A group of Montana students, families and tribes has reached a settlement with the state Office of Public Instruction that’s set to bring closure to a yearslong legal dispute about how the state implements its constitutional requirement to provide Indigenous education.

The settlement, if approved, would resolve a class action lawsuit filed in 2021 in which plaintiffs alleged the state has failed to implement and enforce a constitutional mandate requiring K-12 public education to recognize the “distinct and unique cultural heritage of American Indians.”

In 1999, the state Legislature enacted the Indian Education for All (IEFA) Act to implement that constitutional mandate and require public schools to teach Native American history and culture. Since 2007, the Legislature has appropriated about $3.5 million annually to school districts to fund implementation. According to the IEFA Act, schools are supposed to use the funds to develop curricula, purchase class materials and train teachers.

In 2021, a group of Montana students, families and tribes filed a class action lawsuit against the Office of Public Instruction and the Montana Board of Public Education, alleging that school districts were improperly using funds intended to support IEFA. Tribal plaintiffs include the Fort Belknap Indian Community, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes, Northern Cheyenne Tribe and Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana.

Court documents alleged that in 2019 and 2020, only 10% of Montana school districts could account for their IEFA funding having been spent on appropriate expenses. One school, according to court documents, used some of its IEFA funds to pay a portion of librarian salaries. Other schools allegedly used the funds to purchase books unrelated to Native American culture or history.

A district court judge on Monday preliminarily approved the settlement, which is subject to final court approval after a notice period. The Office of Public Instruction has agreed, in part, to:

1. Use its accreditation system to require districts to provide evidence of IEFA implementation

2. Establish enforcement mechanisms, including a yearly evaluation of at least seven schools’ IEFA expenses and potential funding reductions for noncompliance

3. “Strengthen and formalize” tribal consultation processes

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4. Require schools to report IEFA expenses and publish a list of noncompliant schools

Superintendent of Public Instruction Susie Hedalen wrote in an emailed statement that she is “pleased” an agreement has been reached so “that we can move forward with ensuring every Montana student receives authentic instruction on our state’s tribal nations.”

“The OPI has also launched a new website and professional development portal to house additional IEFA resources for educators and families,” she wrote. “In Montana, we support all students and work to ensure they are seen and supported.”

Michael Dolson, chair of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, described the settlement as “long overdue.”

“This settlement means accountability for implementing that commitment, with real reporting, real curriculum developed with Tribes, and real consequences when schools fail to deliver,” he said in a statement.

In May 2025, the Montana Board of Public Education agreed to a separate settlement in the same lawsuit, by which it agreed to improve content standards, tribal collaboration and teacher training regarding the implementation of IEFA.

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This story was originally published by Montana Free Press and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.

The incident happened on August 24 at about 11.40am on Wykeham Street in Scarborough.

The victim was walking when a dog, without an owner, jumped on her and bit her face, said a spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police. 

The animal then reportedly ran off towards Manor Road.

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The woman needed numerous stitches for her injuries, which are expected to leave permanent scars.

The victim described the dog is described as a husky or malamute type, possibly a puppy, with a black head, mostly brown body, and wearing a black collar.

North Yorkshire Police are appealing for information, particularly if anyone has seen this dog without an owner before or knows who the owner is.

They are also asking for any witnesses or anyone with CCTV footage of the incident to come forward.

Anyone with information is urged to contact North Yorkshire Police online by emailing josh.nolan@northyorkshire.police.uk, visiting the website and selecting ‘Tell us about’, then ‘An existing case or report’, or via live chat, available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Alternatively, information can be given by calling North Yorkshire Police on 101 or anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via their website.

When providing information, please quote reference 12260165486.

Legendary film and TV actor Tim Curry has died at the age of 80.

The star, best known for playing the Dr Frank-N-Furter in cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show, died at his home in Los Angeles last night – his manager confirmed today.

