Archive: November 2021

Wittman Promoted at Stockman Bank

17 November 2021
Dennis Pyburn
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Misty Wittman has been promoted to Assistant Vice President, Consumer Loan Officer for the Stockman Bank Billings Shiloh location. Her responsibilities include administering installment loans, lines of credit and home equity loan portfolios, along with assisting clients with their financial needs. 

Wittman brings over 20 years of banking experience to the position, which includes personal banking, customer relations, new accounts and business development. She has been with Stockman Bank since 2012 and most recently served as a personal banking officer.  

Wittman is active in the community, serving as a board member for the Laurel Exchange Club and is a member of the Billings Chamber Leadership Alumni Task Force. She is also involved in Stockman Bank related events.

 She is located at 1450 Shiloh Road.

Will County Commissioners Privatize Management of Metra Park?

17 November 2021
Evelyn Pyburn
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By Evelyn Pyburn

Last week,  the regular meeting of the Board of County Commissioners was anything but typical as the commissioners considered an agenda item for requests for proposals (RFP) for the private management of Metra Park.

The public hearing was punctuated by loud voices, dissention among county commissioners, shouted outbursts from the crowded room, and standing applause.

Most of those in attendance were either opposed to the idea or were asking that more information be gathered before making a decision. Following public comment, the RFP request passed in a 2-1 vote. Commission John Ostlund voted in opposition.

Prior to voting against the RFP, Ostlund made a motion to table the issue until further information could be gathered. It failed for lack of a second.

Most of the public seemed to conclude that the RFP would finalize the decision, which both Commissioners Denis Pitman and Don Jones said was not the case.

Ostlund said that he was disappointed in what they were doing because they were “totally ignoring 100 percent of the user group asking them to slow down. We need a third-party evaluation.” He said that the commissioners sprang the idea on everyone… “they didn’t even notify users.”

He vowed to completely vet the idea which is the obligation of the commissioners, he said. “…and I’m going to see that we do that.” Ostlund said that if it was not vetted, his support for the Master Plan “is gone.” “I’m not interested in asking taxpayers to support it,” he continued without thoroughly knowing what it is they are supporting.

His comments elicited standing applause from the packed house and people from the audience began to shout comments to the commissioners such as “You should be ashamed of yourselves.”

Chairman Jones called for the audience to quiet and said he would dismiss everyone from the room if they did not.

Pitman said that requesting RFPs was part of the process that they needed to pursue in order to gather the necessary information, which is what the public was asking them to do.

Jones actually reworded the motion to be more specific that what they were voting upon was to include investigating the current management structure of Metra Park, employee skills, finances etc. Jones said that the Metra Park Advisory Board was completing a Master Plan that would take the county-owned facility into the next 50 years – “We need to make sure we have the best management structure to take us into the next 50 years.”

The request passed by the commissioners for RFPs requires that interested companies submit their qualifications by November 23, and that following a review and a public comment period, the commissioners would make a final vote on the proposal on December 7.

Pitman disagreed that this was “thrust upon people.” He said, “The vote we take today is to get information….You are coming to conclusions before the process even starts.” To do it any other way would be to not pursue the process of an RFP, which Pitman said would violate the commissioners’ policies and procedures.

Ostlund attempted to interrupt Pitman, but was chastised by Jones who said that Ostlund didn’t have the floor. When he was allowed to speak, Ostlund said ,“”I’ve never heard so much B.S. from Denis Pitman’s mouth.” Ostlund likened the RFP process to trying to get objective information from a sales person trying to sell something. “This is no process this is a railroad job,” he declared.

Jones reiterated a statement he had made before that they are not going to turn the issue over to a third party. He said that they were elected as commissioners to get information “from all sides and determine what is best course of action for the public” and to get public input. He conceded that while they had gathered some positive input about the benefits of privatizing the administration, they still don’t know the negatives.

