BOZEMAN – Hunter numbers and success rates varied in southwestern Montana over opening weekend of Montana’s general hunting season.

These and other metrics were gathered by wildlife staff with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks who operated six game check stations in the region on Saturday and Sunday. Wildlife biologists use check stations to collect data on hunter participation and success, as well as the species, sex and age class of the animals harvested. This supplements data collected through hunter harvest phone surveys each year.

Hunters are required to stop at game check stations they encounter, regardless of whether they harvested an animal.

Over Oct. 24 and 25, biologists operated check stations in Alder, Cameron, Divide, Gallatin Canyon, Silver City and Toston. They met with 2,200 hunters who collectively harvested 146 elk, 41 mule deer and 18 white-tailed deer, among other species.

Hunter participation was below average at the Alder and Gallatin check stations, near average at Silver City, and above average at Divide and Cameron. That weekend, 414 hunters came through the Divide check station, which was the second-highest on record for opening weekend in that area. Hunter numbers elsewhere ranged from 161 at Toston to 599 at Silver City.

Hunter success rates were at or above average for opening weekend at Alder, Cameron, Gallatin and Silver City, but below average at Divide. These success rates ranged from 6 percent at Gallatin to 14 percent at Alder.

Hunters reported favorable hunting conditions in many areas, including new snowfall on Friday, with calm wind and clear skies on Saturday. Hunters also reported seeing fresh tracks from both black bears and grizzly bears. Bears are still active throughout the general season, so it’s important for hunters to be bear aware. For tips on how to hunt safely in bear country, click here.

The five-day event featured industry executive keynotes, the Marketing Olympics, an Outdoor Marketing Panel, and an Outbound Sales Competition.

BOZEMAN, Mont. – Oct. 19, 2026 — The American Marketing Association (AMA) at Montana State University hosted its annual Marketing Week Oct. 12–16, giving students opportunities to connect with industry professionals, develop marketing and sales skills, and compete with their peers.

The five-days of events included professional development, networking, an Outdoor Industry Panel, an Outbound Sales Competition, and concluded with a tour of MAP Brewing with lunch at nonprofit organization Fork & Spoon.

“With a total attendance of 84 people for the week of events, Marketing Week is one of our most impactful events of the year,” said Kira Weter, AMA chapter President. “In addition to providing students with the opportunity to build professional connections, showcase their skills through competition and engage with peers who share their passions.”

One of the highlights of the week is the Outbound Sales Competition, sponsored by Consolidated Electronic Distributors (CED). In that competition, students have three minutes to secure an appointment with a sales lead. Top three finishers out of 22 students competing were: Kira Weter, Erik Bakken and Brayden Ware. Kira Weter won partial funding toward her trip to the AMA International Collegiate Conference (ICC) in New Orleans in April 2027.

When a workplace injury hits, your paycheck shrinks and someone else in the house suddenly has driving duty. Just how often does this happen across the state? The Montana Department of Labor and Industry’s 2025 workers’ compensation report counted 22,593 work-related injuries in 2024, a 3% drop from the year before.

Montana workers' compensation benefits can help bridge part of that gap, but no benefit schedule does a household's planning for it. Rent still comes due. The family calendar now holds a missed shift and a new appointment side by side, and neither one waits.

How Montana workers' compensation benefits change your cash flow

How much do workers' comp benefits pay in Montana?

If you were injured between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025, Temporary Total Disability benefits may replace 66 2/3% of your gross wages at the time of injury, with a weekly cap of $1,084. The rate depends on when you were hurt, so find the schedule that fits your injury date.

This is the stretch where family budgets feel it most. The department’s 2025 benefit brochure generally excludes wage-loss payments for the first 32 hours or four days lost, whichever is less. Compensation starts at the 33rd hour or fifth day. If the disability runs 21 days or longer, retroactive payment from day one may apply.

Match the budget to the recovery pattern

Build a 30-day essential-expense plan on money you actually have, not payments you expect. Here's a quick way to decide which records to pull first.

The department’s report offers one useful figure: the average Temporary Total Disability period in 2024 ran 12 weeks. Keep in mind that's an average, not a cap, and it won't tell you the date of your last payment.

What does workers' comp cover in Montana?

Total benefits paid out came to $244 million in 2024, down from $262 million the year before, per the department’s report. What your own claim pays still hinges entirely on the claim decision.

Medical treatment on an accepted claim

An accepted claim can cover reasonable medical costs, including doctor visits, hospital care, and prescriptions, per the department’s benefit brochure. Approval isn't automatic, so keep each treatment authorization with the bill it relates to.

Medical benefits generally stop 60 months after the injury or occupational disease diagnosis. Check the date recorded in your file now, not when it's already passed.

How long do Montana workers' comp benefits last?

