Montana
Mick Dennehy second former Montana coach to visit Helena Capital football practice

HELENA — For the second straight Tuesday, Helena Capital football players heard wise words from a former University of Montana head football coach.
Mick Dennehy won a national championship while serving as offensive coordinator at Montana. Then Dennehy won three Big Sky Conference titles in four years as Montana’s head coach in the late 1990s before leaving to coach at Utah State.
“Your education is a hell of a lot more important than playing a game,” said Dennehy while addressing the Bruins at their practice Tuesday afternoon. “Because of the impact on what you’re going to do for the rest of your life.”
The previous Tuesday, former Griz head coach Mick Delaney addressed this same Bruins team.
“Well, I think it’s important for them to be exposed to certain people,” said Capital head coach Kyle Mihelish. “Leaders in our community and leaders in Montana and leaders, quite frankly, in the country — our football communities.”
But what lessons did the Capital players take away from Dennehy’s talk?
“What I took away from him is you’ve got to stay hungry,” said senior safety Ryan Martinie. “You’ve got to want to go into the game. You;ve got to want to win. And you have to execute on all three phases of the game.”
Fellow Capital senior Dylan Almquist narrowed in on another part of Dennehy’s talk.
“I mean, a big thing he talked about was mental toughness,” said Almquist. “And I think as someone who’s been a part of championship-winning teams — and a lot of great teams — he knows a lot about that.”
When the Class AA football playoffs begin next week, Capital will be the Western conference’s top seed regardless of the outcome of the Bruins’ regular-season finale Friday against Butte. But many Bruins players said that thought only motivates them to keep pushing forward.
“Locking up the 1 seed, it means a lot,” said Martinie. “But we still have a couple games to play. And we’ve just got to go out there and stay focused and work hard and finish it. Finish the job. Get it done.”
Almquist also shared a sense of urgency.
“It’s obviously nice to get the bye and (that) gives us some confidence, but we can’t get complacent,” he said. “There’s a lot of other good teams in this state, and if we take a day off, someone could catch up to us.”

Montana
Miley Cyrus Says It Hurt to Be Overlooked by the Grammys for Hannah Montana: ‘At One Point, I Was the Best New Artist’ | Video

Miley Cyrus was hurt by the Grammys overlooking her at the height of the Hannah Montana craze.
While speaking on “The Interview,” Cyrus got candid about the music award show overlooking her when she was a Disney Channel star and her music was everywhere. She said she both understood but also questioned why she was never nominated while being one of the biggest names at the time.
“I think from starting from being on Disney, you already have something that you kind of have to overcome – which I’ve never understood needing to overcome Disney or being Hannah Montana because Hannah Montana was a singer,” she said. “I was never nominated for Best New Artist which was totally cool with me, but at one point I just think I kind of was the best new artist.”
She continued: “If it wasn’t the best it was the most impactful to a certain generation that there should be some sort of recognition of that. Also the amount of work I was putting in was so heavy.”
Cyrus won her first Grammy in 2024 for “Flowers.” Not only was she hurt about getting snubbed for her performances as Montana, but also for her other work once she left the character behind.
I think with the Grammys it was overcoming Disney, overcoming the character, and then when I left the character behind – like all the way behind – like it was ‘ok cut. I am officially so me.’ I think I just went so many steps ahead really fast and I don’t think that everyone could completely keep up.”
Cyrus just dropped her ninth studio album “Something Beautiful” on Friday, May 30.
Montana
Montana Woman Attacked By Her Own Bison

