New Lockwood Clinic Opens
A committee of the Lockwood School Board recommended increasing Superintendent Tobin Novasio’s salary 6 percent for the 2022-23 school year, which was unanimously approved by the board. read more
Author Archives: Evelyn Pyburn
Yakawich to Complete Term for HD51
Former Billings City Council member, Michael Yakawich, was the unanimous choice of Yellowstone County Commissioners to complete the term of Montana HD 51 which was left vacant with the untimely death of Frank Fleming (R) in March. On Monday, commissioners interviewed … read more
Huntley Postal Vehicle Goes Up in Flames
Yellowstone County is now the owner of two new pieces of equipment which emergency services personnel anticipate will be invaluable to the county in many ways. read more
Buchanan Stirs The Political Pot, Enters Congressional Race as Independent
It may have been something of a surprise for many to see Gary Buchanan file as an Independent to challenge Republican Matt Rosendale for his Congressional seat. While he had been mulling the idea over since December, Buchanan said that … read more
City Council Agrees to Water District Settlement
The Billings City Council unanimously approved, Monday evening, the agreement announced over a week ago by the Heights Water District to pay their $2.9 million water bill. read more
City Ordered to Notify Residents in Bills of Class Action Suit on Franchise Fee
Utility customers of the City of Billings will receive a notice in their bills sometime in the next few weeks informing them that they may be part of a class action suit against the city regarding the imposition of “franchise … read more
Legislative Candidates File for Office
Filing deadline for political office in Montana was Monday, and hundreds of candidates have filed. Some have no contender in the primary on May 3, and some will have no contender in the general election on November 8, others will … read more
Zero Democrats File for County Offices
With the 2022 Election filing deadline having ended on Monday, it appears that the only contested primary election race in Yellowstone County is that for county commissioner. And none will be contested in the general election, since no Democrat candidates … read more
Billings Gets $3 Million for New Buses
The City of Billings Metropolitan Transit System has announced that it will be receiving $3 million in funding through the Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Grant Program, through the US Department of Transportation (DOT). read more
Taxes, Schools, Jail, Morality Top Discussions by Local Civic Leaders
Last week a meeting of local governmental entities held a joint meet to compare notes and keep everyone informed about what each is doing. The county commissioners, some Billings city council members and some school board members, as well as … read more
Billings School District Ends Mask Mandate
Montana and Billings were among many school districts that lifted their mask mandates over the past week. After two years of having to wear masks in school – in the classroom and on the playground– the happy, jubilant faces of … read more
Coalition Forms to Oppose Property Tax Caps
While the proponents of the Montana Property Tax Initiative, CI-121 await word from the courts about the validity of their petition — a wait that is now weeks long – “a large, diverse, and unconventional coalition of Montanans has come … read more
Brookshire Named Manager of Heights Water District
The Billings Heights Water District has selected Peyton Brookshire as its new manager, following a search for candidates that brought over 40 applications of which four were interviewed by the board. read more
2022, Good Year for Montana and Yellowstone County
Economically, Montana had a “fantastic” year in 2021, and 2022 is being forecast to be much the same, but there are challenges. At the forefront of his forecast, Montana’s premier economist, Dr. Patrick Barkey, Director of the Bureau of Business … read more
Commissioners May Extend Response Time for MetraPark Management RFQ
Two of the companies that are likely to submit proposals to manage MetraPark have asked for more time to prepare their proposals – a request that the county commissioners put on the agenda for next week. indicating a willingness to … read more
Property Tax Cap Petition Can Continue Gathering Signatures
Signature gathering on a petition that would cap property taxes may continue. The Montana Supreme Court refused last week to take up a lower court decision that halted signature gathering on a petition for an initiative that would cap the … read more
Governor Listens to Problems by Local Crime Fighters
With the next state legislative session looming on the horizon, one of the biggest issues before it will surely be the issue of crime, which is especially true for Yellowstone County and Billings where crime has been escalating at a … read more
City Loses Franchise Fee Case
The City of Billings has lost a case filed against it for charging illegal franchise fees for 26 years on utility services it provides city residents. Filed by six city ratepayers, the case has been on-going for over three years, … read more
Both Pitman and Morse File for Office
2022 is an election year that will see a vacancy open for election of the Board of County Commissioners for District 2. Incumbent County Commissioner Denis Pitman, who has announced that he will be filing for re-election, already has … read more
County Auditor Position Consolidated
With the end of his term next year, Scott Turner will be Yellowstone County’s last full-time elected auditor. In the future the position will be melded with that of the County Clerk and Recorder. County Commissioners voted at a public … read more
