Good morning, Missoula.

The old KFC/A&W building on Brooks Street, once home to local favorites like Little Big Men Pizza, King's Table, and Casa Pablo's, will soon be torn down to make way for a new restaurant as Missoula continues to evolve.

Over 680 workers at St. Pat’s Hospital in Missoula joined a labor union today because of wage concerns.

A hospital worker said the move aims to secure better pay — a step toward easing rising rent worries.

The Western Montana Fair is underway this weekend in Missoula with free admission.

The event features a Missoula Stampede PRCA Rodeo at 7 p.m. tonight, a free concert by local favorite 406 on Friday, and a final rodeo with Brass and Soul Collective Saturday, wrapping up at 10 p.m.

The Alder Fire, which burned 1,235 acres 7-mile southwest of Frenchtown, was 100% contained after command was transferred to a local Type-3 team, and crews continued patrol and mop-up operations despite warm, dry weather challenges.

Missoula County commissioners gathered public comments Thursday on an updated resolution to manage the Miller Creek feral horse herd (focusing on public safety, humane treatment, and fertility control) and will vote on the final plan on Aug.

25.

Stage two fire restrictions will be enforced starting Friday morning in Missoula and Ravalli counties and on state and federal lands, banning campfires, fireworks, off-roading, welding, and use of combustion equipment from 1 p.m. to 1 a.m. Officials advise a one-hour foot patrol after these activities + extra safety steps.

Missoula County and its emergency partners, supported by NOAA and the University Corporation for Atmosphere Research, will hold a tabletop exercise on Sept.

21 to test response plans for extreme heat and smoke. The drill will set action triggers and improve coordination among public health and disaster services.

Researchers at the University of Montana are studying a unique Andean leaf-eared mouse that lives up to 22,000 ft to understand how its genes may help treat cancers.

The team will next analyze the mouse's genealogy to learn how it survives in low oxygen conditions.

This month, the Montana Grizzlies’ college sports return with soccer, football, and volleyball games on the schedule.

Soccer starts today with an exhibition (8 p.m.), football kicks off on Aug. 29 with a White Out against Southern Utah, and volleyball holds exhibitions before its Sept. 22 opener.

The Missoula PaddleHeads won with a walk-off finish against the Ogden Raptors + they improved their record to 38-29 on Wednesday in Missoula.