Archive: April 2023

Commissioners Asked about Southern Rail Passenger Service

6 April 2023
Dennis Pyburn
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Why is Yellowstone County not participating in the plan to develop passenger rail service through southern Montana? The question was posed to Yellowstone County Commissioners by Keith Lavacheck during a recent discussion meeting.

A group has organized and several counties have joined an effort to “resurrect the Hiawatha Passenger Line”. The Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority is urging a federal study of the feasibility of re-establishing the defunct Amtrak line that once carried passengers between Chicago and Seattle via Billings, Butte and Missoula. It was abandoned in 1979.

Lavachek asked the commissioners to be “forward looking,” and at least support the study to explore the feasibility and cost-benefit possibilities. “I think it is a good deal,” he said, “Shouldn’t we learn more about it“? The Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority is hopeful that federal funding for a study will come from Congress’ infrastructure funding bill passed over a year ago. Democratic Montana Sen. Jon Tester worked to include language in the infrastructure bill that set aside $15 million for a nationwide study.

Actually, re-establishing passenger rail service is not just a focus in Montana. Federal government websites states that “over the next 15 years, Amtrak’s vision for expansion will connect up to 160 communities throughout the United States by building new or improved rail corridors in over 25 states.”

Besides nostalgia for a by-gone era, there is hope that a southern rail passenger service would be a boon to the economy by encouraging greater tourism. It is also pointed out that in Montana’s far-flung open spaces there is a need for public transportation services that a passenger rail service would meet.

Although asked several times over the years, Yellowstone County has refused to join other Montana counties in support of the vision. Commissioner John Ostlund told Lavachek that their refusal has to do with being fiscally responsible with tax dollars. When they first considered the idea 13 years ago, said Ostlund, the estimated cost was a billion dollars. Since then, he suspects the cost would be at least $2 billion. “Passenger rail service doesn’t make money,” said Ostlund.

Lavachek said that signing on as a supporter of investigating the possibilities wouldn’t mean Yellowstone County would be committed beyond the feasibility study. Ostlund seemed to think it might.

Ostlund also pointed out that there would be other negative impacts of adding a passenger line such as slowing down freight lines.

Commissioner Mark Morse said, “We have finite resources and a lot of places to spend it.”

Lavachek suggested in an email sent to Yellowstone County Commissioners and the Billings Mayor that “We should not assume that this is going to cost $2, 3 or 10 billions until we see the study.”

Ostlund pointed out the Amtrak route has never made a profit and is hugely subsidized by federal dollars, and Montana’s Northern route is among the worst. Montana’s Amtrak route, called the Empire Builder, passes through Havre and the Flathead between Seattle and Chicago.

Initial research in a feasibility study reports that restoration of the route across Montana and six other states would generate more than $270 million in economic benefits and carry an estimated 420,000 passengers each year.

Nationally, Amtrak carried 22.9 million passengers in 2022, concentrated primarily in Eastern states. Montana’s portion of the route carried 433,000 passengers in 2022.

During COVID, even though Montana’s Amtrak was provided $1 billion in additional federal subsidy, Amtrak rail service through the Hi-line was dropped to three days a week.

Despite much reporting on proposals regarding the resurrection of passenger rail service throughout the country, there is scant mention of how much rail service is subsidize in the US. Prior to COVID, information from the Department of Transportation states that Amtrak received appropriations of about $1.5 billion in 2017 and $1.9 billion in 2018 to subsidize “intercity passenger rail services,” which of course does not include the cost in Montana. Amtrak’s capital spending in 2017 was $1.6 billion and its operating expenses totaled $4.2 billion.

Another report analyzed in 2018 a savings to the federal government of $20 billion should it eliminate funding for Amtrak.

Ostlund’s concerns about shifting the cost to local governments may not be unfounded. The same report about savings, noted that Amtrak subsidies were first authorized in the 1970s, as a temporary measure. Subsidies “were intended to help Amtrak become self-supporting.” It went on to suggest that “…states or localities that highly value the subsidized rail or air services should provide the subsidies.”

The Montana Department of Transportation website reports that in 2008 Amtrak estimated the capital and up-front costs “…to exceed $1 billion, annual operating cost would exceed $74 million, resulting in a $31 million annual operating loss.”

Travel Guide Available for SE Montana

5 April 2023
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Visit Southeast Montana has announced that its free, redesigned 2023 travel guide is now available for order and download.

The travel guide features Visit Southeast Montana’s “Out Here” marketing campaign, which describes the captivating, wide-open landscapes and unique experiences visitors can enjoy in the 13 counties and two reservations for destinations and activities.

“We redesigned the 2023 travel guide with the user in mind, really looking at how people travel and matching the layout to the trip planning process,” said Visit Southeast Montana Director of Marketing Brenda Maas.

Visit Southeast Montana produces 60,000 copies of the travel guide each year and distributes it to chambers of commerce, convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs), visitor information centers, who request it from across the United States and Canada to encourage visitors to plan vacations to the region. 