He went on to explain that they would be talking and working with Metra Park administrators and employees to gather information. When he mentioned working with Manager Bill Dutcher, who has been at Metra Park for 40 years, Dutcher, who will retire on Dec. 31, pushed back saying that that he would have nothing to do with the process, that he would be gone. Dutcher said that he was at Metra Park for the people, pointing at those in the audience, for the employees and the users of the facility.

There were several speakers who expressed concern about what the controversy was going to do to the support for the Master Plan, which has been worked upon by the Advisory Board for two years. They pointed out that many people spent a lot of time building public support for the project and many had contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to help promote a levy to build the structures that will be recommended in an announcement expected in the next few weeks.

One speaker threatened that if Jones and Pitman continued on this track there would be a recall petition.

Truckers Plead for Claw Back of Mandate

17 November 2021
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By Chris Talgo, From Center Square

Several groups representing American truckers are pleading with the Biden administration to claw back its vaccine mandate and a new regulation that will make it more difficult to hire new drivers, which is scheduled to go into effect in early 2022.

According to a letter from the American Trucking Associations, Truckload Carriers Association, and others, “We are concerned a mandate will cripple an already strained supply chain.”

The letter goes on to state, “We estimate companies covered by the mandate could lose 37% of drivers at a time when the nation is already short 80,000 truck drivers. … We ask for flexibility for transportation and supply chain essential workers, particularly truck drivers who spend most of their time in their trucks and have minimal contact with colleagues and customers.”

The letter comes in response to the recent unveiling of President Biden’s federal vaccine mandate rule, released by OSHA. Per the rule, all private companies with more than 100 employees are required to have all employees vaccinated by Jan. 4, 2022. Under the rule, employers can be fined $14,000 per violation and a whopping $136,532 for those deemed “willful” violations.

Unfortunately, as the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) explains, “TCA repeatedly called on the Administration to heed our warnings regarding this mandate’s impact on the already constrained supply chain, yet they chose to proceed with a disastrous mandate which will undoubtedly ensure the trucking industry loses a substantial number of drivers.”

TCA also issued this ominous warning, “These are the drivers the country is relying upon to deliver food, fuel, and presents for the upcoming holiday season, yet our national leadership has decided these needs must go unmet.” Over the past 18 months, the U.S. supply chain has been upended by economic disruptions due to government-mandated shutdowns, persistent inflation, and policies that have made energy and fuel costs skyrocket

Outdoor Recreation Plays Biggest Role in Montana

17 November 2021
Evelyn Pyburn
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by Evelyn Pyburn

Outdoor recreation plays a bigger role in Montana’s economy than it does for any other state as a share of the total economy.

The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) announced statistics regarding the outdoor recreation economy for the nation just last week, stating that the data show that the outdoor recreation economy accounted for 1.8 percent ($374.3 billion) of current-dollar gross domestic product for the nation in 2020. At the state level, outdoor recreation value added as a share of state GDP ranged from 4.3 percent in Montana to 1.2 percent in New York and Connecticut.

The share was 0.8 percent in the District of Columbia.

The news is probably not surprising to most Montanans who witnessed the great influx of tourism and increased use of outdoor attractions with the onset of the COVID pandemic two years ago.

Our national parks started reporting record visitations. In September, Yellowstone National Park reported that more than 882,000 visits were recorded— a 5 percent increase over last September and a 27 percent increase from September 2019.

And advance reservations for Montana’s public campgrounds skyrocketed, as RV travel and camping gained in popularity as people throughout the country began looking for escapes from shutdowns and turned to domestic travel and recreational opportunities. The Center for Western Priorities recently reported that the estimated occupancy of reservable campsites in Montana jumped from 46 percent in 2014 to 76 percent in 2020 —a 64 percent increase over the six year period, compared to 39 percent nationally.

And, most recently a focused study regarding hunting and fishing activity from the Montana Bureau of Business and Economic Research reported that just in southwestern Montana, hunting and angling accounts for $167 million to the economy of Beaverhead County. 

In the report, BBER Director Pat Barkey stated, “Montana remains a premier location for outdoor recreation related businesses to attract significant spending.” 

