Oil pipelines, it turns out, are one of the few things that can still get Montanans riled up. And now, here we go again.

Donald Trump has finalized the approval of one of the largest cross-state pipelines in U.S. history, a nearly three-foot wide pipeline that will carry oil from Canada through Montana to Wyoming when built out. It means if this thing goes ahead, you are looking at around 550,000 barrels a day moving through the region. That is no small enterprise either, and it has already placed Montana squarely in the middle of a well-worn debate.

A Debate Montana Knows All Too Well

If all of this is ringing any bells for you, you are not wrong. Montana has been here before when it comes to pipeline debates, and just like last time, people are already divided. On one side, you have folks looking at this and thinking jobs, energy independence, and perhaps, bringing some much-needed relief to the gas pump. Because in all honesty, fuel has been rough lately. Every single fill-up makes you feel like you are buying concert tickets, not gas. For a lot of people, it sounds like progress.

Not Everyone Is Celebrating

Then there is the other camp, and they are hardly celebrating. Once again, environmental concerns are front and center. Spills, land impact, long-term risk. Everything that tends to get brushed aside until something actually breaks. Montana is not exactly short on people who care about the land. That part is not political. That is just reality out here. So when a pipeline cuts across the state, it quickly feels like poking a hornet’s nest.

So Where Does This Go From Here

So where does that leave things? That is the question right now. Is this a move toward cheaper energy and greater stability, or is it another gamble with long-term consequences? The truth is, it is probably both. That said, construction crews are not rolling in tomorrow. The project still has hurdles to clear and could run into legal challenges. But the conversation is already here, and it is not going anywhere. And if history is any guide, Montana is going to have plenty to say about it.

The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at April 30, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from April 30 drawing

07-09-18-28, Bonus: 07

Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from April 30 drawing

05-19-21-42-55, Bonus: 03

Check Millionaire for Life 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.
• Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.

Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.

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.

BUTTE, Mont. — The city of Belgrade has earned some serious bragging rights.

The city of Belgrade’s tap water won a blind taste test on Thursday morning at a joint conference of the Montana Section of the American Water Works Association (MSAWWA) and the Montana Water Environment Association (MWEA).

Belgrade now moves onto the national AWWA annual conference in Washington D.C. in June, where they will compete for the People’s Choice and Best of The Best Awards.

Montana tap water has scored well at the national conference in the past. In 2015, the Big Sky County Water and Sewer District won the Best of the Best award. In 2019, Bozeman won third place in the Best of the Best competition.

Water is judged based on taste, clarity, aftertaste, and odor.

“It is definitely a point of pride and a little bit competitive between communities around Montana. It’s pretty fun to see the operators that work so hard on their water sources and bringing that into their communities to be able to take that to even the state level and the national level, and take home a prize for that,” said Carrie Gardner, national director for the Montana section of the AWWA and a water/wastewater regional team manager for Great West Engineering. “So, it’s truly important to everyone here just to deliver clean, safe, water. But that’s also a fun aspect, to be able to have some bragging rights, too.”

Belgrade was one of only three cities that provided samples of their water to the conference this year, joining Missoula and Kalispell.

Thursday’s taste test was part of the final day of the conference, where operators, engineers, consultants, and regulators from across the state work together to protect Montana’s water resources.

This year’s conference theme was Resiliency and Risk.

“All of us are here because we care about the communities we live in in Montana and being able to have drought resistant systems,” said Gardner. “Water is a critical resource. So our focus is delivering clean water, public health, and safety. Making sure we have sources available, and, that we’re cleaning that water going back so we can have less environmental impacts and be able to reduce the issues that drought causes.”