Mar92017

GE leaves Billings, pays lease until 2021

Local • Billings • Yellowstone County

Originally published in the print edition of Yellowstone County News. 

BILLINGS — Preliminary approval was given for an agreement with GE regarding the termination of its lease with Big Sky Economic Development (BSED) by BSED’s joint boards at a special meeting on Wednesday.

The lump sum of the settlement totals $3.8 million, which allows BSED to cover the debt service for 37 months, continue maintenance and insurance, as well as provide potential for incentives for a future tenant or purchaser of the building at 3333 Hesper Road.

GE has been very accommodating in the process of working out an agreement that will put the community “in a strong position as we look to attract new prospects,” BSED Director Steve Arveschoug told members of the sister organizations, Big Sky Economic Development and Big Sky Economic Corporation, as they reviewed the proposed terms. The approval will be confirmed at the regular meeting of the boards on March 9.

BSED recruited GE Capital to Billings in 2008 and part of the incentive package included custom building a facility for the company to lease. GE’s lease on the building expires in January 2021.

In 2015, GE announced that it is divesting itself of all GE Capital business, which included the Center of Excellence in Billings. A portion of its assets was sold to Wells Fargo and another portion to the Bank of Montreal, retaining some 100 jobs in Billings. The transaction also resulted in the Bank of Montreal establishing an office in Billings. About 60 employees remain working read more

Mar82017

Second rally for local DJ draws both supporters and opponents

Local • Billings • Montana-Statewide • Top Stories

A group of 100 people marched downtown to support KCTR radio DJ Paul Mushaben, approaching from the left, meet a group of about 35 anti-Mushaben marchers Saturday on First Avenue North outside the DoubleTree Hotel, where the radio station offices are located. (Jonathan McNiven photo)

Supporters of Cat Country radio DJ Paul Mushaben start their march from KTVQ2 past Billings Gazette to the Double Tree Hotel in their 2nd rally in a week. (Jonathan McNiven Photo)

BILLINGS — Two groups of demonstrators supporting and opposing local DJ Paul Mushaben met Saturday in front of the downtown building that houses radio station KCTR.

Radio station officials suspended Mushaben indefinitely last month after he posted what some call controversial comments on the station’s website. Mushaben, one-half of the popular morning team “The Breakfast Flakes,” suggested in his post that teams of Native Americans should participate in separate basketball tournaments.

Supporters say the suspension violates Mushaben’s free speech rights. Opponents say his comments were racist and should not be acceptable for online radio station content.

Mark Wilson, Mushaben’s broadcasting partner, was not suspended but has read more

Feb282017

Conservative radio DJ suspended, listeners take to rally to support his return

Politics • Top Stories • Yellowstone County • Billings

A group of about 40 supporters took to the Billings streets tonight in support to bring back Paul Mushaben who was suspended . Radio Co-host Mark Wilson attended the rally to support his co-worker. (Jonathan McNiven photo)

Conservative radio DJ Paul Mushaben of Cat Country Radio Station was suspended last week when he authored a blog post on the Cat Country website blog on Tuesday Feb. 21 that some say was racist.

This evening, a group of supporters rallied downtown Billings streets in support to bring him back on air.

Co-host radio DJ Mark Wilson of Cat Country showed up to the rally in read more

Feb232017

Ed Walker of Billings seeks Zinke’s vacant House seat

Politics • Top Stories • Billings

Ed Walker

Originally published in the Yellowstone County News print edition and on newsstands today 2/23/17.

BILLINGS — Ed Walker, 46, of Billings, a former Montana state legislator, is throwing his hat in the ring for the election to fill the U.S. House of Representatives seat which will be vacated with the resignation of Republican Ryan Zinke, if and when he is confirmed by the U.S. Senate as Secretary of the Interior.

Walker, who was elected to the state Senate in 2010 in Senate District 29, said that he recently toured the state and visited with Republican delegates who will potentially select their party’s candidate. Those conversations leave him confident that he can win the seat, he said.

