The ButteCast with Bill Foley

Simply put, Leo McCarthy is my hero. Not only is he one of the best friends a guy could ever have, he is one of the best people to ever walk the planet. In the aftermath of his daughter Mariah's death on Oct. 28, 2007, McCarthy, his wife Janice and daughter Jenna started Mariah's Challenge, which rewards young men and women who do not drink underage and do not drink and drive. To date, the scholar...

Butte High boys' basketball coach Matt Luedtke will begin his fourth season with the Bulldogs in a little over a month. His first three campaigns ended at the Class AA State tournament. The 2000 Montana Gatorade Player of the Year from Ronan, Luedtke was the first player to sign with the Butte Daredevils of the CBA. He played several years professionally, and now he dominates in the KC League. Wel...

Fritz Daily is not a crazy man. He is the guy we should be listening to when it comes to Superfund cleanup and the dangers of the Berkeley Pit. Today's bonus podcast is brought to you by Park Street Liquors . Make your story legendary. Opening music by Tim Montana. For more from the Elk Park native, go to timmontana.com . For more from Bill Foley, go to ButteCast.com .

Julie (Leary) Nadeau is a true inspiration.  Once a great basketball player for Butte Central, Julie has been in a wheelchair since a November 1989 crash left her paralyzed from the chest down. She only has the use of her right arm. That did not stop her from getting a degree from Montana Tech, learning how to drive again, raising a son and working for the Butte Central foundation. Julie does...

Kaven Notor broke the unbreakable record of 64 at the Highland View Golf Course, and not a word was said about it. Today, we try to right that wrong and honor a young golfer who just might break his own new record of 62. Today's bonus podcast is brought to you by Park Street Liquors . Make your story legendary. Opening music by Tim Montana. For more from the Elk Park native, go to timmontana.com ....

Dougie Peoples is a household name after his 27-foot 3-pointer lifted Butte Central to the Class A State boys' basketball title March 12 in Missoula. Somehow, that has not changed him at all. Listen in as we get to know Dougie Peoples. We talk about that 3-pointer, the steal and three-point play that led to the game-winning shot and his four-point play in Dillon. We also talk about Dougie's colleg...

Dion Williams is perhaps the greatest Montana Tech receiver of all time. Now, the Fairfield, California native is back in town working for the Inspire Academy. It is Montana's first sports academy for kids. Dion has some big plays for the Mining City. He already held one camp. At 11 a.m. on Oct. 29, he is holding the Youth Speed & Agility Camp at Bulldog Memorial Stadium. The camp fee is just...

Here is my review of Ghosts of Devil's Perch on the Travel Channel. In short, it was horrendously silly, but I couldn't take my eyes off it. It was our Tiger King. Opening music by Tim Montana. Check out more from the Elk Park native at timmontana.com . Check out more from Bill Foley at ButteCast.com . Today's reading of Tap 'er Light is brought to you by Park Street Liquors . Make your story lege...

Butte boxing brothers Ethan and Eli Wroblewski have quite the story. From a rough upbringing to promising careers in the ring, the Wroblewski brothers have proven to be outstanding role models for the youth of the Mining City. The brothers planned to fight in the Murderers Row Boxing event Oct. 29 in Butte ( click here for tickets), but they found out shortly after recording this podcast that USA...

The moral police say Aaron Judge is the real home run king. The problem with being part of the moral police, though, is you almost always set yourself up to be a hypocrite.  Sorry, Yankees fans, Barry Bonds is still the home run king. Opening music by Tim Montana. For more from the Elk Park native, go to timmontana.com . For more from Bill Foley, go to ButteCast.com . Today's podcast is broug...

Cathy Tutty can name off all 10 of the children of Tom and Kay Tutty without hesitation, Good Will Hunting style. Unlike Will, however, Tutty’s siblings are real. “Real” is a good word to define Cathy, the older sister to the Tutty clan of Butte. A bright and talented lawyer, Tutty dedicates most of her time helping others. While she helped send many criminals to prison in her days as a Special As...

