This week’s wrap up of local news from the last week.

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Ballot are in the mail for the Great Falls Public Schools election.

Here’s our questionnaires with the four candidates:

2025 GFPS board candidate: Paige Turoski

2025 GFPS board candidate: Gordon Johnson

2025 GFPS board candidate: Craig Duff

2025 GFPS board candidate: Tony Rosales

Montana Supreme Court denies requests for new trials over jury summons issues, including two Great Falls cases; bill passed this session to correct process: This week, the Montana Supreme Court upheld the local district court’s order denying a new trial for a local man convicted of deliberate homicide and another convicted of assault with a weapon.

The court also issued a substantial decision in March by denying a request for a new trial from a man convicted of killing his wife in Kalispell. In that case, the defendant argued that the clerk of court didn’t comply with the statutory requirements for assembling his jury panel.

The Montana County Attorneys Association, with the Clerk of Courts Association and the Montana Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association drafted a law change to correct any similar jury issues going forward.

Specialty vehicles hitting River’s Edge Trail for city roadway inventory: Trail users may notice specialty outfitted bicycles with digital cameras over the next two weeks on the River’s Edge Trail.

The bikes are used by Roadway Asset Services of Austin, Texas to collect imagery of the pavement along the length of the trail.

The project is part of the city public works division’s contract with RAS to collect data for an overall condition index study of the trail, and the larger city streets network.

First measles cases confirmed in Montana: The Department of Public Health and Human Services and the Gallatin City-County Health Department reported last week Montana’s first cases of measles since 1990.

The GCCHD is investigating five confirmed cases of measles. The individuals are children and adults who were exposed to measles while traveling outside of Montana.

They all reside in Gallatin County and are currently isolated at home. All five individuals are unvaccinated, or vaccine status is unknown, according to DPHHS.

Braaten named C.M. Russell Museum director: The C.M. Russell Museum Board of Directors has selected Duane Braaten as its new executive director. The board also thanked Chris Warden, who has been serving as director and spent five years on the board. Over the past two decades, Braaten has served the museum in multiple capacities, most recently as director of art and philanthropy.