Despite the significance it plays in Montana, nationally – and even in Montana — the outdoor economy has seen a decline, according to the BEA. Inflation-adjusted (real) GDP for the outdoor recreation economy decreased 19.0 percent from 2019 to 2020, compared with a 3.4 percent decrease for the overall U.S. economy. Real gross output for the outdoor recreation economy decreased 17.4 percent, while outdoor recreation compensation decreased 12.5 percent and employment decreased 17.1 percent. Employment dropped in Montana by 17.5 percent.

Outdoor recreation estimates were impacted by the issuance and lifting of “stay-at-home” orders by governments in response to COVID-19. This led to rapid changes in demand as consumers canceled, restricted, or redirected their spending. The U.S. government passed several laws to support and sustain businesses and individuals through the pandemic. The full economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic cannot be quantified in the outdoor recreation estimates because the impacts are generally embedded in source data and cannot be separately identified.

Outdoor recreation activities fall into three general categories: conventional activities (such as bicycling, boating, hiking, and hunting); other core activities (such as gardening and outdoor concerts); and supporting activities (such as construction, travel and tourism, local trips, and government expenditures).

In 2020, conventional outdoor recreation accounted for 37.4 percent of U.S. outdoor recreation value added, compared with 30.6 percent in 2019. The increase was due to higher spending on boating/fishing and RVing. Other outdoor recreation accounted for 16.8 percent of value added in 2020, compared with 19.7 percent in 2019. The decrease was driven by amusement parks/water parks and festivals/sporting events/concerts. Supporting activities accounted for the remaining 45.8 percent of value added in 2020, compared with 49.7 percent in 2019. Supporting activities, particularly travel and tourism-related activities, declined in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic as consumers traveled less and reduced spending at hotels and restaurants.

Additional value added by activity highlights for 2020 include:

* Boating/fishing was the largest conventional activity for the nation as a whole at $30.8 billion in current-dollar value added and was the largest conventional activity in 39 states and the District of Columbia. Florida ($3.8 billion), California ($2.8 billion), and Texas ($2.8 billion) were the largest contributors to U.S. value added for the activity (state table 2).

* RVing was the second-largest conventional activity nationally at $19.1 billion in current-dollar value added and was the largest conventional activity in five states. The largest contributors were Indiana ($3.4 billion) and Texas ($1.7 billion).

* Snow activities was the largest conventional activity in Colorado ($1.2 billion), Utah ($468.0 million), Vermont ($191.3 million), and Wyoming ($92.2 million) in current-dollar value added. At the national level, current-dollar value added for snow activities was $4.7 billion.

The outdoor recreation by industry data show the contribution of different industries to the outdoor recreation economy, including their impact on value added, gross output, employment, and compensation.

For the nation, the retail trade sector was the largest contributor to U.S. outdoor recreation value added in 2020, accounting for $101.9 billion (national table 6). At the state level, retail trade was the largest contributor to outdoor recreation value added in 35 states. The leading contributors were California ($11.6 billion), Florida ($8.8 billion), and Texas ($8.6 billion) (state table 3).

Additional value added by industry highlights for 2020 include:

* Arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation, and food services, the second-largest sector, contributed $86.8 billion in current-dollar value added to outdoor recreation nationally. At the state level, this industry was the largest contributor to outdoor recreation in 13 states and the District of Columbia.

* Manufacturing, the third-largest sector, contributed $52.8 billion nationally to the outdoor recreation economy. At the state level, this sector was the largest contributor to the outdoor recreation economy in Indiana ($5.3 billion) and Wisconsin ($1.9 billion).

plays a bigger role in Montana’s economy than it does for any other state as a share of the total economy.

The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) announced statistics regarding the outdoor recreation economy for the nation just last week, stating that the data show that the outdoor recreation economy accounted for 1.8 percent ($374.3 billion) of current-dollar gross domestic product for the nation in 2020. At the state level, outdoor recreation value added as a share of state GDP ranged from 4.3 percent in Montana to 1.2 percent in New York and Connecticut.

The share was 0.8 percent in the District of Columbia.

