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This $21.7 million ranch for sale in Montana once served as a hideout for a Soviet pilot who defected in a MiG-25. Take a look.

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This .7 million ranch for sale in Montana once served as a hideout for a Soviet pilot who defected in a MiG-25. Take a look.


A working Montana ranch that recently hit the market for $21.7 million has a unique history, once serving as a hiding place for a Soviet Union pilot who defected to the West.

Rocking Chair Ranch, located in Philipsburg, Montana, in the western part of the state, spans more than 7,230 acres and includes a cattle operation, meadows, forest, rangelands, agricultural fields, and a semi-private trout fishery.


Green fields, mountains in background, buildings in foreground

The ranch has been in the same family for over seven decades.

Hall and Hall

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The property, which has a historic five-bedroom home and other buildings, has been in the same family for over 70 years. The Vietor family even unknowingly housed Viktor Belenko, a former Soviet Union fighter pilot.

In 1976, Belenko defected and flew to Hokkaido, Japan, in a MiG-25, a new, powerful Soviet aircraft that was feared by the West. Belenko had been serving in the Soviet Union’s Air Defense Forces but “felt he was being treated like an expendable cog in a creaking war machine,” The New York Times wrote after his death last year.


Cows on the ranch

There is an active cattle operation on the ranch.

Hall and Hall



“I have been longing for freedom in the United States,” Belenko said, according to Japanese police. “Life in the Soviet Union has not changed from that existing in the days of Czarist Russia, where there had been no freedom.”

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After months of planning, Belenko finally defected during a training exercise over the Sea of Japan and was quickly handed over to the US, along with the coveted MiG-25. US officials studied and deconstructed the aircraft before sending the components back to the Soviet Union.


Home on the ranch

Buildings on the property include a five-bedroom home.

Hall and Hall



The MiG-25 turned out not to be as powerful as the West feared, though Belenko also shared important information about the morale among Soviet soldiers that resembles some of the reporting about Russia’s armed forces today: poor living conditions, scarce food, and harsh punishments.

Belenko was praised in the US and received asylum. He spent a couple years in Washington, DC, and eventually ended up at Rocking Chair Ranch, though with an undercover identity assigned by the CIA, Mansion Global reported. The CIA agent who escorted him from Japan to the US knew the Vietor family.

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Horses on the ranch

Rocking Chair Ranch spans meadows, forests, and rangelands.

Hall and Hall



“As a gift, the CIA asked him where he wanted to live, and he said somewhere in the western part of the country on a ranch,” Willy Vietor, patriarch of the Victor family, told Mansion Global. “The CIA agent who knew my parents came up with us.”

Belenko went by Viktor Schmidt when he got to Montana, and was pretending to be a former trade representative from Russia.


Green fields with creek

The property is located an hour and 15 minutes from Missoula.

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Hall and Hall



Vietor told Mansion Global Belenko was put to work on the ranch and first lived in a guest bedroom of the main house.

“After he had been with us about a year, we connected the dots and realized he was one of the most valuable defectors the US had ever had,” Vietor said.


Fields with irrigation

The ranch has irrigated fields.

Hall and Hall

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He also told the outlet that Belenko would occasionally take trips to the East Coast and when asked why he was going, the former pilot would reply, “spooky stuff.”

Vietor told Mansion Global Belenko left the ranch in 1983 but that he stayed in touch with their family.


Person fly fishing

There is a semi-private trout fishery on the ranch.

Hall and Hall



Belenko received US citizenship in 1980 by an act of Congress and lived in several small towns throughout the midwest and worked as an aerospace consultant, according to the Times. He died in September 2023 at a senior living facility in Illinois at age 76.

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Rocking Chair Ranch, located an hour and 15 minutes from Missoula, is next door to The Ranch at Rock Creek, a luxury dude ranch that’s considered one of the most expensive hotels in the US.


Wild deer on ranch

Wildlife frequently pass through the ranch property.

