Montana

Search continues for woman missing northeast of Helena

Published

1 year ago

October 7, 2024

Search continues for woman missing northeast of Helena

HELENA — On Sunday at McMaster Hills Trailhead helicopters, search and rescue teams, the Sheriff’s Department, and numerous volunteers continue the search for a 27-year-old woman, who went missing on Friday, October 4th. On Saturday, October 5th her horse and her phone were found.

On Friday Meghan Rouns went for a ride. Her family last heard from her around 2 p.m. Her parents called the Sheriff’s Department at 8:00 p.m. when she hadn’t returned. Friday, search and rescue was mobilized in the McMaster Recreation area.

Search teams of all forms have been pouring over the area since Rouns was reported missing.

Sunday focused on the west side of the area and working the waters.

Both Friday and Saturday saw temperatures in the mid to low thirties in the McMaster recreation area according to Chief Meteorologist Curtis Grevinitz at KTVH.

Madelyn Heath, MTN News

Multiple agencies from surrounding counties have taken part in the search for Rouns. Saturday night and Sunday a helicopter from the Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls joined in the search.

On Sunday the focus was on Hauser Lake, a robotic-operated vehicle and divers were brought in a mile and half downriver from Canyon Ferry Dam.

Since Friday the following agencies have assisted in the search: Lewis and Clark County Search and Rescue Units, MT ANG, Mercy Flight from Great Falls, Malmstrom Air Force Base helicopter, Helena Police Department drones, Helena Fire Department drones, IFlyBigSky, Elkhorn Search and Rescue Dogs, True North Search Dogs, Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks, Bureau of Land Management, and community volunteers.

Rouns’s cell phone GPS data maps heavy presence in the lake.

“Her horse was found just up the hill from the lake, so this has become our primary area to search from the evidence we have gathered,” said Willy Wegner, the operations lieutenant of Lewis and Clark County Search and Rescue.

In addition to the evidence that has been found, search and rescue teams have been using a process of elimination method.

“As we search areas, the more we search it the lower probability that area becomes, so then we will move to another area,” noted Wegner.

In addition to the heavy search presence on the water Sunday, volunteers are hiking the area to find even the smallest of clues.

Lewis and Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton says, “With the amount of volunteers that we have we assign them to a sector and have them report back. They are doing a good job.”

Sheriff Dutton confirmed a spur found by volunteers Saturday did not belong to Meghan.

After speaking with Meghan’s parents, brother, and sister-in-law they shared their gratitude towards all the effort given by the community to find Meghan.

Search and Rescue and the Sheriff’s Department share those same feelings.

“We need to coordinate the search; we will use people that come and help. I’m inspired by everyone who has left what they are doing today to come out to this area,” Dutton said.

As we learn more we will share the updates.

Editor’s note: An original version of this story incorrectly said Meghan Rouns was expected to be back by 2 p.m. on Friday, Oct 4. 2 p.m. on Oct. 4, 2024, was the last time her parents directly heard from her according to officials.

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Montana

Montana Lottery Powerball, Lotto America results for March 2, 2026

Published

2 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

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

Here’s a look at March 2, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from March 2 drawing

02-17-18-38-62, Powerball: 20, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto America numbers from March 2 drawing

03-08-17-24-34, Star Ball: 06, ASB: 02

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from March 2 drawing

06-12-19-29, Bonus: 11

Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from March 2 drawing

21-28-58-65-67, Powerball: 25

Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 2 drawing

28-41-42-50-55, Bonus: 02

Check Millionaire for Life 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

Apparent AI Glitch in Filing by Montana Public Defender, Recent Congressional Candidate

Published

14 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Apparent AI Glitch in Filing by Montana Public Defender, Recent Congressional Candidate

Everyone makes mistakes, even experienced professionals; a good reminder for the rest of us to learn from those mistakes. The motion in State v. Stroup starts off well in its initial pages (no case law hallucinations), but is then followed by several pages of two other motions, which I don’t think the lawyer was planning to file, and which appear to have been AI-generated: It begins with the “Below is concise motion language you can drop into …” language quoted above.

Griffen Smith (Missoulian) reported on the story, and included the prosecutor’s motion to strike that filing, on the grounds that it violates a local rule (3(G)) requiring disclosure of the use of generative AI:

The document does not include a generative artificial intelligence disclosure as required. However, page 7 begins as follows: “Below is concise motion language you can drop into a ‘Motion to Admit Mental-Disease Evidence and for Related Instructions’ keyed to 45-6-204, 45-6-201, and 4614-102. Adjust headings/captions to your local practice.” Page 10 states “Below is a full motion you can paste into your pleading, then adjust names, dates, and styles to fit local practice.” These pages also include several apparent hyperlinks to “ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws,” “ppl-ai-fileupload.s3.amazonaws+1,” and others. The document includes what appears to be an attempt at a second case caption on page 12. It is not plausible on its face that any source other than generative AI would have created such language for a filed version of a brief….

There’s more in that filing, but here’s one passage:

While generative AI can be a useful tool for some purposes and may have greater application in the future, when used improperly, and without meaningful review, it can ultimately damage both the perception and the reality of the profession. One assumes that Mr. Stroup has had, or will at some point have, an opportunity to review the filing made on his behalf. What impression could a review of pgs. 12-19 leave upon a defendant who struggles with paranoia and delusional thinking? While AI could theoretically one day become a replacement for portions of staff of experienced attorneys, it is readily apparent that this day has not yet arrived.

The Missoulan article includes this response:

In a Wednesday interview, Office of Public Defender Division Administrator Brian Smith told the Missoulian the AI-generated language was inadvertently included in an unrelated filing. And he criticized the county attorney’s office for filing a “four-page diatribe about the dangers of AI” instead of working with the defense to correct her mistake.
“That’s not helping the client or the case,” Smith said, “and all you are doing is trying to throw a professional colleague under the bus.”

As I mentioned, the lawyer involved seems quite experienced, and ran for the Montana Public Service Commission in 2020 (getting nearly 48% of the vote) and for the House of Representatives in Montana’s first district in 2022 (getting over 46% of the vote) and in 2024 (getting over 44%). “Его пример другим наука,” Pushkin wrote in Eugene Onegin—”May his example profit others,” in the Falen translation.

Thanks to Matthew Monforton for the pointer.

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