It's just about the dead center of this big, sprawling state.

It's close to where the mountains lift out of the great plains, and it's where parched prairie meets water.

Three rivers run through it.

Great Falls is the heart of a vast agricultural countryside where cattle and wheat thrive.

Stock is still herded - via truck these days - into town for auction, and grain is pooled here for shipment to the West Coast.

Great Falls is the regional medical center that provides an increasingly exceptional level of care for a rough country, unforgiving at times, nearly the size of New England.

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And it's also at the heart of our nation's defense, ringed by 200 nuclear-tipped Minuteman III missiles.

For thousands of years, Indians harvested elk, deer and buffalo on the banks of the Missouri, and a thriving Native American population still lives here.

Sometimes Great Falls feels like a throwback to an earlier time because it retains the values that formed it.

Education and raising children are still important here, and a strong work ethic prevails.

Being a good neighbor is still important. Pitching in to help those in need is a safety net when you suddenly find yourself needing help.

Giving from the heart is a part of Great Falls ... because Great Falls is the heart of Montana.