Have you received a jury duty postcard in the mail? You are not alone.

Gallatin County District Court and Justice Court have each selected new jury pools for their 2025–2026 jury terms. Approximately 8,500 residents were notified by District Court last week, and 4,500 residents selected by Justice Court will begin receiving notices this week. Names were randomly drawn from a combined list of registered voters, licensed drivers, and Montana ID card holders.

District Court handles cases like felonies, larger civil cases, and family law matters. Justice Court handles small claims, misdemeanors and traffic violations outside city limits, and other limited-jurisdiction cases.

If you received a postcard from either of these courts, here is what you need to know:

You are not being summoned for a specific trial…yet. You have been identified as a potential juror for the upcoming year-long term.

Respond promptly:

District Court recipients (white postcard) must complete their juror questionnaire within 10 days.

Justice Court recipients (blue postcard) must complete theirs within 7 days.

Each postcard includes detailed instructions on how to complete your questionnaire, so be sure to read and follow those closely!

And do not delay. Failure to respond on time may result in a personal visit from the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office. This places unnecessary strain on law enforcement and can delay the judicial process for others.

If you were selected by both courts, contact District Court and they can help remove you from one of the pools.

Please note: There are several other courts in Gallatin County that maintain their own jury pools, including the courts in Bozeman, Belgrade, Manhattan, Three Forks, and West Yellowstone, as well as the Gallatin County Coroner’s Office. If you received a notice from one of these, please refer directly to that court for specific juror information.

BOZEMAN — Bozeman Parks and Recreation is now accepting applications for its Community Grants Program, offering $220,000 in funding to support projects that align with the city’s Parks, Recreation, and Active Transportation (PRAT) Plan. This funding opportunity is designed to empower community members and organizations to help shape Bozeman’s future by creating welcoming, inclusive spaces, expanding active transportation infrastructure, addressing emerging community needs, and promoting the sustainability of natural resources.

“We’re excited to support projects that directly reflect the values and priorities of our community,” said Addi Jadin, Park Planning and Development Manager. “This is a great opportunity for residents and organizations to make a lasting impact on Bozeman’s parks, trails, and public spaces.”

Applications are due Friday, May 30, and interested applicants are encouraged to review eligibility criteria and submission guidelines on the Parks Improvement Projects website.

For questions or to discuss potential project ideas, contact Addi Jadin at ajadin@bozeman.net.

BOZEMAN  –  On April 18, 2025 the Bozeman Police Department held a press conference regarding an internal inquiry that involved two teams of patrol officers who engaged in a bingo competition while on duty. In addition to the twenty-four cases referred to the City Attorney’s office, eleven cases submitted to the County Attorney’s office for prosecution involved cases investigated during the bingo game. Of the eleven cases, two were juvenile misdemeanors subsequently referred to the state youth court, and nine were felonies. Of the nine, eight cases were felony drug cases, and one was a Partner Family Member Assault, 3rd or greater offense.

At the time the County Attorney’s office was notified of the incident, four of the felony cases had already been filed and were pending in the District Court, and five were still under review with the County Attorney’s office to determine whether charges should be filed. 

Under Brady v. Maryland and Giglio v. United States decisions, prosecutors are required to disclose to the defense, in a timely manner, any evidence that is favorable to the accused and material to guilt or punishment. This is not a discretionary process—it is a constitutional mandate designed to ensure fairness in our justice system. 

An independent report conducted by an external prosecutor found no evidence indicating the game had any material effect on arrests, yet it did conclude that the bingo game scenario represented potential Brady v. Maryland and Giglio v. United States material that must be disclosed, at a minimum, to the Court for in camerareview (meaning in chambers, not in open court).

The Gallatin County Attorney’s office filed Ex Parte Motions asking the Court to review affected cases in camera and to make a decision about what information should be released to defense counsel. Two judges denied the County Attorney’s motion, returning it to the County Attorney to make her own determination about what information should be released to the defense in each case. After thorough review of all investigatory materials, County Attorney Cromwell dismissed the four pending cases and declined to prosecute the remaining five. Once a case is dismissed by the Court, all hearings are vacated, bond is exonerated, and the case is closed. 

