Sep252017

Billings colleges gain huge financial commitment from economic development groups

Billings

Originally published in the 8/22/17 print edition of Yellowstone County News.

BILLINGS — Big Sky Economic Development (BSED) is making two donations and a loan commitment that will help put the campaigns to build state-of-the-art science buildings on two college campuses in Billings “over the top.”

An offer for a $1 million loan from BSED for the Montana State University Billings project is aimed at securing a $10 million commitment from the Montana State Legislature to build a $15 million building, contingent upon the MSUB Foundation’s success in matching it with $5 million in other contributions. It is hoped that the loan will allow construction of the building to begin before the end of 2018, even if they do not have all the contributions needed.

The joint boards for Big Sky Economic Development Authority and Big Sky Economic Development Corporation also voted unanimously last week to contribute $100,000 each to MSUB’s and Rocky Mountain College’s efforts to raise funds to finance the new science buildings.

In addition, BSED will match another read more

Sep152017

DOT announces open house regarding Billings Bypass

Top Stories • Yellowstone County • Billings-Heights • Lockwood • Shepherd

Originally published in the 9/15/17 print edition of YCN.

LOCKWOOD — An open house to update the community on the progress of the Billings Bypass will be held on Thursday, Sept. 28, 6-7:30 pm at the Eileen Johnson Middle School Commons at Lockwood School.

The Montana Department of Transportation is inviting the public to attend to learn about the “Arterial Roadway Connecting Lockwood and Billings Heights,” that has been many years in development.

Since the meeting date is the same as the monthly meeting of the Lockwood Planning Steering Committee, that meeting will be canceled so everyone can attend the open house.

The DOT will also host an open house on read more

Sep142017

Cole, Essmann win Billings mayor primary election

Politics • Top Stories • Billings

Jeff Essmann

Bill Cole

Originally published in the 9/15/17 print edition of the Yellowstone County News.

BILLINGS — Mayoral candidates Bill Cole and Jeff Essmann will advance to the general election after receiving the most votes in Tuesday’s primary. Cole received 7,826 votes, or about 32 percent of the 24,228 votes cast. Essmann received 6,502 votes, or about 27 percent. County results are unofficial until after provisional ballots are counted at 3 p.m. Monday, Sept. 18 and after an official canvass of the results is complete. Cole and Essmann were read more

Sep112017

Obituary: Shirley May (Burton) Kuykendall

Obituaries

Shirley May (Burton) Kuykendal

Shirley May (Burton) Kuykendall, 83, of Worden, passed away Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017, at the RiverStone Hospice House.
Shirley was a stay-at-home mom who enjoyed sewing, knitting and reading. She was a 60-year member of the Worden Women’s Sewing Club and belonged to the Worden Lioness Club.
She is survived by her children, Gary (Eva) Kuykendall, Janet Kuykendall, Randy (Roxanne) Kuykendall, Ronnie (Lorreen) Kuykendall and Paula (Duane) Borer; two sisters, Ruth Amdor and Pauline Powers; nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Her husband Kenny preceded her in death on read more

Sep72017

Lockwood group kicks of rally for High School vote

Lockwood

Originally published in the Yellowstone County News 9/8/17 print edition.

LOCKWOOD — The Lockwood Community Education Committee will host a kickoff rally on Sept. 16 as it begins a door-to-door campaign about the Lockwood high school proposal.

The kickoff rally begins at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 16 at Lockwood Ace Hardware, 678 Johnson Lane.

Organizers said the rally will present information about the proposition to expand the Lockwood School district to a K-12 district, which would enable it to build a high school.

Members of the Lockwood Community Education Committee will also meet at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 13 and Wednesday, Sept. 27 at the Lockwood School Administration Building.

The committee defines itself as “a group of your read more

Sep72017

County approves $94 Million budget,

Top Stories • Yellowstone County

Originally published in the 9/8/17 print edition of Yellowstone County News.

BILLINGS — Pointing out that Yellowstone County’s 2017-18 budget is only “sustainable” if the proposed Safety Mill Levy passes, County Commissioner Denis Pitman refused to second a motion to pass it. But, then he said he would vote for it, but he wants the public to understand that it may be necessary to develop a more austere budget if “things don’t turn out.”

County Commissioners went forward then, on Tuesday, to unanimously approve the county’s over $94 million budget for the coming year, following two public hearings, this week and last. The budget is a 6.3 percent increase over FY 2017’s budget.

Pitman warned that without the passing of the proposed Safety Mill Levy, they will reach a point between two and five years from now “where we are out of money.” The current budget, said Pitman, places the county in a “reactive” position, and he would rather that they be “pro-active.” He said he would be dedicating himself to getting the Safety Mill Levy passed.

