Community Briefs: Tip-A-Cop in Helena, historic walking tours, Marcus Daly rides again, and more

On Tuesday, Aug. 11, law enforcement statewide will participate in Tip-A-Cop at MacKenzie River locations around Montana, including Helena's.

In an effort to raise awareness and funds for Special Olympics Montana, law enforcement officers and athletes will be on-site as "celebrity servers," delivering great food and education on the Special Olympics movement, a press release states. 

All tips and donations collected at the event benefit Special Olympics Montana in their local communities and across the state. The organization provides year-round sports training and athletic competition to over 5,000 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Montana. 

Historic walking tours continue in August

The City of Helena/Lewis and Clark County Heritage Tourism Council (HTC) and the Lewis and Clark County Historical Society are continuing to host summer historic walking tours on Sunday afternoons in August at 4 p.m.

"Mansions & Millionaires, Helena's West Side Neighborhood" features Montana's largest concentration of architecturally significant historic residences. Meet at the corner of Madison and Stuart streets. The cost is $5 per person, with free admission for children. Wear comfortable shoes, a hat and sunblock, and bring water. No reservations are required. 

Tours may be canceled at the discretion of the volunteer guide due to inclement weather such as extreme heat, high winds, thunderstorms and lightning, or unhealthy air quality due to wildfire smoke. 

For more information, contact Kathy Macefield, historic preservation assistant, at 316 N. Park Ave., Helena MT 59624, by email at kmacefield@lccountymt.gov, or by phone at 406-447-8342.

Marcus Daly rides again in Helena

Copper King Marcus Daly will come to life at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 11, at the Lewis and Clark County History Center, 618 Helena Ave., in downtown's Steamboat Block. 

Helena author Brenda Wahler will give a presentation on Daly's Montana empires. Daly was an important figure in the life of Helena, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars attempting to block Helena from becoming the state capital, a press release from the Lewis and Clark County Historical Society says. 

In her new book, "Marcus Daly's Montana Empires," Wahler explores this Montana character in depth. 

Admission, parking and refreshments are free. 

Historic preservation nominations open

The Helena/Lewis and Clark County Heritage Tourism Council (HTC) is seeking nominations for the 2026 Historic Preservation awards to be presented this fall. 

The deadline to submit nominations is 5 p.m. on Aug. 28. Nominations must state why this person/building should receive a historic preservation award. Pictures are requested and additional materials may be submitted, a press release from HTC states. 

Nomination forms may be found at www.lccountymt.gov/files/assets/county/historic-preservation-commission/documents/preservation_awards_nomination_form.pdf. 

HTC is a volunteer advisory board to the Helena City Commission and Lewis and Clark County Board of Commissioners. It typically meets the third Tuesday of the month in the City-County Building, 316 N. Park Ave., and on Zoom. 

For more information, email Kathy Macefield at kmacefield@lccountymt.gov or call the HTC office at 406-447-8342. 

Public invited to review Long Range Transportation Plan

The Greater Helena Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) invites community members to review draft recommendations for the region's Long Range Transportation Plan and help determine which projects should be prioritized for funding over the next 20 years. 

Here are a couple opportunities for community members to weigh in:

Pop-up events:

• Helena Farmers' Market, Saturday, Aug. 8, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• East Helena Farmers' Market, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 3-6 p.m.

In-person open houses:

• Lewis & Clark Library Community Room, 120 S. Last Chance Gulch, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Helena Civic Center ballroom, 340 Neill Ave., Thursday, Aug. 13, 3:30-6:30 p.m.

The pop-up events offer a quick, convenient way for residents to learn more about the plan and share feedback, while the open houses feature more detailed displays and maps. Members of the planning organization will be available to answer questions. There won't be a formal presentation, so attendees can drop in any time during the listed hours. 

There will also be a virtual open house from Aug. 1 through Aug. 31 at greaterhelenampo.com/LRTP.  

Feedback gathered through this outreach effort will directly inform how recommendations are prioritized in the final LRTP, which will be released for a formal public comment period later this fall. Interested community members can subscribe to email updates to be notified when the draft plan is released at greaterhelenampo.com/Plans/LRTP/PUBLIC-ENGAGEMENT. 

"These recommendations represent months of analysis and community input, but the next step, deciding what gets prioritized, is where public voice matters most," said Ty Weingartner, MPO manager. "We want to hear directly from the community about what is needed most urgently." 

City plans street maintenance

The city of Helena Streets team will close North Lamborn Street from 11th Avenue to East Broadway for asphalt maintenance Aug. 11-13 and Aug. 18 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

No on-street parking or through traffic will be allowed in the work zone during this period. Businesses and residents may experience delays. Consider alternate routes if possible. The work is weather dependent. 

Call 4060447-1566 with questions or concerns. 

Registration opens for food, agriculture summit

Registration is now open for the 2026 Governor's Summit on Montana Food and Agriculture, the Grow Montana Food Policy Coalition recently announced. 

The summit, hosted by the coalition in partnership with the Montana Department of Agriculture and the governor's office, will be held Oct. 23-24 in Helena. 

“Montana agriculture thrives when the industry unites around a shared goal,” said Jillien Streit, director of the Montana Department of Agriculture. “And when we gather as an industry to collaborate, we strengthen our entire agricultural ecosystem.”

This will be the first summit in a decade and aims to gather Montanans to design a strategic roadmap toward solving pinch-points in Montana's supply chain, working toward the goal to increase Montana-grown food consumption from 3% to 33% by 2033 (the 33x33 for Montana Initiative), a press release states. 

The two-day Summit features Montana-grown meals, speakers, and regional work sessions focused on identifying gaps and opportunities in distribution, marketing, production, and retailing of Montana grown and produced food.

