Victoria Traxler

A school in Beaverhead County is trying to keep its doors open because the county is struggling to pull in enough tax dollars. Part of the reason the county doesn’t have enough money in its coffers is because the federal government stopped paying its full tax bill on public lands.

Meagher County is experiencing a unique countertrend among Montana’s rural counties. According to new research, it’s become known for grassroots entrepreneurship and growth. One example, the Central Montana Food Hub, aims to improve the area's business infrastructure and local food access.

The state is looking for public comment on a potential tungsten mine in the Flint Creek Range of southwest Montana. Comments will be accepted until Friday, Aug. 14.

Researchers at the University of Montana identified a unique mouse that may hold some clues for cancer research. This Andean mouse’s high-elevation home is what attracted researchers.

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.

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.

The Sheep Creek Mine in Ravalli County is on the federal list of fast-tracked projects. That could mean faster permitting, along with scaled-down public input and environmental review. As one company looks for rare earth minerals, local residents, county commissioners and federal representatives remain opposed to the project, citing concerns over impacts to the watershed.

The Fort Shaw Indian School Girls Basketball Team navigated boarding school and forced assimilation while becoming a team of skilled athletes, artists and 1904 world champions. Now, more than 120 years later, the team is inspiring new generations and helping people connect with their families and their own cultural identities. Learn more about the team's legacy and why it resonates so strongly, on this episode of The Big Why.

The Department of Interior is proposing changes to oil and gas leasing rules in the name of “unleashing energy.” Environmental groups say these changes threaten environmental protections and limit public input.

Since 2001, American Prairie has worked to create the largest wildlife reserve in the lower 48. That plan includes grazing 900 head of bison on state and federal lands. But legal seesawing between land managers, government agencies and American Prairie has put that plan into limbo. MTPR’s Victoria Traxler sat down with the Billings Gazette Outdoors Editor Brett French to learn where things currently stand for American Prairie bison, and what may come next.