🌱 Missoula Unhoused Crisis And Concerns + Upcoming DIY Music Festival

Hello again, neighbors! I'm back with your fresh copy of the Missoula Patch newsletter. Let's get this Thursday started off right with a quick dive into the most important things happening in town these days.

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Now, your local weather:

• Thursday: Partly sunny and warmer. High: 77 Low: 48.
• Friday: A shower and thunderstorm. High: 77 Low: 53.

From our sponsor:

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Here are the top three stories today in Missoula:

1. In the wake of the homelessness state of emergency declared by Mayor Jordan Hess on Jun. 9, EMTs in Missoula are speaking out in regard to the seriousness of the situation. According to one first responder, roughly ten percent of EMT calls are now coming from the Poverello Center and the homeless encampments in its vicinity. (NBC Montana)
2. Guitarist Sam Kaley of Night Witch organized a DIY festival called Microfest at Mobash Skatepark after receiving an overwhelming response from 20 bands wanting to participate. With only four weeks to plan, Kaley and vocalist Dave Jones selected 13 bands, most of which are from Montana, to perform on an ad hoc stage. The festival aims to revive the DIY concert scene in Missoula and may become an annual or semi-annual event if successful. (Montana Free Press)
3. Ahead of primaries in September, the upcoming Missoula mayoral election still looks to be competitive, but candidates Mike Nugent and Jordan Hess are fundraising leaders as of the most recent filing period which closed Jun. 15. Nugent, who currently sits on the city council, has raised over $60,000 so far, with roughly $40,000 of that coming from within the most recent filing. Nugent's lead looks to be a new record, surpassing former Mayor John Engen who held the prior record from totals in 2021. (KPAX News)

Today and tomorrow in Missoula:

Thursday, June 22

• Saunter with a Naturalist At Council Grove State Park (10:00 AM)
• West African Dance Class With Oumar Keita & Djebe Bara At The Barn Movement Studio (6:00 PM)

Friday, June 23

• Forest Ecology Primer At The Montana Natural History Center (11:00 AM)
• Missoula Children's Theatre "Sleeping Beauty" At The Missoula Community Theatre (4:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Montana State University is proud to announce that it awarded 1,623 undergraduate degrees and 433 graduate degrees at the 138th commencement held on May 12! (Montana State University via Instagram)
• KPAX is looking back on the Missoula Pride parade and block party that brought thousands of people in the community together in the event's second year. You can learn about Missoula Pride here. (KPAX)
• Destination Missoula is reminding you, and potential visitors, what a beautiful place Missoula is! To Celebrate 20 years they have curated a list of "20 favorite things to do in and around town." (Destination Missoula via Instagram)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Thursday. I'll see you around!

— Amy Mayo

About me: Amy Mayo is a writer, visual artist, and political scientist, living in the NC Research Triangle. She graduated from the University of North Carolina Asheville with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and has worked in a variety of fields outside of copywriting including policy advocacy, the healthcare industry and pharmaceuticals, and education. She hopes one day to live up to the stringent expectations of her cat, Morty.