Author: Press Room

Montana Highlights August 15, 2024

23 August 2024
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The Northern Lights Saloon in Polebridge proudly lacks cell service and Wi-Fi which creates more opportunities for patrons to connect with nature, music, and fellow diners. Catering to a wider variety of diets, the improved  menu features several fresh, wholesome, and vegetarian options such as the rainbow bowl which is comprised of avocado, roasted yams, peppers, and onions served over a bed of quinoa and black beans. Other touches at Northern Lights Saloon consist of made-in-house sauces and dressings, and locally sourced pulled pork.

Crazy Mountain Whiskey LLC is bringing an aspect of their bourbon whiskey production to Big Timber. Owners of the bourbon whisky named Lazy K Bar, bought a property in Big Timber to bring parts of the business closer to the namesake. The whisky is named after the Lazy K Bar Ranch in Melville. Crazy Mountain Whiskey LLC launched Lazy K Bar Bourbon Whiskey in December, 2023. With plans to bring distilling operations to Montana, the owners hinted there is a possibility bottling and later distilling operations could come to Big Timber in the long-term.

The new Albertsons store in Glasgow opened its doors to the public in late July 2024. The new store is located at 54151 US Highway 2 E. The grocery store was previously a Shopko store.

Running a restaurant in the middle of nowhere is no easy feat, especially when the area runs on generators and solar energy. Home Ranch Bottoms is a quaint spot in Polebridge, offering quality food and drink, and aiming to be a cultural hub for music, comedy and art. According to the owners the menu is focused on simple food made thoughtfully, such as burgers, chicken, hot dogs and salads. In addition to the classic pub fare, the kitchen makes a bison chili bowl and bison nachos. Home Ranch Bottoms is open seasonally and is located at 8950 North Fork Road.

New restaurant, Hugkan is now serving up Asian cuisine at 33 S. Willson in downtown Bozeman. The family owned-restaurant opened up three months ago after the owners and chefs moved to the area with family from the Southwestern United States. A trip to Bozeman sparked the idea for the move after his wife’s friend and Bozeman resident gave them a taste of the area.

Montana Governor Greg Gianforte toured Tuscano Machine, a fabricator on Makers Way, in Big Timber recently. The visit was part of the governor’s fourth annual 56-County Tour and a larger effort to spotlight Montana small businesses. Tuscano Machine’s 14,000 square foot high-volume lathing and milling facility has nine employees to run the site. The Big Timber location operates leading-edge 3-D printing and other advanced additive manufacturing equipment, including Swiss lathes, mills, laser cutters, welders, markers and etchers.

Glendive Chief of Police Jeremy Swisher is no longer receiving pay while on administrative leave after a unanimous vote of the Glendive City Council. Depending on the verdict of his upcoming trial, he could receive at least four months of back pay. During a brief discussion at a recent meeting of the Glendive City Council budget constraints as a factor in the decision to stop paying Swisher while on administrative leave. Swisher was placed on administrative leave by order of the Mayor and the council beginning on June 17 after being charged with three felonies.

The new Dollar General store in Williston closed as quickly as it opened recently. The store, located at 302 Bean Drive, is contracted by Goodman Construction and was shuttered Aug. 2 by the Williston Building and Safety Department due to not yet passing its final city inspection. A sign on the front doors of the Dollar General explains the circumstances behind the closure. The store is located at the intersection of Bean Drive and East Broadway in eastern Williston.

Property taxes will go up across Lake County in November due to a $3.8 million judgement levy passed last week by the county commissioners to help cover the costs of expanding and remodeling the jail. As part of the settlement in a class-action lawsuit brought by inmates, the county was ordered to add around 960 square feet of space to the jail and provide a secure outdoor recreation yard. The county has the authority to pass a three-year judgement levy, without voter approval, to pay for the improvements.

The Montana Secretary of State’s office announced it is again waiving fees for Montana businesses. The 2025 Annual Report filing fees will be waived for all Montana businesses. This action will result in millions of dollars in savings. The fees also were waived in 2024, allowing businesses to file their reports at no extra expense.