Tax Credits and Grizzly Bears

5 April 2023
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By Rachel Cone and Nicole Rolf, Montana Farm Bureau Federation

The 2023 Montana Legislative Session is picking up momentum. Along with advocating on over a dozen bills, we celebrated National Ag Week here in Helena and had the opportunity to teach the 2023 ACE participants about the Montana Legislature.

The 2021 Legislature provided incentives for employers to invest in their employees through the Montana Trades, Education and Training Tax Credit (M-TEC). This tax credit covers 50% of education and training expenses for an employer of an eligible trade and can be used for tuition, fees, books, supplies and equipment. HB 245 Revise tax credit for trades education and training sponsored by Sue Vinton (R) HD 56 builds on the success of M-TEC by expanding to more trades such as agricultural, mining, food manufacturing and several other trades. We believe this expansion of the eligible trade professions is critical for Montana agriculture by providing farms and ranchers a great incentive to provide training and education to agricultural workers.

We also supported SJ 14 Resolution opposing bison introduction at Charles M. Russell Wildlife Refuge sponsored by Mike Lang (R) SD 17 which would state the Montana Legislature’s opposition to bison being introduced to the Charles M. Russell Wildlife Refuge (CMR). The CMR spans nearly 1 million acres in land from six Montana counties and is surrounded by private property, BLM land and state land trust. Introduction of bison to the CMR is risky without a detailed plan and would have a direct impact on CMR’s rangeland and would increase the risk of transmission of disease between bison, wildlife and livestock. We also advocated for HJ 11 Joint resolution relating to Environmental, Social, and Governmental regulation sponsored by Steve Gist (R) HD 25 to urge Congress to push back on environmental social governance (ESG) polices for credit scores. ESGs provide a framework for stakeholders to understand how an organization is managing risks related to environmental, social and governance factors. Using non-financial factors such as ESGs, which have no domestic or global standard, to evaluate investment opportunities can have a negative impact on our free-market system due to their subjective nature and can vary in every situation.

Front Range County Farm Bureau member and Choteau rancher, Karli Johnson, traveled to Washington, D.C. to testify before the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources. Karli testified in regard to HR. 1419 to direct the Secretary of the Interior to issue a new rule removing the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem population of grizzly bears from the Federal list of endangered and threatened wildlife sponsored by Rep. Matt Rosendale (R). In her written testimony, the owner of Sevens Livestock explained how their ranch has had to change their livestock management strategies including changing to flood irrigation, changing their heifer calving date, not raising sheep, erecting a Grizzly Bear fence at more than $6,000 out-of-pocket and being extremely cautious when spraying noxious weeds and fixing fence.

SBA Announces Montana Business Stars

5 April 2023
Evelyn Pyburn
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Billings’ very own Wayne Nelson is among those recognized as the Small Business Administration’s business people of the year.

 Montana District Director, Brent Donnelly, has announced Montana’s 2023 Small Business Persons of the Year and other Montana Small Business award winners.

The award for Small Business Champion goes to Wayne Nelson, readily recognized by most Billings business people for his 25 years providing business expertise and support for entrepreneurs, as a leader with Stockman Bank. 

Neli and Dimitar Nikolov, owners of The Corral Burger and Lodge in Gardiner, have been named as the Small Business Persons of the year.

Shellie’s Country Café, Inc., Helena, owned by Shellie Mitchell and Aimee Myles, has been named  Woman Owned Small Business of the Year.

Willie’s Distillery, Inc. in Ennis was named Veteran Owned Small Business of the Year, recognizing Willie Blazer and his late wife, Robin, for their entrepreneurial efforts.

SBA Young Entrepreneurs of the Year are Asia Caluori and Dustin Anglen owners of Pearl Boba Tea Missoula, MT

Penta Machine Company, Bozeman, owned by Michelle and Matthew Hertel have been named  Small Business Exporter of the Year, and they also won the award as Rocky Mountain Region VIII Exporter of the Year

“This year’s Montana SBA award winners are not only a testament to the grit and resiliency of Montana small businesses,” said Donnelly, “but also an inspiration as they highlight the opportunities entrepreneurship affords to make tremendous impacts to our families and our Montana communities.”

Each year during National Small Business Week , stars of the business community at state, regional and national levels , are recognized.  “More than half of all Americans either own or work for a small business, and they create nearly 70 percent of net new jobs in the U.S.” said SBA Regional Administrator Aikta Marcoulier,  “I congratulate each of our Small Business Week award winners for their pursuit to create equality in the workplace, advance innovation, and increase America’s global competitiveness.”

National Small Business Week will be observed April 30 – May 6, 2023.  State Small Business Persons of the Year winners will be formally recognized on May 1 in Washington DC and all winners will be honored locally during the week of May 1. Details to be announced at a later date.

The event will celebrate small businesses, provide critical resources and recognize SBA partners for their support in providing startups and small business owners with counseling and advice, skills development, disaster preparedness and recovery, as well as access to capital, government contracting, and market opportunities to start, grow and build resilient businesses.

