Climbing is a sport that demands flexibility, agility, and protection, which is why choosing the right gear is essential for any climber. Men's climbing leggings are designed to meet these specific needs. Unlike traditional climbing pants, leggings offer a snug fit that moves with the body, ensuring climbers can navigate tough routes without restriction. This post will explore the various benefits of wearing leggings specifically tailored for climbing, highlighting why they are becoming a popular choice in men's climbing gear.

Performance Benefits

Superior Flexibility and Range of Motion
Climbing tights are designed with flexibility at the forefront, enabling climbers to move freely and tackle complex maneuvers without restriction. The stretchable fabric of these leggings allows for a wide range of motion, essential when reaching for distant footholds or contorting into tight positions on a climb. This enhanced mobility not only improves climbing efficiency but also contributes to a more enjoyable and less restricted climbing experience.

Muscle Support and Fatigue Reduction
One of the primary men's climbing leggings benefits is their ability to support muscles during strenuous climbs. These leggings are often made from compression materials that help increase blood circulation and reduce muscle oscillation, a common cause of fatigue and soreness post-climb. By snugly fitting around the muscles, men's leggings for rock climbing also help reduce the risk of cramps and strains.

Enhanced Endurance for Climbers
Endurance is key in climbing, and the best rock climbing leggings are engineered to help climbers sustain their energy levels over extended periods. The compression effect not only supports the muscles but also minimizes energy expenditure, allowing climbers to save their strength for crucial moments of the climb. This can be particularly beneficial during long multi-pitch routes.

Ergonomic and Supportive Designs
Men's climbing leggings feature designs that include articulated joints and gusseted crotches, which enhance the fit and ensure the leggings move in harmony with the body's natural movements. These design choices prevent the leggings from bunching up or sliding down, maintaining a secure and supportive fit throughout the climb.

Durability and Abrasion Resistance

Tough Materials for Harsh Conditions
When it comes to durable men's climbing leggings, the choice of materials is critical. Manufacturers often opt for high-tech, robust fabrics that can withstand the rough textures of natural rock surfaces. These materials are typically a blend of nylon, polyester, and spandex, which offer an optimal balance between durability and elasticity. To better understand the importance of material selection in climbing leggings, consider the following list of characteristics essential for high-performance climbing wear:

• Abrasion Resistance: Fabrics that possess high abrasion resistance are engineered to withstand these harsh conditions, ensuring the leggings do not wear out or fail prematurely. Materials typically used for this purpose include reinforced synthetics that maintain their integrity even under constant contact with jagged rocks and uneven surfaces.

• Tear Resistance: It's vital for climbing leggings to feature enhanced fiber interlocking, which helps prevent the propagation of tears. Even a small tear can quickly enlarge under the strain of climbing, compromising safety and performance. Tear-resistant materials are usually woven with high-strength fibers which are intricately bonded.

• Stretchability: Leggings must have enough elasticity to accommodate various climbing postures and movements without limiting the climber's agility. The stretchability of the fabric should be balanced so that while it allows for extensive movement, it does not lose its shape or integrity.

• Quick-Drying: The ability to dry quickly is essential for climbing leggings, as wet conditions can lead to discomfort, potential hypothermia, or increased wear of the material. Fabrics selected for their quick-drying properties ensure that moisture from the environment or perspiration is rapidly wicked away and evaporated.

Understanding these key characteristics helps in selecting the right climbing leggings that will offer reliability, comfort, and safety. With advancements in textile technology, climbers can now choose from materials that are specifically designed to meet the demanding needs of their sport.

Reinforcement in High-Stress Areas
Reinforcements are crucial in high-stress areas such as the knees, thighs, and seat. These parts of flexible men's climbing leggings are often subjected to intense strain and frequent contact with rock surfaces. By strengthening these specific areas, manufacturers ensure that the leggings remain intact and functional despite the rigorous demands of climbing. Techniques like double stitching and the use of robust thread types are commonly applied to achieve this added durability.

