Montana
Snowboarder dies after falling from ski chairlift at Red Lodge Mountain in Montana
A snowboarder at a southern Montana ski resort was killed Monday after falling from a chair lift, according to a social media post from the ski resort where it happened.
“Yesterday was an unfortunate day at Red Lodge Mountain as a guest was injured as the result of a chair lift incident,” the resort shared on Facebook Tuesday morning, adding that the guest was on the Triple Chair. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the guest and his friends and family, and all guests and employees impacted by this incident.”
Loved ones and Carbon County Sheriff Josh McQuillan identified the man as 37-year-old Jeffrey Zinne.
He died after a fall from the Triple Chair at Red Lodge Mountain, Sheriff McQuillan said Friday, adding that the accident remains under investigation.
He was life-flighted to a hospital in Billings, where he died on Wednesday, according to Esther Jensen, a GoFundMe organizer raising funds for his family.
He was pronounced dead early Wednesday morning, KTVQ reported. According to KTVQ, the coroner’s office said his cause of death was accidental blunt force injury.
The coroner did not immediately responded to USA TODAY’s requests for comment Friday morning.
In an updated statement Friday afternoon, Red Lodge Mountain said the company is “deeply saddened” by Zinne’s death.
“Our most heartfelt condolences go out to Mr. Zinne’s family and friends,” the company said, adding that safety is a top priority at the facility. “We are working in cooperation with the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office and Iron Mountain Engineering, an independent professional lift inspector, to understand how this tragedy occurred. Until more is known, the Triple Chair will remain closed.”
Meteorologist says there were strong winds in the area the day man died
USA TODAY spoke with Peter Matos, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Billings Friday morning.
While the National Weather Service doesn’t have a weather observation site at Red Lodge Mountain, there are some close by, Matos said. One site is the Timbercrest site, Matos said. Around 11:15 a.m. on Monday, the Timbercrest site recorded wind gusts up to 50 miles-per-hour, coming in from the west. At 12:15 p.m. that day, the site recorded wind gusts around 52 miles-per-hour. Citing local reports, Matos said Zinne fell around noon.
“Those winds, they can make it over onto the other side of the mountain,” Matos said to USA TODAY on Friday. “Red Lodge is known for having strong downslope winds out of the southwest. We know that it was pretty windy across the entire area that day.”
A sweep of Red Lodge Mountain’s Facebook page shows that facility managers have previously shut down lifts due to strong winds and maintenance. For example, a January 2021 post reads in part: “Due to winds of 49+MPH at the top of Triple Chair, all lifts are currently on hold.”
‘Love you, Dada guy’: Remembering Jeffrey Zinne
In the GoFundMe description, organizers said Zinne’s death was a “tragic accident.”
“This unexpected loss has left his family, friends, and all who knew him heartbroken and in disbelief,” Jensen, the organizer, wrote. “Jeff was a devoted husband to his loving wife, Meghan, and a caring father to his 2-year-old son. His passion for life, infectious laughter, and kind-hearted nature touched everyone around him.”
According to Jensen, he put others before himself and was president of Montana Air Cartage. The company offers local shipping services and has been in business since the late 1980s, according to their website.
Jensen shared in the fundraiser description that Zinne’s widow and the couple’s son are grieving while also facing mounting financial burdens.
“Your contribution will make a significant difference in providing financial stability for Jeff’s family,” Jensen wrote. “All funds raised will go directly to his wife and son to help with funeral costs and medical expenses.”
The fundraiser ended with a note from the couple’s toddler son: “Love you, Dada Guy”.
This story has been updated with new information.
This story has been updated to add new information.
Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY’s NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com.
MISSOULA, Mont. — A California woman who tried to smuggle her husband into the United States through northwest Montana has been sentenced to six months of probation, according to U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme.
Tracy Routh Lautenslager, 54, pleaded guilty in August 2025 to conspiracy to bring an alien into the United States at a location other than a designated port of entry. U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided over the case.
Court documents allege Lautenslager entered the U.S. through the Roosville Port of Entry on April 1, 2025, then drove to the Swisher Lake area near Lake Koocanusa. Border Patrol agents later learned a man had crossed the border on foot nearby. Canadian authorities eventually apprehended the man, identified as Lautenslager’s husband, a citizen of Great Britain with no legal status in the U.S.
Investigators say Lautenslager admitted the couple planned to avoid the port of entry by having her husband cross illegally while she drove into the U.S. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katy Stack and investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol as part of Operation Take Back America.
Miley Cyrus opens up about vocal condition behind her raspy voice
Miley Cyrus has revealed that she has Reinke’s edema, a condition affecting her vocal cords that gives her voice its raspy tone.
unbranded – Entertainment
Move over Miley Cyrus, Hannah Montana is coming.
The “Flowers” singer is revisiting her Disney Channel roots, donning the signature blonde look of the fictional popstar ahead of the sitcom’s 20th anniversary in March.
At the Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival on Jan. 3, Cyrus confirmed she is involved with plans for the milestone date.
“Absolutely. We’re working hard on them,” she told Variety.
While she said she couldn’t say more about what’s in store for fans, Cyrus pointed to her blonde hairstyle, adding, “You see the bangs.”
Cyrus starred in the series alongside Emily Osment, Mitchel Musso and father Billy Ray Cyrus, between March 2006 and January 2011, and starred in the 2009 feature film “Hannah Montana: The Movie.” Under the Hannah Montana persona, she also released multiple platinum-selling soundtracks and headlined the Best of Both Worlds Tour, which grossed over $54 million.
What’s happening for the Hannah Montana 20th anniversary?
The Grammy-winning musician first teased plans for the anniversary in a July 22 interview on SiriusXM.
“I want to design something really, really special for it because it really was the beginning of all of this,” she said. “Without Hannah, there wouldn’t really be this me.”
“It’s crazy to think that I started as a character that I thought was going to be impossible to shed, and now that’s something that when I walk into a space, it’s looked at as this sense of kind of, like, nostalgia or something that you have from your childhood,” she added. “So, that’s exciting to get to celebrate that.”
Will there be a Hannah Montana tour in 2026?
Cyrus has not announced plans to tour as “Hannah Montana” for the show’s 20th anniversary.
While exact anniversary plans remain under wraps, a tour seems unlikely, as Cyrus has previously expressed a lack of interest in touring.
During a May 2023 interview with British Vogue, the “Something Beautiful” singer added that while she enjoys performing for her friends, noting that “singing for hundreds of thousands of people isn’t really the thing that I love.”
Contributing: Edward Segarra, USA TODAY
BOZEMAN — For the second consecutive week, Montana State sophomore guard Taylee Chirrick has been named Big Sky Conference player of the week, the league office announced Tuesday.
The 5-foot-11 product of Roberts scored the game-winning basket with 1.7 seconds remaining to lift the Bobcats to a 71-70 upset of Big 12 member Colorado on Sunday afternoon at the CU Events Center. Chirrick finished the contest with 21 points, which included a 7-for-7 effort at the free throw line.
Chirrick once again stuffed the stat sheet, pulling down a team-best six rebounds, while adding four steals, three assists and a pair of 3-pointers in the victory.
Chirrick is currently ranked third in the nation averaging 4.5 steals per game, and her 27 total steals rank 14th overall. Her 19.8 points per game rank second in the Big Sky and 28th in the nation.
Montana State opens the Big Sky Conference/Summit League Challenge on Wednesday at North Dakota State in Fargo. Tip is slated for 6 p.m. (MT) in the Scheels Center. The game will air live on the CBS Sports Network.
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