AGP Executive Report

National Fishing Month: A new guide spotlights top family-friendly angling destinations ahead of the July 24–Aug. 30 season, with options for fly, pier, and surf fishing. TV & Streaming: Paramount+ renewed Dutton Ranch for Season 2, and the big behind-the-scenes change is a new showrunner after Chad Feehan’s exit. Montana Outdoors & Environment: The Big Hole River’s “blue-ribbon” fishery may get an impairment designation as nutrient-driven algae growth threatens oxygen levels and aquatic life. Wellness: Elysian Institute reports rising interest in IV therapy in Bigfork and Kalispell, pitching hydration-focused recovery and energy support. Local Arts & Community: Livingston’s Fourth of July lineup kicks off with the 102nd Roundup Rodeo, a long-running Festival of the Arts, and parade festivities drawing 10,000–12,000 visitors. Sports: Big Sky adds a beginner-friendly Hot Dog Trail in Big Sky, plus Montana high school recruiting and track honors keep local athletics in the spotlight.

Local Politics: Helena-area voters shaped November’s ballot after seven contested GOP legislative primary races, with HD 84’s Roy Caldwell and SD 41’s Erin Farris-Olsen among winners. Montana Higher Ed: Jeremiah Shinn officially took the helm of the University of Montana, promising easier campus life for students and a statewide listening push. Sports Recruiting: Billings West safety Walker Olson committed to the Montana Grizzlies for 2027, adding another in-state defensive piece to the class. Arts & Community: Helena’s “Around the Town” lineup spotlights Friday Night Clay, bird walks, live music, and a July 7 book release party. Food & Local Growth: Abundant Montana says only 3% of food is grown in-state now and is working toward 33% locally by 2033. Music in Montana: Charley Crockett’s sold-out surprise Emigrant show capped a busy week of summer performances. Indigenous Culture: “Victory Day 2026” celebrated the Battle of the Greasy Grass with an all-ages Indigenous punk benefit show in Montana.

Streaming & TV Buzz: “Dutton Ranch” heads into its Season 1 finale with major smuggling and disease secrets coming to light—here’s when to watch the episode on Paramount+. Montana Arts & Community: WaterWorks Art Museum unveiled its latest “Montana Artrepreneurs” exhibit, and Miles City’s inaugural Downtown Art Festival kicks off July 2 with a mural walk and block-party energy. Sports on the Move: The Western Hockey League tweaks its 2026-27 schedule and rules, aiming to improve player rest and development. Local Business/Creative Tech: A Spokane spokesperson says Fred’s Appliance and its production company used AI to clone her voice, leading to a lawsuit. Outdoor Fun & Safety: Two Bear Air Rescue logged back-to-back hoist rescues in western Montana, a reminder to be cautious as rivers run high. Big National Culture Moment: The 22nd Maccabiah Games opened in Jerusalem with thousands of athletes and a message of Jewish resilience. Montana Politics: Primary results show key House races shifting, including Walter’s win in District 69 and Trish Schreiber’s upset in District 76.

Local Food Security: A University of Montana report spotlights how rural kids face food insecurity, citing SNAP/WIC limits, confusing applications, and transportation barriers—while community-led food hubs and local organizing are stepping in where “food deserts” hit hardest. Community Grants: AARP Montana is sending nearly $180,000 in Community Challenge grants to 14 Montana towns and groups, funding trail and park access, public gathering spaces, aging-in-place housing ideas, and telehealth training. 4th of July in Choteau: The Choteau Chamber and partners are lining up a big Independence Day run of events for the nation’s 250th, including parade grand marshals (music educators Lorran Depner and Myrna Paulus), concerts, and fireworks sales plus pool schedule updates. Arts & Culture: The Archie Bray Foundation marks 75 years shaping Helena-area artists, and Missoula’s Arts in review highlights a Bitterroot indie music festival lineup. Food & Dining Buzz: Eight Montana restaurants are semifinalists for the James Beard Awards, with Bozeman and Missoula leading the state’s culinary presence. Wildlife Video: A Yellowstone clip shows a wolf trying to take advantage of a sleeping grizzly at a bison carcass—an intense reminder of how fast the wild can turn. Sports Spotlight: Montana Tech lands Sweet Grass senior Laney Ketcham, and UM’s Bobby Kennedy is set with a new four-year contract.