Comfort and Moisture Management

Moisture-Wicking Properties
The ability to manage sweat effectively is paramount in men's climbing leggings, particularly for long or intense climbs where comfort can directly influence performance. Moisture-wicking technology is integral to modern climbing leggings, as it helps pull moisture away from the skin and expedite its evaporation on the surface of the fabric. Here’s how moisture-wicking works to benefit climbers:

Rapid Moisture Transfer: As sweat is produced, it is immediately drawn away from the skin to the outer surface of the fabric.Increased Evaporation Rate: Once on the fabric’s surface, the moisture spreads out and evaporates faster due to exposure to air.

Thermal Regulation: This evaporation process also helps cool the body, maintaining a stable body temperature.

Reduced Fabric Saturation: By quickly moving sweat to the surface, the fabric stays lighter and less saturated.These properties not only enhance physical performance by keeping climbers dry and comfortable but also contribute to a more enjoyable and productive climbing experience. By selecting men's tights with pouches that feature advanced moisture-wicking capabilities, climbers can focus more on their climb and less on the discomforts that come with excessive sweat and heat.

Breathability for Extended Climbs
High breathability ensures that air can circulate freely through the fabric, aiding the moisture-wicking process and helping to regulate the climber's temperature. This ventilation is crucial during prolonged climbing sessions, as it prevents overheating and maintains comfort.

Practical Features for Climbing

Men's Leggings with Pockets
One of the most sought-after features in men's tights with phone pockets is their practicality for climbers who need to carry small essentials without additional bulk. These pockets are strategically placed to be accessible even when wearing a harness, and they are designed to securely hold items like keys, snacks, or a smartphone.

Pouches and Storage Solutions
Some men's tights with pockets offer specialized pouches that cater to the unique needs of climbers. These might include secure zip closures or elastic bands to hold the gear firmly in place. Such design considerations ensure that climbers can carry more than just the basics, like route maps or compact first-aid kits, without worrying about them falling out mid-climb.

Where to Buy Climbing Leggings

Trusted Online Retailers
These digital platforms often provide detailed product descriptions, user reviews, and even sizing guides to help buyers make informed decisions. It’s important to choose retailers that are known for their reliable customer service and return policies, which can be crucial if the leggings don't meet expectations or need size adjustments. Websites specializing in outdoor gear often feature the latest and most advanced leggings, catering specifically to the needs of climbers.

Specialty Stores for Climbing Gear
Visiting specialty stores dedicated to climbing and outdoor sports can be incredibly beneficial. Staff members in these shops are usually experienced climbers themselves and can provide personalized advice based on their own experiences and the feedback they receive from the climbing community.

Tips for Online Shopping
One effective strategy to achieve this is by utilizing the fitting tools that many online stores provide. These tools often include detailed size charts and virtual fitting rooms that discuss the fit and comfort of the products. Some websites also offer algorithms that suggest sizes based on your previous purchases or by comparing the dimensions of items you own to those you are looking to buy.

When choosing the right pair of leggings for bouldering, climbers should prioritize fit and material quality to ensure maximum comfort and durability. It's also important to consider the specific conditions and types of climbing they will be undertaking to select the most appropriate features, such as moisture management for hot climates or reinforced areas for technical rock faces. Lastly, purchasing from reputable sources, whether online or in specialty stores, ensures that climbers receive high-quality products that are built to last.

HELENA – Color Your Own Dinosaur Postcard Book features captivating illustrations by paleocartoonist Lucas Petrin. This unique book invites dinosaur enthusiasts of all ages to unleash their creativity with 24 blank postcards, each showcasing imaginative renditions of your favorite dinosaurs. 

Known for his passion for paleontology and stylized artwork, Petrin brings these dinosaurs to life in a way that sparks curiosity and imagination. Each postcard provides a canvas for coloring these majestic creatures as they may have appeared millions of years ago. 

Petrin's illustrations not only entertain but also educate, making this postcard book a perfect gift for dinosaur enthusiasts and anyone fascinated by prehistoric life. 

A blend of educational fun and artistic expression, Lucas Petrin’s illustrations are accompanied by fun facts about each featured dinosaur illustration. 

Lucas Petrin found his passion for paleontology early in his life, and ever since has worked tirelessly to help fill in the gaps in how we see prehistoric life with stylized illustrations. While a student at Rowan University, Lucas ran a Kickstarter campaign for a prototype of his game Fossil Fracas: Not-So-Nice Age, and proceeded to create the art for four of the Jean & Richard Edelman Fossil Park of Rowan University's dinosaur themed beers. He continues to work as a graphics editor. 

