Mar82018

Obituary: Robert L. Jackson

Obituaries

Robert L. Jackson

On February 20, 2018 we lost a very kind and loved soul.  Born August 7, 1947 in Montgomery, Alabama, Robert “Bob” Lee Jackson endured some of our countries most trying times. None the less Bob joined the Navy and served with pride from 1964 to 1967 where he found his passion for and in the culinary arts. After acquiring his culinary arts degree in 1977, Bob managed various restaurants in Indianapolis, Seattle and the Billings area. He really enjoyed cooking in Yellowstone Park where he could showcase his culinary talents.

Bob retired from Billings Parks Department after a change of pace in the 90’s. Bob loved his family, adored his cats and was constantly helping anyone in need. He wore his heart on his sleeve. Even in his later years Bob preferred to perform his own home and auto maintenance when possible.

Bob is survived by one read more

Mar82018

Civic leaders hustling money to fund One Big Sky master plan

Top Stories • Billings

Originally published in the 3/9/18 print edition of the Yellowstone County News. 

BILLINGS — The future for One Big Sky Center (OBSC), which has morphed from a proposed multi-faceted complex into broader development for all of the downtown Billings area, hinges right now on the ability of civic leaders to raise funding for a master plan.

Community partners are being asked by the developer, Hammes Group, to bring $675,000 to the table to help fund a $1.3 million master plan for their vision of a convention center downtown, as well as other development to serve the medical corridor along North 27th Street. The Hammes Group would fund the balance of the $1.3 million.

Big Sky Economic Development’s (EDA/EDC) joint executive boards on Wednesday gave a nod to their director, Steve Arveschoug, to collaborate with others in a downtown partnership to structure some kind of deal in which EDA could make a loan of $400,000 to the master plan development, to be repaid over time with revenues from the downtown tax increment finance (TIF) district.

They hope to have some kind of proposal ready to submit to the Billings City Council at its meeting on March 26, at which time the council is expected to decide on whether the city will contribute $100,000 to the cause.

The loan, along with the hoped-for $100,000 from the city, as well as other read more

Mar52018

Obituary: JOY “LAMAE” MITCHELL

Obituaries

JOY “LAMAE” MITCHELL    SEPT. 11, 1934 – MAR 2, 2018

Joy “LaMae” Mitchell passed away peacefully the morning of March 2nd and joined her husband Pete, family and special friends in a better place.

LaMae was born Sept 11, 1934 to Kermit and Clara Opperud in Wildrose, ND.  She was raised in Alamo ND where she graduated in 1952, excelling in basketball.   She then attended nursing school at Wahpeton, ND and Mercy School of Nursing in Valley City.  She worked in Minneapolis with friend Harriet during her break in nursing school and then began her nursing career that encompassed hospitals in Minneapolis, Williston and Williams Lake, B.C.   Her favorite was pediatrics.

In 1964 LaMae met and married Pete Mitchell.  They ranched south of Sidney.   With Pete, she inherited daughter Laurie.   In Sidney, both sons Pat and John were born.  In 1969 the family, along with Cindy Hasselstrom, a dear family friend, moved to Williams Lake where LaMae continued to nurse.  After 7 years, they returned to Shepherd, Montana in 1976.  They built their home on read more

Mar52018

Obituary: Eva Marie (Reichert) Eddy

Obituaries

Eva Marie (Reichert) Eddy

Eva Marie (Reichert) Eddy passed away at home on February 17, 2018 at the age of 73.

Eve was born into a large, loving family on the Huntley Project in Montana on May 4, 1944 to her parents Frank Sr. & Eva (Roll) Reichert. She married Ernest (Ernie) Eddy on August 29, 1970 in Dillon, MT. She attended Western Montana College in Dillon and earned a degree in business with a 4.0 GPA, all while raising a family with Ernie and working full-time. Eve went on to work at Barrett Memorial Hospital as a bookkeeper until her early retirement due to medical reasons. Following her retirement, Eve and Ernie enjoyed traveling, visiting family, and finding new adventures.

After more than 40 years in Dillon, Eve and Ernie moved to Worden, MT to live near her sister, Julie. It was there that Eve discovered her read more

Feb282018

Friday open house celebrates new LDS church on West End

Local • Billings

BILLINGS — Growing membership has led to the creation of a third Billings stake for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

With bigger congregations came the need for a new church building, which has been constructed on 54th Street West south of Rimrock Road on the west side of Billings.

The new church meeting house will be celebrated on Friday at an open house from 5 to 7 p.m. Anyone is welcome, not just LDS members.

A new stake has not been created in Billings for some time, said Tamara Zacardi, a church spokeswoman.

“For us a new stake is kind of big news,” she said. “We’re so happy to see growth, more people to know and love.”

A stake is made up of several wards, or congregations, which meet in the same building, although at different times on a Sunday, she said.

