Montana
This Week in Fish and Wildlife: Submissions now being accepted for Montana FWP bird stamp contest
Most of us know and recognize Montana’s wildlife habitats. where to go to see deer, elk, moose and even bears. But there are other species of wildlife that call Montana home. This week in Fish and Wildlife, MTN’s Chet Layman takes a look at how FWP is honoring Montana’s wetlands in an artistic way.
BOZEMAN — Montana is home to many species of wildlife, and some of them call the state’s vast wetlands home. To recognize the importance of those unique habitats and residents, FWP is looking for people who can capture those places in an artistic way.
“As part of a renewed emphasis on wetland habitat, Fish, Wildlife and Parks is sponsoring an art contest to raise awareness for waterfowl habitat and wetland conservation in montana,” said Morgan Jacobsen with Montana FWP.
Jacobsen notes this is a chance for Montana artists to show the diversity and beauty of Montana’s wetland habitats and the creatures who call them home. Plus, the winner will be featured at the state capitol and handed a check for $2,000.
“Following that selection, as people go and purchase migratory bird licenses, migratory hunting licenses later this year, they’ll be given a postcard with this art as a way to again raise awareness for wetland conservation and the importance of wetlands in Montana,” said Jacobsen.
Jacobsen says FWP recognizes how vast and diverse Montana’s wetland habitats are—that’s why this contest is so popular: it’s statewide and brings together a small glimpse of what Montana has to offer its migratory bird populations.
“What we’re excited about this contest is, it’s a chance for people to get excited about waterfowl and wetland conservation and to just celebrate the beauty that they’re in that part of nature,” Jacobsen said.
The deadline for submissions is Jan. 31. Head over to the FWP website for a complete list of rules. Jacobsen notes the contest is open to anyone with an eye for waterfowl and a way to express the importance of Montana’s wetland habitats.
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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.
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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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