Color Your Own Dinosaur Postcard Book (ISBN: 9781560378594, Farcountry Press, 2024) is available in softcover at various local retailers, as well as online and Farcountry Press at (800) 821-3874, farcountrypress.com.

MILES CITY – The good news is that a very popular dinosaur fossil that was a fixture alongside one of Makoshika State Park’s hiking trails has not been stolen, vandalized or damaged; rather, it has been excavated by Museum of the Rockies.

It’s a bit of a shock to visitors who have become accustomed to seeing the hadrosaur, or duck-billed dinosaur, vertebrae along the Diane Gabriel Trail. But its connection to the park will live on.

The plan is for Museum of the Rockies to transport the fossil back to its facilities and do preservation work to get it ready for display. Once the fossil is prepared, it will be returned to the park to be put on display in the visitor’s center for the public to view. The museum also has offered to help the park create interpretive signage to be placed near where the fossil was taken from along the trail.

MOR has conducted field work at Makoshika every summer since 2016, according to John Scannella, the John R. Horner Curator of Paleontology there. Removal of the hadrosaur fossil was part of this season’s work.

“I was contacted by the park with the concern that, because it was positioned over a sinkhole - kind of precariously - if erosion continues it might be lost down into the sinkhole,” Scannella explained.

The fossil consists of several vertebrae in a line in a sandstone concretion, part of the articulated backbone of a duckbill. Scannella estimates it to be just under three feet wide and about 300 pounds.

Scannella and his crew of mostly students wrapped the fossil in a field jacket of burlap and plaster and prepared it for the trip to MOR. Along the way they unearthed a surprise.

“Part of the hipbone was behind it, which had never been seen before because it was in the rock,” he said.

The fossil represents the late Cretaceous period, which was the end of the age of the dinosaurs.

“Makoshika is one of the places where you can walk through the Hell Creek Formation, the time of the T. Rex, triceratops, probably Edmontosaurus,” Scannella said.

More than 10 different dinosaur species have been discovered in Makoshika. Significant discoveries include a complete triceratops skull, the fossil remains of edmontosaurus and T. Rex, and a nearly complete skeleton of the rare thescelosaur. In recent years the dome-like skull of a pachycephalosaurus was partially exposed. The park is also one of few places in the world where you can see a sedimentary layer called the K-Pg boundary, which marks the mass extinction of the dinosaurs.

Scannella views each discovery as being important to research.

“Every fossil is potentially incredibly informative for learning more about these animals or their world,” he said.

“You never know what you might find,” Scannella said. “There are still many, many more discoveries to be made in the hills of Makoshika.”

RED LODGE – Around 10 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 11, a subadult female black bear attacked and injured a child inside a tent at a private campground south of Red Lodge.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks game wardens and bear specialists responded to the incident. The bear was caught and euthanized the following day.

The child was transported to a medical facility in Billings. FWP staff set a trap at the campsite on Sunday night and worked with the campground owner to evacuate the campground by the morning of Aug. 12. Additional traps and snares were set when the campground was fully evacuated. The bear was captured on the afternoon of Aug. 12, and was shot and killed. FWP found unsecured attractants, including garbage, a cooler, and human food, around and inside the tent where the attack occurred.

The black bear involved in the incident had no history of conflicts. However, the bear had likely become food-conditioned and human-habituated after accessing unsecured attractants in the area. Evidence at the site matched the physical characteristics of the bear and FWP believes the bear killed was the bear involved in the attack.

FWP received support from the Red Lodge Police Department, Wyoming Game & Fish Department and the Carbon County Sherriff’s Office on this incident.

Be bear aware

Montana is bear country. People should be prepared to encounter grizzly or black bears in Montana. Avoiding conflicts with bears is easier than dealing with conflicts. Here are some precautions to help avoid negative bear encounters while camping:

• Keep food and anything with a scent out of tents.
• Dispose of garbage in bear resistant bins; otherwise, take it with you and dispose of it properly elsewhere. Do not bury or burn garbage.
• Follow local land management agency food storage orders and properly store unattended food and anything else with a scent.
• Food storage options:
• Bear boxes
• Hard-sided vehicles (car, truck, RV). Avoid leaving attractants in vehicles for extended periods of time (backcountry trips).
• IGBC-certified bear resistant containers
• Temporary electric fencing 

For more information on bear safety, visit: fwp.mt.gov/bear-aware.

