Author: Press Room

Lockwood Gets New Fire Chief

7 November 2023
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Branden Stevens, the current Fire Chief for the Miles City Fire Department in Miles City, Montana, will be the new Fire Chief for The Lockwood Fire District. He will assume his new position on December 1, 2023.

The Lockwood Fire District Board of directors made the announcement on Tuesday after interviewing four potential candidates, last Friday, who submitted resumes during a nationwide search.

Stevens will replace current Fire Chief John Staley who has announced his retirement.

Chief Staley has been with the Lockwood Fire District since 2014, and was previously the Fire Chief in Thornton Colorado. Chief Staley also served with the Billings Fire Department for 26 years.

“We are excited to have been able to attract such and experienced and enthusiastic individual as our new Fire Chief” said board member Frosty Erben. The board had 18 applications from various states and organizations. The Fire Board narrowed the choices to four candidates and had them attend an assessment center process to determine the best fit for Lockwood. Chief Stevens distinguished himself in that process.

Chiefs Stevens is the 4th career Fire Chief in Lockwood’s brief existence, since 1988.

James Allen Joins Stockman Insurance

7 November 2023
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James Allen recently joined Stockman Insurance as an agent in Billings. His responsibilities include developing and servicing new client relationships and assisting them with both their business and personal insurance needs.

 Allen, a licensed insurance agent has a strong background in sales, which will be an asset for Stockman Insurance as they continue to grow in the communities that they serve. He is currently working towards his Associate’s degree in Business Management from Montana State University Billings. He is active in the community serving on the City of Billings Community Development Board and volunteering for Billings TrailNet Ales for Trails. He will also participate in Stockman related events.

Stockman Insurance, an affiliate of Stockman Bank of Montana, is a full-service insurance agency offering most lines of insurance. Their mission is to become the preferred leader in agribusiness, commercial and personal insurance by serving their clients’ needs with personalized and professional customer service.

Allen is located at the Stockman Insurance office at 1405 Grand Avenue. He can be reached at 406-896-4860. Stockman Insurance, headquartered in Miles City, has other offices located in Belgrade, Big Sky, Conrad, Glendive, Great Falls, Helena, Kalispell, Missoula, Richey, Stanford, Worden and Whitefish.

Is Montana’s Open Enrollment Policy ‘Good Enough’?

7 November 2023
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By Trish Schreiber

School choice is essential for improving educational outcomes for students, and open enrollment is a significant part of that choice spectrum. While Montana has made strides in this area, it lags behind neighbors like Colorado, Idaho, and Utah, all of which boast more expansive open enrollment policies and flourishing charter school sectors. 

 Open Enrollment falls into two categories: intra-district (choice within the same district) and inter-district (choice across district lines). Predictably, inter-district enrollment faces more opposition from the education establishment, presumably due to concerns about funding allocations. While 43 states have some form of inter-district choice, the accessibility varies significantly. Shockingly, in 19 of those state policies, it is not even mandatory for districts to offer open enrollment, but rather it is voluntary. 

 Susan Pendegrass, in her paper “Breaking Down Public School District Lines,” highlights the problematic nature of using district lines for school selection. Despite Brown v. Board of Education’s decisive conclusion that separate is not equal, “Using district lines to determine where a child goes to schools is a 200-year old mistake that has resulted in racial and socioeconomic segregation in U.S. public schools.” This practice inadvertently supports socioeconomic segregation in schools. Moreover, Pendegrass points out that voluntary open enrollment policies exacerbate disparities and can lead to districts “cherry picking” students. 

 While Montana has historically offered mandatory inter-district open enrollment, this was only because of certain circumstances due to geographical barriers between homes and district schools. Until recently, this option necessitated families to disclose personal details to validate their transfer request and subjected the decision to the sending district’s discretion. However, Montana recently improved its inter-district open enrollment policy, eliminating out-of-pocket-tuition fees for access to out-of-district schools.  

 Although many of the larger districts in Montana offer intra-district open enrollment, it is a voluntary policy, something experts discourage. A quick search of larger school district websites shows that Billings, Bozeman, Butte, Great Falls, Helena, Kalispell and Missoula all assign students within district boundaries to designated zoned schools. Bozeman SD7 even cites the criminal statute applied for false residence claims to attend one of their schools, echoing a nationwide issue. In keeping with Pendagrass’s assessment that district zoning leads to segregation, in a recent study titled “Where Do Americans Mingle?,” researchers demonstrated that there is significantly more socioeconomic integration in chain restaurants and gas stations than there is in American public schools. Given this, does Montana’s zoning of children into neighborhood schools truly offer “equality of educational opportunity” as guaranteed in its constitution?

