As fuel prices rise due to the Iran war, so does the cost of everything else. The grocery store is often where families feel the financial pinch first. That’s because it costs more to ship food across the country. Food banks are also facing higher costs and increasing demand.

Officials say residents near a wildfire burning in Flathead County should prepare to evacuate on a moment’s notice. The warning comes ahead of what has the potential to be a very active wildfire weekend in western Montana.

Gusty wind, low humidity, temperatures pushing 100 degrees and dry fuels will create critical fire weather conditions in northwest and west-central Montana Saturday.

It’s been a little over four years since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the right to an abortion. Many states have banned or severely restricted access since then. The Dobbs decision also impacted Montana, where abortion access is enshrined in the state Constitution.

A federal judge ruled in favor of conservation groups this month in a decision against allowing increased road building in the Bitterroot National Forest. The lawsuit, filed in 2024, argued federal agencies didn’t take a hard enough look at the impacts of roads on threatened species.

Researchers continue to find PFAS, or 'forever chemicals,' in Montana’s waterways. The latest samples come from Flathead Lake. Advocates are calling for more attention and funding to research these substances.

Some Montana nonprofits that rely on federal grants say they’re not getting the funds they’ve already been awarded. The problem extends far beyond the Treasure State.

The Public Service Commission, which regulates Montana utilities, is closing public comment on NorthWestern Energy’s controversial 20-year plan on July 28. The proposal has drawn criticism from private citizens and environmental advocacy organizations.

Forecasters say a high-pressure system will continue to send smoke from wildfires in Oregon and Washington for the foreseeable future. Montana's mule deer population is on an upswing, according to survey results released by Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks.

A major settlement between states, the Federal Trade Commission and John Deere marks a step forward for farmers' “right to repair.” The Columbia Falls Aluminum Company will pay $57 million to clean up its former aluminum smelter in the Flathead Valley. The site is contaminated with arsenic, cyanide and other toxins from the smelting process.