The news is probably not surprising to most Montanans who witnessed the great influx of tourism and increased use of outdoor attractions with the onset of the COVID pandemic two years ago.

Our national parks started reporting record visitations. In September, Yellowstone National Park reported that more than 882,000 visits were recorded— a 5 percent increase over last September and a 27 percent increase from September 2019.

And advance reservations for Montana’s public campgrounds skyrocketed, as RV travel and camping gained in popularity as people throughout the country began looking for escapes from shutdowns and turned to domestic travel and recreational opportunities. The Center for Western Priorities recently reported that the estimated occupancy of reservable campsites in Montana jumped from 46 percent in 2014 to 76 percent in 2020 —a 64 percent increase over the six year period, compared to 39 percent nationally.

And, most recently a focused study regarding hunting and fishing activity from the Montana Bureau of Business and Economic Research reported that just in southwestern Montana, hunting and angling accounts for $167 million to the economy of Beaverhead County. 

In the report, BBER Director Pat Barkey stated, “Montana remains a premier location for outdoor recreation related businesses to attract significant spending.” 

Despite the significance it plays in Montana, nationally – and even in Montana — the outdoor economy has seen a decline, according to the BEA. Inflation-adjusted (real) GDP for the outdoor recreation economy decreased 19.0 percent from 2019 to 2020, compared with a 3.4 percent decrease for the overall U.S. economy. Real gross output for the outdoor recreation economy decreased 17.4 percent, while outdoor recreation compensation decreased 12.5 percent and employment decreased 17.1 percent. Employment dropped in Montana by 17.5 percent.

Outdoor recreation estimates were impacted by the issuance and lifting of “stay-at-home” orders by governments in response to COVID-19. This led to rapid changes in demand as consumers canceled, restricted, or redirected their spending. The U.S. government passed several laws to support and sustain businesses and individuals through the pandemic. The full economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic cannot be quantified in the outdoor recreation estimates because the impacts are generally embedded in source data and cannot be separately identified.

Outdoor recreation activities fall into three general categories: conventional activities (such as bicycling, boating, hiking, and hunting); other core activities (such as gardening and outdoor concerts); and supporting activities (such as construction, travel and tourism, local trips, and government expenditures).

In 2020, conventional outdoor recreation accounted for 37.4 percent of U.S. outdoor recreation value added, compared with 30.6 percent in 2019. The increase was due to higher spending on boating/fishing and RVing. Other outdoor recreation accounted for 16.8 percent of value added in 2020, compared with 19.7 percent in 2019. The decrease was driven by amusement parks/water parks and festivals/sporting events/concerts. Supporting activities accounted for the remaining 45.8 percent of value added in 2020, compared with 49.7 percent in 2019. Supporting activities, particularly travel and tourism-related activities, declined in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic as consumers traveled less and reduced spending at hotels and restaurants.

Additional value added by activity highlights for 2020 include:

* Boating/fishing was the largest conventional activity for the nation as a whole at $30.8 billion in current-dollar value added and was the largest conventional activity in 39 states and the District of Columbia. Florida ($3.8 billion), California ($2.8 billion), and Texas ($2.8 billion) were the largest contributors to U.S. value added for the activity (state table 2).

* RVing was the second-largest conventional activity nationally at $19.1 billion in current-dollar value added and was the largest conventional activity in five states. The largest contributors were Indiana ($3.4 billion) and Texas ($1.7 billion).

* Snow activities was the largest conventional activity in Colorado ($1.2 billion), Utah ($468.0 million), Vermont ($191.3 million), and Wyoming ($92.2 million) in current-dollar value added. At the national level, current-dollar value added for snow activities was $4.7 billion.

The outdoor recreation by industry data show the contribution of different industries to the outdoor recreation economy, including their impact on value added, gross output, employment, and compensation.

For the nation, the retail trade sector was the largest contributor to U.S. outdoor recreation value added in 2020, accounting for $101.9 billion (national table 6). At the state level, retail trade was the largest contributor to outdoor recreation value added in 35 states. The leading contributors were California ($11.6 billion), Florida ($8.8 billion), and Texas ($8.6 billion) (state table 3).

