Montana

Public health agencies are set up to regulate air pollution from cars, trucks and factories. Wildfire smoke presents a different set of threats, prompting some of those agencies to rethink priorities.

Barley, the "king of malt," needs a precise recipe of water and sunshine to thrive — too much of either will cause it to wither and die. And amid a changing climate, that's exactly what's happening.

Wilmot Collins will be sworn in on January 2. His victory in the mayoral election in Helena has made headlines the world over.

To increase populations of the endangered black-footed ferret, scientists aim to save prairie dogs, a main food source. The biologists use drones and medicated peanut butter-flavored pellets to do it.

Montana has recently pushed all their young students indoors because of the unprecedented level of smoke from wildfires. Some community groups are now collaborating to clean up that indoor air.

The remote Montana lodge could always be counted on for a soft cot and a hot meal. But the Sprague Fire, which is still raging, engulfed it. A silver lining: The kitchen and dining room may be spared.

The representative-elect was given a six-month deferred sentence after pleading guilty to assaulting a Guardian reporter. He also was sentenced to community service and anger management counseling.

Colstrip, Mont., is home to the second-largest coal power plant in the West. The plant's customers in other states are turning away from coal, so locals are looking for support in making a transition.

Greg Gianforte, who faces a misdemeanor assault charge in the incident, has written to the reporter saying, "You were doing your job." Gianforte says his own conduct was unacceptable and unlawful.

With a lack of treatment options at the Fort Belknap reservation, the pair has sparked a grassroots response to substance abuse by creating peer support groups — the only choice for many seeking help.