“They are looking for someone who believes in the core principles of all Montanans. . . someone who is genuine. . . and for someone who can win,” he said. Walker believes that he has the record of a winner and has the experience to raise the funding necessary to run a successful campaign.

He is also very confident he holds the core values that all of the delegates said they wanted to see in a candidate. There are differences in issues the delegates are concerned about, from one part of the state to another, said Walker, but fundamentally they share the same values.

With his announcement, Walker joins a growing list of about six Republicans who have announced their candidacy, and a few who have only indicated an interest in doing so. The Republican list of candidates is only slightly longer than the Democrat’s list of four. Added to that will be at least one Libertarian candidate, if not more.

President Donald Trump named Zinke as his pick for the Department of the Interior, but the confirmation process has been stalled by Democrats, far beyond expectations. At latest report, with Congress taking a recess, Zinke’s confirmation is expected to be taken up no sooner than the end of February or even possibly to mid March, at which time Zinke is expected to resign his seat in the House of Representatives.

Once Zinke has resigned, each political party in Montana will select a candidate for a run off.

“The message that a candidate needs to make in order to win the election, is one of limited government and a belief in individual freedom,” said Walker, who has held to such principles since his youth, growing up in Colstrip, in a family that was very supportive of President Ronald Reagan. Walker attributes his lifelong interest in politics to his family, who often discussed political events and issues.

“I believe in individual freedom, freedom of speech and of religion, and the right to bear arms. These are fundamental constitutional freedoms everyone believes in,” said Walker, adding that he believes “the states should be free to read more

Feb232017

Weekly Ramblings – Digital Thermometers

Features • Politics

Originally published in the print edition of Yellowstone County News in the 2/17/17 issue.

Krayton Kerns, Ramblings of a Conservative Cow Doctor. publishes a weekly column in the Yellowstone County News print edition.

If there was a vet school lecture on assessing health by nasal palpations, I slept through it. When a client informs me their dog, cow, cat or horse can or cannot be running a fever because “his nose is wet,” or “his nose is dry,” I quickly steer my examination to the rear end of the critter. The true indicator of body temperature lies under the tail. The rectal thermometer is a great diagnostic tool applicable to all animal species as well as politics, which is why I mention it here.

With all major news outlets mostly promoting fake news, social media has become society’s rectal thermometer. Facebook and Twitter may not be pretty, but they reflect the health of our American culture to those discerning enough to sort fictitious posts from reality. Last week, I read a truthful meme which progressive cyber-monitors immediately scrubbed. The anonymous author summed up today’s boisterous political scene in a single sentence and here it is:

“The Democrats haven’t been this mad since the Republicans freed their slaves.” Read that again. Republicans both freed the slaves and later battled the Democrats, who resisted civil rights legislation, yet today’s hate-filled progressives hysterically scream that Republicans are racist. If you lift the tail of Facebook and take a reading, it is obvious progressives are spiking a huge fever.

For example, Dawn is an ex-teacher and friend who read more

Feb232017

Lockwood high school bill sails easily to the House

Yellowstone County • Lockwood

HELENA — The Senate bill that would give the Lockwood community a chance to build a high school is awaiting action in the Montana House of Representatives.

The Senate passed the bill 49-0 on third and final reading on Thursday, Feb. 16. The House heard it on first reading on Saturday, Feb. 18, when it was referred to the House Education Committee. That committee includes Billings Republican representatives Jeff Essmann, vice chairman, and Peggy Webb, and Rep. Sue Vinton, R-Lockwood, who will carry the measure in the House.

The measure, sponsored in the Senate by Sen. read more

Feb232017

Out of service: Broken pipe shuts down water depot, again

Local • Huntley Project • Top Stories • Yellowstone County

Originally published in the Yellowstone County News print edition

HUNTLEY — The Huntley water depot was out of order again this week, leaving customers without water and Huntley water and sewer district employees frustrated.

District manager T.J. Mueller said Wednesday that he thinks the most recent outage at the coin-operated depot on North Canal Drive in Huntley was caused by a vehicle hitting the downspout, and breaking the supply pipe, probably at night, since the security camera didn’t catch it.

