Montana
Montana looks to build up EV infrastructure
HELENA — Electric vehicles have been in national headlines, but where does Montana stand when it comes to EVs and infrastructure for them? According to data from the US Department of Energy, there are about 60,500 public access EV charging stations across the country and about 120 of them are located in Montana. Currently the state and local governments are working to bolster EV infrastructure.
Two of the newest EV charging stations in Montana are in Helena—one at Bill Roberts Golf Course and one at the Jackson Street parking garage.
“Right now, these are kind of our pilot projects,” City of Helena sustainability and recycling coordinator Miranda Griffis said. “We’re going to see how well the go, how well-receipted they are by the city, how well-used they are by residents. And then, if there is a need for more of them, we could plan to expand that.”
The two charging stations were funded a Charge Your Ride grant from the Montana Department of Environmental Quality. Money for the grant is from the Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust Settlement.
The Charge Your Ride grant also helped fund a charger at the Mountain View Meadows subdivision. Like the chargers installed by the city, the one at Mountain View Meadows is a level 2 charger.
“This type of charger would probably take a few hours to fully charge your vehicle,” Montana DEQ energy resource professional Neal Ullman said. “But for my car right now, which is mostly charged, I could probably top it off in a couple of minutes.”
Ullman said level 2 chargers are helpful for people driving locally, but not ideal for long-distance travel.
“In terms of fast charging to mimic that long-distance travel experience of gas stations, there are 19 fast charging locations that would work on vehicles like mine—non-Teslas,” Ullman said.
There are about 16 Tesla super chargers across the state, and more fast chargers for Teslas and non-teslas planned across the state.
The federal government sent goals to make half of all new vehicles sold in the US in 2030 zero-emissions vehicles, and create a network of 500-thousand chargers to make EVs more accessible for travelers.
According to the most recent data from the US Department of Energy, EVs make up just a small percentage of vehicles in Montana. In 2022, there were 999,600 light duty vehicles registered in the state and 3,300 were EVs. To put that number in perspective, 765,400 were gasoline vehicles.
Those numbers could change as more infrastructure is built for EVs in Montana. The Montana DEQ and Montana Department of Transportation have plans to do just that with funding from the bipartisan infrastructure law.
Ullman said the goal is to create a “statewide network of fast-charging locations along certain designated alternative fuel corridors,” including all interstates, Highway 2 and Highway 93.
The city of Helena is also planning for more EV infrastructure.
“With the push for more electric both with residential and city-use vehicles, we do need the infrastructure in place for these EVs to support them,” Griffis said.
The US Department of Energy has an online map of EV chargers, and a smartphone app to locate chargers.
Miley Cyrus recalls ‘Hannah Montana’ casting journey
Miley Cyrus thanks Disney for taking a “chance” on her in “Hannah Montana” as the show celebrates its 20th anniversary with a new special.
Hannah Montana once sang that “Nobody’s Perfect,” a sentiment fans are echoing regarding Starbucks’ new drink honoring the fictional pop star ahead of her iconic Disney TV show’s 20th anniversary special.
Thought to be a drink that Hannah Montana would order at Starbucks, the coffee chain launched the Secret Popstar Refresher on March 23 as a celebration ahead of the “Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special”, set to be released on Disney+ on March 24. The drink consists of a grande Strawberry Acai Refresher with raspberry cold foam, two pumps of raspberry syrup and no strawberry inclusions – the dried strawberries typically in the refresher, according to the Starbucks app.
However, fans were quick to point out that the beloved TV show’s main character, Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus), who lives a double life as teen pop star Hannah Montana, notoriously hates raspberries. Her disdain for raspberries was established in Season 1 of the show.
Stewart’s disgust is rooted in a childhood experience, during which she got sick after eating too much raspberry pie. Her hate for the fruit is exacerbated when Hannah Montana has to advertise a raspberry-scented perfume.
Now, fans of the show have taken to social media to speculate on Starbucks’ inclusion of raspberry.
