Montana

Smokey…Goat? Montana farm's grazing herd helps property owners reduce fire risk

Published

14 hours ago

March 14, 2025

Smokey…Goat? Montana farm's grazing herd helps property owners reduce fire risk

When you think of fire control, you might think of something like firetrucks and sirens, but have you ever considered something like a grazing goat?

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Smokey…Goat? Montana farm’s grazing herd helps reduce fire risk

Kim Stolte is the owner of Montana Goat Farm, a family-owned business that uses its herd of goats in a sustainable way.

“Well, the goats need to eat, that’s the main thing,” said Kim.

But these are no regular goats; for the past five years, Kim has rented her herd to members of the community for grazing as a way to prevent wildfires.

“They’re pretty darn efficient, especially when you have that number of goats. And that’s the thing—if you only take out two or three goats, they’ll just kind of pick and choose and not clear. But when you bring through 80 goats or 100 goats, they’ll just be kind of like locusts. They’ll clear the whole area,” said Kim.

Montana Goat Farm has gained a lot of popularity for its service. In the past year, the farm has rented its goats to several farms in the Gallatin Valley.

“They were gone all summer, so 60 to 80 goats from June until September,” said Kim.

Kim has even seen the effect in her own backyard.

“You can compare our property with the property next door that hasn’t had goats on it, and you’ll see a big difference. Like ours is just wide open, no underbrush, no debris, and the other ones are still just overgrown, where the fire is just going to suck right through,” said Kim.

I got to speak to one of these firefighters myself: Bob Dylan the Goat!

MTN News

“Hey Bob, what do you think about fire risk mitigation in the Gallatin Valley?” I asked Bob.

Bob continued to munch his hay with lots of enthusiasm.

Kim wants to continue to share her friendly firefighters with anyone who needs it.

“Whether it’s farmland or in the trees, or around people’s houses, that would be amazing,” said Kim.

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Montana

New VA clinic in Hamilton brings expanded services and facilities

Published

2 hours ago

March 14, 2025

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New VA clinic in Hamilton brings expanded services and facilities

According to the Montana VA, veterans make up over 10 percent of Ravalli County’s total population.

Montana VA Executive Director Duane Gill says Hamilton’s previous clinic could not keep pace with the health care demands.

“So, it kind of had lived its life and it was time obviously for a much, much bigger clinic.”

At 8,000 square feet, Hamilton’s brand new, eleven million dollar clinic on North 1st Street is 600 percent larger than the old facility.

Hamilton veteran Andrew Poff recently toured the new clinic and walked away impressed. Poff tells MTPR its big parking lot is a huge improvement and makes a great first impression. The former U.S. Army Cavalry Scout says the clinic itself is beautiful.

There’s a lot more room. There’s more seating. It’s open and pretty spacious,” Poff says.

The new clinic will offer services including primary care, women’s health, outpatient mental health care, lab and telehealth services. New to the lineup is physical therapy every Tuesday and Thursday. That’s a big relief to Poff who says valley veterans needing PT treatments through the VA, currently have to travel out of town.

Montana VA Executive Director Duane Gill says recent news reports of Trump Administration plans to cut tens of thousands of Department of Veterans Affairs employees will have no impact on veteran health care.

“The Secretary has been pretty clear on this — there’s going to be no cuts to services,” Gill says.

The Trump administration says the cuts are needed for efficiency in an agency that is sometimes criticized for lengthy delays in health care. Last year, an inspector general found the VA to be understaffed.

The grand opening ceremony for Hamilton’s new VA Clinic begins at 10 a.m. Friday.

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Montana

Cold front brings showers and wind to central Montana

Published

1 day ago

March 13, 2025

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Cold front brings showers and wind to central Montana

A cold front is moving into central Montana. There is steady snow falling along the Divide and we can expect scattered rain showers as the front moves across the plains. Areas south of Helena and in the higher terrain can expect a burst of snow as the front passes through. The cold front will continue tracking east throughout the afternoon and evening. As it moves into milder air in eastern Montana, instability may even lead to isolated thunderstorms. Colder air will quickly move in tonight, causing some of the rain in northeastern Montana to switch over to snow, with accumulations of up to an inch possible.

MTN News

Otherwise, expect mostly cloudy to overcast skies today and tonight, which could unfortunately impact visibility for tonight’s lunar eclipse. Daytime highs will reach the upper 40s in the Helena area, the low to mid 50s in north central Montana, and the low to mid 60s along the Hi-Line east of Havre.

The majority of snow accumulation from this system will occur in western and southwestern Montana, where valleys can expect a coating to a few inches of snow, while the mountains may receive up to a foot of snowfall. In the mountain ranges of central Montana, a coating to a couple of inches is expected.

Winds will remain strong behind the cold front, with sustained speeds between 15 and 35 mph and gusts up to 60 mph along the Rocky Mountain Front. Elsewhere, sustained winds of 15 to 30 mph with gusts up to 40 mph are possible.

In far northeastern Montana on Friday morning, there will be some snow, which could make roads a bit slick. Throughout the afternoon, widely scattered rain and snow showers are expected, especially in the mountains and along the Hi-Line. It will be noticeably cooler, with daytime highs in the mid to upper 30s and low to mid 40s in most areas. Breezy conditions are anticipated in the morning, gradually diminishing in the evening as winds shift to the northwest.

Expect a chilly start to the weekend, with temperatures dipping into the teens and low to mid-20s Saturday morning. Some scattered rain and snow showers may linger, but nothing too substantial is expected. Saturday will remain cool, with temperatures only reaching the mid to upper 30s and low to mid 40s. A steady southwest breeze of 10-20 mph will develop in the afternoon, with possible gusts over 40 mph. Sunday will be slightly warmer, with daytime highs in the mid to upper 40s and low to mid 50s.

Cool and unsettled weather will continue into St. Patrick’s Day (Monday), with scattered rain and snow showers likely, accompanied by mostly cloudy skies. Temperatures are expected to reach the 40s in most areas.

On Tuesday, there will be morning clouds followed by clearing in the afternoon, leading to sunshine and drier conditions heading into Wednesday. Daytime highs are expected to be in the low to mid 40s on both days.

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Montana

Montana Lottery Powerball, Lucky For Life results for March 12, 2025

Published

2 days ago

March 13, 2025

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The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at March 12, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from March 12 drawing

11-13-28-51-58, Powerball: 01, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from March 12 drawing

05-08-10-20-44, Lucky Ball: 01

Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto America numbers from March 12 drawing

04-17-21-28-48, Star Ball: 04, ASB: 03

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from March 12 drawing

22-26-29-31, Bonus: 15

Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Montana Cash numbers from March 12 drawing

02-03-20-25-38

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.

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