Mueller said he replaced the pipe with a brand-new one on Sunday afternoon, but it was torn off again Monday night.

“It’s kind of aggravating,” Mueller said. Whoever broke the newly installed pipe took it with them, he said, so he has to install another one, work he was hoping to complete on Wednesday.

He said received an angry text from Andrea McClenning, who got sprayed with water Monday night when she went to fill her tank, but said she is “not as mad as me.”

In fact, McClenning said Wednesday that she’s not angry at Mueller but she hopes that the water district can fix the depot so it works reliably.

“It’s really inefficient,” McClenning said. “They just need to fix it properly.”

She said the depot “goes in spurts, for a while it works great,” then it works about half the time. Since she gets water about three times a week, it would be nice to depend on it, she said.

“I just wish that they’d do a read more

Feb202017

TCT buys East Slope Internet

Top Stories • Yellowstone County

Bill and Patsy Glaser of Huntley have sold East Slope Internet to TCT. (courtesy photo)

Originally published in the print edition of Yellowstone County News on 2/17/17.

HUNTLEY PROJECT — Customers of East Slope Internet have come under the umbrella of Wyoming-based Internet provider TCT as it expands its Montana customer base.

Chris Davidson of Cody, CEO of TCT, said the company purchased East Slope Internet from owners Bill and Patsy Glaser because the company was a good fit for the TCT business model.

“We like serving the rural areas,” Davidson said. “We have co-operative roots. Our business has always been that. We like interacting with them.”

The company started in rural Wyoming communities in the 1950s, he noted.

“Those areas were kind of on the edge of the population centers,” and traditional telephone, television and … READ full article by subscribing here.

Feb182017

Yellowstone County News offers Full Online version of print edition

Features • Home

HUNTLEY — Readers of the Yellowstone County News can now subscribe online and choose to receive the paper by mail and/or on the Internet.

The newspaper has unveiled a new subscription feature on its website, www.yellowstonecountynews.com, that will allow people to subscribe and pay online and log in to read the paper each week through a username and specific password associated with their subscription.

Readers will be able to access the Yellowstone County News from anywhere in the world. An online or mail subscription for a Yellowstone County reader costs $34; a subscription to both services costs $39.

Advertisers will also be able to choose whether to purchase advertising for the print edition, the online edition, or both.

The current edition will be available by Friday mornings, and editions from 2016 are available in the archives section for online subscribers.

To subscribe, please visit our subscription login page or call the local office in Huntley at 348-2650.

Feb92017

Lockwood high school bill advances without objection

Local • Lockwood • Top Stories • Yellowstone County

Originally published in the print edition of Yellowstone County News.

HELENA — A Senate committee on Wednesday afternoon voted unanimously to advance Senate Bill 139 for a full vote of the Montana Senate.

The Senate Education and Cultural Resources Committee voted 10-0 to send the bill to the Senate floor after Senator Tom Facey offered an amendment that was rejected by the committee. Lockwood school officials and community members urged the committee to vote in favor of the bill at a Feb. 1 hearing.

The measure, sponsored by Sen. Duane Ankney, R-Colstrip, would allow elementary school districts with enrollment of at least 1,000 students to expand into high school districts.

That would allow Lockwood, for example, to begin budgeting and planning to build a high school estimated to enroll enough students to become a Class A school. However, this bill only allows the expansion of a K-8 school district into a full K-12 school district. Senate Bill 139 allows time for the community and school district members to decide and put a vote to the local read more

Feb92017

Scott Carter named new Shepherd superintendent

Top Stories • Yellowstone County • Shepherd

Scott Carter, named new Shepherd superintendent this week. He will start his new job July 1, 2017.

Originally published in the print edition of the Yellowstone County News.

SHEPHERD — Scott M. Carter will be the new superintendent of the Shepherd School District.

Carter, a superintendent in the Queets-Clearwater School District in Washington state, is scheduled to begin work July 1. He replaces Superintendent Dan Jamieson, whose retirement is effective June 30.