Wickens Salt Creek Ranch of Hilger has been selected as the recipient of the 2024 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. Wickens Salt Creek Ranch’s owners, Eric and Emma Wickens, will be presented with the award at the Montana Farm Bureau Annual Convention in November. They will receive $10,000 for being selected.

After being closed for six years, one of the Choteau area’s best antique stores is reopening with a new name. Rose Clark’s “Country Rose” antique store and Big Sky Antiques are becoming just Big Sky Antiques. The grand opening of Big Sky Antiques was in early August. Big Sky Antiques is located at 850 Fifth Lane NW outside of Choteau. The store will be open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Remedial construction is underway at the Grove Gulch site off Lexington Avenue in Butte. Work at the site will include, among other things, a stormwater basin to help remove contaminated sediments from Grove Gulch Creek. Atlantic Richfield/BP presented it current remedial plan at an open house in Butte. The plan pinpointed two sites under consideration to receive Superfund-related wastes. The highlighted locations were the Berkeley Pit and a Shields Avenue site on property owned by Montana Resources.

Upgrades are planned for Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport following the completion of an environmental assessment. The airport held an open house to inform the public and gather feedback on a proposed expansion project recently. The airport is undergoing an environmental assessment a federal evaluation of the potential environmental impacts of expansion and possible mitigation alternatives.

New statistics from the Montana Department of Transportation show that ridership on Cape Air Airlines has increased this year compared to 2023. The number of passengers using Cape Air in Glasgow has increased 4.3 percent compared to last year.

The Cottonwood Inn of Glasgow has recently celebrated its 40th Anniversary. Community members turned out for food and drinks, as well as fun and music to celebrate the achievement.

A single-engine Cessna 182K Skylane crashed in the Scapegoat Wilderness near Augusta recently. The crash occurred as the plane was enroute to Great Falls. The three people onboard were killed. The plane had departed from Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport, Washington.

 Missoula County is asking voters to approve a mill levy that would raise about $1.8 million annually for public infrastructure. Missoula County commissioners approved placing a five-mill levy on the Nov. 5 general election ballot to help fund construction, repairs and maintenance of public roads, bridges and trails

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Art Exhibit at Pictograph Caves

Susan Nelson and Mana Lesman will hold an exhibit of their paintings “Pictograph Cave and Beyond” at Pictograph Cave State Park on August 29, 30, 31 and September 1, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.  The park can be reached off I-90 East, Exit #452, turn right on Coburn Rd. just after exit. It is 3 1/2 miles to Pictograph Cave State Park.

Hard Look at Energy and Future of Colstrip

21 August 2024
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By Evelyn Pyburn

The community of Colstrip is enthusiastic about NorthWestern Energy assuming ownership of the interests in the Colstrip plants held by Puget Sound and Avista. Especially about the fact that the company will hold 55 percent ownership of the power generating facility, which many in the community believe spells a bright future for Colstrip.

Given news of the possible forced closures of the power generators, many recent reports have portrayed Colstrip as something of a forlorn and dejected community, with residents scrambling to be the first out the door in anticipation of economic doom, but people attending the Southeastern Montana Development Corporation’s annual Energy Open Conference were not that at all. They were very upbeat.

 The reason was most clearly stated by Brian Bird, CEO of NorthWestern Energy (NWE) who said he doesn’t think of Colstrip as a “coal town” but as an “energy town”.  Bird’s comments made it clear that NWE has no intentions of reducing operations at Colstrip but plan to accelerate them as they transition to the future of the industry. He said, Colstrip “is where I  think that transition is going to occur.”

Bird’s message follows recent reports, not only of NorthWestern Energy acquiring a majority interest in the Colstrip plants, but also the significant news that Montana received a $700 million grant to help extend a 525-kilovolt line electric transmission  grid, to the east and the west. The lack of transmission lines in Montana has for decades encumbered the efficiency of its energy system.

The U.S. Department of Energy grant will aid in building the $3.6 billion North Plains Connector, a 415-mile, high voltage, direct-current line between the Colstrip substation and Center, North Dakota, which will allow power to move from Portland to Minnesota, and serve 20 states.

