Journalist with a taste for snow, trout and Montana's wilder places. Now covering education and politics for Montana Free Press. Opinions are my own.
Articles by Alex Sakariassen
Nicknames over nuance in Montana debates
Well, political division is as alive as ever in Big Sky Country. That much was clear from the doubleheader congressional debates Montanans had a front-row seat to this week. Candidates traded professional attacks, coined derisive nicknames, even talked over one another, all while trying to convince voters they’re the sole choice to rise above the partisan fray and bring about a better, brighter future.
Opera runs through it
The cast of “A River Runs Through It” practices a few scenes ahead of its opening show at the Ellen Theatre in Bozeman on Friday, Sept. 18, 2026. The opera comes to Missoula’s Dennison Theatre for performances Oct. 3 and 4. Credit: John Stember Fifty years ago, Norman Maclean’s widely acclaimed novella “A River Runs Through It” hit bookshelves, captivating readers with a tale of family and fly-fishing set along the banks of the Blackfoot River.
Sheep Creek mine makes strange bedfellows
Western Montana tends to wear its mining history on its sleeve. The corduroy stripes of mining pits around Butte, the towering smelter stack above Anaconda, the fleeting glimpse of a wood-framed shaft along the curves of Highway 1. Like a kid displaying their first lost tooth, these sights stir up a mix of nostalgia and pride — evidence that we’ve perhaps moved on from a more reckless past into a more responsible future.
Bodnar wades into deep red Bitterroot water
Former University of Montana president Seth Bodnar, now stumping for the U.S. Senate, makes his pitch to Ravalli County commissioners in Hamilton on Aug. 27.
Tubers and paddlers float the Clark Fork through downtown Missoula. Credit: John Stember This story appears in the first edition of The Pulp’s new quarterly paper, which you can find for free at businesses all around Missoula. Learn more about the paper here. By now, the bright pink tubes of the Clark Fork Yacht Club have become synonymous with Missoula summer.
A horse by any other name
Horses treat a Shaver Drive lawn as their own in Missoula’s Miller Creek neighborhood. Credit: Margaret Persico Photography The hollow clop of hooves rang off the pavement along Shaver Drive last Saturday, followed by the crunch and grind of teeth as nearly a dozen horses gradually grazed their way from one bright green lawn to the next. One mare seemed particularly spirited as she nickered, chased and thudded other members of the group away from her small tobiano foal.
Exiled Montana Republican David Bedey wins primary by 76 votes – The Pulp
Longtime Bitterroot Valley lawmaker David Bedey, who’s running for the Montana Senate after four terms in the House, won his June 2 Republican primary by 76 votes — barely surviving his own party’s effort to oust him. Courtesy photo After four terms in the Montana House of Representatives, David Bedey is no stranger to political tension. His voting record has put him on the opposite side of Democrats one minute and fellow Republicans the next, often on issues of intense public interest and impact.
What Missoula voters need to know before June 2 – The Pulp
A ballot drop box outside the Missoula County Elections Office bears a reminder of a new state requirement: Mail-in voters must include their birth year and signature or risk having their ballot rejected. Credit: John Stember A Helena district court judge this month temporarily preserved Montana’s longstanding practice of same-day voter registration, freezing a new state law that bars late registrants from casting votes for federal candidates.
‘A home in witness’
Sandra Alcosser outside her little blue house on Levasseur Street, hemmed in by the new Missoula going up around it. Credit: John Stember The front stoop of the little blue house on Levasseur Street gets a little more shadow these days. Ever since the tall residential buildings shouldered in on either side of it, there’s only a narrow window around midday when the sun can reach it — like a weathered paperback wedged back between two crisp hardcovers.
Not your babushka’s dumplings
The Alaskan-style pelmeni at Pelz — curry powder, Sriracha, cilantro, sour cream, and a slice of rye. Courtesy photo You wouldn’t think a dumpling would have much of a story to tell. But, with the pelmeni, beneath that soft, doughy exterior lies a rich cross-cultural history, one drizzled with melted butter and served with a side of sour cream. The pelmeni’s origins are somewhat murky, according to the interwebs. Siberia for sure, maybe China if you go back enough centuries.
A public debate runs through it
An aerial view of the Blackfoot Crossing site in Bonner shows construction activity on the former Stimson Lumber mill property, with Bonner’s existing Town Pump travel plaza visible across Highway 200 in the background. The Missoula County Commission takes up the rezoning proposal again on Wednesday, March 12, at 2 p.m., accepting public comment open in person and virtually.
