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5/16/2025
Missoula This Week is reported and written By Katie Fairbanks. Send your Missoula news and tips to kfairbanks@montanafreepress.org.
Grant cut for mentioning vaccine hesitancy despite different focus
The federal government in March canceled a $385,000 grant it awarded to a University of Montana vaccine epidemiologist and associate professor for vaccine research.
The National Institutes of Health canceled 40 grants that mentioned vaccine hesitancy to reduce government spending related to projects that dont align with its goals, . Despite not focusing on hesitancy but on how to improve vaccine access for rural children, UM researcher Sophia Newcomer lost her grant.
This is important research because Montana is medically underserved, Newcomer told 勛圖窪蹋.
Newcomers grant emphasized understanding how researchers can educate people on vaccine research.
Without this research, there will be fewer opportunities to identify how to improve immunization services, she said.
Researchers have noticed the decline, including in Newcomers Team Vaccine research lab. The grant cut affected two of the five jobs within her lab; Newcomers data analyst and doctoral student had to find new projects, and she couldnt hire a new doctoral student for fall 2025. Team Vaccine focuses on data analysis and innovative ways to measure vaccination rates across the U.S.
Most of the country wants to get vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The new administration has made that difficult, especially for rural populations, who are most at risk for being unvaccinated, because researchers cant use key phrases, including vaccine hesitancy, that they could before, Newcomer said. Montana, like other states with high rural populations, has lower vaccination rates than the national average, according to a December 2024 CDC study.
Newcomers research focuses on improving ways to measure childhood vaccination rates. She uses data collected by the CDC to analyze when children get vaccines. Newcomer said knowing when a child should get vaccinated helps ensure they have the correct immunizations. Helping medical professionals understand vaccine technology will strengthen health systems, Newcomer said.
If doctors and nurses dont have the right data, they cant recommend the right vaccine at the right time, she said. This is a continued challenge, especially in underserved communities.
Stephanie Lathrop, a senior scientist in the Center for Translational Medicine at UM, works with Newcomer on vaccine development and efficacy. One project Lathrops team focuses on is administering vaccines through a nasal spray. These types of vaccines work best in respiratory illnesses and may reduce vaccine hesitancy because of a fear of needles, Lathrop said.
We are constantly working to improve vaccines to make sure they are as effective as possible, she said.
Newcomer and Lathrop are part of an organization called Montana Families for Vaccines, which advocates at the Montana Legislature.
Our group helps get the word out, so people are educated about the vaccines they use,” Lathrop said. Families need to be able to choose their health care and vaccines.
They opposed House Bill 371, which failed, that called for the prohibition of mRNA vaccines. These vaccines use messenger RNA to make a persons cells create a protein from a virus, sparking an immune system response.
Questioning with an open mind is fine; when people question us to raise concerns unnecessarily and get attention, its not valid questioning, Lathrop said. Its worrisome when people mistrust the experts.
Newcomer said despite the efforts to shut down vaccine research, she will continue promoting access to immunization services. Its normal and encouraged to interrogate vaccine safety and efficacy, but that doesnt mean vaccines arent safe, Newcomer said.
The U.S. should not let its guard down, Newcomer said, because its seeing an increase in vaccine-preventable diseases. A CDC report found that for the first time in 15 years, child deaths from influenza increased in the U.S.
“Were still going to discuss vaccines, Newcomer said. They will continue to be an important tool in medicine.
Lillian Poulsen
Following Up
The Missoula Fire Department is looking to purchase land in Midtown for a new fire station in the next few months, Chief Gordy Hughes said Wednesday.
During an update to the Missoula City Council, Hughes said the study presented in January concluded that the best location for a new station would be in the western part of the city, near the intersection of South Third Street and Curtis Street.
Hughes said the previous discussion of how the study took into account the Missoula Rural Fire Departments station and possible move muddied the water regarding the reasoning for the proposed station six location. While its important to consider the rural districts response in the citys fringe areas because the agencies have a mutual-aid agreement, the Missoula department is struggling to meet national standards north of the Clark Fork River and in Midtown, Hughes said.