It is also worth noting how Montana’s new charter laws differ in this “equality of educational opportunity” guarantee through their enrollment offerings. While the Community Choice Schools Act states “A Community Choice School must be open to any student residing in the state,” (Section 11(1)(a)) the Public Charter Schools Act includes that exact same sentence followed six sentences later with, “A public charter school shall give enrollment preference to students who are residents of the located school district” (Section 8 (2)(a)). Why this discrepancy in enrollment offerings if the intent is truly to give all students options?  

While I can’t answer this question, it’s evident Montana needs introspection. There’s an urgent need to break free from outdated education norms and embrace a more inclusive and adaptable education system. Other nations, admired for their educational outcomes like Poland, Finland, Canada and Estonia, have all embraced education pluralism. Why can’t Montana’s funding and school choice policies be equally pluralistic, focusing on funding students rather than funding structures?

Trish Schreiber is a senior education fellow at the Montana-based Frontier Institute.

Chamber Event: Elevating Air Service

7 November 2023
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Attend the Elevating Air Service in Billings event on November 8, 2023 at 8 am at the Northern Hotel to learn more about progress and plans directly from the Billings Air Service Committee. 

Air service plays an important role in quality of life and business here in Billings. It connects us, drives visitation, as well as positively impacting our local and regional economy.  

The Air Service Committee is comprised of Billings Chamber of Commerce, Billings Logan Airport, Big Sky Economic Development, Visit Billings and the business community. This committee is working hard to grow direct service. Although we have good service, we know we can do better.

Agenda includes: 

* Upcoming strategies from Jeff Roach, Director of Billings Logan Airport 

* Update from Mead & Hunt, consultant to Billings Logan Airport 

* Facilitated discussion seeking input from business leaders in attendance 

Doors will open at 8 am and program will be held from 8:15-9:30 am. Complimentary breakfast will be served during this free event. Space is limited. Register to attend event by November 6, 2023 at the chamber website: https:// business. billingschamber.com. 

Building Permits – New Residential and Commercial

7 November 2023
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Commercial

Langlas And Assoc./ Langlas & Assoc., Inc. 1305 S 27th St W, Com New Office/Bank, $1,514,396

NADC Holdings LLC/ Swanke Construction,  1125 Broadwater Ave, Com Remodel $260,000

Billings Logisics Center One/ Bauer Construction, 3218 S Frontage Rd, Com Remodel, $700,000

Vagner Management Group/ Langlas & Assoc., Inc., 1640 Grand Ave, Com Remodel, $220,000

City Of Billings The/ A & S Remodeling And Construction LLC, 500 Hallowell Ln, Com Remodel, $31,107

Costco Wholesale, 2290 King Ave W, Com Remodel, $287,975

Old Hickory Shed LLC/ Barns N Such, 2121 Main St, Com Addition $74,800

Holiday Station Stores LLC/ Cucancic Construction Inc., 790 S Billings Blvd, Com Addition, $740,000

Holiday Station Stores LLC/ Cucancic Construction Inc., 790 S Billings Blvd, Com Addition, $0.00

Rimrock Hospitality Billings LLC / Marlin Construction Partners, Inc., 4750 King Ave E, Com New Hotel/Motel, $7,000,000

Billings Federal Credit Union/ Jones Construction, Inc, 725 Henry Chapple St, Com New Office/Bank, $1,500,000

Konstruksie Inc/ Konstruksie Inc, 6410 Southern Bluffs Ln, Com New Townhome Shell, $558,775

Eig4t Nova Mt Billings LLC/ Signs of Montana, 3049 Meadow View Dr, Com Remodel, $475,000

Independence

Big Sky King Properties LLC/ Construction Co of VA, 750 Southgate Dr, Com Remodel, $650,000

Ted Daughty/ Air Controls Billings Inc. 1511 Central Ave, Com Remodel $7,500

Alberstons/ Langlas & Assoc., Inc., 670 Main St, Com Remodel, $5,000

West Park Promenade 8 LLC/ Bauer Construction, 1595 Grand Ave, Com Remodel, $150,000

Denny’s Re I LLC/ Environmental Contractors LLC., 501 N 27th St, Demolition Permit Commercial, $33,000

Rimrock Foundation/ Golden H LLC, 1404 6th Ave N, Demolition Permit Commercial, $25,000

Rimrock Foundation/ Golden H LLC, 1406 6th Ave N, Demolition Permit Commercial, $25,000

Cine Billings/ Sprague Construction Roofing Division, 109 N 30th St, Com Fence/Roof/Siding, $145,063