Hall and Hall







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Montana

Montana Lottery Powerball, Lotto America results for May 30, 2026

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

Here’s a look at May 30, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from May 30 drawing

01-27-35-44-52, Powerball: 12, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Lotto America numbers from May 30 drawing

05-08-09-11-15, Star Ball: 04, ASB: 05

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from May 30 drawing

15-18-22-27, Bonus: 14

Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from May 30 drawing

04-27-65-66-69, Powerball: 04

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Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Montana Cash numbers from May 30 drawing

17-19-23-32-38

Check Montana Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 30 drawing

05-14-22-28-30, Bonus: 01

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

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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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ICE sued over “inhumane” conditions at Camp East Montana

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ICE sued over “inhumane” conditions at Camp East Montana

Audio recording is automated for accessibility. Humans wrote and edited the story. See our AI policy, and give us feedback.

A group of legal and civil rights organizations late Friday sued U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement over conditions at Camp East Montana in El Paso, the country’s largest immigration detention facility.

“Camp East Montana is nothing short of a civil rights catastrophe,” Kyle Virgien, senior staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union’s National Prison Project, said in a statement. “We’re suing to ensure that no other human being has to endure the inhumane treatment that the Trump administration has inflicted on our clients.”

The Texas Tribune has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment.

Filed by the ACLU of Texas, the ACLU, the Texas Civil Rights Project and law firm Farella Braun + Martel, the federal lawsuit comes less than a year after the opening of the sprawling tent camp.

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In that time, the facility has seen at least three detainee deaths, a measles outbreak and nearly 50 detention standards violations as reported by ICE’s own inspectors, prompting calls for the camp’s closure from immigrant advocates and Democratic lawmakers.

The civil rights groups behind the lawsuit also alleged in a December letter that detained immigrants were subject to medical neglect, physical and sexual abuse by officers, insufficient food and denial of meaningful access to attorneys. In March, ICE switched out the facility’s prime operator for a more experienced contractor, saying the agency would “work closely with them” to improve services, including higher standards of medical care. Still, in a subsequent letter to ICE dated May 22, the groups said the situation “continued to deteriorate” and outlined additional complaints such as hazardous dust exposure.

Friday’s lawsuit argues that conditions at the facility are “unconstitutional punishment” and violate detainees’ due process rights under the Fifth Amendment. 

“These conditions are longstanding, pervasive, and well documented, and Defendants’ continued inaction in the face of known risks shows their deliberate indifference — not mere negligence — to detainees’ constitutional rights,” the lawsuit said.

The petition, filed on behalf of four detainees, is also seeking approval to proceed as a class action to cover all those who are currently or will be detained in Camp East Montana.

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One of the plaintiffs is Gerald Akari Angye, a detained immigrant who called the conditions at the camp “inhumane and cruel.”

Prior to this lawsuit, the 35-year-old man had filed a petition in January seeking release from ICE detention. According to the filing, Angye was a high school teacher in Cameroon but fled after being kidnapped and tortured amid a separatist conflict. He sought asylum after crossing through a New Mexico port of entry in December 2024. An immigration judge later denied his application, and Angye appealed.

In a statement provided by the civil rights groups, Angye said he had been beaten at Camp East Montana and never thought he would face “such severely violent treatments” in the United States. He was also placed in solitary confinement for 15 days, according to the lawsuit.

“No one deserves such cruel treatment,” he said. “We are all humans and deserve to be treated like it.”

U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar said in a statement to the Tribune that she is grateful for the legal fight. A leading critic of Camp East Montana, the El Paso Democrat called the facility “a purgatory for human beings held there.” She also vowed to continue her oversight visits and demand for the tent camp’s permanent closure.

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Camp East Montana, first opened in August 2025, is located on Fort Bliss U.S. Army base.

Expected to ultimately reach a 5,000-bed capacity, the camp had a daily average of more than 2,500 detainees as of April 2, according to the most recent public data from ICE. The facility has also held the largest number of detained immigrants thus far in fiscal year 2026, the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University found.

“Camp East Montana is at the epicenter of the administration’s cruel deportation agenda,” Savannah Kumar, staff attorney at the ACLU of Texas, said in a statement. 