We all know one of the golden rules here in Montana—don’t pet the fluffy cows. And if you’re new around here, “fluffy cows” is a different way of saying bison. For some reason, folks continue to get too close, and every year we see headlines about bison attacks—usually because someone didn’t give them the space they deserve.
Most of the time, these incidents involve tourists who aren’t aware of just how unpredictable and powerful these animals are. On average, Yellowstone sees about two bison attacks per year, and they’re the number one cause of animal-related injuries in the park.
The first bison attack of 2025 in Yellowstone happened on Sunday, May 4, near the Lake Village area of the park.
Just for reference, a bison can weigh up to 2,000 pounds, stand 6 feet tall, and will absolutely defend its space if they feel threatened. They’re fast, powerful, and can cause serious damage in seconds.
While most bison-related injuries happen to visitors, one rare—and terrifying—incident this past January involved a local Montanan. Dr. Kris Spanjian, a retired cardiac anesthesiologist from Billings, was out for her usual walk with her dogs when she was attacked. Not in the park, but on her own ranch, by her own herd of bison in a freak accident.
Spanjian said the bison typically stay far from her walking route, but this time, things aligned just wrong. The herd got spooked by her dogs, and in the chaos, she ended up caught in the middle.
“At that point, I just laid there and I knew I better just not move at all. I was thinking, ‘What do you do if a grizzly bear attacks? You play dead.’ So I figured I better just play dead,” Spanjian told reporters.
But even after she tried to crawl away, a bull and calf circled back for a second hit. She was airlifted to St. Vincent Regional Hospital with serious injuries—a split lip, three broken vertebrae, three broken ribs, a deep gash on her leg, a dislocated shoulder, and nerve damage. It’s nothing short of a miracle that she survived.
She’s now recovering, and her story is a sobering reminder that Montana is wild, and we live alongside animals that deserve respect. Even the fluffy ones.
Bozeman Luxury Estate: Stunning Property for $13.5 Million
For those looking to live in the “Heart” of Montana, yet still be close to the conveniences of the city, this 15-acre property just outside of Bozeman might be perfect, but keep in mind that perfection comes with a hefty price tag.
Gallery Credit: Derek Wolf
Famous People Buried In Montana
Montana is home to several celebrities, but what about those who are no longer with us? We take a look at some of the most famous people that are buried in The Treasure State.
Gallery Credit: Derek Wolf
5 Businesses Montanans Wishes Would Come Back
As most know, Bozeman, Montana is a growing town/city. The population has almost doubled in the last few years, housing prices have skyrocketed, and businesses have either strived or suffered.
The one thing that Bozeman residents all say, is they miss the “old Bozeman”. What they mean is they miss the small-town feel, the minimal traffic, and the affordable living. Along with those, there are a few businesses Bozemanites really wish would return.
Here are the Top 5 Businesses Montanans Miss.
Gallery Credit: Megan Shaul, Derek Wolf
Montana
2025 Montana Football HOF: Lex Hilliard ran wild from Flathead to the NFL

BILLINGS — In the serene landscapes of Kalispell, young Lex Hilliard turned a bright green football field into his stomping grounds. Literally.
In his sophomore year at Flathead High School, the powerful running back started shattering records with electrifying runs totaling almost 1,400 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns that season.
He’d close high school with over 4,400 all-purpose yards and 44 touchdowns, records standing the test of time.
WATCH THE VIDEO:
2025 Montana Football HOF: UM’s Lex Hilliard running wild from Flathead to NFL
Then No. 38 delivered an instant impact for the Montana Grizzlies. He’d bust onto the scene running for nearly 600 yards. A year later, almost 1,000 while earning first-team All-Big Sky honors, and eventually in his Griz career a Walter Payton Award finalist. Comb through UM’s record books and you’ll find Hilliard’s name almost 40 times.
He’d leave as one of Montana’s toughest running backs. How about this recollection from former teammate Chase Reynolds?
“There was a point during a game where he had busted his thumb or something and he had a pin in it. During the game, the pin had stuck out through his thumb,” Reynolds said. “I remember them, with pliers, trying to get the pin out. I remember going, ‘Man this guy, he’s tough.’ I don’t care what you do in the weight room or on the field, he’s trying to get this pin pulled out of his thumb so he can go back in there and play.”
In 2008 a dream come true; Hilliard was taken in the sixth round of the NFL draft by the Miami Dolphins where he’d join former Griz kicker Dan Carpenter. A year later, Hilliard appeared in all 16 games. In fact, he and Carpenter accounted for every point the Dolphins scored in a 27-20 loss to Houston.
Lex spent 2012 with the Patriots and Jets, finishing his NFL career playing in 62 games, including 13 starts, and totaling 163 rushing yards, 233 receiving yards and four touchdowns. After fracturing his shoulder blade, he called it a career.
Lex Hilliard’s drive and toughness remain etched in hearts from Kalispell to the NFL, and now to the Montana Football Hall of Fame.
The hall of fame induction ceremony is June 28 at the Billings Hotel and Convention Center at 5 p.m. Tickets are $100 per person or $800 for a table of eight. Visit www.mtfootballhof.com for information.
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