Good morning, Missoula.

The Mission Falls Market in St. Ignatius offers homemade goods and local produce without chemicals every Friday evening from May to October at Good Old Days Park.

The market, a decade in the making, features products like sourdough and rhubarb soda and ends its season with an annual Garlic Festival.

Rancher Robert Newman of Melstone sustained severe burns fighting a wildfire north of Ingomar on July 25 and is recovering at the University of Utah Burn Center—local ranchers and community groups have raised $6,100 to support his recovery.

At the Western Montana Fair, food sales topped $1M — organizers reverted the live music venue to its former location after a test and urged attendees to be cautious of ticket scammers.

In 2026, several local businesses closed their doors, including the Mexican restaurant Elote at Southgate Mall and downtown spots like Pangea and Liquid Planet Grille.

Other establishments such as Bullseye Eyeglasses, Pine & Needle and 406 Yogurt have also closed, marking changes in the local marketplace.

Travelers’ Rest State Park near Lolo marks 25 years with 25 events.

The park will hold a concert on Sunday, Aug. 23 from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. at Lolo Creek and a trivia event on Thursday, Aug. 27 (theme: Bird brain or wise owl?) at Lolo Creek Distillery.

Federal officials proposed a 4(d) rule letting Montana manage grizzly bears, and Monday's comment deadline spurred town halls in Choteau and Dillon where wildlife advocates warned that reducing federal oversight could increase bear take while some ranchers favored more control.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is lifting hoot-owl fishing restrictions on several streams in western and southwest Montana as water temperatures drop, letting anglers fish during previously limited hours; drought-related closures will remain on portions of the Big Hole and Shields rivers.

Pilots at the Montana DNRC aviation hangar began a new aerial supervision program on July 3 to improve wildfire response by giving incident commanders a bird’s-eye view that helps keep crews safe and efficient.

The program is set to support efforts throughout this wildfire season.

Wildfire crews are battling the Moose Fire near Frog Pond Basin as a red evacuation order remains in effect, and officials expect dry, warmer weather through Friday (boosting fire risks) amid stronger winds.

Missoula city council rejected a plan to reallocate funds for a study on organic park maintenance on Monday night and adopted the final budget.

Mayor Andrea Davis said the city remains committed to reducing herbicide use while keeping urban camping programs intact.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has announced a Hunter-Landowner Stewardship Program that lets hunters win guided hunts and gear by watching short videos and passing a quiz.

Eleven winners will be drawn in spring & the program reminds hunters to respect private property.

Providence St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula was named Montana’s top hospital for the seventh time by U.S. News & World Report, earning a Best Regional Hospital designation + high ratings in cardiology and 14 adult procedures.

CEO Krissy Petersen said the honor reflects the dedication of teams serving patients near home.