The whole of Susie Hedalen’s life has been about education. This past week’s announcement that she is running as a Republican candidate for the Office of Public Instruction is in keeping with that mission. She is hoping to fill the position of Elsie Arntzen, who will be termed out as Superintendent of Montana Schools at the end of the year. Hedalen at one time worked for Arntzen as deputy superintendent.
Hedalen, a Montana native who grew up in Townsend, where she is now Superintendent of Townsend Schools, said the experience as deputy superintendent was a great opportunity that gave her insight as to how to meet many of Montana’s education challenges – challenges about which Hedalen has a broad knowledge.
By chance, did anyone talk to the residents of North Canal Drive about their road? The majority of the homes face south; they can see the cars going read more
New insanity from the Democrats. The Biden administration is going Green again
despite the facts that the amount of CO2 in the air we breathe is currently only about 0.04% and is necessary for all plant life. Scientists have found plants suffer when CO2 levels approach 0.02%, and that much of the coal we burn today was from plants laid down in an historical environment of 0.06% CO2. More CO2, better crops (more food for us and animals).
Laurence “Larry” Charles Willson, age 72 of Shepherd, MT passed away on Friday, July 7, 2023.
Willson, Larry
Larry was born on June 10, 1951, in Big Timber, MT. He was the son of Charles F. Willson Jr. and Evelyn V. Larson. After high school, he attended college at Miles Community College in Miles City where he wrestled. He was drafted into the United States Army on April 21, 1971. He served as a sergeant for the Army in the 82nd Airborne Division, Army Rangers. He was honorably discharged on April 20, 1973. Larry married Belinda Kiniston on August 23, 1974 in Dagmar, MT. They moved around from small town to small town working on ranches until they relocated to Shepherd, MT in February of 1989, where he has served the Vermilion Ranch for the last 34 years.
Larry was a family man, to him family was everything. He was always read more
By chance, did anyone talk to the residents of North Canal Drive about their road? The majority of the homes face south; they can see the cars going 60 to 70 MPH across the canal on South Canal Drive. The chuck holes, read more
In the June 2022 Republican primary election, my husband, Mark Morse defeated incumbent, Denis Pitman, for a seat on the Yellowstone County Commission. Over the summer, Pitman decided to run as a write-in candidate. Mark went on to win the November general election with approximately 94% of the vote. Given Mr. Pitman’s recent YCN editorial, that loss must still sting.
Things got worse last fall for candidate Pitman as more information came to light. On 09-23-2022, the Billings Gazette reported:
“Gene Jarussi, a Billings attorney, alleged there was inappropriate contact between commissioners read more
George William Latta passed away on June 2, 2023, at Riverstone Hospice Home in Billings with his wife, Beverley and his daughter by his side. He was born June 6th, 1930, to Walter and Louella (Johnson), in San Diego, California.
When the family returned to Montana, they started a guide service taking people on horseback in the Gallatin Forest. Located at Karst Ranch in the Gallatin Canyon. They ran this business for 30 years. George began working for the guide serve when he was 5 years old, taking tourists up into the Mountains. He spent his childhood summers working in the mountains and fell in love with them.
George graduated from Bozeman High School in 1948. He was drafted by the Army Corp of Engineers during the Korean Police Action, serving from 1951 to 1953, stationed in Alaska building roads. He moved to Billings in 1953 to work at the Montana Bar that he purchased with his parents. He worked there for the next 4 years.
In 1957 George met the love of his life Beverley Mattson. They decided to read more
Up to 631,000 pounds of ice can be stored at the new facility of Yellowstone Ice & Water (YIW) off 1st Avenue North in downtown Billings, according to General Manager, Jeff Deimling.
YIW has been in business for nearly half a century offering purified water and ice to the greater Billings area. The business also has an outdoor vending machine which can dispense bagged ice or 5-gallon water bottles at $0.50 per gallon after hours.
Deimling said the decision to move their ice making operations into this new facility, scheduled for grand opening June 15, was based partly on the need to meet rapidly growing customer demand. “Our business model dictated that we couldn’t manufacture enough product at our old facility to sustain the customers we currently have, or to increase our business area,” stated Deimling. He said the new building can make up 140 tons of ice a day, which is over twice the capacity of the old facility.
“There’s nobody touching any of our product with their hands,” Deimling noted in describing the building’s automated operations. YIW staff sanitizes Certified by both the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and the International Packaged Ice Association (IPIA), he said the new YIW facility is truly “state of the art,” and the only one of its kind in Montana.
YIW’s ice making process begins by treating large amounts of water pulled in from the City using carbon filtrate. The water is then frozen using ammonia, a highly efficient (but potentially dangerous) refrigerant chemical. In the next room of the facility, a large auger shaves the massive blocks of freshly frozen ice into cubes. Finally, a machine uses suction-cup like devices to place the ice cubes into bags according to weight.
Thomas Pardy has been selected to serve on the Thirteenth Judicial District Court in Yellowstone County by Gov. Greg Gianforte, to fill the vacancy created by District Judge Michael G. Moses’ retirement.
