Will Old Post Hospital be Demolished? That Depends
The owner of the Old Post Hospital at Fort Missoula is one step closer to permission to demolish the aging structure, after the Missoula City Council found mistakes were made in an earlier rejection of a permit to tear it down.
The group that purchased the 1911 era building in 2019 has been fighting with the city over the old hospital's future for 3 years, first being rejected in plans to turn it into a community center with adjacent housing units.
In a special council meeting yesterday, owner Kenneth Wolfe asked the council to resolve the issue once and for all, instead of returning to the Historic Preservation Commission.
"At which point we're either going to either attempt to appeal it back to here or possibly file a lawsuit."- Kenneth Wolf, Old Post Hospital Owner
Council members sympathized with Wolf, but like Councilman Mike Nugent, they want to know what the future is for the site.
"I do not want to see the building torn down without an idea of what comes next," Nugent said toward the end of the 4-hour meeting.
📑 The council's decision sends the issue back to the Historic Preservation Officer for review of a redevelopment plan.
READ MORE: The Old Post Hospital Debate
Park finds grizzly tracks near latest Yellowstone attack site
A Yellowstone National Park trail will remain closed, now that rangers have determined it was likely a grizzly that attacked a hiker this week.
The solo hiker ran into the bear northeast of Yellowstone Lake, and although he was hurt, he managed to drive him off with bear spray. He's since been released from the hospital.
Rangers scouted the area near Turbid Lake, finding a carcass and grizzly tracks, so the area will stay closed.
Questions remain over meth smoke in animal shelter
The executive director of the Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter says she had "no idea"law enforcement was using the incinerator at the Billings facility to dispose of "dangerous drugs."
Smoke from the meth that was being destroyed was forced into the building when negative pressure developed in the unit, forcing staff and animals to evacuate.
And Triniti Halverson said shelter staff have experienced other incidents with smoke, dating back to 2023, which prompted repairs and protocols that had prevented problems until this month.
Sheehy calls for healing
Montana Senator Tim Sheehy is appealing for people to respond to what he calls a "watershed moment" in the aftermath of conservative personality Charlie Kirk's assignation in Utah last week.
Appearing on "Montana Talks" yesterday, Sheehy doubled down on his message of unity, and moving away from political violence that he voiced on the anniversary of 9-11 last week.
"The American Republic was built to solve our problems without resorting to violence. And I'm hoping that as we push through the pain of this experience,we'd come out the other side and recognize that we can disagree on a lot, but I do think we agree on much more. And it's about time we start to figure out how to disagree better." -Sen. Tim Sheehy (R)
Climate complaints back in court
Montana is once more the focus of legal battles launched by some of the state's youth to battle federal policies impacting the future climate.
The Montana Free Press reports four of the youth challenging the Trump Administration's energy policies told a federal judge in Missoula of their health concerns stemming from more wildfire smoke and extreme weather events of recent years.
The youth, ranging in age from 11 to 20, are parties to the "Lighthiser v Trump" case, which is challenging the Administration's efforts to "unleash" American energy, such as coal mining in Eastern Montana.
Also testifying was Professor Steve Running, who has long sounded the alarm over climate change.
Meanwhile, in Helena, a District Court judge is ordering the Montana Department of Justice to pay $2.8 million in attorney's fees for the Held v Montana suit, which was won by youths backed by regional environmental groups.
Great Falls is getting the lead out
The City of Great Falls is moving forward with an action plan to replace lead and copper water lines in anticipation of an upcoming rule from the Environmental Protection Agency.
The Electric reports the city has already conducted an inventory of questionable service lines and has been going door-to-door this year to fill in gaps in the information. Testing will also be ramping up.