A cause of death was not given, but Curry had been suffering with serious health issues for more than a decade after suffering a stroke in 2012, which left him unable to walk.

His other iconic roles came in films such as Clue, Annie, Spamalot, Home Alone 2 and It.

Despite his wish to avoid being typecast, Curry’s sensational portrayal of the mad ‘transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania’ inevitably defined his career.

A hedonist in heels and fishnets, the deviant doctor was hell-bent on creating the perfect man – and the character railed against the dull all-American teen couple, Janet and Brad.

He played the role for two years – first on stage and then in the film version, released in 1975. 

Curry later went on to join the cast of 1992’s Home Alone 2 – playing Mr Hector, a stuffy and suspicious concierge at the Plaza Hotel in New York.

Between 2004 and 2007, he portrayed King Arthur in the Monty Python musical Spamalot on stage in Chicago, Broadway and the West End. 

The 80-year-old also played the concierge in Home Alone 2 

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Curry in 2016 attending the red carpet premiere of The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Lets Do the Time Warp Again’ at The Roxy in West Hollywood, California 

Some of his stage credits include What About Dick? My Favorite Year and Travesties, among others. 

In 2015, he was honoured with The Actors Fund Lifetime Achievement Award at the Tony Awards Viewing Party in Los Angeles. 

Curry opened up about his wellbeing last year during a special screening marking The Rocky Horror Picture Show’s 50th anniversary. 

Speaking to the audience at LA’s Academy Museum, he said: ‘I still can’t walk, which is why I’m in this silly chair, and that’s very limiting.

‘So, I won’t be singing and I won’t be dancing very soon. I still have real problems with my left leg.’

Since suffering a stroke aged 66, the legendary actor remained largely out of the public eye. 

Born Timothy James Curry in Cheshire, England, in 1946, Curry was the younger child of Patricia, a school secretary, and James, a Royal Navy chaplain. He had an older sister, Judith – a concert pianist, who died in 2001. 

Curry grew up in Plymouth and went to boarding school. Then, in 1958, when he was just 12 years old, he lost his father to pneumonia.

Between 2004 and 2007, Curry played King Arthur in the Monty Python musical Spamalot on stage in Chicago, Broadway and the West End

The actor in costume during the filming of the television mini-series Will Shakespeare at the ATV studios in Elstree, Hertfordshire, in June 1976

Tim Curry in The Rocky Horror Picture Show in 1975

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Despite his wish to avoid being typecast, Curry’s sensational portrayal of the mad ‘transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania’ inevitably defined his career

Curry pictured again in 1975 but without the makeup

The tragedy had a profound impact on his childhood.

Ten years later, the actor watched Judi Dench onstage as Sally Bowles in Cabaret at London’s Palace Theatre, a moment that cemented his ambition to become an actor.

After studying at Birmingham University, he burst onto the West End scene.

One of his early roles was in the original UK production of of the Hair – a hippie musical.

To land the role, he lied to producers about his youth and claimed to have an Equity card – allowing him to bypass union rules that would otherwise have prevented him from being cast.

He fondly remembered the experience of playing Woof, the free-spirited hippie, as ‘liberating’.

Crucially, however, he made firm friends with his co-star Richard O’Brien – who went on the write the role that would define Curry’s career – Dr Frank-N-Furter.

Curry took on the stage role for two years, performing in New York and at the Roxy in Los Angeles. 

For many years, he rarely discussed The Rocky Horror Picture Show, fearing he would forever be cast in similar roles.

He previously recalled the opening night during the show’s Broadway debut as ‘very exciting’ but said the critics were far too harsh.

‘I had to go on the Today Show the next day and they read the reviews, which were appalling,’ he explained. ‘That brought me down. It was very cruel.’

The reviews described his performance as ‘a mixture of Joan Crawford and Burt Lancaster’ and ‘Mick Jagger, David Bowie and Marc Bolan all in one’

In 2011, Curry was scheduled to appear in Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead, but he withdrew from the production at the last minute citing ill health.