Additional value added by industry highlights for 2020 include:

* Arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation, and food services, the second-largest sector, contributed $86.8 billion in current-dollar value added to outdoor recreation nationally. At the state level, this industry was the largest contributor to outdoor recreation in 13 states and the District of Columbia.

* Manufacturing, the third-largest sector, contributed $52.8 billion nationally to the outdoor recreation economy. At the state level, this sector was the largest contributor to the outdoor recreation economy in Indiana ($5.3 billion) and Wisconsin ($1.9 billion).

Natural Gas Prices Impact Fertilizer

17 November 2021
Press Room
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From Northern Ag Reporter

Due to increasing natural gas prices, nitrogen fertilizer prices are relatively high compared to recent years and are expected to remain high and possibly increase through next spring, says Dave Franzen, NDSU Extension soil science specialist.

“China has supplied about a third of the world’s phosphate, and it has essentially banned exports through 2022,” Franzen continues. “That puts the burden of supply on other countries, including the United States.”

According to Franzen, the U.S. is not in a great position for mine and production expansion due to serious environmental concerns. This means that phosphate prices, which are already high, will continue to increase at least through 2022.

More People Traveling this Holiday

17 November 2021
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Pack your patience! Airports and roads may be jam-packed this year as AAA predicts 53.4 million people will travel for the Thanksgiving holiday, up 13% from 2020. As restrictions continue to lift and consumer confidence builds, AAA urges travelers to be proactive when making their travel plans this holiday season.

“Travel volumes have recovered within 5% of pre-pandemic levels, and air travel has almost entirely recovered from its dramatic decline during, up 80% over last year,” said Aldo Vazquez, spokesperson for AAA Montana. “Those traveling this Thanksgiving can expect to face more crowded roads and airports than they’ve seen in some time.” 

With 6.4 million more people traveling this Thanksgiving coupled with the recent opening of the U.S. borders to fully vaccinated international travelers—people should prepare for roads and airports to be noticeably more crowded

Montana Highlights 11-15-21

17 November 2021
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On November 5, 2021 a Montana woman became the first National Guard Soldier to graduate from the U.S. Army Sniper Course. The woman, a Montana native who has not been publicly identified, began the U.S. Army Sniper Course in September of this year 2021. This seven-week course trains individuals assigned to sniper positions in the skills necessary to deliver long-range precision fire and the collection of battlefield information.

Whitefish City Council denied a proposed hotel project by Rimrock company on U.S. 93 South. At the same meeting the Commission approved a 40- suite boutique hotel planned for 38 Central downtown. The Central Ave project will be developed by Averill Hospitality. The developer plans to donate $500,000 to the Whitefish Housing Authority for workforce housing.

The Idaho State Liquor Division last month announced new rules involving rare but highly sought after bourbons, whiskeys and other small-batch liquor offerings. Instances of hoarding, illegal reselling and bad behavior by customers have caused the state agency that sells alcohol in Idaho to change how it distributes rare spirits. The new rules mean the agency will allocate rare products across its retail outlets in a sporadic manner.

Great Falls city commissioners have voted to accept a $20,472,200 bid from Swank Enterprises, Inc. of Valier to build a new public recreation and aquatics center at Lion’s Park. With an anticipated completion date of sometime in 2023, the new aquatics center is set to include both a lap pool and a leisure pool with a slide.An indoor gym complete with an overhead running track, a multi-purpose room for gatherings and parties, men’s and women’s locker rooms, plus a child care center.

Credova Financial, a buy now, pay later company, from Nevada is a company that offers the ability for consumers to make a purchase and pay it off later, has moved its headquarters to Bozeman. Credova’s financing system is available across several online retailers, such as Hinterland Outfitters or Guns.com, as well as some brick-and-mortar stores. The program is not available at any Montana stores. Credova’s headquarters will be in the 68,000-square-foot Aspen Crossing building at 515 W. Aspen St.