Wayne Nelson, Stockman Bank

As Small Business Champion, Nelson is being recognized for his very active role in community leadership with service and economic development organizations.  After 25 years with Stockman Bank, 15 of those years leading the Billings market as President, Nelson now serves as Senior Banking Executive.  Nelson has served on the Board of Directors for Big Sky Economic Development for several terms and has referred clients to many of the programs hosted by BSED including, SBA, VBOC, SBDC, the Rock 31 Entrepreneurship program and PTAC, where they received technical assistance and access to financing. 

The Corral Burger and Lodge, Gardiner

The Corral Burger and Lodge is the longest standing business in Gardiner, Montana, the only year-round entrance to Yellowstone National Park.  The business was established in 1960 and was previously known as Helen’s Burgers. “The little burger joint has always been famous for its big juicy burgers made from a variety of meats.”

Neli and Dimitar Nikolov took over ownership of the business in 2015 and grew its popularity by continuing Helen’s legacy. In 2017, USA Today voted The Corral as Best ELK Burger in Montana. The Nikolovs take pride in finding the best locally raised elk, buffalo and 100% grass-fed beef, fresh produce, and great ice cream.  When the pandemic interrupted the supply chain and increased prices, Neli and Dimitar pivoted and began growing their own vegetables to maintain their focus on using local products.

Operating a successful restaurant in a rural tourist town (pop. 833) presents unique challenges, especially when it comes to housing shortages and recruiting employees.  To tackle this challenge, the Nikolovs expanded to provide lodging for their guests and employees.  They were able to add six lodging units to an already existing house for employees and in June 2021, Corral Villas was built and opened its doors to guests for short-term rentals.   Located in the heart of Gardiner, just a building down from the restaurant, Corral Villas offers the ultimate Yellowstone getaway. Open year-round, it is the perfect headquarters  to launch a day of rafting, fly fishing, hiking, biking, hunting, cross-country skiing, or any other endeavor that calls your name while visiting and exploring America’s first National Park!

Over a three-year period during peak tourist season, the number of employees grew from 15 to 40.  However, the business experienced tragedy in June 2022 due to historic flooding that closed the north entrance to Yellowstone National Park, and stopped the flow of tourism through Gardiner.  Local businesses rely on tourism summer traffic for a bulk of their annual revenue, and budget to make it through the shoulder seasons and winter.  Businesses like The Corral Burger and Lodge were forced to reduce staffing and work hard to minimize expenses.  Fortunately, the most heavily damaged entrance to the park, located in Gardiner, re-opened four months later.  Business has resumed in Gardiner and Yellowstone, and visitors are once again able to continue enjoying the big juicy burgers and shakes they’ve come to know and love.

Shellie’s Country Café, Inc., Helena

Shellie Mitchell and Aimee Myles were both raised in the town in which they now run their business. In 2007, after over 30 years in the restaurant business, Shellie took a leap of faith, borrowing $800 from her son to open a small cafe. With several family members in tow, Shellie began the painstaking process of turning a true down-home start up into an ever growing operation. Her daughter, Aimee, began working in the restaurant at age 15, and after spending over half her life helping to grow Shellie’s Country Cafe, she became part owner. Their values revolve around creating a family atmosphere, being committed to their staff, and giving the community somewhere to gather with friends and family. Driving the motto “Nothing Fancy, Just Good Food!”, the Shellie’s Country Cafe family of dedicated members, have taken this small hometown vision and made it a staple of the community they continue to serve.

Willie’s Distillery, Inc., Ennis

Willie’s Distillery started in 2010 by Willie Blazer and his late wife Robin. Willie’s Distillery is a craft distillery located on the Madison River in Ennis, that specializes in products such as bourbon, vodka, blended whiskey, and cream liqueurs. Products are distributed to all 50 states, but the Rocky Mountain west region, primarily Montana, Idaho and Wyoming, is their most noteworthy market. What started with only two employees in 2010, has since grown to a team of 34 and is one of the most recognizable veteran-owned businesses in Montana. The distillery is one of the largest distilleries in Montana, is a destination and a gathering place for veterans, service members, and whiskey drinkers, and known as a place to see a friendly face, meet other service members and catch a good time in Montana.

Asia Caluori & Dustin Anglen – Pearl Boba Tea Missoula

Prior to attending the University of Montana, Asia Caluori taught English in Vietnam where she discovered her love for bubble tea. After college, Asia remained in Missoula working in the tech space, but always had a dream of bringing her love of boba to Missoula.  Dustin studied international business at UC Santa Barabara and became a technology instructor out of college. This job required international travel with long and frequent visits to East and South East Asia where Dustin frequently indulged in boba. After a backpacking trip in Yellowstone, he convinced Asia the pair would be able to pull off a boba farmer’s market stand in Missoula. After selling 500% more than targeted, the owners quickly recognized a need in the community, hired staff, and opened a temporary location in downtown Missoula. In October 2021, the duo opened their first permanent location in the University of Montana’s University Center. Eight months later, they opened their second full-time operation in downtown Missoula.  In 2022, they grew to 20 employees, served 15,500+ customers and sold 53,000+ drinks in that year alone.

