🌱 Missoula New Police Chief + Downtown Tonight Returns For The Summer

Hello, friends. It's me, Amy Mayo, your host of the Missoula Patch newsletter — here to impart all the most important things happening in town.

But first, your local weather:

• Saturday: Some rain and a thunderstorm. High: 72 Low: 54.
• Sunday: A stray afternoon t-storm. High: 78 Low: 55.

From our sponsor:

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Here are the top three stories in Missoula today:

1. Missoula Mayor Jordan Hess has appointed Mike Colyer as the new police chief of Missoula. Colyer, a 27-year veteran of the Missoula Police Department, has been serving as interim police chief since March. His official duties as police chief will begin on Jun. 12, pending confirmation by the Missoula City Council. (Montana Right Now)
2. The Downtown Tonight event in Missoula started on Thursday, featuring live music and local food trucks at Caras Park. The event takes place on Thursdays from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. throughout the months of June, July, and August. This year, the addition of the Missoula Makers Collective Market showcases 30 local artists each week. Furthermore, the sister celebration, Out To Lunch, will begin next Wednesday, Jun. 7, at 11:00 a.m. in Caras Park. (NBC Montana)
3. The Missoula Family YMCA held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Phyllis Washington Early Child Center, marking the first phase of construction for the Here for Good campus revitalization project. The construction of the child care center is set to begin on Jun. 19 and is expected to take over two years to complete. Heather Foster, the CEO of Missoula Family YMCA, expressed the organization's commitment to adaptability and addressing emerging community needs, suggesting that this project is just another chapter in the Y's growth and service to the community. (NBC Montana)

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Today and tomorrow in Missoula:

Saturday, June 3

• Missoula Farmers Market At Circle Square (8:00 AM)
• Altered Books For Everyone At Missoula Public Library (2:30 PM)

Sunday, June 4

• Sunday Funday Board Games At Cranky Sam Public House (12:00 PM)
• Pride Kick-Of Party At Zootown Arts Community Center (1:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• For the past two decades, Missoula County has formed a partnership with Empower Montana to foster a more just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive community. This collaboration involves staff training, program collaboration, and guidance aimed at creating positive change. (Missoula County Government via Facebook)
• During Missoula County's public meeting on May 25, the Missoula County commissioners designated Jun. 2 as National Gun Violence Awareness Day. Montana's high suicide rates, with firearms being the most prevalent method used, were highlighted, as they account for 63 percent of completed suicides in the state and 50 percent nationally, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Missoula County Government via Facebook)
• Are you looking to fill your social calendar this weekend? Check out the list of events happening in and around Missoula this weekend at the link! (Destination Missoula)

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Alrighty, you're all caught up for today. See you all soon for another update!

— 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.