Shows / The ButteCast with Bill Foley
The ButteCast with Bill Foley
Let's get to know some of the characters who make Butte, Montana the "Richest Hill on Earth."
Episodes
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
No. 357: Alani Bankhead
Earlier this month, Alani Bankhead basically came out of nowhere to win the Democratic nomination in Montana’s U.S. Senate race. Bankhead is a self-described…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
No. 356: Westside Shriners
The 79th Montana East-West Shrine Game will be played Saturday at Naranche Stadium in Butte. Captains for the Westside were voted on by the players and named…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
No. 355: Noah Thatcher
Noah Thatcher was named head coach of the Butte High boys’ basketball program last month, and he is already off and running. Butte High wrapped up its summer…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
Tap ’er Light Sen. Sheehy
When Tim Sheehy called my dad and his fellow protesters “un-American” and “communists,” he was being a coward. His words were also as ironic as they come. That…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
No. 354: The Mother Lode Theatre
Today we get a behind-the-scenes look at the Mother Lode Theatre with Matt Boyle, Darrion McCracken and Layne McKay. Listen in as they talk about some of the…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
No. 353: Mike Heard
Mike Heard is like family to so many in Southwestern Montana. That even goes for the people who never met him. For the better part of four decades, Mike has…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
Tap ’er Light: Our CBS affiliate made a big mistake
KBZK/KXLF made a huge mistake when it laid off beloved meteorologist Mike Heard. Someday soon, they will see how big. That is what today’s column is about. You…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
Episode No. 352: Joe Gibson
Big Joe Gibson is a fixture at Special Olympics events in Butte and around the state. Name the sport, and Joe competes in it. He swims, snowboards and plays…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
No. 351: Brittani Ferris
Brittani Ferris is a Butte girl who wears many hats. One of those hats is that of a clown, as she calls herself. Britt is a standup comedian who has been…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
Tap 'er Light: Perspective is easy now that it is over
When it comes to high school sports, camaraderie outweighs wins, losses and playing time. That is what today’s column is about. You can read it for yourself at…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
No. 350: Hellacious Kate and Dino Mac
Their stage names are Hellacious Kate and Dino Mac, but you might know them as Katie Lockmer and MacKenzie Christinsen. They are members of the Copper City…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
Tap 'er Light: She told me she was the lucky one
My cousin Jody’s daughter Pana Jo passed away on April 21. She was only 35 years old. Pana Jo was as smart and funny as she was adorable. We will all miss her…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
No. 349: Eric Dunmire
Eric Dunmire is a Butte wrestling legend. The 1998 Butte High graduate became the first Bulldog — and just the 10th wrestler in Montana history — to win four…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
No. 348: Will McGree
Will McGree is just finishing up his education at Butte Central. The future Montana Tech golfer is graduating near the top of his class — but not high enough…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
Tap ’er Light: Think about the ‘Tony C’
Before you teach your baseball players to “wear” a pitch or “take one for the team,” read a little bit about the great Tony Conigliaro and how one pitch ruined…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
No. 347: Bernie Brophy
Bernie Brophy is heading into the Butte Sports Hall of Fame. Again. He was already inducted four times with championship teams — once as a player and three…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
Tap 'er Light: A piggyback ride down the ‘family run’
Friday will mark 38 years since my cousin Jerry D’Arcy was killed in a crash in the highlands. He was only 20. So, today I am bring back a column that I first…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
No. 346: Russ and Jamie Cleveland