Vitamins do more than keep you in good health. Shedding extra weight can be a bit less challenging with the right vitamins for weight loss. The right vitamins can aid in overall weight management by helping control your appetite. You can also get a boost in metabolism to burn more calories.

Below, we list down vitamins that can bring some weight loss benefits that you can take advantage of.

Vitamins for Weight Loss
• Vitamin D
Have you noticed that even small portions of certain foods can fill your stomach and make you feel full? A research study established that people wishing to shed weight would benefit from taking vitamin D and calcium. Experts state that vitamin D helps with calcium absorption, which can produce a feeling of fullness.

Research has pointed out that Vitamin D has a relationship with weight. You might benefit from adding more Vitamin D to your diet. This nutrient improves the body's capacity to burn energy derived from food. Aside from bringing weight loss benefits, Vitamin D helps strengthen your bones and enhance your immunity.

• B Vitamins
Do you know where you get your energy after eating? If not, it would help to learn about B vitamins, particularly thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, biotin, and pantothenic acid. These nutrients help your body break down what you eat. For instance, thiamin converts carbohydrates into energy for cells.

B vitamins are essential for the body. If your body doesn’t get enough of these nutrients, your metabolic rate decreases. This will most likely make weight loss a more challenging process.
Foods rich in B vitamins include:

Beans
Milk
Eggs
Meat
Whole grains

If you can’t get enough B vitamins in your diet, you can also take supplements that contain the full range of B vitamins.

• Vitamin C
Body weight seems to be associated with Vitamin C levels. People who eat plenty of vitamin C-rich foods burn more fat during exercise than those with low levels. Experts claim vitamin C promotes fat oxidation.

Aside from its fat-burning benefits, Vitamin C is also a well-known antioxidant. This nutrient keeps your body safe against the effects of free radicals. Free radicals have been linked to heart disease and cancer.

Excellent sources of Vitamin C include citrus fruits, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, and spinach. You can also take this nutrient as an oral supplement.

• Vitamin E
Vitamin E is fantastic for your health. It safeguards your cells and boosts your immune system. Research also suggests that Vitamin E supplementation may affect insulin sensitivity and improve metabolic abnormalities. Studies also suggest that obese individuals suffering from metabolic syndrome need higher levels of Vitamin E.

Unfortunately, there is little conclusive research on Vitamin E and its direct effects on weight loss.

• Vitamin A
Vitamin A supports cell growth, particularly white blood cells, and the body's immune system. Some researchers also think that the nutrient can affect weight management. Studies have demonstrated that there is evidence that Vitamin A can help regulate body fat and body weight.
Though Vitamin A appears to have the potential to aid weight management, more research is necessary to connect Vitamin A consumption and weight loss directly.

Additional Tips to Follow for Weight Loss
Of course, weight loss requires more than just consuming the right vitamins. Regular exercise is also essential to a weight loss regimen, as is getting enough sleep during the night.
According to studies, a lack of sleep affects the body’s hormone levels, resulting in increased levels of appetite-stimulating hormones and lower levels of hunger-regulating hormones. As a result, you become prone to overeating.

Proper hydration is also important, since water can help suppress the appetite, helps boosts calorie-burning, and supports proper fat metabolism. It’s recommended that women consume 11.5 cups of fluid per day, while men should consume 15.5 cups of fluid daily for proper hydration.

Multivitamins for Weight Loss: A Holistic Approach
Consuming the right vitamins, especially when on a weight loss plan, can significantly affect your weight loss progress. Vitamins are necessary for metabolism, energy production, and fat utilization. These nutrients also have anti-inflammatory effects.

Choose foods with most of these nutrients. Fruits, vegetables, whole grain products, meat, chicken, fish, and cheese are all excellent sources of vitamins. If you need an extra nutrient boost, you can take oral supplements or multivitamins.

