Miley Cyrus Claims Dad Billy Ray Once Smoked Pot on ‘Hannah Montana’ Set
Montana
Montana transportation leaders address aging infrastructure at Billings summit
BILLINGS — A new report highlighting aging roads and bridges across Montana is raising concerns in Billings, but transportation leaders say long-term investments and infrastructure projects are already underway to address the problem.
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Montana transportation leaders address aging infrastructure at Billings summit
The report from national transportation research group TRIP found seven bridges in the Billings area are in poor condition, while another 186 are rated fair. Statewide, nearly one-third of Montana’s major roads are considered in poor condition, and 7% of bridges are classified as structurally deficient.
New report flags Billings bridges, rough roads as infrastructure concerns
The report did not identify the specific bridges in Billings.
For residents like Alisha Oster, who works at a gas station near the Blue Creek bridge that spans the Yellowstone River, concerns about aging infrastructure feel personal. She said crossing the bridge can feel unsettling, especially when large trucks pass through.
“When you go across it, it sounds like it’s cracking sometimes,” Oster said. “It just sometimes makes me feel like I’m just going to fall.”
Isabel Spartz/MTN News
Crews rehabilitated the Blue Creek bridge in 2024, but Oster said the report heightened concerns about other bridges in the Billings area.
“So it is concerning, not just this bridge, but like all the other bridges around Billings,” she said. “What happens if the bridge does cave in?”
Transportation leaders said the report’s findings were expected and reflect challenges the state has already been working to address.
Isabel Spartz/MTN News
“We’re well aware that it was going to come out,” Montana Department of Transportation Director Chris Dorrington said. “The results are not surprising. Some of Montana’s roads and bridges need attention.”
On Thursday, transportation officials, contractors, and local leaders gathered at the Northern Hotel in downtown Billings for the 2026 Infrastructure Summit, where discussions focused on long-term transportation and infrastructure needs across the state.
Isabel Spartz/MTN News
Dorrington said the summit brought together stakeholders from transportation, water, and wastewater systems, local governments, and private industry.
“We all came together … all interested in trying to do the very best of what we can for Montana’s transportation system,” Dorrington said.
David Smith, executive director of the Montana Contractors Association and chair of the Montana Infrastructure Coalition, said many rural and county-owned bridges across Montana are decades old and in need of repair or replacement.
“We have a lot of off-system bridges, which are county bridges that are in old shape,” Smith said. “They’re 70, 80, 90 years old, so they need attention.”
Dorrington said MDT monitors thousands of bridges statewide through a rotating inspection schedule and has already developed long-term investment plans to address deteriorating infrastructure.
Isabel Spartz/MTN News
“In Montana, out of 5,000 (bridges), we have a lot that are going to need to be rebuilt, in addition to being maintained,” Dorrington said. “We look at the report as an indicator.”
He said the state plans to invest $1 billion into bridge projects over the next five years, including repairs or replacements for roughly 40 bridges annually.
Montana bridges are breaking down, but state has $1 billion plan to fix them
Still, officials acknowledged that inflation and rising construction costs continue stretching transportation dollars thinner.
“We still receive about the same amount of fuel tax revenues, and cars are more efficient,” Smith said. “So the income level for the state has been pretty flat through the years, but the cost of construction has greatly increased.”
Isabel Spartz/MTN News
The TRIP report warned that delaying repairs only increases long-term costs. According to the report, every dollar of deferred road and bridge maintenance can lead to an additional $4 to $5 in future repair costs.
Aging roads and rising costs put pressure Montana’s infrastructure system
Despite the challenges, officials pointed to major projects already completed in Billings as evidence that infrastructure investments are improving safety and capacity. Smith highlighted the recently completed $72 million Yellowstone River bridge replacement on Interstate 90.
“It increased the safety and the capacity for the interstate through Billings,” Smith said. “It’s been a great project, but it’s not cheap.”
Leaders at the summit also discussed future transportation projects, including planned improvements to the Johnson Lane interchange in Lockwood, which is expected to become a diverging diamond interchange.
Isabel Spartz/MTN News
The summit also focused on broader infrastructure concerns beyond highways and bridges, including water systems, wastewater facilities, rail infrastructure, and airports.
While construction projects may frustrate drivers in the short term, leaders argued that proactive investment can prevent larger infrastructure failures and more expensive repairs later.
“It’s important that associations and government work together to try and make sure that we’re in front of those things and anticipating where there might be failures in the future and mitigate that,” Smith said.
