MISSOULA — As the year comes to an end, we look back on some of our biggest news stories of 2025.
Here's a look at some of the top Western Montana news stories of the year, in no particular order.
Here's a look at Western Montana's top stories of 2025:
Anaconda Mass Shooting
We start with a story that not only sent shockwaves through Montana, but the nation. A mass shooting at a bar in Anaconda in August caused a week-long manhunt for the suspect, leaving Western Montana on high alert.
DOGE Cuts
It would be hard not to mention the efforts taken by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) earlier in the year. With cuts being seen across Western Montana, including at Rocky Mountain Laboratories, the Mansfield Center, Humanities Montana, the Lifelong Learning Center and various other government agencies.
Flathead Lake Levels
Flathead Lake was another big story this year as officials expected lower-than-normal water levels after an unusually hot and dry spring. But an agreement with the Department of the Interior helped maintain levels leading to an average tourism season.
Music
It was the summer of music in the Garden City! Missoula saw some big-name artists perform, with Hozier and Kacey Musgraves headlining the first-ever Zootown Music Festival. Shania Twain and Billy Strings also put on rocking shows.
Plane Crashes
On a tragic note, Western Montana saw several small plane crashes this year, with the Flathead seeing several crashes, many of them deadly. There was also a fatal skydiving accident.
MMIW
We also visited a topic that has plagued Western Montana for decades: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW).
From Jadie Butterfly to Jermain Charlo to many more, our special coverage on May 5th highlighted these women’s stories and the fallout their families have experienced.
Glacier National Park
Glacier National Park also grabbed headlines this year with a woman who died after falling from the Highline Trail, a bear encounter and a rescue from Avalanche Creek.
Drownings
Tragedies also unfolded around Western Montana’s lakes and rivers. A Colorado woman drowned in the Clark Fork River in Missoula in February. And a Wyoming man’s body was recovered from Flathead Lake in August after he went missing in July.
Sports
We end on a positive note with all the success Grizzly sports saw this year, with the Brawl of the Wild 2.0 taking center stage. The two Montana rivals had never met twice in a year before, and while the Cats may have taken the Grizzlies both times, it is certainly a matchup that will be remembered for years.
On top of that, the Griz soccer team also won the Big Sky Championship, and the men’s basketball team also won the Big Sky Conference and played in March Madness.
