Feb12018

Huntley Project High School drama team wins first state championship!

Sports • Top Stories • Huntley Project

The Huntley Project High School drama team won the state Class B drama tournament on Saturday. HP hosted the State B-C Tournament, which included 337 competitors from 47 schools. The photo includes students who competed in drama, speech and debate events. Top row, left to right: Coach Josh Morse, Coach Rachel Pekah, Coach Becky Nay. Fourth row, left to right: Molly Pazoff, Ann Killen, Mazati McCormick, Kip LePage, Adyn Kust, Taylor Sheldon, Kylan Mills-Low. Third row, left to right: Tanner Steorts, Tanner Geiss, Manager Dustin Erb, Lisa Hilbrig, Sierra Stevens, Shayla Arbogast, Manager Tamerah Lee, Holly Rogers. Second row, left to right: Rylee Nay, Reegan Tigner, Payton Tigner, Kasey Jones, Emily Ley, Bailey Chaffin, Kyle Schaff, Ashley Weigum. First row, left to right: Kati Darity, Andi Crane, Peyton Thornburgh, Tyler Schaff, James Flanagan, Colton Hawkins, Alli Combs, Becka Bolerjack. Not pictured: Audrey Hampton, Conner Morse, Maddy Gallegos and Alex Bauer. (photo courtesy of Billie Schaff)

Worden — Talk about a home court advantage. The Huntley Project High School drama team members used their school over the weekend to take them to their first State Class B championship.

Huntley Project Schools hosted the Class B-C state tournaments for speech and drama on Friday and Saturday. The event drew 337 competitors from 47 schools.

Three HP students were individual champions.

Senior Andi Crane won the Memorized Public Address category, performing a Ted Talk by Maysoon Zayid. In this performance, Crane impersonated Zayid, a comic and actress with cerebral palsy.

Tyler Schaff and Peyton Thornburgh won the Classical Duo category, performing a humorous skit by George S. Kauffman, “If Men Played Cards as Women Do.” Each performed the parts of two different characters gathering at one’s home for a card game.

The drama team had won the divisional tournament at Shepherd the week before. The speech team, runners-up at divisionals, placed fifth at state.

“I’m just extremely proud of them,” Coach Becky Nay told the Huntley Project student body at a school assembly Wednesday morning, when the trophies were presented. Members of the speech and drama team carried into the gym every trophy they received during the season, which started read more

Jan312018

School Choice Week rally brings crowd to courthouse lawn

Features • Local • Billings • Yellowstone County

Jeff Laszloffy, president of the Montana Family Foundation, speaks to about 300 people who gathered Friday on the lawn of the Yellowstone County Courthouse in downtown Billings for a School Choice rally. (Jonathan McNiven photo)

BILLINGS — A rally for School Choice Week drew hundreds of people to the courthouse lawn in downtown Billings on Friday.

Organizer Jake Penwell, state director of the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE), said in an interview before the event that a goal of the rally was “to bring to light the idea of school choice” and to show community support for the idea of allowing students to succeed in educational settings that benefit them.

School Choice Week events occur nationally. Penwell said in Montana, the concept goes beyond “one size fits all” public school settings to home schools, private schools or combinations of educational approaches to reach students with different learning styles.

Penwell and Jeff Lazloffy spoke at Friday’s rally.

ACE offers a scholarship program designed to offer students from low- read more

Jan292018

Local conservative talk radio show now on air

Local • Billings • Montana-Statewide • Politics • Top Stories

Aaron Flint, who launched the morning talk radio show ‘Montana Talks’ this week, speaks to Russell Fagg, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, in his studio on Tuesday morning. ‘Montana Talks’ can be heard Monday through Friday from 6 to 10 a.m. on 95.1 and 95.5 FM and 970 AM. (Judy Killen photo)

BILLINGS — A veteran broadcaster and political has launched a new Billings-based talk radio show, “Montana Talks.”

Aaron Flint hosts the morning talk radio show weekdays from 6 to 10.

“I think you can safely say it is a conservative talk show,” he said. It begins at 6 a.m. with commentary and news and weather every 10 minutes. By 8, he plans to have guests on for interviews and to field calls from listeners.

“I forgot how much fun it is,” Flint said, to “just start talking and taking phone calls.”

He likes his home in the Townsquare Media studios on the top floor of the Double Tree by Hilton on North 27th Street, overlooking downtown Billing with scenic views of the Beartooths, the Pryors, the Rims and other local landmarks.