Penta Machine Company, Bozeman

Michelle and Matthew Hertel moved to Washington state together after college where Michelle worked as a mechanical engineer for Boeing and Matt worked as a machinist for Electroimpact.  While they enjoyed living and working there, they knew they wanted to eventually return to Montana.  This desire inspired them to begin designing a CNC mill together that they hoped to eventually sell.  Over three years they worked evenings and weekends to develop their initial prototype before leaving their jobs and returning to Montana to launch Penta Machine Company.  It took them another year and a half to bring their product to market with a successful Kickstarter Campaign in 2015.  The company began focusing on exporting in 2019, and saw a 48% increase in revenues to over $3,000,000.  This has allowed them to continue developing new products in house while maintaining profitability.  Penta Machine Company now sells their products nationally as well as internationally in South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia.

Number of IPOs in the U.S. fall 80% in 2022, Amid Economic Uncertainty

5 April 2023
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Companies in the United States that had hoped to become publicly traded have been forced to postpone their plans in part due to the worsening economic climate. This has translated to the U.S. recording one of the biggest historical slumps with initial public offerings (IPO).

In particular, according to data acquired and calculated by Finbold on February 16, the U.S. recorded 181 IPOs in 2022, representing a slump of a whopping 82% from 2021’s 1,035. Notably, the number of IPOs in 2021 represents a surge of about 115% from 2020’s 480. Between 2002 and 2005, the lowest number of IPOs was registered in 2008, at 62, amid the financial crisis.

A breakdown of the 2022 IPO quarterly distribution indicates that the number of companies going public steadily declined as the economy’s fortunes continued to dim. For Q1 2022, there were 80 IPOs, dropping to 18 in the last three months of the year.

During the second quarter, there were 45 IPOs, which plunged to 38 IPOs in the third quarter.

Macro environment hits IPO sector

The research identified how the negative economic performance influenced companies to slow down their intentions to go public. According to the research report:

“From the data, last year proved to be a challenging time for the U.S. IPO market, with the economic uncertainty characterized by rising interest rates and the Federal Reserve’s aggressive monetary policy leaving the markets in a volatile state. With sentiments essentially pointing to a possible recession, companies aiming to go public were kept at bay with the flaring geopolitical tensions and spillover effects from the pandemic.”

As a result of the dip in performance that occurred in 2022, market uncertainty continues to persist, and the majority of enterprises are having trouble navigating the turbulent macro environment.

New Business Licenses – January 2023

5 April 2023
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SD Studio, 912 Dorothy Ln, 59105, 690-1230, Susan Martinez, service

Element Skin Therapy, 411 24th St W Ste 113, 59102, 208-7822, Iverson Kialy, service

A’s Auto Detailing, 1724 1st Ave N, 59101, 661-3581, Conner Albright, service

US 48 Capital LLC, 1825 Grand Ave Ste 127, 800-6635, 59102, Mikael Tashchyan, service

Pet Passages, 2223 1st Ave N, 59101, 697-1465, James and Mark Barnes, service

Grizzly Metals, 6624 S Frontage Rd, 59101, 998-8281, Brandon Marks, service

Blackrock Tython LLC, 18 Burlington Ave, 59101, 696-4865, Ricco Brown, real estate rental

Iris Massage and Wellness LLC, 1780 Shiloh Rd #A, 59106, 794-6770, Jysten Thompson, solo practitioner

Lewis Foods LLC, 670 S 24th St W, 59102, 598-6665, Lee Lewis, restaurants

Regenmed MT LLC, 2345 King Ave w Ste D, 59102, 201-9787, Michael Matthews, service

Sports Clips, 315 Main St, 59105, 248-2488, C&B Hauser Inc – Casey Carnahan, cosmetology

Altitude MT LLC, 127 Saddle tree Place, 59106, 200-8204, Cassidy Haberman, service

Michelle Wilkins Massage Therapy, 928 Broadwater #204, 59102, Michelle Wilkins, solo practitioner

Paragon Construction Company MT, LLC, 2656 E Denim Trl, San Tan Valley 85143, 480-364-4300, Crystal Ferns, general contractor

Big Sky Home Rentals LLC, 612 Miles Ave, 59101, 647-0239, Jeff Lasher, real estate rental

Slick Mobile Detail Services LLC, 212 Terry Ave, 59101, 500-6181, service

Yellowstone Narcotics LLC, 3313 Rimrock Rd, 59102, 530-961-2001, Cameron Pavlicek, service

Diamond Auto and Diesel Repair LLC, 830 W Toy Storage Unit C, 59106, 899-2426, Stephanie Johnson, auto business

Elementum Massage, 1629 Ave D Ste A5, 59102, 534-2660, Kyle Buffington, solo practitioner

The Maker’s Market, 4220 State Ave, 59101, 561-3427, Victoria Eichel, retail sales