“The decision for each case was a tough call—stakes for felonies are high with serious consequences,” states County Attorney Audrey Cromwell. “As the County Attorney I have a unique responsibility on the law enforcement continuum: to uphold the rights of all involved—the victims, the accused, and the community—and to ensure that the prosecutions we bring are effective, fair, and constitutionally sound.”

BOZEMAN — The Bozeman City Commission announced today its appointment of Chuck Winn into the permanent role of City Manager for the City of Bozeman. Winn has been serving as Interim City Manager since February 2024.

“Chuck Winn stepped into the Interim City Manager role at the request of the commission and quickly earned the trust and respect of the City Commission, city staff and the community." Bozeman Mayor Terry Cunningham stated. "We're thrilled that Chuck has agreed to serve as Bozeman's next City Manager. We're a dynamic community and this is an important time in our history. Having an experienced leader with deep roots in the community will serve us well as we collectively plan our future.”

Winn is the longest-tenured city employee, beginning his public service as a volunteer firefighter, working his way up through the ranks to Fire Chief, then taking on additional leadership responsibilities as Bozeman's Assistant City Manager. He was then appointed to Interim City Manager after the resignation of the previous City Manager.

“Serving in the interim role has been an amazing privilege, and I am deeply honored to continue working for this city in a permanent capacity,” stated Interim City Manager Winn. “I remain committed to serving our community alongside our incredible staff.”

Winn’s appointment is scheduled to be confirmed by the City Commission on May 13 and become effective May 14, 2025.

Those interested in learning more about this appointment and the role of the City Manager can contact the City Manager’s office at 406-582-2306.

Students in the Montana State University School of Art display pages from artist books printed by the on historical techniques using MSU's letterpress. Photo courtesy MSU School of Art

BOZEMAN — More than 400 cases of metal and wood letters line the shelves of Montana State University’s letterpress studio.

The pieces of type, made from carving letters into wood blocks or by casting metal molds, range in size from the length of a pinky finger to 8-inch wooden letterforms. They are inked and pressed onto sheets of paper to form sentences and designs.

Letterpress art formed the basis of modern graphic design, from the first Chinese woodblock-printed text to the popularization of movable metal type in 15th century Europe. Artists at MSU have access to one of the largest type collections in the state, with some pieces dating back to the 1850s, said Ashley Fuchs, associate professor in graphic design for the School of Art.

“If this type could talk, it would have a lot of stories,” she said.

This academic year, Fuchs and her students printed each typeface in the collection onto hand-set artist books. Such books celebrate the artistry of how the book is made more than the physical book that’s produced, she said.

The books — filled with specimen pages showcasing typefaces for creative and educational purposes — put a creative spin on chronicling type by font style, size, origin and location in Haynes Hall’s Courier Press studio. Sales of the books, titled "Type Specimen M” and “Type Specimen S,” will help fund student educational trips to artist book fairs across the country.

“Organizing the collection is so important to preserve knowledge of what we have and acknowledge where it came from,” Fuchs said.

“Type Specimen M” documents MSU’s metal type collection. Fuchs and her students hosted workshops for 70 attendees to devise themes for each page over the course of four years. Topics range from contradictory food combinations, such as “SweeTARTS crumbled on pizza,” to “the vocal improvisation of scatting in jazz” and “commentary on pop culture.”

“These typefaces are vessels for a wide variety of opinions or historical time frames,” Fuchs said. “What individual letters can form together as a group and what they can say is a really interesting concept.”

Rylee Dunn, who graduated from MSU in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in graphic design, helped Fuchs create the metal type book and led community workshops after taking the junior-level letterpress course. She said she enjoyed collaborating with other artists on a research-driven design project, working on a “living map of history” and merging it with the modern risograph printer. MSU’s risograph printed colored designs on transparent sheets overlaying the pages of historic letterforms.

As an added bonus, Dunn said it was impactful to see her name printed in the credits of a resource that art students will use decades from now.

“I remember as a young girl having the dream of being an artist ending up in a history book,” she said. “In a roundabout way, that dream has kind of been fulfilled.”

Dunn is currently a freelance graphic designer in Bozeman with previous experience in apparel design and development. Even though she has graduated, she still enjoys printing type by hand without the option to “undo.” It is important for modern designers to connect with historical processes to understand the thought and skill behind their work, she said.