Every time you hear Russ Cleveland talk, you will hear another amazing story. He documented many of those stories on his “60 for 60” videos that he has been…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
No. 345: Max Demarais
As a sophomore in high school, Max Demarais could have probably run for any office in town — and won easily. Around here, he was as famous as he is likable…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
No. 344: Jamie Campbell
Jamie Campbell is a standup comedian who will be performing at Butte’s Covellite Theatre on Thursday, May 14. Advanced tickets are recommended for this show…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
Tap 'er Light: Holy buckets, we need to learn the rules
Baseball is our national pastime. So, too, is yelling at the umpires. Yelling at the men and women calling balls and strikes is as American as Apple Pie, road…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
No. 343: John Kovacich
John Kovacich is going to double dip this summer as the Butte Sports Hall of Fame inducts its 20th class. John will finally go in as an individual inductee…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
No. 342: Shirley Chesterfield-Stanton
Shirley Chesterfield-Stanton will be inducted into the Butte Sports Hall of Fame this July. She is one of the many overdue members of the Class of 2026. While…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
Tap 'er Light: These 17 keep Mariah’s message alive
As many of you know, Mariah’s Challenge is very important to me. Mariah’s Challenge rose out of the ashes of a tragedy that took the life of 14-year-old Mariah…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
No. 341: Rayelynn Brandl
I voted for myself when I ran for chief executive of Butte-Silver Bow in 2024. But I have to say, it wasn’t the obvious decision. Rayelynn Brandl also ran for…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
Tap 'er Light: Bulldog dynamic duo takes next step
The four years of Cayde Stajcar and Hudson Luedtke at Butte High did not produce the state championships like we thought they might. Well, at least not yet…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
No. 340: Jeff Mangan
If you are tired of all the money thrown into our elections in Montana, then this episode is for you. If you were exhausted by the millions of Tester-Sheehy…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
No. 339: Josh Paffhausen
Who is the greatest athlete in Butte High history? My brother will probably tell you that it is Todd Ericson. Some of the younger generations will tell you…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
Tap 'er Light: Time limits are a sign of the apocalypse
As Ted Lasso might say, time limits and ties in baseball and softball just might be the first sign of the apocalypse. That is what today’s column is about. You…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
No. 338: Jaxon Williamson
You will not be seeing today’s podcast guest pitching for the Butte High Bulldogs during his senior season. Jaxon Williamson can only watch as the Bulldogs…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
Tap 'er Light: Please stop calling us ‘Buttians’
People from Butte are not “Buttians.” We are Butte guys and Butte girls. We are Butte Rats. No pretense needed. That is what today’s column is about. You can…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
No. 337: Kelly Davis
When I was 10 years old, I would often play football by myself in our yard or the front room of our house. At that age, all you need is an imagination to take…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
No. 336: Paul Miranda
Paul Miranda is kind of a big deal. Just don’t tell him that. The 1986 graduate of Butte Central has a Ph. D in chemistry from the University of Montana. He…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
No. 335: Debbie Shea
Debbie (Bowman) Shea is a retired teacher who spent 26 years educating the youth of Butte. She also spent 11 years in the Montana Legislature, working to make…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
Tap 'er Light: Missoula thieves steal joy of Duke loss
Watching Duke lose is one of my favorite things. Watching the Blue Devils lose in the NCAA tournament is better than watching the Dallas Cowboys lose on…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
Tap ’er Light Don Peoples Sr.
