Chappell Roan learned a thing or two about authenticity from her favorite artist, Miley Cyrus. On Monday, a day after honoring Cyrus during Disney Legend’s induction of the actress, Pop Crave shared the full clip of Roan speaking on her admiration for the Hannah Montana star.

“The things that I admire about Miley Cyrus is that she constantly reinvents herself and always works,” the “Naked in Manhattan” singer said in the video. “For a lot of artists it can seem inauthentic or out of the blue, but she’s very open about her transformations artistically and personally. She puts out music that is so authentic.”

Roan shared that Best of Both Worlds Tour (which featured the Jonas Brothers as an opener) was the first concert she ever attended, and it continues to inspire her today. “She came down in a box from the ceiling. I was like, ‘How do I do that one day?’ I still think about it,” she says. “I still think about the show. I want to be like Hannah Montana.”

“There’s a lot of crossover between Miley and my project, and it’s just like, I’m such a fan too,” she added. “I love her fanbase. She’s got the whole world that supports her. She could do whatever she wants, which is something I want to do. Miley does anything and it works. Miley feels like freedom to me.”

Roan has been open about her admiration for Cyrus’ Hannah Montana character in the past. During shows in NYC and in Los Angeles last year, Roan even performed in Hannah Montana drag for several songs. She also told Vulture last August that she loved being able to separate her Roan character with her own identity — just like Miley did with Hannah Montana in the Disney Channel show.

“It’s too much to process if I don’t have division between the two. It hurts my feelings when people say mean things about me online,” she said. “But it doesn’t hurt my feelings as much if they’re saying it about Chappell. Then it’s just them commenting on the art. I have to remind myself all the time: Art is meant to be judged.”

On Sunday, Cyrus became the youngest-ever honoree at the 2024 D23 Ceremony as she celebrated her role as Hannah Montana. “I stand here still proud to have been Hannah Montana. Because she made Miley in so many ways,” Cyrus said onstage amid tears.

“This award is dedicated to Hannah and all of her amazing, loyal fans and to everyone who has made my dream a reality,” she added. “To quote the legend herself: ‘This is the life.’”

BILLINGS — Inmates at the Montana Women’s Prison are receiving regular breast exams as a way to help detect cancer early.

Intermountain Health’s 3-D mammography program brings its mobile bus to the prison quarterly and services roughly 30 women per visit. Women over the age of 40 are scheduled as well as those that require follow-up appointments.

“We’re so lucky with the science and the technology that we have today. Early detection is saving lives,” said Carly May, the medical services manager at the prison.

This bus helps highlight the importance of access to healthcare while still incarcerated. For many of these inmates, an early diagnosis can be the difference between life and death.

“We have to sometimes encourage some of our population to do it, and oftentimes those are the women that we find out they do need further care or treatment,” said May. “We are happy to report that we have cancer survivors within the system that was detected from the bus.”

The bus has been coming to the prison since 2016 and has seen many success stories.

One inmate, Rebecca Gun Hammer, has had multiple exams from the clinic and felt that it would encourage her to keep up healthy habits after being released.

“Being in prison, I like that they offer the services to us so that we can get it done something we would have neglected otherwise,“ said Gun Hammer. “When I walk out of here, I will be a healthier person.”

 Another inmate, Shannon LaMere, recently experienced a situation where doctors found something concerning during an exam.

“This year I had to go for one, and they found some abnormalities. In June, I was told that I possibly had breast cancer,” said LaMere. “I went through this whole month like being sad, mad, every emotion you could think of that I was going through.”

LaMere was scared of what that would mean for her. She had surgery two weeks ago to remove precancerous cells from her breast, and the experience has now changed her perspective on life.

“It was an eye-opener to see how much life would take for granted. It just made me want to become a better person to do better for not only myself, but my children and my grandchildren,” said LaMere.

Isabel Spartz/MTN News

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The program is also showing the importance of having access to healthcare not only in prison, but once released. For many women, this is the first time they are completing routine check-ups for their health.
 
“I think if you’re healthy physically and mentally once you’re released from here, you’re armed with that knowledge, and that’s one less hurdle that you have to try to deal with when you leave here,” said May.

That information will also help them advocate for themselves in a healthcare setting. Before receiving their first exam, many women in the prison were not aware of how to ask questions surrounding their health or conditions, and the quick, 10-minute exam is helping them take steps forward.

“It’s embarrassing for them, for some people, to ask a question that they’re not sure how to ask. They just don’t have the knowledge, so to have that comfortable setting where you can openly talk about your health care needs or discover what those needs may be, that’s also empowering,” said May.

LaMere’s success story is another reason why the prison is urging the importance of getting screened early, and to take the help that is being given.

“No matter how it’s offered, take it because your health is the most important thing to you and that’s the only way you’re going to stay alive,” said Gun Hammer.

These screenings serve as a reminder for these women to continue seeking healthcare after being released and take precautions in their care.

“I’m grateful that I had to go through this opportunity so that because if I would have been out, I wouldn’t have known. Being incarcerated, it saved me from myself,” said LaMere.

