Business Bites: Dark Money movie screening, ballot initiative; Montana Constitution Roadshow; Cassiopeia author events; new owners for Montana River Outfitters; Blewett Kicking Camp; Bark in the Park and more
The Transparent Election Initiative is hosting a free public screening of the 2018 documentary Dark Money at 6 p.m. May 12 at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center.
The movie highlights the impact of corporate and dark money in Montana politics and the group will present The Montana Plan, a strategy to counter the effects of Citizens United.
Guest speakers will include journalists Mike Dennison and Peter Johnson, and TEI Founder Jeff Mangan. Jon Tester, former Montana senator, is also scheduled to appear.
A Q&A and community conversation focused on campaign finance, corporate influence, and Montana’s history of fighting political corruption will follow the screening.
Dark Money, directed by Kimberly Reed, uses her home state of Montana as a case study in the national struggle over money in politics. The documentary debuted at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, screened at the 2018 Big Sky Film Festival, and later aired on PBS as part of the documentary series POV.
“Montanans of all backgrounds recognize how dark money shifts political power from the people to corporations,” Mangan, TEI founder and former Montana commissioner of political practices, said in a release. “The Montana Plan is a solution that reforms our election system and puts citizens—not corporations—first.”
TEI will share updates on The Montana Plan, a proposed ballot initiative (I-194) aimed at redefining the rights of corporations and secret-donor groups to limit their influence over candidate elections and ballot measures.
The Montana Plan is grounded in Montana’s constitutional authority to define the powers given to corporations conducting business in the state corporations doing business in the state, according to organizers, who are collecting petition signatures to place the measure on the 2026 ballot.
TEI is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that mobilizes grassroots support to eliminate dark money from elections through public education and civic participation.
Cassiopeia author events
Cassiopeia Books is hosting two author events this month.
At 6 p.m. May 13, sci-fi author Laurie Stevens will discuss her new dystopian thriller, The Return.
At 6 p.m. May 28, local author Burke Wallace will talk about his new book, Money Matters for Educators.
Shred for Polio
The Great Falls Rotary Club is hosting Shred for Polio on May 13 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Banker sized boxes of documents (15L x 10H x 12W) will be shredded for $15 per box.
Documents with staples are acceptable.
All proceeds go to Rotary International’s effort to end polio.
Shredding provided by Montana Business Archives in the Meadow Lark Country Club parking lot.
Drive up with your boxes to shred and Rotary members will unload and put your documents into the shredder.
Cash and checks will be accepted.
For more information, contact Cari at 406-788-3704.
Upper Seven Law is presenting the Montana Constitution Roadshow at the Great Falls Public Library on May 14 from 6-7 p.m.
Upper Seven Law is a nonprofit public interest law firm whose mission is to hold the powerful accountable, according to the firm.
The Roadshow is an engaging and informative presentation about the foundations of a representative democracy, the rule of law, and how the Montana Constitution is special and distinct. It is designed to spark interest among people familiar with topics like the right to know and separation of powers, as well as those who are new to these important ideas, according to the firm.
Register for the free event here.
Montana Credit Union donations
Montana Credit Union, in partnership with the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines, is donating $102,031 to local nonprofit organizations, in partnership with the Member Impact Fund.
This matching grant program is designed to amplify the community engagement of FHLB Des Moines member institutions that support local housing, business, and economic needs.
In Montana, 287 applications received funding through partnerships with 41 member institutions. FHLB Des Moines matched more than $2.40 for every $1 contributed by a member institution, resulting in $1.6 million from members and $4 million awarded by FHLB Des Moines.
“We are sincerely appreciative of this grant opportunity from the FHLB Des Moines,” Becky Timmons, MCU vice president of marketing, said in a release. “The Member Impact Fund helps us boost our local donation dollars to organizations that are working to make our community better, safer, and stronger, and that makes a real impact in Montana.”
Montana Credit Union has been a partner of FHLB Des Moines since 2023. Together, they have been dedicated to improving their community through affordable housing and community development initiatives.
Montana Credit Union Member Impact Fund Grant recipients include the following:
Belt Performing Arts Center: $8,574 towards infrastructure updates to the historical theatre in Belt.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Montana: $11,146 to be used for volunteer recruitment and development.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Cascade County: $10,289 will offset scholarship costs for kids attending summer programming.
CASA of Cascade County: $8,574 to increase program awareness and the number of trained volunteers that serve the program.
Family Promise of Great Falls: $8,574 to help families seeking stable housing.
Great Falls Development Alliance: $20,578 will be used to increase housing development capacity in Great Falls
Montana Council for Economic Education: $8,574 to improve economic and financial literacy for Montana’s youth.
NeighborWorks Great Falls: $8,574 for local homebuyer education opportunities.
Peace Place: $8,574 will be used to support summer programming for the kids and families they serve.