MCPS weighing what to do with its non-school properties – The Pulp
Students explore a PEAS Farm hoop house during a 2022 field trip. The farm in the upper Rattlesnake, which sits on land owned by Missoula County Public Schools, hosts about 2,500 students annually for hands-on lessons about food and local agriculture. Credit: Athena Lonsdale Missoula County Public Schools is taking stock of 14 non-school properties it owns throughout the valley.
Montana turns feral pig threat into food bank donation – The Pulp
Brad Argo, operations manager for the Montana Food Bank Network, unloads pallets of ground pork from Phillips County at the organization’s Missoula warehouse on Jan. 9. The 12,160 pounds of meat came from pigs trapped by state officials before they could establish a feral population in Montana.
Gifts for the happily obsessed – The Pulp
Josh Quick Every year, the holidays remind us that love takes many forms. Some people say it with homemade cookies or heartfelt cards. Others say it with … enabling. Or can we just call it being supportive? We’re supportive of our friends’ and family’s quirky fixations, favorite indulgences and self-care rituals — those harmless (or semi-harmless) obsessions that keep our favorite people ticking.
Missoula refugees losing SNAP, Medicaid benefits under Trump bill – The Pulp
Abeer Naji, a Missoula refugee who has lawful permanent residence in the U.S., loads groceries into the back of her car. She is one of many in the resettlement community wondering about her access to benefits after recent changes in federal law and last-minute USDA guidance have caused confusion about who is eligible. Photos by John Stember When Abeer Naji and her husband arrived in Missoula in 2023, they didn’t have much.
Inside the closure of St. Patrick Hospital's Family Maternity Center – The Pulp
Missoula doctors Jennifer Mayo and Amy Smith zipped across town on Oct. 10 through midday traffic, keenly aware they were already running late for a bittersweet appointment. They’d just admitted the first patient to their new digs at Community Medical Center, but across town, their colleagues at St. Patrick Hospital’s Family Maternity Center were waiting for them. After years of helping bring newborns into the world, neither physician wanted to miss the unit’s last lullaby.
The price of policy – The Pulp
Back in late April, a new state law to strengthen background checks for public school employees and volunteers came sailing out of the Montana Legislature with unanimous bipartisan support. Lawmakers and public education advocates alike framed it as a common-sense piece of legislation, the type of measure that would ensure greater protections for K-12 students.
Who cares for the caregivers? – The Pulp
In a grassy backyard in central Missoula, a dozen toddlers race around jumbles of play equipment, their squeals echoing off the wall of a small green house. Inside an adjoining former office building, a woman in flowing clothes reclines in a rocking chair, one sleeping infant clutched to her chest, another stirring occasionally from a nap a few feet away.
Montana advocates worry about federal impacts on support for students with disabilities
Tucker Jette lives for gaming, but like so many other recent high school graduates, he’s had to come to terms with the reality that he can’t make a living playing video games. And while he may not know yet exactly what he wants to do for a living, said Jette’s mother, Jessie Sather, he does know that earning money for a new computer to support his hobby is one of his top priorities as an 18-year-old preparing to step out on his own.
Montana advocates worry about federal impacts on support for students with disabilities
Tucker Jette lives for gaming, but like so many other recent high school graduates, he’s had to come to terms with the reality that he can’t make a living playing video games. And while he may not know yet exactly what he wants to do for a living, said Jette’s mother, Jessie Sather, he does know that earning money for a new computer to support his hobby is one of his top priorities as an 18-year-old preparing to step out on his own.
Montana advocates worry about federal impacts on support for students with disabilities
Tucker Jette lives for gaming, but like so many other recent high school graduates, he’s had to come to terms with the reality that he can’t make a living playing video games. And while he may not know yet exactly what he wants to do for a living, said Jette’s mother, Jessie Sather, he does know that earning money for a new computer to support his hobby is one of his top priorities as an 18-year-old preparing to step out on his own.
Montana advocates worry about federal impacts on support for students with disabilities
Tucker Jette lives for gaming, but like so many other recent high school graduates, he’s had to come to terms with the reality that he can’t make a living playing video games. And while he may not know yet exactly what he wants to do for a living, said Jette’s mother, Jessie Sather, he does know that earning money for a new computer to support his hobby is one of his top priorities as an 18-year-old preparing to step out on his own.
Montana Advocates Worry About Federal Impacts on Support for Students With Disabilities
Tucker Jette lives for gaming, but like so many other recent high school graduates, he’s had to come to terms with the reality that he can’t make a living playing video games. And while he may not know yet exactly what he wants to do for a living, said Jette’s mother, Jessie Sather, he does know that earning money for a new computer to support his hobby is one of his top priorities as an 18-year-old preparing to step out on his own.