Duration depends on the benefit type and the facts of the claim. That 60-month medical window says nothing about wage-loss benefits, which turn on disability status and claim decisions. Ask for the current written determination and file it.

What families should track beyond medical bills

Track changes to pickup schedules, childcare arrangements, and travel plans alongside the appointments and prescriptions. Work restrictions can cut into another household member's shifts. Record those changes separately, and don't assume household expenses get reimbursed.

Families looking for optional information about legal help with workplace injury claims can review Montana workers’ comp benefits while deciding which questions to raise.

Build a record before details scatter

Filing the claim

For filing questions, contact the department’s claims-assistance staff and request the appropriate claim form. Then follow these steps.

1. Report the injury promptly to your employer and ask where to submit your claim.

2. Document what happened.

3. Obtain medical instructions and keep a copy.

4. Complete the claim paperwork, keeping copies of submitted forms and later insurer correspondence.

5. Respond to requests by the stated deadlines.

A household file that answers practical questions

Keep wage records with work schedules. Store medical notes, insurer letters, and receipts in the same folder, physical or digital. Your contact log should name who spoke with the insurer, when, what issue came up, and the next stated action.

When a new letter arrives, match it to the appointment or missed shift it concerns. That way, your next insurer call starts with a specific charge instead of a reconstructed week. Keep the envelope, too. Place a dated denial notice beside the related medical bill.

What happens if a workers' comp claim is disputed in Montana?

Separate the disputed issue from the household emergency

A disputed claim leaves families unsure whether or when the insurer will pay a particular benefit. Your electric bill still has a due date.

Identify what the written disagreement actually concerns: medical care, wage loss, or the injury's connection to work. Preserve the notice, ask the department’s claims-assistance staff about the next procedural option, and write down the response date.

One backstop exists for uncovered employers. The department says Montana’s Uninsured Employers Fund was created to provide injured employees the benefits they would have received had their employer carried workers’ compensation coverage. Eligibility and payment aren't automatic, so ask which employer coverage records the department needs.

Questions Montana families often ask

How much does workers’ comp cost in Montana?

Workers don't buy the employer's policy. Montana State Fund’s coverage guidance ties employer premiums to payroll and job classifications, with claims experience also affecting pricing. There's no single statewide price. Do not confuse the employer's premium with the amount listed on your benefit notice.

What benefit does workers’ comp not pay?

Full wage replacement. The standard Temporary Total Disability formula pays partial replacement subject to a cap, per the department’s dated benefit summary. Don't treat your usual take-home pay as a confirmed deposit.

What Montana laws apply to breaks at work?

According to the department’s wage-and-hour guidance, adult meal and rest breaks generally aren't required, though short rest breaks an employer does provide count as paid work time. This employment-law issue sits apart from workers’ compensation eligibility. Check how breaks appear on your timecard.

Which three requirements typically support a workers’ compensation claim?

According to the department’s claims guidance, the ones that matter are covered employment, a work-connected injury or occupational disease, and compliance with reporting and claim procedures. That's a practical summary, not an official three-part legal test. Keep employment records with your claim forms.

A steadier plan starts with the next document

You can cut the confusion without knowing how the claim will end. Separate urgent household costs from unresolved coverage questions, keep every notice together, and put the next insurer response date on the calendar. Use each new document to update the plan.

HELENA – During its meeting on Oct. 19, the Montana Land Board approved a proposal by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks to acquire an 86-acre easement from The Montana Department of Natural Resources & Conservation (DNRC). The acquisition is the first step in developing a public shooting range south of Logan.  

Our annual big, giant, massive, Valley-wide Bozeman's Choice reader poll is now up! It covers everything from local restaurants to local media to news issues to arts & entertainment and everything in between. You get to add your own responses that can, in turn, be voted on by everyone else. 

The 2027 voting window ends on Nov 1 - vote now and share to win. 

2027 results will be posted on our site January 1, 2027 and remain indefinitely. Only Top 3 winners are invited to advertise in the annual print guide, an exclusive opportunity to be found throughout the greater Bozeman area all year long!

BOZEMAN, Montana (Oct. 14, 2026) – Construction on Schedule 1 of the West Kagy to Babcock Sewer Improvements project is planned to be completed by the end of October, weather and other factors permitting. Crews are currently working on underground improvements on West Kagy Boulevard. When this work is complete, crews will finish repaving and restriping the roadway and installing temporary lane delineators. These delineators will remain until the Montana Department of Transportation’s projected work on Kagy Boulevard next year, which will include rebuilding the medians.

“The Kagy project has required patience and flexibility from area residents, businesses, and students, and we are grateful for the community’s partnership and understanding throughout construction,” said City Engineer Emiliano Esparza. “Although construction has resulted in temporary disruptions, these improvements are a necessary investment in reliable sewer infrastructure that will serve the community for years to come.”