Toby’s House Crisis Nursery: $8,574 towards their mission of preventing child abuse and neglect through crisis and respite care.
Since its launch in 2023, the Member Impact Fund has provided more than $86 million in grants from FHLB Des Moines, generating over $119 million in combined support for affordable housing and community development. Every eligible application submitted to the program has received funding, reflecting the Bank’s strong commitment to partnership and impact.
High School House Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the 48th completed High School House, at 1314 6th Ave. S., will be May 14 at 11 a.m.
Students from C.M. Russell and Great Falls High have worked together to build this single-family home from the ground up. Students from the interior design class submitted design boards, and the winning design is used in the home.
TV personality Mike Rowe visited the under-construction home in November and in December, Gov. Gianforte paid a visit to the house to present NeighborWorks Great Falls with a donation of a quarter of his salary for the High School
House.
Gianforte, Dirty Jobs host highlight High School House program in Great Falls [2025]
“The 48th High School House shows the importance of work-based learning in public schools,” Pete Pace, High School House instructor, said in a release. “Visits from Gov. Gianforte and Mike Rowe reinforced that the trades are strong and that students deserve real skills, real responsibility, and real opportunities.”
NWGF and Great Falls Public Schools have partnered since 1997 to bring this program to Great Falls. NWGF supplies the lot, arranges subcontractors, and finances construction as well as working with the homebuyer to get them purchase ready. The students provide the labor and learn real-world and hands-on construction skills.
“Every home we complete is a celebration—not just of construction, but of opportunity,” Sherrie Arey, NWGF executive director, said in a release. “This home represents a family putting down roots, students gaining real-world skills, and a community coming together to invest in its future.”
River Activities Survey
The Great Falls River Activation Task Force, of the Great Falls Development Alliance, is working to activate the Missouri and Sun Rivers through private investment, commercial development, and river-oriented businesses that grow tourism, recreation, entertainment, and hospitality in Great Falls.
There’s a three-question survey available through May 15 to share your ideas.
Fundamentals of Hiking
Bighorn Outdoor Specialists is hosting Fundamentals of Hiking at the store on May 21 from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
It’s an evening of trail wisdom, practical skills, and community connection. You’ll walk away with the knowledge you need to explore the Montana front or backcountry safely, confidently, and prepared.
Whether you’re brand new to hiking or have miles under your boots, you’ll learn something valuable — and you might even meet a few new hiking friends along the way.
Call Bighorn Outdoor Specialists to register.
Montana Veterans Memorial Ceremony
The Montana Veterans Memorial Association is hosting its 21st annual Memorial Day ceremony at the memorial at 1 p.m. May 25.
The event will include a ceremonial flyover by a C-130 from the 120th Airlift Wing of the Montana Air National Guard.
City approves lease agreement for Montana Veterans Memorial
Montana River Outfitters
Matt Turner and Sasja Fenimore are the new owners of Montana River Outfitters.
They’re taking over the company, which was founded in 1977, from Craig Madsen.
They have a new website and online booking system which is available here or email reservations@
Great Falls Symphonic Choir Concert
The Great Falls Symphonic Choir presents Elements of Life, a special standalone concert on June 7 at 3 p.m. at the First Congregational United Church of Christ.
This performance marks the choir’s first independent concert in two years and the first standalone program under the direction of Jon Harney. Featuring organist Joan Brandvold Schmidt, the concert also serves as a tribute to Mary Moore and represents the return of a regular dedicated choral performance for the organization.
Symphony maestro sees live music, arts as human, emotional connection
The program explores themes of faith, love, music, and the human experience through a diverse selection of choral works by composers including Handel, Bruckner, Pärt, and Whitacre. Set in an intimate and acoustically rich venue, Elements of Life offers audiences a meaningful and long-awaited opportunity to experience the full sound and expressive range of the Great Falls Symphonic Choir, according to the symphony.
The 65-member vocal chorus is made up of volunteer singers and directed by Jon Harney. They perform at least three times per season with the Symphony Orchestra or in standalone concerts.
The annual Blewett Kicking Camp is set for June in Great Falls.
The camp, which is free of charge, teaches the fundamentals of football’s kicking game, including field goal kicking, punting, and kickoffs, and is the only camp of its kind offered in Montana. This year’s camp features five former college football players, including Anders and Drew Blewett, and former Bobcat kickers Trevor Bolton and Tyler Bolton. Both Bolton brothers participated in the Blewett Kicking camp as youths and now help run the camp each year.
“Kicking is probably the most overlooked aspect of the game of football,” Anders Blewett said in a release. “Whether they are soccer players or football players, we aim to get kids interested in the kicking game and improve their skills.”
Montana has produced several kickers who have gone on to kick in college and the NFL. Dallas Neil (Great Falls), Kris Heppner (Great Falls), and Dan Carpenter (Helena), who starred at the University of Montana, all went on to play in the NFL.