Elementum Massage (Loretta Lehman), 1929 Ave D Ste A5, 59102, 534-2660, Loretta Lehman, solo practitioner

B-Town Cleaning, 3540 Monad Rd #8, 672-3151, Jonathan Collins, service

Riley Tree Service, 2933 Terry Ave, 59102, 545-8386, Steven Riley, service

Longs Masonry, 2317 Yellowstone Ave, 59102, 794-1948, Alexander Long, general contractor

Beartooth Exterior Cleaning, 5049 Danford Dr, 59106, 839-8736, Jordan Maher, service

Two Lane Services, 548 Orchard Lane, 59101, 561-0849, Lindsey Lane, retail sales

JK Construction MT LLC, 127 Saddle Tree Place, 59106, 200-8283, Cassidy Haberman, general contractor

 Matt’s Pest Management LLC, 127 Saddle Tree Place, 59106, 200-8214, Cassidy Haberman, service

Alloy Personal Training, 4011 Montana Sapphire Dr, 59106, 296-6667, Casey Kelly, service

 Green FBA Enterprises, 923 Avenue D, 59102, 402-914-7289, Aaron Green, retail sales

DCL Operating LLC (Speedy Ship), 2505 6th Ave N, 59101, 671-8069, Scott Urgin, service

RPM Elite Construction, 3385 Granger Ave S #10, 59102, 509-980-1405, Ryan Meyer, general contractor

Short Corner Capital LLC, 1430 Lynn Ave, 59102, 671-9620, Doug Enderson, real estate rental

Wanderluxe, 182 S 32nd St W Unit 5, 59102, 530-5096, Carissa Cardiff, service

All About You Parties and Events, 3715 Parkhill Dr, 59102, 200-8166, Stephen Marshall, service

Yeaman Lawm Care and Snow Removal, 695 Indian Trail, 59105, 850-2589, Carver Yeoman, service

Higgs LLC, 942 Burlington, 59101, 413-0504, Danielle Higgs, service

RVR Properties, 5087 Dovetail Ave, 59106, 690-0087, Reginald Hague, service

Fever Prep & Paint, 637 Chokecherry Pl, 59102, 201-0075, Dalton Hagadone, service

Empty It out Junk Removal, 2002 Woody Dr #21, 59102, 670-6822, Kristopher Hasler, service

Treasure Home Security Firm, 44 6th St W #5, 59101, 901-8689, John Abraham, service

Cari’s Homemade Bakery LLC, 329 Stewart Court N, 59106, 672-4822, Cari Johnson, retail sales

Glory Wellness Services LLC, 3210 Henesta Dr, 545-3448, Shay Osborne, service

Sum-It Bookkeeping and Mobile Notary Services LLC, 2038 Lewis Ave, 59102, 694-3566, Gina Francis, service

Anderson Towing 10, 1202 S 32nd St W, 59106, 534-2478, Cameron Cochran, service

Anderson Towing 11, 1202 S 32nd St W, 59106, 534-2478, Cameron Cochran, service

Anderson Towing 12, 1202 S 32nd St W, 59106, 855-8661, Cameron Cochran, service

Candace Durand, 2302 rosebud Dr, 59102, 855-8300, Candace Durand, service

PWR Contracting, 928 Broadwater Ave Ste 201, 59101, 208-2697, Koby Jeffers, general contractor

Montana Plants, 421 Sioux Lane, 59105, 661-0322, Tanya Debuff Wallette, retail sales

406 Native Roots, 5320 Vintage Ln, 59106, 876-2086, Alena Hawley, retail sales

IG Cleaning, 4142 Buchanan Ave, 59101, 876-3800, Isaac Guzman, service

Electric Storm Gallery, 405 N 24th St, 59101, 503-970-4981, Taylor Evans, retail sales

Jetset Fitness, 415 Wyoming Ave, 59101, 998-8582, Andrew Jetmore, service

Little Hands Early Learning, 44 Nimitz Dr, 59101, 671-9101, Patrick Wright, service

Daily Dog Hikes, 1224 Lewis Ave, 59102, 702-6992, Aubrey Nesheim, service

Montana Metal Creations, 3433 Pebble Brook Dr, 59101, 794-5961, Michael Volmer, retail sales

Greenhouse Creations, 1010 Moon Valley Rd, 59105, 606-2428, Tamara Nunley, retail sales

Garrett Excavating & Trucking Inc, 629 Rapelje Rd, Columbus 59019, 671-0534, Paul Gairrett, service 

Kokaine Kicks, 209 N 29th St, 59101, 661-4294, Jesse Perez, antique and second hand store

Yellow Ball Roofing and Solar LLC, 2617 Meadow Creek Loop, 59105, 200-2093, general contractor

Risingsuns Exterior and Interior LLC, 1015 Shinn Rd, 59105, 839-3369, Irvin Chris Risingsun III, general contractor

Cindy and David Roberts Airbnb, 6046 Norma Jean Ln, 59101, 425-1253, David & Cindy Roberts, real estate rental