Providing readers with a glimpse into the handmaking experience, “Type Specimen S,” documents MSU’s wooden type collection. For example, crackly wood type from a clothing company in Boston dates to about 1857, called a “twofer” for having both a letter and an image carved into opposite sides of a wooden block.

Jason Rigg, a senior at MSU studying graphic design, helped print the book’s cover and will assist Fuchs in her latest project, “Type Specimen U,” to conclude the “MSU” book trilogy. The printing process is nearly complete and features MSU’s halftone portrait collection, in which photographs are developed onto metal sheets and placed onto wooden blocks for printing, he said.

Nearly all the portraits can be traced to Park High School’s senior class of 1955 in Livingston. Most images were unidentified, but Fuchs matched an obituary to a Livingston man’s halftone portrait, which displayed his name in faded cursive. Scouring digitized yearbooks from the town’s historical society, Fuchs then identified the man’s entire graduating class.

Rigg likens the discovery process to a treasure hunt. He helped organize and identify pieces of the portrait collection as part of an independent study with Fuchs.

While initially wary of the letterpress — Rigg is dyslexic, and letters are carved into pieces of type so they appear backward — he quickly fell in love with the medium, which he said is a combination of Lego and art.

“Now it’s my favorite thing in the world,” he said. “I would live in a letterpress studio if I could.”
Last summer, Rigg interned with Hatch Show Print, one of oldest print shops in Tennessee, where two MSU School of Art alumni work full time. He produced designs for six clients, including restaurant chain Raising Cane’s and performance artists Pat Benatar and Luke Bryan.
Fuchs, who hangs a “Print nerd for life” poster on her MSU office door, said she feels a deep sense of pride from instructing the next generation of letterpress designers and “carrying the baton forward.”

“I know I’m not going to be here forever, and MSU’s studio will outlast me. The materials will outlast me,” she said. “But I’m hopefully contributing to the larger sense of conserving this craft and this shared history.”

One Valley Community Foundation’s Give Big celebrates a major milestone, surpassing $20 million raised over the past 11 years.

Gallatin County, MT — Community generosity took center stage as One Valley Community Foundation’s 11th annual Give Big Gallatin Valley raised over $2.8 million for nonprofits serving Gallatin County. The 24-hour giving initiative, held May 1–2, rallied over 5,500 donors in support of 259 local organizations, providing essential unrestricted funding to nonprofits working across every sector—from housing and healthcare to education, arts, conservation, and more.

This year’s effort also marked a major milestone: since its founding in 2015, Give Big Gallatin Valley has raised more than $20 million for 489 nonprofits throughout the region.
“Give Big is about more than just fundraising—it’s about community,” said Bridget Wilkinson, President & CEO of One Valley Community Foundation. “Each gift is a vote of confidence in the nonprofits that serve our region every day. Surpassing $20 million raised since 2015 reflects not only the power of this initiative, but the deep care Gallatin County residents have for one another.”

Although the official giving window has passed, the platform at GiveBigGV.org will remain open through Tuesday, May 6 at 11:59 p.m., allowing community members a last opportunity to give.
Now entering its second decade, Give Big Gallatin Valley, powered by One Valley Community Foundation, continues to be one of the region’s most impactful and unifying annual traditions.
“We are honored to invest in Give Big through our partnership with One Valley Community Foundation to support regional nonprofits and to strengthen the bonds within our community; Community giving encourages a legacy of generosity, purpose, and shared success where every contribution makes a meaningful impact,” said Ryan Rodriguez, Senior Program Officer at Yellowstone Club Community Foundation, Give Big’s headline sponsor since 2018. Because Strong, Vibrant Communities Don’t Happen by Accident

About Give Big Gallatin Valley
Give Big Gallatin Valley is a 24-hour celebration of giving powered by One Valley Community Foundation. Since its inception in 2015, the initiative has raised over $20 million for 489 local nonprofits through the generosity of thousands of donors. Give Big connects people who care to causes that matter and fosters a stronger, more vibrant Gallatin County. Learn more at GiveBigGV.org.