We did have to look at the Missoula Rural Fire Department in those respects because of that large chunk of call volume that they pick up on our behalf with those agreements, he said.
A four-minute travel time is the National Fire Protection Association standard. Currently, the department does not meet that benchmark for about 2,000 addresses in the Franklin to the Fort and River Road neighborhoods, along with addresses on the outer reaches of the city, Hughes said. Locating the new sixth fire station in Midtown will allow the department to respond quicker to those neighborhoods and alleviate the burden on other stations sending engines outside their districts, he said.
The department initially expected to build a new fire station further north, potentially on West Broadway, in anticipation of growth along Mullan Road, Hughes said. The location of the citys most recent fire station, built in 2007 in the Linda Vista neighborhood, was chosen to plug a gap in an area of projected growth, Hughes said. The station is the departments least active, and although call volume is creeping up, it is not an ideal location to help balance response citywide, he said.
Hughes said that while data shows that a new station on West Broadway would help respond to new growth, it would leave the large area in the Franklin to the Fort neighborhood with below-standard response times.
Council Member Mirtha Becerra, who represents the northwestern part of the city, voiced concerns that a station located in Midtown wouldnt address the growth in the Sx妢tpqyen area west of Reserve Street.
Hughes said a station in the heart of the city will free up more than 2,000 calls that station four is responding to now, allowing it to provide more reliable service to the Mullan Road area.
Hughes told MTFP the department is looking for a location that is at least two acres, which is uncommon in the area. Hughes said he plans to get approval from the mayor to move forward with purchasing a site, ideally before he retires at the end of June.
By the Numbers
The number of people who have secured housing so far as part of the citys effort to permanently house as many residents of the Johnson Street homeless shelter as possible before closing it in August. Of those, two have relocated to live with family and three have found housing locally, Emily Armstrong, the citys houseless programs manager, told the Missoula City Council on Wednesday.
That number is likely an undercount because the team is working on a data system to track outcomes of the housing sprint more effectively, Armstrong said. Several people are a few steps away from securing housing, she said.
The city has spent about $13,575 from to help 24 people pay for housing applications, rental deposits, food, home furnishings, moving costs, rental assistance and rental arrears, Armstrong said. As of Thursday, the city has raised about $186,000 of its $400,000 goal, according to the United Way of Missoula County, which manages the fund.
During the 11 office hour events held at the shelter since the beginning of April, staff and Housing Advocate Network volunteers have met 257 times with 129 people, Armstrong said.
Its become clear these sessions are really filling a gap in our community for case management, she said. Its a gap weve long known existed since the state made some pretty significant case management cuts in 2017. So this is really serving as light-touch case management, and its happening in real time, which I think speaks to why so many folks are attending and why so many conversations are happening.
Several organizations attend the shelter events, including the Missoula Housing Authority, Homeword, Missoula Food Bank, Montana Job Service and the VA, Armstrong said. The Human Resource Council has helped dozens of people get identification, she said. Only 15 of the 98 people in the citys housing sprint data system have the necessary identifying documents needed to secure housing, Armstrong said.
Eight of the 98 people were veterans, and about 30% identified as Indigenous, Armstrong said. Native Americans represent 6.5% of Montanas population.
On Monday, the Johnson Street shelter hit the cap of 142 people set by the plan to decrease capacity over the next five months, Armstrong said. However, the gate on the property is broken, making it impossible to manage the inflow and outflow of people well enough to implement the bed lottery, she said. The city is working with the property manager to fix the gate.
Public Notice
The citys draft Parks, Recreation, Open Space and Trails 2040 Master Plan is now available for public comment. The plan outlines the communitys priorities for parks and recreation over the next 15 years.
Residents can or at an open house from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday at Goodworks Place, 129 W. Alder St.
The parks and recreation department is also holding drop-in listening sessions at Currents Aquatics Center from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Thursday and 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday, June 2.
Parks staff will also attend the City Chats in the Parks events from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday at Kiwanis Park and on Tuesday, June 3, at McLeod Park.