Because of the expanded transmission, Bird said, NWE plans to build new substations.

News also recently broke that as of Jan. 1, 2026, NorthWestern Energy will acquire, at no cost, Puget Sound Energy’s 370 megawatt share of the Colstrip Plant, which will join their earlier announced acquisition of  Avista’s 222 megawatts, also at no cost and at the beginning 2026.

From Bird’s perspective there is no doubt about the future of Colstrip as being a vital energy hub for the state. NorthWestern Energy is building in Colstrip because “someday common sense is going to return to the United States… when that happens we are already going to be there.”

Bird said, “We will retire the coal plants when they are no longer cost effective.” And he made clear that they intend to move in that direction while pursuing their goal of being at “net zero“ in terms of carbon emissions by 2050.

Much of the current focus is exploring the feasibility of using modular nuclear units as a means of generating energy – that is the future of energy generation in the US, according to Bird and others at the conference. If that is not possible in a timely way, Bird said they would build another natural gas powered plant like the Yellowstone County Generating Station the company recently completed in Laurel.

Bird said that 133 natural gas plants are being built in the United States today. “That number will double in the next ten years,” he said. And, it will do so because it is the cleanest fossil fuel.

What is uncertain about the nuclear modular units are issues of cost and permitting time. It may be possible to get a federal grant, as Bill Gates did in building Naughton Power Plant in Kemmerer, Wyoming. And over time, the permitting process will get better, but whether those things will evolve quickly enough to meet the needs of NorthWestern Energy’s customers is  yet to be seen.

Bird further commented, “We care a tremendous amount to transition to a cleaner future, but we want to do it smart and we need to do it over time.” 

“Over the past twenty years we have been too pensive waiting for someone to tell us what to do. Not anymore. We are going to do what we need to do for our customers. I care about the wellbeing of customers, right now – not ten, twenty or thirty years from now.

Bird emphasized that it is NWE duty to be concerned about serving people in Montana today. ”I will take some heat from environmental communities more than I want all of you in this room and everybody in Montana ticked off, because we can’t serve you.”

“I worry about this country, not just Montana. We have a capacity problem. We worry about the health of customers, 20 or 30 years out, more than we worry about them today. And we don’t worry about the cost of serving customers, because if you don’t have capacity and you have to go procure power it is going to get expensive,” said Bird. He added,  “We are going to see blackouts in this country.”

North American Electric Reliability Corporation has predicted as much, especially so for the western half of the United States. Wind and solar does not address that problem because they don’t have “capacity.”

“If we can have excess capacity, we are less apt to have these problems.”

Last January, said Bird, “We were close to not being able to serve our customers.  I would love to have had the incremental Colstrip. .. I wouldn’t have had to go buy power in the market place for a thousand bucks a megawatt.”

He also emphasized that when they do have to buy from the market, it is for energy that has been generated by coal.

How well a utility company does depends on how well they manage three aspects of business: liability, affordability and sustainability. “Those are the three most important things for a utility to focus on and balance,” said Bird.

“We not only want to be able to serve our customers inexpensively but to have excess capacity to allow the state to grow.” He pointed out that the Governor is trying to bring new business to Montana and “we don’t have the power to serve growth.”

Bird also said that claims that wind and solar are cheaper than fossil fuels are “right.” The energy is cheaper, he said, but what they aren’t right on is capacity.

“By the way, we love excess wind energy, We can sell it on the market place and give the money back to our customers.” Also, “we can buy excess solar energy from California, during the day, cheap, and we can actually reduce costs for our customers.”

But those sources do not have capacity, which is “a resource that you can turn on and off and run for as long as you want. It is called duration. You can flick a switch and have energy. You can’t flick a switch for solar. You can’t flick a switch for wind. But I can flick a switch for Colstrip and our gas plant at Yellowstone County.”

“So don’t get fooled by ‘wind and solar is cheaper than fossil fuels.’ It is for electricity but not for capacity.”

The natural gas fired Yellowstone County Generating Station, “was built as a partner with renewables…it is the perfect plant to offset renewables.”

Almost every day NWE has excess energy. “We are long energy, short capacity.”

