Montana residents who lose insurance due to the COVID-19 crisis are eligible for free assistance from a local non-profit agency, Montana Navigator. The agency receives federal funding to assist consumers with enrolling in Medicaid or in private health insurance through provisions of the Affordable Care Act. Most consumers sign up during the annual open enrollment period, but there are

A relaxed family dinner offers real benefits for adults and children. Leisurely eating leads to feeling fuller with less food. Adults who eat more slowly tend to consume fewer calories at mealtime and to have lower weights. When families eat meals together, young people tend to have healthier weights, more success in school, fewer eating problems, lower substance abuse rates and less depression.

With schools currently closed and social distancing in full effect, now is a great opportunity for high school aged youth to quit vaping. The extra time at home gives parents an opportunity to speak with their children about the dangers of vaping and encourage them to quit. It is known that e-cigarette aerosol contains ultrafine particles and cancer-causing chemicals. Since COVID-19 is a respiratory

Wolf Point Congregate Meals April 2: Cabbage/sausage foil packs, corn on the cob and dessert. April 7: Lasagna, green beans and dessert. April 9: Ham, scalloped potatoes, mixed vegetables and dessert.

A new online platform launched by the American Association of Retired Persons Innovation Labs allows users to organize and find local volunteer groups to help pick up groceries, provide financial assistance or lend emotional support to neighbors, friends and loved ones. Across the country, these informal online groups—also called “mutual aid” groups— help communities stay connected at

The ubiquitous nature of weeds can make them seem like they can grow anywhere, and that's because they can. Weeds can grow anywhere there's room for them to sprout, including gardens, sidewalks, driveways and parking lots. One of the things that helps weeds spread so much is how productive they can be at producing seeds. An actively growing weed plant will produce thousands of seeds and

By James Walling Montana Governor Steve Bullock announced via press conference March 24 that Montana public K-12 schools will remain closed through April 10. Bullock delivered a COVID-19 response for media Tuesday afternoon. Bullock said restrictions and closures may be extended moving forward. He added that people should maintain social distancing practices in order to slow the spread

U.S. Senator Jon Tester has announced that Montana will receive $1.2 million to support senior nutrition, including $400,000 for congregate meals and $800,000 for home meals. “Too many Montana seniors are unable to go to the grocery store for fear of contracting the virus, or unable to get to one at all because they live too far, or don’t have transportation. So this funding could not have

Scott McMillion, editor/ publisher of The Montana Quarterly, is sponsoring a contest for young writers called the Big Snowy Prize. McMillion is looking for writers under 30 by April 15 who are current or former Montana residents. There is no entry fee for this contest, but the rewards for winning are substantial: $500 to the winner in each category and publication in The Montana Quarterly.