Actor and director Patrick Barlow shared a house with Curry while studying at Birmingham University. 

Recalling their student days, he told The Guardian: ‘I remember being amazed by his extraordinary singing voice – it was just completely perfect, just something he was born with – it came ready made.’

Lewis Hanson was blasted to the elbow

A drug dealer was shot by armed police as they swooped on him after carrying out surveillance.

Lewis Hanson, 20, was blasted to the elbow by an armed officer in Whitefield, Bury, after the cop ‘felt compelled’ to discharge his firearm. Police later discovered a converted gun in a flat in Radcliffe where Hanson stored cocaine and cannabis for onward sale.

Previously, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it has launched an investigation into the firearms operation which ended in Hanson being shot.

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During a sentencing hearing today, (August 26) Manchester Crown Court heard that Hanson, now 20, has been dealing cannabis since the age of 14, and had been trying to sell the gun prior to its seizure.

He will learn his fate tomorrow (August 27) after pleading guilty to drug and firearms charges. Another man, Paul Houghton, 40, who allowed Hanson to use his flat to store the drugs, was handed a suspended prison sentence.

Prosecuting, Caleb Suggitt said that police had been carrying out observations of Hanson, who was driving a white Cupra Ateca, on May 22 this year.

He was seen visiting flats on Chapelfield in Radcliffe, Bury, in particular a flat owned by Paul Houghton. Hanson used the flat to store cocaine and cannabis before selling it on at street level.

Mr Suggitt said that police stopped Hanson’s cat at 3.10pm at the junction of Bury New Road and Chestnut Avenue in Whitefield. The prosecutor said that during the course of Hanson’s detention, ‘one of the attending armed officers felt compelled to discharge his firearm’.

He was shot to the elbow and was rushed to the Manchester Royal Infirmary. Following searches of Hanson’s car and the flat, police seized £3,520 worth of drugs. They also found a gun in a bedroom in the flat.

It was found to be a Retay 17 blank firing pistol, similar in design to a Glock 17. It was manufactured in Turkey as a blank firing pistol, but had been converted to discharge live rounds, although the weapon was found not to be able to self load.

Police also searched the home where Hanson lived with his mother. Officers found two black face coverings, an anti-spy radio detector, described as being a ‘portable device designed to locate hidden microphones, wireless cameras, and GPS trackers by scanning for radio frequencies’, as well as a lock knife.

Officers also seized a Gucci sweatshirt with the £1,150 price tag still attached. Receipts relating to the purchase of designer clothing worth just over £1,000 were also discovered.

The seizure of a mobile phone provided evidence of Hanson having sold cannabis ‘in every year from 2020 when he was just 14 years of age, to the date of his arrest when he was 20’, Mr Suggitt told the court. He said his involvement was shown over 29 individual months between that period.

Mr Suggitt also said that messaging showed Hanson was speaking about thousands of pounds in conversations. He said voice notes were recovered, recorded in the days prior to Hanson’s arrest, which revealed Hanson was trying to sell a firearm.

The court heard this was the same gun which was seized from Houghton’s flat. Further phone evidence showed that Houghton became involved through being a customer of Hanson’s.

Houghton told Hanson the flat was vacant because he was living elsewhere with his partner. Houghton was arrested at an address in Radcliffe on May 26.

Defending Hanson, Mark Friend said the defendant questioned ‘whether there was a need’ for him to be shot by police during the course of his arrest. But he said Hanson pleaded guilty which he argued was evidence of ‘remorse and contrition’.

“He knows he did wrong, he knows there are consequences for that and he will accept them,” Mr Friend said. “None of the offences to which Mr Hanson has pleaded guilty do him any credit at all.”

Mr Friend said that Hanson came to deal drugs after initially becoming a user. He said another person was involved in Hanson’s bid to ‘make a profit’ selling the gun, which the barrister argued showed Hanson was not high up the chain.

