Archive: September 2025

Chamber of Commerce Names Award Winners

10 September 2025
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The Billings Chamber of Commerce has announced the “Business Excellence Awards” and “Legacy Awards.’ They will be recognized and honored during the Chamber’s  Annual Business Celebration, presented by Marsh McLennan Agency and Rubicare, on September 18 at the Billings Hotel and Convention Center.

— Ally Songstad with Billings Federal Credit Union has been named “The NextGEN Exceptional Emerging Leader”, which is awarded to a young professional who demonstrates strong leadership, excellence in professional, philanthropic and/or community investment, and inspires others to succeed.

— Blake Wahrlich with Best Western Clocktower Inn and Stella’s Kitchen & Bakery has been named “Employer of the Year Award.” The award recognizes leadership that transforms workplaces into communities—where people feel seen, heard, supported, and inspired. award recognizes a business that goes far beyond the basics—fostering an inclusive culture, offering meaningful benefits, investing in their people, creating opportunity, and making a true impact beyond their own walls. Wahrlich serves as the chair of the business improvement district of Downtown Billings

— Don Keisser, Transitional Marketing (TransMar), has recognized as “Small Business of the Year Award,” which was created to spotlight a local business with 15 or fewer employees that exemplifies innovation, resilience, and real community impact. TransMar is a business built on relationships, powered by service, and guided by values. For over a decade, this company has delivered high-quality results with a personal touch—offering clients creative, customized promotional solutions that help them succeed.

— Jen & Jason Marble, owners of The Marble Table and Marble Coffee Co., have been named as Outstanding Business Persons of the Year. The award recognizes those who are more than business leaders—they are visionaries, collaborators, and community champions. These two don’t stop at great food and coffee; they lead with heart, with hustle, and with purpose. They’re constantly innovating—testing menus, trying new hours, playing with flavors, and listening to customer feedback with open ears and open minds.

— Parker Phipps, Yellowstone Ice Foundation/Signal Peak Energy, is being recognized as a “Groundbreaker,” a boundary-pusher. The Groundbreakers Award recognizes those who don’t wait for permission to lead; they roll up their sleeves, reimagine what’s possible, and spark lasting change. Phipps did just that. When a community center bond failed, he didn’t see an ending. He acted decisively, and helped chart a new course for a public-private partnership in Billings. Thanks to his vision, the Signal Peak Energy Arena is on track to become a reality in early 2026—a transformational project poised to generate millions in economic impact and provide a vibrant new gathering place for our region. And, he did all of this while also leading a major energy company, raising four kids, coaching youth hockey, and volunteering on multiple philanthropic boards.

State Pauses Site Search for Mental Health Facility

10 September 2025
Evelyn Pyburn
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By Evelyn Pyburn

Confronted with a lot of questions from local officials that are going without answers, State officials have stepped back from their pursuit of finding a site for a behavioral health facility, funding for which was approved by the Montana State Legislature.

After conducting a tour of potential sites in several communities, Director of the Board of Investments,  Dan Villa, who has been charged with the task of finding a site, announced that he needs more direction and information from legislators, the Governor’s office and the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) in order to better answer the questions he is being asked by county and city officials about what kind of facility is envisioned and how it will operate.

The Montana Board of Investments was assigned the task of assisting DPHHS in finding a site for the proposed facility following the approval of $26.5 million by the 2025 Montana Legislature to build the long-discussed need for a facility. The facility will serve an ever-growing waiting list of inmates in need of mental health services. The Montana Board of Investments manages state-owned lands, and it is hoped that a property can be found that is already owned by the state as  a site, thus saving in its cost.

Senate Bill 5, which advanced the proposal in the state legislature, states that construction should start on the facility by June of 2026. Some comments from legislators, recognizing its urgent need, have suggested that it needs to be completed in two years.

As Villa visited the prospective sites – especially in Billings which has been broadly discussed as the preferable location – he was pelted with questions about how the facility would operate, what expectations would be imposed upon the community and taxpayers, and even whether it is to be a general “behavioral health facility,” or a “forensic facility,” which would accommodate criminals serving sentences, who need mental health treatment.