When the church announced plans to build a new meeting house, the idea generated some controversy, Zacardi said. People asked why the group didn’t just use the temple, nearby on Rimrock Road, but she said a church meeting house and a temple have widely different uses. Meeting houses are used for Sunday services and during the week for meetings and other activities, she said. A temple is reserved for certain solemn church occasions.

When they heard that the current meeting houses held services for as many as 900 people on a Sunday, Zacardi said, they better read more

Feb282018

We are looking out for you!

Features

These images were captured near the Yellowstone County News office in Huntley, MT today February 28, 2018.  It’s taken Jonathan 3 1/2 years to get in a position to get some pictures like this since owning the newspaper.

As other opportunities had come and gone in the past, this opportunity just happened as the Yellowstone River was covered with ice due to the cold weather conditions and there were a very few areas that the eagles were watching the open water for breakfast.

Originally, the eagles were not together. In fact, they were in separate trees watching the same area of the river.  Once I got near the first eagle, it decided to fly off of which was hard to get a good picture BUT WAIT, it flew back near the other eagle in another tree of which both eagles decided to land on the same tree limb of which the picture of them together is when the photo op started.  Once the photographer got to close, the National birds decided to take flight and this is when one of the many pictures turned out with the eagle in flight looking down on us.

Rare snapshots to share with our viewers and readers.

So we are sharing the pictures.  Enjoy!

Feb222018

Lost Facebook Post?

Opinion

Dear Editor: 

Jonathan had a nice comment on Facebook that he thought he lost. In these economic times when it takes all family members working just to support insurance, banks and credit card companies, who has time to look after children? So many times the schools are a babysitter for children, the only people children know.

There are three things that might help get us back on track. Home schooling — parents teach your children what you want them to know by your example, not just words. Somewhere in an ancient book, it states, “Train up a read more

Feb222018

Winter tightens grip as snow and temperatures falls

Top Stories

Wes Prouse of Shepherd photographed a thermometer at his home this week. ‘This is for everyone bragging about your wind chill,’ he posted with the photo. ‘This is real temperatures.’ (Courtesy Photo)

HUNTLEY — The temperature keeps falling, and so does the snow.
Mix in some wind and it all adds up to a tough winter — closing schools, closing highways and making it tough for ranchers, livestock, wildlife and anyone who has to shovel.
By this week, February saw more snow than any year before.
By Feb. 18, 31.5 inches of snow had fallen at Logan International Airport in Billings. Meteorologist Aaron Gilstad at the National Weather Service office in Billings said that’s the most through that date, and the record for the entire month of February is 37 inches, recorded in 2014.
“So we’re on pace to surpass that fairly easily,” Gilstad said, if the current weather pattern continues through the end of the month.
That pattern is an upper level Pacific jet stream “impacted by a polar jet as well,” Gilstad said. “They ran into each other right over the top of us,” wringing out moisture combined with cold to dump snow across the region.
There’s a respite from the snow this week, he said, although cold will linger through the weekend.
“All this week we’re expecting it to be fairly dry and fairly cold,” he said.
Since October, he said, 76 inches of snow have fallen at the Billings airport. The previous record for that time period was 72.3 inches and the snowfall record through the end of February is 90.2 inches, recorded from October 2013 through February 2014.
“We’re well ahead of schedule,” Gilstad said, about 11 inches ahead of 2013.
Tuesday’s forecast called for bitter read more

Feb212018

Great memories from Huntley Project

Opinion

Dear Editor:

A letter to Jodi Jones, music teacher at Huntley Project Schools:

Jodi,

So many GREAT memories of this entire experience! You are a ROCK STAR in my world!! From the moment you said, “Yes, let’s do that” to our final farewell last night, you nailed it!!

So glad to meet your husband, Tom. What a rock he is! How cool it is for the two of you to spend such quality time together in such a quaint Montana town. I know the people there really appreciate the fact that you live in the community.

Pam (Roberts) the librarian is also a ROCK STAR in my world! Her willingness to let our students hang in her space all day was so very much appreciated. And the never-ending supply of fresh baked, warm from the oven cookies all day!! Mmmmmmmm. Fun to meet her husband as well — what a life he has lived and quite the legacy he has built! They are both truly a substantial part of the area history.

Darci (Davison) was really fun to hang out with — what a hoot of a colleague you get to work with!

Also glad I was able to meet and visit with Carolyn (I hope I am getting the name of your music sub correct . . .) What an absolute gem she is, but then I know you already know that!!

Managed to talk to principal Sam — he was so welcoming and helpful the entire time we were there.

I’m forgetting names, but thank Mark read more

Feb192018

Obituary: Gayle “Pete” Taylor, Jr.

Obituaries

Gayle “Pete” Taylor, Jr.