Montana Tech Sports: The Orediggers captured the 2025-26 George R. Bandy Memorial All-Sports Award, topping the Frontier Conference standings with a composite index score driven by championship football performances. Film & Community: The Big Sky Documentary Film Fest announced its 2026 lineup, while WaterWorks Art Museum unveiled its “Montana Artreprenuers” exhibit and Sequim’s First Friday Art Walk returns with a purple-themed, light-and-water themed showcase. Local Arts & Entertainment: A new Montana Grind documentary spotlights how skateparks built community across the state, and Miley Cyrus celebrated the release of her first-ever Barbie doll inspired by her “Golden Burning Sun” look. Sports Spotlight: Missoula’s PaddleHeads adjusted Fourth of July fireworks plans after a noise waiver denial, swapping one show for a drone display. Music Pop Culture: French Montana, Ludmilla and TWICE’s Jihyo teamed up with RedOne for the World Cup anthem “Follow Me.” Safety & Tech: Researchers warn of “phantom squatting,” where AI-generated fake domains get registered first to lure victims into phishing.

UM Alumni Spotlight: The University of Montana named its 2026 “25 Under 25” alumni honorees, celebrating young Griz grads already making community impact. Local Retail Shift: Watertown’s Chic Boutique is moving from a brick-and-mortar shop to online live-shopping through Whatnot. Supreme Court & Sports: Montana AG Austin Knudsen hailed the SCOTUS decision upholding bans on transgender girls and women competing in school sports. Arts & Community Events: Miles City launches an inaugural Downtown Art Festival July 2–3, while Livingston’s Shane Lalani Center for the Arts hosts free “fine boogie music” next week. Education in the Arts: Newberry High School in Helena-area news has a dedicated art teacher again after decades, with an AP Art course planned. Sports Recruiting: Bozeman High’s Walker Roodell commits to Montana State for 2027. Entertainment Pop Culture: Mattel unveils a Miley Cyrus Barbie Signature Collector Doll tied to her “Golden Burning Sun” look. Weather Watch: Flooding forces major closures at Glacier National Park, including Many Glacier Valley.

Billings Local Services: Starting July 1, Billings Animal Control will run the city’s Monad Road shelter, with stray drop-offs and live trap issuance paused during the transition; emergency responses stay the same, and impounded-pet pickups plus licensing will be by appointment. Montana Wildlife & Design: A new Montana specialty license plate launches July 1 to fund wildlife crossing risk-reduction and connectivity programs, featuring artwork by Gallatin High School graduate Kylie Bute. Live Music Prep: Luxexpo is in final pre-show mode for a summer of major concerts, adding new emergency exits and running evacuation simulations after recent safety concerns. Sports Spotlight: Montana’s youth and college sports keep rolling—Meridian 9U Americans won a regional baseball title, while local athletes and teams continue stacking honors and commitments. Arts & Community: A Montana roots music moment lands in Shelby as Hall of Fame songwriter Kostas shares stories behind country hits. State Fair Season: Bozeman’s Big Sky Country State Fair returns July 15–19 with a packed concert lineup.

BET Awards buzz: Cardi B led nominations, but Teyana Taylor walked away with major wins, including Icon of the Year, plus Best Actress and Video Director of the Year, while Clipse and Kendrick Lamar took key trophies. Yellowstone fandom: Taylor Sheridan says Kevin Costner’s exit was always planned after the first three seasons, and the network pushed him to stay longer because the show was too big to lose. Montana music & community: Big Sky’s Music in the Mountains keeps spotlighting local talent, and the Montana Reggae Festival lands Aug. 7-9 in Fortine with wellness add-ons like yoga and mental wellness workshops. Local arts & reading: Great Falls welcomes Bound To Be Good Books, the first romance-novel-only bookstore in the city, opening July 3-4. Sports on the home front: Green Canyon’s Huskers and Sky View’s Snow Devils both won tournament finales, and Great Falls-area basketball and rodeo coverage continues to roll in. Travel/weather: Beartooth Highway closes at the MT-WY line due to extreme conditions.