Mr Friend claimed Hanson has not received the physiotherapy that he was told he needed following his injury, while on remand in prison. Hanson had ‘left his family down’, Mr Friend said. “He wears that burden very heavily indeed,” he added.

Dan Gaskell, for Houghton, said the defendant was not ‘exploited’ but was offered the opportunity to obtain ‘free cocaine’ from his involvement. He said Houghton works full time as a roofer and has stayed out of trouble for long periods.

Hanson, of Parr Lane, Bury, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of a class B drug, conspiracy to sell a prohibited weapon, possessing a prohibited firearm, possessing ammunition without a firearm certificate, possession of a class A drug with intent to supply, and possession of a class B drug with intent to supply. He will be sentenced tomorrow (August 27).

Houghton, of Roch Crescent, Whitefield, pleaded guilty to permitting his premises to be used for the sale of class A and class B drugs. He was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for two years. He was ordered to complete a three month alcohol treatment programme, 40 hours of unpaid work and five rehabilitation activity requirement days.

The IOPC released a statement in the aftermath of the incident. It read: “The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has begun an investigation into a Greater Manchester Police (GMP) firearms operation in which a man was shot.

It happened in Bury New Road, Whitefield, at 3pm on Friday 22 May during a policing operation in which officers attempted to stop a vehicle. During the incident, the driver of the car was shot in the arm by a GMP officer and suffered a broken elbow. The injured person, a man aged 20, was the car’s sole occupant.

“We have verified that one of the officers discharged a single shot during the incident, causing the injury, while another single shot was fired shortly afterwards by another officer to deflate a tyre on the vehicle.

“GMP referred the matter to us shortly after the incident, and we declared an independent investigation at 6.57pm that day. Our investigators attended the scene of the shooting to preserve evidence, plus the post-incident procedures (PIP) where the firearms officers involved in the operation gave their initial accounts of what happened. We have secured two police firearms for examination and officers’ body worn video recovered and viewed.”

Emergency services were called to Tindale Crescent just before 8pm on Tuesday (August 25).

 One person was taken to University Hospital of North Durham for further treatment.

A North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) spokesperson said: “We were called to a road traffic incident on Tindale Crescent in Bishop Auckland on Tuesday, August 25 at 7.53pm.

“We dispatched one ambulance crew and one clinical team leader to the incident. One patient was taken to University Hospital of North Durham for further treatment.”

Durham Police said the road was closed while the vehicle was recovered.

A force spokesperson said: “We were called to reports of a one car collision on Tindale Crescent, Bishop Auckland, shortly before 8pm on Tuesday, August 25.

“The road was closed for a short time while the vehicle was recovered.”

The road has since reopened.

Dolly Parton, a country music icon whose career spanned generations and genres, had a transcendent global appeal. Born in Appalachia, she became a celebrated entertainer, businesswoman and philanthropist during her 80 years on Earth. Test how much you know about the Queen of Country Music.

A child is among two people who were killed in a house fire in Middlesbrough, in what is feared to be a gangland revenge attack linked to the youths who died in the A66 crash. 

Two men, aged 23 and 31, have been arrested on suspicion of murder following the blaze in Grangetown, which unfolded close to the site of the collision. 

Detectives are not ruling out a link between the two incidents, and said this afternoon that they ‘cannot rule out any links to wider organised crime at this time’. 

Officers were called to the house at 5.23am where two people, including one child, were confirmed dead after the blaze, which destroyed the roof of the house.

Another woman is at Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle in a critical condition and a further three people were being treated in hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.

Redcar and Cleveland local policing commander, Superintendent Emily Harrison, said while they are still working to establish the circumstances of what happened, they ‘cannot rule out any links to wider organised crime’. 

Residents who woke up after the fire took hold revealed some occupants managed to escape. One said: ‘Some people got out, and a few people did not. It’s tragic.’