Demand growth for electricity over the past 20 years has been flat, according to Bird. It has grown by about one percent.

“That is going to change in the United States.” Both, Elon Musk and Bill Gates believe that demand for electricity in the future will be two -and -a -half to three times higher than it is today. “Should we be closing dispatchable, long –duration resources …until we have resources for the future?” questioned Bird.

Bird predicted that to achieve the next 40 percent of “carbon free” emissions will be much harder than the first 60 percent. It’s going to be “really, really tough…but you don’t tear down the old bridge until you build a new bridge.”

“Soon we will begin to hear terms like ‘energy reality,’” predicted Bird, because “when people die, reality is going to show up in an instant.”

Bird said that hydro is his favorite resource because it is clean and has good capacity, but we need all of our resources. “We have to have ‘all of the above resources’ to serve our customers and we will gladly take our neighbor’s ownership interest for zero capital cost. … when this plant was built we all had similar objectives. Politics today has changed those objectives and those changed objectives of the West have been a benefit to us and our customers.”

“Do you think those two companies wanted to give us those pieces for zero?” queried Bird, “No. They didn’t. Their states are making them get out of coal by 2025….one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. We will gladly take their interests in Colstrip.”

Bird explained that even if they have to build a bag house, which is a proposed mandate that the Environment Protection Agency may impose, costs that will be less than have to build new generation.

“If we invested $200 million to maintain the plant and $200 million in a bag house – that compares to a cost of $1.6 billion for a 30 megawatt gas plant at current prices.”

Bird said that NWE has been criticized for not having a shorter time frame to their “net zero goal.” “They  have asked us to change it to 2035 or 2040. One skiing community has a goal of net zero by 2030 and wanted us to change.  But I don’t believe that because they get their power from NWE.”

He also explained that getting the Colstrip pieces, while a huge benefit to customers, aren’t seen as such by investors. Investors make money on investments. Getting something for zero is no means of getting a return on investment.

Bird had a few critical remarks regarding Montana media.

He asked the audience how many knew that Northwest Energy is the second best in energy transition in the United States from an investor owned facility perspective. “The media hasn’t told you that?” he asked with mock incredulity. “I can’t believe it.” NWE is second to Idacorp, Inc. which has significant hydro generation.

Bird pointed out that typically Montana media attempts to imply that NorthWestern Energy is not a Montana business. They emphasize that the company is headquartered in South Dakota. He explained that NorthWestern Energy is a South Dakota – Montana – Nebraska company which gained ownership of Montana Power 25 years ago and, today, 90 percent of the company’s business is in Montana.

“We are going to be here a long time,” said Bird.

Farm Bureau Urges Action on Water Settlement Act

21 August 2024
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The Montana Farm Bureau has submitted a letter to U.S. House of Representatives leadership urging them to take up the Fort Belknap Indian Community (FBIC) Water Settlement Act of 2024 (S.1987).

“The Milk River Project in north central Montana is aptly referred to as the “Lifeline of the Highline” because it provides water to over 120,000 acres of productive farmland, several towns, and two tribes,” said MFBF President Cyndi Johnson in her letter to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and Democrat Leader Hakeem Jeffries. “Just over one week ago, a portion of the Milk River Project near Babb, Montana, suffered a disastrous failure, flooding the nearby community and threatening the economic certainty of a large portion of our state.

Johnson explained that the FBIC provides the assistance to restore St. Mary’s Canal that MFBF members have been asking for and negotiating about for more than 20 years. This legislation will provide $275 million for Milk River Project infrastructure repairs and to restore the St. Mary’s Canal.

“Without the essential repairs S. 1987 will provide to the Milk River Project, a large portion of our state will literally dry up and it’s not just our state that will suffer,” said Johnson, adding, “According to the Milk River Joint Board of Control, this project and the agriculture it supports raise enough food to feed 1 million people.”

The Conrad wheat farmer explained, “Our members, these rural communities, and our state will be put in great jeopardy if this project is not repaired quickly and completely. Please act promptly on the Fort Belknap Indian Community Water Settlement Act of 2024.”

