Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T LY M O N T A N A • B E S T O F M O N T A N A • F A L L 2 0 2 5 33 B E S T O F M O N T A N A 2 0 2 5 P E O P L E & C O M M U N I T Y PEOPLE & COMMUNITY BEST BANK TELLER Winner Karolee Jones (Stockman Bank) • • • Elite Top Three Brenda Silva (Stockman Bank) Corrie Knerr (Bank of the Rockies in Lewistown) _________________________________________ BEST BARISTA Winner Amanda Buckles • • • Elite Top Three Alexia Wills - The Ugly Mug - Miles City Katie at the Daily Coffee _________________________________________ BEST BARTENDER Winner Kristen Partridge, Cowboy Troy's • • • Elite Top Three A.J. Sheble, Monte in Billings Austin, Lakeside Bar Helena _________________________________________ BEST CHEF Winner Michael Shaw • • • Elite Top Three Sonia Zachow Cody Burch, Tall Boys Tavern, Hobson _________________________________________ BEST CITY IN MONTANA (POPULATION OVER 25,000) Winner Helena • • • Elite Top Three Bozeman Butte _________________________________________ BEST CITY/TOWN CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS Winner Red Lodge • • • Elite Top Three Bigfork Whitefish _________________________________________ BEST COACH Winner Desi Fox St. Labre Indian School • • • Elite Top Three Emily Feller, Bigfork High School Jessie Zentz, Helena High School _________________________________________ BEST DOCTOR Winner Dr. Andrew Fahlgren, MD • • • Elite Top Three Trent Jensen Dr. Michael Garver _________________________________________ BEST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER Winner Grace Hodgskiss Choteau Elementary (Choteau) • • • Elite Top Three Erin Finstad - R.H. Radley Elementary School (East Helena) Amanda Bateman, 1st Grade (Lewistown) _________________________________________ BEST FIRE DEPARTMENT Winner Helena Fire Dept. Station No. 2 • • • Elite Top Three Ashland Volunteer Fire Department Sand Coulee VFD _________________________________________ BEST FIREFIGHTER Winner Colter Dimas, Bozeman Fire Department • • • Elite Top Three Steve Finstad, Helena Fire Department The Codys of Stevensville _________________________________________ BEST FIREWORKS Winner Red Lodge • • • Elite Top Three Butte Choteau 4th of July _________________________________________ BEST HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER Winner Philippe Franqueline Beading St. Labre Indian School (Ashland) • • • Elite Top Three Christa Schoenfeld - East Helena High School (Helena) Karl Koontz Belt High School (Belt, MT) _________________________________________ BEST LIBRARY Winner Carnegie Library, Red Lodge • • • Elite Top Three Great Falls Public Library Lewis & Clark Public Library _________________________________________ BEST MAYOR Winner Helena: Wilmot Collins • • • Elite Top Three Choteau: Chris Hindoen Hamilton: Dominic Farrenkopf _________________________________________ BEST MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER Winner Andrew Oldelk St. Labre Indian School • • • Elite Top Three Paige Anteau (Valier) Becky Telling (Dillon) _________________________________________ BEST MONTANA AUTHOR, FICTION Winner Russell Rowland, Billings • • • Elite Top Three Jamie Ford Susan Bliler _________________________________________ BEST MONTANA AUTHOR, NONFICTION Winner Donna Zawada • • • Elite Top Three Chris Le Tray David Charpentier _________________________________________ BEST MONTANA BAND Winner Pinky and the Floyd • • • Elite Top Three Wes Urbaniak and the Mountain Folk 50 Watt Sun _________________________________________ BEST NEWS ANCHOR Winner John Emeigh • • • Elite Top Three Bradley Warren - NonStop Local Chet Layman _________________________________________ BEST NEWS CHANNEL Winner KRTV Great Falls • • • Elite Top Three KTVQ - Billings NonStop Local - abcFOX _________________________________________ BEST NEWS REPORTER Winner John Emeigh • • • Elite Top Three Tim McGonigal Alex McCollum - NonStop Local _________________________________________

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