Montana Moment

Montana's historic courthouses stand as beacons of pride in their communities. They were built across Montana's rustic western landscape, but many borrowed on classic European style architecture. Butte-Silver Bow City- County Courthouse is among Montana's grandest. NBC Montana met Butte- Silver Bow Government Buildings Manager, John Sullivan, at the courthouse to learn more about this handsome bui...

Few symbols of Easter feel as closely tied to spring as the rabbit, and for 14-year-old Kestin Marmon, that connection is personal. Marmon raises Netherland dwarf rabbits as 4-H projects. The breed is known for its small frame and fluffy fur. Among Marmon’s rabbits are two does that are mother and daughter, along with a buck named Arthur. “This is Arthur and he’s like a symbol of Easter to me, and...

Two of Missoula's most popular city attractions are Splash Montana, an outdoor water park, which opens in June, and Currents Aquatics, an indoor water park that operates year- round. In our Montana Moment, NBC Montana met the man who works to make sure those facilities are in good working order. Eric Seagrave is Aquatic Facilities Manager for Missoula Parks and Recreation. As swimmers exercised in...

March can be a blustery month in Montana. It introduces spring, but weather can be inconsistent. Greenhouses, however, can boost production of warm weather plants. In Hamilton, there' a particularly exotic greenhouse. ABC Acres property manager Dalton Brown invited NBC Montana into the ABC Acres Tropical Botanical Garden. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We pass them all the time. But if you don't drive a commercial vehicle, you might wonder what happens at one of Montana's weigh stations. They've been part of Montana's highways for well over 70-years. Their purpose is to protect our road system, and most importantly, to keep all drivers safe. NBC Montana recently spent a good part of the day at Montana's newest weigh station, just east of Rocker...

From parents and extended family to friends and neighbors, there are many sources, many role models, who help nurture our children. At school, they receive a multitude of lessons, from academics, to sports, and social interaction. In this week's Montana Moment we visit some of our most important public servants. Meet the women who feed Superior School District's children. It's 7 a.m. and Food Serv...

Sacrifices made to win WWII weren't just overseas. Contributions to manufacture iron and other essentials for the war effort were produced on the home front. At the height of WWII, The Smith Mine near Bear Creek, was on a fast track to produce as much coal for the steel foundries as possible. But on February 27, 1943, an explosion at the underground mine would mark the event as the worst coal mini...

So much of our life is defined by the work we do. We take pride in successfully completing a project or product. We sign our name to a job well done. NBC Montana begins this story at the Bonner Mill Industrial Park, where more than a dozen diversified businesses employ several hundred people. The area has been industrial for well over a century. From 1886 to 2008, it was home to one of the region'...

In WWII, the courage and sacrifice of young American military troops gave a war-torn people, an ocean away, the gift of freedom. A Hamilton woman who was born long after the war has made it a mission to pass on her thanks. NBC Montana met up with Laurence Markarian at the Veteran's Monument in Hamilton. She explored the names of military service members etched on the stone panels, and discovered t...

No place, no how, nowhere, is community loyalty stronger than its bonds to hometown sports teams. Arguments or differences of opinion fade when everyone comes together to cheer and support their school's athletes. In Butte, Montana Tech sports fans shout from a mountain, and they don't even raise their voices. This is a story of V for Victory. Lots of towns have letters on hills or mountains to ho...

More than 100-years ago, fancy show houses that attracted professional entertainment were mostly found in urban centers. If they wanted to see a show, rural Montanans usually had to travel to larger towns and cities. But sometimes, isolated communities built their own venues so entertainment could come to them. That's how one of Montana's elegant show palaces was born. The Ellen Theater's executiv...

Perhaps one of the best ways to record community history is to showcase its workers and the jobs they do every day. For close to 60 years, students at Bonner School have had an up-close view of a typical workday of historical significance. NBC Montana went to Bonner School to learn more about the mural that's adorned the school since the late 1950's. It was painted by the late Walter Hook, who is...

