This Week’s Trending Montana Stories: August 16, 2013

Here's a look at some of the biggest stories trending in Montana.

We are still smelling like exhaust and scraping the mud out of our teeth, from the recent demolition derby at the Western Montana Fair. During the fair, yours truly and the tallest DJ in America, were your announcers on the PA. We asked you to text us messages to be read over the speakers. It soon blew up into a frenzy of marriage proposals, song requests and pick up lines. Read more

The answer to this question should be no surprise. Of course Montana is home to one of the top 10 deadliest roads in America. Montana is still wild and untamed compared to most of the United States. Read more

A new fire started today, August 16th, in the Custer and Gallatin National Forests and is called the North Eightmile Fire. A helicopter and smoke jumpers are currently battling the blaze. Read more

Two performances from artists on polar opposite sides of the music spectrum seem to share a common love for our town. Both Cake and Matisyahu left the stage of the Big Sky Brewery clearly impacted by the surroundings that we tend to take for granted. After performing this month at separate shows and winning the hearts of Missoulians with their music, the well-known performers reached out on their social network of choice to pay us back for supporting their shows. Read more

One of the coolest things about working here at the top of the Crowne Plaza is the view of major airliners on approach and then landing at Billings International Airport. Being on the 23rd floor gives us an amazing view of Billings. Read more

It's a phenomenon Missoula Police Chief doesn't understand, that is why reports of sexual assaults have soared since the city signed an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice, who took the city to task on the subject in an investigation that lasted nearly a year. Read more

The 2013 Spruce Moose Festival is coming soon to the venue at 9,000 feet at Big Sky Resort, Friday August 30th and Saturday August 31st. We recently heard of an exciting opportunity to win backstage meet and greet passes with the bands! Read more

Returning for its second year...It's our favorite contest! Moms and Dads, get your entries in for the 2nd annual Crying Babies of Missoula photo contest! Read more

Congrats to little Abigail Edwards, last week's finalist! Now it's time to move into round two of our Crying Babies of Missoula Photo Contest! Vote now for your favorite picture and decide which crying baby should make it to the finals round. Read more

I'm a stats geek. Always have been. Knowing what your town REALLY looks like is interesting and can be an eye opener if you've never bothered to research the details. City-Data is one of my favorite websites to check when I'm researching a town. Read more

Some unattended heavy-duty trucks are being scrutinized on YouTube for releasing toxic fumes into the air near downtown Missoula. Many truckers will idle their trucks while on service calls, a practice commonly used to run air conditioning and other appliances. When I learned about this, the first thing that came to mind was the potentially enormous fuel cost. Still, that doesn't seem to stop the drivers from allowing their engines to run for long periods of time without moving. Read more