The next section of the project (identified as Schedule 2 on the map) includes sewer improvements between West Babcock and West College streets, with initial construction activities anticipated within Cooper Park. Crews tentatively plan to begin by installing new sewer infrastructure through the park, which could start as early as this fall depending on weather conditions, construction logistics, and the unique requirements of this phase. Additional information on the Cooper Park construction will be available later this fall.

“We know Cooper Park is a valued community resource. Though some disruptions to park access during construction are unavoidable, we are committed to minimizing impacts to park users whenever possible,” said Esparza.

More information about the West Kagy to Babcock Sewer Improvements project can be found at https://bit.ly/kagysewer. To receive email or text updates, members of the public can sign up for the City of Bozeman’s weekly Street Report by visiting bozemanmt.gov and clicking on the “eNotifications” link at the top of the page. Questions and comments can be directed to kagysewer@dowl.com or 406-281-7604.

BELGRADE - The City of Belgrade’s annual fall yard waste cleanup returns Oct. 19-24, offering residents convenient ways to dispose of yard waste and help keep our community clean.

The event is organized by Belgrade Public Works in partnership with L&L Site Services.

There are two easy options for residents to get rid of their yard waste. Accepted waste includes bagged lawn clippings, leaves and other plant debris in bags that weigh up to 40 pounds, and hedge and tree trimmings securely bound and no longer than three feet. Waste NOT accepted includes household trash, animal waste, furniture, appliances, batteries, tires, electronic waste and auto parts.

PICKUP: Belgrade Public Works and L&L Site Services will provide curbside pickup on Oct. 20 and Oct. 21. Yard waste should be placed along the street or alley in the same location where residents normally set out their trash. To ensure efficient collection, residents are asked to keep piles clear of vehicles and other obstructions.

Yard waste must be out by 7 a.m. on Oct. 20. Crews will only be by once.

DROPOFF: A drop-off site will be open Oct. 19-24 from 7 AM to 4 PM at the Bolinger Pit (18869 Frontage Rd., corner of Frontage Road and Bolinger Road). Residents are asked to use designated areas only.
For more information, contact Belgrade Public Works at 406-388-3566, publicworks@belgrademt.gov, or on www.belgrademt.gov.

This fall, the Gallatin City-County Health Department is offering several easy ways for community members to get their flu and COVID-19 vaccines. Walkins are welcome at all clinics, but making an appointment ahead of time helps make the visit as convenient as possible. Both flu and COVID-19 vaccines will be available at every clinic listed below.

A community vaccination event will take place on Thursday, October 22, from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds in Exhibit Hall #1.

Weekly vaccine clinics will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. on most Fridays throughout October and November at the Gallatin City-County Health Department’s temporary location, 400 E. Babcock Street in Bozeman. Clinics are scheduled for October 2, 9, 16, and 23, as well as November 6 and 13.

As respiratory illness season approaches, reducing the spread of infections remains an essential part of public health and protecting our overall community health. Getting a flu and COVID vaccine each year helps prevent illness and lowers the chances of needing medical care, being hospitalized, or facing life-threatening complications if you do get sick. Click here to make an appointment on our website or call 406-582-3100 today to protect yourself and others.

“Flu and COVID-19 vaccines remain some of our strongest tools for keeping people healthy during respiratory illness season,” said Dr. Peter Bulger, Medical Director for the Gallatin City-County Health Department and Bozeman Health Infectious Disease Medical Director. “Getting vaccinated not only protects you but also helps reduce the spread of illness in our community.”

Everyone six months and older should receive an annual flu vaccine, and adults 19 years and older should receive an updated COVID-19 vaccine. COVID-19 vaccination is especially important for adults 65 years and older and people at increased risk for severe COVID-19. For children and adolescents, COVID-19 vaccination is

recommended based on age, health conditions, and whether their parent or guardian desires protection.

The health department bills insurance, but cost should never prevent someone from getting vaccinated. Programs are available for people who are uninsured or underinsured, including Vaccines for Adults (age 19 and older) and Vaccines for Children (birth through age 18). More information is available on our website.

Vaccines are also available from medical providers, urgent care clinics, and local pharmacies. Along with staying up to date on vaccinations, people can help reduce the spread of illness by washing hands often, improving indoor air quality when possible, staying home when sick, and talking with a medical provider if they are at higher risk for severe illness. Additional prevention tips are available on the CDC website.

The Gallatin City-County Health Department’s mission is to promote and protect health in the communities we serve. We provide essential public health services, prevent disease, and safeguard the environment through proven public health approaches and collaboration. Learn more at healthygallatin.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. You can also contact us by phone or email. 406-582-3100 | HS@gallatin.mt.gov