Camp instructors Anders Blewett, Drew Blewett, Tyler Bolton and Trevor Bolton were all all-state football players for Great Falls High who played in the Shrine Game and went on to play college football. Luke McKinley was a star athlete at CMR who had a record-setting college football career at Montana State University Northern.
Participants are encouraged to wear soccer cleats or low-cut cleats and bring footballs and tees if they have them.
Avoid high top footwear.
Participants may attend one or both sessions.
More information is available here.
The camps are held at the Paris Gibson Education Center football field, 2400 Central Ave.
The sessions are:
- June 9 from 5:30-7 p.m.
- June 24 from 5:30-7 p.m.
The camps are free and open to 8th graders through 12th grade.
New Longfellow Elementary School Principal
Brittany Erdman has been selected to succeed Shannon Guilfoyle as Longfellow Elementary principal, according to GFPS.
Erdman brings 11 years of experience in education, all with GFPS.
She served as a classroom teacher, interventionist and administrative intern/student support specialist.
GFH Girls Basketball Coach
The GFPS Athletic Department is recommending Kassie Dixon as the new head girls’ basketball coach at Great Falls High School, pending school board approval.
Dixon will replace Jerry Schmitz, who retired this spring.
Dixon is a Belt Valley High School graduate and was a member of three state championship squads there.
Dixon played twp seasons at Sheridan College before finishing her collegiate eligibility at Black Hills State University in Spearfish, S.D.
For the past four seasons, she has served as the assistant coach in the Bison girls’ program.
Dixon currently teaches advanced placement calculus, anatomy and physiology, and biology at GFH.
“Great Falls High School and the GFPS Athletic Department are excited to provide the opportunity for Kassie to lead the Lady Bison Basketball program. She is a first-class educator and displays a tremendous knowledge and passion for the game of basketball. She is committed to getting the best out of her student-athletes and providing a meaningful
experience that develops strong and confident young women,” Mike Henneberg, GFPS athletic director, said in a release.
Great Falls Children’s Receiving Home donation
Customers at both Crooked Tree Coffee locations can choose to make a small donation when they check out, with all of those contributions going directly to a featured nonprofit.
The organization rotates throughout the year and from January through April, Crooked Tree facilitated donations to support the Great Falls Children’s Receiving Home, which is celebrating 60 years of service in the community this year.
During that time, Crooked Tree customers collectively contributed $1,878 through in-store donations.
“This really speaks to the kind of community we live in,” Leah McCloskey, Crooked Tree co-owner, said in a release. “Our customers care deeply, and when they’re given a simple opportunity to give, they consistently show up in a big way.”
The funds will help provide more than a month’s worth of meals at the receiving home, according to the nonprofit.
Touro leadership
Dr. Michael Carr has been appointed the inaugural campus provost of Touro University Montana and Dr. Thomas Miller named Interim Associate Dean of Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine.
As campus provost, Carr will executive leadership for academic programs, strategic planning, and community partnerships, supporting Touro’s continued growth in Montana and its mission to address regional workforce and healthcare needs, according to Touro.
Carr has more than two decades of experience in higher education leadership. Most recently, he served as provost at North Park University in Chicago.
He was a professor of biology with a research focus on gene regulation during embryonic development and he served on the Illinois Biotechnology Science Education Advisory Board.
Miller previously served as the chair of Primary Care at TouroCOM Montana.
The Montana native attended the College of Great Falls, now the University of Providence, before pursuing a medical degree, according to Touro.
Great Falls Animal Shelter
The Great Falls Animal Shelter is hosting Bark in the Park on May 23 at the Great Falls Voyagers game.
The game begins at 6:30 p.m. at Voyagers Stadium, at 1015 25th St. N.
General admission tickets are $12 and dogs get in free.
Dogs attending the game must remain leashed and under control at all times. Water and relief areas will be available throughout the evening to help everyone enjoy a safe and fun night at the ballpark.
Tickets must be purchased directly through the Great Falls Animal Shelter for proceeds to benefit the shelter and Every Paw Counts.
A shelter employee, Tiffany Staigmiller, is completing her animal chaplaincy certification in June and has developed a capstone project that invites the community into this work of compassion and remembrance.
Throughout May, the shelter will host a Pet Memorial Tree, where community members are invited to honor beloved pets by writing their names on rainbow tags and placing them on the tree. The display will be available during regular shelter hours.
A community remembrance gathering will be held on June 9 at 6 p.m. at the Gibson Park garden archway in recognition of World Pet Memorial Day, offering a brief and inclusive opportunity for quiet reflection and remembrance.
For questions regarding the Pet Memorial Tree or remembrance gathering, contact the Great Falls Animal Shelter at 406-454-2276 or at gfanimalshelter@greatfallsmt.gov.
Got a business bite? Email it to jenn@theelectricgf.com with ‘business bite’ in the subject line and details in text form in the body of the email.