In June, it was reported that Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services Director Charlie Brereton told a state commission that they hope to locate a new facility “in the Yellowstone County region.”

In making the announcement, last week, that the search for a site is being put on hold, Villa told his Board of Investments that he needs more guidance to answer questions, especially in Billings where concerns run high that the addition of such a facility will just add to the burden of providing social services for the mentally ill and other unhoused, unemployed, indigent people.

County and city officials in Billings have asked how the patients or inmates of the facility will be processed, concerned that they will eventually be discharged with no support, compounding social problems and imposing additional costs on taxpayers. The lack of information that Villa has been able to provide has generated charges that the State is not complying with the state’s public information requirements.

Montana Senator Mike Yakawich, Billings SD24,  who served on the legislative committee that dealt with how to address the issue of behavioral health in Montana, said that it is estimated that the proposed facility would be about 50 beds and would hire 50 people or more.

The idea of building a second location for a behavioral health center is not a new idea, said Yakawich. It’s been around for about 20 years.

The only other option for inmates needing mental health care has long been Warm Springs, which can accommodate about 100 patients, which has faced its own struggles over the past couple of years. However, it too received funding from the recent State Legislature, which is expected to help solve some of its problems — problems which resulted in it losing its federal accreditation and federal funding.  Sen. Yakawich said that he is confident that Warm Springs will regain its accreditation this year.

Some state officials have stated that they believe Billings is a preferable location for a second location for several reasons, including a more strategic location to better serve Eastern Montana.

As Sen. Yakawich commented, it’s a very long drive for communities in Eastern Montana to transport prisoners to Warm Springs in Deer Lodge County. Transporting prisoners across the state from Eastern Montana communities is an onerous and costly process, he said.

Even those questioning plans going forward readily concede the need for an additional facility in the State. Many of the inmates that are being held in local jails – including the Yellowstone County Detention Facility – should be in a facility that provides mental health care but there are no openings. Others are waiting long stretches in jail for mental health assessments they cannot get because of a lack of health care professionals.

Billings is the best choice for the site, say some civic leaders, because it has a wide variety of support services and a bigger workforce, as well as a larger community that might better attract prospective workers.  A shortage of prospective workers is a problem that has plagued Warm Springs, as well as law enforcement and jails, and other medical providers across the state.

That Billings is a preferred location because it already has other support services is exactly what makes the county commissioners and some city council members concerned about what such a facility could impose on the community and especially on taxpayers.

County Commissioner Mark Morse pointed out that the services that Billings has are beyond full capacity, with little or no funding available to expand them, while demand continues to grow.

Morse also emphasized that Yellowstone County decided some time ago to “invest in themselves” and take care of some of its needs for which county taxpayers have paid. They were not intended for use by the state nor should county taxpayers be expected to pay for the needs of the state, he said.

And, the State does not have a good record as far as the County Commissioners are concerned, in doing their part to support the full cost of State prisoners in the county jail. For more than a decade the State has refused to fully pay the county the daily cost of housing State prisoners. The State pays the county  $82.59 a day, while the County calculates the true cost at $117.

Morse further asked what will the State do when they release an inmate – just turn them out onto the streets of Billings?

In the past, there have been complaints from other county officials, who claim that other communities appear to give their troubled citizens a one-way bus ticket to Billings, which often means they are homeless and vying for the same over-capacity services in Billings.

Another county department head said that Yellowstone County does not have the workforce that the State is talking about. She said that while nationally they are claiming that there are two job openings for every worker, the figure is much higher in Yellowstone County. Every health care department, county sheriff and jail, as well as businesses, are struggling to hire the labor they need.

Questions about what the State’s plans are, went unanswered by the state officials, complained Morse and city officials. He said that in attendance during the site visit to Billings, there were representatives of a design firm and a construction contractor – “you don’t have them” unless there are plans available.

Yakawich pointed out that many of the answers about what the facility will be is probably not yet known because most of the planning won’t happen until a site is proposed.

Yakawich said he “gets” the concerns of the community, but has no problem with the facility locating in Billings. Yakawich said he understands the acute need not just for the State, but also for Yellowstone County and Eastern Montana to have a second health care facility.