Waymire LLC, 942 Burlington Ave, 59101, 200-5999, Katina Waymire, service

Alpine Home Renovations LLC, 5415 Quarry Stone Ave, 59106, 876-5688, Clayton Barrett, general contractor

Diamond Automotive Center (Repair), 2924 1st Ave N, 59101, 856-3970, William Dalton, service

Diamond Automotive Center (Sales), 2924 1st Ave N, 59101, 256-3970, William Dalton, retail sales

Integrity Business Services LLC, 3106 Copper Ridge Place, 59106, 425-2519, Natasha Abel, service

Moon Massage, 605 24th St W Ste 2, 59102, 534-2755, Hui Wang, massage facility license

Business Basics, 3003 Ave F, 59102, 850-3549, Katherine Hemphill, service

MT Counseling, 3610 Barry Dr, 59102, 697-2530, Kristie Thomas, service

Big Sky Backyards, 128 S 28th St, 59101, 545-7327, Alec Schiffner, service

Glassing Custom Construction LLC, 2007 19th St W, 59102, 470-1081, Jonathon Glassing, general contractor

406 Bubble Studz, 930 Rex Ln, 59105, 808-9207, Jazmine Pewitt/Jacquelin Matte, service

Design North Supply, 1300 Lockwood Rd, 59101, 794-1735, Jason Spiller, retail sales

T Castro Guitar Lesson, 208 Terry Ave, 59101, 690-0378, service

Western Sky Billings LLC, 4610 Crescent, 59106, 748-3016, Donald Drake, service

4th Avenue Inn LLC, 2601 4th Ave N, 59101, 855-1745, Craig Barthel, service

Skechers retail USA LLC, 2395 Rosebud Dr, 59102, 545-6121, Rochelle Boykin, retail sales

Alpine exteriors, 2411 Hillner, 59101, 598-8905, Ree Lapham, general contractor

Buckmiller Construction, 3326 Winchell Ln, 59102, 860-5150, Boone Buckmiller, general contractor

Platinum HVAC LLC, 1733 Alderson Ave, 59102, 671-8446, Angelo Mota, service

The Puppy Parlor, 706 Central Ave, 59102, 307-921-9075, Shantel Hessenthaler, service

Mid West Transport LLC, 519 ½ S 32nd St, 59101, 413-5013, Richard Savaria, service

A1 Vending Solutions, 1333 N 27th St Apt 1, 59101, 696-6106, Blaine McCue, retail sales

Heidema & Co, 5724 Yeoman Rd, Shepherd 59079, 860-1941, Blair Walters, retail sales

406 Premier Prep LLC, 1006 Toole Circle, 59105, 350-0887, David Inman, service

MTS Laser & Crafts, 1516 Anchor Ave, 59105, 671-5424, Troy Smith, retail sales

406 Diamond Auto detailing, 313 Stewart Ct, 59105, 670-0246, Yousif Aldabbagh, service

Smartstyle (Main St ), 1649 Main St, 59105, 248-3644, Venita Group, cosmetology

Smartstyle (King Ave), 2525 King Ave West, 59102, 652-3775, Venita Group, cosmetology

KDSellers, 1119 Arlington Ave SW, 59101, 425-0665, David Baumann, retail sales

Esthetics by Julia, 71 25th St W Ste 1, 59102, 647-5697, Julia Lave, service

The Locker Room, 905 Grand Ave, 59102, 850-2893, Travis Carpenter, service

Golden Hollow Cottage STR, 5241 Golden Hollow Rd, 59101, 690-4115, Jason Kleinschmidt, real estate rental

Let’s Get Fresh, 1435 Colton Blvd, 59102, 561-3392, Sharli Kiner, restaurants  

MSU-B Professor Involving Students in Critical MRSA Research

5 April 2023
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Montana State University Billings Assistant Professor of Microbiology Madison Collins, Ph.D., is engaging undergraduate students from multiple science and health majors in her groundbreaking research.

Collins’ research involves studying the drug resistant bacterial infection called Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and why it is infecting healthy individuals. This issue received prominent attention when it was discovered that MRSA not only causes nosocomial infections (acquired by patients in hospitals), but that it also has robust capability to infect healthy individuals. Collins’ research teases apart the mechanisms that enable MRSA to infect healthy people, and so far, she has narrowed it down to MRSA’s specific defenses that affect white blood cells. Collins says that if there is a defect in the function of the neutrophils (a type of white blood cell), individuals can experience recurrent staph infections. She also shares data from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Around 12 to 13 million people contract MRSA staph skin infections in the United States per year, and around 11,000 Americans die from MRSA staph infections every year.

A Billings native and a Laurel High School graduate, Collins started her higher education at MSU Billings, then completed her Ph.D. at MSU Bozeman. She got her start in research working on pathogens that infect honeybees, sparking her interest in studying human diseases, which was the focus of her Ph.D. She then went on to conduct post-doctoral work at Rocky Mountain Laboratories, a National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases biomedical research facility in Hamilton, Montana, during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a trained bacteriologist, she worked on numerous COVID-19 projects, helped to create a new infection mesh research model, and worked on another project looking at making human immune systems younger and more efficient. She presented her most recent research findings at the Society for Leukocyte Biology Conference in Hawaii in 2022.

