Montana Moment

It's time for Montana sheep producers to have their animals sheared of their winter wool. Shearing keeps the sheep cool in hot weather, and allows new born lambs to nurse more easily. Shearing is a physically demanding job that requires experience and dexterity. Leroy Sikorski is known among his clients as an expert shearer, and for his gentle treatment of the animals in his care. NBC Montana met...

Next weekend, The Society of American Foresters will bring collegiate and professional logger competitors to Missoula for the 28th annual Forestry Day. College timber sports athletes will compete on April 25th and 26th. Pro-athletes will join them on Saturday, April 26th. It's where you will see how the old-time lumberjacks got the job done. Behind the logger sports show is Montana Historic Equipm...

From the late 1800's, through the early part of the last century, people on the west side of the Bitterroot Valley lived in fear of a deadly, mysterious illness they called "black measles." We now know it as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. That discovery was the beginning of Rocky Mountain Laboratories, whose research is now global in scope. With tick season now here, NBC Montana visited the lab to...

When the school year ends in a few weeks, many Montana youngsters will enter the part-time job market. NBC Montana met a couple siblings in Missoula who are getting a head start. With their parents help, 11-year-old London Keene, and his eight-year-old sister Bryn, have started their own business. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

They are the smallest animals. But they are essential to the health of our planet. We find them under the soil, hidden in plant life, and in the air. They are graceful splashes of color that delight us with their presence, They are the animals you will find at the Missoula Butterfly House and Insectarium. The non-profit educational facility was launched by the married couple Glenn and Jen Marangel...

For their well being and happiness, animals, just like humans, want to feel safe and secure. They like good food, a comfortable place to rest, a chance to have some fun-to kick up their hooves or paws, to bask in the love of their humans. The animals at Fallons Farm near Arlee love the attention that Wendy and Mike Ramos pour on them. The couple welcomed NBC Montana to their horse pasture one cool...

When fire destroyed the M&M Bar and Cafe in Butte four years ago, the community was thrilled when its owner decided to rebuild. Today, the iconic establishment is going strong. Its original neon sign is being lit once again to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. The M&M Bar and Grill sign rose from the ashes as one of Butte's most enduring symbols. NBC Montana met M&M owner Selina Pankovich at her busine...

Almost four years ago, NBC Montana brought you a Montana Moment on a startup egg production business in Corvallis. Buck 'N Dave's Eggs was formed by a couple rodeo cowboys who decided, in their own words, to wrangle chickens instead of cattle. With egg prices and Bird Flu topping news stories we wanted to do an update on the company. We visited Buck Lunak and Dave Whitmoyer, Buck and Dave, as they...

It's been a blustery winter with lots of snow and icy roads. Plow operators work to keep roads clear, so people can get to work, and school kids are safe on their bus routes. It takes constant vigilance to keep the trucks running. NBC Montana wanted to learn more. On a recent morning, we arrived at the maintenance shop at the Missoula County Public Works Department. Learn more about your ad choice...

Twenty-six-years ago, a young mother wanted to become more self-sufficient in ways to feed her family. Bonnie Jones was dedicated to a healthy diet. Her husband, Randy Jones, was a marvel at engineering. What happened was a grassroots invention that spurred a family business with international ties. NBC Montana met the Jones' at their 1889 Wild West Company near Stevensville. Learn more about your...

The high cost of living has left many Montanans struggling to make ends meet. Housing, fuel, groceries, and other essentials necessary for a good quality of life are depleting the billfolds of scores of people. Some find relief in curbing food insecurity through local food banks. The Darby Bread Box has provided area residents with basic groceries free of charge for years. It relies on donations....

In small towns, helping your neighbor is an essential act in protecting and maintaining a healthy community. Big and small tasks can leave positive outcomes for years to come. When former Victor Volunteer Rural Fire Chief, EMT, bank loan officer, farmer, rancher, and conservationist, Scott Hackett died just after Christmas, his funeral service at the new Victor Fire Hall he helped build was packed...

 In our schools a custodian, or janitor, cares for a building. But they also ensure that its teachers, staff, and especially its children, are safe and secure. Sarah Krause is a day custodian at K. William Harvey Elementary School in Ronan. NBC Montana recently spent the day with Sarah as she went about her work. We were there when she began her rounds in the morning. Learn more about your ad choi...