Gayle “Pete” Rowland Taylor Jr. joined his Lord and Savior Ash Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2018, when the angels arrived to take him home.
Pete was born to Gayle Sr. and Mary (Otis) Taylor on March 25, 1943, in Terry, Montana. He graduated from Terry High School in 1961. Following graduation he enlisted in the U.S. Army and proudly served until 1963. On June 20, 1964, he married the love of his life, Annabelle Mae Kohones in Miles City, Montana.
During the years Pete spent working for Haughian Livestock, he and Annie were blessed with five children. In 1978 they moved their country family to the city of Billings where he worked for Rush Equipment and later Crown Parts as a machinist. His craftsmanship was known worldwide in the mining and oil production industry.
Pete retired in 2007. He enjoyed spending days in his shop (Pete’s Machine and Welding), servicing the community with his welding and read more

Feb162018

Are smart meters installed without consent?

Opinion

Dear Editor:

YVEC Installs Questionable AMI Smart Meters Without Informed Consent

Yellowstone Valley Electric Cooperative (YVEC) has installed new AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructure) “smart” utility meters without our informed consent. AMI Smart Meters could be an invasion of privacy and also a cyber-security threat. They are associated with a host of health conditions, and catch on fire and explode more easily due to their design.

YVEC has operated under a veil of secrecy and deception concerning these meters. For example, the manager of YVEC adamantly claimed that they did not use any government funding to install these surveillance capable devices. However, legal discovery documents show that YVEC did take government funding to deploy the Smart Grid and Smart Meters.

Other false claims made by YVEC are that AMI Smart Meters radiate much lower than cell phones, thus making them “safe,” and that all utilities have smart meters, therefore, no big deal.

YVEC is the only utility in our area which has deployed two-way surveillance capable meters. The Montana Public Service Commission states that all other utilities, which come under their regulations, do NOT use Smart Meters. They use one-way meters which have lower risks and are not part of the Smart Grid.

Tests taken of AMI Smart meters show radiation readings 10-100 times HIGHER than read more

Feb162018

Voters should inquire as to Mr. Fagg’s stance

Opinion

Dear Editor:

Some people, when talking about politics, refer to themselves as progressives. Progressives believe that they have matured so much intellectually that they have progressed way beyond believing that man has any God-given natural rights or that individuals have been endowed with inalienable rights by their creator. Many progressives do not even believe in a creator.

Progressives state that any rights that we may enjoy can only be granted to us by the democratic process by a majority vote of politicians that have been elected by our fellow citizens. In states that are pro-life or pro-Second Amendment, progressives tend to hold these views. Progressive thinkers have been found in both major parties for over a hundred years. Theodore Roosevelt was a well-known progressive thinker.

Our founders crafted the Sixth Amendment so that our fellow citizens could protect us from government overreach. Progressives do not believe that our fellow citizens should have this right. Our fellow citizens engage in this protective activity by read more

Feb152018

Sheriff (ret.) David Clarke responds to Gazette controversy

Opinion • Politics • Top Stories

With lots of backlash for the Billings Gazette Editorial board’s article about Sheriff (ret.) David Clarke coming to Billings for the Yellowstone County Lincoln-Reagan Day Dinner in a couple weeks, Sheriff Clarke responded with his letter to the editor below.

In Response To The Gazette’s Editorial On My Upcoming Speech

As a conservative first, who happens to be black, I’m used to fierce debate with the left because I don’t fit in their political box. However, a recent editorial in Billings Gazette on my upcoming speech to the Yellowstone County GOP is not simply a criticism of my politics, it’s a direct personal attack against me and illustrates a greater hypocrisy.

This political hit-piece is typical of the liberal media’s hateful campaign against anyone that doesn’t pass their progressive litmus test. You can tell that these editors read the Democratic talking points. As an African-American conservative, I hear these same talking points everywhere I go.

The nameless, faceless cabal at the Gazette didn’t take aim at the merits of my political positions. Instead, they resorted to personalized attacks through name-calling, cherry picking incidents, misrepresenting facts, and even threatening me.

And since these journalists failed to properly research, they may not know just how seriously we take threatening the use of a gun against law enforcement. The war on cops has been fueled by left-leaning editorial boards and has inspired their followers to assault and kill police in attacks in Dallas, Baton Rouge, and New York City.

It’s clear that either the editorial board has a political agenda or they simply don’t know what they’re talking about. After all, they don’t even understand the legal definition of deadly force. Hypothetically, if a member of the editorial board kills me for simply punching one of them – absent from great bodily harm likely to cause death – it wouldn’t justify their use of deadly force against me. The unlawful use of a firearm to settle disputes is actually one of the main reasons for violence in urban areas and the leading cause of death for black males under the age of 25 – another fact regarding crime that this editorial board clearly doesn’t understand.