He said he had worked with employees from the media company in the past and liked their approach, “with great ideas, (and) want to see more local content.”

Flint has plenty of both radio and political experience. He’s run a statewide radio show in Montana that grew from 10 signals to more than 20, and was editor of “The Flint Report,” a daily online news and commentary. He was communications director for Rep. Greg Gianforte, R-Montana, during his 2016 campaign for governor and served as director of Ryan Zinke’s congressional offices in Montana.

Flint, who has a degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Montana, has worked for Montana Public Radio, KTVQ television and Today show at NBC.

He recently returned from an Army National Guard deployment, his fourth overseas military assignment. He and his wife, Jessica, live in Billings with three young children. read more

Jan252018

10 applicants submit resumes to fill vacant seat for Billings City Council

Local • Billings • Top Stories

Mayor Bill Cole announced this morning that he received ten (10) applications to fill the Ward 4 City Council seat that was vacated by Mr. Ryan Sullivan. The applications and letters were submitted to the mayors office and announced this morning.

The candidates who submitted their names for consideration were Barbi McLaws, Daron Olson, David Fishbaugh, Gordon Olson, James (Mike) Boyett, Jason Smith, Oscar Heinrich Jr., Reg Gibbs, Rich Lammers, and Shirley McDermott.

The Mayor also announced that there will be an opportunity for the current City Councilmembers and the public to meet the applicants at 5:30 – 7:00 p.m., Wednesday January 31, 2018 at the Billings Public Library, Royal Johnson Community Room, 510 N. Broadway. The applicants will be asked to make a brief statement about their candidacy for the Council seat and will then be available to meet and interact informally with the Council members and public.

read more

Jan102018

Huntley Project and Shepherd Districts cancel school

Top Stories • Huntley Project • Shepherd

1-10-18 Huntley Project and Shepherd School Districts have canceled school due to road and weather conditions. Accor All Activities, practices and sports have also been canceled.  Be safe and travel safely if you do have to travel. 

This communication came by way of Scott Carter, Superintendent of Shepherd Public Schools and Mark Wandle, Superintendent of Huntley Project School District.  

 

Jan82018

Davison named as VFW Teacher of the Year

Huntley Project

Darci Davison

WORDEN — Huntley Project Elementary music teacher Darci Davison has been named statewide Teacher of the Year in Montana by the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

The post commander is John Carney and Corry Mordeaux is the Adj/Quartermaster.

VFW Post 7407 nominated Davison for her efforts to continue and further the Post’s recognition of those who have served in all branches of the military.

Under Davison’s direction, Huntley Project fifth and sixth graders march in a Veterans Day parade and present a read more

Dec192017

Obituary: “Charles Richard “Woody” Dick

Obituaries
"Charles Richard “Woody” Dick

“Charles Richard “Woody” Dick

In loving memory of Charles Dick (Woody), 87, who died on December 17, 2017.
Charles Richard Dick was born October 8, 1930 in Worden, Montana, to Grant and Myrl (Steck) Dick.
After high school in Joliet, Montana, Charles joined the Air Force at the end of World War II, working for the Weather Service. After being honorably discharged he returned to Billings, Montana.
He married Marian Wittman on August 22, 1953. To this union were born 3 daughters and twin sons.
He worked for the Bureau of Reclamation in Sheridan, Wyoming for two years. He returned to Billings to join the Teamsters Local 190. He retired in 2005.
He loved to camp, hunt, and fish with his family.
He is survived by read more

Dec72017

Worden Ambulance service still looking for good solution

Top Stories • Yellowstone County • Huntley Project

Originally published the 12/8/17 print edition of Yellowstone County News.

WORDEN — The long and winding road to a countywide ambulance service just took a detour.

Instead of voting on a proposal by Belgrade-based Beartooth EMS Rescue to take over Worden Fire Department’s ambulance service, fire department members instead heard that Beartooth was no longer interested in a deal with Worden Fire.

Fire Chief Lance Taylor said Joel Kelm of Beartooth EMS and Rescue, who spoke to the fire department members at their Oct. 2 meeting, had never submitted a written proposal. “That was our whole problem with them,” Taylor said. “It’s not a surprise. This is what I figured might happen.”

At that meeting, Kelm had outlined a plan to purchase one of the department’s ambulances, operate an office on the Huntley Project and respond to calls in the areas the Worden ambulance crew now covers, such as Custer, Pompeys Pillar, Worden, Ballantine, Huntley and Shepherd.