From tornadoes in the Midwest, to hurricanes in the south, and devastating wildfires in California, scores of people have lost everything they own this past year. War refugees around the world are suffering. In our local community's, families face hard times for many reasons. It can be overwhelming. But members of Grace Lutheran Quilter's Group in Hamilton say it doesn't have to be. For more than...

For generations, the old Carnegie Library in downtown Missoula has been home to one of the region's most enduring art museums. The Missoula Art Museum features contemporary art, and is well known to artists, schools, and the community as a whole. This year, MAM, as it is popularly known, celebrates 50 years of artistic service to the community. NBC Montana attended opening night of the 'Solid Gold...

Most Christians observe Christmas on December 25th. But most Eastern Orthodox celebrate Christ's birth on January 7th. For parishioners at the Serbian Orthodox Church in Butte it was a joyous week. Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Christian Church was built on The Flats in Butte in 1965. It replaced the church that was built by Serbian miners in uptown Butte. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit m...

On Monday, January 6th, Montana lawmakers will convene at the State Capitol in Helena. Our elected officials have been meeting in this grand building for more than 120 years. The Capitol was built as the home of state government. But it's also a unique symbol that honors Montana's history, citizens and landscape. They call the building that stands on a knoll at 1301 East 6th Avenue 'The People's H...

From a talking bird that puts a Montana saloon on the map, to a love of classic cars and the open road, plus a storied inn with a rebellious reputation. We're taking a look back at some of the memorable moments of the year. Each week, Kevin Maki shares a glimpse of what makes our state so special. Here are some of our favorite Montana Moments from 2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit mega...

Every Christmas season, Christians honor the birth of Jesus by putting up Nativity scenes. The Gospels record the first visitors to the stable as humble shepherds. Last week, visitors to Historic St. Mary's Mission and Museum in Stevensville, came to see a Nativity scene that is more than 150-years old. Father Anthony Ravalli probably painted his shepherds on tin cutouts in 1866 or soon after. It'...

You can still find windmills on the American landscape. Most of them are in rural areas with limited water. But for the most part, they are vestiges of a time that is passing. Big Sky Windmills is a family-owned company in Victor that's reviving the skill of windmill building . Jess Nelson and Conner Reed build and install windmills. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Not many people today remember the small town of Canton. If they do remember, they were children, or were very young at the time. It happened in the 1950's. Canton and its surrounding farms and ranches were submerged under Canyon Ferry Lake when Canyon Ferry Dam was completed. The dam and reservoir play an important role in Montana. They benefit thousands of Montanans, providing electricity, irrig...

In the 1950's, the Bureau of Reclamation completed the Canyon Ferry Dam on the Missouri River near Helena. The concrete structure replaced a timber crib dam that was built in the late 1890's. The new dam created Canyon Ferry Lake. You might be surprised to learn that under part of that lake is a once thriving farm and ranch community. "Canton was covered by the waters of the lake," said Broadwater...

One of Montana's most treasured amenities is our abundance of wildlife. The raptors that fly over Big Sky Country are some of the most glorious. When many of those birds of prey are orphaned, or grounded with injuries, a non-profit in Kalispell helps them recover. Beth Watne is executive director of Montana Wild Wings Recovery Center. She founded the center in 2013. Learn more about your ad choice...

Revered as 'The Cowboy Artist,' Charles Marion Russell is also known as 'Montana's Favorite Son.' Russell has been gone for almost 100 years, but his life's work is still treasured around the world. The C.M. Russell Museum Complex in Great Falls is internationally known for its extensive Russell collections. The complex includes 16 exhibition galleries in the neighborhood Russell worked and lived....

This Veterans Day NBC Montana interviewed Vietnam veteran Dale Stovall at his home in Missoula. Dale is a retired Air Force Brigadier General, and the fourth highest combat decorated graduate of the United States Air Force Academy. He was also part of an elite team of rescue pilots. In his ten-and-a-half months serving in Vietnam he recovered 12 men who had been shot down. He is best known for pla...