Montana

Patience paid off as Aanen Moody leaves lasting legacy with Montana Grizzlies

Published

2 years ago

March 5, 2024

Patience paid off as Aanen Moody leaves lasting legacy with Montana Grizzlies

MISSOULA — Few players have become the fan favorite that Aanen Moody has with the Montana Grizzlies.

Now, as the seventh-year senior gets set to wrap up his final days as a Grizzly, he’s been appreciative of the opportunity offered to him by Montana, something he’d been looking for his entire career.

“I’m kind of a showman,” Moody said. “And I like to perform a little bit. So I think that when the crowd really got into the games, I think that it just gave me an extra burst. And, you know, I think that that helped a lot.

“I think that in basketball, you know, the fans show up because they want to be entertained, and part of being entertained, is having fun. And I think that if they see somebody on the court having fun, then that energy is going to be reciprocated through the fans.”

Moody, a native of Dickinson, N.D., began his career at the University of North Dakota and then Southern Utah, where he saw positives, but often was tasked with waiting his turn.

Those stops helped him stay humble and prepared him for the explosion of success at Montana.

“I think the path that I’ve taken is obviously not the path of least resistance. I’ve played behind a lot of good players and have been able to develop my game in ways that I need to impact the game more than just by my scoring,” Moody said.

“And so I think that all of those years of sitting behind guys who I may have been better than but sitting in these positions of coming off the bench had made me the player that I am today.”

That player today is the 3-point marksman who broke out a season ago for the Griz as an all-conference talent in his first major opportunity.

In just two seasons at UM he’s scored 949 points already for the Griz — he has 1,631 for his career — as Moody, who has started in all 58 games he’s played at UM, has provided a spark with his offense and his ability to engage the crowd. But this year it’s been about expanding that impact with the rest of the team.

“If one guy’s getting hot, you know, we have this thing called consideration of the game, and people are gonna find you,” Moody said. “So I’m the type of player where, you know, I might miss a couple, but then I might make a couple. And then when that happens, you know, I need the ball.

“And so I have teammates that have really good consideration for me, and I have good consideration for them. So I think that’s why we fit along with the coaching staff and just giving me the freedom and the green light. It’s something that I never got before.

“I think that, because of my journey, I don’t have a sense of entitlement. I think I have a sense of gratefulness for being in the position that I’m at. And, you know, I think it just all aligned perfectly where, last year, I was able to break out and have a good individual season. But now in my last year, I really just want to win. And so now we have an opportunity with a great team and a great record going into Boise to finally get a championship and be a big role in that championship. I think I’m in the best position that I could be right now.”

Moody hasn’t been your average college athlete as a father of two sons and late bloomer in basketball, but his life off the court has been an inspiration to his abilities on it.

“I think it just makes me levelheaded and makes me a better leader,” Moody said. “You know, it’s a lot easier to lead a basketball team than it is to lead a family, especially when it comes to kids. So I think that has just grown my personality, and obviously given me a different perspective on life and in the game that I never had before.

“On the court, I think that I give a lot of energy. But off the court, I think my biggest component of, of an asset is just the wisdom that I have from having a family and being able to lead it.

Moody has a degree in exercise science and also an MBA. He hopes to work with people in the future, such as training or even chiropractic school among options he’s considered.

It’s been a long, winding college journey for Moody, who has been appreciative and grateful along the way as well as for those alongside him, as he hopes to cap off his career with a Big Sky tournament title and a trip to the NCAA tournament before it’s all said and done.

“It’s changed the trajectory of my life forever,” Moody said. “The people that you meet, just the connections that you make the relationships, I’m starting to realize that those are actually the most important part of my process. But it’d be nice to get a championship as well.

“Best time of my life. You know, definitely it’s my home now. It’s where my family is going to be for, you know, many years. So we don’t plan on leaving. I’m gonna be a Griz forever. So yeah, it’s home.”

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Montana

Kalshi sues Montana AG to prevent gambling enforcement

Published

7 hours ago

April 15, 2026

Press Room

Kalshi sues Montana AG to prevent gambling enforcement

Jonathan Ambarian

HELENA (KPAX) — An increasingly popular online prediction market has filed suit against Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, seeking to stop his office from enforcing state gambling laws against them.

