Montana
Montana man reported to be killed in bear attack died by homicide in ‘a vicious attack’
A man was found dead in a tent in Montana in a case of apparent homicide and not a bear attack as initially reported.
Shortly after 10 a.m. Saturday, a caller reported “discovering a deceased male in a tent” approximately 2.5 miles up Moose Creek Road, north of Big Sky about 150 miles west of Billings, the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Tuesday.
“The caller indicated that the death may have been caused by a bear attack,” the news release said.
Multiple agencies, including the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and U.S. Forest Service responded to the incident. However, an FWP officer with expertise in bear attacks “did not find any signs of bear activity at the scene,” the news release said, prompting investigators to “treat the case as a homicide.”
The victim was identified as Dustin Mitchell Kjersem, 35, of Belgrade, Montana.
Further evidence, including an autopsy indicated the incident to be a homicide, authorities said. Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer, at a news conference Wednesday, said the autopsy showed the victim sustained “multiple chop wounds,” including to his skull. While authorities do not have an exact idea of the weapon used, Springer said it was “hard enough to cause significant damage to the “skull as well as some flesh areas.”
“This incident was a vicious attack, and detectives are working hard to develop and track down leads,” the news release said.
Victim last seen two days before
Kjersem was found dead by his friend in a tent at a makeshift campsite, after he went searching for Kjersem when he didn’t show up as per their plan on Friday, Springer said at the news conference. The friend was the one who called and alerted 911, telling responders the death appeared to have been caused by a bear attack, Springer said.
Kjersem was last seen in the afternoon on Oct. 10, authorities said, and was driving a black 2013 Ford F-150 with a black topper and a silver aluminum ladder rack. Detective Nate Kamerman said Kjersem was in contact with people Thursday afternoon as he drove up to the campsite, where service is limited, adding he was missing between Thursday afternoon and Saturday morning.
Kamerman said Kjersem’s tent was well-kept and had “lots of equipment” in it, indicating he had planned to spend the weekend with his friend there and had set it all up.
‘A skilled tradesman and a loving father’
Speaking at the press conference, Kjersem’s sister Jillian Price requested the community to step forward and help determine her brother’s killer. Price said Kjersem, who was born in Bozeman and worked all over the Gallatin Valley, was a skilled tradesman and a loving father.
“I asked our community to please find out who did this,” Price said. “There is someone in our valley who is capable of truly heinous things.”
Authorities seek public assistance
No suspects have been identified or arrested and Springer said the remote location of the crime scene made the investigation more challenging than most cases.
Authorities have requested anyone with information on the case or with game or trail cameras in the area to “please come forward” and contact the sheriff’s office at 406-582-2121 or via email at detectives@gallatin.mt.gov.
“Even the smallest detail could be crucial to the investigation,” the sheriff’s office said Wednesday. “Your assistance is invaluable, and all information is greatly appreciated.”
The sheriff’s office also warned residents and visitors to remain vigilant in they are out in the woods and alert authorities immediately if they observe any suspicious activity.
“People have asked me if there’s a threat to this community and the answer is we don’t know,” he said. “We don’t have enough information to know at this time, but we do know that someone was out there who killed someone in a very heinous way.”
“No information is too small,” Springer said. “If there’s something, please call us.”
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
Montana
Montana Lottery Powerball, Lucky For Life results for Dec. 10, 2025
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 10, 2025, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from Dec. 10 drawing
10-16-29-33-69, Powerball: 22, Power Play: 3
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Dec. 10 drawing
05-07-14-16-45, Lucky Ball: 11
Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto America numbers from Dec. 10 drawing
03-13-37-42-44, Star Ball: 01, ASB: 03
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from Dec. 10 drawing
02-16-18-31, Bonus: 06
Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Montana Cash numbers from Dec. 10 drawing
02-12-27-29-34
Check Montana Cash 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.
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.
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.
Montana
Montana energy task force tackles future power demands amid AI data center proposals
Gov. Greg Gianforte’s Energy Task Force is looking to address growing energy needs and the potential for hyperscale artificial intelligence data centers.
Sonja Nowakowski, the Montana Department of Environmental Quality director, serves as the task force’s chair, and says the group is still in the early phases.