City Of Billings The/ Finishing Touch Exteriors Inc, 1525 54th St W, Com Fence/Roof/Siding, $223,514 

Cardwell Unit 2 LLC/ TW Ridley LLC, 3141 Meadow View Dr, Com New Office/Bank, $1,500,000

St Vincent Health/ Bauer Construction, 1232 N 30th St, Com Remodel, $979,931

Billings Logistics Center One L/ Bauer Construction, 3218 S Frontage Rd, Com Remodel, $310,000

Matt Bonner/ Jones Construction, Inc, 820 Shiloh Crossing Blvd, Com Remodel, $75,000

Jo & Kyle CSG Wellness LLC Com Remodel/ Jones Construction, Inc, 820 Shiloh Crossing Blvd, $100,000

Chris Schaff/ Air Controls Billings Inc., 2601 Overlook Dr, Com Remodel, $3,000

Residential

Leon Clause/ Green Jeans LLC, 1207 Cherry Island Dr, Res New Single Family, $310,000

 4 Mt Homes Inc/ 4 Mt Homes Inc, 2317 Entrada Rd, Res New Single Family, $213,528

4 Mt Homes Inc/ 4 Mt Homes Inc, 820 Hermosa St, Res New Single Family, $188,246

4 Mt Homes Inc/ 4 Mt Homes Inc, 821 Hermosa St, Res New Single Family, $188,246

Lorenz Construction LLC/ Double Duece Ventures LLC, 3543 Rachelle Cir, Res New Single Family, $375,000

Cdh, LLC/ Cdh, LLC, 5231 Rich Ln, Res New Single Family, $278,601

Christensen/ Michael Christensen Homes, 1240 Timbers Blvd S, Res New Single Family, $450,000

Christensen/ Michael Christensen Homes, 1246 Timbers Blvd S, Res New Single Family, $450,000

South Pine Design/ South Pine Design, 1757 E Thunder Mountain Rd, Res New Single Family, $450,000

Formation Inc/ Formation Inc, 2508 Aspen Creek Trl, Res New Single Family, $318,182

Formation Inc/ Formation Inc, 2512 Aspen Creek Trl, Res New Single Family, $318,182

CB Built, LLC / CB Built LLC, 4610 Talking Tree Dr, Res New Two Family, $501,840

CB Built, LLC/ CB Built LLC, 4616 Talking Tree Dr, Res New Two Family, $501,840

CB Built, LLC/ CB Built LLC, 4622 Talking Tree Dr, Res New Two Family, $501,840

CB Built, LLC/ CB Built LLC, 4628 Talking Tree Dr, Res New Two Family, $501,840

Debra A Reger Revocable Trust/ Top Quality Builders LLC, 3610 Poly Dr, Res New Accessory Structure, $65,280

South Pine Design/ South Pine Design, 5320 N Iron Mountain Rd, Res New Single Family, $450,000

Bob Pentecost/ Bob Pentecost Const, 2213 Lindero Blvd, Res New Single Family, $345,000

McCall Development Inc/ McCall Development, 1863 St Paul Ln, Res New Single Family $377,109

McCall Development Inc/ McCall Development, 1873 Annafeld Pkwy W, Res New Single Family, $277,174

Bob Pentecost/ Bob Pentecost Const, 2219 Lindero Blvd, Res New Single Family, $365,000

Konstruksie Inc/ Konstruksie Inc, 6410 Southern Bluffs Ln, Res New Townhome, $0.00

Konstruksie Inc/ Konstruksie Inc, 6412 Southern Bluffs Ln, Res New Townhome, $0.00

Meyer, Kenneth A & Marcia S, 4228 Audubon Way Res New Accessory Structure, $25,344

Reule, Brittanny J/ Reliable Renovations, 364 Sahara Dr, Res New Accessory Structure, $28,800

4 Mt Homes Inc/ 2317 Entrada Rd, Res New Accessory Structure, $43,200

McCall Development Inc/ McCall Development, 1885 Annafeld Pkwy W, Res New Accessory Structure, $33,792

Mike Christensen Enterprises LLC/ Michael Christensen Homes, 2519 Aspen Creek Trl, Res New Single Family, $450,000

Infinity Home LLC/ Infinity Home LLC, 584 Chino Cir, Res New Single Family, $225,968

4mt Homes Inc/ 4 Mt Homes Inc, 2311 Entrada Rd, Res New Single Family, $207,745

Bentley Revocable Trust/ Ban Construction Corp, 2120 S Stone Creek Trl, Res New Single Family, $1,315,000

I Infinity Homes/ Infinity Home LLC, 608 Chino Cir, Res New Single Family $242,671

McCall Development Inc/ McCall Development, 1885 Annafeld Pkwy W, Res New Single Family, $282,295

PWR Contracting Inc/ PWR Contracting, 3330 Winchell Ln, Res New Two Family, $600,000

Billings Tech Repair Shop Rebrands to uBreakiFix by Asurion

7 November 2023
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Asurion Tech Repair & Solutions™ in Billings is rebranding to uBreakiFix by Asurion. The store, located at 611 Hilltop Rd Ste 2 in Billings, will continue to offer professional fixes for most everyday tech devices, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, game consoles and more.