Fans react to the raspberry Hannah Montana drink
Fans on social media quickly caught the raspberry reference after the drink’s launch on March 23, which many felt was an oversight by Starbucks, as they seemingly did not take Hannah Montana’s past into account.
Multiple comments on Starbucks’ Instagram post announcing the drink question the product’s flavor, including messages like “Why raspberry tho…didn’t Miley/Hannah hate raspberry,” “but she hates raspberry,” and “brooo there’s an episode in Hannah Montana (the perfume ad) where she doesn’t like raspberry!!!!”
The post’s caption appears to poke fun at the episode, reading: “For the fans who remember the raspberry saga, this one’s for you.”
Other comments under the post from Disney accounts also seem to acknowledge the raspberry inclusion as intentional, with the official Disney+ account commenting, “This completes the circle,” and the official Disney Channel account commenting, “the raspberry lore lives on!”
How to order a Hannah Montana drink at Starbucks
The Secret Popstar Refresher will be available for order through the Starbucks mobile app until April 5, according to a Starbucks statement obtained by USA TODAY.
The drink is a “secret menu exclusive,” meaning it is not on the official Starbucks menu in stores or drive-thru. Customers who know the recipe or use the Starbucks mobile app can order the refresher variation.
However, like any drink variation at the coffee chain, the refresher can be ordered at any time, as long as Starbucks has the required ingredients.
How to watch ‘Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special’?
The “Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special” became available to stream on Disney+ on March 24.
Reflecting on the past two decades, the special is an intimate sit-down interview with Miley Cyrus and “Call Her Daddy” podcast host Alex Cooper. The interview was filmed in front of a live audience in a recreation of the iconic Stewart ranch-style home.
Contributing: Greta Cross, USA TODAY
Montana
Now a true pop star, Miley Cyrus returns to her ‘Hannah Montana’ roots to fete anniversary special
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sporting that “Hannah Montana” blonde hair and bangs, Miley Cyrus went back to her roots — celebrating 20 years of the TV show that launched the career of a real-life pop star.
Cyrus reunited with cast members of “Hannah Montana” in Los Angeles Monday evening for the premiere of the “Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special.”
Cyrus told The Associated Press that the milestone has given her a chance to see the character and series from “a new perspective.” Cyrus, who began the Disney Channel show at age 13, played Miley Stewart, a tween and middle-schooler hiding her secret life as a famous pop singer.
“Getting to be on the outside now, getting to be grown and be a part of it in a way that I couldn’t when I was in the middle of it before, and all the chaos and the schedule and the performing of it all,” Cyrus said, “now it just gets to be a celebration. So it is a new perspective. I love that.”
The anniversary special, which started streaming Tuesday on Disney+ and Hulu, celebrates 20 years since the show’s premiere. Filmed in front of a live audience, it features music, archival footage and an interview with Cyrus — now 33 and a genuine pop star — conducted by podcast host Alex Cooper.
Addressing the audience at the premiere, Cyrus paid tribute both to fellow cast members and fans. “Without you all, this show would have never been what it is, and I love saying what it is, not what it was,” she said.
“Tonight isn’t about looking back into the past, but it’s about what it means to us still tonight,” she said.
Jason Earles, who played Miley’s brother Jackson, told the AP that watching the show now highlights how much time has passed.
“I think if you go back and you watch the episodes, there’s enough dated references like old flip phones and stuff that you go, ‘Oh no, no, this show was a little while ago,’” he said.
Cody Linley, who played Miley’s on-and-off boyfriend Jake Ryan, reflected on the impact of portraying a teen heartthrob.
“It’s hard to believe that there were girls that had pictures of me with my shirt off in their locker and they would have me sign it,” Linley said. “And it’s hard not to let it go to your head, because you have to remember that it’s an image that they are seeing. It’s not you.”
Also attending the premiere was country singer Lainey Wilson, who recalled working as a “Hannah Montana” impersonator early in her career.
“From 8th grade to 12th grade, five years of my life, I would open up the show as Lainey Wilson, I would run behind a tree and put on my ‘Hannah Montana’ get-up,” the singer said. “I did birthday parties, fairs, festivals … I was hitting the roads.”
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