BILLINGS — Under normal circumstances, Kyler Northrop would have been at freshman orientation at Washington State University preparing to begin life as a student-athlete with the Cougars’ baseball program.

But these are not normal circumstances. Not for the Scarlets, and not for American Legion baseball in Montana.

RELATED: Class A American Legion baseball Northwest Regional scores and pairings

Northrop and the Scarlets ended the state’s enduring 62-year drought by defeating Eugene, Ore., twice Sunday at Dehler Park to win the Class AA Northwest Regional championship and clinch a berth in the Legion World Series later this week in Shelby, N.C.

PHOTOS: Billings Scarlets celebrate American Legion World Series berth

They did it by winning five consecutive elimination games over the course of four days following a shutout loss in their tourney opener on Wednesday.

“If you had told me that this was going to happen after that first game, I probably wouldn’t have believed you,” Northrop, the Scarlets’ standout shortstop, said afterward. “But I think the thought process going into the rest of the week was that this might be our last time wearing the jersey, the last time playing with this group.

“And so I think we all just kind of had the mentality that we were going to come out and have fun and play loose and just cherish these last moments. That really got us going, and we just carried the momentum all the way through.”

Greg Rachac / MTN Sports

The last Montana Legion team to win the Region 7 title and make a World Series appearance was Post #4 from Billings in 1962, which was the last of four trips the program made to nationals beginning in 1958. Post #4 lost in the Series championship game in 1960.

But you can call the Scarlets drought-busters now, after they beat Eugene 5-4 in nine innings in the early game Sunday and followed with a 7-0 shutout win to clinch the tournament title in Game 2.

They’ll now represent Montana on the biggest Legion stage beginning Thursday at Keeter Stadium in Shelby.

For Adam Hust — head coach of the Scarlets for the past 18 seasons and a member of the program for a total of 27 — Sunday’s regional championship was an emotional step on the ladder of all the years he’s spent coaching and instructing players among this particular group.

“When we got this (regional) bid, you know, months and months ago, I had a feeling something great was going to happen,” Hust said. “I’ve been with these guys, some of them, since they were 8, 9 years old. And now that they’re 17, 18 19, I knew it was coming and I had a great feeling.

Greg Rachac / MTN Sports

“But it’s a hard game. It’s a hard game, and luckily we played the best as anybody this weekend. We’re going to soak it in, we’re going to enjoy every single bit of it. Holy cow, I can’t wait. I can’t wait.”

When Hust says his team played the best of anyone in the tournament, it’s not hyperbole. The Scarlets did lose their opener — a 1-0 defeat to Fort Collins, Colo. — but were rock-solid throughout, especially in the field.

Defensively, the Scarlets did not commit an error in six games and across 44 innings. Their team ERA was a meager 1.64. In particular, Jakob Wilcox was lights out on Sunday, throwing 7 2/3 shutout innings combined in both games.

Third baseman Nate McDonald was named tournament MVP after hitting over .400 for the tournament, but he was not alone. On Sunday, timely hits from others like Cody Collis, Nolan Berkram, Chase Wise and Wilcox proved crucial in key moments.

“I’m so happy for these kids,” Hust said. “I’m just elated. It’s all about them. It’s always been about them, and all the guys that have played in this program. Everybody has been a part of this. This is absolutely amazing.”

Northrop, meanwhile, was grateful to have the blessing of Washington State to compete at the regional tournament. Now, with the start of the Legion World Series looming on Thursday, Northrop anticipates having another conversation with his people in the Palouse.

“I’ll have to call them about being gone for another week,” he said with a laugh. “But my mentality all week has been that every win is another day I don’t have to do my own laundry.”

2024 Class AA Northwest Regional tournament

at Pirtz Field and Dehler Park, Billings

Wednesday, Aug. 7

Game 1: Eugene, Ore., 3, Cheyenne, Wyo., 2

Game 2: Anchorage, Alaska, 8, Pocatello, Idaho, 5

Game 3: Bellevue, Wash., 3, Missoula 0

Game 4: Fort Collins, Colo., 1, Billings Scarlets 0

Thursday, Aug. 8

Game 5: Cheyenne, Wyo., 8, Missoula 2, loser out

Game 6: Billings Scarlets 8, Pocatello, Idaho, 0, loser out

Game 7: Eugene, Ore., 9, Bellevue, Wash., 4, second round

Game 8: Anchorage, Alaska, 6, Fort Collins, Colo., 3, second round

Friday, Aug. 9

Game 9: Billings Scarlets 7, Bellevue, Wash., 2, loser out

Game 10: Fort Collins, Colo., 8, Cheyenne, Wyo., 5, loser out

Game 11: Eugene, Ore., 17, Anchorage, Alaska, 7, undefeated semifinal

Saturday, Aug. 10

Game 12: Billings Scarlets 12, Anchorage, Alaska, 1, loser out

Game 13: Eugene, Ore., 2, Fort Collins, Colo., 1 (8 innings), loser out

Sunday, Aug. 11

Game 14: Billings Scarlets 5, Eugene, Ore., 4 (9 innings), first championship

Game 15: Billings Scarlets 7, Eugene, Ore., 0, second championship