Disclosure: ACLU Texas has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.



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Sentinel stuns Gallatin to take inaugural State AA Baseball Title

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Sentinel stuns Gallatin to take inaugural State AA Baseball Title


The Sentinel Spartans are the kings of Montana AA baseball.

In the inaugural season of AA baseball in the Treasure State, Sentinel took the title by winning three games in two days at the State AA Tournament, culminating with a 6-3 championship game victory over the Gallatin Raptors.

“It’s tough to find words right now,” said Sentinel head coach Brian Moser. “It was pretty emotional celebrating with the guys. Just really happy for them. What an opportunity. They took advantage of it. Very proud of them. Very appreciative of everything they’ve done for me and Sentinel High School and Sentinel baseball. It’s a great night to be a Spartan.”

Junior Stellan Ridley was stellar for Sentinel, with two triples, two runs scored, and two runs batted in. Kaden Thennis added two hits, two runs, and an RBI while also drawing a hit by pitch. Owen Dale had a hit and a run batted in.

“We have a great mentality,” said Ridley. “I’m so proud of these young guys. As a junior and the seniors, leading us to this and showing how discipline works. We faced some chirpy people, and we just stayed with our level of the game and we performed, as you can see. We won the State Tournament!”

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Each win for Sentinel in the tournament came in vastly different fashion.

The Spartans earned a nine-inning victory in their quarterfinal against Butte on Thursday, then came back from a 6-0 deficit after 4.5 innings in their Friday semifinal matinee against the Glacier Wolfpack. But on Friday night, in a game that started at 10 p.m. and ended at 12:08 a.m., Sentinel took an early lead and never trailed enroute to a victory over a Raptors team that had lost just one game all season.

“I had never played a game that late. Going from the early game, it was good that we had that little gap, we got to recuperate and take a solid power nap and come back out here with a lot of energy. Because if we came out flat, there was no way. But we came out with a lot of energy, and we stuck it to them. I mean, that team was good,” said Ridley of their hot start in the title game.

“Baseball is a funny game. There’s a lot of ways to win, there’s a lot of ways to lose. Just happy for the guys for sticking to it and never giving up.” said Moser. “Honestly, it takes a couple of lucky bounces here and there in a State Tournament, and we got those and took advantage. Beat a really, really good Gallatin team tonight. Just extremely proud.”

Gallatin managed to tie the game at 3 apiece in the fifth inning before the Spartans scored one in the sixth and two in the seventh, allowing freshman pitcher Lucas Johansson to earn the win and the save on the mound.

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“It’s a big deal. 3 runs are way more than 1. It takes a lot of what the offense can do away. So those were huge, huge runs,” said Moser.

Johansson picked up two of the three wins in the tournament for Sentinel, while fellow freshman Paxson Onstot had the victory in the triumph over Glacier.

“I’m not going to say that’s how we drew it up, but that hopefully gives them confidence to come back next year ready to go,” said Moser. “We’ll have a target on our backs, but that’s okay. A lot of youth, it’s fun.”

Keaton Elliott tossed the first 4.1 innings of the title game for Sentinel, allowing just two hits, three earned runs, and five walks while striking out two.

The title marked the end of a remarkable turnaround for a Spartans team that started the season with a record of 5-7 before winning 10 of their last 11.

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“(We got) absolutely shamed by our entire school (at assembly). It sat with me this whole time and I hated that. I just had so much drive,” said Ridley. “What are they going to say now?”

Wyatt Ford pitched a complete game for Gallatin, allowing three earned runs, five hits and a hit by pitch while striking out 10 on 103 pitches.

Ford and Louis Musial had the Raptors only two hits on the night, a triple and double, respectively, while Harvey Kimmel had two runs batted in.

Sentinel ends their season with a record of 15-8, while Gallatin concluded their campaign at 18-2.

“I think Gallatin came in here a little cocky. One loss the whole season, thinking they were going to probably roll us,” said Ridley. “No. We showed them up. Their eyes got big, and they realized we’re not a team to mess with.”

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