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Helena voters next month will decide the fate of a more than quarter-billion-dollar public school bond. District officials say their buildings are crumbling, and without new facilities or major improvements, students and teachers could be forced to make painful compromises. Helena Independent Record education reporter Sonny Tapia has been following the story and joined MTPR’s Austin Amestoy with more.
Bo Crees
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Montana Audubon
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
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www.epa.gov
New standardized tests present new challenges for Montana teachers
Last school year, the state implemented a new standardized test designed to make sure students are meeting state and federal requirements. But teachers say the rollout has been a mess.
State settles lawsuit over school enrollment for disabled adults
Montana was one of the last states in the nation that allowed schools to disenroll students with disabilities once they turned 18, according to nonprofit Disability Rights Montana. Advocacy director Tal Goldin says the organization sued the state earlier this year to end that policy. It won this month when Montana opted to settle the suit.
Southeast Montana wind energy project draws pushback
A wind energy development project in southeast Montana is facing pushback from neighbors. At the same time, the Trump administration is pushing for further investment into gas and oil energy. Montana Free Press' Tom Lutey joined Elinor Smith to explain.
Evacuations ordered near Helmville due to Windy Rock Fire
The Powell County Sheriff's Office has issued an emergency wildfire evacuation order for all residents in the OS Properties - Garnet Mountain Property area south of Helmville. Residents should leave immediately.
Helena campaign consultant pleads guilty in embezzlement case
A Helena-based campaign contractor this week pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud. According to documents filed in federal court, Abbey Lee Cook embezzled over $250,000 from six unnamed victims between 2021 and 2024.
Livestock officials detect brucellosis in Beaverhead County bull
The state’s department of livestock confirmed a Beaverhead County bull contracted a case of brucellosis this month.
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Regal Ensemble, a classical chamber group featuring a captivating blend of string quintet and vocal quartet, joined Montana Public Radio for a special performance of selections from Haydn’s Seven Last Words on April 16, 2025.
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Join Chapter One Bookstore, NYTimes bestselling author Chris Whitaker, and The Write Question’s Lauren Korn for a live podcast taping and conversation: Tuesday, September 9, 2025, at 7 p.m. at Ravalli County Museum in Hamilton.
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This week on ‘The Write Question,’ host Lauren Korn returns to her conversation with journalist Amy Gamerman, author of ‘The Crazies: The Cattleman, the Wind Prospector, and a War Out West’ (Simon & Schuster). This is the first part of a two-part conversation and originally aired March 27, 2025.
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Fireweed’s vibrant flowers provide sweet nectar to native bees, flies, butterflies, and even honeybees, if their hive is nearby.
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Kilmar Abrego Garcia has been taken into custody and faces deportation again, this time to Uganda. And, Trump seeks to fire a member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve.
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Fungi and plants have something to teach humans about global trade and cooperation