Don Peoples Sr. passed away at the age of 86 last week. He was chief executive of Butte-Silver Bow from 1979 through 1989. The 1980s brought economic despair…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
No. 334: Mitzi Rossillon
Mitzi Rossillon is an archeologist and historian in Butte. Her work helped save the Dublin Gulch from being buried in toxic waste. At least we hope it has…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
No. 333: Jim Stergar
Jim Stergar has been the head coach of the Billings Central boys’ basketball team for the last decade and a half. Last Saturday night in Great Falls, Stergar’s…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
Tap ’er Light: Coxie turned Maloney’s into home
John Cox passed away last week at the age of 84. Those lucky enough to know the man we called “Coxie” are heartbroken. For more than 30 years, he tended bar at…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
Episode 332: Russ Cleveland returns
In episode No. 316 of the ButteCast, we introduced you to Russ Cleveland, a candidate for Montana’s First Congressional District. Russ is a Stevensville native…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
No. 331: Nina G
Today’s guest comes to us from Alameda, California. Next week, she will be performing in the Mining City. Nina G and the Comedians with Disabilities Act will…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
No. 330: Brodie Kelly, Bryan Arntson
Butte Central’s boys’ basketball team and Butte High’s girls’ basketball team will be playing in State tournaments this week. Coach Brodie Kelly’s BC boys will…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
Tap ’er Light: Coach called the shot by ‘The Assassin’
Brooke Badovinac hit the biggest 3-pointer in the history of Montana Tech women’s basketball last Monday night. Before she caught the ball, her coach stood up…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
No. 329: Nick Gevock
The great move “Johnny Dangerously” is an all-time classic. One of my favorite lines in that 1984 Michael Keaton flick came from a newspaper headline shown in…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
No. 328: Tytan Rosencrans
If you went to school with Tytan Rosencrans, you already know he is funny. Even most of his teachers and principals will agree with that. If you did not go to…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
Tap ’er Light: We will never forget Hudson Luedtke
Hudson Luedtke will go down as one of the greatest Butte High Bulldogs of all time. When he entered Butte High, many of us knew him as Mickey Tuttle’s…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
No. 327: Joe McClafferty
If you have been to a Montana Tech sporting event over the last couple of decades, then you know the work of Joe McClafferty. Even though it has been more than…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
Podcast No. 326: Brenda Wahler
Many of us Butte Rats think we know Marcus Daly, the famed Copper King whose likeness is immortalized in a statue that sits on top of West Park Street. Well…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
Tap ’er Light: A ref bailed out by an honest player
The funny thing about refereeing high school basketball is that you can never feel too high or too low. There is a cosmic balance to it all. When you call a…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
No. 325: LeRoy Lee
The 1980s were not an easy time for the Mining City. Things started to turn around late in the decade. But for the better part of the 80s, Butte was mired in…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
Tap ’er Light: Call to the Hall will be worth the wait
Last week was an exciting one for the Butte Sports Hall of Fame. We got to announce the 12 individuals and five teams being inducted this July 24-25 at the…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
No. 324: Ray Jay Johnson
Back in August of 2023, Butte Central basketball legend Ray Johnson appeared on episode No. 117 of the ButteCast with his lifelong buddy Steve Schulte. Today…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
No. 323: Hall of Fame Class of 2026
Today we meet the Butte Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2026. The class was introduced during a press conference Wednesday afternoon at the Butte Civic Center…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
Tap 'er Light: Perhaps these angry sports fans should watch the Special Olympics
Thanks to some one-sided journalism and social media bickering, Anaconda has been unfairly betrayed as a racist community following the Anaconda-Arlee…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
No. 322: Dylan Cook returns
Today, Butte High graduate Dylan Cook makes his second appearance on the ButteCast. This time he joins the show as a Pittsburgh Steeler. We all know Dylan’s…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
Tap ’er Light: Honor Fritz Daily by joining his fight
Not only was Fritz Daily one of the greatest icons in the history of the Mining City, he was our greatest fighter. He was a social and environmental justice…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
No. 321: Tanner Huff
Tanner Huff is one of the best athletes to come out of Butte, America this century. He was a member of Butte High’s 2019 football team that advanced to the…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
No. 320: Mac Coyne and Adam Haight
Today we are talking unions with Mac Coyne and Adam Haight. Mac, a Butte native, is a field agent for Laborers Local 1686. Adam is from California originally…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
No. 319: Hall of Fame public forum
Monday night was a great night for Butte sports. A nice crowd showed up for the Butte Sports Hall of Fame public forum at the McQueen Club. The public forum…
- The ButteCast with Bill Foley
Tap 'er Light: Butte Sports Hall of Fame
Don Peoples and Pat Kearney were right when they thought the Butte Sports Hall of Fame would be a home run when it started in 1987. This summer, the Hall of…