Montana Highlights September 1, 2025

10 September 2025
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American Prairie has announced the purchase of over 1,400 acres of land in two areas. The purchase included tracts situated both near and along the Missouri River. One of the sites is across the Missouri River from the Lewis and Clark campsite at Slaughter River. 

A petition submitted by Lincoln County commissioners to ease selenium standards in Lake Koocanusa met resistance from a group opposed to the petition. The approval of the petition would raise the maximum level of dissolved selenium in the lake. Selenium is considered an essential nutrient; large amounts of it can lead to neurological and reproductive defects in fish. In humans, excess levels of selenium can cause gastrointestinal distress, organ failure and, in rare cases, death. 

The Missoula County Commissioners approved a dredging project recently to remove sediment buildup from a boating and float plane dock in Seeley Lake. The project will remove 600 cubic yards of lakebed to restore space for boats and planes along the shoreline of Lindey’s Prime Steakhouse. Owners of the business said the project is needed to keep the entire marina open. Dredging projects remove sediment, soil or debris from the bottom of a body of water.

Butte-Silver Bow county officials have gotten an OK to seek buyers for its Business Development Center. The building located at 305 W. Mercury St. is costing the county more than it’s collecting in rents. County officials have drawn up a “request for proposals,” or RFP, seeking potential buyers of the building. They would have to honor existing leases, at least until they expired, and it would cost a minimum of $450,000.

This year, Townsend’s health care facility, now known as Billings Clinic Broadwater, marks 120 years of providing high-quality care to Broadwater County and surrounding communities. Like many rural hospitals, the facility has faced its share of challenges.

The Junction Pipeline Company doesn’t just want to build a 30-inch diameter, roughly 30-mile long oil pipeline from Toole County to Canada they want to do it “rapidly.” They plan to complete phase one of the pipeline in the next three to four years. The project would be a $5 billion investment. The pipeline would move oil sands crude oil to refineries in the US.

The steering committee directing use of a multimillion dollar grant for local revitalization efforts has approached the City of Glendive with a proposal to collaborate on a project in downtown Glendive. The goal is to help get travelers off Interstate 94 to spend more time exploring the local region. Several community development specialists submitted a proposal to the city’s Finance, Utilities, Property and Recreation Committee recently regarding plans grant dollars awarded by the Montana Department of Commerce recently.

A new Taco Bell, located on 3rd Avenue West in Williston Square opened on Aug. 13.  

Valley Cinema in Glasgow is closed until a manager is hired and trained. JR Rasmussen has retired after 31 years as manager. The Valley Cinemas in Glasgow was closed on Aug. 8. Polson Theatre, the owner of Valley Cinema, stated the sudden closure is not what they would have chosen either, however it was how the circumstances unfolded. They have no intention of closing the movie theatre permanently.

A group of local organizations, businesses and volunteers recently completed the official first installment of a plan for an interstate trail network that will connect the Terry Badlands to North Dakota’s Maah Daah Hey Trail. Construction on a roughly $50,000 covered pavilion and signage along Ten Mile Road was completed recently to mark the west end of the Badlands to Badlands (B2B) Trail System.

Missoula County Sheriff’s Office has moved into a new building at 2415 Mullan Road, across from the detention center. This means all walk-ins, fingerprinting and weapons permits will be handled at the new location, with other services remaining at the county courthouse on West Broadway.

The Missoula City Council has approved a 3.4% tax increase for its fiscal year 2026 budget. City officials are attempting to relieve property tax concerns and balance the city’s structural deficit. The council unanimously approved the increase. Missoula staffers are credited with finding ways to save money through restructuring and closing the Johnson Street Shelter.

Sabey Data Centers flew leaders from Butte-Silver Bow County to Quincy, Washington to showcase its data facility there. Butte-Silver Bow’s chief executive reported to commissioners that Sabey flew him and the Community Development Director to Quincy in a private jet to tour the data center. Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Chief Executive and his planning director also made the trip, as did three officials for NorthWestern Energy.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the Trump administration wants to re-consider removing protections the agency automatically applies to threatened species, like grizzly bears and bull trout, just as they are applied for more critically endangered species. The move to nix “blanket” rules under the Endangered Species Act is the latest by the administration to potentially reverse Biden-era changes designed to keep the protections in place and safeguard threatened species from being hunted or harassed.