It’s always a good idea to consult a doctor or a registered dietitian before you make any major dietary changes. A registered nutritionist or dietitian can point you toward the appropriate diet to help you shed those unwanted pounds.

BOZEMAN – Montana State University President Waded Cruzado has announced her plans to retire in June 2025, concluding a transformative 15-year tenure at the helm of Montana’s land-grant university. 

Cruzado, who became the 12th president of MSU in 2010, has been celebrated for her unwavering commitment to the land-grant mission of education, research and community outreach. Her leadership has significantly reshaped Montana State, reflected in a series of remarkable achievements.   

In a letter to the university this morning, Cruzado said being president “has been an incomparable honor, the memory of which I will hold close to my heart for the rest of my life.” The text of her full letter can be read here.  

Under Cruzado’s leadership, the university has set records in nearly every major university metric: enrollment, research, fundraising, athletics, campus expansion and, most importantly, in student persistence and graduation rates.   

“President Cruzado was the first in her family to go to college. She speaks of how higher education has transformed her life, but I can attest to how she has transformed higher education. She is an exceptional leader and advocate who cares with her whole heart about the students, faculty, staff, fans and alumni who make up a university community. Exceptional leaders leave an organization better than they found it, and President Cruzado has done that to a historic degree. Thanks to her, Montana State University sits strong and well prepared to embark on its next chapter,” said Clayton Christian, Montana Commissioner of Higher Education.   

The achievements of the university under Cruzado’s leadership since 2010 are many.  
Under Cruzado’s guidance, MSU has seen its student enrollment steadily climb by 33%, making MSU the largest university in the state with nearly 17,000 students.  
 
The rate at which first-year students stay in school for a second year — called the retention rate — has broken modern records and hit 77.9% last fall. The higher retention rates resulted in record high rates of students graduating. In 2023, the university had 3,503 graduates, its second highest number on record. Additionally, the academic caliber of MSU students, as seen in ACT/SAT scores and GPA, has reached unprecedented levels.

MSU’s students have excelled on the national stage these past 15 years. Their accolades include 41 Goldwater Scholarships, 23 Fulbright grants, 13 Udall Scholarships, seven Boren Scholarships, nine Truman Scholarships and three Rhodes Scholarships, among many other awards of scholarly and service distinction. Under Cruzado’s tenure, MSU has attracted, on average, 60% to 70% of the Montana University System Honor Scholarship recipients, given to some of the best and brightest students graduating from high schools in Montana every year. 

Access for students to a college education has been a defining passion for Cruzado. She has focused on programs to help students gain college admission, graduate on time and minimize college debt. Notably, she championed the Freshman 15 initiative, which encourages students to take at least 15 credits per semester to save on tuition and graduate in four years. In the fall of 2023, 81% of new, first-time MSU students were participating in the Freshman 15, a dramatic increase from the 50% when the program started in 2011.  

And MSU is well known nationally for providing its students with “Know Your Debt” letters to help them make informed choices about their college finances and, ultimately, reduce their debt upon graduation.  

Cruzado championed the creation of Gallatin College MSU in 2010, MSU’s workforce development arm which collaborates with industry partners to offer one- and two-year certificates and degrees in 29 programs of study from bookkeeping and carpentry to cybersecurity and photonics. It has become the fastest growing college in the university.  

One of the most successful and renowned programs created by Cruzado has been the MSU Hilleman Scholars Program. Founded in 2016 and named for alumnus Maurice Hilleman, the program provides financial and academic assistance, mentoring and leadership training to Montana students who have shown significant potential but might not have otherwise considered college as an option for their future.  

The program was inspired by Hilleman’s life story: He was raised on a farm near Miles City and was planning for a job at a local department store when a scholarship to MSU changed the course of his life. Hilleman became the world’s leading vaccinologist, developing eight of the 14 vaccines commonly given to children, including vaccines for measles, mumps and pneumonia. His story is evidence how access to higher education for a Montanan changed the world, and Cruzado has said his potent example continues to inspire her and the Hilleman Scholars today. 