BET Awards buzz: Druski hosted the 2026 BET Awards from LA, with Cardi B leading nominations and Teyana Taylor racking up multiple wins, including Icon of the Year presented by Janet Jackson. Music highlights: Taylor also took Best Actress, Video Director of the Year, and the new Fashion Vanguard Award, while Clipse and Kendrick Lamar were among the other big winners. Montana arts & culture: Billings Symphony music director Anne Harrigan took her final bow after 20 years, closing with the annual Symphony in the Park. Local sports spotlight: Former Montana Grizzly Nate Wellington won the Missoula Marathon, and the Billings-area community marked major milestones in youth and school athletics. Outdoors & community: Showdown Montana’s “Ski Kind” push and a weekend fishing recap at Ackley Lake Summer Classic kept the state’s recreation scene in focus.

Public Art: “Dancing for Joy” debuted at Ortenstone Gardens and Sculpture Park in Detroit Lakes, featuring a giant bamboo egret sculpture by Myth Makers (Donna Dodson and Andy Moerlein) plus a hands-on bamboo art workshop; the exhibit runs through September 2027. Local Spotlight: Belgrade’s Wilson Schmidt was named the 2025-26 Gatorade Montana Boys Track and Field Player of the Year, becoming the first from Belgrade High to earn the honor. Native History & Arts: Crazy Horse Memorial marked the 150th anniversary of the Battle of the Greasy Grass with a major donation of “Custer Survivors” paintings and rare battle interview manuscripts. Streaming & TV: Paramount+ is leaning into Yellowstone spinoff buzz with “Dutton Ranch” Season 1 finale coverage and more new releases, while “Marshals” continues to climb on Paramount+ charts. Music Night: The 2026 BET Awards hit Los Angeles tonight with Cardi B leading nominations; Druski hosts and the show airs live at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Film/Pop Culture: Mitchel Musso revisited his “Hannah Montana” experience, saying the Disney contract cost him other opportunities. Sports: The Columbus Cougars baseball co-op made MHSA playoffs for the first time, and Jennifer Lichter won the Western States 100 women’s race while Vincent Bouillard set a men’s course record.

Street Art Return: Livingston sculptor Joe Wayne is thrilled to have his bronze bison and red-tailed hawk back on downtown sidewalks after reconstruction work removed them. Summer Health Watch: A reminder that vaping and nicotine pouches can hook teens fast, with calls for parents and schools to keep talking. Community Events: Makoshika Wellness announced a packed summer lineup, including speed/agility training and youth tennis. Public Media Under Threat: Trump’s proposal to rescind $9.4B could leave Montana’s public radio/TV stations facing major shortfalls, including Montana PBS. UFC & Montana Pride: Helena native Sean O’Malley’s UFC Freedom 250 run gets spotlighted through his father’s Montana roots. BET Awards Buzz: Druski is set to become the youngest BET Awards host. Local Food & Fun: Kitty Corner Cafe marks its first year in Billings, celebrating adoptions and community connection. Film Pick: “Everything Went Fine” lands as a must-see, with a tense end-of-life storyline. Rodeo Calendar: Miles City Ranch Rodeo returns June 20 with team ranch events and bronc riding.

High School Rodeo: Central Montana’s top cowboys and cowgirls are set for the MHSRA Finals Rodeo June 8-13 in Kalispell, with events across 16 categories and a live broadcast on the Cowboy Channel Plus app. BBQ Spotlight: SmellaQue won the 2026 Montana BBQ Cook-Off in Absarokee, topping a field of 29 teams and improving on its 2025 finish. Local Music & Community: Norrine “The Outlaw Queen” Linderman celebrated her 96th birthday with a Roman Theatre performance in Red Lodge, singing and yodeling with friends and a packed crowd. Sports on the Move: Team Montana’s youth wrestling run continues to make waves, including an All-American showing by Hobson’s Armani Stevenson at the Twin Rivers National Duals. Community Calendar Picks: Lewistown’s Hunter Education class is scheduled for Aug. 13-15, with an info meeting July 14. Arts & Culture Watch: Yellowstone Film Ranch is in the spotlight with a lawsuit seeking a tax credit, as Montana’s film scene keeps pushing for support.