Collins has been teaching at MSU Billings since July 2022, and has not missed a beat. She has already gathered a nontraditional student research team which includes a pre-nursing student, two pre-med students, and one pre-dental student. Two of her students have their own INBRE fellowships, which support their ability to continue to conduct research and contribute to their field. Collins shares that none of these students had prior research experience and she is extremely impressed with their ability to ask questions and learn quickly. “They were hesitant to participate at first, but they are owning their own research,” she says. Collins adds that in the near future, she would like to open additional spots on her research team to more undergraduate students.

Biology major and member of Collins’ research team Dominic Estes says that he enjoys this research because he has the possibility of finding answers to questions that no one knows. He also shares that “Dr. Collins is an amazing instructor. She’s fun and lighthearted but also wants us to learn and understand what we are doing.” Nursing student and research team member Wynter Doyle shares that she was in high school during the COVID-19 pandemic and came to MSUB not knowing how to use a microscope. “The opportunity to work alongside a motivational and patient teacher who was also transitioning during an unfamiliar time in her life, has been a great support system to me. This opportunity has also given me a chance to try something new in college.”

Recently, Collins received a Montana INBRE grant to pilot her MRSA research. Her grant ($80,000) will help move her research forward, and support research costs and fund student researchers. She also received an MSUB CARE grant of $5,000 to support her research last October. Collins contributes her success in securing these grants largely due to the support and mentorship of MSUB Associate Professor of Molecular Biology, Lynn George, Ph.D., who is conducting ALS research with her own student research team.

In her second semester of teaching at MSUB, Collins says that she never thought she would leave Billings to continue her education and never thought she would return. It has now come full circle and she finds it soul fulfilling.  “There’s no question that the professors here know every student by their name and I like the close relationships I have with my students,” she shares. “There are many opportunities for students to grow at MSUB and they can really build their own adventure.”

Montana Highlights April 1, 2023

5 April 2023
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Coyote which has recently opened in Columbia Falls, features local art, jewelry, vintage and new clothing,  Owner Cody Bauer is a Kalispell native and a Glacier High School graduate from 2009. He spent 12 years in Texas working in the art world. Coyote is located at 510 Nucleus Ave.

Ali Coleman and Marti Moran, owners of Psycle, have planned on opening a spin studio since 2013. Psycle offers 10 classes per week and plans to expand to meet the needs of the community of Lakeside.

The Bureau of Land Management has proposed that the Pryor Mountain wild horse herd would be reduced by about 55 animals next year in the first of several planned “gathers”. These details, along with insight to the herd’s health and genetics were released for public comment recently. Comments on the proposal are being taken through April 14.

Florida-based company Oakwells, opened The Retreat Kitchen & Bar in February at the Helena Regional Airport. Michael Reilly started Oakwells in 2004 after the larger airport operator he worked for at the time began divesting itself of its North American operations. The airport has a full service liquor license that Oakwells successfully applied through the state to use.

The restaurant, La Esquina, which can be found in the Cannery District off of East Oak Street in Bozeman officially opened recently. It will be open Tuesday through Saturday. The goal of La Esquina’s food is to not be complicated, and to continue the recipes honed in Mexico.

The owners of Pho Sai Gon in Bozeman plan to open their new restaurant in late March.. Ryan and Julie Truong are from Saigon, Vietnam, where they learned to make their very popular Pho Sai Gon.

Many Sidney area beet producers already had their seed ordered for the year and the announcement of the plant’s closure leaves producers looking for something new to plant. Beet ground is similar to corn ground so that would be an option, Another viable option would be to switch to silage. Soybean, dry beans, canola, dry peas, safflower, and camelina are other options for the region.

Near Coram, Montana on the Flathead National Forest independent contractors have gathered for a logging operation under contract with Weyerhaeuser. Hundreds of harvested lodgepole pine released a clean, sweet smell with a touch of mint, into the air as they lay in piles on the landing floor. The trees that loggers are  harvesting are the trees that grew from the ashes of the Half Moon fire of 1929. . The life cycle of a lodgepole is around 100 years. After that point, the wood becomes lower quality with higher mortality rates.

Ponderosa Pottery, owned by Nicky Shepard and family is designed to give people the space to have fun, grow, and even heal. Ponderosa Pottery in downtown Kalispell is a fully family-owned and operated business as Shepard runs the studio with the help of her husband, Carleton Gritts, and two children, Natalie and Spencer. The studio opened in mid-January and has hosted several workshops and open studio access for more experienced potters.

Co-owners Caleb and Jim Scott, have opened the S Ranch Meats company in Hardin. The group purchased a plant that had been shut down since 1998. S Ranch does not aim to compete with the major packing facilities, but rather to service people interested in quality meat and a healthy, understood product. A plant like S Ranch might process 25 head a week compared with 10,000 head a week at a larger facility.