Research at MSU, another of the university’s pillars, has flourished since Cruzado took office in 2010. MSU is designated a Carnegie R1, a very high research activity institution, and the university’s annual research expenditures have grown more than 133% from $98.5 million in 2009 to a record-setting $230 million in 2023, making Montana State the university with more research expenditures than all public and private universities in the state combined. 

MSU’s research growth was achieved while the university remained true to its undergraduate education mission – a rare feat. MSU is one of just two R1 institutions in the nation to have an enrollment profile that consists of a “very high” proportion of undergraduate students. The university has prided itself on providing undergraduate students with opportunities to participate in real research and gain practical experience from some of the world’s leading scientists.  

As part of MSU’s research agenda, in 2014 Cruzado obtained approval from the Montana Board of Regents to establish the MSU Center for Mental Health Research and Recovery to address suicide prevention, a critical need in the state of Montana. Cruzado also recruited the help of MSU Extension and K-12 partners in suicide prevention and awareness efforts.  

Cruzado has been a strong supporter of MSU Extension and connecting to the people of Montana. With the assistance of MSU Extension over 10 years, the president took administrators, staff, faculty and student leaders on summer bus tours to each of the 56 counties in the state to meet Montanans and learn about their economies and communities. Cruzado also oversaw MSU Extension’s creation of the Reimagining Rural program, which provides Montana communities with resources to revitalize themselves. 

MSU Extension and the College of Agriculture have always been an important focus for Cruzado. In 2014, she created the first vice president of agriculture position in the university’s cabinet.  

During her tenure, MSU has hosted the Western SARE Professional Development Program for agricultural professionals for six years and established the Dan Scott Ranch Management Program, the malt quality laboratory and the Resource Education and Agriculture Leadership (REAL) Montana Program. 

In 2013 Cruzado obtained funding from the Montana Legislature to establish the Washington-Idaho-Montana-Utah (WIMU) Regional Program in Veterinary Medicine Program, in collaboration with Washington State University. Over the past 11 years MSU has graduated more than 100 students from the WIMU program to help meet the growing need for rural veterinarians.  

In 2024, with funding from the Montana Legislature and private support, ground was broken on a new home for the MSU Wool Lab, one of only two college-based wool labs in the nation. The lab is vital in helping Montana wool growers improve their product.     

Cruzado also helped the College of Agriculture in securing its first endowed chairs: the Nancy Cameron Endowed Chair in Range Beef Cattle Production and the Winifred Asbjornson Plant Sciences Chair.  

During her administration, she also made enormous efforts to advance the university’s support for American Indians. In 2018, she completed a massive fundraising task her predecessor started in 2006 to privately raise $8 million for an American Indian Hall on campus. With a $12 million pledge from the Kendeda Fund and financial support from ASMSU, a total of $20 million was ultimately raised and the hall opened in 2021. Since 2010, the university has steadily increased its enrollment of American Indian and Alaska Native students, from 373 in 2009 to a new record enrollment in 2023 of 817 students.     

In competition, the Bobcats of the Cruzado era have achieved extraordinary success. MSU’s men’s and women’s basketball teams have won multiple conference championships and tournament titles, and the men’s team has earned three consecutive bids in the national NCAA tournament. Rodeo became an official part of Bobcat Athletics, and women’s rodeo earned its third national team title in 2021. Volleyball earned its first ever bid to the National Invitational Volleyball Championship in 2023, and men’s track and field won the conference title in 2024. 

On the gridiron, MSU has won the Big Sky Conference four times during Cruzado’s presidency, including a historic run to the FCS national title game in 2021, a year proudly dubbed the Year of the Bobcat for the many sports that performed exceptionally that year. Perhaps most importantly to the hometown faithful, the Bobcats defeated their cross-state rivals in seven out of the 13 Cat-Griz games played so far during her tenure. 

The physical campus has also seen enormous changes under Cruzado, with more than $600 million in completed or under-construction projects. Major student-focused projects completed in the past 15 years have included the renovations of Romney and Gaines halls into modern, high-capacity classroom buildings; the construction of Jabs Hall, Student Wellness Center and Norm Asbjornson Hall; and more than $115 million in student housing investments, including the addition of the Hyalite, Yellowstone and Gallatin residence halls, as well as the renovations of Hapner and Langford halls. MSU also constructed Rendezvous Dining Pavilion and a four-story parking garage and conducted major renovations to the Miller Dining Commons, the MSU Library, the Strand Union Building and the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse.

