Jan262019
Well, folks; did you see all the letters to the editor we had this week in the paper? Did you know the number of letters to the editor show the vibrancy of a newspaper? Either we are getting more attention or our reporting is getting worse. I’ll let you be the judge but I thought they were good letters sent to us, (or I wouldn’t have allowed them in the paper). read more
Jan262019
by Elisa Schlosser
HELENA – The Montana Highway Patrol has released a report outlining the results of a public opinion survey conducted in the summer of 2018. The public opinion survey was conducted to give Montana residents and visitors a voice read more
Jan262019
Dear Editor,
I’m still clapping my hands together after reading Jose A. Bustos letter to the editor! I, too, have stopped my subscription to the Billings Gazette because of the false reporting and nasty remarks toward conservatives. I DO LOVE the Yellowstone county newspaper read more
Jan262019
Dear Editor,
I think there are false statements and serious omissions in the One Big Sky article written by Evelyn Pyburn in the last issue of The Yellowstone County News. First it states that when private funding reached $300 million the City and State would both put in $75 Million. But where is that money coming from? I see no explanation at all. read more
Jan252019
Dear Editor,
I received my call sign KN6LIW on January 1958. I have been a licensed amateur radio operator since then. I was pleasantly surprised to read your article informing the public about amateur radio and how they can get involved in this fascinating and useful hobby. I credit my experience in this hobby as being instrumental in helping me becoming interested in math and science at a young age. read more
Jan252019
Dear Editor,
On Face Book there was a “Which side of the fence are you” of conservative and liberal stance. No one I know fit their description for either. I claim Christian Democrat, meaning Christ died for EVERYONE on the planet read more
Jan252019
Dear Editor:
Once a country loses control of its economy, it can’t make major political decisions. The British figured this out. A nation can recover from a recession, but from a loss of independence? Very hard. Even if an international agreement results in an economic boom, if the price to pay is sovereignty, it is too high, period.
What about the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA)? Trump promotes it, but who wrote it? The same one-worlders who praised/wrote Obama’s Trans-Pacific Partnership. read more
Jan252019
Dear Editor,
With all that our Billings city council is trying to jam down the throats of Billings tax payers, (note One Big Sky), one has to wonder what the heck they are doing with the USS Billings Commissioning Committee. When a navy ship is named for a city, it is expected that the city whose name adorns the ship host a commissioning ceremony (PARTY) for the ship’s commissioning. It really is more of a party than anything. These commissioning ceremonies cost a lot of money, anywhere from $50,000 to the sun. read more
Jan252019
A and E Florist and small business owner Sheri Murphy, 38, prepares an arrangement of flowers Monday afternoon in preparation for a customer. (Photo by Jonathan McNiven)
by Jonathan McNiven
Montana’s first drive thru floral shop has made a pit stop look like a victory lap. Heads turn and eyebrows raise while offering a unique service not offered anywhere else in the state. However, customer service, affordability and elegance are still in the details. A quick detour before or after errands
“only takes minutes”, says florist Sheri Murphy, at “A & E Floral” on Grand Ave.
“Life, today, is all about convenience” and that is the concept that Sheri is trying to drive home. Guys want to swing through a drive-thru. Moms and ladies are always on the go, read more
Jan252019
by Jonathan McNiven
BILLINGS- Frontier Airlines unveiled this week with the announcement that Billings will be a
new city in their flight plans starting this May. News of the low airfares and flights would affect travelers’ pocket books to the greater Yellowstone county area as new direct flights from Billings to Denver will be offered which includes low airfares. To celebrate the new route, Frontier is offering a special introductory one-way fare of $39, read more
Jan252019
Chance Ray Mavity
Chance Ray Mavity was born April 8, 1992 in West Covin, California, changing our lives forever. He was taken from us too soon on Sunday, January 20, 2019.