Jamieson said this week that Carter’s selection as superintendent was pending formal approval of Shepherd school trustees at their meeting Wednesday night.

Carter comes from a family of school superintendents, according to information from the Washington school district. He has served as principal and teacher in the Yukon Flats School District near the Arctic Circle and worked in education in Kansas and Kuwait.

More information will be available after the school board confirms read more

Feb92017

Wes Coy to retire from Huntley Project Schools

Top Stories • Yellowstone County • Huntley Project

Wes Coy, superintendent at Huntley Project Schools, pictured here, will be retiring at the end of the 2016-2017 school year.

Originally published in the print edition of Yellowstone County News 

WORDEN — Wes Coy is retiring as superintendent at Huntley Project Schools but will remain in education.

Coy announced his intent to retire on June 30 at special meeting of the Huntley School Board on Monday morning. He said he announced his plans now rather than waiting until the regular meeting on Feb. 20 to allow the board to begin planning how to replace him.

Coy has been superintendent since July 2009, coming on board while the district was in the early stages of replacing the high school building, which burned in September 2008.

“The old building was not demolished yet,” he said. “That was a big deal, building the new school, getting our kids and teachers into the building.”

Eight years later, the district is “still dealing with a couple” lingering effects of that fire, including spending the last year replacing the faulty high school roof and filing a lawsuit against the read more

Feb22017

Lockwood High School Bill gets warm response

Top Stories

Lockwood School District Superintendent Tobin Novasio testifying in front of the Senate Education Committee regarding Senate Bill 139 to revise School District laws.

Originally published in the Yellowstone County News print edition on 2/3/17.

HELENA — Students, parents and school officials urged a Senate committee on Wednesday to support a bill that would allow school districts, including Lockwood, to create high schools.

Senate Bill 139, sponsored by Sen. Duane Ankney, R-Colstrip, would allow elementary school districts with enrollment of at least 1,000 students to expand into high school districts.

That would allow Lockwood, for example, to begin budgeting and planning to build a high school estimated to enroll enough students to become a Class A school.

No one opposed the bill in testimony on Wednesday. The Senate Education and Cultural Resources Committee had not taken any action on the bill as of presstime Wednesday.

Chad Hanson, a father of a 7-year-old Lockwood student who hopes to someday graduate from Lockwood High School and a member of the community’s education committee, told the committee, whose hearing was broadcast on the Internet, that the goal of the proposed legislation is to help communities support their own students.

“We’d like a voice in deciding what’s best for our kids,” Hanson said.

Lockwood Superintendent Tobin Novasio said he believes the current version of the bill, which was reworked after narrowly failing in the 2015 session as Senate Bill 107, is “ready for …”  Read full story in Online Newspaper Here

Feb22017

Governor visits Lockwood Water & Sewer again

Top Stories • Yellowstone County • Lockwood

Gov. Steve Bullock, lower center in black coat, looks over the Lockwood’s water intake at the Yellowstone River on Wednesday morning, accompanied by Mike Ariztia, Lockwood Water and Sewer District manager, at right. Also on the tour were Yellowstone County Commissioner Robyn Driscoll, in the blue coat, Jill Cook of Morrison Maierle Inc. and Tony Reed, at top left, the assistant manager of the water-sewer district. (Jonathan McNiven photo)

Ariztia seeks governor’s help for aging water pumps

 

LOCKWOOD — Replacing a raw water pump station for the Lockwood Water and Sewer Dsitrict is exactly the kind of improvement Gov. Steve Bullock is hoping to make through infrastructure funding proposed through House Bill 14.

On Wednesday, the governor toured the district’s water treatment plant on the banks of the Yellowstone River near Interstate 90.

At the site, Mike Ariztia, the district’s manager, pointed out pumps that draw water from the river, which is then treated and supplied to the district’s 6,000-plus customers.

The problem is, he said, the pumps were installed at an angle and need constant maintenance and repair that costs the district around $50,000 per year.