Because of the tight budget, during last week’s hearing, Pitman proposed an amendment which would have set a new county policy to cease contributing funds to private non-profit organizations. And, also because, said Pitman, he has never been comfortable with donating taxpayer money to private organizations. His motion failed for the lack of a second.

The policy would have impacted the county’s PILT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) fund, which is money the federal government pays to the county in lieu of paying taxes on federal lands in the county. Pitman said he wanted PILT money to be used as a “rainy day” fund, but County Commissioner John Ostlund said that is essentially how it read more

Sep12017

Meanderings: 9/1/17 Teaching comes full cirle

Meanderings

Dick Hatfield, resident of Laurel, Montana, visited the Yellowstone County News booth at MontanaFair encountering Jonathan after some 30 years from teaching him how to play the harmonica. (Jonathan McNiven Photo)

Originally published in the 9/1/17 print edition of Yellowstone County News.

Some 30 years later, I had an older gentleman passing by the Yellowstone County News’ booth at the MontanaFair when he was looking at the TV screen with a business card on it that had the name of Jonathan McNiven on it.

He stopped dead in his tracks and then said to me, “Jonathan McNiven? Are you Jonathan McNiven?”

I quickly responded with my hand outstretched as to shake his, “Well, it depends,” jokingly I said with a smile.

He said, while he shook my hand, “I taught you how to play the harmonica a long time ago when you were a little boy at the Billings Night Rodeo when you were about 8-9 years old at the Ramada Inn off Mullowney Lane.”

I immediately said, “Dick Hatfield?” with a question in my voice. He said, “Yes, I am Dick Hatfield.”

I burst out loud with excitement and said, read more

Aug312017

Huntley Project moves Homecoming to October

Huntley Project

Originally published in the 9/1/17 print edition of Yellowstone County News. 

WORDEN — Huntley Project High School is lining up a full week of activities to celebrate Homecoming 2017.

It’s just occurring slightly later in the season than they thought it would.

Huntley Project originally planned Homecoming for the week of Sept. 5, with a football game against Poplar on Friday, Sept. 8.

But faced with low player numbers, Poplar school administrators decided to forfeit the 2017 season, and the Sept. 8 football game at Huntley Project was canceled. (See related story)

The Red Devils will take on Wolf Point for the new Homecoming football game on Friday, Oct. 6.

Superintendent Mark Wandle said Tuesday that traditional Homecoming read more

Aug312017

County mulls higher wages for jail maintenance workers

Yellowstone County

Originally published in the 9/1/17 print edition of Yellowstone County News. 

BILLINGS — Being able to keep maintenance staff for the Yellowstone County Detention facility has become problematic, reported Greg Erpenbach, facilities superintendent for Yellowstone County.

Erpenbach joined Dwight Vigness, Human Resources director, on Monday, to recommend to County Commissioners that they offer a higher rate of pay to keep and recruit maintenance workers specifically for the jail.

Such a proposal would have to be approved by the public employees’ union representative, said Vigness, who was cautious about raising wages to solve the problem. Vigness said his primary worry about addressing the problem in this way is that it could trigger a “me, too” response from other county departments, many of which are having their own hiring difficulties. A tight labor market is having its impact on county hiring as much as read more

Aug312017

New mega fertilizer plant taking shape in Lockwood

Yellowstone County • Lockwood

This aerial photo, taken by drone, shows progress on the new Town & Country Supply Association fertilizer plant off Coulson Road north of Lockwood. At right is a Montana Rail Link railroad spur built to supply material to the plant. Click on image to enlarge. (Courtesy image)

Originally published in the 8/25/17 print edition of Yellowstone County News. 

LOCKWOOD — The economics of unit trains and improving technology are making possible the building of a new mega fertilizer plant by Town & Country Supply Association near Lockwood.

Construction began in February and is expected to be completed in December. It will be operational just in time to serve the needs of farmers for the 2018 growing season. The $12.5 million facility — $2 million of which is the cost of building a rail spur — has been a long-term goal of the cooperative.

Town & Country Supply Association is a cooperative that supplies farmers and ranchers in south-central Montana and northern Wyoming with feed, fuel, fertilizer and a variety of supplies. It also has convenience and ranch stores in Laurel, Billings, Bridger and Hardin.

The mega plant will allow Town & Country to dramatically increase production, implement new technology and equipment that reduce blending times, centralize dispatching of deliveries, expand their market opportunities, and buy materials in greater quantities – all of which, “We hope long-term gives customers a better price while we get enough to pay for the new facility,” explained Wes Burley, Town & Country’s general manager.