Taylor said the department will look into two other options, including a proposal introduced Monday night by department treasurer Melissa Zimmerman.

Her plan included more cross training for firefighters and EMTs and paying EMTS small stipends to be on call for certain periods of time. She said that could improve response time and even out the numbers of volunteers responding to calls.

Taylor said he liked Zimmerman’s proposal, but needs to study it in depth.

“That one proposal has quite a few different things that we need to look at,” Taylor said. “We need to explore that quite a bit.”

At Monday’s meeting, fire board President Ryan Miller said Joy Eshleman would step in and direct the ambulance service while the Worden Fire Department determines whether to “either move forward with ourselves or move forward with someone else.”

The second option is a discussion with AMR of Billings. Representatives of that group are scheduled to meet with the Worden Fire Department on Jan. 8.

Brad Shoemaker, director of Emergency Services for Yellowstone County, said Tuesday that any levy proposal seeking a countywide ambulance service district would not be placed on an election ballot until at least May 2019. State law requires elections that ask voters to create special districts to be held the first Tuesday in May.

Shoemaker and Taylor said local fire chiefs will schedule town hall-style meetings after the first of the year to explain ambulance service proposals. Taylor said those meetings are likely to occur in February or March. He said countywide ambulance services operate successfully in other counties, including Carbon and Stillwater.

The main thing, he said, is finding a way to provide viable ambulance services.

“We’re here for the community and what is right for the community,” Taylor said. That community should have a say in what their ambulance service looks like, he said.

 

Dec62017

Community assessment kindles Lockwood’s can-do spirit

Features • Top Stories • Yellowstone County • Lockwood

Originally published in the 12/8/17 print edition of Yellowstone County News.

LOCKWOOD — A lot has been happening in Lockwood the past few years.

Who and what is behind all these community-transforming events?

A “community assessment,” held in 2013, brought about communication and motivation that helped advance a host of projects in Lockwood that had long been on the community’s wish list.

Such was the conclusion of many Lockwood leaders, last Wednesday, who participated in a review of the community assessment, conducted by the Resource Team coordinated by the Montana Economic Developers Association (MEDA).

Headed by Gloria Higgins and Gloria O’Rourke of MEDA, the gathering at the Lockwood Fire Department was essentially a community-wide conversation of the many Lockwood citizens who have been involved in Lockwood’s most recent achievements. Funded by a special grant, MEDA is returning to the numerous communities in which they have conducted assessments to determine what has been achieved and if there are ways to improve upon how they conduct the assessments, said Higgins.

The Resource Team is sponsored by the Montana Department of Commerce in cooperation with Big Sky Economic Development.

Lockwood has demonstrated, by far, the most successes of all the communities in which they have done assessments, said O’Rourke.

Participants were asked to talk about what they perceive as their successes and to explain what they perceive to be the reasons for them.

The community assessment helped to draw attention from the broader community to the issues faced by Lockwood, was the essence of many comments. The event also encouraged more involvement of more citizens, most especially by younger people.

It gave momentum to “ideas that had been germinating in Lockwood for years,” said Sue Vinton, Lockwood’s state legislator. It especially motivated young people, said Vinton, recalling what seemed to be a “mini-reunion” of parents who attended the assessment meeting and who later encountered each other at a school event. The impact, of the opportunity for Lockwood people to see “their shared values, has been significant.” read more

Dec42017

Obituary: Lloyd J. Perkins

Obituaries

Lloyd Perkins met Jesus Christ face to face on Nov. 29, 2017, when he left his earthly home for the last time at Highgate Senior Living in Billings, MT.
Lloyd was born in Sheridan, WY, on Oct. 7, 1925, to Wright C. and Elva E. Perkins. Wright homesteaded 10 miles from Clearmont, WY, where Lloyd started school. They later leased a farm at Kaycee. Lloyd graduated eighth grade in Buffalo, and attended high school in Buffalo and Clearmont.
Lloyd was a true patriot and went to Denver to sign up for the United States Maritime Service following the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. He did basic training at Santa Catalina Island. He was known as “Big Perk” since there also was a “Little Perk.” Due to his aptitudes, he was directed to Gallups Island Radio School in Boston, where he obtained his FCC Radio License. He graduated with a warrant read more

Nov302017

New Lockwood primary care clinic announced and soon

Top Stories • Yellowstone County • Lockwood

Originally published in the 12/1/17 print edition of Yellowstone County News.

