2025 Was Good, But Not Record Year for Glacier NP

Although there was a measurable drop in the number of Canadian tourists visiting Montana last year, Glacier National Park still managed to have its third-highest number of visitors in 2025.

The latest statistic from the National Park Service shows that, while Glacier visits were off 2/3% from 2024, there were still $3.1 million visitors that came through the gates last year.

     📈 And that's not far off from the record of $3.3 million people in 2017.

Over half of those visitors came through West Glacier and Apgar, 1.6 million people, far outpacing the total through St. Mary, with over 677,000. That's less than the 716,000 in 2024, even though the park wasn't requiring reservations at the East Entrance.

RELATED: Glacier Expected to Drop Reservation Rules

     🏕️ Total overnight stays were also down last year, with only backcountry overnights showing improvement.

A new solution for Missoula housing?

Has Missoula found a solution to the housing crunch? Time will tell, as a partnership is bringing the first townhomes online in a unique development, which is seeing a mix of housing opening on land that used to be a mill site.

The White Pine Sash mill operated from 1920 to 1996, but left behind a major hazardous waste site. When cleanup was finally completed in 2020, the city partnered with Front Step Community Land Trust and Ravara Development to start building the homes, which include both "market rate" homes, as well as mixed-use homes for "income-qualified" households.

Missoula Mayor Andrea Davis explained that the approach took a new partnership.

"The city was able to utilize our investment through our Redevelopment Agency to not only buy the land for this overall project, but also to invest in these workforce homes," Davis explained during the tour. "So the city actually was able to invest in the homes that were standing in today, in particular the income-qualified homes, in order to make it affordable for people who are living and working here."

"I mean, without Front Step being the landholder, under their nonprofit structure, and being the long-term steward of the workforce houses, and then also the city came in and provided substantial subsidy, through the TIF program," explains Kiah Hochstettler of Goodworks Development.

"And this is a great example of how TIF can be beneficial to the community in a way that people can actually see in this tangible way. And I think this example will shine on for a very long time."

The market rate homes went up for sale yesterday, with expansive three-story, 3 or 4-bedroom homes.

     🏠 Front Step will begin taking applications for the other income-qualified properties next month.

Update on I-90 bridge detour

Montana Department of Transportation engineers say that the bridge damaged by a truck east of Bozeman means eastbound traffic will have to continue using a detour until the span can be fixed.

The bridge at 1-90 and Bozeman Trail Road was hit by a truck on Wednesday, leaving a sizable gash in the supports. An inspection has shown it's best to keep traffic from crossing under that part of the overpass, so all traffic is being diverted around using the Bear Canyon on and off ramps. So far, the closure has only created a minor delay.

Bozeman Police comment on officer shooting verdict

Bozeman Police leaders are offering condolences to the family of a woman who was killed in an officer-involved shooting in October 2024. But they're also emphasizing the department stands "firmly behind" the actions of the officers involved in the death of 29-year old Tristyn Newman.

This week, a coroner's inquest jury decided deadly force was "justified" in the confrontation.

The case started initially when Newman reportedly threatened her grandmother with a gun. A few hours later, officers found her armed in a grocery store parking lot on 19th Avenue. She appeared to surrender after negotiations, but officers say she then reached for the gun and was shot.

In a Facebook post, BPD said Newman presented a "serious and imminent threat" in a "very public location."

The "hottest" trucks in Montana

And if you're driving a Chevy truck in Montana, you might want to make sure you lock your doors. An analysis by the website Compare the Market finds Chevrolet pickups are the most stolen out of 2-hundred 33 thefts per 100,000 residents, followed by Ford, and then GMC. Unlike most states, Montana is one of the few were all the top targets are trucks.