The change comes as part of a nationwide rebrand, with more than 700 uBreakiFix and Asurion Tech Repair & Solutions stores transitioning to align as one brand, uBreakiFix by Asurion.

“Your local store’s sign may have changed, but our mission remains the same: to help people stay connected to the things that are important to them,” said uBreakiFix by Asurion CEO Dave Barbuto. “We’re still here to help when you’re dealing with a cracked screen, battery drainage, a virus or anything else that’s preventing you from enjoying your favorite tech devices.”

While common repairs include damaged screens, battery issues and liquid damage, the store’s repair experts can help with most any tech mishap. The store provides authorized repairs for devices such as Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel smartphones and has access to Apple genuine parts, tools and manuals as part of Apple’s Independent Repair Provider network. The store also offers tech support services, like PC tune-ups, virus removals and even device cleanings.

Wiseman Recognized as Outstanding Assistant

23 October 2023
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The Pacific Northwest Admin Awards recently recognized Tonia Wiseman, executive assistant to three of Kampgrounds of America, Inc.’s (KOA) top leaders, with their Leadership Award. In just two years with KOA, Wiseman has evolved the standard for executive assistance and became a stalwart partner for the organization’s leadership, said CEO and President Toby O’Rourke.

Wiseman supports O’Rourke, Chief of Staff Brandi Simpson, and Senior Vice President of Strategy Whitney Scott, ensuring seamless coordination and alignment of initiatives and schedules.

 Wiseman orchestrates an administrative team that collaboratively supports and reinforces the company’s goals. Wiseman actively seeks training and achieved rigorous certification to become a certified administrative assistant (CAA).

O’Rourke commended Wiseman’s accomplishments, “Tonia’s impact on KOA is profound. She elevates our operations, streamlines our processes, and consistently brings out the best in her colleagues. She truly is an invaluable asset to our organization.”

 Wiseman is also a champion for KOA’s community outreach. Her volunteer work includes initiatives such as the recently held “Get Out There Event,” a day that connected Billings’ underprivileged youth with the outdoors.

The Leadership Award acknowledges administrators who consistently display outstanding leadership qualities, such as persistence, integrity, empowerment, and a fervent passion for advancing colleagues and their organizations.

Wealthy Millennials Coming to Montana

23 October 2023
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Montana reported a 6.7% net increase in its population of wealthy millennials — defined here as individuals ages 26–45 earning over $200,000 annually—to its population, according to Upgraded Points.

Overall, wealthy millennials are moving to Montana at the 3rd highest rate in the nation. Florida and Texas gained the most wealthy millennials, Vermont saw the largest percentage gain.

The Millennial generation is America’s largest, and as they move solidly into their peak earning and spending years, they are quickly asserting their economic power, reports Upgraded Points. Millennials are now the largest segment of the labor force and, within the last few years, have also become the largest share of homebuyers.

 Between COVID-related changes in the labor market—including higher wages and more flexible working arrangements—and the preexisting tendency of younger and higher-earning workers to be mobile, millennials in the top income brackets have frequently been on the move. Researchers ranked states according to the net inbound migration of wealthy millennials as a percentage of wealthy millennial residents the year prior.

The millennial generation — those currently aged 27 to 42 — is America’s largest,¹ and as they move solidly into their peak earning and spending years, they are quickly asserting their economic power.

Millennials faced a tough economic outlook in their early working years. The impacts of the Great Recession, unprecedented levels of student loan debt, and stagnant wage growth made it difficult² to find good jobs and build wealth. But over time, the outlook has improved. Millennials are now the largest segment of the labor force.³ Within the last few years, they have also become the largest share of homebuyers.  And other unique characteristics of the generation? — like higher educational attainment levels, especially for women — also contribute to economic advancement.

The COVID-19 economy also created some new opportunities for the millennial generation. Tightness in the labor market for much of the pandemic allowed many workers to change jobs in the last few years — sometimes multiple times — in search of higher wages or better working conditions. A wave of early retirements among older workers during the pandemic opened up opportunities for younger workers to move into higher-earning roles. And after working remotely during the pandemic, many workers have since successfully pushed for permanent work-from-home or other flexible arrangements that give them more control over where they work.