About One Valley Community Foundation
One Valley Community Foundation is the nonprofit organization that identifies and addresses the priorities and concerns of Gallatin County with the intent of making the greatest positive change while charting a path and helping to maintain what makes our Gallatin Valley communities unique. One Valley does this by connecting donors with the causes they care about, managing funds to strengthen local communities, offering tools and opportunities to support local nonprofits, and facilitating collaboration to accelerate solutions to regional challenges. One Valley hosts multiple community-wide initiatives, including the Gallatin County Regional Housing Coalition, a convening of diverse partners working to address housing affordability and attainability in Gallatin County. For more information, visit www.onevalley.org.

On May 6, 2025, multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, Bozeman Police Department, and Montana Highway Patrol, were involved in a vehicle pursuit following a reported road rage incident involving a weapon.

At approximately 1:21 p.m., law enforcement responded to reports of a road rage incident in which a weapon was brandished. The suspect fled the scene, prompting a multi-agency pursuit. During the incident, a Bozeman Police vehicle was struck by the suspect’s vehicle. One officer sustained non-life-threatening injuries, and his K-9 was uninjured. One adult male is in custody.

The Bozeman Police Department has requested the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office investigate the matter. This is an active investigation; more details will be released later.

On May 3rd, 2025, at 6:32 p.m., Gallatin County 911 Dispatch received a call from an individual who was stranded on Baldy Mountain. The subject had attempted to travel from the Bridger Ridge trail toward the Sipes Canyon trailhead and encountered deep snow. After “post-holing” in waist deep snow in shorts and a t-shirt for a time, the subject had superficial injuries to the legs and was cold and exhausted.

Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office deputies requested GCSSAR assistance to locate and assist the subject. The subject had adequate food, water, and cell phone battery, but no warm clothing. The determination was made that the safest course of action would be a helicopter rescue, which would more quickly mitigate the risk of hypothermia and not require rescuers to risk their own safety while post-holing in the dark.

The subject remained in contact with rescuers via cell phone and was able to regain the ridge, where they were picked up by the GCSSAR Heli Team and Central Copters Inc. and flown to the Search & Rescue facility at the Bozeman Fairgrounds. The subject did not require any further medical attention and was given a GCSO courtesy ride to their hotel.

Gallatin County Sheriff Daniel Springer would like to thank Central Copters and the SAR Heli team members who ensured a successful rescue. Furthermore, he would like to remind hikers that conditions at altitude are often not the same as at the trailhead, especially in the spring, so it is always a good idea to bring warm clothing and dress in layers. Finally, when pressed for time, a shortcut may seem like a good idea, but it is better to return by the known safe route you took to get there, as alternate routes may have unexpected hazards.

There are legitimate pharmacy websites that provide privacy, convenience, cost savings, and security while buying medications. Every webpage is different. Many dangerous internet pharmacies advertise that they can provide prescription medications at steep discounts, frequently without a prescription, according to the U.S Food and Drug Administration. Outside of the regulations that licensed pharmacists observe, these online pharmacies frequently sell unlicensed, fake, or otherwise dangerous medications. People can get medical certifications and consult with qualified physicians remotely through NextClinic, an online healthcare portal.

Speak with a medical professional

The healthcare professional will evaluate your symptoms, medical history, and any pertinent lab or diagnostic data during the remote consultation. For discussing your health issues, the physician will diagnose you and decide whether you need prescription medicine for therapy. To guarantee precise diagnoses and suitable treatment regimens, telehealth practitioners are taught to pose probing questions.

The pharmacist manages drug interactions and keeps an eye on your prescriptions.

It is crucial that you inform the pharmacist about all of your medications, including over-the-counter medications and supplements. This makes it easier for the pharmacist to keep an eye out for any possible interactions and give you the information you need to safely manage your prescriptions online.

The Pharmacy Complies with Privacy Laws to Protect Your Personal Information

Trusting a pharmacy is having faith in their ability to protect and maintain the privacy of your sensitive health information. Select a pharmacy that provides comprehensive details about how your prescription and private data are safely kept on a server that complies with HIPAA. Make sure that only your healthcare practitioner has access to your information and that they have your consent.

Bonus: Resources and Information

In order to educate their clients and strengthen the bond between them and their pharmacy, certain online pharmacies may produce material (blogs, email subscriptions). This might provide you with a better understanding of the pharmacy's values and resources, even though it might not directly address the pharmacy's reputation. Therefore, before making a choice, it could be wise to look over the pages on their website.