MSU enacted more than $9 million in energy conservation projects campus-wide and earned approval for a project to consolidate and improve MSU’s facilities operations while making room for more classroom buildings. Newly constructed and renovated buildings have all received LEED certifications, a sustainability rating system for buildings, including the top designation, Platinum Level 4.1, for the American Indian Hall. In 2023 Montana state received a prestigious STARS Gold rating in campus sustainability from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. 

And work has begun on a project to convert Grant Street into a pedestrian mall to improve safety in MSU’s busy South Campus District, a label that Cruzado coined to designate the area that includes — in addition to Asbjornson Hall — the $72 million Student Wellness Center and the renovated Romney Hall (thanks to $25 million from the state of Montana matched by $7 million in private gifts) — a number of new construction buildings, including Jones Hall for the College of Nursing, Gianforte Hall, Gallatin College MSU, an expanded facility for Montana PBS and a privately operated campus hotel. 

Philanthropic giving during Cruzado’s presidency — totaling more than $850 million — transformed MSU. Gifts included $101 million from Mark and Robyn Jones to fund construction of five new nursing education buildings at all of MSU’s nursing campuses statewide; $50 million from the Gianforte Family Foundation for Gianforte Hall, a new home for computer science, cybersecurity and creative industries; $50 million (with an additional $20 million match) from Norm Asbjornson for the eponymous building that houses engineering and honors; and $25 million from Jake Jabs for the business college building named in his honor, among many other gifts.  

Successful fundraising campaigns also led to the completion of the $18 million Bobcat Athletic Complex and the $11 million Bobcat Stadium end zone project, as well as $19.4 million raised for the expansion of Montana PBS’s programs and facilities and groundbreaking this summer on the $26.5 million Indoor Athletic Center. 

Prior to Montana State, Cruzado, a native of Puerto Rico and professor of comparative literature, was executive vice president and provost at New Mexico State University. She is known for her passion for education and mentorship. Cruzado also established and fostered new community-building programs such as Cat Walk on Main, and campus celebrations such as Milestones in Service, Pure Gold, the President’s Crossing Boundaries Speaker Series as well as the revitalization of the First Year Student Convocation and Fall Commencement ceremonies. 

Nationally recognized for her leadership, she was appointed by President Barack Obama to the Board for International Food and Agricultural Development in 2012 and 2017. She has chaired the boards of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) and HERS - Women in Higher Education Leadership. She has served on various other boards of national impact, including serving as Commissioner on the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities Board. Her accolades include the APLU Seaman Knapp Memorial Lectureship, the Council of Fellows Mentor Award by the American Council on Education, the Paul Harris Fellow Recognition, Hero Award from the Montana Chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and the Michael P. Malone Educator of the Year award. 

Commissioner of Higher Education Christian will conduct a search for Cruzado’s successor on behalf of the Montana Board of Regents. An executive recruitment firm will be used to assist with the search.  

BOZEMAN — Following renewed interest from the public in the Affordable Housing Ordinance, Bozeman City Commission will discuss revisions on Tuesday, Aug. 20. The meeting will review the current affordable housing market and discuss potential changes to the ordinance to offer better clarity, respond to comments from the public and ensure the policy is meeting its desired outcome.

“I think everyone, from residents to city staff to the Commission themselves, is interested in taking another look at this ordinance and seeing if there are improvements that can be made,” David Fine, Housing & Urban Renewal Manager stated. “We all want to see housing be more affordable, and it’s important that we are thoughtful and surgical in how we go about that.”

The City Commission adopted the current Affordable Housing Ordinance in Sept. 2022 in response to legislative action. The 2021 Montana Legislature passed House Bill 259, which barred the City from requiring affordable housing in new development. As most of the other commonly used tools for creating affordable housing are also prohibited in Montana, the City turned to voluntary incentives to create affordable housing.

In creating the current ordinance, the City conducted an extensive public review of the then-existing code, identified alternatives and chose those most likely to result in the construction of new affordable housing. This ordinance, often in combination with other incentives, is responsible for the creation of nearly 1,500 units, with most being either under construction or in the project pipeline.