Montana Heritage Center Celebration: The Montana Historical Society kicks off a five-day Montana History Festival in Helena (June 24–28) to mark the Heritage Center’s full opening, with free tours, hands-on workshops, live music, an Indigenous artisan market, and Capitol Lawn programming. Aviation & Community Events: Caldwell’s Vertical Venues is under construction—a 12,000-square-foot hangar venue with an optional bar and “aviation experience” add-ons like helicopter rides and skydiving—aiming to open this summer. Youth Soccer Spotlight: Lewistown Soccer Club brings back the Montana Classic Cup for U13–U19 teams (June 13–14), giving players a more even playing field with no tryouts and 10 registered teams so far. Rodeo Rising Stars: Three Montana cowboys qualified for the NHSRA event in Nebraska after strong showings at the Montana High School Rodeo in Kalispell. Local Arts Call: Yellowstone Art Museum is accepting applications for its Artist-in-Residence program, with submissions due Oct. 9 and residencies starting mid-January. Film Festival Preview: UW Haub School’s Wild and Working Lands Film Festival premieres with free short films focused on people and landscapes, including a Montana wetland restoration story.

Youth Sports Spotlight: The Red Lodge Rangers U15 soccer team finished the Montana Classic Cup State Championship undefeated, cruising through Lewistown (8-3), Sidney (9-3), and then taking the title in the final (7-3) in Lewistown. Girls Sports Growth: The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation and Atlanta Falcons backed 11 new Montana girls flag football programs, bringing the statewide total to 28 schools for the 2025 season. Rodeo & Community: North Branch’s Lana Houck missed graduation because her rodeo schedule runs her life, but she still earned her diploma through an online program. High School Honors: Park High’s Finn Shretenthaler got a Gatorade Player of the Year banner after being named Montana’s top boys cross country athlete. Local Entertainment & Culture: Bell Shakespeare’s “Mackenzie” reimagines Macbeth on a 2000s teen TV set, turning pop-culture gloss into a sharp look at ambition and violence. Legal/Policy Watch: A federal judge denied PSC Commissioner Brad Molnar an injunction over disciplinary action tied to workplace conduct, keeping him from working from the Helena office for now.

Montana Arts Calendar: Cook Forest Sawmill Center for the Arts in Pennsylvania released its July lineup, including “Chemical Imbalance” (July 1-3), “An Evening with Elvis in the Forest” (July 11), and “Much Ado Out West” (July 16-18), plus “Back to the 80’s” (July 24-26 and July 31-Aug. 2) and a July 11-12 woodcarvers show. Freedom 250 Pop-Up: The Great American State Fair opened on Washington’s National Mall with state booths, a Ferris wheel, and Montana’s rodeo—part of the broader Freedom 250 celebration. Yellowstone Universe: “Dutton Ranch” is set to return for Season 2, and stars Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser say they’d love a crossover with “Marshals.” Local History Fest: Helena’s Montana Heritage Center and partners are hosting History Fest with tours, Indigenous artisan market, and live music. Sports & Community: Montana State Amateur golf is underway in Helena, while a Missouri River speed-record paddling team is pushing for a new mark. Entertainment Buzz: Mitchel Musso says the “Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary” special “wasn’t the right thing,” and Ellie Goulding returns to WME ahead of her September album.

Gas Leak Update (Dickinson): A contractor struck an MDU gas line near S. Main Ave and 1st Ave SE, triggering evacuations and a temporary shelter at Dickinson State University’s Weinbergen Hall; officials later reported conditions safe and barricades in place. Kids’ Theater Spotlight (Missoula): Bowlus Fine Arts Center’s Summer Theatre Camp stages Disney’s “101 Dalmations: Kids” with a 58-student cast from first grade through high school. Reality TV Buzz (Love Island USA): Alannah Keyser, a Florida Casa Amor bombshell, faces backlash over alleged racial slur clips, with reports she may be edited out of upcoming episodes. Music & Montana Pride: Matt Rife brought a special guest—Bozeman’s Sam Barber—to his Billings show, and Cody Johnson previewed “Horseback” on The Tonight Show. Local History & Art (Cascade): The Mary Fields monument and mural are completed in Cascade, honoring the famed Stagecoach Mary Fields. Native Lights (Culture): Dr. Samantha Majhor discusses Dakota and Lakota story archiving, rematriation, and the Oceti Sakowin Story Map Project. Sports Honors: Ovid-Elsie’s McKenzie Keck wins Argus-Press Girls Soccer Player of the Year.