Good morning, it’s JoVonne here with your dose of Helena This Week. In this issue, we list several opportunities to share your opinions on city transportation, and East Helena is serving up some grub with the final summer food truck festival this week. I also got to speak with some mura l artists working on Rodney Street, and in our featured story, I break down the public safety levy spending. But first, a weather preview ☀️ This week, we are starting off pretty hot with a Monday high of 91 degrees, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Julianna Glinskas. Tuesday’s temperatures will be in the high 80s, while Wednesday will reach a high of 84 degrees. Overnight lows will hover in the mid 50s. Helena is still expected to experience poor air quality from surrounding wildfires, so those who are sensitive to smoke are encouraged to stay indoors as much as possible and avoid outdoor activities. Breaking it down Helena’s third fire station is under construction in this photo taken July 15, 2026. Credit: Lauren Miller, Montana Free Press, CatchLight Local/Report for America Last month, we published an update on the upcoming public safety levy, specifically when the vote will be held and how much money the Helena City Commission tentatively plans to ask voters to approve. The purpose of the levy, pending voter approval, is to fund the hiring of additional firefighters and police officers. Currently, city officials say, neither department can keep up with the service needs of a growing Helena. I was reading some of our readers’ comments on the Facebook post for that story and saw a question I’m pretty sure I can help answer: what would the total levy of about $5.3 million actually fund? Before I get into the details, I’d like to note that this reporting was based on information provided by both the fire and police departments to the commission back in June. Additionally, the city commission has yet to officially hold a roll-call vote on a resolution calling for a levy election, which is expected to occur later this month. That said, this is what $5.3 million would pay for: Of the total funding request, about $3.7 million is needed for the Helena Fire Department, according to the funding option the commission tentatively agreed on. That would pay for 21 additional firefighters. Specifically, that amount would allow the HFD to hire 19 firefighters at an annual salary and benefits cost of $149,047 each. The funding will also cover a fire captain position with an annual personnel cost of $174,151 and a lieutenant position with an annual personnel cost of $161,558. With all 21 new firefighters, the cost is $3,167,602. Adding $521,558 for items such as safety equipment, uniforms, administrative needs and training brings the total to $3,689,160. Former Fire Chief Jon Campbell previously told the commission that, with current staffing, the department does not have enough personnel to operate the third fire station set to open next spring. That leaves the remaining $1.69 million allocated to the police department, which will fund nine positions, including four patrol officers, two community resource officers, who act as a referral source for citizens seeking services, and two detectives, at an annual cost of $130,337 per position. Additionally, funds would cover the cost of one crash investigator position at $100,189 annually. The nine positions total $1,142,885, and additional equipment costs, for items such as uniforms, guns, body cameras, radios and vehicles, total $555,508, bringing us to $1,698,393. Police Chief Brett Petty said at a June city meeting that, even though the police department doesn’t have a large staffing gap like the fire department, it still needs additional officers to support its criminal investigations division and the 28,000 service calls it receives a year. Currently, the Helena Police Department has 28 officers to respond to calls for service. The Helena Fire Department has 33 firefighters. Eye on Helena 👀 In our last issue, I wrote up a QA with Erik Vilen, the president of the Helena National Veterans Rodeo, and he told me about connecting veterans where they’re at with the resources they need. While we did not cover the event, Vilen graciously supplied us with photos of the rodeo. Here is a favorite: Attendees stand for the National Anthem during Helena’s inaugural veterans rodeo at the Lewis and Clark fairgrounds on Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026. Credit: Eli Williamson Public Notice 🧐 MPO Transportation open houses ℹ️ There are quite a few opportunities for the public to check out our local metropolitan planning organization’s transportation recommendations this week. The MPO team is hosting three open houses for folks to see how our area’s transportation needs are shaping up. 📍+🗓️+⏰ East Helena Farmers’ Market, Aug. 11, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Lewis Clark Library, Aug. 12, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Helena Civic Center, Aug. 13, from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.🔗 For those who can’t make any of these events, the MPO team also has a virtual open house you can check out anytime through the end of August. More opioid money available for area grants ℹ️ About $195,500 is available for grants from the Montana Opioid Abatement Trust. Local organizations can apply for funds to support projects that are specially aimed at reducing opioid-related harm and help with addiction prevention, treatment and recovery. So far, 12 programs in the area have been approved for funding.🗓️ Deadline for fall grant applications is Sept. 1📍 Organizations within Lewis and Clark County🔗 Those interested in applying can visit the city website for additional details. Lamborn Street closure ℹ️ The city is closing the street for asphalt maintenance work, and on-street parking and through-traffic are prohibited in the area, according to a city press release. Residents should anticipate delays. 🗓️ Aug. 11 through Aug. 13 and again on Aug. 18.⏰ 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.📍 A portion of Lamborn Street, between 11th Avenue and Broadway Street. Glad You Asked, Helena 🙋 Have a question about Helena, let us know! Helena Happenings 🗓️ Food scene: It’s your last chance to check out the East Helena food truck festival this summer. The fest will be at Main Street Park Thursday, Aug. 13, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Enjoy local eats and free music before the summer wraps up. Arts Culture: If you don’t mind a nice drive through the mountains, the Sculpture in the Wild summer series in Lincoln is held every Saturday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., through Sept. 5. Families can stroll through the free outdoor sculpture exhibits and experience live music in a unique venue. About Town 🚶 Murals fill the side of Rodney Street’s probation and parole building on Monday, Aug. 3. Credit: JoVonne Wagner Last Monday, I was driving up Rodney Street on my way to the courthouse and noticed two artists working on new murals on the side of the probation and parole office building. The two artists, Nic Hareland and Rachael Marjamaa, with the help of a city public arts grant, have put their own touch on beautifying the city. Hareland, a Missoula tattoo artist who goes by the online handle lordfudge333, told me in a Tuesday phone call (after I introduced myself and snapped a few photos of his progress) that this was his first mural in three years. He said he was injured and hasn’t been able to do bigger projects like this in a while. “I love being back on the walls,” Hareland said. “Working on a large scale is just so fun, and interacting with the community is very interesting.” His mural, the middle one in the photo above, is named “Balance of Nature,” depicting two pigeons and a peregrine falcon. He said he wanted to portray surviving in nature. “Every day is kind of a fight and struggle for some animals,” he explained. “Whether it be on the hunting aspect of trying to gather food or just on the survival and trying not to be eaten.” Marjamaa, a ceramist and muralist from Butte, also stayed with the animal theme, but with a bit of a Rodney Street tie. Her mural shows rabbits, which she understands Rodney is known for. Coincidentally, Marjamaa has done plenty of rabbit-inspired art and has quite a few murals around the state, which is how the Rodney Arts District found her. “I think they must have seen my large-scale rabbit mural because they wanted to create a mural celebrating the rabbits that used to run wild around the neighborhood,” Marjamaa said. Butte artist Rachael Marjamaa works on her mural “Rodney Rabbits” Monday, Aug. 3, 2026. Credit: JoVonne Wagner / MTFP Whether rabbits or pigeons, Rodney Street keeps getting more colorful, thanks to public art. “These projects are my bread and butter,” Marjamaa told me. “As an artist, it is really exciting to get into a museum or into a permanent collection, but I just love public art because it’s so accessible; even if you don’t have the time to go to a museum, you can drive by on your way to work.” The post Where $5.3 million goes in funding police and firefighters appeared first on Montana Free Press. ...read more read less