Mickey Tuttle helped lead Butte High's boys' basketball team to the Class AA State title with a win over Great Falls High on St. Patrick's Day 1984. After the game, Tuttle climbed up and sat on the rim to celebrate, and Bulldog fans have celebrated that iconic photo and memory for 38 years. Today we catch up with Tuttle, and he tells us how he got up on that rim and how his grandson, Butte High fr...

Jack Prigge is Butte High’s first boy state champion golfer since 1963. Last week, the Bulldog senior overcame a nine-shot deficit with nine holes to play to win the Class AA crown at a cold, wet and windy Green Meadow Country Club in Helena. Listen in as we get to know the City of Champions' newest champion. Opening music by Tim Montana. For more from the Elk Park native, go to timmontana.com . F...

On the course, Jack Prigge is everything every golfer wants to be. On Friday, he came from way behind to become Butte High's first boy state champion golfer since 1963. At one point, Prigge trailed by nine shots. Yet when the tournament concluded in the cold, wind and rain in Helena, Prigge was wearing the champions medal. The title comes two years after Prig's promising sophomore season was derai...

Mike Hamblin is a renowned artist whose work can be seen all over town, around the state and beyond. He painted portraits of Bob Green, Colt Anderson, Pat Kearney and the legends of Naranche Stadium. Mike turned his Walkerville garage into an incredible studio/hangout area/living area that seems to take you back to the 1800s. If they had projection TVs in the 1800s, that is. If you’re interested i...

As amazing as it sounds, a college football defensive lineman was too happy when he caught a touchdown pass from a running back. Crazy, but it is true. College football needs to lighten up. Opening music by Tim Montana. For more from the Elk Park native, go to timmontana.com . For more from Bill Foley, go to ButteCast.com . Today's podcast is brought to you by Park Street Liquors . Make your story...

J.P. Gallagher is the ninth chief executive in the history of the Butte, America. However, he is the first Butte-Silver Bow chief executive to call the Ghostbusters. Listen in as we catch up with Butte’s current chief. We talk about his days at Butte Central, his service in the Navy, his role in the Yellowstone prequel being filmed in Butte, and how he became an unlikely academic All-American on t...

Today’s podcast is a bit of a reunion. Matt Vincent and I wrote a column called Rat Chat for The Montana Standard for about seven years starting in December of 1998. Ever third Thursday, or so, we published a column that was written on an old laptop computer while we sat at the bar. Usually that bar was Maloney’s. Today, we returned to the scene of the crime to talk about the good old days. Openin...

While some might see her as the “Karen” who canceled Butte’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration during the COVID-19 pandemic, we see her as the strong, courageous leader whose work helped save lives. It is hard to say how many lives Sullivan and her crew saved when she was serving as Butte-Silver Bow’s health officer. But it could have been yours. Or mine. Without question, she is no ordinary Karen. Op...

This is the audio version of Bill Foley's column, Tap 'er Light. Jim Hanley, the man we called "Fonz," left the world knowing his Butte Miners were Class A State and Northwest Class A Regional champions, and there is nothing cooler than that. Opening music is by Tim Montana. For more on the Elk Park native, go to timmontana.com . For more from Bill Foley, go to ButteCast.com . Today's bonus podcas...

Butte native Jim LeProwse moved back to his hometown last summer. In his first year back, he guided the Butte Miners to their first State title since 1953. His American Legion baseball team also won the Northwest A Regional title in Vernal, Utah. The Miners went 45-9, putting together winning streaks of 20 and 15 games. LeProwse, who had a highly-successful run as the head coach of the Dawson Comm...

Kathleen McLaughlin, a 1989 Butte High graduate, is an award-winning journalist who reports and writes about the consequences of economic inequality around the world. She contributes to the Washington Post and The Guardian. Kathleen’s reporting has also appeared in the New York Times, BuzzFeed, The Atlantic, The Economist, NPR and more, and she covered labor issues for the better part of two decad...

Don Peoples Sr. served as chief executive of Butte-Silver Bow through the 1980s. He guided the Mining City through probably its toughest decade after the closure of mining operations in Butte. He coined the term "Can Do City," and he led the charge as Butte was named an "All-American City." He is also a very proud father and grandfather of some outstanding athletes and coaches. Thanks to Tim Monta...