Child care advocates hope new state trust will help address Montana’s daycare crisis
Nearly two years ago, Helena resident Christine Miller-Fitzpatrick became the latest in a long line of Montana parents who have turned their struggles finding child care into a new career. With help from the nonprofit Zero to Five Montana, Miller-Fitzpatrick launched Larch Early Childhood Care, and has since built the business to two locations with five full-time workers serving 35 Helena families.
Child care advocates hope new state trust will help address Montana’s daycare crisis
Nearly two years ago, Helena resident Christine Miller-Fitzpatrick became the latest in a long line of Montana parents who have turned their struggles finding child care into a new career.
Why some districts opted out of Montana's high-profile STARS Act
Despite attempts by state leaders to clarify details, local concerns over long-term sustainability prompt some public schools to not participate in the Legislature’s effort to boost teacher pay. A reflective silence descended on the Broadus school board May 12 as trustees in this southeast Montana district weighed whether to participate in a new statewide effort to raise starting teacher pay.
Why some districts opted out of Montana’s high-profile STARS Act
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Why some districts opted out of Montana's high-profile STARS Act
Despite attempts by state leaders to clarify details, local concerns over long-term sustainability prompt some public schools to not participate in the Legislature’s effort to boost teacher pay.
Why Some Districts Opted Out of Montana’s High-profile STARS Act
Education Despite attempts by state leaders to clarify details, local concerns over long-term sustainability prompt some public schools to not participate in the Legislature’s effort to boost teacher pay By Alex Sakariassen, Montana Free Press June 4, 2025 A reflective silence descended on the Broadus school board May 12 as trustees in this southeast Montana district weighed whether to participate in a new statewide effort to raise starting teacher pay.
Tuition increases coming for residents and non-residents at Montana campuses
The Montana Board of Regents this month approved a series of increases to tuition rates for resident and non-resident students across the state’s university system, driven by the rising costs associated with higher education and recent adjustments to an employee pay plan adopted by the 2025 Legislature.
Why some districts opted out of Montana’s high-profile STARS Act
A reflective silence descended on the Broadus school board May 12 as trustees in this southeast Montana district weighed whether to participate in a new statewide effort to raise starting teacher pay. The moment came after nearly half an hour of open-ended discussion about the potential impacts of signing on, underscoring the complexity of a law the 2025 Legislature spent months honing.
Tuition increases coming for residents and non-residents at Montana campuses
The Montana Board of Regents this month approved a series of increases to tuition rates for resident and non-resident students across the state’s university system, driven by the rising costs associated with higher education and recent adjustments to an employee pay plan adopted by the 2025 Legislature.
Tuition increases coming for residents and non-residents at Montana campuses
MISSOULA, Mont. — The Montana Board of Regents this month approved a series of increases to tuition rates for resident and non-resident students across the state’s university system, driven by the rising costs associated with higher education and recent adjustments to an employee pay plan adopted by the 2025 Legislature.
Montana education officials approve change to proficiency assessments for students with special needs
The Board of Public Education unanimously approved a proposal from state Superintendent Susie Hedalen on May 16 to change how Montana public schools assess the academic proficiency of students with special needs, the latest in a series of alterations to the state’s standardized testing practices.
Montana Legislature enacts changes to state and local flows of public school funding
Montana’s high-profile STARS Act cleared its last hurdle in the policymaking process last week when Gov. Greg Gianforte signed the $100 million investment in starting teacher pay into law. Throughout the past five months, the bill had become emblematic of the Legislature’s debate over how best to fund public education, its price tag underscoring the scope of financial pressures weighing on the state’s K-12 school system.
Montana Legislature enacts changes to state and local flows of public school funding
Montana’s high-profile STARS Act cleared its last hurdle in the policymaking process last week when Gov. Greg Gianforte signed the $100 million investment in starting teacher pay into law. Throughout the past five months, the bill had become emblematic of the Legislature’s debate over how best to fund public education, its price tag underscoring the scope of financial pressures weighing on the state’s K-12 school system.
Voters deliver mixed outcomes to levy requests from some of the state’s largest school districts
Voters in five of Montana’s largest public school districts on Tuesday delivered several key successes in local efforts to increase the amount of money flowing to classrooms via local levies. Yet in some communities, requests to bolster funding for school security and help hold the line on general fund budgets hit hard by inflation, fluctuating enrollment and the expiration of pandemic-era federal aid fell flat.