Chamber Hires New Member Engagement Manager

21 August 2024
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Callen Kleinhenz joined the Billings Chamber of Commerce, as the new Member Engagement Manager in June 2024. Kleinhenz leads member onboarding, engagement, and retention efforts.

Her marketing, management, and people skills will lend themselves well in her new role. Kleinhenz connects current Billings Chamber members with their membership benefits and engages members in sponsorship, advertising, and additional Chamber services and opportunities.

Additionally, she plays an integral role in developing and maintaining relationships with members to ensure their satisfaction and engagement, while leading Business After Hours and Business Celebrations. Kleinhenz holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Apparel Design and Business Management.

Prior to coming to the Billings Chamber, she worked for 10 years in the corporate fashion sector, with the last five years at Pendleton Woolen Mills as their Division Head of Accessories. She returned to her roots in Montana from Portland, Oregon.

Center Square Reports on Threats to Honest Elections

21 August 2024
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The news agency, The Center Square is concerned about keeping America’s election honest, and have focused reporting on what is happening in various states.

While we are routinely assured there is nothing to worry about in regard to the integrity of our elections, Center Square has found that is not true.

The Center Square recently broke the news that Washington State’s Attorney General and the Secretary of State’s office agreed to void a provision in the state constitution that requires voters to be residents for at least 30 days before participating in an election.

“This is a historic affront to the integrity of our elections. The provision that voters reside in Washington State for at least 30 days before casting a ballot dates to the original Constitution that Washington adopted upon joining the union in 1889.  Never in 135 years of statehood have officials in Washington contemplated such a brazen attack on the sanctity of the vote,” commented Center Square.

Even more outrageous than what they did is how they did it.

The Attorney General and Secretary of State made this rule change by sidestepping the constitutional amendment process, which requires supermajorities in the legislature and a supermajority vote of the people. Instead, they amended the constitution through state agency rulemaking.

“The implications of this precedent are staggering: political actors can effectively amend the constitution by having groups – in this case an organization that donated to AG Bob Ferguson’s campaign for governor – file a lawsuit and then agree to a consent decree to remove that provision without any say from either the citizens of the state of Washington or their elected representatives.”

Under Washington state law now, a person can register to vote (without any verification) and participate in an election as late as 8 p.m. on Election Day without having to attest that they have been a resident for any period of time.

With only months to go, it’s still an open question whether America will have a free and fair election this year, writes Center Square in a promotional piece seeking contributions. “This rule change in Washington state – made without the say of voters or their elected representatives – could allow numerous illegal immigrants and out-of-state residents to vote, while giving power-hungry officials in other states a playbook to rig elections nationwide.”

They have also reported other incidents. In May 2024, the Illinois legislature gutted a child welfare bill and replaced the contents with changes to ballot eligibility, protecting potentially vulnerable statehouse members from facing tight races.

After less than 24 hours, the bill was pushed through – six weeks after the primary and into the state’s election season process.

Through a series of articles the Center Square detailed the issue for voters, from the first passage in early May through a June 5 court order that stopped party officials from implementing the changes.

Four years ago Facebook billionaire Mark Zuckerberg injected outside money and deployed poll workers across politically targeted states, such as Wisconsin. The stunt became infamously known as “Zuckerbucks.” 

When news of this reached voters, concern grew over the elite’s ability to infiltrate state elections.  

The Center Square’s coverage on this issue raised voters’ awareness and ultimately led to the passage of two constitutional amendments in Wisconsin to keep this kind of money out of the state’s political system. 

As lawmakers in D.C. debate citizenship verification requirements for voting, election officials in states, such as Washington. have already opened the door for illegal voting by foreign nationals.

Last year, The Center Square’s coverage prompted the Washington Secretary of State to consider changes to the voter registration process, highlighting the power of honest, objective journalism. Across two different reports, the Washington state SoS’s office documented how this coverage could:

— “Motivate individuals to call on elected officials to implement citizenship verification procedures for voter registration in Washington State.”

— “Motivate individuals to call for changes to the voter registration process to remove the ability to register to vote when applying for a driver’s license.”