5 Things to Know in Missoula
The Missoula City Council on Wednesday voted to adopt the for 2025-2028. The plan was developed by a community group including city and county staff, service and health care providers, Missoula residents and people with experience being unhoused with a goal of making homelessness rare, brief and non-recurring. It outlines three primary strategies: right-size the number of beds and services that support housing retention, secure funding for priorities and support increased capacity for providers. Sam Hilliard, the citys coordinated entry specialist, said right-sizing beds includes those available in emergency shelters, rapid rehousing programs, transitional housing, permanent supportive housing and other permanent options. The strategy follows the citys previous 10-year plan, which established the coordinated entry system, which connects homeless people with housing resources and support services, and improved coordination between the city and service providers, Hilliard said. A community coalition to implement the plan will be formed, with the city providing staff support.
About a year since starting the process, the Missoula County Public Schools board on Tuesday passed a new policy regulating student use of smartphones and other electronic devices at school. The policy is more strict than previous rules, but it is not a total ban as some parents pushed for. While it prohibits the use of phones and other devices, like smartwatches and earbuds, during the school day for elementary and middle school students, the rules allow high schoolers to use phones during lunch and passing periods. Students of all ages are not allowed to use phones during instructional time, except for those with medical reasons and prior approval. Middle and high school teachers can request administrator approval to use devices for instruction. Those breaking the rules will have their phones confiscated and returned at the end of the day.
River ambassadors will return to busy access sites this summer after the Missoula County commissioners on Tuesday approved agreements with organizations that help run and fund the program. The program was established in 2021 and typically runs from June to September. The ambassadors will provide information about responsible river recreation and engage river users in conservation and stewardship. The three-year agreement between the county, city, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Associated Students of the University of Montana (ASUM) Transportation, Clark Fork Coalition and Missoula Conservation District outlines the agencies roles in the program. A separate one-year agreement with the Clark Fork Coalition provides up to $50,000 for the nonprofit to hire and oversee the four ambassador positions including $20,000 from the county, $15,000 from the city, $10,000 from FWP and $5,000 from the conservation district. ASUM will operate a free river shuttle this summer after canceling the service last year, according to the university.
Missoula County Public Schools is asking for community input on the best use of the districts 14 unused, underused and vacant properties. The list includes several former elementary schools, the former administration building and other properties. Some buildings are leased out to a variety of tenants, including Missoula Head Start, Friends of the Children and Missoula Child Care Advantage. Last year, the board of trustees contracted with WGM Group to lead the planning process, and a facilities committee of trustees, staff and community partners has met throughout the winter, according to the school district. The planning committee will collect input and make recommendations to the school board this fall. The board will make final decisions about the next steps for the properties. Residents can get and fill out a survey that will close on June 4. The district will hold open houses and community discussions later this summer.
Partnership Health Center and Missoula County are separating, allowing PHC to become a fully independent nonprofit while retaining its status as a federally qualified health center. In 1993, the county applied for a federal grant to establish an FQHC, and PHC began as a volunteer-only organization in the basement of the health department. The connection to the county helped PHC grow and manage administrative functions like HR and finance, according to the clinic. PHC now offers primary medical, dental, behavioral health and pharmacy services to 18,000 patients. The structure of starting within a county government and transitioning to an independent organization is common for FQHCs across the country. This change will not affect taxpayers, as PHC does not use county tax revenue to operate, nor patients, as the clinic has been effectively independent for years. PHC and Missoula County aim to complete the formal separation by the end of 2025.
Happenings
A new exhibition, Outrage: Missing and Murdered Indigenous People in Montana by Irish artist Brian Maguire, opens at the Missoula Art Museum on June 6. The portraits honoring Indigenous lives lost to the MMIP crisis in Montana will be on display through Sept. 13.
For the past five years, Maguire has met with impacted families, listened to their stories and requested a photograph of their loved one, according to a museum press release. From each image, he created two nearly identical portraits: One is gifted to the family, and the other is displayed publicly to raise awareness and honor those who are missing or whose lives were taken too soon.
Fridays opening reception from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. includes a gathering at 6 p.m. to introduce the exhibition with remarks from the artist and welcoming families who have traveled to be part of this event. The museum will host a panel discussion on the issues behind the exhibition moderated by senior