Vincent Logging, a family-owned logging company in Libby is working with Hecla Mining Company to manage its forested lands for wildlife habitat. It's a 1,500 acre research project to determine which management techniques provide the best habitat for endangered species. In an effort to learn more about the science behind it all, the project would guide forest management practices and boost a modern...

A ranch family from Polson has earned state and regional honors for their conservation practices. The Montana Stockgrowers Association awarded G&G Livestock and 'Cathey Cattle Company' its annual Montana Environmental Stewardship Award. The family also won the region's Environmental Stewardship Award from the National Cattlemen's Association. The family is one of six regional winners. In February,...

Are there times when you just know when something's right? You discover that despite obstacles, everything turns out fine because it's meant to be. If that happens, your sense of contentment and happiness may spread throughout your community. That's kind of the way it was for a Bozeman couple, who in the 1960's, were busy raising a family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adcho...

Livestock brands open windows into history. They uncover stories. They fill in missing pieces to events forgotten or left unrecorded. They shed light on lives long past, and bridge generations. In our Montana Moment season debut, NBC Montana traveled to southwest Montana where we met rancher Debbie Staudenmeyer Tamcke and her family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we prepare for Santa, and shop for presents for family and friends, NBC Montana wanted to explore another era of gift giving. During WWII, America was a much different place. For most children who lived in those days, and even after the war, the presents most kids received were much simpler. NBC Montana spent time at Sapphire Lutheran Homes to learn more about popular Christmas gifts from years...

In 1887, Corvallis pioneers began worshiping in their brand new church. For close to 140 years, the Corvallis Community Church on 2nd Street served the spiritual needs of its congregation. It was a touchstone for its members, and the community as a whole. This fall, the congregation moved into a new building down the road on East Side Highway. NBC Montana spent time with the congregants and their...

Standing high above Missoula, it's a landmark you can't miss. If you're new to Missoula or just passing through, you might wonder what it stands for. If you live in Missoula you probably already know. But do you know how it got there? NBC Montana is talking about the L on Mount Jumbo. This huge white letter, a kind of twin to the M on Mount Sentinel, has been visible to the community since 1961. T...

Vincent Logging, a family-owned logging company in Libby is working with Hecla Mining Company to manage its forested lands for wildlife habitat. It's a 15-hundred acre research project to determine which management techniques provide the best habitat for endangered species. In an effort to learn more about the science behind it all, the project would guide forest management practices and boost a m...

(Special thanks to The Heritage Museum, Libby, Montana, for providing historic photos for video in this story) The timber industry was a mainstay of western Montana's economy for decades. But that economic force entered a sharp decline that continues today. Divisions between the industry and critics were especially rampant in the 1980's and 90's. But one of Montana's most prominent logging activis...

On Saturday, November 22nd, thousands of college football fans will swarm Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula for Montana's Brawl of the Wild. The Montana State University Bobcats and the University of Montana Grizzlies will meet in the state's most intense rivalry. Who will bring home the coveted Great Divide Trophy? This will be the 25th year that traveling trophy will make its appearance on...

With big game hunting season underway, NBC Montana explores a disease that is devastating to deer, elk and moose.' For years, Hamilton's Rocky Mountain Laboratories, which is part of the National Institutes of Health, has been researching Chronic Wasting Disease. For the time being , the scientists who are doing this work have been furloughed. We shot this story before those furloughs. The scienti...

A ranch family from Polson has earned state and regional honors for their conservation practices. The Montana Stockgrowers Association awarded G&G Livestock and 'Cathey Cattle Company' its annual Montana Environmental Stewardship Award. The family also won the region's Environmental Stewardship Award from the National Cattlemen's Association. The family is one of six regional winners. Learn more a...

Are there times when you just know when something's right? You discover that despite obstacles, everything turns out fine because it's meant to be. If that happens, your sense of contentment and happiness may spread throughout your community. That's kind of the way it was for a Bozeman couple, who in the 1960's, were busy raising a family. From the very first time he saw the handsome old house in...