Originally established as “Honey Bee Awareness Day” by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2009, the holiday recognizes the crucial role that more than 2.99 million bee colonies in the U.S. play in pollinating more than $15 billion worth of crops, in addition to producing honey and beeswax.National Honey Bee Day was celebrated August 20, 2025. Originally established as “Honey Bee Awareness Day” by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2009, the holiday recognizes the crucial role that more than 2.99 million bee colonies in the U.S. The Honey Bees pollinate more than $15 billion worth of crops. Additionally they produce honey and beeswax. In Montana there is a new law expanding opportunities for everyday Montanans to engage in beekeeping.

Flathead County commissioners have approved a 1,700-acre deluxe resort in Lakeside. In the discussion leading up to the unanimous vote, a Commissioner pointed out a multitude of job opportunities to come out of the project’s development. The members-only resort backed by Arizona-based Discovery Land Company is planned to include two golf courses, a fitness center, spa, restaurants and 359 residential lots set to be built west of U.S. 93 near Blacktail Mountain. The project is set to be completed in March 2028. Discovery Land Company operates three other resorts in Montana, Yellowstone Club in Big Sky, Crazy Mountain Ranch in Shields Valley and Iron Horse in Whitefish. 

Sewer rates in Lakeside are set to increase by 61.7%. Since 2022, the Lakeside County Water and Sewer Board has imposed an annual 5% increase in sewer rates to cover the cost of expanding its 40-year-old wastewater treatment system. Sewer rates will go up by 61.7% this year with a new monthly flat rate of $78.62, starting in September. For non-compliance users, the monthly flat rate will go up by 37.9% to $109. 

The Larch House, a luxury boutique hotel, is slated to open in Whitefish in October. The building is located on Railway Street between Baker and Lupfer avenues. The Larch House features 10 buildings that house 39 rooms. Larch House suites are in the main building, as are the Larch House Queen rooms. All rooms offer high-end amenities. Nightly rates  start at around $250 during shoulder season and may reach up to $1,400 per night during peak summer months.   

Originally from Northern Washington, Andrea Emde opened Base Vitality, off U.S. 93 in North Kalispell, on April 1. Emde says she grew up with a holistic view of health. Combining both her chiropractic and naturopathic expertise, Emde aims to provide a holistic approach to ensuring her patients are healthy.

Montana’s Fish and Wildlife Commission has implemented a statewide wolf quota. There will be a statewide quota of 452 wolves that can be hunted or trapped in Montana for the 2025-26 season and no regional quotas except for in Region 3 in southwest Montana, where wolf harvest will be capped at 60, and in two special wolf management units north of Yellowstone National Park.

Prairie County posted the lowest unemployment rate in Montana for July. The rate was 1.3%, according to the Montana Department of Labor & Industry. That’s a drop of nearly a full percentage point from last year and reflects steady local job growth.

Thomas Herefords of Gold Creek has been selected as the recipient of the 2025 Montana Leopold Conservation Award. The award honors ranchers, farmers, and forestland owners who go above and beyond in the management of soil health, water quality, and wildlife habitat on working land. Thomas Herefords, owned by Bruce and Tammy Thomas, and Richard and Shirley Thomas, will be presented with the award at the Montana Farm Bureau Annual Convention in November. They receive $10,000 for being selected. Bruce grew up showing and fitting world-class Hereford cattle on the ranch his parents Richard and Shirley Thomas established in 1957.

Six days after the Illinois-based News Media Corporation closed the six publications it owned in Wyoming – in Wheatland, Torrington, Evanston, Pinedale, Kemmerer, Lusk, Lyman and Guernsey — Wyoming newspaper executives Robb and Jen Hicks and Rob Mortimore purchased the newspapers, with the announcement that they and will keep them operating. Hicks has long worked at and run newspapers in Wyoming. He and his wife own and operate the Buffalo Bulletin

Court Says Laurel Generation Station OK

10 September 2025
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The Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has determined that the environmental assessment for the Yellowstone County Generation Station at Laurel is adequate, following a lawsuit by environmental groups that claimed it was not done properly. DEQ released the final supplemental environmental assessment(EA) that was delayed by the suit. Construction of the facility is complete, and it is operating.