To register for the summit, visit whova.com/portal/registration/gcVBw6vEIKFnbxQpbAMr/. For more information about the Grow Montana Food Policy Coalition, visit their website at growmt.org.  

St. Peter's to host sports physicals clinic

St. Peter's Health is hosting a walk-in sports physicals clinic for Helena High and Capital High student-athletes on Monday, Aug. 10 at HHS from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The cost is $25 per physical, either cash or check. 

Sports physicals are required for all student-athletes by the Montana High School Association. Please bring the completed Updated MHSA Pre-Participation Physical Exam Form. 

For questions, Helena High students should contact Paul Cullen at pcullen@helenapublicschools.org. Capital High students with questions should contact Shawn Ruff at sruf@helenapublicschools.org.

Taste the foods that shaped the governor's table in Helena

Come sample a Taste of History through the foods that shaped the governor's table in Helena with a daylong experience put on by The Extreme History Project on Saturday, Aug. 8, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Original Governor's Mansion, 304 N. Ewing St.

In a state with a working-class background, Montana governors often struggled to meld the gravitas of office with their roots as everyday folks, and this this exploration of foodways aims to trace that conflict, according to a press release from the Extreme History Project.

Participants will compare the foods of 1800s Montana with more recent culinary traditions, especially through the tenure of Elsie Jones, the longest-known state employee in Montana history who was born in 1912 and spent over 40 years preparing food for functions in the official residence of the governor beginning in the 1940s. The day will begin with an homage to Jones' Yugoslavian heritage before exploring the wonders of processed foods like gelatin that American cooks of the 1950s embraced. 

Taste of History is a collaboration between Dr. Jennifer Hill — professor, historian, author — and Crystal Alegria, director of The Extreme History Project and documentary filmmaker, along with chef and culinary creator Anza Jensen. The remaining 2026 schedule for the series includes: Helena, Aug. 8; Butte, Aug. 21; and Billings, Sept. 24. 

The cost for each experience is $75 for Extreme History members and $80 for nonmembers. 

For more information or to register for the Helena Taste of History, go to www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/a-taste-of-history-helena, visit Extreme History Project's website at extremehistoryproject.org, or contact Alegria at crystal@extremehistoryproject.org or Hill at jhill@montana.edu.

Final Pow Wow Taco Feed fundraiser coming up

The final Last Chance Community Pow Wow's weekly summer Taco Feed Fundraiser will be held on Saturday, Aug. 8, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Women's Park. 

All proceeds from the event featuring frybread, pow wow tacos, drumming, singing and dancing will benefit the 27th annual Last Chance Community Pow Wow coming up in Helena on Sept. 25-27 at the Lewis and Clark County Fairgrounds. The money raised helps keep the pow wow free and open to everyone. 

The theme for this year's pow wow is "Honor the Children." More information is available at lastchancepowwow.com/pow-wow/. 

St. Peter's Family Fun Fest

St. Peter's Health is holding its Family Fun Fest on Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Centennial Park and the Great Northern Town Center. 

Billed as Helena's premier health and wellness event for children and families, the free event will begin with a 1-mile kids fun run and continue with educational booths, interactive games, prizes, community resources and family-friendly activities designed to make learning about health lifestyles fun and engaging, a news release from St. Peter's states.

“Our mission is to help improve the health of our communities and partnerships like this help make that possible,” said Amy Emmert, senior director of population health at St. Peter’s Health. 

Intrepid Credit Union is the presenting sponsor for this year’s event and has committed to continue its sponsorship through 2030.

To learn more and register, visit sphealth.org/family-fun-fest. Registration is required to participate.

AARP Driver Safety classes

AARP Driver Safety is holding classes in Helena at the Disability Rights Montana Building at 1022 Chestnut St., a news release states.

Participants will receive updates on the rules of the road and learn driving strategies to adapt to the effects of aging and to reduce chances of having a crash. This 4.5-hour course was developed for participants age 50-plus, but is open to all ages. The fee is $25 ($20 with AARP Membership Card). Auto insurance companies in Montana provide a multi-year discount to participants 55 years of age and older. Here are the remaining classes scheduled:

• Friday, Sept. 11, 11 a.m. to about 3:30 p.m.
• Monday, Oct. 19, 11 a.m. to about 3:30 p.m.
• Friday, Nov. 20, 11 a.m. to about 3:30 p.m.

To register for a class call (406) 457-4712. Find additional classes at aarp.org/driversafety

Lewis and Clark County board vacancies

The Lewis and Clark County Commission is seeking interested citizens to serve on the following boards:

• Airport Authority Board
• Augusta Solid Waste Board
• Board of Adjustment
• City-County Parks Board – Lincoln Representative
• Fairgrounds Advisory Board
• Forestvale Cemetery Board
• Forestvale Historic Preservation Committee
• Human Services Task Force
• Lewis and Clark County DUI Task Force
• Lincoln Parks Board
• Lincoln Solid Waste District Board
• Mosquito District Board –Helena Valley, Craig/Wolf Creek
• Noxious Weed Board – Augusta, Wolf Creek, Birdseye
• Open Lands Citizens Advisory Committee
• Planning and Zoning Commission SZD# 34
• Scratchgravel Solid Waste District

Applications are available at http://www.lccountymt.gov/Government/Commission/Boards or by calling 447-8378 and can be submitted to the Commissioner’s Office, 316 N. Park Ave., Room 345, Helena, MT 59623. All positions are open until filled. The required advertisement period is 30 days, at which time applicants for new listings will be reviewed.

Nar-Anon Family Group meets

The Helena Nar-Anon Family Group is a 12-step support group for friends and family of someone who has experienced drug addiction.

The group meets 5:30-6:30 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays at Susanna’s Place, 512 Logan St. next to St. Paul’s United Methodist Church.

Contact helenanaranon@gmail.com for more information.