The company Kalshi has filed a case in federal court, arguing that the state has no authority to regulate their operations.

Kalshi offers “event contracts,” where users buy a contract based on whether a predicted future event will or will not happen by a set time. If it does happen, users who bought “yes” contracts are paid out, and if it doesn’t, those who bought “no” contracts are paid out. Before the final resolution, the value of the contracts can vary based on the market, and users can sell them early based on that value.

Kalshi’s contracts cover everything from business and economic indicators to election results and other news events to sports. As the company has received more attention, it has also faced scrutiny from some states that consider its model too close to gambling. Kalshi has maintained it’s not the same because users’ contracts are financial “swaps” with other traders, rather than a bet against the market itself.

“Because traders do not take a position against the exchange itself, traders’ ability to hedge risk requires counterparties willing to assume risk in the hope of seeing a return,” the company’s attorneys said in their complaint.

Last year, an attorney representing the Montana Department of Justice’s Gambling Control Division sent Kalshi a cease-and-desist letter, saying that they had found probable cause that the company’s operations were gambling, “because participants risk money or other things of value for a gain that is contingent in whole or in part upon lot, chance, or the operation of a gambling enterprise.” They asked the company to stop offering event contracts in the state, saying they were seeking “voluntary compliance.”

Kalshi argues their operations are regulated by the federal Commodity Futures Trading Commission, like other financial markets, and that federal law overrides any attempts by states to implement additional restrictions.

“One of Congress’s avowed goals in creating the CFTC was to avoid the ‘chaos’ that would result from subjecting exchanges to a patchwork of 50 different—and potentially conflicting—state law,” the company’s attorneys wrote in their federal complaint.

In the complaint, attorneys said Kalshi believed it had reached an agreement with the state to delay any enforcement while a federal appeals court hears arguments in a similar case centered on Kalshi’s operations in Nevada. However, they said the state sent another cease-and-desist letter last week, so they filed this action seeking to prevent Montana regulators from taking any enforcement action.

In the Nevada case, a judge barred Kalshi from offering contracts on sports. However, an appeals court ruled in a separate case last week that New Jersey did not have the authority to regulate Kalshi.

In addition, the CFTC has announced lawsuits of its own against states that sought to regulate prediction markets.

MTN reached out to Kalshi’s media contact, but as of Tuesday evening had not received a response.

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Montana

Montana Lottery Mega Millions, Big Sky Bonus results for April 14, 2026

Published

19 hours ago

April 15, 2026

Press Room

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

Here’s a look at April 14, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from April 14 drawing

17-21-24-57-69, Mega Ball: 12

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from April 14 drawing

02-04-30-31, Bonus: 16

Check Big Sky Bonus 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.

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Montana

This Weekend is Huge for Music Lovers in Montana

Published

1 day ago

April 14, 2026

Press Room

This Weekend is Huge for Music Lovers in Montana

There’s something special about a record or CD that feels nostalgic, and if you need another reason to support locally owned record stores in Montana, this is it.

This Saturday, April 18, is Record Store Day 2026, and independent record stores in Montana and across the country are gearing up for one of the biggest days of the year. It’s a one-day event where customers can find exclusive in-store only releases.

For record collectors, it’s a chance to find special releases that are in limited supply. I’m planning to get in line in hopes of scoring a copy of the Billy Strings NPR Tiny Desk concert on vinyl.

That’s just one of over 300 limited-edition releases that will be available on Record Store Day. You can find a complete list of 2026 releases on the Record Store Day website.

Records

Photo by Peixuan Yu

Record stores in Montana aren’t just a place to buy music. They’re a part of the fabric of the communities they serve. Cactus Records in Bozeman is considered a local landmark and the go-to spot for music lovers in town.

Sure, it’s much easier to stream music digitally, but it isn’t the same as holding a physical copy in your hands.

Record Store Day is about showing up and supporting local. Keeping these independent shops alive and thriving in a world that’s increasingly digital. Every purchase you make this Saturday goes directly back into those stores, and helps make sure they’re still here the next time you’re looking for something new.

If you plan on heading to a local record store on Saturday, don’t be surprised if you see people getting in line early. It’s a big day for vinyl lovers and music fans in Montana. I hope you find what you’re looking for.