The supplemental EA is the result of litigation in which environmental plaintiffs alleged that DEQ’s initial EA for the project, which was issued on August 23, 2021, was inadequate under the Montana Environmental Policy Act (MEPA). In particular, before a Montana State District Court, environmental plaintiffs argued DEQ inadequately addressed pipeline, water quality, light, noise impacts, as well as the cumulative impacts of sulfur dioxide (“SO2”) and greenhouse gas emissions. The District Court found that DEQ had adequately addressed all impacts in its initial EA, except for DEQ’s evaluation of light and greenhouse gas emission impacts.  

On appeal, the Montana Supreme Court affirmed the District Court’s findings and returned these issues to DEQ to address in this supplemental EA. The Montana Supreme Court, additionally, found that the District Court had not made the necessary findings to vacate the permit under MEPA, which is why the project is able to operate while this supplemental EA was being prepared. Within the EA, DEQ responded to court findings regarding lighting and greenhouse gases and presented their potential impacts.

DEQ prepared the draft supplemental EA in compliance with MEPA to analyze potential impacts of the proposal. The draft supplemental EA was posted for public comment, and all comments are addressed in the final supplemental EA. The final supplemental EA materials can be accessed through DEQ’s website.

Exposition Drive to be Revamped

10 September 2025
Evelyn Pyburn
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Plans to revamp Exposition Drive, which passes by MetraPark, connecting the intersection of US Highway 87 and 1st Avenue North, which extends to Main Street in the Heights, are being pursued by the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT).

The community is invited to attend an open house to learn more about the Exposition Drive and 1st Avenue North Intersection project. The open house will be held at the Billings Public Library Community Room located at 510 North Broadway, on Tuesday, August 19 from noon to 1:30 p.m. and  4:30 to 6:30 p.m. 

The open house is designed to be an informal event for community members to meet the project team, ask questions, and provide feedback. As such, no formal presentation will be made. Information regarding the project’s design and schedule will be available. Information from the open house is also available on the project website.

The project is in the stage of design development and right-of-way acquisition.

Construction is projected to begin in 2027, although that is subject to change depending on funding availability, design completion, right-of-way acquisition, and other unforeseen factors.

“MDT is excited to discuss the project and share design concepts that aim to address capacity and queuing issues, enhance safety and mobility, as well as improve pavement conditions, drainage, and the pedestrian and bicycle environment,” said Mike Taylor, MDT Billings District Administrator.

The Exposition Drive (Main Street) & 1st Avenue North project will enhance safety and improve bicycle and pedestrian connectivity, vehicle capacity, freight, drainage, and pavement condition within the project area. These improvements are intended through the following project components:

Safety

* Installing raised medians on sections of 1st Avenue North.

* Improving lighting on Main Street and 1st Avenue North.

* Removing the unsignalized, eastbound slip-lane at the Main Street and 1st Avenue North intersection.

Bicycle and Pedestrian Connectivity

* New sidewalk and shared-use path connections on Main Street and 1st Avenue North, including a connection to the Jim Dutcher Trail.

* New or improved crossings at intersections throughout the project area.

Vehicle Capacity

* Converting the westbound right turn-lane at the Main Street and 1st Avenue North intersection to free-running movement.

* Adding a fourth northbound travel lane on Main Street from 1st Avenue North to 4th Avenue North.

* Improving storage lengths of turn lanes at the Main Street and 1st Avenue North intersection.

 Partnering with the community is an important part of properly planning for future projects. MDT welcomes the public to provide ideas and comments on the proposed project. Comments may be submitted online at mdt.mt.gov/contact/comment-form.aspx or in writing to Montana Department of Transportation, Billings office, PO Box 20437, Billings, MT 59104-0437. Please note that comments are for project UPN 7908000.

 Questions from the public should be directed to Design Project Manager Shaun Sampson at 406-4449413.