Building the railroad spur allows Town & Country to purchase the materials used in making fertilizer by the train load, which is not only less expensive, but delivery is more dependable, said Burley, who strongly commended the cooperation and commitment they received from Montana RailLink in the process of building the rail spur.

“Of course a rail spur grows business for the railroad, too,” said Burly, but, “They were very good to work with in making sure we have the design we need to meet all their criteria.”

Montana RailLink leases the track from BNSF, and operates all rail traffic from just south of Huntley to Sandpoint, Idaho.

Especially helpful was Cathy Holland, who works for MRL out of Missoula. It was her goal to have this project done before her forthcoming retirement, noted Burly – a goal she achieved.

Finding a location for their facility with enough room to handle read more

Aug312017

Lockwood School board petitions County Superintendent for high school vote in November

Lockwood

Originally published in the 8/25/17 print edition of Yellowstone County News.

LOCKWOOD — The Lockwood School Board unanimously approved a resolution asking the County Superintendent of Schools to hold an election to determine if the public supports the proposal to expand the Lockwood School District from an elementary district to a K-12 District. The mail ballot election will be held Nov. 7.

The resolution cited the new Montana law that allows Lockwood to consider adding a high school, pointing out that the school has the required 1,000 enrollment. Actual enrollment is 1,150. The resolution also included a legal description of the proposed boundaries of the high school district.

If a majority of voters agree to the expansion, the district would have two years to arrange for the creation of a high school.

Superintendent Tobin Novasio said that the passage of the resolution is historic, as was the writing of it. Since no school has ever before enacted the new law, there was no template for the resolution, and Novasio found himself having to create it. He said he has been consulted by the East Helena School District about wording of the resolution because they too are moving forward to vote on expanding their district to include a high school.

He said that East Helena is acting as quickly as they can because they believe that the Helena School District is planning to request a mill levy which, if approved would encumber East Helena taxpayers until it was paid off, whether or not they later expanded the East Helena District.

That would also be true for Lockwood taxpayers as part of District 2 if School District 2 built a new high school. That is in fact one of the “talking points” of the Lockwood Education Committee, which is planning read more

Aug292017

County’s taxable value up 4.6 percent

Top Stories • Yellowstone County

Originally published in the 8/25/17 print edition of Yellowstone County News.

BILLINGS — The total taxable value of property in Yellowstone County increased 4.6 percent in FY 2016-17.

About half that increase is due to the construction of new property or what might be called the addition of new value to the total of assets in the county.

The balance of the increase in taxable value is the result of revised estimate of the value of existing property.

Only new construction results in increased revenue to county government and other taxing jurisdictions. The taxable value of Newly Taxable Property in FY2017-18 is $8,064,294, compared to $13,971,270 in FY 2016-17.

Yellowstone County’s base levy will generate $785,000 in new read more

Aug282017

Prouse released from jail, promises to provide court-ordered documents

Politics • Shepherd

Originally published in the Yellowstone County News 8/25/17 print edition of Yellowstone County News. 

SHEPHERD — Former state legislator Wesley Prouse has been released from jail after pledging to produce court-ordered financial documents in the illegal campaign funding case against him.

District Judge Michael Moses sent Prouse to jail last week after a court hearing in which Prouse refused to produce information about his assets.

Prouse was jailed on contempt of court for failing to provide documents or information about his assets. He is one of nine Republican candidates charged by then-Commissioner of Political Practices Jonathan Motl with accepting illegal corporate campaign contributions.

Before his Aug. 15 court hearing, Prouse had told the Yellowstone County News he was read more

Aug282017

Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office moves this week

Yellowstone County

Originally published in the 8/25/17 print edition of Yellowstone County News.

BILLINGS — The Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office will be in a new home at the end of this week.

Sheriff Mike Linder said in a press release that remodeling projects are nearly complete at the former Payne West Insurance building at 2323 2nd Ave North.

At the end of this week, the office will move there from its current location at 2550 3rd Ave N.

Linder said business operations for the sheriff’s office will move on Thursday, Aug. 24 and Friday, Aug. 25.

“While there will still be some work to do on the exterior, including signage,” Linder said in the release, “office space and security features have been completed.”  read more

Aug282017

City, county may split ways on zoning regulations

Yellowstone County

Originally published in the 8/25/17 print edition of Yellowstone County News.

BILLINGS — Yellowstone County Commissioners approved a proposed separation of the zoning regulations that govern the City of Billings and Yellowstone County.

Called the Unified Zoning Regulations, the City-County Planning Board proposed separating the governance of the two governmental entities to facilitate a planned update and revision of the goals and policies of each.

By the time County Commissioners approved the separation, the City Council had already approved the proposal, said Nicole Cromwell, zoning coordinator and code enforcement supervisor for the Planning Department.

