Police and protestors are preparing for a crowded rally as President Trump visits Great Falls on Thursday. It’s the first time a sitting president has spoken in the state since George W. Bush’s visit in 2005. Cascade County Commissioner Jane Weber said she expects a high turnout, but the county feels prepared for the rally.

For most Montanans, wildfire smoke is ‘out of sight, out of mind’. It’s been almost a year since smoke pollution filled Missoula County, turning the air yellow and creating a public health crisis for residents. But one air quality expert is urging people to start preparing for the smoke before wildfire season arrives.

When Anson Nygaard returned to the states after two years of active duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, he headed straight for the Pacific Crest Trail.

Montana lawmakers have a little less than two weeks to decide whether to come back to Helena for a special legislative session, potentially the second in eight months. “It’s going to be a very heavy lift to get the 76 votes,” Senate President Scott Sales said.

Democratic Senator Jon Tester was in Missoula Friday to rally his campaign staff and volunteers ahead of President Donald Trump visiting the state on Thursday. "A day of action," is what he asked them to help him with. "A day of action July fifth. If anybody is not out camping and you're in town and you can knock on a few doors and drop a few door cards I'd really appreciate it."

A judge has ordered Bitterroot National Forest officials to allow public comment on whether two Wilderness Study Areas should be re-opened to bicycle use. At least a half-dozen groups, including the Bitterroot Backcountry Cyclists, have sued for increased access to the Blue Joint and Sapphire Wilderness Study Areas.

Wildland fire officials with the Missoula County Fire Protection Association are elevating fire danger in Missoula County to 'moderate'. The change is effective midnight July 4. Weather forecasters predict hot and dry conditions by the end of the week, with temperatures ranging into the 90s throughout the region.

Montana’s Environmental Quality Council is trying to find a fair way to raise $6.5 million a year to fund the state’s aquatic invasive species program that screens boats for potential costly invaders.

Late last year Montana lawmakers carved about $170 million from state spending . That led to big cuts – for example, the state health department lost 4.5 percent of its budget, which slashed critical services for some of Montana’s most vulnerable. Would a new revenue source, such as a sales tax, help prevent future budget crises?

The U.S. Forest Service is investigating what it is describing as the unauthorized release of employees’ personal information , including Social Security numbers. Most of the agency's 34,000 workers are affected.