“Realistically, you want the pumps vertical,” Ariztia said. A couple of years ago, two pumps went out at the same time and the district used Lockwood Irrigation District equipment to get water to customers, he said.

Ariztia told the governor that he hopes the infrastructure bill comes through the Legislature. A previous attempt died in waning days of the 2015 session. read more

Jan272017

Shepherd School Board taps 3 superintendent finalists, interviews next week

Top Stories

Originally published in the print edition of Yellowstone County News on 1/27/17

SHEPHERD — Three finalists will visit the Shepherd Schools campus next week to interview for school superintendent.

The finalists are Tom Meyer of Bellevue, Iowa, Kelly Haaland of Melstone and Scott Carter of Forks, Washington. After interviews next week, the Shepherd School Board intends to hire a new superintendent by Thursday, Feb. 2.

The Shepherd School board selected the three finalists last week from 18 applicants. Trustees have been working with consultant Don Hague of McPherson Jacobson, a recruitment specialist firm from Omaha, Nebraska.

Hague will also work with the board to establish performance objectives once the new superintendent is hired, according to a press release from the school system.

The three finalists will each spend a full day on campus. The schedule is the same for each candidate. Meyer will interview on Monday, Jan. 30. Haaland’s interview is Wednesday, Feb. 1 and Carter will be on campus on Thursday, Feb. 2.

Each day begins at 8:30 a.m. with a greeting by board President Carl Openshaw at the district office. Beginning at 8:45, each candidate will visit school buildings with High School Principal KJ Poepping. An administrative team led by Middle School Principal Rich Hash will meet with each candidate at 10 a.m. Student leaders will meet with each candidate at 11:30 a.m. at the high school.

After lunch, a community visit led by Elementary Principal Autumn Kring is scheduled at 1 p.m., followed by a meeting with classified staff at 2:30, led by Bobby Trotter, the district’s transportation supervisor.

The candidates will each meet with teachers and Craig McKinney, president of the Shepherd Education Association, at 4 p.m. At 5 p.m., candidates are scheduled to meet with a community READ FULL STORY HERE BY SUBSCRIBING ONLINE HERE

 

Jan252017

Commissioners hope to name Airport Road after Conrad Burns

Local • Top Stories • Yellowstone County

-Originally printed in the Yellowstone County News print edition on 1/13/17 -by Evelyn Pyburn

BILLINGS — Airport Road in Billings, from Main Street in the Heights to the 27th Street roundabout, could soon be known as the Conrad Burns Memorial Highway, in honor of the late senator who represented Montana for three terms.

Upon the recommendation of County Commissioner Denis Pitman, Yellowstone County Commissioners are putting the process into motion by sending a letter with the request to Stefan Streeter, district manager of the Montana Department of Transportation. The Montana State Legislature must approve the request.

Pitman said that in talking to him, Streeter indicated that he would be glad to carry forth the proposal.

Pitman said he had also talked to Sen. Burn’s widow, Phyllis Burns, who was read more

Jan182017

Countwide ambulance proposal slowly taking shape

Top Stories • Yellowstone County • Huntley Project • Lockwood • Shepherd

Originally published in print edition of Yellowstone County News -by Evelyn Pyburn

SHEPHERD — A plan being developed for ambulance service in the county could mean that 70 percent of the rural population of Yellowstone County would be within 10 minutes of an ambulance.

To develop some kind of service for the county is being viewed by most emergency service providers in the county as critical because the services provided in the past are rapidly deteriorating.

A plan proposed by county officials and area fire districts, would be funded, in large part, by a designated property tax levy that would have to be put before voters for approval.

The soonest that a countywide ambulance service could be operational is sometime in 2019, according to Brad Shoemaker, director of emergency services for Yellowstone County. Shoemaker is working on a plan to establish the service as cost effectively as possible, and as soon as possible. He laid out the details of a plan for County Commissioners during discussion on Tuesday and for members of the Rural Fire Council, later that evening at the Shepherd Fire Station.