Montana
‘Hannah Montana’ Alum Mitchel Musso Reveals Why He Missed 20th Anniversary Special With Miley Cyrus
Hannah Montana star Mitchel Musso was noticeably absent from the show’s 20th anniversary special earlier this year — and now he’s revealing why.
“Of course they asked me [to be in it],” Musso, 34, revealed on the “Joe Vulpis Podcast” on Wednesday, June 24. “But, it wasn’t presented correctly [to me].”
Musso appeared in more than 70 episodes of the classic Disney Channel comedy series, playing Miley Stewart’s (Cyrus) best friend Oliver Oken alongside Emily Osment’s Lilly Truscott.
The star explained to host Joe Vulpis that he truly valued the opportunity to play Oliver again since he’d mostly been living outside the spotlight for the past decade. Instead, Disney opted for a retrospective look back at Hannah Montana.
Mitchel Musso, Emily Osment and Miley Cyrus on “Hannah Montana.” Joel Warren / Disney Channel / Courtesy Everett Collection
“I’ve been waiting ten years,” he stressed. “The people, they say, 20. My break’s been 10. It’s too long of a wait to do it in a way that isn’t even close to, in my opinion, correct.”
The Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special aired in March and featured Cyrus, 33, looking back on memorable moments from the show, alongside host Alex Cooper and celebrity guests such as Chappell Roan and Selena Gomez.
In his new interview, Musso said he would relish the chance of actually getting to play Oliver again in a proper Hannah Montana episode.
“I need a wig,” he joked. “I’d want the hair, which is fine. I’ve worn [wigs] plenty of times on Disney. I’ve worn plenty of wigs. … I’d want to feel the part again. I’d want to put on that little polo again, and wear the … plaid shorts with the goofy shoes.”
The actor went on, “I’d want to play the character, yeah. Once I saw myself doing it, I’d say, ‘Oh, there you are!’ Let’s get out there and let’s do it.”
Musso was not the only major Hannah Montana cast member missing from the anniversary special, as Osment, 34, could not appear due to her filming obligationa on CBS sitcom Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage.
“We’re at Georgie & Mandy … and that’s why I was not able to be part of the 20-year reunion, because we are here shooting our show,” she said in a social media video at the time. “But I wanted to say hello and thank you to everybody that has stuck by us for all these years. I’m so grateful that you guys all still love the show. I’m so proud to be a part of it.”
Ahead of the Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special airing in March, Musso paid tribute to the show with his own Instagram post.
Miley Cyrus is still fielding questions about Hannah Montana more than a decade after its end — and she has some hilarious memories to share. During the Thursday, June 19, episode of her mom Tish Cyrus and sister Brandi Cyrus’ “Sorry We’re Cyrus” podcast, the Grammy winner, 32, opened up about a moment that never […]
“Hannah Montana wrapped around my heart and never really let go. We literally grew up with ya’ll — long days, crazy schedules, learning lines, cracking up between takes, and figuring out life while the cameras rolled,” he wrote. “It taught me so many wonderful values, but the most important ‘to me’ is that laughter can get you through the tough days. That confidence still sticks with me every single day.”
He also shouted out his costars, writing, “Miley, Emily, Jason [Earles], Billy Ray [Cyrus], Moises [Arias], and the whole crew at Disney — you became my family through all the real, messy, beautiful moments. Thank you for believing in a goofy kid from Texas who wore some questionable outfits with a haircut like that. To all of you, thank you for welcoming me into your homes and hearts 20 years ago and still allowing me to be here today. I’m honored we get to share all of this together.”
Hannah Montana originally aired for four seasons between 2006 and 2011. Classic episodes, as well as the Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special, can be streamed via Disney+.
ELK PARK — A father and his four sons reported missing near Elk Park were found safe after their vehicle became disabled, according to Butte-Silver Bow County Sheriff Ed Lester.
They were found walking along a roadway around 5 p.m. north of Maney Lake, according to Lester.
Rescuers from 15-90 Search and Rescue, the United States Marshals Service, the United States Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) were able to reach the group and transport them to safety.
“We are very happy that everyone is safe. We appreciate the hard work of the rescuers and the coordination among Jefferson, Anaconda-Deer Lodge, Powell, and Silver Bow counties,” Lester said in a statement.
(original report) Law enforcement and search and rescue teams are searching for a missing father and his four sons near Elk Park, just off Interstate 15, after the group failed to return from a fishing trip north of Butte.
The group has been missing for nearly 24 hours. Three of the four boys are Type 1 diabetics in need of insulin.