“Right now we’re kind of looking at problem statements and defining what barriers are out there to energy development in Montana, and then the next steps will be moving towards solutions,” said Nowakowski.
Montana is no stranger to data centers. With Atlas Power in Butte drawing 75 megawatts of computing power, Beowulf Energy in Harden drawing 100 megawatts in crypto-mining load and smaller state and private centers that draw less than five megawatts.
But Nowakowski says the state’s power infrastructure isn’t ready for larger proposals — pointing to Sabey Data Centers proposed 250 megawatt datacenter in Butte, Beowulf Energy’s proposed 300 megawatts of data center load, and Quantica Infrastructure as high as 1,000 megawatts in Yellowstone County.
“We know that NorthWestern’s balancing authority isn’t really set up to deal with that. We have to make some moves and some changes if projects like that are going to move forward and be viable and so that’s why we’re having these hard conversations,” said Nowakowski.
Nowakowski says the state is discussing innovative uses of geothermal and nuclear power to increase supply, but says everything is on the table including wind, solar, coal, natural gas and enhanced hydro, which are already in use.
“It wholeheartedly has to be some of the all of the above, with a recognition though, that you’re going to have some of that baseload thermal power potentially, unless we’re going to make this big transition into nuclear,” said Nowakowski.
Nowakowski says the state and region have been slow to move toward new generation, due to efficiency gains and lack of economic demand growth. But the task force hopes to pivot toward rapidly increasing generation.
“We haven’t done that in 30 years at least or 40 years even, where we’ve been on that incline where we are building generation and we’re recognizing all that comes with that,” said Nowakowski.
Nowakowski says mitigating generation and transmission are critical to the task force’s discussion, but solutions aren’t short-term projects.
“How we make sure we protect Montana’s ratepayers Have those hard conversations and then have the larger broader conversation about how do we quicken some of these timelines? What steps can we as government take to facilitate Private market discussions that move these projects along a little bit more quickly,” said Nowakowski.
The task force will provide detailed reports to Gianforte in September 2026 and January 2027.
Montana
Great Falls woman competing for ‘Ms Wheelchair America’ title
Great Falls resident Liz Alford was recently selected as Ms. Wheelchair Montana. The national program is not a beauty pageant; it focuses on elevating the voices of women with disabilities and empowering them to advocate within their communities.
“It’s a chance to educate and advocate within our state,” Alford said. “I wanted to make change not just for myself, but for others.”
Madison Collier reports – watch the video here:
Great Falls woman competing for ‘Ms Wheelchair America’ title
Alford, who has an incomplete spinal cord injury, says accessibility issues in Montana are far more common than many people realize. Something as simple as a cracked sidewalk, tight doorway, or blocked parking access line can make everyday tasks significantly harder, and often impossible for wheelchair users.
“If the sidewalks are messed up and you can’t get into certain businesses… suddenly you’re not independent anymore,” she said.
Alford shared one example from a recent doctor’s appointment: someone parked on the striped access lines next to her van, leaving no space for her wheelchair ramp to deploy. She couldn’t get into her vehicle until staff helped move it.
“That one small decision can trap us,” she said. “Education would make a huge difference.”
Shyla Patera, Policy and Peer Coordinator for North Central Independent Living Services, says the disability community has been raising concerns for years.
“Sometimes accessible projects don’t become reality quickly,” Patera said. “Lack of sidewalks forces many of us into the street.”
She adds that accessibility is not simply a convenience; it’s a civil right guaranteed under laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
“People with disabilities have the civil right to live in and access their community,” she said.
As Ms. Wheelchair Montana, Alford hopes to spark more conversations and real changes throughout the state. Some of her goals include:
- Improving sidewalks and downtown accessibility
- Expanding accessible parking spaces
- Advocating for more disability education in schools
She says the heart of her mission is restoring independence.
“If I can help people get even a little bit of independence back, that’s all I want,” Alford said.
Alford will represent Montana at the Ms. Wheelchair America national competition next August. Until then, she plans to travel the state, work with local leaders, and continue building a program Montana hasn’t had in more than 30 years.
Her message is simple: Make Montana accessible.
You can follow Alford on Facebook.
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