Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A M A G A Z I N E • FA L L 2 0 2 6 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 6 28 BEST FIRE DEPARTMENT WINNER Red Lodge Fire Department • • • Elite Top Three Billings Fire Department Choteau Volunteer Fire Department _________________________________________ BEST FIREFIGHTER WINNER Audrey Ulmen, Manhattan Volunteer Fire Department • • • Elite Top Three Captain Ryan Kramer, Billings Fire Department Matt Harding, Fort Howes Ranger District _________________________________________ BEST FIREWORKS WINNER Butte • • • Elite Top Three Red Lodge Ashland _________________________________________ BEST HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER WINNER Dustin Bauer, Foothills Community Christian School • • • Elite Top Three Cindy Galbavy Lisa Chaska _________________________________________ BEST HOME & PROPERTY MANAGER WINNER Tabor Martin, ES2 Montana • • • Elite Top Three Jade Langenderfer, AAA Red Lodge Rentals Lynnae Bast Benchmark Property Management _________________________________________ BEST LIBRARY WINNER Red Lodge Carnegie Library • • • Elite Top Three Billings Public Library Missoula Public Library _________________________________________ BEST MAYOR WINNER Butch Grenz • • • Elite Top Three Corey Reeves Chad Gatlin _________________________________________ BEST MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER WINNER Carrie Morrison, Foothills Community Christian School • • • Elite Top Three Pat Hansen Jen Mooney, Helena Middle School _________________________________________ BEST MONTANA AUTHOR, FICTION WINNER Christopher Paolini • • • Elite Top Three Christopher Sheffield, Foothills Community Christian School Jamie Ford _________________________________________ BEST MONTANA AUTHOR, NONFICTION WINNER Russell Rowland russellrowland.com • • • Elite Top Three Christopher Sheffield, Foothills Community Christian School Forrest Dunning _________________________________________ BEST MONTANA BAND WINNER Mission Mountain Wood Band • • • Elite Top Three Tanner Laws Wes Urbaniak and the Mountain Folk _________________________________________ BEST NEWS ANCHOR WINNER Chet Layman, KBZK • • • Elite Top Three Jill Valley, KPAX Charlie Klepps, KPAX _________________________________________ BEST NEWS CHANNEL WINNER KRTV Great Falls • • • Elite Top Three KTVQ-TV KPAX-TV Missoula _________________________________________ BEST NEWS REPORTER WINNER Tim McGonigal, KRTV • • • Elite Top Three Charlie Kelps, KTVQ Kyle Hanson, KPAX _________________________________________ BEST NURSE WINNER Bryant Lyons, RN, Benefis Health System • • • Elite Top Three Jayden Mueller, Billings Clinic Stacey Sheffield, AGACNP, Benefis Health System _________________________________________ BEST POLICE DEPARTMENT WINNER Red Lodge Police Department • • • Elite Top Three Billings Police Department Bozeman Police Department _________________________________________ BEST POLICE OFFICER WINNER Chris Kurkoswski • • • Elite Top Three Brett Petty, Helena Police Department Kelly Sprinkle _________________________________________ BEST REPORTER WINNER Charlie Klepps, KPAX • • • Elite Top Three Alec Bofinger, KXLF/KBZK Christopher Sheffield, Foothills Community Christian School _________________________________________ BEST RODEO CLOWN WINNER Scot Allerdings • • • Elite Top Three Flint Rasmussen Dave Whitmoyer _________________________________________ BEST SCHOOL PRINCIPAL Betsy Miller at Foothills • • • Elite Top Three Jennie Fox - Lockwood Joseph Walsh _________________________________________ BEST SMALL TOWN IN MONTANA (POPULATION UNDER 10,000) WINNER Red Lodge, Pop. 2,892 701 Broadway Avenue North • Red Lodge redlodge.com • • • Elite Top Three Miles City, Pop. 8,437 Ashland, Pop. 986 _________________________________________ B E S T O F M O N T A N A 2 0 2 6 P E O P L E & C O M M U N I T Y

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