With millions of undocumented migrants pouring over our broken border, can we trust the national news-media elites to gather the facts and tell the story honestly? questions Center Square in their appeal for support.

In March 2023, The Center Square delivered a three-part series on election integrity. The series detailed legislation that would require every Washington state county elections office to give a New York-based nonprofit unfettered digital access. This was the same nonprofit that colluded with state officials during the pandemic-era elections to suppress online speech and was referred to by a federal judge as an “Orwellian Ministry of Truth.”

For more than five years, The Center Square has been the taxpayers’ voice for government accountability, tracking the impact of outside funding on local elections, highlighting when political elites and activists have attempted to stack the deck in their favor, and shining the light on foreign nationals attempting to participate in our election process.

The Center Square is published by Franklin News Foundation.  For more information contact Center Square at 20 N. Clark St., Suite 3300, Chicago, IL 60602. Phone: (847) 497-5230. Email: info_tcs@thecentersquare.com

Billings Building Permits August 15, 2024

21 August 2024
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Commercial

City Of Billings The |Bauer Construction, 2611 9th Ave N, Com New Other, $450,000

Jehovah’s Witness Billings Co |Charter Real Estate Company (General Contractor), 405 S 36th St W, Com Remodel, $95,000

Mathew Kramer |Wovek Inc, 2914 Millennium Circle, Com Addition, $59,794

Hamilton Richard L & Maria |KB Construction Llc, 109 N 35th St, Com Addition, $30,000

Tuni Rafaele |Bauer Construction, 3225 Rosebud Dr, Com Remodel, $20,000

Advanced Therapy Clinic Daycare, 1701 Avenue E, Com Remodel – Change In Use, $1,000

Residential

Kraft Micheal A & Shelley M |Montana Quality Contracting Llc, 3441 Prestwick Rd, Res New Single Family,  $1,100,000

CDH Llc |CDH Llc, 5227 Camp Ln, Res New Single Family, $284,955

HAD Construction |HAD Inc, 953 El Rancho Dr, Res New Single Family, $262,752

McCall Development Inc|McCall Development, 6215 Eva Marie Ln, Res New Single Family, $197,526

McCall Development Inc, 1798 Annafeld Pkwy W, Res New Single Family, $155,252

Attorneys General Get into the Weeds Over Popular Pesticide Labeling

21 August 2024
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By Kim Jarrett, The Center Square

Weed killer or possible carcinogen? The attorneys general of Iowa and Nebraska say glyphosate, an ingredient used widely in pesticides, is safe.

But California officials want to label pesticides with glyphosate as carcinogens. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird and Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers said the state is relying on bad science.

The Environmental Protection Agency has said glyphosate is not a carcinogen, the attorneys general said. They are asking the EPA to ban states from attaching labels contrary to EPA findings.

The agency said in a court finding in a 2019 case that glyphosate was not harmful, the attorneys general, including Montana’s Austin Knudsen, said in their petition.

“The potential that glyphosate is carcinogenic to humans is not something that EPA has ignored. EPA has studied and expressly addressed the carcinogenic potential of glyphosate a number of times over the past three decades,” the petition quotes the U.S. as saying. “And EPA continues to assess it. Through FIFRA (the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act), Congress determined that EPA should make these scientific judgments for the nation as a whole. States may, of course, restrict or prohibit the sale or use of pesticides in the State if they disagree with EPA’s assessment. But States are prohibited from second-guessing EPA’s determination of what risks should be reflected on pesticide labeling.”

California should not “dictate” how farmers in other states farm, the attorneys general said.

“If adopted, our proposed rule would streamline the labeling process, dispel consumer confusion, and ensure that those who help put food on our tables can do their jobs without getting caught up in the red tape of 50 separate states,” Hilgers said. Our proposed rule advances the rule of law and lifts a burden on the farming industry that drives Nebraska’s economy.”

Nebraska and Iowa are considered top agricultural states. The two states have more than 131,000 farms and ranches bombined spanning across nearly 70 million acres, according to a news release. Both states are also top corn producers, yielding more than 4.2 billion bushels last year.