If the mill levy request should fail, County Commissioner John Ostlund said, the time is going to come – probably about mid-2019 – that someone is going to call for an ambulance and they will be told “that service is not provided in your area.” In fact, he added, “we are almost at that point now.”

For the rural county areas, “it is a fairly non-existent service,” said Ostlund, “but a lot of people believe we have a read more

Jan132017

Get ready for Shark Tank competition

Montana-Statewide • Top Stories

Originally published in the Yellowstone County News print edition on Jan. 6, 2017.

HELENA – The Montana Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network has partnered with the Governor’s Conference on Tourism and Recreation to increase its reach to one of Montana’s leading industries. The Montana SBDC Network will host business consulting, business classes and its annual Shark Tank live pitch business plan competition at the conference.

“Tourism, recreation and business development go hand in hand,” said SBDC State Director Chad Moore. “This partnership is a real win for small business attendees, as they learn industry trends while also receiving consulting and training from expert SBDC advisors. They’ll also be entertained by Shark Tank, a first for the Governor’s Conference.”

Shark Tank creates a forum for local entrepreneurs to present their business plans and receive constructive feedback from a panel of industry professionals. First place in the contest will win $5,000, second place will win $2,500, and third place will win $1,000.

Ronald Turner, owner of Anchor Yanker, a Montana-based startup business based on a device that pulls, or “yanks,” rope efficiently was the winner of last year’s competition. Turner believes the winnings gave him a huge boost to help his business off the ground.

“Winning the prize money helped get read more

Jan102017

Chief: New fire hall in Huntley could house county ambulance service

Yellowstone County • Custer • Huntley Project • Shepherd

by Judy Killen-originally published in the 1/6/17 print edition of YCN.  

WORDEN — The new fire station planned for Huntley may also house ambulances for the proposed countywide ambulance service.

Lance Taylor, chief of the Worden Volunteer Fire Department and president of the Yellowstone County Rural Fire Council, said Monday night that final plans have not been drawn up for the Huntley fire hall.

And the ambulance service proposal is also still in the works. Brad Shoemaker, director of the county’s emergency services department, said Wednesday that he’s preparing a resolution to create the countywide ambulance service to present to Yellowstone County Commissioners, probably in the third or fourth week of January.

The Worden department’s building committee is scheduled to meet this month to discuss the floor plan and consider an architect, Taylor said.

But the building likely will include at least one bay for an ambulance, and if the countywide service becomes a reality, then the fire hall would also need to include housing space for ambulance crew members, Taylor said.

The Yellowstone County Commissioners would oversee the countywide service, Taylor said.

Shoemaker said he and Taylor have discussed options for housing the ambulance service — but first, commissioners have to approve the resolution, followed by a 30-day comment period and, eventually, a vote by the people living in the proposed ambulance district.

At this point, Shoemaker said, the fire hall and the ambulance service are two projects “parallel to each other, which could lean on each other in the future.”

Housing the countywide ambulance service at the fire hall is “certainly a possibility,” Shoemaker said, but it’s too early to speculate.

The Huntley fire hall is a pretty good location, Taylor said. Worden would also be a good  READ full article by subscribing to the Electronic Version of YCN here

Dec72016

Holiday spirit fills Worden streets for record strollers

Features • Local • Huntley Project

Payton Christman chats with Santa Claus on Friday at the Worden VFW during the Christmas Stroll. Please see more photos from the Worden Christmas Stroll. (Jonathan McNiven photo)

WORDEN — An early dose of holiday spirit drew record numbers out on the town Friday night for the Worden Christmas Stroll.

Linda Holmes, one of the event organizers, said an estimated 450 people attended the annual event, a number based in part on the 397 passports that people filled out and turned in for a chance to win prizes.

“There’s also some who don’t turn in passports,” Holmes said.

The weather may have encouraged some people to come to the Stroll, she said. The events includes walking up and down Main Street and other parts of Worden, collecting signatures on passports and sampling food and beverages.

“We had good weather, so that helped,” she said. It seemed like everyone she heard from had fun.

“The comments that we heard were all good,” she said.

It was a busy night for Santa Claus, who visited read more