LOCKWOOD — The Montana Healthcare Foundation has awarded Lockwood School District and St. Vincent Healthcare a $75,000 grant to develop a primary care clinic for the community of Lockwood. The clinic, when complete, will be located on the campus of Lockwood Schools and will provide care to students and Lockwood residents. The project is set to be complete and open in February 2018.

To Don Christman, director of Special Programs at Lockwood School District, opening the clinic is the fruition of years of hard work by numerous people, including the late Don Reed, a champion of local health care.

“I’m just really, really happy that after six years, it’s on the way,” Christman said. “The district has worked hard to develop a partnership with healthcare professionals to bring primary care to our campus and community. We are pleased to now see our vision realized through our partnership with St. Vincent Healthcare.”

The previously known Ronald McDonald Care Mobile will serve as the new stationary primary care clinic on the school campus. A full renovation of the vehicle will provide all of the necessary equipment and technology needed to treat patients at the new clinic. read more

Nov302017

New hockey franchise may bring game to MetraPark

Top Stories • Yellowstone County

Originally published in the 12/1/17 print edition of Yellowstone County News.

BILLINGS — Billings is once again being asked to host a hockey franchise, only this time it is a professional team, a new one to be formed as part of the ECHL.

“The ECHL is a major professional league with 27 teams in the US and Canada. The play of ECHL hockey is at a higher level, and there should be no comparison to the semi-professional leagues with which Billings is familiar,” said Ray Massie, marketing director for MetraPark. “This is very far from Junior Hockey.”  

Massie sees the proposal as a potential boon for MetraPark in terms of filling event dates and generating additional revenue. MetraPark Advisory Board members are broaching the proposal with considerable caution. During their regular meeting last Tuesday, the board failed to pass a motion to ask the county commissioners to pursue the proposal, with many board members saying they want more information.

The hang up is ice and timing. The four businessmen who are making the proposal are asking that MetraPark invest more than $3.1 million to install ice and provide for offices, locker rooms and training space. MetraPark abandoned their aging ice facilities some years ago.

That’s a tough decision to make, said County Commissioner Robyn Driscoll, given all the other constraints on the county’s budget.

“The county isn’t going to say here’s $3 million, go for it,” she said.

Commissioner Denis Pitman, who was also at the meeting, said the commissioners would like feedback from the board.

Massie laid forth details of the proposal, which would include a five-year lease agreement with the team. MetraPark’s finance team crunched the numbers, based primarily upon the experience of the franchise team in Rapid City, South Dakota and they believe the proposal is doable. The worst-case scenario is that MetraPark would break even and be left with a valuable asset – an ice sheet – that would accommodate MetraPark engaging other events, such as Disney ice productions or exhibition games, which would generate other revenues. read more

Nov302017

Commissioners OK TEDD Master Plan’s planning, infrastructure approach

Top Stories • Yellowstone County

The yellow line in the illustration shows the intended route of the Billings Bypass, which could begin construction in 2019. (Courtesy image)

Originally published in the 12/1/17 print edition of Yellowstone County News.

LOCKWOOD — The Yellowstone County Commissioners on Tuesday approved the recently completed Master Plan for the Lockwood Targeted Economic Development District (TEDD) after a public hearing.

Planners under the direction of KLJ, have spent most of the past year developing a plan under which an industrial park will be developed in Lockwood through the taxing mechanism of a TEDD. The TEDD is a tax increment finance district in which future new tax revenues are applied to infrastructure development within the district boundaries. Highlights of the draft TEDD Master Plan were presented during the county commission meeting last week.

With the approval of the document by the Yellowstone County Commissioners, the next steps can be taken to develop the TEDD, which including appointing an Advisory Board and beginning an application process for grants to fund additional planning and development. read more

Nov302017

Worden getting ready to celebrate the season on Friday, Dec. 1

Huntley Project

Originally published in the print edition of Yellowstone County News.  

WORDEN — Worden is ready for its annual holiday celebration, the Worden Christmas Stroll.

The annual holiday celebration begins at 4 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 1.

Ludell Heaton said the annual Worden Community Club event is known to draw 300 to 500 people. The event includes taking passports to local businesses for stamps, enjoying snacks and holiday décor and visiting Santa, who will be on hand from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Worden Ballantine Yellowstone County Water and Sewer District Office on Main Street.

Door prizes will be awarded to close out the evening. The ticket drawing is at the read more

Nov302017

Christmas is coming to the Huntley Project Museum

Huntley Project

Originally published in the Yellowstone County news print edition.