Voters deliver mixed outcomes to levies from some of the state’s largest school districts
According to initial election results from around the state, school districts in Missoula, Bozeman, Helena and Kalispell all won voter approval for modest to sizable increases to their schools’ general operating funds. But in Belgrade, similar bids for additional support at the elementary and high school levels failed, as did the Helena schools’ requested increases for technology funding.
Federal judge extends restraining order maintaining legal status for MSU international students
U.S. District Court Judge Dana Christensen on Tuesday extended a restraining order barring the federal government from taking action against two international students currently enrolled at Montana State University — the latest development in a high-profile case tied to the Trump administration’s handling of foreign student visas.
Federal attorneys offer more detail about allegations against MSU international students
In a response entered April 21 with the U.S. District Court in Butte, federal attorneys challenged the ACLU of Montana’s assertion that neither student has faced a criminal conviction in this country. Though the ACLU has endeavored to protect the identities of the plaintiffs, identifying them only as John Roe and Jane Doe, the government’s filing stated that a check of their information against criminal records allegedly revealed both had been arrested previously in Bozeman.
Federal attorneys offer more detail about allegations against MSU international students
The federal government responded this week to an ACLU lawsuit defending two international students at Montana State University whose visas were recently terminated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, filing a legal motion that provided the government’s first clear explanation of its actions.
Montana Legislature Passes $100 Million Bill to Raise Starting Teacher Pay
Legislature The high-profile STARS Act cleared its final vote in the Senate, sending a top bipartisan education priority to Gianforte’s desk By Alex Sakariassen, Montana Free Press April 23, 2025 The Legislature’s high-profile STARS Act cleared its final vote in the Senate on Tuesday afternoon, with a bipartisan bloc of 43 lawmakers approving the proposal that would direct $100 million toward raising starting teacher pay in Montana’s K-12 schools.
Montana Legislature passes $100 million bill to raise starting teacher pay
HELENA — The Legislature’s high-profile STARS Act cleared its final vote in the Senate on Tuesday afternoon, with a bipartisan bloc of 43 lawmakers approving the proposal that would direct $100 million toward raising starting teacher pay in Montana’s K-12 schools. The STARS Act — also known as House Bill 252 — quickly emerged as a top policy priority this session for a broad coalition of Republicans, Democrats, public education advocates and Republican Gov.
Montana Legislature passes $100 million bill to raise starting teacher pay
The Legislature’s high-profile STARS Act cleared its final vote in the Senate on Tuesday afternoon, with a bipartisan bloc of 43 lawmakers approving the proposal that would direct $100 million toward raising starting teacher pay in Montana’s K-12 schools. The STARS Act — also known as House Bill 252 — quickly emerged as a top policy priority this session for a broad coalition of Republicans, Democrats, public education advocates and Republican Gov.
Child care and education
It's week 16 of the 69th Legislature is kicking off week 15. Lawmakers have been talking about proposals to improve access to child care and teacher pay. This is 'The Session', a look at the policy and politics inside the Montana statehouse. MTPR's Shaylee Ragar is joined by Alex Sakariassen from Montana Free Press, along with Montana Public Radio's Victoria Traxler. The 69th Legislature is kicking off week 15. Today, we're talking about health policy.
Missoula child care facilities hit by drop in preschoolers
The expansion of Missoula’s free preschool programs has reduced the demand for child care for that age group, financially affecting some providers. However, the overall demand for child care is still high, with Missoula County short thousands of openings, according to state data tracking the population of children and the capacity of providers.
Bills targeting Montana’s child care challenges maintaining steam
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Judge Blocks Federal Government From Revoking Two MSU Students’ F-1 Visas
Education The temporary restraining order also blocks the federal government from arresting, detaining or transferring the students while litigation proceeds By Alex Sakariassen, Montana Free Press April 16, 2025 A federal judge in Butte on Tuesday temporarily blocked the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from revoking the visas of two international students at Montana State University and barred the federal government from arresting, detaining or transferring the individuals outside its...
Bills targeting Montana’s child care challenges maintaining steam
With the 2025 legislative session shifting into its final weeks, early childhood care and education advocates throughout the state are closely watching a string of policy proposals still alive in the Montana Legislature to address ongoing challenges in the child care sector. Workforce shortages have continued to drive much of the debate over those measures.
ACLU files lawsuit on behalf of two international students at Montana State University Original
The ACLU of Montana filed a lawsuit Monday against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on behalf of two Montana State University students whose international visas were revoked last week, asking a federal judge to immediately suspend the department’s actions.
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