WATCH: Law enforcement and search and rescue teams near Butte, Montana are searching for a missing father and four sons. Three of the boys are Type 1 diabetics in urgent need of insulin
Search expands for missing Butte family as friend reveals 3 of 4 boys are Type 1 diabetics
Courtney Mosier, a family friend who drove from Helena to assist in the search, said the urgency of the situation is critical.
“There (are) four little boys that range from ages 14 to 10. Three of the little boys are Type 1 diabetics. They need their insulin. They need their sugar. They need to be found immediately,” Mosier said.
Mosier has known the father, Paul Klimpel, her whole life and said his outdoor experience is a reassuring factor.
“Paul is an avid outdoorsman. Like I said, I’ve known him my whole life. If the truck broke down, Paul would be able to fix it. So, luckily they’re with a really, really, really good adult. We just need to find these children,” Mosier said.
Meagan Thompson
According to a press release from Butte Sheriff Ed Lester, police are searching for the group in the Brown’s Gulch, American Gulch, Flume Gulch, and Bernice area north of Butte. Officials are also searching the Homestake and Delome Lake areas.
The last known location of the group came from a cell phone ping near Maney Lake.
“The last ping from one of the little boys’ cell phone was up near Maney Lake so that’s where the family is at currently right now,” Mosier said.
Butte-Silver Bow County Sheriff’s Office Butte-Silver Bow Sheriff’s Office
Anyone who spots a white Ford Ranger flatbed pickup is encouraged to call law enforcement at 406-497-1120.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Montana
Social media star Montana Tucker to host Maccabiah Games delegation parade | The Jerusalem Post
Ahead of the 2026 Maccabiah Games, an event often called the “Jewish Olympics” and the largest Jewish sporting competition in the world, which are set to begin next week, social media influencer, dancer, and singer, Montana Tucker expressed her excitement to be hosting the delegation parade at the event and said that the games were taking place at a critical point for the global Jewish community.
“Israel has gone through a lot, Israelis have gone through a lot, Jews have gone through a lot around the world,” Tucker told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday. “What’s going on is not just happening in Israel; it’s really happening all around the world with our Jewish community. So, an event like the Maccabiah Games is showing the world that we are strong, we are united, and we don’t give up, and we keep fighting.”
According to Maccabiah, the games bring together more than 10,000 athletes from at least 80 countries in Israel every four years to compete in over 45 sports. The Maccabi World Union says the games are the second-largest sporting event in the world after the Olympics.
The 2026 Maccabiah Games, the 22nd of their kind, were initially scheduled for last year but were postponed due to the security situation involving Iran and its regional proxies.
“This was supposed to happen last year, and about a month away, we had to cancel it due to the war,” Tucker recalled. “And so I am so grateful that it is happening this year, because we truly do need this now more than ever.”
She also said she was excited to debut her new song “We’re Not Strangers” at the event.
“It’s all about unity and building bridges and bringing people together. And some of the lyrics say ‘we may pray to different saviors, but we’re not strangers,’” she told the Post. “Our world is so divided right now. I think that we really just need to come together and have more unity and compassion and understanding of one another. And if we really talk to people who look differently than us, act differently than us, have a different religion than us, we’ll realize we’re actually more similar than we think.”
Montana Tucker: Sport ‘truly unites the world’
Sports, she said, was an ideal method to build these bridges, adding she viewed it as something that “truly unites the world.”
The Maccabiah Games this year, though, will be the first since the Hamas-led massacres in southern Israel on October 7, 2023. The attacks sparked a regional eruption with Israel fighting wars against Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Islamic regime in Iran.
“We always have to talk about what happened on October 7,” Tucker said. “We should never stop talking about it. And I think it is so important that Maccabiah is utilizing this platform to talk about it. I know they actually have a former hostage, Daniella Gilboa, who’s going to be performing, which is so powerful.”
Tucker also highlighted the value of the games, saying they were a powerful tool to dispel disinformation about the Jewish state.
“What’s shown on the news nowadays is just all the negativity. Most of it is just propaganda and lies about what Israel is, and I think the Maccabiah just debunks every possible propaganda and lie about Israel,” she said. “When people say the word ‘Israel,’ it comes with so many different connotations, and I think we can show them this. This is Israel. This is what being Jewish means.”
A key element in showing the world what Israel and being Jewish mean, she reiterated, meant showcasing Jewish unity at a time when, in the wake of the October 7, the global Jewish community has faced a worldwide rise in antisemitism.
The games themselves are being held under the slogan, “More Than Ever,” according to Maccabiah, to emphasize “the importance of strengthening the bond between [Jewish] communities worldwide and the State of Israel.”
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