Paramedics, firefighters and gas engineers were also gathered outside the house in eastern Middlesbrough, just a mile from the fatal crash. Police said the scene has yet to be fully examined.

Ciara Randle, ten, who lives near the property and spoke with her mother’s permission, said: ‘I woke up to screaming, dogs barking and sirens, very early. The sun had only just come up. I told my mum as soon as we got up.

Fire crews investigate following the fire in Grangetown, only around a mile from the A66 crash

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The roof of the home was destroyed in today’s fire, although the property itself did not collapse

Two people died following the major fire at around 5am this morning

Police officers patrol the scene this morning following the residential fire in Grangetown

Cleveland Fire Brigade was called at 5.23am today to the incident in Grangetown

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‘We realised there had been a fire. We’re very shocked. The fire had been put out by then, but there was smoke, and the house was smouldering.’

Her mother Theresa Randle, 42, a carer, added: ‘We don’t know the people in the house very well, but we say hello to them. The poor family. We feel so sad for them.

‘By the time we got up, the fire had been put out. We don’t know what happened. It’s a tragedy, especially so soon after the crash at the weekend.’

Firefighters damped down the smoking roof of the home, and a ladder was propped against a rear upstairs window. 

Another neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: ‘My daughter heard shouting and screaming this morning. The dogs were barking.’

A 20-year-old woman described how residents tried to rescue the occupants from the blazing house.

Ellie, who declined to give her surname, said: ‘I ran down the road screaming. I have lost my voice now. The entire house was scorching. I couldn’t get near the front of the house it was that hot.’

She described holding the hand of a woman who had jumped from an upstairs window, staying with her until paramedics arrived. ‘She was crying,’ Ellie said. She believed that a child was one of the casualties. 

Ellie added: ‘I’m just praying for the family.’ Referring to the rescue attempt, she added: ‘I’m so proud of everyone on these roads.’

The families of the people who died have been informed, and officers said their ‘thoughts are with them and the families of everyone involved in this incident at this extremely difficult time’.

Superintendent Emily Harrison, Redcar and Cleveland Local Policing Commander, said: ‘This is a tragic incident which has sadly resulted in the deaths of a number of people this morning, and their families are being supported by specially trained officers.

‘We are working to establish the circumstances of exactly what has happened, but we are keeping an open mind and cannot rule out any links to wider organised crime at this time.

‘We will have a high visibility presence in the Grangetown area as this investigation progresses, and to provide reassurance to local communities, who will no doubt be impacted by this tragic incident.

‘We encourage anyone who has concerns, or who may have information regarding the incident in the early hours of this morning, to approach one of our officers or to contact Cleveland Police on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously.’

Theo Rae (left) and Cole Worthy (right), both 17, were among those who died in the A66 crash

Jakub Matusiak (left), 23, and Makai Saddington (right), 18, also died in the crash on Saturday

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Michael Cahill, 23, was the only person in the car who had no convictions before the crash 

A Cleveland Fire Brigade spokesman said: ‘Six fire appliances from Grangetown, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Saltburn attended the incident, along with the Incident Command Unit. One appliance remains at the scene on protective standby.

‘We can confirm that six people were inside the property at the time of the fire. Tragically, two people have died.

‘One person remains in a critical condition, while three others are receiving treatment.

‘The circumstances surrounding this tragic incident will now be jointly investigated by Cleveland Police and Cleveland Fire Brigade’s fire investigation officers.

‘It is with great sadness that we share this update. Our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of everyone affected at this incredibly difficult time.’

They added: ‘Crews are currently dealing with a house fire, with six fire engines and the Incident Command Unit at the scene.

‘Road closures are in place in the surrounding area, and we are asking members of the public to avoid the area where possible to allow emergency services to work safely.

‘The incident remains ongoing and further updates will be provided when available.’