“Farmers are the backbone of the Heartland,” Bird said. “I will not stand by as California ignores science, breaks the law, and dictates how Iowa farmers farm. Glyphosate helps our farmers control weeds and produce higher-yielding crops to feed our families.”

Glyphosate kills more than 300 weeds. Kevin Ross, an Iowa farmer and former president of the National Corn Growers Association said there is nothing else more effective.

“Do your job in D.C. and let the farmers on the ground do their jobs in the U.S.,” Ross said.

Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, North Dakota, South Carolina and South Dakota also signed the petition.

Rocky Mountain Bank Branches Convert to Stockman Bank

13 August 2024
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Stockman Bank has announced the conversion of Rocky Mountain Bank branches located in Kalispell, Bigfork and Plains to Stockman is complete. Systems were converted and building signage was replaced over the weekend, with the bank doors opening as Stockman on July 22, 2024.

“We are excited to welcome Rocky Mountain Bank’s employees and customers to the Stockman family,” said Bill Coffee, CEO of Stockman Bank. “We are a family-owned, Montana community bank committed to serving the financial needs of everyone in our community. We are delighted that all of Rocky Mountain Bank’s employees chose to stay and work with our northwest Montana team. Customers can expect local decisions from people who live and work in their community and are committed to their financial success.”

Coffee says there are many moving parts when converting a bank. He encourages customers who have questions or need assistance to stop by their local Stockman branch. Customers can also visit Stockman’s website, stockmanbank.com, for product and service information, as well as conversion-dedicated customer support contact information.  

Montana Highlights August 1, 2024

13 August 2024
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The University of Montana Medicine Residency Program has received $750,000 to expand its training site. It was one of 15 throughout the country to receive a subsidy to develop new residency programs in rural communities to address the need for physicians in rural communities. The three-year award will support the development of residency training sites in Butte and Helena, in partnership with St. James Hospital and Southwest Community Health Center in Butte and St. Peters Health and PureView Health Center in Helena.

Nemont Telephone Cooperative, Inc. (Nemont) has sold its telecom properties in North Dakota to Northwest Communications Cooperative (NCC100%) fiber-to-the-home internet service and communications provider. Communities involved are Williston, Trenton, Fortuna, Ambrose, and East Westby.

Gov. Greg Gianforte declared a disaster in Missoula and Mineral counties following a July 24 thunderstorm storm with high winds that toppled trees and downed power poles in the Missoula area, leaving many residents without power. Wind speeds of 81 mph, lightning, heavy rain, and gusts up to 109 mph – caused damages to power poles across western Montana leaving tens of thousands of customers of Missoula Electric and Northwestern Energy without power. The State of Montana will expend funds from the general fund to meet contingencies and needs arising from these conditions

The U.S. Postal Service abruptly stopped air service in Montana last week even after Alpine Air, its air cargo contractor in the state, offered a roughly $3 million reduction in its contract. Alpine has worked with the Postal Service in Montana for some 35 years. Alpine Air anticipates having to look at layoffs in Montana. It employs 60 people in the state including 20 who have worked on the Postal Service contract. Two-day delivery will have to be obtained from companies other than the United Postal Service.

Puget Sound Energy, a Seattle-area electricity provider has signed a 25-year power purchase agreement with Clearway Energy Group for a 315-megawatt wind farm under development in Wheatland and Meagher counties in Montana. The additional power buy will satisfy about 15% of what the Puget Sound Energy needs to meet Washington’s 2030 clean energy targets. Construction on the wind farm is expected to start in June 2026, and the project is slated to go online in 2028. Puget Sound Energy is als building a wind farm near Rapelje, about an hour west of Billings, that will generate 248 megawatts. The Beaver Creek wind project will help meet Washington’s clean-energy laws. a second phase of the project could add wind turbines in neighboring Sweet Grass County, complete with a a lithium-ion battery energy storage facility.

Bridger Aerospace recently acquired Alabama-based FMS Aerospace in a $20.6 million deal. Sam Davis has become the interim CEO of Belgrade-based Bridger Aerospace.