Chance attended school in Shepherd, MT. He was very athletic and excelled in several sports, including baseball, football, soccer, snowboarding and skateboarding. However, his passion was motor cross. He also enjoyed hunting and fishing with his dad. He was a member of the Emanuel Lutheran Church in Shepherd, Boy Scouts, and 4-H. Chance graduated in 2008 near the top of his class from Youth Challenge Academy in Dillon. He then went on to serve read more
Jan212019
by Crystal Murdock
BILLINGS –A group of Billings Heights business owners met on January 9 to seek approval of the newly formed “Billings Heights Business Association” or BHBA. The group was formed in response to concerns pertaining to public safety, transportation, development, community facilities and business growth in the Heights area.
Ming Cabrera, a business owner in the Heights community, stated. read more
Jan192019
Dear Editor,
This is addressed to Nancy Pelosi: Just an observation from a white, hetrosexual male in his fifties, read more
Jan182019
by Elisa Schlosser
Helena—January 7, the Executive Director of the Montana Democratic Party, Monica Lindeen, filed a complaint with the Commissioner of Political Practices alleging that Secretary of State, Corey Stapleton, violated Montana law when he announced his 2020 gubernatorial campaign using a state email address.
The complaint states, “Secretary of State Corey Stapleton’s use of official state resources to announce his next political campaign is only the latest example of how he has repeatedly injected partisan politics read more
Jan182019
Dear Editor,
This is my first letter to your very interesting newspaper (the rest will be way shorter), and up to this point appears to be a truth filled newspaper, not a liberal, pundit laced tabloid such as the Billings Gazette has become. The Gazette will not print certain commentary if it appears to be heavily conservative, or what I believe is pouring salt on their open liberal wounds. I have written to the Gazette a number of times, and just recently was told that my commentary read more
Jan182019
Dear Editor,
I believe if you had asked our founders what they wanted to accomplish with their writing of our founding documents, they would all agreed that these were meant to afford our citizens Liberty and Justice for all; just as our pledge allegiance to the flag states. Just as the second amendment allows us to protect ourselves and others against those who would harm us (even a tyrannical government if necessary), the sixth amendment allows our fellow citizens read more
Jan182019
Congress passed, (yes, it does occasionally), the Coinage Act in April 1792 and established the first national mint in Philadelphia, our first Capitol, (no, it was not Mar-a-logo). Which brings me to my point, fly fishing. My lifetime subscription magazine from the Federation of Fly Fishers came today and after looking at the pictures of new killer fly patterns, I became confused. Formed in 1964 the FFF is almost as old as I am. In the early days when as a member, officer, noted fly tier and fishing instructor, we had special fly patterns that were carefully handed down from earlier generations. They were ‘killers’ in that they were tried and proven over many year by actual fly fishers.
It struck me that those patterns looked an awful lot like actual bugs and good enough for me to eat. They worked because they imitated the prey food much sought by game fish. read more
Jan182019
Well, folks, it’s official, we have now achieved three years in a row to be the #1 Statewide Display Advertiser. (out of 64 participating newspapers). I knew our sales staff was doing well as we were showing strong results near the end of the year. As we ended last 2018, we placed 66 statewide display ads in all the participating newspapers. The closest newspaper to place read more
Jan182019
by Evelyn Pyburn
BILLINGS – The boards of Big Sky Economic Development (BSED) approved committing up to $300,000 for the next step of 
funding needed for One Big Sky District (OBSD), last week. It will be part of $578,000 being requested from the community by Bob Dunn of Landmark, the private company that is spearheading OBSD, a project that includes the development of a downtown convention center.
BSED Director Steve Arveschoug explained that the funds are what are expected to be needed for the next six months, primarily for the purpose of lobbying the state legislature to pass a bill, that will create a funding mechanism for the grand $2.5 billion project, and to pursue site analysis. Arveschoug said that passing the legislation is necessary to make the plan “actionable.” Click to read more on OBSD read more
Jan162019