Separately, police have arrested 17 people following the A66 crash on Saturday morning between a Volkswagen Passat, which was heading in the wrong direction on the dual-carriageway, and a marked armed response vehicle.

PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, were the officers killed.

Those in the Passat were Cole Worthy, 17, Theo Rae, 17, Makai Saddington, 18, and 23-year-olds Michael Robert Cahill and Jacob Matusiak. They were pronounced dead at the scene.

The Passat had been pursued by police following an earlier incident in which a house in the Acklam area of Middlesbrough, linked to Worthy, was rammed by a vehicle. 

PC Matthew Blades, a father of two, was killed when his police vehicle was struck head-on

PC Tom Clough also died in the crash, ten seconds after a police pursuit had been called off

The pursuit was aborted when the Passat went the wrong way down the A66. 

A GoFundMe page organised by the Cleveland Police Federation had reached more than £959,000 this morning while another GoFundMe page had reached over £45,000.

Inquests were due to open this morning for the two officers while hearings for the young men in the Passat were scheduled for the afternoon at Teesside Magistrates’ Court.

Police have previously said that the five young men in the Passat may have had links to ‘serious and organised criminal activity’.

Four of the five young men in the car had previous criminal convictions and were believed to be associated with another car which was seen ramming properties earlier that morning.

Police also previously said that on the morning of the collision, the force received several reports of two vehicles being driven dangerously.

The first vehicle, believed to be a Volvo XC60, was witnessed ramming properties in the Middlesbrough area. The second vehicle, a Volkswagen Passat, is believed to have been associated with the activities of the Volvo.

Police said both vehicles were operating with cloned number plates but were picked up by automated number plate recognition technology. The Volvo XC60 involved in the initial reports has been traced and recovered in Middlesbrough.

PC Blades and PC Clough were not involved in the original pursuit but had been called to the area to assist with the search for the Passat.

Cleveland Police said anyone who may have information or any concerns about the incident should call 101, quoting reference number 170941. Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously at www.crimestoppers-uk.org or by calling 0800 555 111 

British actor Tim Curry, best known for his iconic performances as Dr Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Pennywise the Clown in Stephen King’s It, has died at the age of 80, according to US reports

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The British actor, renowned for his legendary portrayals of Dr Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Pennywise the Clown in It, has passed away aged 80.

The distinguished performer, whose career encompassed more than five decades across cinema, television and stage, died on Tuesday night, according to reports from America. Circumstances surrounding his passing have yet to be formally disclosed, TMZ reported.

Curry achieved cult status following his portrayal of the exuberant Dr Frank-N-Furter in the 1975 film The Rocky Horror Picture Show, having first taken on the character during its London stage run.

His show-stopping performance contributed to transforming the musical into one of cinema’s most lasting cult classics, with devotees worldwide still flocking to interactive midnight showings more than half a century since its debut.

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Born in Grappenhall, Cheshire, in 1946, Curry launched his professional life on stage before achieving recognition in cinema and television. His other notable characters included the spine-chilling Pennywise in the 1990 adaptation of Stephen King’s It, Wadsworth in Clue, Rooster in Annie and Long John Silver in Muppet Treasure Island, reports Dublin Live.

His filmography also featured appearances in Legend, The Hunt for Red October, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York and The Three Musketeers, while his unmistakable vocal talents established him as a sought-after contributor to animation and gaming projects.

Curry experienced a severe stroke in 2012 which impacted his movement, though he persevered with voice acting work and made sporadic public appearances in subsequent years. Tributes are anticipated to flood in for the performer, whose remarkable career established him as one of Britain’s most distinctive and adaptable talents.

His interpretation of Dr Frank-N-Furter endures as one of cinema’s most iconic cult performances, while countless horror enthusiasts recall his terrifying portrayal of Pennywise.

Curry’s passing represents the loss of a unique talent whose contributions across theatre, film and television cemented his status as an enduring cultural figure.