A7 Cycles, from Whitefish, is named for Alpine Trail No. 7, a rugged 50-mile route across the ridgeline of the Swan Mountains. The new bike repair shop embodies the backcountry character of its founder’s, Travis Coleman, favorite trail. Travis, and his partner Lynn Foster work on bikes in a garage near Whitefish. A7 CYCLES offers the standard suite of bike tune-ups and maintenance for both private individuals and outfitter bike fleets.

Company officials told investors in its third-quarter earnings call that Continental’s $3.2 billion entry into the Permian Basin does not reflect a lack of horsepower in the Bakken. According to Continental’s President and Chief Operating Officer Jack Stark the Bakken continues to consistently deliver some of the company’s best wells. Those kinds of results are why Continental has chosen to build a dominant position in the Bakken, and expects to remain active there for years to come.

CEO, Chris Wright has been chosen the keynote speaker for the annual Williston Basin Petroleum Awards Banquet, set for November 19, 2021 at Williston State College. Those attending the awards banquet will get to hear a lot more about Wright’s vision of the oil and gas industry’s future. He believes the industry not only will, but, in fact, must, continue to play a vital role when it comes to the environment, social, and governance factors. As Wright sees it, there are really three big energy challenges today. They are energy poverty, affordable energy, and climate change.

Hatlen and Brian Jones, recently started Valley Wide Restaurant Supply in Kalispell. Valley Wide Restaurant Supply sells everything needed in a restaurant. Valley Wide Restaurant Supply is located at 2 Ninth Ave. W., Kalispell.

KLJ Engineering LLC has received the 2022 Engineering Excellence Award from the Montana Chapter of the American Council of Engineering Companies for its work on the Kalispell Core and Rail Redevelopment project. This project converted a reclaimed gravel pit (brownfield) into the new Glacier Rail Park, a rail-served industrial park. The second phase of the project is replacement of the old tracks running through the city with a 1.6-mile linear park and trail along with a new north-south street.

Flathead County Fair Board Chairman Sam Nunnally has been hired as the new manager of the county fairgrounds. Current manager Mark Campbell retired as of November 29. Nunnally comes to the position with in-depth knowledge about the management and operations of the fairgrounds, as he has served on the Fair Board since 2011. The venue has 500 event days and 200,000 visitors annually.

Williston ND was invited to a Workhorse Aerospace demonstration on November 9, at the former Sloulin Field International Airport hangar, to witness demonstrations of package deliveries by Horsefly a product of Workhorse Aerospace, a division of Workhorse Technologies in Loveland, Ohio. Workhorse is being designed and working towards FAA type certification of HorseFly, a small Unmanned Aerial System (sUAS). The primary mission for the HorseFly UAS is small package delivery, focusing on the market for 10 lbs. delivered up to 10-miles. The demonstration delivered various packages, dropping them at a nearby location and returning to the launch point.

Nick Bennett of Manhattan, recently won the 2021 National Auctioneers Association International Auctioneer Championship. Bennett is the CEO of Ascent Auction Services in Manhattan, selling agricultural and construction equipment, real estate and business assets across Montana. He has also served as President of the Western College of Auctioneering since 2013 and is a Board Member for the Montana Auctioneers Association.

The Montana Farm Bureau Federation (MFBF) Young Farmers and Ranchers (YF&R) Committee presented a check for $5500 to the Montana Food Bank Network on November 9 in Billings. The luncheon was part of the 102nd MFBF Annual Convention being held November 8-11. The donation came from proceeds raised during the virtual YF&R Hoofin’ it for Hunger race October 9 and from donations by county Farm Bureaus from across the state.

North Dakota Sen. John Hoeven dropped in on the construction progress for WBI Energy’s North Bakken Expansion pipeline, which has been underway since July. The pipeline will transport up to 250 million cubic feet per day of natural gas from the Bakken. It’s a $260 million project that includes 63 miles of 24-inch pipeline and 30 miles of 12-inch, along with a compressor station and associated infrastructure.

