September 21, 2026
Fuel prices hit home in Ashland and Lame Deer
Fuel prices are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore in southeastern Montana. Photos taken today at Cheyenne Depot locations show regular gasoline at $4.859 per gallon in Ashland and $4.729 in Lame Deer. Diesel was $6.369 in Ashland and $6.416 in Lame Deer. For comparison, AAA lists Montana’s statewide average today at $4.5904 for regular gasoline and $6.2997 for diesel. AAA says today’s Montana diesel average is the highest statewide average in its historical data. The national averages are $4.4786 for regular and $6.5107 for diesel.
AAA says elevated crude-oil prices and continued volatility affecting global oil markets have helped push pump prices higher in recent weeks. Truth in Focus will continue tracking what those increases mean locally for families, ranchers, commuters, truckers and businesses in rural Montana.
Northern Cheyenne government dispute remains a developing story
Questions remain surrounding Northern Cheyenne tribal governance and upcoming elections. KTVQ reported last week that Tribal President Gene Small closed the tribal building amid a dispute over which council is legally in office and which election will ultimately be recognized. Small told KTVQ that he was seeking clarification from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The dispute follows competing actions by current and former council members and allegations involving federal funds. Truth in Focus is continuing to follow the situation and will report new information as it can be independently verified.
Montana public-records work recognized
The Montana Freedom of Information Coalition has recognized journalist Anna Rau and attorney Kyle Nelson for work supporting public access to government records. Rau’s reporting involved a state fish-contamination report that had not previously been released publicly, while Nelson was involved in court cases concerning access to criminal-court records and documents used in drafting legislation. The coalition has provided open-records and open-meetings assistance in Montana since 1988.
For Truth in Focus, this one matters: public records are one of the basic tools communities have for understanding how decisions are being made and how public money is being used.
FAA rolls out AI-assisted air-traffic management system
The Federal Aviation Administration unveiled a new system today called SMART — Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes and Trajectories. According to the FAA, the system combines roughly 200 data streams, including weather, flight paths, traffic levels and controller staffing, and uses an AI-supported engine to help aviation specialists identify congestion and potential problems. The FAA describes SMART as a decision-support and visualization system used by aviation specialists, rather than an autonomous replacement for air-traffic controllers.
The announcement comes on the same day that a major communications failure at an FAA facility disrupted hundreds of flights in the Northeast, highlighting continuing concerns about the resilience of the nation’s air-traffic infrastructure.
Montana data-center law raises questions about local control
A Montana Free Press investigation published today examines how Montana’s 2025 Right to Compute Act may restrict the ability of counties to regulate large data-center developments. The issue has become particularly significant around a proposed large-scale data center near Broadview, where residents have raised concerns involving water, electricity and local infrastructure. Yellowstone County officials told Montana Free Press they are still trying to determine exactly how much regulatory authority remains available to local government under the state law.
This is another issue Truth in Focus intends to watch closely because large computing projects can affect energy demand, water, taxes, infrastructure and rural communities well beyond the boundaries of an individual development.
What we’re watching
Truth in Focus will continue following local fuel prices, Northern Cheyenne government developments, rural affordability, public records and transparency, data-center development, and other stories affecting eastern Montana communities.
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