Montana-Dakota Utilities is requesting that the Montana Public Service Commission approve a natural gas rate increase of $9.4 million in annual revenues, which would increase the average residential customer’s annual bill by 16.4%.

Justin and Kelsey Flake have recently taken on ownership of Sea Me Paddle. The business, under Tour Glacier, also offers a variety of tours in Glacier National Park and winter tours around the Flathead Valley. Since taking over, Justin and Kelsey have found that tourists enjoy the concierge experience and seeing sights as the locals do, so in addition to their outdoor adventures, the Flakes have started offering brewery and rodeo tours. 

The Pickle Barrel is celebrating 50 years as a sandwich and pickles shop. Current owner Jenny O’Brien took over the Bozeman location in 2014. Over the years it has survived changes and even an explosion that caused the business to move to it’s current location, acroos the street from MSU.

Miles City is currently attempting to remedy a budget shortfall of over $700,000 for Fiscal Year 2025. The preliminary budget information is warning officials to expect steep cuts to personnel and services that will likely need to be made to balance the budget. One update was delivered by Mayor Dwayne Andrews announcing that following a conversation with union leaders representing the city employees, the unions are willing to re-negotiate contracts to find a way to minimize the damage as much as possible.

The Interim Transportation Committee of the Montana Legislature recently heard an update regarding cost estimates of the Federal Rail Administration’s Long-Distance Service Study for restoring passenger rail service across southern Montana. People associated with Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority presented updates to the Committee. The mission and goal are of seeing passenger rail service along the North Coast Hiawatha route restored to service southern Montana. The total estimated cost for restoration and operation of the North Coast Hiawatha route is approximately $3.9 billion.

Last week film crews from America’s Best Restaurants will visit Outlaw’s Bar & Grill in Watford City and 3 Amigos Southwest Grill in Williston. The crew will highlight popular dishes and interview the respective owners. The episodes featuring these two restaurants will be aired at a later date on America’s Best Restaurants’ Facebook page and website. America’s Best Restaurants is a national media and marketing company focusing on bringing attention to local, independently owned restaurants.

Connolly’s Nursery in Evergreen opened in April. The Nursery is located at 1654 Montana 35. From yellow to pink to green to white, everything that Connolly grows is made to grow in Montana. The business aims to provide quality plants for the Evergreen community and Northwest Montana in general.

Hunter and Julie Nguyen have officially opened the doors to their nail salon AJ Nails in Evergreen. The couple says they are slowly growing their business after renovating the former restaurant location.

State’s Senior Health Care Tops List

22 July 2024
Press Room
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Montana’s primary strength is its healthcare accessibility for older citizens, reports Senior Living. With a population of just over 1.1 million, Montana’s healthcare access score was second among all states – a number aided by the Montana Rural Physician Incentive Program that subsidizes and attracts medical professionals.

Montana also had many Medicare hospitals per resident aged 65 or older. Additionally, Montana has been on the leading edge of telehealth initiatives designed to aid a dispersed citizenry comprising the third lowest population density in the country.

The state also ranked 7th for its healthcare cost score, thanks to moderately lower insurance premiums and annual drug costs, which are about 40 percent lower than the national average. A notably low death rate from strokes helped its medical outcomes score, which was 18th best in the country.

Holding first place is North Dakota, which also scored an A+. South Dakota, scoring an A held 3rd place.

According to Senior Living, states in the south scored rather poorly.  Six southern states earned F grades.

One of America’s top retirement destinations, Florida, earned a D+ for senior healthcare and outcomes. Arizona, another popular state, earned a B grade.

West Virginia ranked last probably because it has fewer resources to devote to elderly care, given that it is overwhelmed by an opioid crisis, said the report. That fact, combined with the state’s prevalent behavioral risk factors, poverty rates, and chronic disease also ranked it as the most costly— 71 percent higher than the national average.

The state also ranked 7th for its healthcare cost score, thanks to moderately lower insurance premiums and annual drug costs, which are about 40 percent lower than the national average. A notably low death rate from strokes helped its medical outcomes score, which was 18th best in the country.

Heart disease is the most prevalent medical concern for America’s seniors, and Minnesota boasts the lowest mortality rate for that illness