Because of these trends, the U.S. experienced a sharp rise in the rate of people moving across state lines from densely populated and expensive states to those offering some combination of more affordable housing, space for home offices, lower taxes, and better recreational opportunities. Such moves were common among wealthy millennials.

While out-of-state migration as a percentage of the total population remains near historic lows, out-of-state migration as a percentage of those who moved has increased significantly in recent years.

In 2000, nearly 1 in 5 people who have moved left 1 state for another. This rate fell off sharply as the housing bubble burst and the Great Recession set in, making it harder for people to find economic opportunities that justified an interstate move.

The out-of-state migration rate fell to a low of 11.5% in 2010 but began to move upward as the economy recovered in the following decade. But in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, out-of-state migration has risen sharply, jumping from 14.2% in 2020 to 17.3% in 2022.

Typically, however, rates of migration are higher during workers’ younger years. Workers have fewer major family or financial obligations at this stage of life, which allows them to be more mobile in pursuing job opportunities.

According to individual tax return statistics from the IRS, nearly 6% of those under age 25 moved out of state between 2020 and 2021, as did 4.5% of those aged 26 to 34 and 2.7% of those aged 35 to 44. In contrast, fewer than 2% of those in the 45+ age cohort migrated out of state.

Income was also a factor: lower earners moved between states at higher rates, with 3.7% of those earning $10,000 or less doing so. The highest earners — those making more than $200,000 — also moved at a slightly higher rate than most middle-income workers.

Surprise Reporting Law will Burden Small Business

23 October 2023
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A new reporting requirement for small business owners goes into effect Jan. 1, 2024

In a National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) survey, 90% of NFIB members had never heard of the new small business ownership information reporting requirement regulation, set to take effect in January 2024. On September 18, NFIB sent a letter to the U.S. House Financial Services Committee expressing disappointment that the committee did not consider stronger legislation to delay or repeal the small business ownership information regulation. This is a substantial regulation that only affects small business owners.

This federal law is set to expand the role of the U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) to collect and store confidential personal information about small businesses that have 20 or fewer full-time employees and the individuals who ultimately own or control a company, known as the beneficial owners.

To make matters worse and more difficult for small business, FinCEN released a 56-page compliance guide for the beneficial ownership information regulation. NFIB Vice President of Federal Government Relations Kevin Kuhlman recently testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services Subcommittee on National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions and was quoted in a Thomson Reuters article reacting to the release of the FinCEN Small Entity Compliance Guide.

Kuhlman said the new FinCEN guide “more demonstrates the problems than answers the questions. What I think the compliance guide demonstrates is what began as ‘a simple and basic request’ for four pieces of information has turned into a very complicated 56-page compliance guide … that will overwhelm small businesses,” Kuhlman said. “NFIB would be supportive of taking a pause — delaying the requirements either administratively or by legislation — to improve the outreach, simplify the process, and allow business owners to better understand their compliance responsibilities.”

The rule will affect a broad spectrum of businesses (U.S. and non-U.S. entities including LLCs, corporations, and entities formed under state or tribal laws) and require them to begin filing reports on their beneficial owners to FinCEN. Small businesses with 20 or fewer full-time employees and $5 million or less in gross receipts or sales as reflected in the previous year’s federal tax returns will fall under the new reporting requirement.

“This is going to require 32.6 million small businesses to register their beneficial ownership information with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network by January 1, 2024,” said NFIB Government Relations Director Jeff Brabant. “Anyone who has a 25% or greater stake in the company or is a senior officer will have to register a copy of their driver’s license and business information. This is a daunting task and probably the biggest regulation that no one is talking about right now.”

NFIB will continue to push for a full repeal or delay of this legislation and urges FinCEN to provide more substantial outreach and education on this requirement to small business owners.

State Fund Announces $35 million Dividend For Clients

23 October 2023
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Montana State Fund (MSF) announced a $35M dividend declaration to more than 24,000 policyholders across Montana. MSF is the state’s not-for-profit and leading workers’ compensation insurance company. It insures approximately 24,000 employers and their workers in approximately 400 industries from every Montana county.

This is the 25th consecutive year MSF has declared a dividend, totaling $431 million distributed to its customers.

Dividends are not guaranteed. If financial circumstances warrant, the MSF Board of Directors may opt to declare a smaller dividend, or no dividend at all. Dividend payments will begin in late October and are expected to be complete by the end of November.