“Thomas is an accomplished attorney who is committed to the fair, consistent, and objective application of the law and who will interpret laws, not make them from the bench,” Gov. Gianforte said.
Pardy has had his own law practice in Billings and has served as Billing Deputy City Attorney since 2014.
The Governor interviewed two candidates for the position who were recommended by an advisory council which reviewed four applications which were submitted for consideration.
On February 24, the chief justice of the Supreme Court of Montana notified the governor of a vacancy in the Thirteenth Judicial District, following Judge Moses retirement, effective July 1, 2023.
On March 6, the governor began soliciting applications from and nominations of any lawyer in good standing who has the qualifications set forth by law for holding the position of district court judge. The application period closed on April 5.
On April 6, the governor initiated the 30-day public comment period for the four applicants. During that period, the public had the opportunity to provide letters of support or other comments regarding the applicants. Applicants must receive at least three letters of support to be considered for appointment by the governor.
Warning: Please be advised the following article contains content which some may find disturbing. If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or feelings, DON’T WAIT – CALL 988 right away. Help is available 24/7. You are not alone.
A coroner’s inquest is scheduled later this year to inquire as to the circumstances surrounding a woman’s death while she was a resident at Passages, a women’s pre-release center off South 27th Street in Billings. While officials say the evidence will most likely show that the woman took her own life on December 25, 2022, questions remain about the circumstances surrounding her death due to differing narratives being espoused among agencies. The inquest will determine the official story.
Chelsea Martin, 30, was a veteran of the U.S. Navy who suffered a brain injury while serving her country and struggled with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression and suicidal ideation after she returned home. She was in the Passages program to get her life back on track in December 2022 after running into legal troubles. By all accounts, she seemed to be succeeding. She was program complete; and, a few days before Christmas, was approved to rent an apartment in Billings. It was simply a matter of transitioning out of the facility.
Jessica Hurt, a friend of Chelsea’s who was also in Passages in December 2022, said the injury from Chelsea’s military service took a heavy toll on both her mental and physical health, causing her to have frequent seizures and suicidal thoughts.
Not one to give up, however, “Chelsea tried really hard when she was here. She worked out everyday. She tried to help everybody. That was her goal in life – to help people,” Jessica said of her friend.
Right before Chelsea’s release date, she was placed back on the second floor of Passages on sanction for a supposed contraband violation. According to Jessica, Chelsea had a seizure while at a gym in downtown Billings. Employees of the gym told Passages staff there was a can of air duster in Chelsea’s purse, and they believed the air duster was to blame for her seizure. Air duster is sometimes used as a “huffing” substance.
Chelsea was working with a case manager at a local veteran’s outreach program, Matt. (YCN agreed to use an alias for Matt due to legitimate concerns of retaliation, as he was reportedly threatened with termination after speaking out on social media.)
Matt said he got a call from Chelsea before she went upstairs, in which she said, “I’m so, so sorry,” and she told him she just wanted to “say goodbye.”
Regarding sending Chelsea upstairs, Matt said, “I begged them not to do that because of her situation.” Further, he called the facility and assured them that he would pick Chelsea up and take her to her new apartment on Monday. “But, they did it (sanctioned Chelsea to the second floor)… she was supposed to be on suicide watch.”
Jessica says she and other residents tried to alert staff that Chelsea was struggling, even before the alleged incident at the gym. “I’d known Chelsea had been suicidal, and I’d already gone to the desk [at Passages] and told them that they needed to check with [Chelsea] to make sure she was alright…” said Jessica. “When they put her upstairs, they were supposed to put her on suicide watch.”
Despite this, Jessica claims staff put Chelsea in a room with no camera, and alone – a practice many former residents say is simply unheard of. Nikki Borrowman, a resident in 2018, said, “It was always a minimum of two [women] to a room. Usually there were four or five of us in one room, but regardless, we were never in a room by ourselves.”
Other residents offered to be roomed with Chelsea, so she was not alone, but Jessica says staff members repeatedly denied their requests and dismissed their concerns.
Tragically, Chelsea took her own life sometime during Christmas night in 2022. Said Matt, “She somehow slipped off during the night, went in the bathroom and hung herself. Her P.O. officer found her the next afternoon, hanging in the bathroom.”
“How do you not know when she’s not there for breakfast?” questioned Matt. “If you’re under suicide watch, how can you be missing for hours?”
Jessica similarly stated, “When they found Chelsea, she had been hanging there for hours.”
Yellowstone County Chief Civil Litigation Attorney, Melissa Williams, confirmed May 17 that Chelsea Martin’s death was deemed a suicide by hanging, according to her records.
What’s puzzling is this: Yellowstone County News (YCN) requested and obtained the police report and 911 call narrative associated with the case, which is dated Dec. 26, 2022 at 6:18 PM.
The call narrative begins at 5:50 PM, indicating the caller stated: “Resident passed out in one of the bathrooms / unable to get into the bathroom.” About a minute later, the caller was “now inside with patient (Chelsea).”
