by Ken Toole | Jun 20, 2025 | Award, City
Jane Weber has been selected to receive the Paris Gibson Award for her years of service and commitment to bettering Great Falls and the surrounding area. Specifically, this award honors Weber’s work in establishing and administering the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, one of the highlights of any visit to Great Falls. Weber was the first administrator of the Center, serving in that role until retiring in 2010. During her tenure there she implemented interpretive programs for visitors, supervised staff and raised funds to sustain the organization.
After retiring Weber served two terms on the Cascade County Commission. She continued her passion for promoting Cascade County in that position. She was heavily involved in the formation of the Big Sky Country National Heritage Area. In 2022, she was elected to serve in the Montana House of Representatives and became well known for her tireless commitment to Great Falls and work on behalf of the community.
Thanks to The Electric for its reporting on this award. The Electric
by Ken Toole | Jun 15, 2025 | City, Protests, Rallies
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By jcolemanmoore on June 15, 2025
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More than one thousand people turned out on The Central Avenue Bridge here in Great Falls to protest the Trump administration. While The Donald sat in the drizzling rain watching his lackluster birthday parade, people across the country attended huge rallies to confront the policies of his administration. Over twenty protests were held in Montana in larger cities and in smaller towns from Glendive in the east to Eureka in the west.
NO Kings protest in Great Falls, MT June 14, 2025
Drive by of the NO Kings Protest in Great Falls, MT on June 14, 2025
by Ken Toole | Jun 11, 2025 | City, Elections
City elections are usually pretty boring affairs. But this year we have two very different candidates for mayor, and three commission candidates running for two vacant seats. Add the poison pen of Commissioner Rick Tryon, who has something to say . . .about everything . . . and you get the makings of a fairly negative campaign season. Let’s start with the mayor’s race.
Reeves Doubles Down, Issues Anti-Pride Statement
On June 10th, Reeves issued a statement revisiting his decision last year not to issue a city proclamation for Pride Month. The statement was apparently not in response to a request from anyone for a proclamation. He just wanted to remind people that he doesn’t support LGBTQ people being visible in the community. His statement reads, “Since some in the community are asking me again, here are my thoughts…. As mayor, I’ve made it clear that I believe government does not belong in personal relationships. Love who you want to love, no one needs government validation for that. That’s why I’ve chosen again not to issue a Pride proclamation. It’s not because I don’t care, but because I don’t believe it’s the government’s role to affirm personal matters. Apparently, in Reeves’ view, LGBTQ people are okay . . .as long as they stay in the closet. Please see our previous posts https://wtf406.com/2024/06/great-falls-mayor-cory-reeves-refuses-to-issue-pride-proclamation/
https://wtf406.com/2025/06/mayors-denial-of-pride-proclamation-one-year-later/
Reeves Refuses to Debate Taylor In Mayor’s Race
In a Facebook post, Jasmine Taylor challenged Reeves to debate the issues the City of Great Falls is facing. For example, what is Reeves doing about public safety besides taking a small amount of money from voter approved funds from the library? What is he doing about the Calumet Refineries’ repeated appeals of their property taxes which results in higher property taxes for residences? What about looming rate increases for public utilities here in Great Falls? Seems like there is a lot to talk about. To see Taylor’s challenge to Reeves on Facebook, follow this link. https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1XeJ7ooARV/
Not surprisingly, Reeves declined. Taking a page out of the right-wing playbook by refusing to participate in public forums or candidate debates, Reeves explained why he would not debate. He said that he prefers to stand on his record of accomplishments. He did not say what those accomplishments were. He concluded his refusal with a prediction that he will win the mayor’s race with 70 percent of the vote. Arrogant much, Mr. Mayor?
Tryon On City Council Candidate’s Attendance at A Veteran’s Rally
Over at MAGA Central, AKA E-City Beat✔, Tryon posted that city commission candidate Matt Pipinich had held a sign at a Veterans’ rally on June 6th which had the word “fuck” on it.In his usual style, Tryon holds forth about the sign being inappropriate, promoting hate, etc. etc.
We would be remiss if we did not point out that E-City Beat✔ ran a post back in June dealing with the use of the word “fuck” in public settings. WTF406.com had posted this photo taken at the Pelican Point boat launch. In our post, we pointed out that this kind of display (both the word and the sentiment) was not appropriate in a campground with lots of families and kids around. We stand by that opinion. Check out the post at this link. https://wtf406.com/2024/06/nice-afternoon-with-my-grandson/
Our post caught the attention of E-City Beat✔. Phil Faccenda, who writes for that blog occasionally, along with Tryon, compiled a list of all the posts on WTF406.com that had the word fuck in them. In typical E-City Beat✔ style, the post dripped both sarcasm and insult. We don’t make a practice of linking to E-City Beat, but if you really want to read their post, you can find it on their site.
What’s The Real Problem Rick?
So now comes Commissioner Tryon, righteously indignant about a sign at a protest and saying that it is promoting hate. He concludes, “‘F**K ICE and assaulting kids’ eyeballs with the ‘F’ word on our streets is not who we are in Great Falls.” Funny he didn’t have the same reaction to the photo from the Pelican Point campground. Probably because the real point of his indignation is not the sign, but the fact that Pipinich is a candidate for City commission. The last thing Tryon wants to see is Pipinich sitting next to him in city commission meetings.