Following this meeting, city staff will draft a revised ordinance incorporating the revisions requested by the City Commission.

Public comment is encouraged throughout this process, and further community engagement will occur following the Commission work session.

Those seeking more information on the Affordable Housing Ordinance can visit https://www.bozeman.net/departments/economic-development/community-housing/bozeman-code-audit-to-create-and-preserve-housing.

BOZEMAN - After nearly three decades, the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office has announced the resolution of a cold case involving the murder of 15-year-old Danielle “Danni” Houchins from Belgrade, Montana. Houchins was tragically killed on September 21, 1996. 

On that day, Houchins left her home around 11 AM. When she failed to return, her worried family reported her missing to the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office. Her mother discovered Houchins’ truck at the Cameron Bridge Fishing Access on the Gallatin River, and later that night, Houchins’ body was found face down in shallow water. 

In a significant breakthrough last month, DNA evidence collected at the time of Houchins’ death was matched to 55-year-old Paul Hutchinson of Dillon, Montana. The day after Gallatin County law enforcement had their first interview with Hutchinson, he died by suicide. 

Investigators have determined that Hutchinson and Houchins had no prior connection. Describing it as a crime of opportunity, they believe Hutchinson and Houchins randomly encountered each other at the river, where Hutchinson raped then suffocated her in shallow water. 

Despite numerous suspects being interviewed over the years, Hutchinson was never connected to the case until DNA results identified him. He was a Montana State University student beginning in September of 1996, later graduating in fisheries wildlife biology. He then worked for the Montana Bureau of Land Management in Dillon for 22 years. He had no criminal or traffic history and was married with two adult children.  

“This case exemplifies our relentless pursuit of justice. We never gave up on finding the truth for Danni and her family, exhausting all means necessary to bring closure to this heartbreaking chapter,” said Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer. “Our commitment to justice for victims and their loved ones is unwavering, and we will continue to use every resource at our disposal to solve these cases, no matter how much time has passed.” 

This investigation highlights the importance of preserving evidence in order for future technologies to identify suspects. “Stranger” homicides are the most difficult to solve and rely heavily upon physical evidence. In this case, materials were preserved, and over time, the pieces of evidence were able to be analyzed and DNA extracted using current technology that was not available in the past. The investigation stalled over the years as suspects, known to Danni, were eliminated.  

“The investigation remained open because we knew Danni was murdered and someday, we were going to have the tools available to solve this case,” Springer said. 

In 2019, the sheriff’s office renewed efforts to solve the case. In 2021, when Springer became sheriff, he believed there needed to be new, fresh and outside eyes on the case. He hired private investigator Tom Elfmont, a retired Los Angeles Police Department officer with decades of experience, to assist. Elfmont was remotely aided by Sergeant Court Depweg of the Newport Beach Police Department, who specializes in solving homicides using DNA technology. 

During the initial investigation, four hairs were collected from Houchins’ body. That preserved evidence was sent to Astria Forensics in California for analysis. A partial DNA profile from one of the hairs was developed and run through the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System, but no matches were found. The profile was then sent to Parabon NanoLabs in Virginia, where genealogists used additional DNA databases to identify Hutchinson as the suspect. 

On the evening July 23, 2024, Elfmont and Depweg interviewed Hutchinson. During the nearly two-hour interview, Hutchinson, who had lived in Bozeman at the time of Houchins’ death, displayed extreme nervousness. Investigators noted he sweated profusely, scratched his face, and chewed on his hand. When shown a photo of Houchins, Hutchinson slumped in his chair and exhibited signs of being uncomfortable. Upon release, his behavior was observed to be erratic. 

Early the next morning, at 4:17 AM on July 24, Hutchinson called the Beaverhead County Sheriff’s Office, informing them he needed assistance before hanging up. Deputies found him shortly thereafter on the side of the road, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. 

The investigation continues in an attempt to tie up loose ends. The information we’ve received will be shared with federal and local law enforcement agencies in an attempt to locate possible victims of similar crimes. 

This resolution brings a long-awaited sense of closure to Danni’s family and the community. The Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office remains committed to justice and thanks all those who assisted in bringing this case to a close.