While medical help was on the way, the caller indicated “poss[ible] overdose on fentanyl” as the reason Chelsea was “passed out.” The caller says at 5:52 PM they are “attempting to get Narcan” (Narcan is a drug which can reverse the effect of an overdose in some cases). At 5:53 PM, the narrative says, “A defibrillator (AED) is available, and someone was sent to get it.”
Narcan was reportedly administered to Chelsea at 5:54 PM.
When help arrives at 5:57 PM, the dispatcher notes that the defibrillator did not get hooked up prior to the arrival of paramedics.
Many questions may arise at this point, but one in particular: Why would the caller say Chelsea was “possibly overdosing” if she was found to be hanging? Also, what could Narcan have done in this situation?
David Armstrong, CEO of Alternatives, Inc., the company which owns and operates both Billings pre-releases, agreed to speak with YCN about the policies and procedures Alternatives has in place regarding potentially suicidal residents. Armstrong asked that audio recording not be used for this interview.
Armstrong stated that upon arrival at either facility, every resident is screened for a history of suicidal behavior. If a history is present, the resident is assigned a licensed counselor in addition to a case manager. The facility also reviews a resident’s medications to make sure they are correct.
Armstrong continued, “If a suicidal gesture is made, we would take that person to Billings Clinic, and Billings Clinic would make a determination about whether to commit them to the psychiatric unit or not.” If suicidal ideation is presented, said Armstrong, then staff is required to place the resident in an “observation room,” and they must be checked on frequently, potentially up to every 15 minutes.
As far as Chelsea’s case specifically, Armstrong declined to comment, except to say he felt the staff at Passages worked very hard to help her. “We were very invested in Chelsea,” he added.
A coroner’s inquest is scheduled for the case on September 29, 2023 at the Yellowstone County Courthouse. Melissa Williams explained, “The design [of an inquest] was really to be fully transparent. The public has a right to know how someone came to pass in a facility. They should have the ability to inquire as to the circumstances surrounding that death.”
Chelsea’s family stated the best way to honor her memory is to get involved in the community. They encourage one to get involved with or donate to a local organization, in her memory, that helps individuals with disabilities, veterans, or with mental health.
Band Director and Lockwood Teacher Jeremy Ruff directs the Lockwood High School Band in the first-ever graduation ceremony for Lockwood High School Gym Sunday May 28, 2023. (Jonathan McNiven Photo)
The first-ever graduation for Lockwood High School was completed in May 28, 2023. Here are some pictures that were captured in the first inaugural graduation for Lockwood. These images were captured by the Yellowstone County News.
Here are some imaged taken by the Yellowstone County News at the Shepherd High School Graduation ceremony at Shepherd High School on Sunday May 21, 2023. Feel free to share these images for any personal family use.
Here are some imaged taken by the Yellowstone County News at the Shepherd High School Graduation ceremony at Shepherd High School on Sunday May 21, 2023. Feel free to share these images for any personal family use.
Billy Melvin Drain, aged 85, of Billings, Montana, passed away at his home on April 30, 2023. He was born on July 26, 1937, in Stillwater County, Montana, the youngest son of Henry Sr and Melvia. Billy graduated from Columbus High School in 1955 and worked at the grocery store in town and worked various other jobs before joining the United States Navy in the fall of 1955. He served on the Burton Island Ice Breaker (Navy) and later worked for the Sacramento Bee before attending barber school in Seattle, WA. He owned Rims Barber Shop and continued to work as a barber for over 50 years, even after retirement.
Billy and Carol were married on August 20, 1961, in Absarokee, MT. They settled in Billings, MT, where they raised their three children. Billy was a past Master of Lavina Masonic Lodges and a member of the Billings Heights VFW.
Testing for a group of harmful chemicals known as “PFAs” was cancelled after the May 8 meeting of the Worden-Ballantine Yellowstone County (WBYC) Water and Sewer District. Also, district manager and bookkeeper, Dan Krum said he may step down from the manager position due to licensing requirements.
Montana Governor Greg Gianforte signed 86 of the 89 bills state lawmakers sent for his approval this week, while he vetoed three – House Bills (HB) 33, 693 and 748.
Kudos to Bob Green for his excellent editorial in your May 5th edition. He reminds us of the sacrifices our founding fathers and mothers made for the constitutionally protected freedoms today’s ruling class of politicians want to strip away. Had our ancestors been unarmed, America never would have become a free country, and you would not have experienced the good life most of us enjoy today. In the last century, over one hundred million innocent people were murdered by their own, mostly Communist, governments. Those unfortunate people had no way to defend themselves. Think about that.
In a very short meeting, last Thursday, the Heights County District Board voted unanimously to reject the City of Billings’ proposed water rate increase for the district.
Board members directed Manager Peyton Brookshire to send a drafted letter to the city informing them of their decision.
As a concerned citizen and resident of the Billings Heights, I have attended the Height’s Water Board meetings for approximately two and half years. read more