Jackie (Mike) Brown, who runs The Western Word blog put it this way, “Tryon said one of the people holding the signs was a candidate for the City Commission. The Mayor of Great Falls also chimed in about that candidate. I don’t know if the person was a candidate or not, but if he is, then that was probably the main reason for the post. The tax and spend commissioners and mayor want to keep the band together for a few more years so they can hit us with more 27% rate increases.”
https://thewesternword.com/2025/06/11/the-wednesday-read-300/#more-22569
by Ken Toole | Jun 6, 2025 | City, Corporations
This photo of a potential equipment issue at the Calumet Refinery appeared on the social media platform, Next Door in late May. Local news station KRTV contacted Calumet after hearing about concerns from local citizens. This is what KRTV reported, “A spokesperson for Calumet responded to the concerns, noting that the photo shows a piece of equipment that is simply releasing steam, and that there are many steam release points in the refinery.”
Another person was told that the refinery was replacing insulation in the affected area but there was no release or leaks to be concerned about. We don’t have an engineering department at WTF406.com so we have no idea what’s happening here but the “discoloration” looks as if it was caused by heat and this creates the appearance, if not the reality, of a breach in the metal. Clearly more is going on here than a normal release of steam.
We’re interested in your opinion. Please comment and let us know what you think.
What The Funk 406
by Guest Writer | May 12, 2025 | Life, Medicaid, Republicans
Right now, Medicaid—the public health insurance program that covers over 212,000 Montanans—is under serious threat. Across the country, federal lawmakers are proposing $880 billion in Medicaid cuts. These cuts won’t just hit some abstract system or federal balance sheet—they will fall directly on working families, seniors, veterans, and kids right here in Montana.
And unfortunately, our state’s Republican leadership isn’t fighting to protect us. Instead, they’re doing what politicians so often do: playing both sides while quietly hoping someone else takes the fall.
The Truth Behind the Medicaid “Extension”
Earlier this year, the Montana Legislature passed a bill carried by Great Falls Republican, Ed Buttrey, to extend the current sunset provision for Medicaid. If you just skim the headlines, that might sound like a win. But if you’ve been paying attention to the budget language and political signals, it’s anything but.
What’s really happening is this: Montana Republicans are counting on the federal government to cut Medicaid funding. They extended Medicaid on paper, but they’re banking on D.C. to gut the program so that they don’t have to vote for those cuts themselves.
It’s a political sleight of hand letting Washington do the dirty work. Then, when Montanans lose coverage, they’ll throw up their hands and say, “Well, we tried. Blame Congress.” Don’t buy it. The reality is, if the federal match for Medicaid disappears, so does the coverage for thousands of Montanans. And the Montana Legislature has no plan to fill that gap. None.
What That Means for Real People
Medicaid is not a handout. It’s not charity. It’s a vital part of how we take care of our neighbors and ourselves when life gets hard. It’s how we ensure:
- A single mom working two part-time jobs can still take her child to the doctor.
- A retired construction worker who worked his whole life but didn’t earn enough to save isn’t bankrupted by one hospital stay.
- A veteran who served this country has access to treatment, even if their VA benefits don’t fully cover their needs.
- A pregnant woman in a rural town can receive prenatal care without driving four hours round trip.
In Montana, 71% of adults on Medicaid are working. They are cleaning our schools, and hospitals, providing day care, stocking our shelves, cooking our food, taking care of our grandparents and parents.
Political Cowardice Dressed Up as Responsibility
Montana Republicans love to talk about personal responsibility and rural values. But there’s nothing responsible about cutting healthcare for working people. There’s nothing “pro-life” about making it harder for pregnant women to access care. And there’s nothing conservative about forcing our small-town hospitals to close due to budget shortfalls.
If you want to talk about work ethic, let’s talk about the thousands of Montanans who work full-time but still don’t earn enough to afford private insurance.
If you want to talk about values, let’s talk about how much it says about a society when it leaves its most vulnerable behind.
We Deserve Better
Montanans deserve better than backdoor politics and budget games.
We deserve leaders who understand that healthcare isn’t a luxury—it’s a right. We deserve legislators who will fight for the people who put them in office, not just the ones who bankroll their campaigns. And we deserve to be told the truth—not manipulated with headlines and hollow promises.
Because the consequences are very real.
If the federal match goes away and our state leaders refuse to step up, coverage will disappear.
Medicaid is a lifeline for one in five Montanans. It’s woven into the fabric of our communities. Cutting it isn’t just bad politics; it’s a betrayal of everything we claim to stand for.
Montana Republicans are betting that we won’t notice. That we won’t care. That we’ll accept the spin.
Let’s prove them wrong.
Let’s remind them that in Montana, we take care of our own.
What You Can Do
- Pick up the phone.
- Senator Steve Daines, Great Falls Office 406-453-0148
- Senator Tim Sheehy, Great Falls Office- 406-452-9587
- Write your representatives.
- Attend a rally or town hall.
- Send an email.
- Talk to your neighbors.
- Share this blog.
Remind them that we are watching. That we vote. That we expect better from those who claim to represent us.
Jeannie Hansen is a third-generation Montanan. Along with her advocacy work, she currently ranches east of Great Falls. She is lifelong advocate with a passion for justice, dignity, and community care. Raised in Great Falls, she found her voice early—championing seniors, working families, and underserved populations since her school days. With over 15 years in social work and nonprofits, Jeannie has built a career rooted in public service, legislative advocacy, and hands-on support for those navigating complex systems like Medicaid. Her work has taken her from the halls of the Capitol to the dirt roads of rural Montana, always guided by a fierce commitment to fairness and a deep love for her home state.
This editorial is based on comments Jeannie Hansen made at a Medicare Rally organized by Service Employees International Union (SEIU) in Great Falls on April 29th, 2025.
What The Funk 406 Blog
