his “Report on the Lands of the Arid Regions of the United States” in which he estimated only 2% of the land in the arid West could support agriculture or development due to the lack of water.  There’s simply no excuse for Montana’s development-crazed municipalities to ignore the facts of our increasingly limited water supply. 

Finally, one might wonder why the burdens of “meeting the demand” of developers – including data centers – falls on existing residents.  Or why the Superfund impacts from past extractive industries shouldn’t be remediated.  Or why existing residents and their kids in East Helena shouldn’t have a clean stream they can walk to and enjoy a genuine “Montana” experience?

Advertisement

There are very real limits to growth.  In the West, that’s a dwindling water supply – and it’s obviously time for Montanans to realize that fact and live with it.



Source link

Continue Reading

Montana

Trump nominates Montana corrections director Gootkin as U.S. Marshal

Published

on

Trump nominates Montana corrections director Gootkin as U.S. Marshal


HELENA — President Donald Trump has announced he’ll appoint the director of the Montana Department of Corrections as the state’s U.S. Marshal.

Brian Gootkin will now need to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

Gov. Greg Gianforte named Gootkin as Corrections director in 2021. In that role, he’s overseen the Montana State Prison and other state correctional facilities.

Gootkin previously spent 21 years with the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, including serving as sheriff from 2012 to 2021.
In statements, Montana’s two U.S. senators praised Gootkin’s nomination.

Advertisement

“Brian Gootkin is an exceptional choice by President Trump to serve as Montana’s U.S. Marshal,” said Sen. Steve Daines. “As Director of Montana’s Department of Corrections and Sheriff of Gallatin County, Brian demonstrates a sincere commitment to public safety and the rule of law, and his leadership in our state leaves no doubt that he will continue to serve the people of Montana with excellence. I look forward to his confirmation by the U.S. Senate.”

“Brian Gootkin has served Montana proudly for years, and I’m glad to hear he’s been nominated by President Trump to continue to serve and keep our streets safe as Montana’s U.S. Marshal,” said Sen. Tim Sheehy. “Senate Republicans have overcome historic obstruction to get President Trump’s picks in place, and we are eager to add Brian to list of fantastic nominees that have been confirmed.”

Gianforte released a statement, thanking Gootkin for his work at Corrections.

“Under his direction, we’ve made historic investments to protect and promote a public safety system that supports inmates, corrections officers, and all Montana families,” he said. “From securing overdue improvements to aging infrastructure, expanding capacity at our jails, and increasing collaboration with local partners, Gootkin has been at the helm of our work. I know he will continue to serve our state with dignity in his new role having already exemplified his commitment to Montana communities. I wish him success and a swift confirmation.”

The U.S. Marshals Service is a law enforcement agency that serves the federal judicial system. They are responsible for providing security in federal court, transporting federal prisoners and apprehending fugitives. The president nominates a U.S. Marshal for each federal judicial district to supervise the agency’s activities there. The entire state of Montana is a single district.

Advertisement





Source link

Continue Reading

Trending