North Dakota’s eight commercial service airports posted almost 75,000 airline passenger boardings during the month of September 2021. This is a 90% increase from September 2020 but is still 16% below September 2019’s pre-pandemic airline boarding counts. While enplanements are rising, known challenges exist such as an inability to add additional flights due to staff shortages and the sluggish business and government travel due to persisting COVID-19 concerns.

The North Dakota Development Fund has approved initial support for Cerilon Inc. to develop a major gas-to-liquids (GTL) complex in North Dakota, with the initial phase estimated at $2.8 billion. Cerilon GTL is building a gas to liquids plant in Trenton. The Development Fund Board approved $3 million in initial developmental capital to Cerilon GTL Inc., a subsidiary of Calgary, Albert-based Cerilon Inc., for the GTL complex, with further financial support anticipated. 

Mandates Violate Montana Law

17 November 2021
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Federal mandates that federal contractors require their workers to be vaccinated violates Montana law and is therefore unenforceable.

President Biden has directed new or renewed federal contracts to require COVID-19 vaccination for contractor or subcontractor employees, to which Gov. Gianforte has responded that it violates Montana law prohibiting discrimination based on a person’s vaccination status.

Recognizing that the mandate has created confusion for Montana employers and employees, the Governor issued guidance to Montanans regarding compliance and recommended reasonable accommodations for health care facilities and special rules for licensed nursing homes and long-term care and assisted living facilities.

Issued September 9, Pres. Biden’s Executive Order 14042 directs new or renewed federal contracts to require COVID-19 vaccination for contractor or subcontractor employees.

The governor wrote, “As outlined in concurrent guidance from my administration, President Biden’s executive order violates Montana law. COVID-19 vaccine mandates, including as a condition of employment, are illegal in Montana, and state law makes clear that contract terms that violate Montana public policy are unenforceable. As such, President Biden’s order is unenforceable.”

The governor also wrote, “While I encourage Montanans to consult with their health care provider and get vaccinated, doing so is voluntary and no individual should face discrimination based on their vaccination status.”

The governor’s guidance clarifies to whom the president’s executive order applies, as well as the effect of the executive order on new or renewed contracts.

Johns Joins Stockman Wealth Management

17 November 2021
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Larry Johns has joined Stockman Wealth Management as President. He will oversee and manage the daily operations, along with helping establish the long-term strategic initiatives of Stockman Wealth Management. His responsibilities include project management, employee supervision and daily involvement in the decisions impacting selected investments.

 Johns brings over 25 years of investment management experience to the position, which includes portfolio management, analysis, and business development. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder as well.

Johns earned his Bachelor of Science degree in finance from Montana State University in Bozeman in 1995 and his Master of Business Administration from the University of Montana in 2004. He also served in the United States Army in an Artillery Unit. Johns is active in the community serving as a member of the board of directors and chair of the Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch Foundation Investment Committee.

 He is located at 402 North Broadway.

Governor Opens Monoclonal Clinic

17 November 2021
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Gov. Greg Gianforte announced the state is expanding access to life-saving monoclonal antibody (mAb) treatments with the opening of a new state-sponsored clinic in Missoula. This is the second state-sponsored mAb clinic in Montana – one was opened in Butte earlier.

“A life-saving tool for Montanans who contract COVID-19, monoclonal antibody treatments help reduce the strain on our hospital systems and open up ICU beds for the most critical patients,” Gov. Gianforte said. The new clinic at Providence St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula will use staff and resources through Jogan Health Solutions, a third party with which the state contracted to alleviate the strain on hospital resources. The monoclonal antibody treatment center is open to eligible, at-risk Montanans with a referral from their medical provider.

“While monoclonal antibodies are an important piece of the COVID-19 toolkit, they are only given with physician prescription once a person has contracted the virus. COVID vaccination remains the key measure in preventing a patient’s possible hospitalization and death,” Joyce Dombrouski, Chief Executive, Providence Montana said. “Partnering with the State of Montana for staffing was integral in our ability to offer this treatment locally.”