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
Escobar, Jayapal, Members of Congress Call on Camp East Montana to be Shut Down – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal
(Washington, D.C.) – Today, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) – joined by Representative Pramila Jayapal, the Ranking Member of the Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee, and 22 other Members of Congress – sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Todd Lyons calling for the immediate closure of Camp East Montana in El Paso. They cite urgent humanitarian concerns following multiple deaths in custody, documented unsafe conditions, and serious deficiencies in medical care.
This marks the fourth letter Congresswoman Escobar has sent to DHS and ICE leadership. The previous three letters have gone unanswered.
The letter can be found in its entirety below and here.
“Secretary Noem and Acting Director Lyons:
We are urgently calling on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS or the Department) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to shut down Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas.
Camp East Montana has been operational for six months, and at least three people have died at the site since December 2025: Francisco Gaspar-Andres, Geraldo Lunas Campos, and Victor Manuel Diaz. The El Paso County Medical Examiner has officially ruled Lunas Campos’ death a homicide, citing “asphyxia due to neck and torso compression.”
Camp East Montana was constructed in a matter of weeks and opened before construction was complete and it does not have enough federal staff on-site to provide adequate oversight. Over the last several months, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar, in whose district this facility is located, has sent multiple letters to DHS and ICE regarding concerns about the conditions at Camp East Montana, and has received no responses.
According to detainees, there have been constant and consistent problems at the facility since it opened, beginning with the facility’s poor construction and poor ambient temperature control. Upon opening, the drinking water at Camp East Montana tasted foul and made some detainees sick. Detainees continue to be served inadequate meals, including food that is rotten or frozen; last fall, the facility was also consistently failing to make dietary accommodations for detainees. Detainees have shared that they have sporadic access to outside spaces and recreational areas, and that their dormitory pods are cleaned only once every eight days, despite pods housing up to 72 people at a time. Laundry services are not consistent, and people are washing their clothes in the facility showers. Additionally, the facility experiences flooding and sewage backups when it rains, leading to stagnant water.
One of the biggest concerns with the Camp East Montana facility is the inadequate medical care being provided to detainees. Our offices have heard that only the most ill detainees are referred to the medical unit and that there are inconsistencies as to how soon after arriving detainees are able to undergo initial medical screenings. Detainees with chronic health issues who rely on regimented medications for their health have had difficulty accessing necessary medications, including blood pressure medication and insulin.
At least one of the deaths that occurred in ICE custody, the death of Francisco Gaspar-Andres, appears to partially be the result of poor medical care by staff at the facility. According to ICE’s own account, Gaspar-Andres sought medical attention from facility staff for increasingly serious symptoms, but was only transferred to an area hospital once his condition had severely deteriorated.
In addition to our concerns about poor medical care, we are also aware that detainees have experienced irregular access to their legal counsel, including instances of detainees having only two minutes allotted per phone call every 8 days, which is contrary to ICE’s Detention Standards on access to counsel, and that the belatedly created law library lacks adequate resources for the amount of people currently held at the facility. In January 2026, ICE announced the on-site death of Geraldo Lunas Campos “after experiencing medical distress.” ICE opened an investigation into the death, but did not provide a cause of death. However, The Washington Post later reported that another man detained at Camp East Montana had witnessed guards choking Lunas Campos when he refused to enter a segregated housing unit. Weeks later, the El Paso County Medical Examiner ruled that Lunas Campos had experienced “asphyxia due to neck and torso compression” and ruled his death a homicide.
Lunas Campos is the first detainee to die at Camp East Montana as a result of a use-of-force incident, but we are strongly concerned that he will not be the last if ICE is allowed to continue operating Camp East Montana.
ICE was given $45 billion in taxpayer dollars in the reconciliation bill, $1.2 billion of which were awarded to Acquisition Logistics, LLC, a company with no previous experience managing immigration detention facilities, to build and oversee Camp East Montana. However, in the wake of three deaths in custody so far, continued concerns about conditions at the facility, and ICE’s apparent disinterest in responding to oversight letters from Congress, we do not believe Camp East Montana is being run professionally or responsibly.
Camp East Montana must be shut down. For the safety of everyone at the facility, for an end to abuses to detainees, and for fiscal responsibility to the American people, the site cannot continue to operate. We are calling on DHS and ICE to move to immediately close operations at Camp East Montana.
We look forward to hearing from the Department promptly on this matter.
The other co-signers include Representatives Yassamin Ansari, Nanette Barragán, Yvette Clarke, Lloyd Doggett, Maxwell Frost, Jesús “Chuy” García, Sylvia Garcia, Daniel Goldman, Jimmy Gomez, Henry Johnson, Stephen Lynch, Seth Moulton, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Delia Ramirez, Andrea Salinas, Janice Schakowsky, Darren Soto, Rashida Tlaib, Paul Tonko, Lauren Underwood, Gabe Vasquez, and Nydia Velázquez.
Issues: Immigration
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