Author

Erica Zurek

Erica Zurek

Erica Zurek is a freelance multimedia journalist and photographer based in Montana.

Montana clinics chip away at refugees’ obstacles to dental care

By: - July 24, 2023

MISSOULA, Mont. — Yu Yu Htwe had never had dental problems, so she was surprised when a dentist told her she had three cavities at her first appointment in this small city in western Montana. Htwe, 38, is from Myanmar and worked as an OB-GYN there until a military coup overthrew the government in February […]

A 63-year-old transgender woman is caught in Montana’s birth certificate dispute

By: - July 16, 2022

At 10 years old, Susan Howard knew she was a girl, even though her birth certificate said otherwise. It wasn’t until last year, at age 62, that the Montana resident came to terms with being transgender. Howard underwent hormone therapy, had gender-affirming surgery, and began changing her name and gender on official documents. “It has […]

When the sap starts to flow (in Montana)

By: - December 19, 2021

On a mild spring day in 2015, David Knudson had an uncharacteristic amount of time on his hands. He had recently left his job as a cheese maker at Lifeline Creamery to stay home with his children.    Standing in his yard and looking up at the trees in front of his house, Knudson felt a […]

‘It’s a cultural battle’: Montana’s changing abortion laws

By: - June 20, 2021

There are few issues in American politics that generate more passionate disagreement than abortion. States have become the battleground for many national policy fights, such as the one over abortion access. With full control of state government for the first time in decades, Montana’s Republican legislators have joined a nationwide wave of states that introduced […]