The Sidney Herald has hired Greg Hitchcock of Gloversville New York as the next editor of the 110 year old newspaper.

Rep. Courtenay Sprunger, R-Kalispell, introduced House Bill 849, which would let businesses lease a liquor license rather than purchase one outright. Sprunger calls it the floating liquor license lease bill. The legislation would let businesses pay a fee to rent a liquor license from the county without going through the steps to purchase it. The bill would apply to cities and towns that have grown by more than 5% between 2016 and 2021, No more than six county all-beverages licenses may be utilized. They will be awarded through a bid system. The license can not be sold or transferred.

The Flathead Valley-based outdoor company Right On Trek is giving adventurers the opportunity to find their perfect trail, collaborate with friends, rent gear, and choose customized backcountry meals. Right On Trek’s meals, which are freeze dried, provide vegetarian, vegan, keto, gluten free and dairy free options so that backpackers can spend less time worrying about their shopping list. No hiker is left behind when it comes to the meal planning process. Right On Trek’s first in industry artificial intelligence meal planner ensures this. The AI tool, which can be found on their website, gives hikers an easy way to create customizable meal kits that they can look forward to after a long day on the trail.

Eddies Corner, the restaurant/bar/convenience store begun by Eddie McConnell in the late 1940s, has been owned by the Bauman family since 1951. After 72 years, the business has a new owner. Lucky Singh, a Utah-based businessman who took over last recently.

Median home prices in Gallatin County decreased 21.1%  from February 2022 to February 2023. A year ago the median price was from $868,000  and last month it was $684,682. Also a year ago, homes were on the market for only about 5 days, now it’s about 22 days.

“Visit Southeast Montana” has announced that its free, redesigned 2023 travel guide is now available for order and download. The travel guide features Visit Southeast Montana’s “Out Here” marketing campaign, which describes the the 13 counties and two reservations that make up the Visit Southeast Montana tourism region.

The Bureau of Reclamation awarded a $43,599,090 contract to NW Construction out of Bozeman, to conduct a dam modification to Fresno Dam. Project construction is scheduled to begin in April 2023. Built in 1939 on the Milk River in north-central Montana, the 84-year-old homogenous embankment earth dam has experienced 710 feet of settlement since construction. Reclamation evaluated the risk associated with differential settlement driven cracking and internal erosion and determined that a modification was required. To mitigate the risk, Reclamation will add a sand and gravel filter and toe drain system, with an embankment fill overlay and a vertical sand filter trench. 

Majority of Low, Middle-Income Parents Struggle to Afford Food

5 April 2023
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By Glenn Minnis, The Center Square

 Nearly two out of every three primarily low-and middle-income parents – 64% – say being able to afford food is their biggest challenge, a new Parents Together Action survey highlights. And 65 percent say they’ve had to change the foods they buy, including purchasing fewer fruits and vegetables.

All told, the nonprofit family advocacy group that counts upwards of 3 million members finds that many parents now fear things could get worse before they get better as food prices continue to rise across the country. The results come as federal food assistance that was expanded during the COVID-19 is set to sunset in March.

Over the past three years, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients have received emergency allotments of at least $95 extra per month for food, though those added benefits are set to end by the end of March.

With 41% of respondents saying that they’ve had to work extra hours to make ends meet and an additional 35% insisting they’ve had to go as far as getting a new job, Parents Together Executive Director Ailen Arreaza say the changes are coming as too much too fast for many Americans.

“At a moment when food distribution centers are seeing increases in demand as American families struggle to feed their children, Republican lawmakers are putting families in their political crossfire by threatening to dramatically decrease spending on essential programs like SNAP. The timing of this could not be worse,” she said on the organization’s website. “Further cuts to essential policies helping families to keep food on the table would be unconscionable – and those politicians responsible will pay a political price.”

In the survey taken between Feb. 1 thru Feb. 9, 52% of respondents say they’ve used food banks or similar services to get by and another 36% added that they’ve skipped meals in order to make sure their children could eat.

When quizzed about what can be done to make their lives easier, 63% of respondents said expanding access to programs to help cover the cost of groceries, 46% said lowering the cost of essential goods like diapers, baby formula and period supplies, and 29% said the enactment of paid sick, parental and family leave so families don’t have to choose between caring for their families and making ends meet.

Magic City Blues Announces Musical Lineup

5 April 2023
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Magic City Blues, Montana’s Urban Music Festival, has announced that their premier performance this year will be The String Cheese Incident. Marking its 22nd year, Blues Fest will once again be held at MetraPark, on  August 4 & 5.

String Cheese Incident will perform on August 4. JJ Grey & Mofro will close the party on Saturday, August 5. Electrifying artists fill both stages at the festival. Three bands on two stages each night.

Also performing will be: Tee Dee Young, Counting Coup , Sprague Band , Maggie Rose, True Loves, Annika Chambers & Paul Deslauriers, Dammit Lauren, Reggie King Sears And Gable Price and Friends