Tommy O

You will be very hard pressed to find a more complete or well-preserved ghost town than Bannack, Montana.

You have to admit it takes a pretty low type of criminal to steal. It takes an even lower type of scum to steal from the disabled. These thieves stole from and vandalized a food truck that is staffed and operated by those with developmental disabilities. A truck that creates a revenue stream to enable further growth, activity and positivity. This truck is one of many functions of the Silver Bow Developmental Disabilities Council whose mission is as such, but so much more. This food truck provides work and a sense of self-worth and independence for our most vulnerable. A sense of purpose and productivity. And thieves worked hard at stealing the truck's generator, bluetooth speaker and more while doing plenty of damage to the truck itself.

Dream Genomics, Inc. has successfully discovered the first ever bioprofile in the blood of live deer which detects Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). This unique signature of more than 300 genes demonstrates that an early diagnostic for CWD is achievable.

How are you handling the midsummer heat? With temperatures frequently in excess of 90 degrees, many residents are looking for ways to cool off and we had a chance to chat with local forester and outdoor recreation enthusiast Jocelyn Dodge about the role that area lakes and rivers can play in your family's plans and important steps you need to remember if you plan on heading into the great outdoors.

Even by his lofty, recent standards, this has to be big for Tim Montana. 2025 will get off with a big bang as Tim has been announced as the supporting act for Myles Kennedy's "The Art of Letting Go" 2025 U.S.-Canada Tour which will kick off January 18th in Joliet, Indiana and wrap up in Kennedy's hometown of Spokane, Washington on February 21st.

Dream Big has always been Colt Anderson's mantra. So has giving back to the community which he continues to inspire as for another summer, Colt will be bringing the "Dream Big Montana Experience" to the Mining City. The skills camp is open to youngsters entering kindergarten through 8th Grade, is absolutely free and immensely popular.

"Die Today" could be Tim's most powerful single yet. It's hook pulls you right in, knocks you out with it's main riff and then goes right into the song's introspective and heartfelt lyrics. This could very well be Tim's best rock song yet. But we will have to wait until the album "Savage" is released later this summer. If you can't wait until then, you'll probably get a heapin' helping of new music when he performs in Sidney, Montana on June 8th.

Does the idea of exploring a building that many say is indeed haunted intrigue you? Good news, then. The Princes will be offering tours of this incredible building this Summer on alternating Saturdays between Memorial Day Weekend and Labor Day Weekend. Tours will be given several times throughout the day. For details on tours and other investigations you could be a part of, check out the Dumas Brothel Museum's website.

You certainly cannot say that Tim Montana has not worked hard over the course of his career. I got to know Tim back when he was pushing his first single, "Butte, America" way back in 2007 and he was working hard then as he came to our radio stations personally and convinced us to give the song a few spins on the local airwaves. He had recently returned from school in California where he had studied under the legendary Johnny Hiland, which while impressive, was just the tip of the iceberg.

The Montana Folk Festival today announced the first seven performers coming to the 2024 Montana Folk Festival in Butte, Montana, July 12, 13 and 14.

The popular Montana Made Music Series will continue on April 13th at Butte's Mother Lode Theater as TomCats and 406 with special guest Ken Rich will perform in place of the originally scheduled act, Rob Quist and Great Northern featuring Halliday Quist who have been rescheduled to a date later this fall. But fans of homegrown Montana-styled rock and country are not going to miss a beat.

The Butte mine headframes are possibly the most easily identifiable structures on The Hill as you look up from down on The Flats. Especially as the sun goes down and their looming shadows are cast eastward across the Uptown cityscape. Sure, the Original Mine is becoming known worldwide thanks to the Montana Folk Festival and the thousands that it attracts every year. The Mountain Con is known for it's "Mile High, Mile Deep" paint job as well as for having its surrounding area turned into a beautiful recreation area. The Belmont's hoisthouse is now a bustling Senior Citizens center. But what about some of Butte's lesser-known mines whose headframes are still standing? Can you name these mines just by sight?