Verification Procedure and Prescription Requirements

Prescription validity: A legitimate prescription is crucial since it guarantees that you are getting the appropriate drug for your particular ailment. It also aids in stopping the usage or misuse of specific drugs.

Procedures for verification: Before distributing prescription drugs, trustworthy internet pharmacies will always need a legitimate prescription from a certified medical practitioner.
Select a trustworthy telehealth supplier

Choosing a reliable telehealth provider is the first step when ordering prescription drugs online. Seek out a service with a user-friendly UI, a license, and good client evaluations. Making sure the telehealth provider respects patient privacy and confidentiality and conforms with state and federal laws is crucial. Doctors will evaluate your needs and provide prescriptions online the same day if you just submit your request using our safe portal.

Verify the legitimacy of the drug sale

An authentic online pharmacy would never put illegal pharmaceuticals on its website. The Pharmacy Council ought to certify these online pharmacies. Finding out the pharmacy's licensing by researching its details on other pertinent websites is a crucial way to confirm the e-pharmacy you choose to purchase medication from. Steer clear of buying prescription medicines from websites or mobile applications that frequently sell them without a prescription.

Support for Customer Service

A pharmacy should maintain a relationship with its customers even if it operates online. Seek out a drugstore that respects client opinions. Choose one that is also simple to get in touch with. Is that their sole email address? Or do they offer open direct messages on social media and a phone line to assist you or respond to any inquiries you might have? The more accessible, the better!

Authenticity and Product Quality

Medication source: It's critical to pick an internet pharmacy that purchases its drugs from reliable producers and distributors. Examine their suppliers' details and see if they have relationships with reputable pharmaceutical firms.

Medication authenticity: Genuine drugs will have distinct batch numbers that can be compared to the manufacturer's documentation. Additionally, take note of the medication's packaging. Make sure the packaging seems authentic and professional, and look for tamper-evident seals.

Fill out a medical survey

This includes explaining your symptoms and documenting any pertinent information. The information you give will be used by our medical staff to assess whether the drug you have chosen is suitable for your condition. Please take note that we handle data with extreme caution, guaranteeing its privacy and confidentiality. We will authorize the prescription if you have identified the appropriate course of action, enabling you to finish your order.

Get your prescription filled online

The healthcare practitioner will electronically send the prescription to a partner pharmacy or the pharmacy of your choosing if they decide that prescription medication is necessary. To ensure a smooth process, some telehealth companies might even offer pharmacy services of their own. To guarantee that the medication is delivered to the right place, precise contact and address information is crucial.

BOZEMAN  — The City of Bozeman’s Department of Transportation & Engineering and Department of Utilities announce 12 capital projects totaling $26,315,882 coming in the 2025 construction season. These improvements focus on a shared commitment to renovating existing infrastructure while investing in new capacity to mitigate the demands from growth within the Gallatin Valley.

Utility renovation and replacements include 5,012’ of sewer main, 7,375’ of water main, and 1,236’ of storm main along eight different streets across three separate neighborhoods. Capacity projects will construct a sewer lift station and force main from the Riverside Community to the city Water Reclamation Facility for improved environmental quality by reducing nutrient impacts on the East Gallatin River and improvements to the city’s water infrastructure on its Sourdough Intake. City Streets Division will perform more than one mile of street paving associated with the utility improvements to reduce impact on the community and save taxpayer funds that would typically be spent on contractor services.

Transportation improvements include a mill & overlay of S 19th from Main Street to Kagy Boulevard in coordination with the ongoing Montana Department of Transportation mill & overlay of N 19th from Main Street to I-90 creating smooth pavement for over 3.5 miles of the busiest arterial street in southwest Montana. The city will also continue its “Friction Seal” treatment of local subdivision and downtown streets to reduce the impacts of traditional tar and chipping. Three safety projects will add a mid-block crosswalk on Oak Street near Gallatin High, construct permanent median restrictions at Oak Street and Flanders Mill following the city’s successful pilot project, and complete permanent construction of the city’s Black Avenue Bicycle Boulevard. Finally, new capacity to manage growth will include the connection of N 27th between Baxter and Cattail with a 2-lane Collector street, shared-use paths on both sides of the street, a traffic signal at Baxter Lane, and a roundabout at Cattail Street.

Project funding includes a mix of grants, Impact Fees paid by development, and city assessments for improvement to existing infrastructure.