Cromwell said that the separation involved no other changes or deletions to the Unified Zoning Regulations and, in fact, much time was spent on making sure that the zoning regulations for the county and for the city remained the same. Going forward, each governing body will be able to consider and adopt changes to the zoning code for their own jurisdiction.

The City and County agreed to unify the zoning code in 1993 and it was completed in 1997. The separation was initiated by the Yellowstone County Board of Planning as a step in a multi-year project to update and “modernize” the zoning codes to meet the goals and guidelines adopted through Growth Policies, Neighborhood Plans and other land use policies. read more

Aug252017

Solar eclipse wows Pompeys Pillar crowd

Events & More! • Top Stories • Yellowstone County

With their eyes protected by special glasses, a crowd gathered at Pompeys Pillar National Monument (behind group) to watch Monday’s solar eclipse. Ham radio operators used the eclipse to test how radio waves were affected the changes in solar energy. (Jonathan McNiven photo)

Originally published in the 8/25/17 print edition of Yellowstone County News

POMPEYS PILLAR — Monday’s solar eclipse wowed people who gazed up at the sky, but on the ground at Pompeys Pillar, ham radio operators from the Yellowstone Radio Club were listening for responses to their broadcasts at the national monument.

For Bob Hall, a ranger for the Bureau of Land Management and longtime ham radio operator, Monday’s solar eclipse was a mix of the mystical with pure scientific data.

“Hams, by their nature, have a scientific bent,” Hall said. The ham radio operators on Monday were part of a nationwide fabric transmitting and receiving both Morse code and voice transmissions, collecting data for Virginia Tech researchers.

The experiment was set up to find out more about how the interruption of solar radiation during an eclipse affects radio transmissions.

For Hall, it’s important that everyday citizens, not just PhDs in research labs, can contribute to the scientific base of knowledge.

“We kind of like to push the idea of citizen science,” Hall said. “The average citizen can contribute to real research,” and given his ranger assignment at Pompeys Pillar, doing it on public land makes it an even sweeter accomplishment.

The event drew dedicated eclipse viewers, veteran and new ham radio operators, Boy Scouts and a couple of read more

Aug242017

New mega fertilizer plant taking shape in Lockwood

Yellowstone County • Lockwood

Originally published in the 8/25/17 print edition of Yellowstone County News.

LOCKWOOD — The economics of unit trains and improving technology are making possible the building of a new mega fertilizer plant by Town & Country Supply Association near Lockwood.

Construction began in February and is expected to be completed in December. It will be operational just in time to serve the needs of farmers for the 2018 growing season. The $12.5 million facility — $2 million of which is the cost of building a rail spur — has been a long-term goal of the cooperative.

Town & Country Supply Association is a cooperative that supplies farmers and ranchers in south-central Montana and northern Wyoming with feed, fuel, fertilizer and a variety of supplies. It also has convenience and ranch stores in Laurel, Billings, Bridger and Hardin.

The mega plant will allow Town & Country to dramatically increase production, implement new technology and equipment that reduce blending times, centralize dispatching of deliveries, expand their market opportunities, and buy materials in greater quantities – all of which, “We hope long-term gives customers a better price while we get enough to pay for the new facility,” explained Wes Burley, Town & Country’s general manager.

Building the railroad spur allows Town & Country to purchase the materials used in making fertilizer by the train load, which is not only less expensive, but delivery is more dependable, said Burley, who strongly commended the cooperation and commitment they received from Montana RailLink in the process of building the rail spur. read more

Aug242017

Homecoming week postponed for Huntley Project,

Top Stories • Huntley Project

Originally published in the 8/25/17 print edition of Yellowstone County News.

WORDEN — Huntley Project High School’s Homecoming has been postponed until the week of Oct. 2-7.

HP Superintendent Mark Wandle said the original schedule changed because Poplar was unable to play the Sept. 8 game.

The Red Devils will host Poplar on Friday, Oct. 6.

The HP cross country meet at Huntley Project Museum of Irrigated Agriculture is still scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 4. The district encourages everyone to show up in force to support the cross country team at the home meet. read more

Aug242017

YVEC’s new ‘Operation Round Up’ is “opt-out rather than opt-in”

Top Stories • Custer • Huntley Project • Lockwood • Shepherd

by Judy Killen-Originally published in the print edition of Yellowstone County News.

HUNTLEY — With the “Operation Round Up” program launching this month, YVEC general manager Brandon Wittman would like to remind co-op customers that the program is totally voluntary.

Customers who choose to participate in Operation Round Up will receive monthly electric bills from Yellowstone Valley Electric Co-op at the usual time. On the statement, the bill will be rounded up to the next whole dollar amount. 
read more