Edward F. O'Brien
General Assignment ReporterEdward O’Brien first landed at Montana Public Radio three decades ago as a news intern while attending the University of Montana School of Journalism. His first career job out of school was covering the 1995 Montana Legislature. When the session wrapped up, O’Brien was fortunate enough to land a full-time position at the station as a general assignment reporter.
Feel free to drop him a line at edward.obrien@umt.edu.
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Two ballot measures to amend the Montana Constitution sailed to victory Tuesday. One of the two initiatives aimed to enshrine nonpartisan elections in Montana’s Constitution. The other’s intent was to, as proponents put it, stop state lawmakers from putting more restrictions in place for ballot measures. -
The weather pattern El Niño typically brings warmer and drier conditions to the Rockies, but there could be a few surprises this winter. -
Montana counties have already received 34% of the total mailed ballots – about 180,000. The Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest has approved the Judith Springs Vegetation Project. The Montana Department of Commerce announced it has allotted more than $40 million in federal housing tax credits to five developers. -
A new study finds damage to Montana’s buried utility lines costs millions of dollars annually. The impacts extend far beyond those direct repair bills. -
For the first time this election season, all four of Montana’s U.S. Senate candidates shared a debate stage. The candidates fielded reporters’ questions for a mostly fireworks-free hour-and-a-half at Bozeman’s Field and Stream Lodge. -
Western Montana’s temperatures have been unseasonably warm over the past couple of weeks, hovering up to 20 degrees above normal, but a major change is right around the corner. -
Montana’s judicial elections are nonpartisan. An initiative to permanently keep it that way will appear on November’s ballot. Republican state legislators have tried unsuccessfully to make judicial elections partisan during recent legislative sessions. -
Fourteen black bears were killed last week following an investigation at a Bozeman-area home. Game wardens say the bears had stopped relying on natural foods and were completely unafraid of humans. -
Voters can now see what their midterm ballot will likely look like. Poverello Center steps in to keep transitional housing program operating. The Secretary of State’s office reports Montana businesses have been receiving phony 2027 Annual Report requests. About 1,200 homes in Cascade County now have access to high speed Wi-Fi, calling and television services.
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Wildlife officials killed a grizzly bear Tuesday evening near Augusta in response to livestock depredation. Three cattle carcasses were found in the area. Officials say all were killed by a grizzly bear.
