MISSOULA — Here are today's top stories for the first Monday of 2026 from Western Montana.
The FCS Championship game is tonight in Nashville, and the Montana State Bobcats are taking on the Illinois State Redbirds. The Red Birds are on a bit of a 'Cinderella run' after beating the number one seed in North Dakota State earlier on in the playoffs. The Bobcats, however, have won their last 13 games, and are looking to make it 14 tonight. (Read the full story here.)
The end of 2025 brought different kinds of destructive weather throughout Western Montana. It ranged from flash floods to bridges being washed out, to landslides, and hurricane-force winds. A farm in Sanders County was hit by strong winds, which took out parts of their bee farm. (Read the full story here.)
At Travelers' Rest State Park in Lolo, there are curators who are hosting a classic winter activity: storytelling. Executive director Molly Stockdale designed the storytelling series for visitors to highlight the history of Western Montana. Stories like 'A River Runs Through It' is a prime example of Montana-made stories, and the park hosted John Maclean, the son of the author of the book, to talk to visitors about it. (Read the full story here.)