HUNTLEY PROJECT — The Huntley Project Museum of Irrigated Agriculture is hosting a series of December events to celebrate the holiday season.

First up is a gingerbread house contest. On Saturday, Dec. 3, everyone is welcome to decorate a gingerbread house at the museum any time between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Bring your own gingerbread or pre-made house, and the museum staff will supply decorations and other materials.

The gingerbread houses will be on display at the museum through Dec. 9, when the winners will be announced. People coming to get passports stamped during the Huntley Christmas Stroll will be able to see the gingerbread house display.

Museum director Kelli Maxwell said people who want to enter the contest may also decorated a gingerbread house at home and bring it into the museum early next week before judging on Friday, Dec. 8. read more

Nov292017

Lockwood School Board announces special work session to interview Architectural-Engineering firms

Lockwood

The Lockwood School board of Trustees announced a special work session with interviews of the firms that submitted bids and designs for the upcoming proposed Lockwood high school. Lockwood Voters and residents supported a mill levy request to expand the K-9 school district into a K-12 School District about a month ago.  Lockwood school supporters and the Lockwood School Board are not wasting time to move to the next phase.  Some residents, pushing for the new proposed Lockwood high school, are concerned that Billings School District is going to request a mill levy increase and more funding that would affect Lockwood residents as they are still in the Billings High School District.  

Hence, the special work session to interview the firms who responded to the RFQ legal request for bids that was put out in the Yellowstone County News.  

 

Here are the details and schedule that Lockwood School Board of Trustees released yesterday:  
read more

Nov222017

Man critical after shooting at Lockwood house party

Top Stories • Lockwood

Originally published in the early edition of YCN for 11/24/17.

LOCKWOOD — A 19-year-old man shot in the upper chest at a house party in Lockwood Sunday remained in critical condition in a Billings hospital at presstime Monday.

Yellowstone County Sheriff Mike Linder said in a press release that the man suffered a gunshot wound to his upper chest/neck area. The person who fired the gun and witnesses cooperated at the scene, Linder said. He did not identify anyone involved in the incident. No arrests had been made by presstime.

“Alcohol and marijuana were found at the scene,” Linder said, “although it is unknown at this stage of the investigation if they were factors in the incident.”

One witness did read more

Nov212017

Lockwood high school planners shooting for May 2018 ballot

Top Stories • Yellowstone County • Lockwood

Originally published in the early edition of 11/24/17 print edition.

LOCKWOOD — Every effort will be made to get a bond proposal to build a new high school for Lockwood on the ballot in May 2018. A special meeting of the Lockwood School Board will be held at 6 p.m. Dec. 5 at the Lockwood School Administration Building to further discuss what they want in a high school and to interview architectural firms.

Putting a bond measure on the ballot this spring will be tough, but it can be done, said Chad Hanson, who heads the committee that is leading the campaign for a new high school. Hanson told the Lockwood School Board last Tuesday that whatever they decide, his committee is ready to support them.

Many people at the school board meeting urged advancing the bond election as soon as possible to sustain the momentum of the 2-1 — almost 70 percent — election victory of the previous week, which established the boundaries of the proposed K-12 district.

But the concerns of the Lockwood School Board go beyond sustaining momentum. They are concerned about the possibility of Billings School District 2 (SD2) passing a bond election that would encumber Lockwood taxpayers should Lockwood fail to get their bond on the ballot prior to SD2.

In order to finalize the creation of a Lockwood K-12 district, Lockwood has two years to put a bond proposal before the voters, but until then, Lockwood remains part of Billing’s high school district and is responsible to pay for any bonds they might pass in the interim.

Under state law, Lockwood K-12 district would come into existence on July 1 following a successful bond levy. If a bond were approved in read more

Nov142017

Lockwood Fire credits newspaper story for tax revenue increase

Top Stories • Yellowstone County • Lockwood

Originally published in the 11/10/17 print edition of Yellowstone County News.

Good news for the Lockwood Fire Department.

The department will be getting an additional $54,000 added to their 2016-17 budget as a consequence of efforts of the County Treasurers Department and the Department of Revenue to determine why the district has not been getting the tax revenues expected.

Lockwood Fire Chief John Staley attributed the turn of events, to last month’s article in the Yellowstone County News, which focused attention on a problem with which the district has been wrestling for the past three years.

As a result of getting the additional revenue, the Lockwood Fire Board approved adding another read more