But one of the reasons this board doesn’t understand urban crime and especially black conservatives is probably because they … (read Sheriff Clarke’s full Rebuttal to the Gazette in this week’s Yellowstone County News paper.)

 

 

 

 

 

Feb142018

Obituary: Nellie ‘Esther’ Green

Obituaries

Nellie ‘Esther’ Green

Nellie Esther Green, wonderful wife to Bill, mother to Diane, Mike, Scott and Brad, went to rest with the Lord on Feb. 11, 2018, at the age of 96.

She was born to Nels and Emma Walen on July 30, 1921, at the family farm in Corinth, North Dakota. She attended school in Crosby, North Dakota, graduating at age 16.

Mom attended Business College in Fargo, North Dakota, where she was recruited by a business where she worked for nine years. She worked briefly in Great Falls, and then moved to Billings. She was the first stenographer for the Billings Conoco Refinery, and was one of the 49ers and the last survivor of read more

Feb132018

Obituary: Clarence Beddes

Obituaries

Clarence Beddes

On Feb. 10, 2018, Clarence passed away peacefully with his wife, Agnes, of 60 years by his side. He was born on Feb. 19, 1939, in Lovell, Wyoming, to Chester and Martha (Bender) Beddes. The family moved to Billings, MT in 1945. Clarence was followed by two brothers, Lawrence and David.
Clarence attended Billings schools at Taft, Garfield and Senior. He met his wife, Agnes, at the Big Boy Drive Inn. They were later married on Jan. 25, 1958. They were blessed with three read more

Feb122018

Brad, Carl, Krayton and Jennifer are all correct

Opinion

Dear Editor:  

Brad, Carl, Krayton and Jennifer are all correct in their take on U.S. citizens and society. President Trump is a true representative of U.S. leadership and citizens. He is a true capitalistic businessman; he believes in “healthy competition,” disable or disqualify your opponent. Capitalism creates monopolies; global monopolies have no anti trust laws.

We have the ruling class of the rich, by the rich, for the rich. Education, health care and nutrition for the elite, or those who can afford it. The rest of us are slaves or servants to the financial read more

Feb102018

Venomous language against a fellow journalist.

Opinion

Dear Editor:

I’m writing about an article in your Feb. 2 paper. Never have I read such venomous language against a fellow journalist. I have never read such a smear campaign before.

That thing between Jon and Carl was just friendly banter and he turned it into something ugly. Maybe this guy should stick to advertising.

Any more of this and I will read more

Feb102018

CPS not have enough foster parents

Opinion

Dear Editor:

Opinion letter in reference to Gazette article regarding Child and Protective Services.

The CPS is always crying that they do not have enough foster parents. Personally, I can see why.

Friends of mine were foster parents for several years when a rambling drunk called Helena out of revenge to report that my friends were abusive and neglectful in caring for the children in their care. Let me tell you that no child in their care was ever abused or neglected. They were loved and cherished by the people caring for them. They had a clean home, good meals, never missed a doctor’s appointment or dental appointment. Even though foster parents are given a clothing allowance every six months for $200, my friends spent much more on their clothing out of their own pockets as well as anything else the children needed.

Without warning, workers showed up one Sunday morning early and said they had received a complaint in Helena that the babies in our care were being abused and neglected. They proceeded illegally to talk with my friends’ grandchildren, for what reason they still do not read more

Feb92018

What kind of “Senator” is Jon Tester?

Opinion

Dear Editor:

What kind of “Senator” is Jon Tester? He’s supposed to represent Montana in the US Senate, and despite the fact that 61 percent of Montanans voted for Trump and change, Tester is fighting Trump and change every way he can. He’s obviously a “Democrat” first and a Montanan last.

But then again, most members of Congress seem to be Democrats or Republicans first and Americans last. Once voted into office, they and their families are guaranteed a lifetime income and premium medical care for life, so they should be willing to work together (“Across the Aisle,” as they say) to solve the problems we “Deplorables” are facing each day.

“Exercising Individual Responsibility” is what made read more

Feb82018

High school plan may shrink to suit Lockwood taxpayers

Top Stories • Yellowstone County • Lockwood

LOCKWOOD — Between dreams and reality there is usually a dousing of cold water, and that was what Lockwood School Board members met in the first round of numbers, dollars and cents, given to them by the architects of Collaborative Design on Friday.

In presenting preliminary plans that would include “everything you wanted,” and “everything generously” allowed for, designers presented numbers that were about 30 percent more than the board hopes a new high school will cost. At least, Superintendent Tobin Novasio said that is how much he believed the plans and proposed budget would have to be trimmed to meet what he believes voter acceptance might be.

Conversation then focused on what could be left out, pared down or modified to reduce costs, as board members serving on the building committee set about giving architects direction on how to refine the plans for a proposed high school.

The architects are more under the gun to complete plans and have a cost estimate than initially thought. Novasio announced that in setting the initial schedule for read more